Namco Bandai are knownfor a lot of different games these days, games that span multiple platforms and are generally well received. The 'Tales of' series and Tekken being the most notable, but Dragon Ball and many others fill out their large roster of games.
Of the games that will be coming to Gamescom there will be "major exclusive game announcements" at their press conference on Weds August 19th. I am pretty excited about this since they have a publishing deal with That Game Company for two games, I am desperately hoping one of those is Folklore 2, it's a long shot but it's possible. More likely it's going to be a Tales game and something else, your guess is as good as mine.
Here are the games that are definite shows:
Tekken 6 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Xbox 360, PS3)
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Wii)
One Piece Unlimited Cruise 2 (Wii)
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the new world (Wii)
Family Trainer: Extreme Challenge (Wii)
Katamari Forever (PS3)
Champions Online (PC)
Little bit for everyone there, a lot for me since I am a fan of most of these series, just reading about upcoming games makes my wallet groan. Feel free to click through and comment.
Monday, August 10, 2009
PayPal and XBL
I know a lot of people don't like associating their credit card accounts with their Live(or PSN) accounts as storing that info can be a hassle and there is an inherent risk that it could be hacked and/or stolen. Well now Microsoft has made it easier and more convenient to purchase points.
Currently you can link your PayPal account with your XBL account via Xbox.com. This is a big step into making it easier for one to purchase points for use on XBLA and should go a long way in helping further game purchases on the already massive database of games. As of right now though it is only available for use on Xbox.com and cannot be done through the console itself.
This is pretty big for some people, as I don't use PayPal it doesn't sway me in any direction, but for those who have parents that don't want to store their info on XBL to purchase points probably have PayPal accounts that will make it easier for them to say yes to getting points without having to leave the house. More info can be found at Major Nelson's place.
Major Nelson
Currently you can link your PayPal account with your XBL account via Xbox.com. This is a big step into making it easier for one to purchase points for use on XBLA and should go a long way in helping further game purchases on the already massive database of games. As of right now though it is only available for use on Xbox.com and cannot be done through the console itself.
This is pretty big for some people, as I don't use PayPal it doesn't sway me in any direction, but for those who have parents that don't want to store their info on XBL to purchase points probably have PayPal accounts that will make it easier for them to say yes to getting points without having to leave the house. More info can be found at Major Nelson's place.
Major Nelson
July 2009 NPD Pretty Grim
It's no secret that everyone wants a price cut from at least two of the big three console's. The PS3 has taken a beating since it's been on the market, and I mean that beating as coming from the internet more than sales. The Wii has been at the same price since launch and its sales have seen very sharp declines this year, especially in the last three months. The Xbox 360 has seen modest declines since it introduced its cut last September, their's should have has the longest lasting effect.
All of this is troubling indeed and July looks to be no different than the month before, except another decline in sales. Pachter's figure's for the month of July play out like this:
Wii 305,000
PS3 135,000
Xbox 360 190,000
PS2 130,000
PSP 140,000
DS 590,000
For comparison here are June's results:
NDS - 766,500
Wii - 361,700
Xbox 360 - 240,600
PS3 - 164,700
PSP - 163,500
PS2 - 152,700
For the month everyone is looking at a minimum of 20% losses, with the DS losing the most for the month. My own speculation wouldn't go very far but it wouldn't be too far off of Pachter's speculation, the DS, Xbox 360, and Wii losses probably aren't as steep, with Playstation sales still slipping a little. Without price cuts it is likely that sales will continue to fall, but that's without price cuts.
Everyone is looking at Sony to make the first cuts and they are likely to do it at Gamescom in the coming weeks. Microsoft will likely follow with their own cuts or re-branding shortly after. It's anybody's guess with Nintendo, they have said they aren't going to cut the price, but instead rely on attractive bundles that the consumer can't resist. I think Nintendo would be better off cutting the price and introducing new bundles, bundles for both the casual and/or the core.
It's apparent that without cuts they are all in trouble, but it is likely going to be a phenomenal a fall and Christmas season around the world. There should be cuts from all three before the end of October, and hopefully Sony will cave to pressure and launch the PSPGo! at less than $250 to ensure a strong launch.
NPD numbers will be made available to the public this Thursday, so come back and see what they are later this week.
All of this is troubling indeed and July looks to be no different than the month before, except another decline in sales. Pachter's figure's for the month of July play out like this:
Wii 305,000
PS3 135,000
Xbox 360 190,000
PS2 130,000
PSP 140,000
DS 590,000
For comparison here are June's results:
NDS - 766,500
Wii - 361,700
Xbox 360 - 240,600
PS3 - 164,700
PSP - 163,500
PS2 - 152,700
For the month everyone is looking at a minimum of 20% losses, with the DS losing the most for the month. My own speculation wouldn't go very far but it wouldn't be too far off of Pachter's speculation, the DS, Xbox 360, and Wii losses probably aren't as steep, with Playstation sales still slipping a little. Without price cuts it is likely that sales will continue to fall, but that's without price cuts.
Everyone is looking at Sony to make the first cuts and they are likely to do it at Gamescom in the coming weeks. Microsoft will likely follow with their own cuts or re-branding shortly after. It's anybody's guess with Nintendo, they have said they aren't going to cut the price, but instead rely on attractive bundles that the consumer can't resist. I think Nintendo would be better off cutting the price and introducing new bundles, bundles for both the casual and/or the core.
It's apparent that without cuts they are all in trouble, but it is likely going to be a phenomenal a fall and Christmas season around the world. There should be cuts from all three before the end of October, and hopefully Sony will cave to pressure and launch the PSPGo! at less than $250 to ensure a strong launch.
NPD numbers will be made available to the public this Thursday, so come back and see what they are later this week.
Ride Retail Date Confirmed For US, UK, Germany
Tony Hawk Ride will be skating its way into retailers on November 17th in the US, and three days later on November 20th in the UK and Germany. The price is still unknown at this point but most retailers have it pegged at $120 for the bundle. I imagine the price will be confirmed at Gamescom which begins Tuesday August 18th with Sony's massive presser, and pricing structure will then be passed on to retailers worldwide.
I don't know about all you fans, but I think I will be passing on this Tony Hawk due to the peripheral . The game is more than likely going to optimized for play with it, so playing with a controller would just be silly. As we all know Bobby Kotick just wants to charge as much as he can squeeze from gamers cramped up fingers, so it will likely be $120 and up.
I don't know about all you fans, but I think I will be passing on this Tony Hawk due to the peripheral . The game is more than likely going to optimized for play with it, so playing with a controller would just be silly. As we all know Bobby Kotick just wants to charge as much as he can squeeze from gamers cramped up fingers, so it will likely be $120 and up.
Bobby Kotick Gets Paid How Much!?
So VG247(through Forbes) dug up the amount of money that Bobby Kotick, the CEO and mouthpiece of Activision Blizzard, and it is a hefty sum of money. All of his bonuses, salary, options and other compensation totals just under $15,000,000. That's millions to those who don't like to read zero's. Personally this makes me absolutely sick. I know the big bosses of companies just ooze money, but most of them ooze personality as well and seem like they do good things and work hard for their money, Bobby Kotick just runs his damn mouth about how he thinks games aren't expensive enough and that Sony should lower the price of the PS3 or else.
Seriously Bobby, act a little bit more gracious for your money, gamers put it in your bank account, along with the industry itself. If you wouldn't have snapped up Blizzard, you'd still be number 2, and certainly not in a position to run your mouth at Sony. Who want's to bet when the PS3 price drops he will say that it was because he made a threat to the Playstation giant.
via VG247
Seriously Bobby, act a little bit more gracious for your money, gamers put it in your bank account, along with the industry itself. If you wouldn't have snapped up Blizzard, you'd still be number 2, and certainly not in a position to run your mouth at Sony. Who want's to bet when the PS3 price drops he will say that it was because he made a threat to the Playstation giant.
via VG247
The Week In Releases August 10-16
This week we'll see some decent releases spread throughout the week, but it's otherwise slim pickin'. Title's in gold text will be recieving reviews, and a click on each title will take you to the official site if it's available. The big game of the week is Madden 2010, I'm not a big sports fan but this is pretty much EA's bread and butter week.
Wii
AUGUST 11th
Active Life Extreme Challenge
ATV Quad Kings
Brave: A Warrior's Tale
Groovin' Blocks (Retail)
Monster Mayhem Build and Battle
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again
Real Heroe's: Firefighter
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Xbox 360
AUGUST 12th
Trials HD
AUGUST 13th
Red Faction: Guerilla-Demon's of the Badland (DLC)
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Indianapolis 500 Evolution
PS3
AUGUST 13th
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (PSN and Retail)
Red Faction Guerilla-Demon's of the Badland (DLC)
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Seems to be a little something in there for everyone, the jewel's of the week for me are definitely Phantom Brave and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. If you are into brutal strategy RPG's in the vein of Disgaea than Phantom Brave is for you, or if you didn't get to play it on the PS2 and want to give it a go. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is arcade port perfection.
Wii
AUGUST 11th
Active Life Extreme Challenge
ATV Quad Kings
Brave: A Warrior's Tale
Groovin' Blocks (Retail)
Monster Mayhem Build and Battle
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again
Real Heroe's: Firefighter
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Xbox 360
AUGUST 12th
Trials HD
AUGUST 13th
Red Faction: Guerilla-Demon's of the Badland (DLC)
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Indianapolis 500 Evolution
PS3
AUGUST 13th
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (PSN and Retail)
Red Faction Guerilla-Demon's of the Badland (DLC)
AUGUST 14th
Madden NFL 10
Seems to be a little something in there for everyone, the jewel's of the week for me are definitely Phantom Brave and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. If you are into brutal strategy RPG's in the vein of Disgaea than Phantom Brave is for you, or if you didn't get to play it on the PS2 and want to give it a go. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is arcade port perfection.
EA and Crytek Shift Into 3d
With different avenues to play games coming to our living rooms at a quicker pace than ever before it helps to be on the cutting edge of videogame technology. SCE showed off its 3D gaming capabilities at CES in Vegas earlier this year and now a new alliance has been formed to bring 3d to the masses.
The Sterioscopic 3D Gaming Alliance, or S-3D Gaming Alliance, has been formed to set standards for 3D gaming in the industry. This way consumers without natural 3D TV's can still game in 3D since they are making a pair of glasses that will look and feel more natural to the player. I welcome a group like this because let's face it, 3D HDTV's aren't coming down in price quick and unless they are adopted by the mainstream they won't. For all game consoles this will blend perfectly with motion controlled gaming, adding in that extra step of realism.
Here's what the Gaming Alliance had to say about what others are doing:
“As a technology demo, Electronic Arts Inc. worked with Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD) to give a flawless glimpse of what their upcoming award-winning title, Need For Speed SHIFT, will look like when played with stereoscopic 3D drivers. Other technology demos included Crytek’s CryEngine3 running in S-3D with native support, and a showing of Blitz Games Studios’ Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao, arguably the first console game to support modern stereoscopic 3D technologies. To add to the fun, all demos were presented on a huge RealD projection screen as part of SIGGRAPH’s Computer and Animation Festival.”
More and more companies will be implementing 3D in the coming months and years. James Cameron's Avatar game was confirmed to be in 3D at E3 in June of this year. Anticipation for this kind of tech in our gaming will reach a fevered pitch in no time and I can't wait to see what else they do with games in the next couple of years.
Gaming Bits, PSLS
The Sterioscopic 3D Gaming Alliance, or S-3D Gaming Alliance, has been formed to set standards for 3D gaming in the industry. This way consumers without natural 3D TV's can still game in 3D since they are making a pair of glasses that will look and feel more natural to the player. I welcome a group like this because let's face it, 3D HDTV's aren't coming down in price quick and unless they are adopted by the mainstream they won't. For all game consoles this will blend perfectly with motion controlled gaming, adding in that extra step of realism.
Here's what the Gaming Alliance had to say about what others are doing:
“As a technology demo, Electronic Arts Inc. worked with Dynamic Digital Depth (DDD) to give a flawless glimpse of what their upcoming award-winning title, Need For Speed SHIFT, will look like when played with stereoscopic 3D drivers. Other technology demos included Crytek’s CryEngine3 running in S-3D with native support, and a showing of Blitz Games Studios’ Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao, arguably the first console game to support modern stereoscopic 3D technologies. To add to the fun, all demos were presented on a huge RealD projection screen as part of SIGGRAPH’s Computer and Animation Festival.”
More and more companies will be implementing 3D in the coming months and years. James Cameron's Avatar game was confirmed to be in 3D at E3 in June of this year. Anticipation for this kind of tech in our gaming will reach a fevered pitch in no time and I can't wait to see what else they do with games in the next couple of years.
Gaming Bits, PSLS
New Reviews Incoming
I will be putting up reviews for Red Faction Guerilla and Bionic Commando
this week so check back in a couple of days.
this week so check back in a couple of days.
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