Joystiq Staff
Articles by Joystiq Staff
Like it or not, Madden continues to be a cash cow
Electronic Arts has released estimates that show its yearly updated franchise, Madden, has just reached a new high: two million copies sold in the first week. EA says this is a record for a franchise that has been chugging along for 17 years now. A PR mouthpiece had this to say about the results:"Consumers are the most meaningful judge of game quality and based on sales and the record-setting online activity, our toughest critics think Madden NFL has delivered another great game experience."We guess it pays to be the only NFL game in town. For those of you that bought it, is Madden NFL 07 the best Madden ever?
Microsoft: Marketplace has had over 50 million downloads
According to Microsoft, the Xbox Live Marketplace just passed the 50 million downloads marker which is double the 25 million point reached just three months ago. Clearly, Xbox Live is where the 360 is putting its faith in success, but this can't be anything but great and surprising news for the console and its fans. The PR squad at Xbox also released these telling figures: Texas Hold 'em set a one day record as the fastest download item ever on the Marketplace. There were over 100 downloads a minute in the first 24-hours of release. Over 2 billion hours spent on Xbox Live by gamers across the globe since the launch of the Xbox Live online gaming network in November 2002 More than 60 percent of Xbox 360 owners are connected to Xbox Live 65 percent of all connected consoles already downloading and playing Xbox Live Arcade titles Over 8 million downloads of Xbox Live Arcade games following the launch of Xbox 360 Over 2 billion Microsoft Points sold to date It's going to be interesting to see the comparable numbers Sony will release when its new online service starts, as well as Nintendo. With Microsoft's huge head start in the online console market, how soon could either of them conceivably catch up to the numbers and potential of Xbox Live?
TimeShift hit with delay stick yet again
We just got a message from Vivendi telling us that the oft delayed, publisher-swapping first-person shooter TimeShift (360 and PC) has been moved to a 2007 release. Their message was quick and to the point:Vivendi Games acquired TimeShift with the view that it would become a stand out FPS franchise. Our commitment to that vision remains, and so the decision has been taken to move the title into 2007 to give it the time and resources needed to fulfill its potential.As many times as this thing has been delayed, it may not be long until TimeShift is added to the long storied list of vaporware. Duke Nukem meet TimeShift. TimeShift meet Duke Nukem.
Oh look, another WWII-themed first-person shooter
What happens when sales outpace creativity and originality? No, not another 50 Cent game. The real answer is more first-person shooters with a World War II theme -- Fall of Liberty is the name of the lucky girl this time. Ugh, do we really need another WWII franchise for next-gen? Well, Codemaster and Sparks Unlimited seem to think so.Not content with the bazillions of other historical FPSers out there, the two have joined forces to bring us Fall of Liberty for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Due in late 2007, this latest Nazi smasher is actually a flip on the formulaic script as the game is set in the 50s shortly after the Nazis have won -- see it's different, this time, they win. Not only were the nasty Germans victorious, but they're poised to forever rule the good ol' U.S. of A. We have just one question to ask you Joystiqers: Are you as sick of WWII-themed shooters as we are?[Thanks, Alvin]
Bomberman photoshop contest: How to make right out of wrong
The latest Bomberman iteration to hit a gaming platform is the terribly flawed Bomberman: Act Zero for the Xbox 360 -- seriously, how do you mess up Bomberman?. Well, after poor reviews kept streaming in, a fan over at the NeoGAF forums decided to put copies of the game to good use: hold a caption contest with the grand prize being a T-shirt with the developer's name on it. So far, there have been some creative entries and we'll share some with you after the break (including our first impressions of the game). But, now that we can give the contest the proper exposure it deserves, we're sure that our creative readers can add some real competition to the affair.[Via Game Life]
Video walkthrough of Madden Wii
For those curious about Madden NFL 07 on the Wii and how the controls (and graphics) will look, there's a new and fairly lengthy video up on YouTube that gives a good walkthrough of the basics.If you weren't lucky enough to get your hands on a version at E3, handling the game was actually quite intuitive and fun. It even went so far as to make us want to actually buy and play Madden again.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Fight Night Round 3 to punch PS3 gamers in the face
It was announced today that the successful next-gen boxing sim Fight Night Round 3 will hop from the 360 ring and into the PlayStation 3 squared-circle. However, for this round EA Chicago is handing off the port duties to EA Canada. And, instead of just a straight transition, a first-person mode called "Get in the Ring" will be added. Also included in the PS3 version will be EA's ESPN ticker integration that has updated news and sports info. The game is scheduled to be released this holiday season. This all makes us wonder when Fight Night Round 4 will be released for both consoles. Is EA going to hold that back until Round 3 has collected enough prize money?
Aquaman added to Justice League Heroes roster
Greatest news ever or merely a ploy to get all you in-the-closet Aquaman fans to buy the upcoming Justice League Heroes game? Hmm, we'll have to see about that. Nevertheless, we just got word that everyone's favorite fish man in green tights will be making a fabulous appearance in Heroes, which is slated to hit the PS2, Xbox, PSP, GBA and DS sometime this fall.Included as an unlockable character, Aquaman joins Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna and the previously announced unlockable Green Arrow in the fight against baddies. For those quick to dismiss Aquaman's worth on dry land, his character in Heroes will have the ability to create a whirlpool (temporary water whirlwind that traps enemies), use the sword of Atlantis and protect himself using a water shield.In honor of such a delightful announcement, check out these timely Aquaman classics:The Aquaman danceDave Chappelle on AquamanAquaman: The Music VideoAquaman: The Movie (from Entourage)The TV pilot trailerAn Aquaman tributeAquaman on Family Guy
Microsoft's XNA beta released today
Wannabe game developers will now have the chance to delve into the world of criticism as Microsoft made available their XNA Game Studio Express beta today. The tools can be downloaded here. It's going to get a whole helluva lot more interesting to see what can come out of the brains of those who maybe lacked the funds but not the passion to make fun games.As was stated earlier when it was announced, games built on Windows will also carry the ability to be migrated to the Xbox 360 starting this holiday as part of the XNA Creators Club. Of course, you'll have to cough up some dough first. The subscription is $99 for a year or a four-month trial cost of $49. Now it's time for those that complain about staleness in the industry to actually do something about it.Check out the full press release after the break, which includes some info on the Torque X beta program.
Play Dead Rising as Mega Man
Here's yet another great reason to keep on keepin' on in Capcom's major 360 seller Dead Rising. After you've killed 60,000 zombies, the Mega Man suit becomes fully available, allowing players not only the ability to look absolutely awesome but also take advantage of the blue guy's Mega Buster.Check out the video here. Now, excuse us while we get back to racking up a massive amount of zombie kills.[Via Destructoid]
Newly designed PSP coming in 2007 [update 1]
According to the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine, a new design of the Sony PSP will be hitting the shores of Japan around March of 2007. Here are a few of the features that are said to be included in the makeover: Reached a deal with Samsung to purchase 8GB flash memory chips which will be built in according to industry reports Miniature hard disk drives are out Will be streamlined and thinner and lighter Sony is still expected to include a still/video camera of undetermined resolution as a built-in feature of the new PSP So, maybe Sony was being truthful when they denied a possible PSP 2 anytime soon and instead were going the route of "enhancing the current version," as John Koller told us in July. Now, if only we can change the single nub notion and get rid of the UMD format, then we'd be in serious business for a killer handheld.[Update: The image above is a fake, not the actual redesign. Sorry for any confusion.]
Crytek says 360 and PS3 can't handle Crysis
Some news slipped out during the Leipzig convention in Germany that Crytek senior game designer Bernd Diemer said their upcoming first-person shooter Crysis was too über for the next-generation consoles -- the 360 and PlayStation 3 specifically. The heart of the matter related directly to DirectX 10 and it being the only way to truly unleash the beast behind this beautiful game.Diemer was quoted as saying that "next generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 do not offer the sufficient power" needed for some high-quality Crysis action. This news comes counter to the recent news that the Crytek team was looking for some PS3 worker bees for a possible Crysis port to the system. We may not see Crysis on the PS3, but it's still entirely possible we may see Crysis-like games in the future on Sony's console.
Tecmo signs up for Wii Virtual Console
Great news has just landed for many old-school gamers: Tecmo has pledged "aggressive" support for the Wii's Virtual Console. For those of us who used to have their own Tecmo Bowl leagues -- complete with individual player and team stats scribbled on notebook paper -- this is a very tasty morsel to pass before our eyes.Besides side-scrolling football addicts, this could also prove to be a big seller for original Ninja Gaiden fans. The news was part of a financial report that outlined other facts such as a "worldwide simultaneous launch for Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 and a promise to tackle new titles, with Wii's Super Swing Golf Pangya given as an example."
New Oblivion content available on Thursday
Priced at a penny-pinching $0.99, the latest Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion add-on pack called, "Spell Tomes," will give PC and Xbox 360 players the opportunity to discover "hundreds of new spell-giving books." What at first glance appears to be a good value for what it is, it seems the folks at Oblivion have learned their lesson with pricing and content. Buh bye horrors of a horse armor past? Oh, we sure do hope so. Check after the break for all the features and examples of some of the new spells that will be available.
Wired asks if the PS3 can save Sony
If you're a loyal Wired reader like some of us here at Joystiq, then you would have noticed a great article in this month's edition on the PlayStation 3 and its role as savior for Sony. The article is online and we suggest you read it because it's a very objectively written piece on the PS3 and its place in Sony's past, present, and future. This graph near the end of the story sums it up best:In 30 years, Sony has transformed itself from a consistently profitable consumer electronics company with annual sales of $1.6 billion to a dangerously wobbly consumer electronics-entertainment-financial services behemoth 40 times that size. Sony Electronics needs to embrace the networked world, obviously, but does it really need to be allied with a Hollywood film studio and a consumer-wary global music label in a global campaign against Microsoft? Probably not. It just needs to make cool products for the century we live in.The article delves into Sony's risky and controversial decisions and how some of those risks have both failed and succeeded. If you're looking for a non-fanboy, purely objective look on what the PS3 means to Sony and the gaming community, then do yourself a favor and check this out.[Thanks, Richard Mitchell]
Kaz says Blu-ray is the best choice for gamers
In a rather bland interview with Cnet, Sony's Kaz Hirai proclaims that the Blu-ray format is the best choice for gamers when compared to the capacity in its fiercest competitor, the Xbox 360. He told Cnet:Our decision to include the Blu-ray player ... in all of our PlayStation 3s was the right decision. Look at the massive amounts of data that's required to provide a truly immersive gaming experience in true HD. If you only have a DVD ROM drive, which can only go up to about 9GB or so, you're going to end up with a game that's going to have two or possibly even three discs. And then you're going to have to ask consumers to swap discs out or cache all the game onto the hard drive which I think is an inconvenience -- not to mention the fact that you're going to fill up a 20GB hard drive very quickly with some of these games. So trying to go without a Blu-ray drive in the PlayStation 3 really is a nonstarter. Pretty much a diss to the 360 and its capabilities, Hirai believes that the Blu-ray is key to the PS3's ultimate success. Considering how massive a game like Oblivion is on one disc, does the extra storage capability of the Blu-ray disc even matter?On a another note, Kaz still says that production of the PS3 has yet to start.[Thanks, KingOfGods]
Surprise! Burnout 5 coming to Xbox 360 and PS3
With EA's overwhelming fondness of pumping out game after game in successful franchises, it should come as a shock to no one that Burnout 5 has just been announced to come to the 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2007. This time, however, it seems that Burnout will not rest on its laurels and is getting somewhat of a makeover.This new Burnout will take an open-world approach and allow players to jump in and out of menus with every intersection "a potential crash junction." The game will take place in the fictional Paradise City and has been promised to include "the most explosive pile-ups in the series' history." The game will surely be a nice addition for the 360 and PS3, but where's the Wii support? You mean to tell us that EA couldn't come up with a cool version to take advantage of the Wii remote? We're also curious if the PS3 version will take advantage of the tilt function in the controller.[Thanks, JamesO]
Nintendo doing the elderly (and you) a solid
We just got word via the ol' inbox of a unique event taking place next month at the Nintendo World store in New York City. On Sept. 9, Nintendo will show their commitment to opening the gaming world up to everyone by playing host to a Grandparent's Day Brain Age tournament from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.The most conscious grandma or grandpa competing will be crowned "Coolest Grandparent of the Year" and win two DS Lites and 10 DS games for their family. In addition, all families in attendance will receive 10% discounts on purchases at the store. OK Joystiq readers, hop on over to the nursing home and start getting those intense practice sessions underway so you can easily score a new DS Lite.
Xbox 360 backwards compatibility list updated
In their ongoing battle to appease fickle gamers with Xbox titles that are playable on the 360, Microsoft has just released their newest list of current-gen games that will now be usable on its next-gen machine. Sorry Tim Schafer, Psychonauts didn't make it this round.With this updated list now in, are there still games missing that absolutely need to be in there?Check after the break for the updates.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Play catch up with Battlestar Galactica on the 360
As we reported earlier this month, the Sci-Fi Channel offering Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far is now up for download -- for free -- on Xbox Live Marketplace. The good news? It comes to us a lot earlier then what was anticipated.The bad news? Well, according to some commenters on Major Nelson's blog, the download is only available to fans who reside in the United States. The other bad news? It's in standard definition. We say boo to you Microsoft. While the idea of a downloadable TV feature such as this is a giant leap in a positive direction, we high-def cronies demand that our content always be available in HD quality. Oh well, at least it's free.