God Of War 3
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New game sales up in GameStop's fiscal Q1
GameStop reported earnings for its fiscal first quarter (February–April). Sales are up five percent over the first quarter of 2009, to $2.08 billion. Some of that growth is no doubt due to strong sales of new games. The retailer announced that new software sales increased 13.3 percent in the quarter -- a trend that the GameStop should be happy to see, now that EA and THQ are taking aim at the used games business. The company identified five games in particular that drove revenue growth: Battlefield Bad Company 2, God of War 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, and BioShock 2. We all love buying sequels at GameStop, apparently.
God of War novel ravages retail May 25, first chapter online
The official God of War novel, based on the "thrilling video game," will spill its entrails of words all over bookstore shelves May 25, 2010. In the meantime, the prologue and first chapter of the book are available for Medusa's gaze online [PDF link]. Be warned, however, Kratos' transition from video game to literature may be a little tough to swallow. An excerpt: "His only dream now is of oblivion. He has been called the Ghost of Sparta. He has been called the Fist of Ares and the Champion of Athena. He has been called a warrior. A murderer. A monster. He is all of these things. And none of them. His name is Kratos, and he knows who the real monsters are." If you're comfortable with that, then the rest won't feel like a grueling Olympic event.
How God of War 3 could have ended
The God of War trilogy ended in the recent God of War 3 with Kratos [redacted]. But each God of War game before 3 (directed by Stig Asmussen) had a different director, and, as Asmussen told GamePro, each director had a different idea of how to end the saga of Angry Man Kratos. Series creator David Jaffe had stories in mind beyond Greek myth. "Basically, you destroy Greek mythology and then Norse mythology is right around the corner," Asmussen recounted. "That's the next thing that Kratos would go after. It becomes clear at the end that he's going to become this harbinger of death across different mythologies in the world and maybe carry the series on from there." God of War 2 director Cory Barlog's ending, according to Asmussen, would turn Kratos into Death. "He pretty much becomes the Grim Reaper at the end of the game and his blades become sickles." 1UP points out that Jaffe had issues with both claims. On Twitter, Jaffe said that the Norse mythology idea was more complicated than Asmussen made it sound. "There is an element of truth but it goes far beyond." Later, he
Mystery Spartan stands tall on God of War teaser site
Click to enlarge A mystery figure has appeared in the latest update to the God of War teaser site "SpartansStandTall." His reflection (captured above) momentarily flashes on screen during the video loop of the site's rendered thunderstorm. This is the second update to the site; its URL is revealed to players that unlock the God of War 3 Platinum Trophy. The apparent meter that circles the icon in the upper right corner of the full screen (not pictured) is now three-quarters full (it was one-quarter full to start and was filled to halfway upon the first update), suggesting that the next update will display a full meter and perhaps the ultimate reveal. (DLC? Spin-off? 3D Blu-ray movie? It's anyone's guess.) The icon itself is thought to be representative of the Spartan army's shield; the upside-down "V" being the Greek letter Lamba, standing for "Lacedaemon" (what the ancient Greeks called Sparta). So who is this mystery man? He certainly looks like he could be angry. And anger has always fueled this franchise, which still has some venting to do. [Thanks, Geoff]
GameStop offering God of War 3 for under $40
God of War 3 has already received a $10 cut to its regular price at Amazon and GameStop, but we'd surely anger the consumer gods by not mentioning that there's another $11.75 in discounts to be had. Gamerdeals.net points out that bargain warriors who enter the following codes when buying Kratos' conclusion from GameStop will receive a further price slashing. Enter promo codes at checkout: 10AUTO 15NEW SAVER The discount codes work on other titles beyond God of War 3. You could use them to pick up the God of War Collection and have the entire trilogy for about the same as what the latest adventure cost at launch.
March NPD: Pokemon and Kratos catch all the money
The ill-timed announcement of the 3DS wasn't enough to scare consumers off from purchasing new DS systems. Thanks to the combination of a new hardware variant (the big, big, big DSi XL) and new Pokemon games, the dual-screened platform sold like gangbusters. Meanwhile, hardware shortages kept the PS3 from massive sales despite the fact that it had the best-selling game of March (God of War 3). Speaking of software, we've learned a lot about you from this month. For example, Final Fantasy fans strongly prefer PS3, Battlefield fans strongly prefer 360, and Pokemon fans' dollar votes went to SoulSilver over HeartGold by quite a lot. How do you even decide something like that? Seriously, one of the 1.78 million or so of you who bought it -- take us through your process! -DS: 701K88K (14%) -Wii: 558K160K (40%) -360: 338K>84K (-20%) -PS3: 314K46K (-13%) -PSP: 120K13K (-10%) -PS2: 118K16K (16%) See the top 10 games after the break.
PSA: God of War Trilogy retail partners still being worked out
There seems to be a tiny bit of confusion going on over in Europe after the God of War Trilogy bundle was removed by some retailers. Eurogamer clarifies that the set isn't canceled, but that Sony is still working out who the retail partners will be for the special edition. The takeaway here is that not all shops will sell the item, which explains the pre-order cancellations we've received tips about. Barring any hiccups, the Trilogy should release the last week of April in PAL lands for €89.99 (£64.99). Oh, and if you're wondering about picking up God of War 3, well, we liked it. %Gallery-75756% [Thanks, Miguel B.]
Dille: God of War 3 took 'just a couple days' to sell one million
Its star may be known for constantly seeing red, but the latest installment in the God of War series evidently has Sony seeing a whole lot of green. IGN reports that Peter Dille, senior VP of marketing for SCEA, told the audience at yesterday's MI6 marketing summit that God of War III had surpassed the one million unit sold mark in "just a couple days." The figure was provided without any other details, so Dille could have been lumping sales from other regions into it. We're getting in touch with SCEA for clarification and to see exactly where sales of the game stand as of this week. [Via 1UP]
The Art of God of War III at Gallery Nucleus
The God of War III art team held a panel this past weekend in Alhambra, California, at a place called Gallery Nucleus. In front of an audience packed to capacity, artists (from left to right above) Scott Seeto, Jung Ho Park, Izzy, Andy Park, Cecil Kim, and Andrew Kim spoke and answered questions about how they'd come up with the art designs for Kratos' final story ("as far as I know," Cecil Kim said, "there is no more God of War"). They were first asked about bringing the game into the HD generation, and how that affected their work on the games. Mostly, it just meant more work for them -- they pointed out that even when the camera isn't close-up on Kratos, you can still see the muscles in his back tense as he pulls out his blades. Art designers in HD have to be meticulous about details, and as a result, character development takes about six times longer. The team also said that they were impressed by the PS3 hardware -- on the PS2 versions of the game, the developers knew how far they could push the older console, but on the PS3, "we still don't know what we can do with it." %Gallery-89162%
Joyswag: God of War 3, guide & Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
Update: Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Chris W., and our 4 first prize winners! Read any good books lately? We've got a couple you might be interested in: Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition and the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide. We're giving away 5 copies of each, courtesy of Guinness World Records and Brady Games. Plus, one lucky reader will also win a copy of the God of War III game! To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment with the correct multiple-choice answer to the following trivia question: At the launch party for God of War II (in April 2007), Sony made headlines for which controversial display: (A) Scantily clad women dancing in cages (B) A headless goat (C) A model of the Parthenon desecrated by graffiti (D) A boneless chicken You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Wednesday, March 31. At that time, we'll randomly select 1 grand prize winner from the eligible commenters who answer correctly to receive the God of War III game (ARV $59.99), the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide (ARV $19.99) and the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition book (ARV $14.99); and 4 first prize winners to receive the God of War III Signature Series Strategy Guide (ARV $19.99) and the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition book (ARV $14.99); check your emails! For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here. Oh, and if you're stumped by the trivia question above, this hint should help you choose the right answer.
Kratos stands atop Mt. UK, Metro 2033 has strong sales debut
God of War III quick time–evented the top spot from Final Fantasy XIII on the UK all-formats sales chart last week. Kratos' latest adventure outsold God of War II during its launch week 2.65 to 1, according to Chart-Track. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 retained the second spot for the week, while Final Fantasy XIII sales slipped 80 percent to summon third. Where's the stalwart Just Dance, you ask? Why, it's in fourth place, of course. Surprisingly, THQ's Metro 2033, another quality title from the reinvented publisher, premiered in fifth -- a strong debut week for the post-apocalyptic dark horse, which had previously been a faint blip on the Q1 2010 radar. Source – God of War 3 rules supreme [GFK Chart-Track] Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
'God of War Trilogy' boxset announced for Europe
We don't know how one box (unless it belongs to Pandora) can contain this much rage, but the God of War Trilogy boxset will rip Europe asunder in April. If it wasn't obvious from the title, the package contains all three titles in the anger management epic. Releasing at the same time as the God of War Collection, which includes the original game and the first sequel in one box, the Trilogy will cost €89.99 (£64.99), while the Collection requires a sacrifice of €39.99 (£24.99). Kratos's Blu-ray battle against the gods begins: UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria: April 30, 2010 Australia and New Zealand: April 29, 2010 The remainder of PAL lands: April 28, 2010 We're currently following up with Sony America to find out if the Fates deem the States worthy of the trilogy set. Check out the full box after the break. Update: There is no announcement for the Trilogy set in the States. %Gallery-75756%
God of War website teases 'Spartans Stand Tall'
Earning a Platinum Trophy in God of War III will give you an elusive reward: a link to a secret page, hidden on the God of War website. The "Spartans Stand Tall" website doesn't feature much right now, other than falling rain and a shield with an upside-down V, possibly a Lambda sign -- wait, does this mean we're finally getting the Half-Life/God of War crossover we've been waiting for? This could simply be a placeholder website for upcoming God of War DLC. Or, this could be hinting at a new Ready at Dawn-developed PSP game we've heard murmurs about. In fact, Chains of Olympus was revealed in exactly the same way, via a website hidden in God of War II on PS2. Considering the franchise's penchant for announcing new installments alongside the latest releases, we wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a brand new game in the God of War universe. Stay tuned. [Thanks, Bryan!]
Get a 1,000 hit combo in God of War 3 the easy way
Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy. Check out the (rather cheap) strategies after the break. [Via N4G]
God of War III launch trailer reveals violent tendencies of the PS3
There are a lot of totally awesome things in the God of War III launch trailer above: skydiving demigods, mountain-sized Titans, giant blue scorpions, and, of course, everyone's favorite chained antihero, Kratos -- to name a few. However, we'd like to specifically highlight the bit of PS3 marketing that ends all commercials for Sony-published games. This time around, it brags that the console only does "vengeance," "rage" and "everything," in that order. We're imagining a scenario in which a Best Buy shopper asks a friendly sales clerk which gaming system would be the most appropriate for his kids ... and which one would be capable of "doing vengeance" on his in-laws.
God of War 3 'right within budget' -- a $44 million budget
Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments. Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the price is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough. %Gallery-44594% [Via Edge]
Review: God of War III
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/god-of-war-3-review/'; You know how Kratos' battle against the gods of Olympus is known for its massive, insane action sequences spread throughout? Well, some genius (or likely several geniuses) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio had the brilliant idea of making a whole game just out of those incredible moments. It was rare that I went 15 minutes without my jaw dropping at the immense size, stunning beauty or sheer creativity of the set piece I was now scaling or destroying. I'm willing to agree that God of War III is just "God of War HD," provided that "HD" stands for "Holy Shit." %Gallery-44594%
Download an MP3 from the official God of War III soundtrack
Like good, sane people, our friends at AOL Radio are huge fans of God of War. They've not only managed to add the entire God of War III original soundtrack to the Video Games Score station, but they're also giving away a free downloadable MP3 from the upcoming PS3 game. "Brothers of Blood," composed by Cris Velasco, has everything you'd expect from a God of War instrumental track: a brass-heavy orchestral score with dramatic choral singing. Should you want your morning commute to get a little more vengeance-y, head over to the AOL Radio blog to download the MP3 onto your favorite MP3 player.
Kratos talks fashion in GameStop God of War 3 video
You've got to hand it to those PlayStation and GameStop marketing people: They know how to speak our language. Take note, wannabees: If you've got an exclusive God of War III outfit to show off, you could show Kratos flipping out and killing people in it. But why do that when you could show him having a polite conversation with a mythological beast about his ensemble choice? Why indeed. Fun fact: Kratos has more dialog in this trailer than in God of War I and II combined. It's true!
God of War: Blood and Metal for $1.99
$2 isn't much to ask for when delivering something one can really bang his (or her!) head to -- and you can nab God of War: Blood and Metal for that price right now. Featuring six different previously detailed artists, this particular mixture of metal madness celebrates God of War III and will be included in the Ultimate Edition box set. Of course, you probably already knew that, considering you already built a shrine around your pre-order receipt. We really like the crimson candles, by the way. Nice touch. [Via VG247]
