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March NPD: Wii, Smash Bros. on top, software sales surge
If this is how Nintendo does before the predicted Wii Fit-exacerbated shortages, we're a little scared for what the future will hold. As predicted, Nintendo dominated the March NPD sales report, selling over 720,000 Wiis and 698,000 DS units. The DS and Wii represented 58 percent of hardware sales for March, leapfrogging over one another to swap positions from the February numbers.Further down the list, the Xbox 360 regained an extremely slight sales lead over the PS3, mainly due to a slight dip in Sony's system sales. We predict the systems will likely continue trading slight leads like a couple of fading horses in the home stretch of a marathon-length race, until one inevitably dies just short of the finish line. And speaking of dead horses, the perpetual PS2 finally showed some signs of weakening this month, plummeting down nearly 63 percent from February's sales.- Wii: 721K 289K (40%) - DS: 698K 110.4K (15.8%) [Update: Fixed typo in growth number] - PSP: 297K 53.9K (18.1%) - Xbox 360: 262K 7.4K (2.8%) - PS3: 257K 23.8K (9.3%)- PS2: 216K 135.8K (62.9%)
Street Figure II: Hyper Cuteness
We just fell in love -- with Sagat. Somehow Pansonworks managed not only to make the tragic Muay Thai boxer really, really cute (even his Dragon Punch scar is cute), but to make him and three of his fellow World Warriors even chibi-er than they were in Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo! We don't know where (or if) we'll be able to get these in the U.S. anytime near their Japanese release in August, but figure retailer Blister is selling them in Japan for -- oh, no, 2,500 yen ($24.50) each. You could buy all three Street Fighter II variants on the Virtual Console for that much.[Via That Girl's Site]
BDA gloats over selling 2 million Blu-ray Discs in Europe
It's almost comical how quickly the Blu-ray Disc Association gets its thoughts and feelings out to the world after crossing any milestone, and yet again we see the BDA rushing to pat itself on the back after moving some 2.37 million BD titles in Europe. According to recent sales figures, 79-percent of all high-definition movies purchased across the pond year-to-date have been of the Blu variety, and as expected, Sony's PlayStation 3 is given quite a bit of credit for the results. According to David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, passing the 2 million mark in Europe will allow supporters to "focus less on winning a format war and more on addressing the needs of the consumer in adopting the Blu-ray format." Confident, are we?[Image courtesy of Messe-Berlin][Via Tech.co.uk, thanks L. R.]
First4Figures' new toys feature pre-attitude Sonic
First4Figures, the company responsible for all of those extravagant Nintendo figurines, has turned their attention to classic Sega for their next release: a line based on Genesis-era Sonic the Hedgehog. The collection is designed to represent Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles as they appeared back in the mid-'90s, before their extreme redesign -- before Knuckles started rapping. For now, the set includes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. The best part about this period in Sonic's life is that there aren't really any more ridiculous characters to base toys on. No Big the Cat, no Cream and Cheese, and certainly no Shadow. Maybe Robotnik and a couple of mechanical Sonics later, but this collection is safe from the sidekick parade that has ruined the series.The approximately 5-inch-tall toys will be released around the summer, for a currently unspecified price. Don't be surprised if they're expensive -- this is First4Figures, after all![Via Joystiq]
First4Figures announces classic Sonic vinyl line
First4Figures have done it again. First it was Zelda, then Metroid. Now, they've breathed life into the classic Sonic the Hedgehog series with a line of vinyl figures, depicting Sonic, Tails and Knuckles as they were before their "extreme" redesign for Sonic Adventure.In fact, First4Figures has done a lot of great work since we last reported on them. Check out the group's site for a classy Sheik figurine, Altair from Assassin's Creed, and a gorgeous, LED-lit version of Samus's gunship from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.The Knuckles, Tails and Sonic figures will comprise the first wave of Sonic figures manufactured, and are due out around July 2008. No word yet on pricing, though expect a premium on these high-quality pieces of fan-cred.
McFarlane's exclusive active camo Spartan figure
And you thought Todd McFarlane was so innocent, so pure only choosing to make Halo 3 action figures out of the kindness of his heart. Well, we'd hate to say "we told you so", but we did, because Mr. McFarlane is releasing yet ANOTHER Halo 3 figure this May available exclusively from his website. Newly announced today is a brand new Halo 3 Spartan figure featuring EVA armor and active camo (ooo ahh!) This clear figure will only be available through Spawn.com pre-orders and we're led to believe that if you don't grab a pre-order by December 12th, you'll miss out on a chance to own this limited figure. You can see what the new active camo looks like in the gallery below, check out the complete details here and get your pre-order over here. An exclusive McFarlane money making Spartan figure ... we told you so.%Gallery-7108%[Thanks, TMD]
McFarlane planning lots of Halo figures in 2008
Good old Toddy McFarlane and his entrepreneurial spirit, always taking ideas to the next level and always willing to saturate a retail channel. It's something we value in a person more than good will or kindness. And his ambitious nature is spreading into the previously announced Halo 3 figures he's creating, because we're getting lots of 'em.According to official product launch dates over at Spawn.com, the McFarlane Halo 3 figures we've all known about will launch sometime in March 2008, but there will be other series' coming later in the year. Series two is scheduled to land at retail a few months later in June 2008 including such highlights as ODST, Drone, Mongoose and Wraith figures. Series three is planned for an August 2008 release and includes figures like a Human Flood, Brute Captain, Banshee and Scorpion. That's not all, August will also bring a special 12" Master Chief figure and October 2008 will see the release of three highly stylized figures. Wowzaz! And for easier digestion, we posted a list of figures, release dates and a series breakdown after you click towards the break.Good old McFarlane, we knew you wouldn't let us down.
Metal Gear Solid 4 action figures for pre-order
No more Metal Gear Solid 4 trailers? Bah! Make your own! Comics Infinity has new UDF figurines available for pre-order from the entire Metal Gear Solid franchise, including statues from the upcoming PS3 exclusive sequel. With Old Snake in hand, you can create your own funny videos, throw them up on YouTube, and enjoy upwards of fifteen minutes of internet fame.* [Thanks, anonymous!] *Internet fame has no monetary value. Cannot be traded, sold or exchanged.
PSP overtakes DS in Japanese hardware sales
Just in case you've been keeping one eye trained on the console wars out there, you might want to take note of the most recent sales figures from Japan. According to the latest stats, the PSP overtook the DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, and PS2 in sales last week, propelled by the newest handheld installment of the Final Fantasy series, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Sure, it's happened before, but with the increasing competitiveness out there, this one seems extra important. The message should be clear to Nintendo -- don't rest on your laurels. Also, don't miss out on really hot Square Enix exclusives. The last thing you want is to go the way of Atari, and just end up as a simulation on a thriving system.
Every HD DVD statistic you could ever crave
Just as we all wished, now that oh-so-informative Blu-ray statistics site that was unearthed earlier this month has an HD DVD counterpart. Interestingly, the layout between the two appears nearly identical, so we wouldn't put it past the creator of the BD site to have conjured up this gem. You know what to do, give the read link a visit and start chewing on some data.
What a horrible summer not to be going to Comic-Con
NECA, the company responsible for the awesome Castlevania figure prototypes, has a new Simon Belmont figure on the way. It's a somewhat more faithful sculpture of Simon as he appeared in the first Castlevania on the NES. Unfortunately, only 1,000 units will be produced, and it will only be available at the San Diego Comic-Con.We totally want this, and we are all about pixel art, but we must say that this figure, with its rounded edges and inexact paint job, looks a little more like a cookie to us than an action figure. Which actually gives us an idea! [Via NeoGAF]
Fanboylicious! McFarlane to create Halo 3 figurines
Today, McFarlane Toys announced that they have partnered with Microsoft to create eight exclusive Halo 3 figures that'll be available Spring 2008. McFarlane will be creating highly detailed figures that are roughly five inches tall including five character figures (Master Chief, Cortana, Brute Chieftain, Jackal Sniper and a Grunt two pack) and three vehicles (Warthog, Ghost and the new Brute Chopper). But there are a few things we're confused about. Why the heck is it taking until 2008 to get our action figure fix? It's not like they didn't know the game was coming out this year. Second, what happened to Joyride Studios creating Halo figures? Maybe they lost their street cred.Prototype McFarlane Master Chief figure in all his five inch glory posted after the break. Enjoy.[Thanks, TMD]
Japanese hardware sales, Jun. 4 - Jun. 10: Harry Potter edition
The final release of Harry Potter, one of the most widespread, wonderful literary series ever written, is coming to a close come July 21st. We'd like to take a moment and salute J. K. Rowling for reintroducing the better part of a world to the joys of reading, because hey, if no one read, we'd be out of our jobs. Pick up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as soon as you can, guys. Trust us.Harry Potter and the Japanese Hardware Sales"Harry," said Ron, slightly out of breath, "Snape'll go nutters if we're late again. Remember what he did to Neville?""Yeah," replied Harry, throwing himself down a shifting staircase and sprinting through the corridors. Snape had used a particularly nasty hex on the frequently tardy Neville, turning his hands into N-Gages. Harry allowed himself a momentary shudder.They rounded a corner and began the descent into Snape's dungeon of a classroom, Harry's least favorite place at Hogwarts. Even disregarding his immense dislike of Severus Snape, Harry had never had much of a knack for Potions; it was always his lowest grade of the term.
Mario vs. Palkia in the arena of your imagination
NCSX never fails to encourage us to clutter our rooms and empty our wallets in the name of video game fandom. Today, they started taking preorders for some new Mario and Pokemon toys that we wouldn't mind having on our desks! So we can show them to people, obviously.First are the above Dialga and Palkia soft vinyl figures, which allow you to reenact the boxarts of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. In fact, if you buy these, you can't help but reenact them, because the boxes just feature these characters standing alone. Also available for preorder are two Mario toy lines: a vinyl figure of Mario in either his normal outfit or his Fire Mario finery, and a set of plush toys that make some kind of jingling sound. All of these cost between $20 and $25 and will ship toward the end of the year.
Japanese hardware sales, May 21 - May 27: Step by Step edition
Some of our readers wonder exactly what they're supposed to do with the Japanese hardware sales every week. To promote enlightenment and worldwide harmony, we've taken the liberty of creating a step-by-step walkthrough of a proper response to the weekly figures. Adhere to these rules whenever possible, and if you must deviate, remember to at least properly remove all semblance of standard English grammar from your comments.1. Look for any obvious outliers in the sales data, such as the Nintendo DS falling out of first place. This will never occur; advance to step 2.2. Statistical variation causes slight fluctuations every week. Immediately look for numbers that come close to dividing evenly into one another; this enables comments such as, "lol, wii sold 5x of PS3s this week, pwnage."3. Should any Nintendo systems suffer a decrease in sales, come up with reasons as to why they dropped. The usually accurate "supply is unable to currently meet demand" excuse is no longer sufficient in most cases. Come up with creative replies like, "redirected shipments of software caused a temporary instability in the retail market," or "lol ghost of kutaragi put a curse on teh DS kekekekeke."4. There will invariably be a Sony or Microsoft troll, defending his or her own system while attacking your own. Henceforth, we'll be posting IP addresses and relevant contact information*; please take it upon yourselves to attack and/or maim the aforementioned troll, preferably with some kind of mace that grants +7 strength while fighting trolls.*Really.**- DS Lite: 127,461 16,248 (14.61%) - Wii: 58,644 6,451 (12.36%) - PSP: 26,097 1,408 (5.12%) - PS2: 11,311 430 (3.95%) - PS3: 9,627 968 (11.18%) - Xbox 360: 2,044 18 (0.89%) - Game Boy Micro: 407 21 (4.91%) - GBA SP: 288 42 (12.73%) - Gamecube: 256 20 (7.25%) - DS Phat: 81 55 (211.54%) - GBA: 17 16 (48.48%)[Source: Media Create]**Not really.
Castlevania action figures belong in this world
It was not by our hands that these action figures were given "flesh." They were brought here by NECA, who wished to pay Castlevania tribute. Simon Belmont, hero of Castlevanias I, II, and (Super) IV, and Alucard, of III, Symphony of the Night, and (spoiler alert, sort of!) Aria and Dawn of Sorrow, are shown here in unpainted, prototype glory. The link below has more views of Simon, but all we have of Alucard is this one shot-- for which we had to put our biohazard suits on and go into Myspace.They resemble the beefy character art of the first NES game more than Ayami Kojima's work, and Simon's stomach isn't something that should be looked at directly, but these are still awesome. We've been looking for some new decorative items, and these will do nicely. Our desks are as empty as our souls. Blogger-kind totally needs action figures such as these.
More Animal Crossing stuff to fill your house with
With all the stuff coming out based on the Animal Crossing movie in Japan, you can play Animal Crossing for real-- by buying a whole bunch of adorable items and displaying them in your house! NCSX is selling new playsets, each featuring an animal, two matching pieces of furniture, and a house. There are also two special sets containing characters like Wendell and Tom Nook, and, of course, some more furniture.NCSX is also stocking some Animal Crossing plush toys and coffee mugs. We are aware that Animal Crossing strongly promotes the collector mentality in-game, so we hope we haven't just emptied any fans' wallets by pointing this stuff out.
Note to bachelors: Sonic figures are a turn-off
No less an authority than the New York Times has weighed in on the sex appeal of video game collectibles. News flash: They tend to scare away potential mates.About halfway through a story on scary bachelor pads, the Times comes to the case of 46-year-old Bob Strauss, who finds that, among other things, his Sonic the Hedgehog figurine display tends to put off the "tough, smart, aggressive, challenging type people" he likes to date. Strauss, for his part, thinks the collection is "provocative" and says he doesn't want to "blandify my apartment to make myself generically acceptable."We know it can be hard to choose between finding romance and giving away your three-foot tall stuffed Mario doll, but we still recommend the collectibles go into storage for the first few in-home visits. It's best to ease the idea of your video game obsession into the relationship slowly, so by the time they see your candle-lit shrine to Lara Croft, it'll seem practically normal.
New from First 4 Figures: Sheik!
First 4 Figures have released another well-sculpted, detailed figurine of a Nintendo character. The new figure is the fourth entry in their series of N64-era Zelda characters, focusing on the mysterious, much-cooler-than-Link Sheik.Sheik stands about 9" tall and is in scale with the other figurines in the series. It will cost $109.99 and can be reserved now for shipping in the fall.Ocarina of Time is great, but we really want to get these figures to set up our own trophy table like the one in Super Smash Brothers Melee. But for $100+ each, we aren't sure if we could bring ourselves to make them fight.
VideoScan releases HD DVD / Blu-ray "charts," results still inconclusive
Okay, so we're not waxing rhapsodic about a conspiracy theory just yet, but seriously, why can't the general public get a few hard numbers regarding the HD DVD / Blu-ray format war? Since both formats hit the market, we've all been wondering who would be the leader in terms of disc sales once the holiday season was behind us, and although Nielsen VideoScan has finally loosed the deets, we're still (relatively) in the dark. We've wondered exactly what was taking so long for these data to surface, but instead of VideoScan perfecting their report, it has apparently delayed the information only to release several inconclusive "charts" and "ratios" that, quite frankly, aren't what we all want. For whatever it's (not) worth, it looks like Blu-ray titles outsold HD DVD titles by a 2:1 margin during the admittedly slow first two weeks of 2007, but overall, we're still stuck analyzing Amazon's sales figures while trying to piece together the truth. Still, if you're more interested in having the best of both worlds regardless of which is on top (or still around) in a couple years, you know where to go.[Thanks, Jed]
