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Wii Fit will strain Australian wallets in May
Australians only have fifty-eight days (approximately five hamburgers, two milkshakes, eight orders of fries, and seven chocolate bars) before getting glute guilted into buying Wii Fit. Nintendo announced today that the fitness title, which is meant to imbue healthy lifestyles, will be coming to Australia on May 8th. That's just in time for you Aussies to give it to your mums for Mother's Day, but then again, a present like that has the potential to make any woman cry.You'd also have to really love your mom to spend $149.95 AUD ($139 USD) on her, assuming that she already owns a Wii. Even the thought of spending that on yourself is daunting for a nongame, although the pricing isn't completely unexpected -- after all, the UK and European prices equate to about the same.Does that make it okay, though? We suspect the answer to that is a resounding "no." Gallery: Wii Fit
WAR's Q2 release date "set in mud"
There was a big uproar recently on the Warhammer Alliance forums when one astute forumer noted that gaming mega-retailer Gamestop had updated the release date on Warhammer Online to September 2 of this year. Retailers are sometimes privy to information that gamers are not, so every now and again we'll get an update on a release date from them long before publishers are willing to make a peep. We put the emphasis on sometimes, because there are occasions where the date they set is almost completely arbitrary. Or, as is evidently the case with Warhammer Online, as part of some sort of typographical error.WAR big-wig Mark Jacobs stepped in to assure gamers that this was a mistake on Gamestop's part. Or, according to Jacobs, "Actually what happened was that GameStop got confused between the various EA release dates for September and put another games release date in for WAR. At least that's what they told us when we called them to ask WTF?" WTF, indeed. Jacobs went on to reiterate that while no release date is set in stone, they're sticking to their Q2 guns. As an alternative, he suggested that the release date is "set in mud" instead. While we appreciate his dedication to finding the most appropriate analogy, perhaps he could have thought of one that wasn't quite so... dirty?
Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 delayed until next year? We think (hope) not
A table of release dates dug up on Sony Ericsson's own site suggests something powerfully depressing, which is that the XPERIA X1 has been pushed all the way out to February 10, 2009 (notice that the date is in European format -- we'd just give up now if it were actually October 2, 2009). While the presence of the page on the company's very own domain is pretty damning evidence, we're still holding out hope that it's a typo or an oversight; late Q2 of '08 was mentioned at MWC, and we really don't see how it's possible to push out a phone nearly three-quarters of a year just weeks after its initial announcement. Please tell us we're right on this one, Sony Ericsson. Please.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Wii Fit pricing revealed for Europe
Though Europeans will get their hands and feet on Wii Fit as soon as April 25th, a month before us Yanks, they'll pay a premium for that privilege -- £69.99 (approx. $138) in the UK and €89.99 (approx. $133) in the rest of Europe. These price points are a stark contrast to the results from a recent IGN poll asking readers how much they would be willing to pay for the exercise software and balance board peripheral. Of the 6116 people surveyed, 27.6% stated that they would not pay above $49.99, the lowest-price poll option, 15.9% claimed the same for $59.99, 18.9% chose $69.99, 22.5% set their limit at $79.99, and 7.4% still showed interest at the $89.99 and $99.99 marks.It can be argued that European gamers are used to paying much higher prices than their North American counterparts and that Guitar Hero III bundles were also priced at £69.99/€89.99, but that's still a lot more expensive than how much we expected. At the recent Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America mentioned that the Wii Fit bundle would be under $100 for the US. %Gallery-4745%
Dead Space to haunt players this Halloween
Electronic Arts has finalized an appropriate release date for its upcoming survival horror title Dead Space, announcing that the game will keep players in both North America and Europe oxygen-deprived starting this Halloween, October 31. If there was ever a reason for cosplayers to pore over the Sears catalog for toasters to affix to their heads this haunting season, this game is it. The game is currently in development for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and promises a "chilling, claustrophobic feeling of being isolated in a dark environment." EA also notes that Dead Space will force players to face down alien horrors not as a hulking superman but rather as a lowly engineer, though if history has taught us one thing, it's to not underestimate the little guy.
There is no Wrath beta
This is a public service announcement from all of us here at WoW Insider: there is currently no beta running for Wrath of the Lich King. This means that if you receive an invitation that claims to be for a Wrath beta, it's definitely a scam and you should under no circumstances click the links therein. If there were an actual Wrath beta, you would surely hear about it here and/or on the official website. If you have signed up for any alleged beta test, it would be a good idea to change your account password as soon as possible; you can't be too safe these days.Oh, and while we're on the subject of misinformation about Wrath, release dates on retailers' web pages mean nothing. They have to make a date up in order to enter the product into their system most of the time, but unless they're Blizzard, they're just guessing, and your guess is probably as good as theirs. Now have a nice weekend, and don't sign up for any dodgy beta tests.
flOw bringS anNoying cApitalization to psP (on March 6)
Posting on the official PlayStation blog, SuperVillain Studios has announced that serene swim sim flOw is expected to surface on the PlayStation Portable early next month. The comparatively puny version will include all of the content from the PlayStation 3 game (with the exception of its expansion pack) while eschewing SIXAXIS motion control for analog nub rubbin'. It's unknown how much you'll have to splash out when the downloadable title washes onto the PC's PlayStation Store, but we'll be sure to put up a fuss if we think we're getting pond* by the price. *We are so very sorry.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in the US on April 17th
We're not sure whether Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is meant to be a demo, a hype-builder or some sort of mid-development cash-in for Gran Turismo 5 (probably all three), but we do now know that it will be made available in America on April 17th. The game can be purchased on a retail Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download, just like Warhawk. Whichever way you buy it you'll be paying the same - $39.99, though the Blu-Ray version will come with a HD behind the scenes video titled "Beyond The Apex".The 60+ cars included can be raced online with up to 15 other people. Polyphony Digital will be holding official online races and Gran Turismo TV will allow you to watch motoring shows from all over the world via the PlayStation Network. Not bad for a demo, even if it does cost $40.
GTA IV to be released on April 29th
The release date for Grand Theft Auto IV has finally been pinned down. The game will be let loose upon the world on April 29th of this year - and yes, to clarify, that is a worldwide release. This may be a little later than most of you had hoped, but no doubt the extra time in development will allow Rockstar North to create something truly special. Speaking of special, why not celebrate the news by pre-ordering that Limited Edition of the game? Go on, treat yourself.Check out previews of the latest build by heading over to Joystiq.
FunCom decides Age of Conan needs more time, aka delay
Many massively game developers make mistakes during the development of a title; both minor and major. Sometimes they can be financial, while other times they can be launching with technical bugs -- like Anarchy Online back in the day -- and then sometimes it's launching too early. That's why even though it may seem like the most terrible thing in the world to people already tired of waiting, Age of Conan getting pushed back eight weeks to May 20th is probably for the greater good of the game and its future community.It's not like there's too much competition in terms of new massively games this half of the year. Some people have been speculating that we may end up seeing a fall release for Warhammer Online as opposed to one sometime in the spring. From what we can tell, FunCom is betting on the same prediction and taking more time to make sure players feel like they've purchased a well polished game at launch.[Thanks, QforQ]
Football Manager 2008 manages a March release
Today, SEGA announced that Football Manager 2008 (Soccer Manager for those in the States, ha!) will be kicking its way to the Xbox 360 platform this Spring on March 28th. For those in the know, Football Manager 2008 has already made a release to the PC last October and has since garnered a rather decent 86 Metacritic score. So, we suspect the 360 version to be just as entertaining and satisfying to Football Manager fans with an updated roster as well as complete Xbox Live support, which will allow gamers to host tournaments and participate in one-on-one managing matches. Get those ties in order, pressed and wrinkle free, because there's soccer (darnit!) football to manage on the 360 come March.
A bit less waiting for No More Heroes?
Potential happy news from retailers: according to Amazon, GameCrazy, and Gamefly, the release date of No More Heroes has been moved ahead, from early February to late January. Amazon and GameCrazy list the game as releasing on January 22nd, while Gamefly places the game's release on the 24th. We applaud this decision, if, in fact, it is a real decision that was made and not some weird error. From a sales perspective, any move to prevent No More Heroes' burial by Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a good move (even placing it where it will be buried by waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl). From a personal perspective, we might get to play it sooner and that's all that's important.[Via GoNintendo]
Amazon pushes BD-UP5000 release date back to February
Yeah, we already saw Samsung's BD-UP5000 in the wild and on sale in one particular location, but it seems there could be a problem in getting these things out to the masses. 'Course, we aren't going to assume the worse just yet, but it's not like we haven't heard the dreaded d-word (that's "delay" if you're wondering) flung around in regard to this unit before. Nevertheless, Amazon has just recently pushed the estimated release out from mid-January to February of next year, meaning that the eBay value of your recently acquired BD-UP5000 just creeped up a little. So, dear readers, are any of you having any luck locating this thing elsewhere? Or should we be that much more envious of those who managed to grab one already?[Thanks, Kevin B.]
EBGames has fun with WotLK listing
Reader Kevin G (thanks!) sent along a tip about EBGames having some fun on their listing for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. As you can see (we've saved the listing for posterity above), the entry jokes about the listed 11/03/08 release date being unofficial, and determined by overpowered warlocks rolling 20 sided dice. The price, listed at $40, is also made up, and they say that if the price jumps by more than $1,000, they're all headed off to the Caribbean. Considering how many copies Burning Crusade sold this year, yeah, no kidding.It's nice to see that EB is up for having a little fun with an unannounced release date. Good for them.
Ninja Gaiden boxart flips into view, falls flat on backside
As if the news of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword being delayed until next March wasn't disappointing enough (news that was super-officially confirmed by a Tecmo press release today, by the way), the boxart for the game is ... well, not necessarily bad, but certainly underwhelming. Not ninjatastic. It might just be us, but the whole thing comes across as a bit half-assed, the kind of design a Tecmo work experience lackey might churn out on Photoshop during his lunch break. We really hope that didn't happen, Tecmo. Here's hoping the game, which we're immensely looking forward to, makes more of an impact than its packaging.
MCV: GTA IV to hit UK April 25
Ever since the Grand Theft Auto IV's much-ballyhooed delay to the somewhat nebulous "Q2 2008," would-be gangsters everywhere have been clamoring to know the specific date the game would hit (and Take Two has been no help on that score). Now MCV purports to have an answer, citing "senior industry sources" to pin the game's British release date at April 25, 2008.If MCV's unnamed "sources close to the game's publisher" are correct, the game would just sneak in before the end of Take Two's promised second fiscal quarter, which runs from February through April. The story gives no hint at a U.S. release date, but recent games in the series have hit our shores a few days before Britain's.Rockstar gave MCV a blanket "no comment" or the rumor, and one source hinted that we might not get much official warning from the publisher. "I'd expect some more concrete news from them two or three weeks before release," a retail source told MCV. Yikes! That doesn't leave much time to rob enough hookers for the needed cash to buy the game.
Breakfast Topic: Place your bets...
Early this year first heard, in a post-BC interview, that Blizzard planned on launching an expansion a year. Having another expansion out in January 2008 seemed like an incredibly loft goal, but this was Blizzard, and if they promised us release dates, that must mean they were really certain of them. However, it wasn't long before Blizzard started backpedeling on the idea of yearly expansions, clarifying that they only "wanted to try" to bring out yearly expansions.So here we are in December 2007, nearly a year from the launch of The Burning Crusade, with absolutely no idea when Wrath of the Lich King will launch. So today I'm asking you -- when do you think we'll see WotLK released? %Poll-6884%
Cowon's US-bound Q5W gets price, release date
Good news for those not-so-patiently awaiting the launch of Cowon's totally hopped up Q5W (formerly known as the Q5) -- the US-bound uber-PMP is set to launch next week for slightly more jack than we heard earlier this year. Specs wise, we're looking at a 5-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display, 128MB of DDR2 SDRAM, 64MB of Flash memory, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WinCE 5.0, a voice recorder, photo / text viewer, USB connectivity and support for more file formats than you can shake a flip-out antenna at. 'Course, such a well-spec'd unit won't come sans a premium, so don't be too shocked when you see that the 40GB version will run you $549.99 while the 60GB iteration demands an extra $50.
Stargate Worlds release date announced
Ten Ton Hammer has released a small tidbit from their cash of news after talking with Kevin Ballentine, the marketing director for Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment. So far, the only piece of info they are letting slip through is the fact that Stargate Worlds finally has a release date:We've got a playable version of the game inside of our building. I'm not prepared to release our beta schedule yet, but I can say that we're going to be releasing the game in the fourth quarter of next year. You can do the math and figure out when our beta program will be.So my guess is we will be seeing a beta in the near future, but really anything goes in the beta business. I am wondering exactly how they are going to pull such a massive concept off. I mean, exactly how many Stargates are there in the universe? Yeah, I thought so. This is going to be one huge world.
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.
