Old-school Mario is news again as New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold at Sonic-speed throughout its Japanese launch last week. Andriasang reports that the platformer sold 422,000 copies in its first day (December 3), with Famitsu following up that NSMB Wii moved 936,734 units by Sunday, December 6, its "first week" at retail, stomping the previous week-one sales record held by Super Smash Bros. Brawl (816k).

And with that, Mario has pulled off his hat trick, scoring in Japan's top three first-week bestsellers, which also includes Mario Kart Wii (608k). Monster Hunter 3 (583k) follows in fourth place.

In other news, Joystiq Publishing, in collaboration with acclaimed developer Nincom, is pleased to announce "Mushroom Hunter Wii," the VIDEO GAME EVENT OF THE NEXT GENERATION -- for Wii -- exclusively in Japan (while supplies last). Pre-order today!

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Source – Big Start for December Wii titles [Andriasang]
Source – ミリオン目前、『New スーパーマリオブラザーズ Wii』の初週販売本数が発表 [Famitsu]

If amazingly fast and explosive men have been the bane of your existence in Modern Warfare 2 as of late, then know that Activision's go-to guy, Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling, has got the hot scoops on a patch in the works to address the despised Javelin glitch. Version 1.06 of the game will not only do away with that awful bit of frustration, but will also address two other notable exploits in the multiplayer experience:

• Fixes the Javelin glitch (thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster!)
• Fixes unlimited care packages glitch
• Fixes areas where players could exploit geography (e.g. hide inside rocks in Afghan)

Bowling says the patch is currently in the hands of Microsoft for certification on Xbox 360 and presumably in Sony's for PS3 certification. We've contacted Bowling for more info and will update the post when we hear back.

Source - 1.06 in Microsoft cert
Source - 1.06 patch notes

If you read the first installment in the latest installment of "Pachter Predixx," you already know that the analyst's new report praises the PS3 for its resilience during these troubled times. According to the report, the PS3 saw an 85-percent year-over-year sales increase in November, while the Wii and Xbox 360 suffered sales declines. This reversal in fortune leads Pachter and his Wedbush associates to a surprising conclusion: "We think that the PS3 will again outsell the Xbox 360 in November and December, prompting a price cut some time early next year."

Pachter adds that while Microsoft "has the ability to lower price yet again," it probably won't do so until "it begins to lose significant market share to Sony." As with all conjecture -- even when delivered by professional conjecture conjurers -- we suggest considering Pachter's educated guess as just that: a guess.

Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce: You know, it is a complicated process. You look through the dictionary and make a list of big long words, and you start narrowing it down. [Laughs.] You get feedback from the people working at the organization, and then you get feedback from the legal department after they have done some trademark searches. And after that big
extensive process, "Blizzard" is where we landed. Blizzard Entertainment.

We specifically selected to append "Entertainment" as compared to anything else, because we always felt like we wanted to have the option to do more than games. I mean games are our foundation, but we always felt like, you know, if we were creating our own franchises, we would want to someday seem them on the big screen or see them in novelizations or comic books, or whatever. And so, we were conscious of the name when we selected it to call it Blizzard Entertainment, because we knew we wanted to have the option to do more than games in the future.

Joystiq: So you don't have a secret meaning of your own behind "Blizzard?"

Pearce: No. One of the first things that [fellow co-founder] Allen Adhem does as part of the process is literally start perusing the dictionary.

In the near future, the Prince of All Cosmos may roll a Katamari at you! Or some blood in Splatterhouse may splatter at you! Mr. Driller may drill at you! Other Namco characters may perform their signature actions directly into your face! That's because Namco Bandai has licensed RealD's Stereoscopic Gaming API.

The software allows Banamco not only to render visuals in RealD's stereoscopic 3D format, but also to implement automatic camera movements for optimal 3D viewing, and head tracking with a camera peripheral. The software will be used in the development of "upcoming as yet unannounced NAMCO BANDAI Games titles," allowing us to continue thinking of things for the developer to make 3D. Like Metro-Cross! It would be like large soda cans are rolling at you!

Though the November NPD sales report won't be released until later this week, gaming industry analyst (and possible soothsayer) Michael Pachter has predicted November's biggest players in the gaming hardware and software markets. Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the highlighted title in his report -- not only does the report claim the game sold around 6 million units last month in the U.S. (for about $350 million), it credits the game with pulling the industry out of a downward spiral that it's followed for seven of the past eight months.

The report also awards a large gold-star sticker to the PlayStation 3, which is predicted to have sold 700,000 units in November, an 85-percent year-over-year sales increase. Despite the two upswings, Pachter's report ends on a decidedly dour note, stating, "as 2009 draws to an end, it is clear that it will end as a horrible year for video game publishers." Pachter suggests that sales will drop off once more in December. Happy holidays, gaming industry professionals!

BioWare has just released a new trailer for Mass Effect 2, featuring the exploits of strategic tactician "Commander Shepard the Engineer" and his murderous robot. Much like the first game, engineer class players will rely more heavily on strategery and tech management than direct confrontation.

Lead gameplay designer Christina Norman guides us through some combat-heavy gameplay, which depicts the aforementioned android aggressor along with some cool abilities, like freezing enemies on the spot and hacking mechanized enemies. Oh, Mass Effect 2, you had us at killer 'bot.

Microsoft's Major Nelson has announced that Qix ++ is headed to Xbox Live Arcade this week. Apart from the price (800 / $10), that's really all we know. The "++" in the title might be a clue, though, given that Jeff "Why'd you buy Frogger" Minter seems to have an affinity for throwing plus signs at the end of retro game titles. It's also worth noting that Minter worked on the XBLA version of Space Invaders Extreme which, like Qix, is a Taito (via Square Enix) game. For now, with no assets of the game available, you'll have to settle for a video of the original Qix posted after the break.

In other news, the Xbox Live Deal of the Week is Rock Band DLC, specifically No Doubt's The Singles 1992-2003 album. The DLC has been discounted from 1600 ($20) to 1200 ($15).

Shortcut: Download The Singles 1992-2003 [Xbox.com]

Continued →

While Take-Two has a number of solid properties, such as BioShock and Borderlands, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto is unquestionably its largest and most important franchise. However, sluggish sales of recent GTA efforts, from the handheld Chinatown Wars to the 360-exclusive DLC Episodes from Liberty City, have Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter worried about the future of Take-Two's flagship brand.

"Has the Grand Theft Auto franchise peaked? Given the strength of GTA IV in 2008, the question may seem misplaced, but our concern is that the very highly rated new GTA content for Xbox as well as PSP and DS did not perform up to expectations in 2009," Scahchter notes, while addressing potential criticisms to his claim. "Now, we very clearly understand that these do not represent 'true' new GTA titles. However, the fact is that these were compelling titles, attractively priced, and reasonably well-promoted, yet they fell relatively flat."

Nintendo is creating a deep rut for the Zelda games by turning every new development since Ocarina of Time into a compilation of overused tropes. The fact that people liked the first N64 outing, for example, is no reason to include a magical instrument in every subsequent game. The same goes for the chatty sidekick, and (especially) the tradition of forcing Link to walk around and meet everyone in town before someone finally hands him a sword. Even the train in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which seemed out of place when the game debuted, is a variant on the oft-repeated vehicle gimmick, including conveyances like Epona, the King of Red Lions, and the S.S. Linebeck.

As a result, I groaned a little when I started playing Spirit Tracks, seeing all these common Zelda elements played out for the umpteenth time. But as I played the game, I forgot all about my gripes, won completely over by its charm and by its excellently designed challenges. The great game shines through all the cruft Nintendo has thrown on top of it.

Continued →

Tecmo's Gears of War clone is no longer a PS3 exclusive. During a recent interview in Tokyo, Tecmo revealed that Quantum Theory will also be coming to Xbox 360 in Spring 2010. That's the same North American release window given to the PS3 version, which is currently 70% complete. While Tecmo has traditionally focused on making engines and games exclusively for one system at a time, Quantum Theory is being developed on an unnamed internal PC-based engine designed to make multiplatform development easier, much like Square Enix's Crystal Tools. However, we still have our doubts about the engine: the latest build we saw of Quantum still suffered from performance issues.

Quantum Theory has been largely panned, not just for its gameplay but its rather uninspired look. However, Tecmo responded to these claims, saying they can provide a unique look for the genre. "One of the ways we're looking at differentiating Quantum Theory and one of the things that we can bring to the genre is an emphasis on story, art and visuals," Tecmo's Producer Makoto Shibata told us. "Most third person shooters are military-based and kind of brown. We're trying to bring more color and beauty ... We think this kind of style is kind of unique to us, and says about what Tecmo can do differently," Shibata added, noting that over half the art staff is female.

There are some decidedly Japanese gameplay elements, including a mechanic that's been described as "R-Type-esque." The AI-controlled female partner is, in many ways, exactly like the arcade shooter's Force: players throw her to inflict massive damage via her melee attacks. Ridiculous? Certainly, but it's quite possibly the most original thing Quantum Theory has going for it.

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Editor's note: Interview conducted by Joystiq Japan correspondent Ittousai.

There's "No Russian" Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 off the top spot on the UK sales charts. Infinity Ward's mega-hit is killin' terrorists, civilians and retail at a solid tick, despite the seven percent sales drop from the prior week. The FPS has held the high ground for four weeks now, repelling solid competition from the footie fantasies of FIFA 10 and the hidden blades of Assassin's Creed 2.

Call of Duty: World at War maintained the number one position on the charts last year for five weeks, before FIFA 09 rushed the goal and scored the top spot during Christmas week. Thanks to retail promotions, game of the year candidate Batman: Arkham Asylum sales surged 122 percent, bringing the Dark Knight back onto the chart in the twenty spot.

Source -- Call of Duty still in command at No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

There's some classic platforming to be had in both Rayman and Shinobi in this week's Nintendo downloads, and even a way to deal with Jack's overabundance of stress in Stop Stress: A Day of Fury. There's over ten titles in all, so cruise past the break for the full list.

Continued →

There's good news and bad news about Metal Slug 7 on Xbox Live Arcade. The bad news is that we're pretty sure it's not coming out. The good news is that Metal Slug XX, the upgraded, multiplayer-capable PSP remix of the DS game, is replacing it in SNK's 2010 lineup. SNK also announced XBLA ports of two of its fighting games: King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match and Neo Geo Battle Coliseum. All three will join the weird King of Fighters shooting game, The King of Fighters Sky Stage, on XBLA in spring 2010.

These games have, so far, been announced only for Japan, but we are sure SNK will release them all worldwide -- if only because it would be a waste of effort to develop an XBLA title just for the few people in Japan who would buy it.

[Thanks, sacra!]