Joystiq

Alexander Sliwinski

- http://www.joystiq.com/bloggers/alexander-sliwinski/

The Onion reveals Modern Warfare 3, most 'realistic' military experience yet

by Alexander Sliwinski { 36 minutes ago }

The Onion has the WORLD EXCLUSIVE first details of Modern Warfare 3, which developer Infinity Ward is apparently putting the "final touches on." There's so much scrumptious information in the Onion report, it's almost like the respected media source made the whole thing up.

Modern Warfare 3 will blow away its predecessor in the realism department, being the most "true to life" installment of the game ever produced. A "majority" of gameplay will have players hauling equipment, cleaning vehicles, experiencing home sickness and "filling out paperwork." Check out the full report after the break. We're so bummed we weren't invited to the reveal junket, which had journalists sleeping in the Pentagon and being briefed in "the war room" (which actually has a sign: "No Fighting Allowed!").

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EA trims its 2010 lineup, focuses on high-profit games

by Alexander Sliwinski { 3 hours ago }

As the mushroom cloud still hangs in the air after Electronic Art's devastating quarterly report, which also brought with it 1,500 layoffs, the publisher plans to focus on games that are sure bets. MCV notes EA CEO John Riccitiello's statement, made during an investor conference call yesterday, that the company will release approximately 30 titles in its 2010 fiscal year, a 50 percent cut from fiscal year 2008.

Develop picked up on the executive going on to say that EA has a "core slate" that it will "iterate on an either annual or bi-annual basis ... all of them are selling or have sold in their most recent edition two million units or more." He continued that any game that can't be expected to be a "very high profit contributor and high unit seller" is out from "this point going forward." What a difference a year makes.

It sounds like the "old EA" might be making an unwelcome, albeit economically enforced, return. We can hate it as much as we want, but EA's accountants, stockholders and surviving employees probably prefer the security.

Source -- EA slashes release slate in half [MCV]
Source -- EA going cold on new IP [Develop]

Star Trek Online shipping on Stardate 63554.5 (Feb. 2, 2010)

by Alexander Sliwinski { 21 hours ago }

Star Trek Online officially beams into retail on February 2, 2010, keeping in line with what an unearthed Atari financial document expected last May. Players will boldly enter 2409 and continue "the story of the latest film installment," according to the press release. Huh, and here we thought it took place after the poorly-received Nemesis and not the "latest" Star Trek movie, which was actually the acclaimed reboot.

We contacted Atari to find out which layer of the sci-fi series' multiverse we'll be playing in and a representative apologized for the confusion, saying , "Events in the movie that happened in the prime timeline -- the destruction of Romulus, and the disappearance of Spock and Nero -- have affected STO. You can learn more about the aftermath of these events in the Path to 2409 and in STO itself."

Wii Fit Plus claims top spot in UK sales chart, Dragon Age debuts in fifth

by Alexander Sliwinski { 1 day ago }

Wii Fit Plus has taken the top spot in the UK during its second week of release, according to Chart Track. The excellent Dragon Age: Origins premiered in fifth place, behind Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort and two football games. No surprises there!

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time premiered at the 22nd spot, which is a weaker debut than we had anticipated for the titular duo's final(ish) outing. It'll likely have a stronger showing in the US, though we'll have to wait for the NPD results to see if it lands in the top ten.

Source -- A fitting No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

WRUP: 'Too many games, not enough time' edition

by Alexander Sliwinski { 3 days ago }

Admittedly, it's not as bad as previous years, but we're already drowning in a bunch of well-received and just-plain-fun games for the holiday season. There are already too many quality titles taking up our time and this was supposed to be a "slow" year. How did our wallets ever keep up with holidays past? Oh wait, they couldn't. What's everyone playing this weekend?

[Image Credit: GnackGnackGnack]

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Namco Bandai posts $66.7 million loss for first half of year

by Alexander Sliwinski { 4 days ago }

Namco Bandai has reported a net loss of ¥6.04 billion ($66.7 million) for the first half of its fiscal year, which began in April. During the same period last year, the company posted a net income of ¥1.28 billion ($14.14 million). Despite this year's first-half hiccup, the publisher still expects to earn ¥8.5 billion ($93.6 million) in net income by the end of its fiscal year (ending March 31, 2010). After all, there are those 2.5 million copies of Tekken 6 waiting to be sold.

Namco Bandai's software sales for the period were led by the Ben 10 franchise, as Alien Force and Protector of the Earth combined to sell approximately 810,000 units (not exactly Guitar Hero numbers, eh?). Even with Tekken 6 in its second-half roster, Namco must be pulling for a miracle. But then, the holidays are a magical time.

Source – Financial Highlights [PDF]
Source – Consolidated Financial Report [PDF]

Rock Band Weekly: The White Stripes, The Damned, Kasabian

by Alexander Sliwinski { 4 days ago }

Forget that Jack White finds it "depressing" that kids are learning about music through rhythm games -- there's gold in them thar virtual hills! Next week's Rock Band DLC adds a pack of songs from The White Stripes, with tracks off of three different albums.

We've also added this little guy to Rock Band Weekly:

. He indicates tracks that are considered "family-friendly" enough for Lego Rock Band. Such marked songs will be available in LRB's music store, as well as appearing in the regular Rock Band music store. [Thanks to our friend Dustin Burg for the Lego head!]

Check out the update after the break, along with what Rock Band Unplugged players can expect for DLC next week.

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

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Rumor: Kane & Lynch 2 teaser has duo dodging dogs

by Alexander Sliwinski { 4 days ago }

MTV Germany has posted a video that could be construed as a viral teaser for Kane & Lynch 2. The clip is mock "surveillance video" of two naked men desperately barging into a Chinese restaurant. The streakers are apparently on the run -- there's some gun fire aimed in their direction -- until one (possibly Lynch by the looks of his hairstyle) trips and falls over a table, only to be attacked a few seconds later by a dog. The other gentleman, perhaps Kane, successfully beats the dog off of his partner with what appears to be a tray, and then the two presumably escape.

Could this be be a viral ad for Kane and Lynch in "Dog Days?" Your call.

[Via Kotaku]

Ratchet & Clank's primary audience isn't kids, but 20-somethings

by Alexander Sliwinski { 5 days ago }

It probably comes as no surprise to you -- our well-informed and educated audience -- but the Ratchet & Clank series isn't just designed for the kids. Edge spoke with Insomniac writer TJ Fixman, who expressed that the primary audience for the weapon-indulgent platformer is the "male 18-34" demographic. He notes that teens who played the first game back in 2002 are now in their twenties and stayed fans of the series.

Fixman notes that males under 18 could be the "interchangeable primary-secondary market," but that the PS3 user base skews older. He compares the Ratchet style to the Shrek series, explaining that Insomniac tries to find the right blend of humor that'll appeal to a large audience. Now the question remains: When will we see Ratchet & Clank again?

iPhone App Store tops 100K items, 2 billion downloads

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

Apple's App Store has attained over 100,000 ~~fart simulators~~ apps and blown by the two billion download mark. GI.biz reports that games make up 19.6 percent of the store's content. EA Mobile VP Travis Boatman notes that the store, which is now available in 77 countries, has allowed his company to make high quality games that "have been a huge success with customers."

If Gameloft's sales figures are any indication, the App Store shows no signs of slowing down in the game department. Now, if only that alleged iPhone app piracy rate could be brought under control.

DICE receives fan letter in thanks of Bad Company 2 dedicated servers

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

Edward

of New Jersey was so happy with DICE's decision to support dedicated servers for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 that he sent the company a $60 check. Although it's pretty hard to look up the

family of New Jersey to ask Eddie why he sent the money, we'll guess it had something to do with Infinity Ward's decision to not allow dedicated PC servers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

As for what DICE plans to spend the money on, Battlefield Producer Gordon Van Dyke gave no indications. Some Battlefield 1943 maps would be nice. The intern could probably get it done for $60, right?

The Sims transformed into a horror movie

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

"They won't let me pee, they won't let me sleep, they won't let me eat." – doomed Sim citizen

Ah yes, the life of a Sim. Not so funny when one sees what life would be like if our actions were controlled by the unholy Plumbob (which is itself controlled by little Damian Van Horne of 999 Wisteria Lane). We understand that CollegeHumor was trying to be funny in its The Sims movie clip, but it actually encapsulates the pain and suffering of every Sim murdered by sadistic teenage girls around the world. Watch the full clip after the break. Save a Sim.

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Deal to see EA music licensed for TV commercials, movie trailers

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

Electronic Arts has signed on the dotted line for Extreme Music to represent its catalog of 2,000 original pieces of music for five years. Variety reports that Extreme will place the publisher's owned music in things like television commercials, movie trailers and anything else that Extreme sees fit -- and to which EA agrees.

EA has obtained original pieces of music over the years from many A-list Hollywood composers, as the publisher has sought to blend the realms of film and games. So, if you happen to hear a theme from The Sims playing in the background of a pool insurance ad, or that armed forces ad suddenly makes you want to play Battlefield, you'll know why.

[Via Big Download]

Gameloft sales up a dramatic 18% this year

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

Gameloft's mobile focus is keeping the company flush with cash in these tough times. The prolific publisher announced today that quarterly sales are up 15 percent over the third quarter last year and up 18 percent in year-to-date figures compared to the same period last year. Gameloft achieved $132 million in sales, with mobile devices accounting for 95 percent of revenue; the measly remainder was earned through consoles.

Gameloft tips its hat to the Apple App Store for the "huge success," as well as the company's Java and Brew games, with the expectation that sales and profitability will be up, up and away in 2009. Looking to the future, the company believes it will benefit from Apple, Nokia and Google's mobile devices. Gameloft comes from the proud tradition of releasing sales and profit reports separately, but the expectation is that profits will be positive, as well.

GameStop: PS3 sales remain 'very strong' post price cut

by Alexander Sliwinski { 6 days ago }

For a moment, let's ignore the billions Sony has lost on the PS3 so far and focus on optimism for the future. GameStop executive vice president Tony Bartel notes that momentum for the console has maintained a solid sales pace following Sony's most recent price drop and hardware remodeling.

Bartel tells IndustryGamers that there was a natural surge after the initial announcement of the price drop months ago and that the retailer has seen "very strong" PS3 sales through October. He didn't reveal specific data, though, and we'll have to wait and see if his claims are reflected in the overall October hardware sales figures released by the NPD later this month.