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DS releases for the week of January 12th
Moon, elves, chaos and madness -- it's just another week of new DS games, only this time, with actual games! January's been slow so far, but this week, Moon really is coming out, along with a few other titles. Looks like things are finally getting back to normal after the holidays. Jumble Madness The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Moon Personal Trainer: Math Gallery: Moon
RuneScape introduces new phoenix combat pet and more
Mod Mark, the Lead Designer for Jagex's RuneScape, has written a new Behind the Scenes article for January in which he describes the changes coming down the pipe for RuneScape. There's mention of a new phoenix combat pet that will have the ability to fire ashes at your enemies. The Achievement Diaries are also releasing this month; this time set in the peaceful Seer's Village and the surrounding areas. As with previous Achievement Diaries, this one was created to show the hidden or non-quest activities in the area. In addition to these large additions, some minor changes will be made to the game. Check out the complete article for more information on all changes that have arrived or will be arriving in the month of January.
DS releases for the week of January 5th
There's not much going on this week unless you're a DS fan in North America. If not, you're a bit out of luck, as Europe, Australia, and Japan have no new games scheduled this week, and here ... well, there's a slight scattering of other games, but mostly? It's the DS show. We've got at least one interesting title headed out, too: the Elebits follow up. Moon is scheduled, but we think that one's really headed out next week rather than this week. Time and the store shelves will tell, though. Animated Bigfoot: Collision Course Elebits: The Adventures of Kai & Zero Jumble Madness Moon Paws & Claws: Pampered Pets
January's Brew of the Month: Wild Winter Pilsner
This month's Brew of the Month is actually pretty cool, which is a nice change from the slight disappointments of the last couple of months. Sure, last month's brew had a great griefability factor, but getting Ice Blocked is pretty boring!Move over, BigRedKitty. For January, BigRedPriestess is the new hotness with Wild Winter Pilsner. When you take a swig of the brew, you will sometimes get a buff: The Beast Within. It doesn't have the crazy powerful effect of the actual Hunter ability, but it does turn you big and red, and the buff lasts 5 minutes. When the buff wears off (or you click it off yourself), you'll Unleash the Beast. You roar, and give everyone's screen a little shake. Yes, everyone nearby, not just your screen.
Snowshaman!
This is brilliant -- after Anna jokingly asked for pictures of Snowshaman, she actually got one. Niyahti and her husband built this snowshaman, complete with two totems (though we're not sure which ones they are -- Wrath of Air and Frost Resist maybe?). Sure, it loses a little something in the translation from polygons to frozen water, but remember the medium. Considering it's handmade with snow, that's a pretty good snowshaman. The horns on the head must mean it's a Draenei, right? Though I have no idea what the sticks are coming out of the front.And hey, if you happen to get a nice bit of snowfall this month and feel like you can make a better one, feel free. We'd love to see it.
Confirmed: iPod touch 2.0 software to include 'January Upgrade'
In an update to their knowledge base article about the subject this morning, Apple has confirmed that the 2.0 firmware will include Mail, Stocks, Maps, Weather and Notes. There had been some speculation about this earlier this month. Also -- when it's available, Apple said the iPhone 2.0 Software Update for iPod Touch will be available at http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/appstore. Currently, the page points to the same "coming soon" page that we've come to know and love, but I'm sure checking back often wouldn't hurt. Apple also confirmed, as you might imagine, that the January Software Upgrade itself is now no longer available. iPod models shipped after January 15 included the upgrade, while models shipped before did not. Users of those earlier models had to pay $20 for the suite of five apps.
DS releases for the week of January 28th
Somehow, it seems like something's missing. When we woke up this morning, fresh and rested, ready to face the week, almost immediately, a feeling of emptiness descended. What could it be? Wait ... is it the absolute lack of any DS releases in the United States? Oh, the pain ....To see what's out in the rest of the world, slog on past the break.[Update: Take heart! According to our commenters, who pay more attention to their preorders than to press releases (as they should), we do have Bomberman Land Touch! 2 to look forward to. Thanks, guys!]
DS releases for the week of January 21st
Legions of gamers have been waiting for this week, which brings the release of the latest Advance Wars. Even with the risks that come with picking up the newest version, we're sure that quite a few of you may be disappearing for the next few weeks. Know that you'll be missed, and try to remember to eat.Not a war person? No worries; if you feel like doing a little yelling, you've got some options. Unless, of course, you live in Australia, where there are no new DS releases being reported for the week. How sad. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games For releases in the rest of the major markets, march on past the break.
DS releases for the week of January 14th
Wherever you are this week, there's not a lot to choose from. That isn't to say there aren't a few worthwhile titles hitting the shelves, but the key words here are "a few." As in "not many." As in, "not a big burden on your wallet." Considering everything we've got coming up for the DS, around the world, that's probably pretty good news. Corvette Evolution GT Miami Nights: Singles in the City Nanostray 2 For the rest of the world's major markets, see the release lists after the jump.
DS releases for the week of January 7th
At last, games are releasing again, albeit slowly and in a fashion that is somewhat less-than-interesting, by which we mean that unless you're a huge fan of Jackass or you live in Australia, this week is a yawn. But some games are better than no games, we're sure of that ... and there's a lot of good stuff coming up in the next weeks, so we'll consider this an appetizer. Brain Challenge Jackass: The Game Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure Chow your way past the break to see what's out in the rest of the major markets.
LotRO quarterly wallpapers available for January through March
We're approaching the end of December, and if you downloaded the Lord of the Rings Online calender wallpapers last quarter, then you may be worried about what you're going to do when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, rendering your wallpaper obsolete. Thankfully, Turbine has come through for you once again, releasing 3 brand new wallpapers with overlaid calender for you to start the year off on the right foot. As with last time, the old wallpapers can now be downloaded sans calender, so that you can continue to enjoy the imagery without looking like a behind-the-times slacker.We have added the new wallpapers to our LotRO wallpapers gallery, and you can download all wallpapers past and present in ultra-high quality at the official wallpaper page.%Gallery-8208%
Pirates of the Burning Sea announces release date
The embargo has dropped and so now we can announce: Pirates of the Burning Sea will set sail worldwide on January 22, 2008. We've been drooling at the thought of a little MMO pirate action for a year or so now, so it's great to finally have a date to put "break the champagne bottle against the hull" on the calendar with.Preorders, we're told, will start up on October 23rd, and anyone who preorders will be invited to a "pre-boarding party" that will get into the game 15 days early, and have the option to level up to 20 before the plebians are allowed on deck on the 22nd. Preorders also get a "captain's best friend" (a blue and yellow pet), a weapon "suited to their fighting style," and a 60 minute original soundtrack.Are you guys ready to fly the Jolly Roger? I played Pirates about a year ago at PAX '06, and wasn't super impressed, but I only got to play it for a bit, and I'm sure it's come a long way since then. I am excited to play anything featuring pirates, of course (they're the second coolest thing in the world, right between monkeys and ninjas), but I may wait for the reviews on this one. At any rate, if you can't wait to get the eyepatch, tricorner and codpiece on and make some landlubbers walk the plank, you've only got about four more months to wait.
Meizu's M8 MiniOne shipping January 17th?
Alright, so this isn't straight from the horse's mouth, but this potential ship date for the Meizu M8 definitely vibes with what we've heard up until now. This one has a new price too, at $788.50, which is a fair amount less than the $989 number floating around. Anyway, sounds like we'll have a few months yet until the 16GB iPhone influenced phone hits. Why so long, Meizu?[Thanks, Alexander]
NPD: Lost Planet leads strong January game sales
January's not usually a month for big numbers in the game industry, but the first month of 2007 was a whopper any way you slice it. NPD recently announced $549 million in non-PC software sales for the month, up an impressive 22 percent when compared week-on-week to last January. Add in $505 million in hardware sales and almost $200 million in accessories and the industry as a whole recorded a huge $1.25 billion in overall sales for the five weeks ending Feb. 3. The Wii dominated hardware sales, as previously reported, but software was spread out among all the major systems. The Xbox 360's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition led the pack, with system-compatriots Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas close behind at No 3 and No. 9, respectively. But it was a PS2 game, Guitar Hero II, that maintained the second-place showing from December and took the No. 2 spot. Both versions of Twilight Princess joined Wario Ware in representing Nintendo consoles in the top 10, while Resistance: Fall of Man was the only PS3 title on the list, coming in at No. 8. When combined with the healthy January reported by British retailers, we could be witnessing the beginning of the end of the traditional January lull. While it's hard to match the holiday season in terms of sheer sales volume, these January numbers show that good games can still sell just after the Christmas rush. Complete sales rankings, as reported by Gamespot after the jump.
PSP best selling Sony system in Japan
In January anyway. IGN is reporting that the PS3 sold 148,000 units in January, while the power house that is the PS2 sold 111,000 units. The PSP however, sold 230,000 systems to easily take the crown for best selling Sony system in Japan this January. I know that seems like a typo, but indeed the PSP outsold it's next and current gen siblings. There's been a lot of rosy news for PSP and PSP owners lately. Hopefully the good news continues going forward!
DS releases for the week of January 29th
We should call this the 'Where's the DS?' edition, because if you're on our side of the world, you're pretty much out of luck. There are no U.S. releases this week for the DS. We figure that's okay, since we're all still playing Hotel Dusk anyway. But there's plenty in store for gamers elsewhere ... check it out after the jump. But while we're sitting here, gameless and weeping, we'll go ahead and ask about those of you who are still looking for a DS. Any luck lately on fulfilling your desires?
Best Buy holding units for Sunday [update 1]
[Update 1: According to our mother-site Joystiq, Circuit City will also be hoarding Wii supplies for the 21st. Target will also have Wiimotes and nunchuks ... and heck, probably more Wii units as well. Good luck!]According to some highly overpaid analysts, the Wii is still very, very hard to find. See? You could be an analyst, too! Through rain and mud and Mordor, many of our readers have trekked away their nights and days looking for that elusive white box. We would send you ours, but Nintendo has keyed our Wii's to our genetic signatures, and will detonate upon transfer.Still, we feel as though we owe you guys a bit of assistance. And here it is: apparently, a (reputable) tipster has given word that Best Buy is stockpiling units for a January 21st (Sunday) release. Each store should have at least twenty units, and possibly around forty, but Best Buy will be announcing this lovely treasure trove in a weekly store ad quite soon. A word to the wise: the Wii is still hotter than Alpha Centauri, so don't think you won't need to work for it. Wake up early. You won't regret it.
DS releases for the week of January 8th
Excellent -- the rest of us actually have a few games hitting shelves this week, and Japan doesn't have quite the flood they've enjoyed lately, so things are reaching equilibrium. Now let's hope for an upcoming deluge of goodness for everyone. Starting next week, there are some interesting titles heading out into the world ... so let's see what we have to tide us over.First up, the US:DS releases Arthur and the Invisibles GBA releases Arthur and the Invisibles For more on global releases, check after the jump.
DS releases for the week of January 1st
Not that you care, because you're probably lying face down in bed with an ice pack on your neck, but later this week, you might be able to rouse a little when you realize there are actual games coming to actual store shelves. Say it ain't so! Well, it is so. The holiday lull is over, and it's release time yet again. Here's what this week serves up to gaming stores across the U.S.:DS releases: Super Collapse 3 Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller Paws & Claws Pet Vet Okay, so maybe it's still a lull. Welcome to the world of the post-holiday industry nap. Releases for the rest of the global community will pick up again in a few weeks!
Year in Review: January
As the year starts to reach its end, I decided to look through the archives of PSP Fanboy and find the most noteworthy stories of the year. Here are selections from January, a month so far away that it's hard to remember all the broken promises Sony has failed to deliver on with the PSP.Sony Re-Connects PSPThen: "A new and, of course, improved version of Connect is headed our way this March, promising gobs upon gobs of juicy multimedia goodness for the PSP. "The Connect service will enable you to download hundreds of videos, games, and TV shows as well as films and other content. You'll even be able to browse from a wide selection of books."Now: March has long passed, and the Connect site features none of the enhancements promised by Sony. Has Sony simply given up on competing with iTunes? Seems like the answer is yes.Sony to ship 20M PSPs in 2006Then: "A representative from Samsung today revealed that Sony plans to ship 20 million PSP units in 2006."Now: Sony was aiming for the stars. Even the unstoppable DS won't get close to the 20 million mark this year. A rough estimate would place the number of PSPs sold this year nearer to 5 million than 20 million.Sony officially delays Gran Turismo 4Then: "Gran Turismo will not make its 2005 release target. *Gasp!* The new date is 2006. When in 2006? That's for Sony to know and you to find out."Now: Well, it's coming out? Sometime? Maybe? The drama behind GT4 is too much for this beleaguered fan.1UP says PSP to outsell DS in 2006Then: "The fact that the PSP is about to open up a tallboy can of whup-ass on the DS. 36% of respondents plan to buy a PSP while 28% will opt for a DS."Now: We know things are different now, but it shouldn't be hard to remember that the PSP had much more momentum than the DS earlier this year. How has Sony lost it? Can they ever get it back?It's fascinating to look back over the course of the year, and see our beloved handheld lose the momentum it started with. As we progress, we'll take a look at the mistakes that Sony might've made, and things to look forward to in the upcoming year.
