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Armies of the Night await you in The Warriors
Rockstar's upcoming PSP port of The Warriors has a pretty nice bonus: the side-scrolling Armies of the Night, a bonus "minigame" of sorts which has you brawling in classic beat-em-up form. But wait ... wasn't this game included in the original PS2 and Xbox release? You're right! But we PSP gamers are the impatient type, and we no longer have to beat the game to get access to this treasured game: it's available right from the get-go.Previews of the PSP build have all been pretty glowing so far. Games Radar notes that the PSP version of the game holds up quite nicely, with some great graphics and (sigh of relief) good load times. With a budget price of only $20, this is one port that PSP fans might want to pay attention to.
Shocker: Vice City Stories listed for PS2
A search for "grand theft auto vice city stories" on the ESRB website now yields two results. Surprised? Didn't think so. Despite Rockstar's insistence that Vice City Stories would not go the way of Liberty City Stories (that is, be ported to PlayStation 2), it appears as if the company is again being tempted by the potential gains of a double-dip. Can you blame 'em? (Perhaps the better question: Can you resist them?)
Vice City Stories no longer a PSP exclusive
Vice City Stories to be PSP exclusive? Many doubted Rockstar, considering how Liberty City Stories made the jump to PlayStation 2. Well, looks like the doubters were right: A look at the ESRB website reveals a listing for a PS2 version of Vice City Stories. If it follows the footsteps of its Liberty City brethren, it will launch on PS2 for a measly $20, sans multiplayer.Considering the relatively low sales of the latest GTA, it makes sense. Now, a whole new audience will be able to play with Phil Collins.[Via IGN]See also:PSP Fanboy review: GTA Vice City Stories
Rockstar co-founder takes break, never comes back
Take-Two reports that Rockstar co-founder Terry Donovan has left the company. Donovan, who served as managing director, reportedly took a one-month leave, after which he decided not to return. Rockstar noted that Donovan would not be replaced; instead his responsibilities would be divided up among several other employees."Sam [Houser] and Dan [Houser] is the leadership now, along with Gary Dale. The roles have been filled," affirmed a Rockstar representative. Dale recently joined Rockstar as the new COO.
Ex-Rockstar Vienna founders vow to make 'Games That Matter'
You see, that's the name of their new company. Games That Matter. Following Take-Two's closure of Rockstar's Vienna studios in May of last year, the founders have decided to give game development another go, this time with a company that promises a "visionary game production business model." The barely pronouncable trio of Hannes Seifert, Niki Laber and Jürgen Goeldner will be running the show.The Games That Matter team has scheduled a press conference for January 25th in order to discuss their goals, business model and, hopefully, their upcoming games. That's what really matters, right? [Via Playthrough, thanks Kevin.]
Alive and gaming in Baghdad
"We can't go outside, so I prefer to keep inside and keep myself alive."The words are from Wisam, a gamer living in Baghdad. Wisam is a rarity, and listening to his story on Iraq blog / vlog Alive In Baghdad explains why. Wisam, a recent graduate of the Baghdad University English Department, explains that he spends upwards of $200 on electricity each month -- partly from a local generator that runs 4 p.m. until midnight and partly from the fuel he buys for his personal generator. That's a hefty sumWisam said he learned his English from games such as Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. MTV News' Stephen Totilo has a thorough piece on Wisam and the crew of Alive in Baghdad. Among the game-related topics discussed, Wisam talked about the decline in interest for war shooters like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. "We hate the attacking, the gunfire in games," Wisam told MTV News. "We started to hate it."In a sad note, Wisam described how Grand Theft Auto is much like Baghdad right now. Omar Abdullah, who interviewed Wisam for Alive in Baghdad, concurred, telling MTV News that "it was very, very similar to Baghdad. We were like, 'Oh my God. These are the same actions that happen in Baghdad.' There are some places that are divided. For each place, there is a gang ruling that place. You can go down the street and drive any car. If you want to jump on a motorcycle, you can do it."With all the news that circulates about Baghdad, include tonight's U.S. Presidential address, it's thought-provoking to see a often missed perspective on the region.
Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability
As noted earlier, a list published by UK newspaper The Independent reveals what many already assume; Nintendo's Mario is the best-selling franchise of all time. Coupled with the second best-selling franchise Pokémon (also a Nintendo property), the two series, which have sold a combined 348 million games worldwide, account for nearly 34% of the total sales of the top-twenty best-selling franchises; which include two additional Nintendo IPs ranked in the top ten, Donkey Kong and Zelda. So what's Nintendo's secret?Cross-culture appeal, spin-offs (e.g., racers, sports titles, puzzlers), brand saturation (e.g., apparel, card games, TV shows), and E-ratings all appear part of a profitable formula built for the long haul.
Deal of the Day: Rockstar goes budget
Gamers looking for deals on Rockstar's finest need look no further. It appears that the excellent Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has dropped in price to a very reasonable $30. Considering how much content the game has, this is certainly quite a bargain.Looking forward, you'll see that Gamestop is also listing the upcoming PSP port of The Warriors at a budget price of $20. The PS2 version of the game wasn't too bad at all, so you may want to pick it up as well.Use coupon code "SAVER" to get free shipping.[Via CAG & PlayStation]
No Bully sequel, judging by the numbers
Despite a strong first month in sales (estimated at 250,000 units worldwide) that was backed by critical acclaim, Bully's popularity at retail has quickly dwindled. Wedbush Morgan Securities Managing Director of Research Michael Pachter projects Bully will peak around 800,000 units sold; generating roughly $24 million in revenue. While that might sound rich, Pachter calls it a wash for Take-Two. "I would NOT expect a sequel," Pachter emphasized to GamePolitics.If Jimmy Hopkins' video game career is indeed one and done then it would go against Rockstar's standard practice (presumably encouraged by Take-Two). The developer has always molded its titles into series; The Warriors being the only Rockstar game that has yet to be revisited* (sequels to Manhunt & Red Dead Revolver are in the works). At the very least, we would expect Bully to be ported to PSP.*A PSP port of The Warriors is in the works.
Best of the rest: Ross' picks
Lumines Live! (XBLA) On a big screen with surround sound, Q Entertainment's Lumines Live was easily the most-played game in my library (if you stretch the definition of library to digitally distributed titles). Although I railed against how microtransactions were implemented in this title and still think the extent to which they disclosed the dearth of features was misleading, both the Basic and Advanced Pack got more than enough play time, as did the multiplayer. It is the best Xbox Live Arcade title since Geometry Wars.
SEC filing reveals 3mil Take Two shares unloaded
Hedge fund Glenview Capital Management have revealed in an SEC filing that it sold exactly 3 million shares of Take Two stock over the course of six transactions on December 21 at $19.25 each, amounting to $57.75 million. Glenview also disclosed that it held a 6.7% stake, or 4.88 million shares, of the controversial publisher. You might be quick to think something rather shifty is going on behind the scenes with such a large quantity of sales, but remember that GCM is a hedge fund with a fiduciary responsibility to its investors, and Take Two's stock has been on a steady rise since the FTC concluded its investigation of the Hot Coffee incident in June.[Via Seeking Alpha and Dubious Quality]
Mad Catz finally appoints new CFO
Mad Catz has named journeyman financial exec Stewart Halpern as its newest CFO, replacing Cyril Talbot III who left the position nearly four months ago. Halpern will officially join the company on January 15.Halpern leaves Rockstar, where he was head of finance, to join the peripheral maker. Previously, he was CFO for Def Jam's holding company Rush Communications. After posting a net loss of $6.7 million back in June, Mad Catz is looking to Halpern to turn things around in the New Year. Good luck with that.
First-ever screenshots of The Warriors
The French site, Play France (O, RLY?), seems to have the very first images of the upcoming PSP port of The Warriors, Rockstar Leeds' follow-up to the first two GTA Stories games. These renders are at a much higher resolution than actual gameplay footage, meaning it'll look sharper than what will appear on your PSP. Regardless, considering the team's penchant for technical superiority, there should be little doubt that the game will look quite good on the PSP when it ships next year.[Via PSP GadgetZ]
The Political Game: Banned in Boston
Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:Suddenly, the video game violence debate is big news in Beantown.The controversy began on Monday when a local advocacy group, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, delivered a letter to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which operates Boston's public transit system. The letter demanded that the MBTA remove poster ads for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories from subway cars on Boston's Green Line.Sixty influential locals signed on, including the mayors of Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts legislators, religious leaders, top healthcare professionals, children's advocates and academics. Collectively, the signatories called it "unconscionable" to display the Vice City Stories ad on the train, saying, "Advertising on the MBTA enables Rockstar Games to reach countless children -- those who ride the trains and those whose neighborhoods the trains pass through."
MISSING: Playstation 3 exclusives
Have you been wondering why our Playstation 3 friends have lost so many exclusive games? Think about it, Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed are both shinning examples. Also, why has the Xbox 360 wrapped up exclusives from third party developers like Bioshock and Winning Eleven? It's quite simple actually, Sony's lead man Ken Kutaragi dragged his feet for far too long. Mr. Kutaragi couldn't give developers the thumbs up for exclusivity and Microsoft played the roll of annoying best friend, constantly bugging developers to flock to their console. And look at the result, we've got great games coming. Good job Microsoft, third party exclusive titles are butter and cream and we're all anticipating Assassin's Creed. Oh the joy.[Via, Digg]
Black Friday megadeals for Xbox 360
Sister site Xbox 360 Fanboy got the goods on some upcoming Black Friday deals yesterday. For those of you who may not know, Black Friday (so very appropriately named) is the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, when stores feature gargantuan sales in an effort to suck shoppers in and kick-start the Christmas shopping season.Best Buy is having an $18.99 sale featuring: Amped 3 Condemned NBA Live '06 Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis The Outfit (apparently you can score this one for only $9.99 if you buy it in-store before noon) Circuit City offers a different set at $16.99: Full Auto Gun Perfect Dark Zero Quake 4 Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Our advice is to call the stores to find out if these deals will be available online and stay inside. Black Friday is normally a hellish experience with a lot of pushing, shoving and greed. In fact, we're surprised Rockstar hasn't made a video game version yet. Your mission: take out other shoppers before they can get your sale items.
Black Friday deals on 360 games
It's that time of the year when consumers wait outside stores for hours on end to get the best holiday deals. Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday season, presents are purchased, kids begin to beg Santa for gifts, and a huge amount of money is spent. And what would Black Friday be without leaked ad scans weeks in advance? Word on the street is that Best Buy will be having a sweet $18.99 sale on a few Xbox 360 games including R* Games Presents: Table Tennis, Condemned, Amped 3, and NBA Live 06. So, if you feel like participating in the Black Friday ritual, make the holy trek to Best Buy and pick up a few games ... just be sure to bring a roll of Tums, because we all know the day after Thanksgiving wreaks havoc on the belly.
GTA:VCS debuts at 6th in UK game charts
Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, needed some financial help. They looked to the PSP as a source for the big bucks, and it looks like they're making a healthy return. Within one week of sales, the PSP-exclusive Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories debuted at number 6 in the UK game charts, making it the top-selling handheld game for the week. With Bully also ranking high, and nary a DS game in sight, it appears that both Take-Two and PSP can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy their success.[Via Gamespot]
Playing Dirty: That's so gay
Every other week, Bonnie Ruberg contributes Playing Dirty, a column on sex and gender in video games:Puppies are gay. Dancing is for homos. Even Link is a little queer. "Gay" has become a strange, strange word. From happy to homosexual to stupid, it can mean many different things. But there's no ambiguity in an insult like "That's so gay" – the favorite homophobic tag line of defenders of the heterosexual norm. It's like a built-in security system: whatever doesn't fit in gets "outed." Of course, there's no group that fits the heterosexual norm – young, male, straight – better than gamers. At least, that's how we're perceived, and often how we act: as a boys' club. We like big guns, fast cars, hot women. Maybe that's why we're so quick to attack games that lack traditional testosterone. Between forums, blogs, and general grumblings, gamers have declared everything from Nintendogs to Dance Dance Revolution to The Wind Waker (Bright colors? Queer!) "gay." Rockstar's Bully, however, doesn't fit that list. It's not pretty, or cute. If you don't watch out, it might even beat you up for your lunch money. Like the Grand Theft Auto series before it -- and especially the oh-so-controversial, hidden hetero action in San Andreas -- it's a man's game. Which, perhaps, is why we're so surprised to learn that Bully, too, is "gay."
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Metareview - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
We said it before, and we'll say it again: Grand Theft Auto is stale. But we can't knock the hustle. Rockstar has settled into a niche that continues to sell. Why change?Some critics' thoughts: 1UP (90/100) - "The empire-building facet, though reminiscent of purchasing businesses in the first Vice City, is quite significant ... The other additions aren't nearly as significant, but they are welcome ... [but] some serious series flaws stubbornly refuse to budge, a fact that grows harder to ignore with each passing entry ... It's a shame Rockstar chose not to fix obvious flaws that have been called out repeatedly, but the weight of the total experience more than counterbalances this disappointment". Game Informer (second opinion) (82.5/100) - "I've pimped, extorted, and murdered my way to the top so many times now, the thrill of criminal indulgence has finally begun to fade. This is more of the same from the franchise, with a few more serious themes thrown in. But if you've already drunk your fill of the free-roaming gangbuster cup, then this mix is going to taste a little stale." GamePro (75/100) - "[It's] a big shame that lot of that personality has gone missing ... the characters and dialogue don't have the same snap nor does the game exhibit the same goofy and utterly loveable 80's style. Instead, the game is gritty and dull to a fault ... Vice City Stories retains the same problems that plagued past titles. The auto-aim function doesn't work well, the AI isn't particularly smart, and some missions are completed more through trial and error than anything else." Current overall average: 87/100
