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Sony confirms European platinum range but keeps schtum on details
While Jeux-France is reporting that a European platinum range will be arriving this Autumn, Sony refuses to say much about it. Jeux-France has suggested that MotorStorm, Heavenly Sword, Resistance: Fall of Man, Formula One Championship Edition, Lair, Folklore, Ridge Racer 7 and Genji: Days of the Blade will all be made available within the platinum range and will sell for €40 each (probably closer to £30 for the UK). A number of games have been re-released in Japan recently under a budget price in the "The Best" range which includes a few of the games listed above as well as Ninja Gaiden: Sigma and Gundam: Target in Sight. Sony refuses to comment on the specifics of a platinum range for Europe but continues to state that it will definitely happen one day. We just hope the box art won't look as disgusting as the Japanese budget range. Since when has the PS3 ever been associated with the color yellow? Bizarre design choice, that one.
Platinum GameCubes now fifty bucks on Amazon
Amazon currently has a pretty sweet Deal of the Day (or an awful one if, like this blogger, you get paid tomorrow): a Platinum GameCube for just $50. Obviously, if you're reading this site, you probably already have at least one way to play 'Cube games, in which case we advise you view this as a chance to: Plump up your Nintendo console collection. Invest in a cheap gift for a loved one. Grab a spare if the unthinkable should ever happen. Buy two and duct-tape them together for a $100 Wii. [Via The Tanooki]
Sony: Platinum PS3 titles likely coming to Europe
After learning of Sony's plans to release a budget lineup in Japan, the most shocking news of the day appears to be that Sony also plans on doing the same throughout other regions, as well. A Sony representative told GamesIndustry.biz that,"we have introduced a Platinum range of best-selling titles for all of our platforms to date, and it is likely that we will do so in the future for PS3. However, no decisions have yet been made on timing or line-up."Of course, we all knew it was just a matter of time before Sony released it's PlayStation 3 the Best, Platinum, Greatest Hits or whatever else it chooses to call them throughout the world. Now, the questions that remain are when they'll arrive, how much they'll be priced at and if the same games will get selected across all major regions.
PS3 budget lineup heading to Japan, 'likely' Europe
Savior of stingy spenders and bane of box art, the budget lineup, is set to incorporate several PlayStation 3 titles in Japan next month. IGN reports that the official "PlayStation 3 the Best" branding will highlight familiar titles at friendlier prices, with Resistance: Fall of Man, FolksSoul (aka Folklore), Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gundam: Target in Sight, and Ridge Racer 7 pinching the first pennies -- or, uh, yanking the first yen. The "Best" games will sell for ¥3,800 ($36), which represents a saving of roughly ¥2,200 ($21) for Sony-published games and ¥3,200 ($30) for third-party titles. On the other side of the ocean, Sony told GamesIndustry.biz that a similar "Platinum" range of budget games would likely arrive in Europe. "We have introduced a Platinum range of best-selling titles for all of our platforms to date, and it is likely that we will do so in the future for PS3," said a spokesman, noting that the timing and lineup had yet to be finalized. We'll let you know what Sony America has to say about a budget lineup as soon as they accept our collect call. Read -- "PlayStation 3 the Best" for Japan Read -- "Platinum" for Europe
Crysis goes platinum
In yesterday's investor call, Electronic Arts confirmed that sales of Crysis have gone platinum, meaning that over 1 million units had been sold since its launch. That figure marks a drastic improvement over earlier indications that consumer interest in the game was, well, in crisis. At this month's GDC, developer CryTek will be showing off a console version of CryEngine 2, although a console version of Crysis itself has not been announced. Of course, EA could pull a "surprise" announcement -- dun dun dun! [Via inCrysis; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Microsoft anticipates 7 million-sellers this holiday, 'at least'
Firing off big-headed predictions is just part of the business, but when Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg told Next-Gen that Microsoft expects to have "at least seven titles that will each sell over a million units" this holiday, maybe he wasn't being so bold -- just optimistic. "I don't think any other platform will even come close to that," Greenberg concluded. He's right. But can Xbox 360? Let's add it up: Halo 3, yes, of course. Madden too. That's two. By year's end, BioShock also will have had plenty of time to reach the million-sold mark; and Microsoft is counting on its other big exclusive, Mass Effect, to get there too (though in considerably less time). That's four. Guitar Hero III, Call of Duty 4, and Assassin's Creed are the three other most likelies to bring the tally to seven, but even Rock Band, The Simpsons, Orange Box, skate, Tony Hawk, PGR4, Need for Speed ProStreet, or an NBA game could move enough units -- are we missing any?If Microsoft can win over consumers with its exclusives (and perhaps the newly proposed family plan), then Xbox 360 will also take the lion's share of multiplatform game sales, which could, remarkably, produce something like 7 different platinum-selling games during a loosely-defined holiday season. But Sony has challenged with competitively priced PlayStation 3 SKUs and will manage to produce its own lineup of exclusives in Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Ratchet, and Uncharted, plus Haze, and hopefully, if only temporarily, UT3. Of course, there's also Wii and Mario, a pair that could easily be the one-stop-shop solution for holiday gift buyers.So were these bold words from Microsoft? No, but the goal ain't no cakewalk neither.
Blinged out iPod Shuffle doesn't come cheap
For the small price of 248,000 Norwegian Kroner (around $40,000) you can pick up a concentrated mix of gold, diamonds, and... iPod Shuffle. There's not a lot more to this blinged out creation: why anyone would want to place forty gees worth of precious carbon on a $99 gadget, we'll never know.[Thanks, Eirik S.]
New Pokemon duo sell 1 million in 5 days in US
In addition to announcing a megaton year in sales, Nintendo has released a statement congratulating themselves on the latest Pokemon duo Diamond and Pearl, which -- in the spirit of their titles -- have sold a combined total of 1 million units in five days since its launch in the U.S. According to Nintendo's press release, that is the fastest rate of any U.S. Pokemon titles to date. Massive damage, indeed.The figures should come as no surprise, as every single iteration of the franchise has reached platinum sales, and we expect both Diamond and Pearl to each hit that mark, as well. In Japan, the two titles have sold an aggregate of 5 million since its launch in the region September 28 of last year. Of course, these sales all but guarantee two more titles in the Pokemon franchise, Kryptonite and Adamantium.
AT&T gets Motorola V3xx in platinum
The color, that is; not the metal. AT&T has officially released the 3G RAZR variant in "platinum," which we think is code for "silver." Specs are pretty much the same as the charcoal and gold versions before it, though this will be the first color to sport full AT&T branding inside and out -- they've even switched out the keypad to replace the etched Jack with an etched globe. Having the latest and greatest hue costs cold, hard cash though, with the platinum running a full $50 more after rebates and activation than the original and $20 more than the slightly newer gold. Get it now in store or direct from AT&T's site.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
This $250,000 Gundam will rock your, uh, socks
What's better than a 5-inch Gundam? Why a 5-inch Gundam slathered in platinum with diamonds for eyes, of course. This $250,000 robot soldier is manufactured by Bandai and will be on display next month at Baselworld, in Basel Switzerland. You know, for the big watch and jewelry show everyone's been talking about... sheez. Great, but we're not interested until this can be produced on a 1:1 scale.[Via Impress]
Nintendo offers prizes, likes Japan more than us
Nintendo of Japan has long supported a "Club Nintendo" program by which ridiculous fanboys (like us) get to register their purchased consoles and software for various rewards. Of course, we have a similar "registering" procedure at MyNintendo.com, but we rarely have anything to show for it ... we got a Metroid Prime 2 demo disc, once. Woo-hoo.It turns out that platinum members (a status obtained by magically accruing four hundred points in a year) of Club Nintendo get to choose between two wonderful prizes: Tingle's Balloon Fight, for the DS, or a custom battery pack cover with your very own Mii imprinted on the back. Such a difficult decision! Whilst they ponder, perhaps we may spirit away these prizes in the night. Who's in?
Hello Kitty gets ritzy, dons platinum outfit for the holidays
We've seen Hello Kitty hit the low-end, the mid-range, the high-end, and everywhere in between, but this here rendition has to be some sort of record. In a feat that's sure to be outdone relatively soon, the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo will be selling a 21-ounce miniature rendition of the cat donned in platinum. The shiny feminine feline reportedly comes with seven different hair ribbons made of "diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems" that can be worn by Hello Kitty or used as a pendant. This hope diamond of Japanese cuteness can be snatched up (if it hasn't been already) for a mere ¥18.9 million ($164,291) if you so desire, but we can think of much more practical uses for all that extra disposable income to be quite honest.[Via Hello Kitty Hell]
New 360 Platinum Hits for $29.99
Microsoft has officially announced the first batch of Platinum Hits for the Xbox 360. The games are: Perfect Dark Zero Project Gotham Racing 3 Kameo: Elements of Power Need for Speed Most Wanted Conspicuously missing from the list is Call of Duty 2, the 360's first million seller. The first four Platinum Hits will be available for the bargain price of $29.99 starting October 15th -- the second set should be announced in the spring of 2007. It's a far cry from what we considered a bargain last gen, but it's definitely better than nothing. So, for those of you that haven't picked these up yet, will a $29.99 price tag make you reconsider? See the full press release after the break.
Aqua is dead, long live Aqua!
Apple seems to use iTunes as a test-bed for new user interface design styles, and iTunes 7 brings with it an almost complete overhaul the Aqua look we have all grown to love/hate/tolerate. While on the surface, the iTunes 7 interface may seem very similar to that of previous versions, there are a few very distinct differences that I think forebode greater system wide changes to come in 10.5 Leopard. Since the initial version 10.0, OS X has gone through a variety of system-wide interface changes while still keeping some very important aspects of the original Aqua UI. First we lost the pinstripes, then we got brushed metal, and most recently, we see the move with most applications to a "unified" interface. With iTunes 7, Aqua is gone for good. Glossy radio buttons, scroll bars, control buttons and track information windows are all gone; replaced by sleek utilitarian sand-blasted metal. I think this is the first significant peek we've had into the rumored complete redesign of the OS X UI for Leopard. I, for one, welcome this change. While the glossy days of old were an exciting way to draw new users–indeed, it was part of way I switched– it quickly became an eyesore for many; designers in particular. The introduction of the Graphite visual style fixed a lot of issues graphics professionals had with the bright colors of the interface clashing with their work, but everything was still not dandy. For pro and power users their Mac is not only a computer, it is the tool of their trade, and something they use day in and day out to get things done, and while no one wants to work in a badly designed, ugly UI, minimalist utilitarianism is sometimes the key to reducing distraction. Of course, much of this is personal opinion, but it is an opinion I know is shared by at least a small core group of Mac die hards. What's your take on the new interface? Is it just a fluke, or a hint at things to come?
RIAA establishes Master Ringtone Sales Award
The big wigs over at the RIAA have established a new reward system, much like the one they use for traditional albums, called the Master Ringtone Sales Award. They're keeping track of how many times a song has been downloaded as a ringtone -- it has to be the original recording, not some clunky midi version -- and once that number hits 500,000 it's considered to have gone Gold. One million sales merit Platinum status and two million marks the start of the ever-expandable Multi-Platinum category, into which the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" and three others have already climbed. Check the link for a list of all 128 songs honored -- including some Mariah Carey recorded for Pepsi -- at the inaugural ceremony held in NYC. Rumor has it that next year's event will have a lifetime achievement award for the late Crazy Frog. [Via Slashphone]
