Joystiq

Konami pre-E3 show gives the scoop on MGS5, Castlevania on June 6

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:15:00 EST

Konami's third annual pre-E3 show is penciled in for June 6 at 1 p.m. ET, streaming live online via Konami's events site, on Gamespot and via the Xbox Live Gamespot app. For the second year in a row, Konami will show off a new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which was announced during last year's pre-E3 briefing.

Konami also plans to show off some behind-the-scenes footage of the next Pro Evolution Soccer game, and will have "new announcements" from Kojima Productions. Kojima recently made a splash with the Joakim Mogren marketing campaign for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Surely nothing will be able to compete with that.

Continue reading Konami pre-E3 show gives the scoop on MGS5, Castlevania on June 6

Konami pre-E3 show gives the scoop on MGS5, Castlevania on June 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon's Sunday Lightning Deals offering more Halo 4

Mike Suszek — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:30:00 EST

For those that missed out on yesterday's Halo 4 Lightning Deal, you have another shot at getting a $20 Amazon gift card and $10 in Instant Watch credit with the game today. Unfortunately, a few of the earlier deals for today have already been claimed, but if you rush to your computer with your credit card in hand, you might be able to score The World Ends With You ($14.99) and Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 ($19.99) before the deals run out.

Punch your way past the break to check out the full schedule of today's Lightning Deals, courtesy of Thrifty Nerd.

Continue reading Amazon's Sunday Lightning Deals offering more Halo 4

Amazon's Sunday Lightning Deals offering more Halo 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 review: Total control

Mike Suszek — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:30:00 EST

The Pro Evolution Soccer series has been playing catch-up to EA Sports' FIFA games in this console generation. While the series has its bright spots that undoubtedly challenge the safer gameplay approach of FIFA, the Pro Evo series has lacked that "homerun" feature (pardon the baseball pun). Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 doesn't alter that course, but it brings forth some noteworthy updates that make it a viable means of getting your soccer fix.

Of those updates, a group of gameplay changes that Konami is labeling "Pro Evolution Soccer Full Control" stands out. Included in this cluster of improvements is dynamic first touch, which focuses on moments when players anticipate a pass coming their way. This year, players can now trap or immediately flick the ball in the air to change its trajectory and set up for successive moves during first contact with the ball.

Gallery: Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (Gamecom 2012)

Continue reading Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 review: Total control

Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 review: Total control originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another PES 2013 demo, available next week on XBLM and PSN

Sinan Kubba — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST

Konami will release a second demo of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 next week, crashing into the nets of Xbox Live on August 28 and PlayStation Network on August 29. Yes, a second demo within a month of the first one. It may seem a bit crazy to release two demos, let alone so close together, but Konami did the exact same thing last year.

PES Productions have been hard at work tweaking the game since the first demo, presumably based on feedback. The second demo will offer a more equal balance between attack and defence, improved control for manual passes, and a number of other refinements - including improved refereeing. If only they could do that with the actual sport.

The game is scheduled to release around late September on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and then later on in the year for PSP, 3DS, Wii, and PS2.

Continue reading Another PES 2013 demo, available next week on XBLM and PSN

Another PES 2013 demo, available next week on XBLM and PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami confirms 3DS lineup for Europe

JC Fletcher — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Konami has announced four titles for the 3DS in Europe, including Pro Evolution Soccer, Frogger, Contra, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Of those, we've seen screens or video of precisely one, Snake Eater, with the others first revealed as in development during E3.

The non-Metal Gear games haven't been shown, although it's worthwhile to know that a) they're still in development, and b) Konami already plans to release them in Europe. Plus, it doesn't take a huge leap of intuition to figure out what kind of games Contra, Pro Evolution Soccer, and Frogger will be.

Continue reading Konami confirms 3DS lineup for Europe

Konami confirms 3DS lineup for Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIFA fights off Pro Evo on UK charts; Castlevania, Enslaved debut in top 10

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

FIFA 11 spent a second week atop the UK all formats chart this week, holding off Pro Evolution Soccer 2011's premiere in second, despite a 63 percent drop in sales. Chart-Track states that FIFA 11's launch last week was 10 times that of Konami's footie franchise and that this is the first time Pro Evo hasn't debuted in the top spot since the original game kicked off in 2001. Dead Rising 2 shambles along, rounding out the top three.

With competition so brutal during this time, it's good to see that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and Enslaved debuted at the sixth and seventh spots, respectively. Hopefully both of these quality games can hang onto a spot in the top ten for more than a couple weeks.

As much as we wish the best for those games, we're not expecting either title to be stamina-infused like Just Dance, which moved up three spots this week to ninth place, and has a sequel coming out next week. Place your bets now if Just Dance 2 will glide across the UK charts to best FIFA 11. Check out the UK's top ten after the break.

Continue reading FIFA fights off Pro Evo on UK charts; Castlevania, Enslaved debut in top 10

FIFA fights off Pro Evo on UK charts; Castlevania, Enslaved debut in top 10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami 'aggressively' looking into motion control for PES series

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Shingo Takatsuka, the progenitor of the long-running Pro Evolution Soccer series, recently had a few choice words to share with IGN on the subject of incorporating motion control into the franchise. Though the producer of that other soccer game has stated his indifference to motion control schemes, Takatsuka explained Konami is highly intrigued by Project Natal and the heretofore "officially" unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller -- intrigued to the extent that he's "looking at integrating those devices into our games very aggressively."

As we all know, soccer is the most fatiguing activity any human can participate in, so we expect that a Natal-ized version of PES would be appropriately taxing. However, given the sport's limited employment of hands, we'd be curious to see how Sony's motion-sensing peripheral would be utilized. There are few pieces of gaming hardware we'd outright refuse to give a fair shot, but shoe adapters might just be beyond our capacity for humiliation.

Konami 'aggressively' looking into motion control for PES series originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pro Evo Soccer 2010 demo scores on Xbox Live

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:45:00 EST

Attention, footie fans, Major Nelson has news from on high. That news is this: A demo for Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. We don't know much about the demo, other than the fact that it features multiplayer as well as "incredibly detailed visuals and refined controls and skills." We also know it will eat up one whole gigabyte of your hard drive. Finally, and this is just a guess, the demo probably allows you to kick balls. Hard. Download and enjoy.

Add the PES 2010 demo to your 360 download queue

Pro Evo Soccer 2010 demo scores on Xbox Live originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami posts record sales for previous fiscal year

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:00 EST

Never, ever doubt the interminable power of a long-running football franchise or the appeal of mustachioed super spies. Konami just posted its sales figures for this past fiscal year (ending March 31, 2009), and it certainly seems it'll have an achievement worthy of hanging on mom's fridge. The company's total sales for the year reached a record sum of 309,771 million yen (or $3.25 billion, £2.15 billion), a year-over-year increase of 4.2 percent.

Konami's net income actually fell 40.7 percent from last year, though its Digital Entertainment division (you know, the one that makes games) actually did quite well on its own -- it's operating revenue increased 123.4 percent for a total of 3,447 million yen last year. Allow us to convert that for you: It's a freaking ton of $s and £s.

Konami posts record sales for previous fiscal year originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami game revenue up in Q3

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Whipping up some numbers to report, Konami announced that its net income for the games division during the first three quarters of the fiscal year reached ¥13.3 billion ($148.3 million). The figure represents a 5% increase from the same time last year; however, for its full fiscal year, the company estimates to bring in ¥18 billion ($200M), a slight decrease from last year's ¥18.5 billion ($206.3M).

The financial fortunes in the division were driven by (gasp!) Metal Gear Solid 4 and the Pro Evolution Soccer series. With all the negative news coming out of other publishers, Konami's ability to weather the current global financial crisis is about as good as it gets.

[Image]

Konami game revenue up in Q3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 scores with fresh media, screens, trailer

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:13:00 EST

Filed under: News, Video, Screens

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 makes its western debut next week on most consoles, but Wii owners will have to wait a little longer -- like last year, the Wii iteration of PES 2009 will be released next spring.

Better news: it'll be keeping the same point-and-drag system that proved such a hit, and adding a few frills. There'll be a "new defensive system" in place (or: holding "Z" now sends your nearest player towards the man in possession), a fully licensed UEFA Champions League tournament, and a co-op mode which supports the Classic Controller. Even betterer news: it's PES. If you care one iota about soccer, you should care about PES.

Hit up the gallery for the first Wii screens, including shots of cover star Lionel Messi, "savior" of U.S. soccer David Beckham, and lots of screens of Manchester United, a.k.a. the Greatest Soccer Team in the Woooorld.

[Via press release]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 scores with fresh media, screens, trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PES 2009 demo now available on the XBLM

Dustin Burg — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace

Available for download off the Xbox Live Marketplace is a brand new PES 2009 demo from the developing crew over at Konami. The download, which clocks in at around 1.2GB, features four player online co-op and a handful of teams. Just as expected. So, now that you know your demo downloading mission, we think it's time to get a start. 1.2GB doesn't download itself.

PES 2009 demo now available on the XBLM originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PES 2009 demo hits Europe this week

Majed Athab — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: PlayStation Store

Not too long ago we got our foots-on with Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, and if you've read that, you're probably in need of some PES 09 yourself. So much so that the lack of digitized turf could turn otherwise normal citizens into the violent, angry, we're-going-to-tear-up-the-stadium type of football fanatics we see on the TV. Gallantly, Konami saves us from a riot by giving the football hooligans their prince's ransom. Expect a demo out this Thursday along with the weekly PS Store update in Europe.

PES 2009 demo hits Europe this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

Majed Athab — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hands-on

If you've come to love ~~soccer~~ football not only as a sport but as a videogame, then chances are you've played the Pro Evolution series. The series has been known to always get the footy crowd going; this leaves the latest entry -- Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 -- with some mighty spikes to fill. Not one to shy away from a challenge, we hit the latest build of PES 2009 this past Tuesday and we quite enjoyed our friendly match.

Getting right into the footy action, we chose which countries were going to duke it out and then proceeded to pick our sides. Interestingly, PES 2009 makes good use of the PS3's maximum number of controller ports -- which is seven. That means seven people can play a match offline at the same time. Moving onto the gameplay, in general, it's solid as usual. The ball doesn't gravitate to a player's feet and contains some of the most realistic physics for ball movement. Speaking of physics, player motions are some of the best to be seen in the series. They're incredibly lifelike, making such visuals as dribbling fun to watch (and fun to control); bone-cracking tackles can look pretty sick both in a good (realistic) and a bad (makes you pity the player) way.

Continue reading PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009

PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami scores UEFA assets for Pro Evolution Soccer franchise

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sports

Electronic Arts has had the NFL completely monopolized since 2005, giving them exclusive rights to official league teams and players for their Madden franchise -- but did you also know that they've also traditionally had assets for most professional European soccer leagues tied up as well? (You did? Well aren't you awesome.) However, Konami recently released some details concerning the next installment in their Pro Evolution Soccer franchise -- chief among these being their new licensing deals with the UEFA, as well as the Manchester United and Liverpool football clubs.

Assets from the UEFA as well as the two clubs will be included in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. It's quite a coup for Konami, whose sales figures for PES titles have traditionally paled in comparison to those of EA's FIFA series. We anticipate EA's retaliation -- we hear they're in talks with various athletic leagues to purchase the exclusive rights for sports.

Konami scores UEFA assets for Pro Evolution Soccer franchise originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another lengthy wait for next Pro Evolution Soccer

Chris Greenhough — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:49:00 EST

Filed under: News

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the Wii was released some five months after other versions enjoyed their worldwide debut, and that won't be changing for the 2009 update. While the Xbox 360, and PlayStation editions will launch this fall in Europe, "Spring 2009" is officially the launch window for the Wii game, making it that rarest of things: a sports title with the correct year on the front of the box. It'll also be fronted by Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi (above).

Even a five-month wait is worth the hassle, for PES 2008 on the Wii turned out to be an admirable and unique soccer experience all of its own, and the good news is that Konami will be keeping the same system for the 2009 game -- we're off to fight rival supporters and perhaps smash up a café to celebrate.

[Via press release]

Another lengthy wait for next Pro Evolution Soccer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii scores a Pro Evolution Soccer follow-up

Chris Greenhough — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Against all of our expectations, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the Wii was a brilliant reinvention of an already brilliant series, so here's some brilliant news: we'll be getting a 2009 edition. Konami has the Wii version listed on its own site for a "Winter 2008" launch (as World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009, the Japanese name), which should come as a relief to those who caught an earlier press release that didn't mention the Wii at all.

Indeed, the news brought about an impromptu Mexican wave amongst the Wii Fanboy staff. Or it would have done, if we didn't all work in different rooms in different countries.

[Via Go Nintendo]

Wii scores a Pro Evolution Soccer follow-up originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami announces Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 coming to Europe this Autumn

Jem Alexander — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots

Click for high resolution image.

Afraid you might not be able to play some virtual football before the end of the year? Put those fears aside as Konami has just announced that Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 will be released in Europe this Autumn. Not only that, but this game will be better than ever. There will be a large number of "new additions which will further bridge the gap between PES and the real thing."

The press release is quite vague on any details, but does mention improved graphics, new customisation options and expanded moves and online functionality. We know what you really want to see -- screenshots. Click the image above to be taken to our gallery of new Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 images and check out those updated graphics for yourself.

Konami announces Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 coming to Europe this Autumn originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PES 2009 corners into Europe this Autumn

Xav de Matos — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

As some of us pour one out for our fallen countrymen of Portugal, Croatia, Netherlands and Italy, we take solace in the fact that digital ~~soccer~~ football will return to Europe this Autumn. Konami today announced that its popular football franchise, Pro Evolution Soccer, will release its 2009 edition later this year for European consumers. Known for its realism and hardcore gamplay, PES 2009 attempts to capture videophiles with a newly revamped graphics engine and standard pitch-perfect (see what we did there?) animation. While PES 2008 was riddled with wacky bugs, the 2009 season promises to bring the series back to its roots of being the football game to beat. No release dates for other regions have been determined. If it's half as good as they claim it to be, all we can say is hurry!

Gallery: PES 2009

PES 2009 corners into Europe this Autumn originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami kicks off Japanese rental program with Pro Evolution Soccer

Candace Savino — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Being able to rent games is something that most of us take for granted -- in Japan, it doesn't happen because of publisher blackballing. Konami has decided to give the whole rental thing a try, though, starting with the popular soccer game, Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 (aka Pro Evolution Soccer 2008).

Even so, Japanese gamers won't be able to test out the title in full. Instead, trial versions of the Wii game will be offered for free at Tsutaya stores. It's kind of like downloading a demo, only you have to go and pick it up instead.

We're interested to see if this has any impact on Japan's gaming industry, and if Konami will expand their "rental" service in the future.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

[Via Game|Life]

Konami kicks off Japanese rental program with Pro Evolution Soccer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Grand Theft Auto IV continues to show up the competition across Europe this week, with either the PS3 or Xbox 360 edition claiming top spot everywhere. Wii pair Wii Fit and Game Night favorite Mario Kart Wii are close behind in most places (because we're optimists, we're now going to consider third as the new first), though yours truly would love to know where anybody is finding Mario Kart in the UK -- I hit the high street to find a copy for a friend a few days back, with zero success.

Further down the charts, Boom Blox made (what could almost be described as) an impact in its second week on sale, soaring from outside the Top 40 to 19th in the UK, while Super Mario Galaxy and Guitar Hero III rejoined the top ten in Holland and Sweden respectively. No Irish charts this week, we're afraid, but here's a hunch we had: Grand Theft Auto IV probably sold a lot.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 May 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii continue to fly the flag for the Wii in Europe, with the former appearing in every European top ten this week. Mario & Sonic also put in a characteristically strong performance, while Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (ninth in the UK) and Mario Party 8 (tenth in Holland) seem to be enjoying a second burst of shelf life after their release last year.

But heck, you can tell all that simply by inspecting the charts after the post break. What you probably won't remember is that Boom Blox launched in Europe this week, yet never threatened any of Europe's top tens/twenties/forties; looks like this Spielbergian gem has been given the same frosty reception by consumers that it experienced in the U.S. Weaksauce (as my American colleagues might say)! It's sadly ironic, really -- EA's best game for donkey's years, and it's not even charted.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Wii Fit is selling like gangbusters in Britain, where it accounts for half of all Wii software sold in the last week, and has given Nintendo its first one-two finish in the All Formats Chart since 2003. And guess what? It's more or less the same story throughout the rest of Europe.

The Irish are shedding the Guinness pounds, the Germans are working off those brätwurst, and Sweden ... well, we don't really have a lazy, go-to food stereotype for the Swedes. Anyhow, the point is: they're all loving it, and if Wii Fit doesn't appear in a chart (see: Spain, Denmark), it's probably because a country hasn't got it yet, or the charts have fallen behind.

Mind you, don't expect any of this Nintendo dominance to last: next week's charts are guaranteed to be all about one game (yet we suspect Wii Fit might give you have better legs than GTA IV in the long-term). Lean past the break for this week's European charts.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of Wii lovers.

While yours truly had trouble tracking down a copy of Mario Kart Wii on the high street (for our review), it appears plenty of others around Europe had no such problem.

Bar Denmark (where it has now dropped to fifth), the title sits at the top of every European chart, and we suspect it might even be influencing the sales of other games. Surely the rise of Mario Kart DS to 8th in Ireland, 8th in France, and 7th in Germany can't all be a mere coincidence? By our reckoning, Mario Kart Wii has ramped up Europe's interest in Mario Kart generally. Fortunately, Mario Kart DS is the bee's knees!

Finally, this week's overachiever award goes to Sega Superstars Tennis -- despite the Wii version's lack of online play, Sega's tennis/blue skies extravaganza climbed to fourth in the UK. Head beyond the break for more European chartage, and please accept our humble apologies for the lack of a Spanish top ten -- that should be back next week.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of Wii lovers.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue dominates Europe this week, and only plucky little Sweden (where the game lies second) prevented it from being top dog in every single European chart.

In many cases, however, it's being hotly pursued by Wii software. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is still holding its own (rising to 3rd in the UK, 4th in Ireland, and keeping fifth place in Spain), Mario & Sonic continues to grip to the higher positions like a particularly stubborn limpet, Germany is the usual Nintendo lovefest, and Sweden finally has a Wii game that isn't Guitar Hero III in its top ten. It's a good one, as well.

As far as new games go, there's just the one, with Dancing Stage Hottest Party strutting its stuff and grabbing its crotch at 7th in the Dutch charts. Finally, Game Party and Carnival: Funfair Games continue to plummet down the UK charts. Muahahaha.

Next week: some racing game.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Europe

Chris Greenhough — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Featuring charts from across the region, Another Week in Europe documents the buying habits and quirky tastes of a whole continent of Wii lovers.

Unlike reigning full beard freestyle world champion Elmar Weisser of Germany (who we admire fiercely), we have mixed feelings about this week's European sales charts.

For example, while we're heartened by the success of debutant Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (5th in the UK, and the Wii edition supplemented sales of other versions across Europe -- not bad for a game that appeared on every other console last October), we're irked by the flat performance of House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (15th in Britain, and nowhere to be seen in the charts of mainland Europe).

Europe, if you're reading, stop buying Game Party (7th in UK), Smarty Pants (10th in Spain), and Mario & bleeding Sonic (high everywhere) and let's get something half-decent up there for a change. Sega Bass Fishing should make next week's chart, so that'd be a good place to start -- let's have that top ten somewhere, please. Sigh. At least Elmar will never fail to impress us. Click on for the charts.

Continue reading Another Week in Europe

Another Week in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free online PES magazine is a good way to kill some time

Candace Savino — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

Do you eat, sleep, and breathe Pro Evolution Soccer 2008? Well then, not only do you have an amazing digestive system, but also you'd probably be interested to know that Konami wants to further feed your addiction.

Why else would the company team up with GamerZines to make an online magazine completely dedicated to PES Wii? Oh right, promotional reasons. At its core, this mag is just an attempt to hype up people for PES 2008. Even so, if you're a fan of the game or are thinking about buying it, you might find a few interesting things in this free zine.

Aside from pictures of happy people who are supposedly playing the game, the magazine offers gameplay videos, as well as an interview with PES 2008's Wii producer, Akiyoshi "Greyhound" Chosogabe. There's also an entertaining little game-like quiz/competition where you have to identify five soccer players (which this blogger failed at miserably).

All in all, there's not that much to it, but current and potential PES lovers might find reading it to be a nice distraction.

Gallery: Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

[Thanks, Dave]

Free online PES magazine is a good way to kill some time originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: Hey, batter batter batter, swing, batter

Candace Savino — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wii Warm Up

One of the best uses of the Wii's motion controls, in our opinion, is for sports games -- which is probably why Nintendo bundled a game full of sports demos with the console. Take the Wii version of ~~Winning Eleven~~ Pro Evolution Soccer, for example, which was hailed by critics as bringing new life to the series.

What do you think, though? Do motion controls add an extra layer of immersion to sports titles? Or, do you prefer to play your sports games without waggle?

Wii Warm Up: Hey, batter batter batter, swing, batter originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16

Candace Savino — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Japanophiles and sales chart nerds, it's that time of week again to take a look at last week's sales in the Land of the Rising Sun. Those of you who've been keeping up won't find much excitement in this week's chart, though. All the same software from the week before showed up, but it might not be long before Family Ski and Winning Eleven fall out of the top thirty.

It was also nice to see Metroid Prime 3: Corruption stick around, as the Nintendo FPS nabbed the number eleven spot for this week. Other than that, the only noticeable difference is that Smash Bros. dropped to fourth. What's interesting is that Brawl is no longer the best selling Wii game, either, as Wii Fit reclaimed that honor. We also learned that you can't keep the big three (Wii Fit, Wii Sports, and Wii Play) out of the top ten for long.

In hardware sales, the Wii fell a smidge behind the PSP, and did only slightly better than the DS.

Hardware:

PSP: 57,651
Wii: 55,845
Nintendo DS: 53,266
PlayStation 3: 14,934
PlayStation 2: 9,930
Xbox 360: 1,744

To see the software numbers and rankings for last week, make sure to click past the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Metareview

Thanks to its point-and-pass mechanics and Mii integration, the Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 can safely be described as the biggest upheaval of the series in years. But have such sweeping changes to one of the most finely balanced franchises in gaming been for the better? Well, the critics certainly seem to think so ...

Official Nintendo Magazine UK -- 90%: First out of the tunnel with its views is the UK edition of Official Nintendo Magazine, which suggests that persevering with the new Wii controls will pay dividends: "Easily the best football game on a Nintendo system. It takes a while to get used to the new controls but once you get your head round them, they become second nature." [March 2008, p.58 -- excerpt found at Metacritic]

IGN -- 86%: IGN's Matt Bozon argues that the Wii controls play a crucial role in creating the "most strategic" soccer experience ever: "The integration of IR into a sports game has been extremely minimal so far, but is absolutely ideal in this situation, allowing players to not only play the ball specifically, but direct traffic and precisely move every player on the field in tandem, making for the most realistic, strategic, and intuitive soccer experiences we've ever seen."

1UP -- 75%: And it's more of the same from 1UP's Andrew Pfister, who expresses surprise that the Wii version is so superior to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions: "It's always refreshing to see a unique application of the Wii's motion controls, and it's even more encouraging to see a new idea that's not only functional, but something that really can't be done any other way. We're not sure what's going on over at Konami's PES team: on one hand, there seem to be some major issues in regards to PS3/360 development, yet the less-technically apt Wii version ends up being the game to move the franchise forward."

Metareview: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9

Candace Savino — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

To most of us, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is old news. The U.S. has had it since last summer, and even Europe has been enjoying the game for a few months now. It only debuted in Japan last week, though, and we were happily surprised to see it make the top five. It only sold 32,000 copies in its first week, but that's still not too shabby for a Metroid game in Japan. Hopefully, the game will have some legs and not plunge off the charts after its first week, like many other first-person shooters tend to do.

As for other software, the Wii didn't have too many games in the top thirty -- only eight, in fact -- yet it was still the second most represented gaming system on the charts. With the exception of the aforementioned Metroid and Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV, all the Wiis top games have consistently stuck around for (at least) a few weeks.

In other news, Smash Bros. once again failed to take the first place spot. The game beat out last week's chart champ, the new Gundam for the PS2, but fell behind the newly released Yakuza 3.

In hardware, the Wii claimed the top spot once again as Japan is clearly so over the Mint Green PSP (that was so five minutes ago). You can check out the hardware and software numbers for last week in Japan after the break -- we recommend that you do so.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2

Candace Savino — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

People interested in Japanese game sales probably have one question on their minds: Did Super Smash Bros. Brawl hold onto the top spot last week?

Well, the answer is, no. The new Gundam game for the PS2 managed to end Brawl's reign, and end it convincingly. In fact, Smash barely stayed in second, with Wii Fit being right up the fighter's grill.

The Wii itself also lost the top spot last week, overtaken by the PSP in hardware for the first time since Brawl's release. Aside from those major changes, though, everything looks to be what we'd expect, with Winning Eleven and Family Ski continuing to champion the cause for third parties.

Go on and take a look at the numbers after the break ... or else.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24

Candace Savino — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Another Week in ...

Super Smash Bros. Brawl hung onto the top spot last week, but not by much. For the first time, the king of Nintendo fighters was actually close to the game behind it, with a lead of less than 10,000 units. Considering that Brawl has dominated for a month and is already over the million mark, though, we're not surprised to see a little less dominance from the title.

A lot of new software was released last week, which finally caused Super Mario Galaxy to fall out of the top thirty. Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 was the Wii's new game, debuting at the number six spot. Family Ski also managed to jump up five spots, despite the plethora of new titles.

On the hardware side, the Wii continues to reign in first place. The PSP and DS aren't too far behind, but the Wii is outselling the PS3 4:1 with the help of Brawl.

You can check out the listings and sales numbers -- they're posted after the break.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winning Eleven changes its name

Candace Savino — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

Those of us in the U.S. call Konami's soccer series Winning Eleven rather than Pro Evolution Soccer. Winning Eleven will soon be no more, however, as the title for the new U.S. game will officially be Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, like its European counterpart.

As IGN points out, this is unfortunate timing. Had the newest game kept its Winning Eleven name, it's title would have been Winning Eleven 11. Only Japan will have that glory now.

We at Nintendo Wii Fanboy tend to prefer Winning Eleven to Pro Evolution Soccer, but at the end of the day, what's in a name? At least this change might serve to cut down on some confusion.

Winning Eleven changes its name originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winning Eleven? Nope, it's Pro Evolution Soccer

Dustin Burg — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Forever, there has been a divide between the Winning Eleven and the Pro Evolution Soccer fanboys of the world. A divide that had North American gamers playing Winning Eleven while their European friends played Pro Evolution Soccer. Funny thing is, they're the same game.

But that naming confusion has been put to rest and will be no more as Konami just made it official that Pro Evolution Soccer will no longer be referred to as Winning Eleven in North America and, from hence forth, will be universally titled Pro Evolution Soccer worldwide (sans Japan). That means, North American gamers will never have a chance to experience Winning Eleven 11 (hehe, eleven), but will unite with their European brothers in playing Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. Rejoice and be glad.

Winning Eleven? Nope, it's Pro Evolution Soccer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PES 2008 gets a patch for SDTV users

Nick Doerr — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game Patches, News

Konami's generally beloved Pro Evolution Soccer series has had a number of snafus on the PS3 with its 2008 title. We've already gotten one gameplay patch, but Konami has unleashed a second patch for all those experiencing gameplay troubles on your standard definition televisions. But really, if you have an SDTV, why'd you get the PS3 version of the game? This patch halts any picture stuttering you would experience on a standard definition TV -- but you've got bigger issues! Go get an HDTV and the problem will go away, too. It's just a much, much more expensive fix.

PES 2008 gets a patch for SDTV users originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fresh Winning Eleven info emerges from the tunnel

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

As we have previously discussed, the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be a very different game from the version that appeared on other consoles (and we're not just referring to the Wii-specific logo above). Is that a good or bad thing? We'll know soon enough, because Konami has announced that the game will be out in March.

Scouring today's press release, we also learned about a random bunch of other features that are exclusive to the Wii edition. These include the ability to fashion a squad of 16 pre-defined Miis, a "Champions Road" mode that sees you building a team from the opponents you defeat (similar to the "Gacha-get" mode in the DS version), and the way in which sliding tackles can be executed and 'keepers brought out with a shake of the Nunchuk.

Oh, and it will have full online play, but if the online support is anything like other versions of the game, expect it to be absolutely lagtastic.

[Via press release]

Fresh Winning Eleven info emerges from the tunnel originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Winning Eleven footage shows off Wii controls

Chris Greenhough — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video

To those of us reared on playing Winning Eleven games with d-pads and/or analog sticks, the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has the potential to be a slightly unsettling experience. As the video above shows, pointing your cursor to pass actually looks very natural and fluid, but we're also hoping this doesn't make Winning Eleven on the Wii too simplistic. The series has long been defined by the subtlety of its gameplay, and while greater immediacy would potentially draw in new fans, learning how to master each new game in the series is one of its biggest attractions.

We're remaining positive though, if only because series creator Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka has repeatedly demonstrated that he knows more than most people about producing superb soccer games. Here's hoping he nails this one.

New Winning Eleven footage shows off Wii controls originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Promotional Consideration: Dual screen theatre

Eric Caoili — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Promotional Consideration

Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.

The following DS Lite ads were taken from a series of Nintendo-sponsored station identification pieces (idents) aired over a year ago on Channel 4. For those of you unfamiliar with idents, they're short spots, often themed, stuck in between television shows to help "brand" the channel. In the case of this set, the UK public-service TV station bookended its comedy programs with Japanese theatre-styled advertisements for the DS's features and games.

They're some of the most creative commercials we've seen for the handheld, so don't skip this post!

Continue reading Promotional Consideration: Dual screen theatre

Promotional Consideration: Dual screen theatre originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PES 2008 features serious lag on PS3

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: PlayStation Network

"Konami Digital Entertainment has uncovered issues which can affect the online gameplay quality of PES 2008 on PLAYSTATION 3. We are working at full strength to find a solution as quickly as possible. We sincerely apologise for this inconvenience. Further announcements will be made as soon as we have additional details."

The PS3 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has been giving a lot of soccer fans some serious distress. The online mode of PES is seemingly broken, according to various reports to Pro-G. "PS3 PES 2008 is practically unplayable online, with the ball pinging about uncontrollably and players randomly disappearing and reappearing." It notes that the PS3 version also suffers from a poor framerate, something not found in the Xbox 360 version.

Certainly, Konami is trying to fix these problems. However, it's disappointing to see yet another game get such poor treatment on Sony's machine.

PES 2008 features serious lag on PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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