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Xbox Live Arcade February chart toppers
Based on info gleaned from Major Nelson's weekly Top Ten lists (sans data from the week ending February 2), GamerBytes has compiled a list of the top selling Xbox Live Arcade titles in February. Topping the charts is the EA Sports Freestyle-branded arcade game, 3-on-3 NHL Arcade with strong showings from the pricey R-Type Dimensions and Braid (following an end of the month Deal of the Week sale). Most surprisingly was the interest in Minesweeper Flags, which hovered within the top ten for two weeks in a row -- even though every Windows PC ships with a version of the game! Not faring as well last month were Death Tank (the Sega Saturn Duke Nukem 3D mini-game remake of Death Tank Zwei, priced at 1200) and Exit 2, which both failed to capture much attention upon release. The Maw was a notable entry, firmly holding onto a spot all month following a January release (which GamerBytes notes is a rare feat for XBLA releases). Of course, the most important thing to take away from this is that none of the aforementioned titles were Peggle, which is everyone's new virtual cocaine. We bow to our Unicorn masters.
NHL-themed BlackBerry Storms should fix all the bugs
What's the only thing better than a carrier-endorsed firmware that fixes a plethora of the Storm's reported issues? An NHL-themed decal, of course! It looks like Bell is prepping to launch the 9530 in a special NHL package that'll include a skin for the hockey team of your choice (admittedly, we're kinda digging the striped front) and a storage card preloaded with NHL content and goodies. Altogether, you'll be paying $249.95 CAD on a three-year contract for the package, which represents a $50 premium over the plain-vanilla Storm; hopefully there's a mail-in rebate involved there somewhere, eh?
Joyswag: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade (XBLA)
[Update: Entries for this Joyswag are now over! Thanks for entering!] Looking to lace up those skates for some big-headed hockey? 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is a pick-up-and-play sports title that combines the toughness of a crosscheck with the goofiness of giant noggins, and we're giving away five download codes for the XBLA release! Want to score a code? Here's how: Leave us a comment telling us your ultimate three-man ice squad You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) You may enter once per calendar day This entry period ends at 5:00 pm ET on Friday, February 20. We'll randomly select five (5) winners at that time to receive 3 on 3: NHL Arcade (ARV: $10). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here Best of luck to all -- and thanks to Jade and Jake at the Xbox Canada Community Blog for supplying the codes!
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: NHL Arcade, Minesweeper Flags
This week, XBLA in Brief takes a look at 3 on 3 NHL Arcade and the (sort of) surprise release, Minesweeper Flags. Let's put it this way, one of them is a decent game and the other is a retread of a freeware PC game that you probably already have on your computer right now. Watch and enjoy. Download the trial version of NHL Arcade Download the trial version of Minesweeper Flags [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
This Wednesday: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade on XBLA
Lace up your skates and grab a stick, because EA's over-the-top hockey game, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, is this week's Xbox Live Arcade release. Fetching the tidy sum of 800 ($10), EA's title features more than just big heads, as it promises a "no rules, fast paced" version of the popular sport. Planning to hit the ice this Wednesday?
PSN Thursday: Burnout, Hockey and Baseball, oh my!
Europe wins the PSN war this week with its Killzone 2 demo and other assorted full games. America's update isn't dire, however, as 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is now available, along with the Burnout Paradise Party pack. There's also plenty of DLC -- as usual -- and PSP owners have a demo for Phantasy Star Portable to try out. That's probably the most exciting thing in today's update, to be honest. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
EA's 3 on 3 NHL Arcade skates onto XBLA February 11th
As we were expecting, EA just informed us that 3 on 3 NHL Arcade will be skating its way to the Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, February 11th for a cool 800. That is, if the hockey players can fit their abnormally large heads through the rink's entrance. Thankfully, the PSN will be receiving NHL Arcade a few days earlier, so we should know whether XBLA purchasers will need to stock up on Crisco.
3 on 3 NHL Arcade gets one week exclusivity on PSN
We have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, EA has a total secret crush on PlayStation Network. Last week, it gave PS3 owners access to a free exclusive Mirror's Edge level. This week, it's giving PSN users one week early access to the first EA Sports-branded downloadable game, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade. Matt Maher, lead designer of the game, explained the inspiration for NHL Arcade on the PlayStation.Blog. "There are no options out there for consumers to play an Arcade style hockey game ... and the NHL dev team felt that we could fill this void with a top quality product and give the users a game to enjoy." NHL Arcade will feature online play and support for Trophies. The game will be available tomorrow for $9.99. %Gallery-43841%
Trophies: 3 on 3 NHL Arcade
0 Platinum 1 Gold 3 Silver 9 Bronze Difficulty: Very Easy Online Trophies? Yes Time to Completion: 1 hour DLC Trophies? No View Trophy List Read More About the Game %Gallery-43841%
NHL Network HD skates onto AT&T's U-verse TV
AT&T may be raising its U-verse TV rates, but at least it's showing subscribers that all those dollars aren't going to waste (or a bigwig's pocket). Starting this week, both NHL Network and NHL Network HD are being added to the U-verse TV lineup, but you'll need either the U400 tier or The Sports Package in order to view 'em. Catch the action on the ice right now on slot 1638 (HD) / 638 (SD).
3 on 3 NHL Arcade slapshots XBLA in Feb.
Because five on five hockey is overkill and oversized human heads always make things for lovable, EA just announced they'll be releasing 3 on 3 NHL Arcade to the Xbox Live Arcade sometime in February. For 800 Microsoft points, gamers will be treated to a family friendly version of hockey that has no rules and by what we gather from the screenshot above, will be violent. We're traditionally not interested in mixing sports with our video games, but truth be told, we're suckers for oversized heads. They're so creepy, yet at the same time alluring. [Via Joystiq]
EA's 3 on 3 NHL Arcade skates on to XBLA, PSN in February
In a move that might -- might -- get us excited to play a hockey game again, EA has announced 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, a super-deformed "hockey-lite" coming to XBLA and PSN in February for $10. EA describes it as a "no rules, fast paced" take on the sport (though we're assuming there are some rules, as tempting as "Calvinhockey" sounds) that's being developed by EA Canada, the house behind NHL 09. So, is your interest piqued? Is it at least pucqued? We know we haven't been this excited about hockey since the mid-90s when Fox found those magical glowing pucks at the top of a beanstalk.
Verizon adds NHL Network, NHL Center Ice to FiOS lineup
It may be a bit late for the start of the season, but Verizon's added the NHL Center Ice package, letting viewers subscribe to 40 out of market NHL games every week and early round playoff games, with "select" games in high definition. Beyond the $169 season bundle, FiOS also will soon be home to the NHL Network channel promising 75 HD games this season, along with 24 hours a day to talk cross-checking, zambonis and whatnot. We don't know if it can save hockey but we're glad Verizon is providing another option to the MLB, NBA and NFL action going on right now.
TSN takes in-house studio programming to high-def
TSN2 just launched on two Canadian carriers last month, but apparently that's not enough for the channel. It's also announcing that beginning this weekend, the network's entire slate of in-house programming will be transitioned to HD. In just a few days, viewers will be able to see the CFL on TSN pre-game show in spectacular high-definition, and in the future, you'll be able to catch NHL on TSN, TSN The Reporters with Dave Hodge, Raptors on TSN and In This Corner with Russ Anber -- all in HD. When this is complete, nearly 75% of everything the channel airs will be in high-def, though there's no telling when that final quarter will be seized.
Montreal Canadiens light up 25- x 40-foot HD scoreboard
We know, the major sports outlets aren't even playing it up, but the 2008 - 2009 NHL season is upon us. For fans of the Montreal Canadiens, they'll be enjoying the live action more than most thanks to a 50,000-pound scoreboard that's lighting up the Bell Centre this year. The board, which stands in at 25-feet high and 40-feet wide, sports an undisclosed HD resolution and is (of course) 2.5 times larger than the one recently purchased by the rival Maple Leafs for the Air Canada Centre. So yeah, now it's not just about the score, it's about the board the score is on.[Thanks, Bruno]
Hong Kong's All Sports Network nabs NHL distribution rights in much of Asia
The NHL may not have the viewership in America as, say, the NFL, but that doesn't mean it can't find fans elsewhere. In a rather unexpected move, Hong Kong-based All Sports Network (ASN) has signed a multi-year deal to posses rights for broadcasting NHL matchups throughout much of Asia (India, South Korea and China included). Over 130 upcoming regular-season games will be televised on ASN's Yes TV along with the All-Star game, playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final. The good news? The broadcast rights include "all forms of television, including HDTV." The bad? Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been excluded from the agreement.[Image courtesy of The Globe & Mail]
Washington Capitals net more HD time on Comcast SportsNet
It's just about that time, hockey fans, and for those of you who proudly rock an oversized Caps jersey each and every Friday to work, we've some excellent news to share. 73 Washington Capitals games will be televised by Comcast SportsNet during the 2008 - 2009 season, and a full 50 of those will be aired in high-definition. The team's season starts on October 10th at Atlanta, and the following night will see the home opener shown in high-def when Chicago comes to the District. Sure, the NHL may not have the same following as say, the NFL, but this is definitely a trend we could stand to see catch on.[Image courtesy of OnFrozenBlog]
Top 5: Activities that Need Waggle
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Activities_that_Need_Waggle'; Hardcore gamers sure do hate tacked-on waggle. Indeed, no one likes to flail their arms around like they're trying to signal aircraft when a simple button press will do. And the guys on the other sides seem to be under the impression that the Wii is nothing but a PS2 that replaces thumb pressing with wrist flicking. So when a new title or an iteration of an existing franchise gets announced for the Wii, the non-believers tend to thumb their snooty noses and prattle amongst themselves with ingenious statements like "Dead Rising on the Wii? More like Waggle Rising. YEAH! HIGH FIVE, BRAH!" All right, maybe they're not quite as neanderthalic, but the sentiment remains: the use of waggle is often met with skepticism from the core. To ignore the importance of waggle would be to forget what makes the Wii so awesome. Sure, some games have no real need for motion-based controls, but let us not forget the joy and immersion experienced by the non-gamer who first picked up a Wiimote and found themselves instantly engaged in a lively tennis match. To downplay motion controls would be to forget what made the Wii so successful in the first place. Without it, the Wii would be just a beefed-up GameCube. (THERE, I said it!) Just for a moment, let us forget about why Super Mario RPG has yet to be released on the North American Virtual Console and go back to the flood of imagination we felt when the Wiimote was first unveiled. Here are the activities we wish were made into games on the Wii. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
EA Sports looking into possible subscription program future
During yesterday's EA conference call, EA Sports boss Peter Moore briefly mentioned concepts the studio is considering for the future of their various titles. Moore stated they were looking at instituting "subscription programs" to the EA Sports library in order to "take advantage" of customer loyalty. Of course this could translate to a number of ideas so before we get bent out of shape we should consider it doesn't have to be a bad thing.Consider a subscription based model that would drop by-the-minute roster updates for your favorite sports games over multiple seasons rather than having to plunk down another full retail chunk of change. While we can't guess what might, if anything at all does, come of this idea we can at least credit EA for being one of the publishers that keeps trying to innovate. Whether some like it or not.
E308: NHL 2K9 demo gets us pumped for hockey
We haven't highlighted many sports games at E3 (unless you count Wii Sports Resort), but NHL: 2K9 is different, as it's the first legitimate hockey game to hit Nintendo's console. We are some very hockey-starved individuals, so we're keeping a cautious eye on this one. You can see a little bit of the game for yourselves in the demo above, and maybe we're just easy to please, but we like what we've seen so far.Ignoring the fact that the 2K rep is blatantly (and unconvincingly) reading a script, we appreciate some of the features he highlighted. Getting into fights sounds like fun (and makes us wistful for the days of Mutant League Hockey), as well as the simple but clever Zamboni driving. Seriously, who's never wanted to drive a Zamboni? At least we'll sort of get the chance now, even if it has to be through virtual means.The rep also takes special care to mention the Wii game and its controls, which he says are simple but work well (as you hold the Wiimote like a hockey stick). Sounds good to us.
