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Nintendo Sells The Most Systems in 2010; Expecting Big Sales for the 3DS…

If you have called the Wii or DS dead or dying lately, I am sure Nintendo would find that hilarious as they are laughing all the way to the bank with the most home consoles sold for 2010. Nintendo recently offered some statements on the success of 2010’s console sales and as usual, the famed company is still reigning supreme at #1.

Nintendo sold more than 2.5 million Nintendo DS systems and more than 2.3 million Wii systems in December alone, bringing their lifetime U.S. sales totals to more than 47 million and more than 34 million, respectively.

With the new Nintendo 3DS™ system set to launch in the United States in March, Nintendo has strong momentum heading into 2011. Nintendo 3DS lets users view 3D images without the need for special glasses. More information about the system will be made available during a Jan. 19 preview event in New York.

“Nintendo has sold more game systems than anyone else for five years running,” said Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America’s senior director of Corporate Communications. “Of the quarter billion hardware systems sold in the United States during the past 10 years, Nintendo sold more than half. We look forward to bringing fun new experiences to consumers when Nintendo 3DS launches in March.”

Three of the top five best-selling games of December play exclusively on Nintendo systems. These include Just Dance 2 from Ubisoft at No. 1, Donkey Kong Country Returns™ from Nintendo at No. 3 and Disney Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive Studios at No. 4. For all of 2010, 13 of the top 25 best-selling games play on Nintendo systems. This includes two of the top five; five of the top 10; and nine of the top 15.

With all of this said comes a bit of wonder of how the Wii will stand to this year’s huge market. Aside from Mario Sports Mix coming out in a month or so as well as Skyward Sword, there isn’t too much first party software hitting the Wii this year so it will be interesting to watch for more games to be announced during 2011. Nintendo are great at last minute announcements so I am hoping we see some more love towards their core audience again like the phenomenal releases of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn as I think those three games along probably had a lot to do with sales numbers last year.

Of course the system which is top priority from Nintendo is the 3DS and with all the buzz I have a feeling the launch will certainly be successful, but I would not count out Sony or Microsoft as this will be the year where we are going to see even more of the technology wars as the Kinect and Move start to release bigger titles. That is the greatest thing about the wars among these three giants though, everyone wins as they battle to bring gamers to their side.

Wall of Alduin explains the history of Skyrim

Remember that teaser where we first found out about Skyrim? That wall that we were shown is actually going to play a big part in the game, or at least the history written on the wall will. Game Informer’s website has the entire wall available and it is interactive as well. Users can highlight the different bulletpoints on the wall that detail the story involved with that picture on the wall.

The history details the rise and fall of Alduin and his eventual rise again to take revenge on Tamriel. From the events portrayed on the wall every Elder Scroll game has supposedly been leading up to the unleashing of Alduin. From the very first Elder Scrolls to the closing of the Oblivion gates everything has been set into motion by player’s hands over the years.

Nintendo currently has no plans to bring The Last Story to the West

Bad news for fans of the JRPG genre outside of Japan. Nintendo currently has no plans of even attempting to release Mistwalker’s upcoming game, The Last Story, outside of Japan. It’s hard to understand exactly why they would decide to ignore a worldwide release when more lesser known titles have enjoyed a worldwide release to moderate success. To make us feel even more bad they have released a five minute trailer earlier today.

This news comes despite the fact that The Last Story has been quite popular among Western markets and also sports the developer Hironobu Sakaguchi who created Final Fantasy, Lost Odyssey, and Blue Dragon. Still regardless of this fact VG247 was told by Nintendo the following: “We have no plans at present.” This is very unfortunate news indeed for those who wanted a deep RPG for their Wii system. Bear in mind that although there are no plans at present for a worldwide release, they did not completely squash the idea so one can hope that as long as the sales figures are high in Japan then Nintendo may be more willing to look at the West to release The Last Story.

GTA4 – cars gone wild

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I think it’s safe to assume most of you have played GTA4 or at least know what it is and how it works.  Big open world environment, free reign to do WHATEVER.  Cars are a big thing in the game since they are wildly abundant and are your main form of transportation.  People always find ways to do silly things in GTA games just because they have the capacity to do so, it’s a big game with lots of potential for tom foolery.  Youtube user dot12321 discovered that by editing a certain file in the game directory (aka PC version editing) you can make the cars fly and swerve around with incredibly comedic effect.  Words won’t do this justice so just scroll down and watch the video, it’s absolutely hilarious.

Zumba Fitness Sells 500,000 Copies…..

I think everyone is aware of the booming video game fitness trend that is out there, but if Zumba Fitness is any indication, it looks like the genre is getting even bigger. Majesco have recently announced that in just a little over a month, the title has sold 500,000 units since releasing back in mid-November for the Wii, Xbox 360 & PS3. For a fitness game, those numbers are nothing to sneeze at indeed.

Here is an official statement from Majesco:

“We are excited by the sales performance of the Zumba Fitness® video game, and are also encouraged by the continued post-holiday momentum for the title”, said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. “Zumba fitness programs are a worldwide phenomenon and growing. We believe people will be playing the Zumba Fitness video game at home 365 days a year, and as such expect to see continued reorders throughout the year. In ad0dition, we have extended our national marketing and PR campaign to maintain consumer demand and support retail momentum.”

It is interesting to see which titles can quickly catch on and Zumba Fitness with it’s easy to pick up and play party style seems to be hitting a note with certain gamers without a doubt. Throw in the discounted $49.99 price-tag ($39.99 for the Wii) and motion support on all three consoles and it is easy to see why 500,000 units have shipped since release. To check out more information about Zumba fitness you can visit the official site at www.ZumbaFitnessGame.com or join the community at www.Facebook.com/ZumbaFitnessGame.

Final Dead Space 2 video before launch

Dead Space 2 has received its launch trailer, further hammering home that the game is on the horizon, approaching fast.

It is looking to be an atmospheric thriller that promises to scare the socks off anyone, and the trailer only further reiterates that this game isn’t for the faint-hearted . Better bring a spare pair of pants as it is looking like the scariest title in a while, and I expect that although “in space, nobody can hear you scream”, the neighbours will be able to hear your shrill squeals from a mile away.

Dead Space 2 will be available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on 25th January in the US and 28th January in Europe. Who’s already counting down the days?

NFS Shift 2: Unleashed – teased and dated

The sequel to Need for Speed Shift has been given a release date by Electronic Arts. EA has dated Need for Speed: Shift Unleashed 2 for a release of March 25 in the UK and Europe, with the US getting the game a little later on March 29.
To celebrate the announcement of the release date, EA has also ‘unleashed’ a very nice looking trailer for the game. It shows the game in action, which, to be fair, is looking very sleek and impressive graphically. Come release, it will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Will you all have recovered enough from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit to get back behind the wheel in March?

EA’s Christmas Sale A Call For Concern

EA’s recent Christmas sale on iTunes App store in which the majority of EA’s iPhone titles were dramatically discounted to $0.99 (USD) for 48 hours leading up to the Christmas buying frenzy, has caused much doubt in the rest of the mobile gaming industry over the “success” of the promotion. Controversy surrounds the officially promoted sale by Apple which saw EA dominate the top 10 App chart, due to the sudden drop in prices just before Christmas day. This essentially cut off sales from other game developers in a clear expression of publisher pushing power.

Gameloft founder and CEO Michel Guillemot, expresses concerns over EA’s recent practices “There is a high uncertainty for the future anytime somebody can steal the market at Christmas” said Guillemot speaking at CES 2011, “driving down recommended retail prices to such a degree will foster a ‘good enough’ attitude from developers, innovation and quality stifled as they look to offer games at 99c”. The consequence of discounting on such a large level will surely have long term impacts on a consumer’s perception on what mobile games are really worth. In short, this could mean the demise of the iPhone and mobile gaming as a ‘viable handheld gaming console’ as opposed to just a ‘casual experience’ for people on the go.

 

EA’s Christmas sale in December was specifically timed to coincide with the release of several Triple-A titles from publishers who saw their games such as Real Racing 2, N.O.V.A. 2 and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light sidelined by EA’s discount frenzy. The majority of EA’s iOS games still remain at a low price. However looking at the bigger picture, EA’s Christmas sale may be a reflection of their financial performance which Q2 figures show that their sales were down by 4% year on year, whilst Gameloft sales were up by 15% in the same period. Whether or not the recent sale was a good move from EA, we will just have to wait and see the long term effects on the gaming market and on the quality of games in general to fully assess the impact of this.

Conduit 2 teaser sets scene for US release

Ahead of the North American February launch of the game, SEGA have created a new trailer of the game. Showcasing more gameplay than you can shake a stick at, this teaser reveals some gargantuan bosses and some seriously improved graphics.

When the original Conduit came out, SEGA had hyped up its visuals so much that the game had a lot to live up to. As a result, when it was released it seemed rather generic and didn’t live up to extravagant claims. Thankfully, SEGA have kept fairly quiet about this and it appears instead, they are letting the game do the talking.

No news of a release date for the rest of the world, but hopefully this will change soon. Any US residents picking it up on the 15th February, and anyone from elsewhere anticipating its slightly later release in your respective regions?

Sci-Fi Neo-Noir Adventure, Gemini Rue, Coming Soon.

Coming Soon from adventure game maker Wadjet Eye Games comes Gemini Rue, a sci-fi neo-noir tale of adventure and redemption spanning two characters across an entire galaxy.

The game follow the quest of two characters, Azriel Odin and Delta-Six – the first of which is an ex-assassin looking to find someone while the second awakens from a hospital with no memories, across a dark and bleak galaxy largely controlled by the Boryokudan crime syndicate in a tale of redemption and self discovery.

What’s an adventure game without an amazing cast? The cast of this game seem interesting and are as follows –

Azriel Odin – For most of his life, Azriel was a ruthless, emotionless, killer for the galaxy’s biggest crime syndicate – the Boryokudan.  But several years ago he had a change of heart.  He turned himself in and began fighting on the side of law and order; working to bring the syndicate down, one family at a time.  He is currently on the planet Barracus, hoping to aid other defectors who want to escape the Boryokudan.
Delta-Six – Deep inside a strange facility called Center 7, a man wakes up with no memory.  Your name is Delta-Six, he is told.  There is no chance of escape.  Follow orders, they say, and you go free.  Disobey, and you could lose everything.  As Delta-Six explores the facility, he is soon thrust into a struggle not only his life, but for his very identity.
Matthius Howard – A wisecracking ex-criminal who escaped the crime world in order to raise a family and live a “proper” life.  He’s currently on Barracus, helping his old friend Azriel out with a job.
Kane Harris – An upright, moral starship pilot who is more comfortable sitting at the controls of his ship than on the solid ground of any planet.  Against his better judgment, he has teamed up with Azriel to clean up the syndicates.  He believes the job is important, but can’t shake the feeling that Azriel’s loyalties might still be with the Boryokudan.
Epsilon-Five – Like Delta-Six, she is a resident of the mysterious Center 7.  She has always been terrified of the place and she looks to Delta-Six for protection.  Is her scared-little-girl act for real?  Or just a lie?  And why hasn’t she chosen a name for herself?
Balder – This resident of Center 7 spends most of his time working out at the center’s gym, dealing with old demons from a past that even he doesn’t remember.  Friendly and affable, he claims to be Delta-Six’s friend.  He seems likable enough, so why doesn’t anybody else want to talk to him?
Giselle – Another resident of Center 7, Giselle is tired of being ordered around.  She doesn’t know why she’s here or what is in store for her, but her life has narrowed down to one single-minded purpose: escape.  Don’t get in her way, because she plans to get out no matter what the cost.
The Director – Never seen, only heard over a loudspeaker, this mysterious man seems to be in charge of the residents of Center 7.  But who is he?  Does he have his own agenda?  Or does he actually have the residents’ best interests in mind?

Obtained from – http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/geminirue.htm?page=characters

The game is set to be released on the 24th of February and is available for pre-order on the official page.
It looks like it’s to be download only, but they’re releasing a limited run of physical copies.
Prices are –
$14.99 US for the Download version.
$24.99 US for the Limited edition CD.