A report from the Korean Times states that the Wii has sold a lackluster 35,000 - 40,000 units in its first month on sale, falling below the Big N's expectations. The problem apparently lies in Nintendo's strict regional coding, which doesn't allow gamers to play the much larger non-localized game offerings from outside Korea without ... um, modifications (which Nintendo frowns upon).

Don't feel too bad for the Wii. According to Korean game magazines, the Xbox 360 only sold 150,000 units during its first year, while the PS3 sold around 50,000. Meaning, despite not being the blockbuster it is in other regions, the Wii is still on the path of becoming the top selling (now-gen) console in the country.

[Via GI.biz]

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has commissioned 100 Xbox 360s adorned in the traditional Korean mother of pearl, with at least one of them going to South Korean president Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae on May 6, according to Far East Gizmos. Given the conole's tepid reception in the region (although it did just receive a price drop), we wonder if the president will be able to find any local Xbox Live friends.

Regardless, that's still one of the classier case mods we've seen, and certainly more aesthetically pleasing that the Croco-360. Let's just hope the system doesn't become one massive, red-ringed paperweight.

[Via Engadget]

Microsoft has dropped the price of its Xbox 360 in four Asian markets: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan (via Bloomberg). According to Microsoft executive Jeff Bell, price reductions in Europe caused sales of the hardware there to almost double.

Here are the price drops reported by region:

• Hong Kong: An 11 percent drop
• Singapore: A 20 percent drop to S$499 (US $366)
• South Korea: A 5.1 percent to 369,000 won (US $369)
• Taiwan: A 17 percent drop to NT$10,360 (US $340)

According to a Microsoft spokesperson in Taipei, the Hong Kong and Taiwan price drops will come today. The Singapore and South Korea price drop confirmations came from separate emails with no confirmation as to the effective date.

The official Nintendo Korea site states the country will join the chorus of global Wii worship on April 26, 2008 for 220,000 won ($225 USD). The console will launch with eight titles, including Wii Sports (not included in box), Wii Play -- one of the best selling pieces of "software" in the US -- and puzzle adventure game Zack & Wiki.

The launch happens a little over a week before Children's Day, a popular gift-giving holiday in the country. We'll have to wait and see if the Wii can pull Koreans away from their computer screens -- and Starcraft -- long enough to try out some console gaming.

[Via GoNintendo]

Last year's launch of Flagship Studios' Hellgate: London was not exactly what we'd call a family album moment, its release plagued by client crashes and enough bugs to have the Orkin man calling for backup. Still, one person's trash is another's treasure, as Bill Roper and company have announced that in the two weeks since the Korean launch of the Hellgate beta more than a million accounts have been registered. According to Flagship, this makes the MMO the most successful online game launch in Korea in the past three years.

Hellgate's beta officially kicked off in Korea on January 15, and according to Korean online game tracking service Gametrics, the game quickly found an audiences with gamers in PC Cafes, ranking ninth among online games, fifth among RPGs, and was the most popular beta being played. This was followed by a commercial release on February 22, a launch that Flagship boasts achieved "record sales," though it's a record that we're pretty sure will be broken soon enough.

Hard times have fallen on publisher Sega Sammy, who has announced the closing of a subsidiary office based in Korea, as part of a "global business optimization" in the wake of massive financial losses.

The "global business optimization" will also affect Sega Sammy in Japan, where plans for a $330m arcade in Yokohama have been canceled, after an initial $227m investment in the purchase of land. At fault is the coin-operated amusement side of the company's business, which is suffering in Japan at the hands of the home console market. At least Sega Sammy continues to hold its head up high, denying any potential for buy-out.

We've known for a while now that Nintendo was planning to bring the Wii to PC-gaming mecca South Korea some time this year, but recent word has it that the system may be hitting the country's shores sooner than later. The Korea Times is reporting that Nintendo and Activision recently registered two Wii games each with Korea's Game Rating Board. The paper speculates this move means Nintendo Korea is looking to launch by Children's Day on May 5, a popular gift-giving holiday in the country. Though there's no official announcement from Nintendo, we can't think of a better holiday to launch for a system known for kid-friendly games like Super Mario Galaxy and Resident Evil 4.

The Queen of Blades' return in StarCraft II slowly approaches -- very, very, slowly approaches. Following the release of the Zerg race trailer in Korea (naturally), a non-shaky-cam version can now be enjoyed (above). We've also posted videos of Zerg gameplay footage after the break.

IGN has a list of Zerg units and buildings currently known and Blizzard has also posted a lot information in its forums. Finally, GameVideos has footage of the Hydralisk burrowing and the Mutalisk in action. For those desperately waiting for a StarCraft II release date, more information is expected to hit later this year at BlizzCon.

The biggest news about StarCraft II so far has come to us from Korea, and today is no exception (man, we're so jealous, Koreans get all the breaks) with the introduction of the Zerg race at the Grand Intercontinetal Hotel of SamSeongDong in Seoul.

Besides the above shaky-cam trailer, Blizzplanet has harvested tons of screenshots and information for you to rabidly consume right here. There's also a long video of Zerg gameplay which you can see right after the break. So, what's the word, StarCraft die-hards? Do you approve?

[Thanks, Foetoid]

We hope this doesn't make us negative people, but we had basically written MMOFPS Huxley off after not hearing much about it for more than a year. Now though, it's made its (semi) triumphant return from the grave with a new video captured in the Korean-developed game's closed beta accompanied by a truly, almost epically excruciating techno soundtrack.

What we see so far is a pretty, frenetic shooter in the vein of a Painkiller or Unreal, that seems just a tad bit uninspired. That said, we don't know how the MMO elements are playing into it, as what we have here is straight-up action. What say you? Has your interest been piqued? Or have the last, dying embers of your desire for Huxley been fully doused?

Imitation isn't only the sincerest form of flattery, it's also the most legally actionable. At least it is to Square Enix, which recently won a plagiarism case against South Korean music video producer Fantom to the tune of 16 million won (approx. $17,400).

The case centers on the video for the song Temptation Sonata, in which live actors recreate a scene from Square Enix's animated movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. According to a judge for the Seoul Central District Court, the video "illegally used 80% of the storyline, setting, characters and their styles of dress and their demeanors," from the movie scene. We're not sure how the judge came to such an exact statistic, but who are we to argue with such an official sounding pronouncement?

A comparison of the videos (both viewable below the break) shows much more than a passing similarity between the two, and Square was definitely within its rights taking legal action. That said, we have to wonder what Square Enix felt it had to gain from a court case. Is this video really hurting the company's ability to milk insane amounts of money out off the Final Fantasy franchise? Does seeing the video makes someone less likely to buy a copy of Advent Children? What's next, a legal case against the makers of College Saga? We just hope the negative PR associated with this case is worth the massive $17,000 pay day Square Enix made off of it.

South Korean racing phenomenon Kart Rider has finally entered its public beta phase in North America, with its colorful official website allowing players to sign up and download the game client (Windows only).

For those not in the know, Kart Rider is a cel-shaded racing game heavily (and we mean heavily) inspired by Nintendo's Mario Kart series. Players purchase upgrades and cosmetic features for their characters, and go online to race and compete. The Kart Rider client is completely free, and the developers, Nexon, earn all their revenue through virtual item purchases on the official site. The revenue model must be working for them, as Kart Rider is one of the most profitable games in South Korea, directly competing with Blizzard's mega-hit Starcraft. We'll have to wait and see if the game can make the same kind of impact in the States.

What you will see above, and after the break, are allegedly official Halo 3 marketing videos in Korea. It's, um, different ... like the part where Master Chief punches a dinosaur in the head and the back of his armor falls off. After the break you'll see what happens when someone dressed like Master Chief poses motionless in a Korean mall and springs to life. That's actually more funny than weird, but totally not what we expect from Microsoft marketing.

As we all know, Korea has a very strong gaming culture, although it mostly revolves around the PC market. Console gaming isn't as popular, but maybe videos like this help? Our Korean translator has been missing since the Starcraft II announcement, so we have no idea what's going on in these videos. We can fully accept that Korean culture is very different from US culture -- this point made clear in the video after the break as the guy in the Master Chief costume is standing in the middle of a mall with a gun. We could see something like that sparking an incident on the local news here.

[Via X3F]

When Nintendo put Wii kiosks outside in the cold of a London winter , we thought it was a little nutty. When Sony put a PS2 in the lobby of the England National Symphony, we thought things couldn't get weirder. Well, those crazy foreigners are at it again. This time it's Sony Korea setting up PS2 and PSP kiosks in movie theaters and a PS3 unit in a bank.

AVING USA has pictures of the "ZAM ZONE" in Seoul's MEGABOX multiplex, which feature rows of systems set up in front of comfortable-looking stadium-seating-style chairs. The "Bank Zone," on the other hand, comprises a single PS3 and HD monitor with a leather chair in the corner of a Shinhan Bank branch in Seouls' COEX convention center.

We can see the appeal of playing a few games when you're out at the movies, but the bank? Do people really feel the urge to have a high-end gaming machine nearby when waiting to deposit checks? Are businessmen going to take time out of their busy schedules for a quick game of MotorStorm? We tend to doubt it.

[Via Insert Credit]

Sony just launched an 80GB version of PlayStation 3 in Korea. The console will also have a video on demand service in the country. The console reportedly costs 518000 won (approximately US $558).

Those interested in checking out the launch party can see a gallery at Ruliweb here. Three hours prior to launch, the crowd isn't nearly as big as the console's release in other regions, but bear in mind South Korea gamers are not too keen on consoles, showing more fondness for MMOs, Starcraft and other titles playable at internet cafes. And to be fair, the crowd does grow to a respectable size at the zero hour.

[Via PS3 Fanboy, Forums]