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An app with everything but sales
TriplePoint PR's site has a post on their blog about Orbital [iTunes Link], an iPhone game released a while back that I presume is one of their clients. Obviously, they've done their job: we're talking about the game, which is $.99US or available in a lite free version [iTunes Link]. But they've also provided us with a little insight into just how things are going in the app's release, and the picture they paint says "not well." Oh, sure, it's been reviewed well, there's a little bit of buzz about it, and the game itself, says the firm, is good (trust them at your own risk, but they sound like they really do enjoy it). So what's the problem? It's not selling. To be fair, it is selling. They've sold less than 100,000 units, they say, and even half of that is a nice chunk of sales. But apparently that's not a success, and they're wondering why. Piracy is their first guess -- we've heard before that piracy can be a huge issue, even on cheap apps. They say the game had an 80% piracy rate in the first week, which has since dropped down to 24%. I'm not convinced piracy can be blamed completely -- there's no guaranteeing that all pirates would have bought a real copy anyway. But certainly there's something going on here -- you can have a terrific app that's well-reviewed and buzzworthy, and if it doesn't end up in the right place at the right time, it still won't be successful (or at least as successful as you want). Everyone is still working to unlock success in the App Store, but with over 100,000 products on the shelves, it has become increasingly more difficult for the good apps to stand apart.
European Nintendo downloads: Zombies Lit, BBQed My Ghost Mansion
Nintendo of Europe apparently believes Halloween is serious business and worth celebrating. Four of the five new downloadable games this week are in some way horror-themed! Zombies Ate My Neighbors arrives on Virtual Console in the same week as its North American release (under the European title Zombies), as does (unfortunately) Ghost Mansion Party. WayForward's LIT proves a more appropriate Halloween release than its Valentine's Day-adjacent release in the US would suggest. Perhaps the biggest, scariest surprise of all: Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ is out in Europe, finally! And, while it was released on a cartridge here, it's an 800-point DSiWare download in Europe! No excising of zombie food talk for this one. Zombies (SNES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) LIT (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Ghost Mansion Party (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points) Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points) A Little Bit of ... All Time Classics: Card Classics (DSiWare, 1-8 players, 500 DSi Points)
App Store: "Demo" no, "Lite" yes
Our dear friend Erica Sadun has outlined one of Apple's more sticky App Store policies over at Ars Technica. There's been a lot of customer pressure, as we've said before, to put "try it" versions of apps on the App Store, and quite a few developers have done exactly that, by releasing a "Free" or "Lite" version of the paid app along with the real thing. But Apple has some pretty strict rules about doing so: every app on the store needs to be fully functional and stand on its own. You can leave out some levels of your game, for example, but you can't put a timed limit on it or remove features that are central to the app itself.Of course, there's a grey area there -- what features are central to the app, exactly? But Erica boils it down to words: putting "Lite" or "Free" in the title are fine, but releasing "Demo" or "Beta" versions are not.It's too bad Apple hasn't fleshed this out more -- everything we've heard about how people are buying these apps shows that if customers have a chance to try the app, they're much more likely to spend money on it later on. But right now, developers have to keep up two different versions, and they have to dodge the pitfalls of deciding what goes in each one, while keeping them both "fully functional."
DS Daily: Any Phats still out there?
In this day and age, we assume that any and every DS fanboy and fangirl has upgraded to a Lite, what with them being so easy on the wallet and chock full of great features. But, we know how much some of you out there like to hold on to things. So, any of you out there still have your Phat? Do you play it? Has it been retired to a shelf or box somewhere, an elegant handheld for a more civilized age?
Find a use for that extra DS
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Ten_uses_for_that_extra_DS'; Nintendo is pumping out new DS colors with a vengeance, and many DS owners who've been clinging to their original models are finally breaking down and upgrading to a Lite. Still others already had a Lite, but found themselves lulled into spending even more money on a spiffy new shade. We just can't control ourselves in the face of such beauty. But what happens when you end up with a second DS? Unless you've been retro-fitted with an extra pair of arms, you probably don't need two handhelds. Rather than letting the extra sit around and collect dust, check out our suggested uses for that second DS. Ten things to do with that DS
DS Daily: Would you buy another DS?
When it comes to the DS, you've got options. You can go traditional, you can move up to a Lite, and you can choose from a variety of colors. You can even import if your region doesn't feature the shade you prefer. But would you buy another regular DS or bundle? Would it depend on price? What about the rumored redesigned DS, sans GBA slot? If it came with that also-rumored download service, we'd be all over it, but the GBA slot is near and dear to our hearts. There might be tears.
DS Daily: Hey, had to replace one yet?
Looking at our DS Lite, we can see the shoulder buttons are a disgusting kind of yellow and our bottom screen has some scratches on it thanks to "friends" who've managed to pry it from our hands for a round of Meteos or what have you. We're thinking we might need to replace our DS Lite with a new one (Onyx, we're looking at you!). Sure, we could pick up this bundle, if it's ever made available, but we still don't know if replacing our DS Lite is the answer.How about you, readers? Have you had to replace your DS or DS Lite, simply because it was too banged up or you were sick of looking at it? Or, are you still rocking a launch day Phat, proud?
GameStop holding Pokemon tournament this Saturday
Reader capnwang wrote in to tell us of a Pokemon tournament going on at select GameStop stores. Taking place this Saturday, July 21st, the tournament demands you bring your DS and team of Pokemon in-store for the chance to win a copy of Pokemon Battle Revolution. In calling our local GameStop, they aren't having a tournament there, but acknowledged that other stores are doing it.Plan on running down there this weekend to rock your Pokemon?
TiVo Series 3 Lite pics and specs revealed
Falling right in line with the news TiVo CEO Tom Rogers hinted at back in March, the struggling company is readying the highly anticipated HD Series 3 "Lite," which will target a much wider range of consumer with a price point of around $299. Some tenacious (and possibly connected) fans posted specs and pics on the TiVo Community forums, much to the delight of broke DVR users across the globe. The new model will axe the OLED display and THX certification, and swap the deluxe remote for a standard model, but the specs remain fairly close otherwise. Here's a geeked-out rundown to keep everyone psyched: BCM740x DVR CPU with integrated MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoders, 1x dual MPEG-2 encoder, 2x Samsung S5H1411-based tuners, 128Mb DDR SDRAM, and a 160Gb SATA HD (down from the Series 3's 250GB drive). All in all, a pretty attractive package when you don't have a lot of cash to burn.
Set sail for new Phantom Hourglass footage
There isn't much to these latest clips from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, which makes our job of presenting them that much more difficult. Still, what little we do get to see has us intrigued, as Link hauls around some pieces of the triforce and chats with his annoying little fairy cohort. If you're as excited as we are for the game (we're going to assume you're more excited), then you want to see any and all things related to Phantom Hourglass, so head on over and watch the videos.[Via Go Nintendo]
SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters replacement in full swing
We can honestly say we haven't purchased this game because of all the controversy surrounding it, however now that news hits that those affected by the broken carts are receiving the promised replacements, we're feeling a bit more confident. And, even though SNK Playmore took longer than we would've initially thought to help those in need, we think if there are any more problems from here on out, we'd be covered.Did any of you send in for a replacement cartridge? Receive it yet?
Disney wants you to get social on the DS with their Dgamer service
Joystiq has all of the deets on a new social network launching for the DS from Disney Interactive called Dgamer. The service is to launch with the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and will be included in all Disney titles from there on out. The service, which will allow users to create custom avatars, chat wirelessly and track their friends' progress in Dgamer titles, will also allow users to log in to their account at Disney.com, for further accessibility. The overall package resembles a fairly popular online networking service on another console, wouldn't you say?The rub lies in the fact that before you can add friends to the network, you still have to exchange friend codes. As if we could get around that ...
WRUP: Post-E3 playing plans edition
With E3 coming to a close, you've no doubt many things to think about this weekend. Upcoming games and future enjoyment of them is probably on your mind right now, as it is ours. That doesn't mean your, or our, responsibility to enjoy some nice gaming over the weekend can be overlooked, though!So, we ask: what are you playing? What will you be rocking in your DS this weekend? We've got some Puzzle Quest to play ourselves, having only given the game a few minutes of our time on its initial purchase.
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night 7/12/07 aftermath
Last night's Game Night session was less of a Game Night and more of a "sit in chat for awhile before playing a handful of matches" night. It was sad to see, as we were all excited and ready to play Planet Puzzle League. We guess you guys just don't enjoy the game, or a majority of you weren't able to secure it yet, full of intentions of doing so. Regardless of the why, we're going to make sure next week is a good night chock full of gaming by only including our top "classic" games into the poll.Cast your vote below! What should be our theme game for 7/19/07? Mario Kart DS Tetris DS Clubhouse Games Animal Crossing: Wild World
E307: DK Jungle Climber screens and trailer
As if E3 hasn't already brought us enough joy, we've got some nice pieces of concept art and screens for DK Jungle Climber. The game looks to be shaping up nicely and the included trailer only adds to the truckloads of awesome content we've all received so far. Check out the fresh screens and concept art in our gallery below, and be sure to head past the break for the trailer.DK Jungle Climber is currently slated for release on September 10th.%Gallery-3481%
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night 7/12/07
With all of the craziness that comes with E3, we still need to remember the important things in life. Important things like our wonderful Game Night gaming sessions. Last week, we didn't put up a poll to select tonight's game, so we're just going to call it ourselves. Our theme game will be ...
E307: Chibi Robo Park Patrol trailer
Like most of the other E3 trailers you've set your eyes upon today, this one for Chibi Robo Park Patrol ischock full of the kinds of things you like. Gameplay segments including exploration and combat, along with some flower watering segments and bicycle riding. All in all, the game is shaping up to be the usual type of Nintendo game on the DS: an excellent experience.Check out the trailer past the break.
E307: FFXII: Revenant Wings screens
We love Final Fantasy and we're sure you do too. And, like us, we're sure you are of the mind that Revenant Wings is shaping up to be better than we could've ever hoped for. So, supplement your lust and dark desire for this game with some more screenshots in the gallery below, fresh from E3.%Gallery-4739%
DS Lite case has that 50's feel with modern functionality
Doesn't this look like one of those big purses from back in the 50's? Maybe a purse someone might sell Avon out of? It reminds us of the crazy town in Edward Scissorhands for some reason. But, upon opening it up, we're shown that it isn't all looks with this case. There are compartments for cartridges, the unit itself, as well as any accessories on would need.
Our keynote reactions: Let us tell you them [update]
Eric Caoili: Unlike last year's E3 press conference -- in which titles like Yoshi's Island 2, Star Fox Command, and Elite Beat Agents were debuted -- there wasn't much new software shown for the DS at today's event that'd make us throw our arms up in celebration.Seeing The Hylia's Mike "TSA" Damiani take the stage to demonstrate The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass brought a smile to our faces, but there wasn't anything demonstrated that we haven't already seen in previews or import impressions. Though casual titles made an appearance, the only items that perked our brows were Vision Training's US localization and hints of Cooking Navi receiving the same treatment. Disappointment-ton? That's what it looks to be, so far.JC Fletcher: The best part of the DS coverage, I thought, was when Iwata started talking about Cooking Navi. But it turns out not to have been an announcement; he just really likes Cooking Navi. The whole DS presentation was like that: underwhelming. Reggie mentioned Brain Age 2 for a fraction of the time he should have spent talking about it. Nintendo really undersells that here. Even when he said that it outsold Brain Age in Japan, that's not telling the story. It outsold most things in Japan. It was enormous, and it was just a footnote over here. Baffling. Meanwhile, an unproven nongame is the focus of Nintendo's Wii presentation and massive hype. Not really presenting a unified front, are they?David Hinkle: Things didn't go so well for Nintendo during the keynote and especially for DS fans. They focused heavily on the Wii, which sucks for us because we wanted to see more. Phantom Hourglass? There are plenty of videos of that game already, seeing as how it was already released in Japan. Aside from that, no new colors for us. No software outside of a small mention of Brain Age 2. And Vision Training coming to the U.S. was good news, but what about Cooking Navi? Overall, I concur with my colleagues. I was underwhelmed.Alisha Karabinus: Sorry, guys, better late than never. While you were all sweating out and waiting for DS announcements that didn't come, I was suffering at the dentist. So even if you're underwhelmed by the keynote, I promise you had a better time than I did!As a serious DS devotee, I am disappointed at the lack of DS news. Brain Age 2, Phantom Hourglass ... these are great, and I will buy them both and hug them and squeeze them and all, but where's the new stuff? Just because the DS outsells everything but food doesn't mean we only want to hear about the Wii. That tide can turn. Throw us a bone here, guys! Where are our colors? Where are our new games? Where's my Cooking Navi? As a cooking enthusiast, I have lusted over that forever and it only gets namedropped? Lame. But hey, it's a Nintendo keynote, so frankly, I can't say I expected anything else. Reggie and co. are great to watch when they're doing their thing, but the information is often a little thin. Maybe we'll see some cool DS announcements over the rest of the show. Maybe.[Update: Added statements from Latey McTardypants (Alisha).]
