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Professor Layton and the Million-Selling Sequel

by JC Fletcher { Oct 30th 2009 at 1:15PM }

It would appear that Nintendo made the right decision in finally getting around to releasing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box worldwide, as the company was able to trade that box for one filled with cash money. The company released a supplement to its earnings report, listing the million-selling first-party Wii and DS games of its Q3 (April-September), and Diabolical Box made the list with 1.26 million units sold. The entirety of that 1.26 million comes from outside of Japan, since it wasn't a first-party game in Japan, and it was released in 2007.

The other new additions to the million-seller club on DS: Tomodachi Collection, the Mii communication game, and Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which mysteriously managed to rack up 10,000 overseas sales despite not having been released outside of Japan. Is Nintendo tracking import retailers differently somehow?

On Wii, Wii Sports Resort has reached 6.97 million units worldwide, and Wii Fit Plus has already sold 2.13 million, a nice complement to the 4.28 million that the first Wii Fit sold in the last quarter.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Source (PDF)

Puzzling: No plans for Wii Professor Layton

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 8th 2009 at 5:40PM }

Everything is improved with waggle. It's a fact. Scientifically proven. And yet, Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino has still seen fit to crush everyone's hopes of a waggle-infused Professor Layton. Hino told Official Nintendo Magazine that the upcoming Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel will conclude the trilogy, though it will soon be followed by the first episode of a new trilogy, entitled Professor Layton and the Flute of Malevolent Destiny. That's wonderful, and we're sure handheld puzzle enthusiasts will be thrilled, but Hino notes -- probably followed by a cruel, derisive laugh -- that there are currently "no plans for a Wii release."

Frankly, we're shocked at the revelation, as a Wii release of Professor Layton seems like the mannerly, logical thing to do. We're sure the world-famous Hershel Layton would agree.

FIFA 10 debuts with record UK sales lead, Layton maintains second

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 5th 2009 at 9:25AM }

FIFA 10 -- the Madden of Europa -- had the most successful "all formats" launch since Grand Theft Auto IV in the UK, according to Chart Track. First week sales of the footie fiesta grew by nearly 48 percent over its predecessor's opening week a year ago. This was the highest-selling launch of a FIFA game ever, with the Xbox 360 generating 48 percent of sales, PS3 46 percent, and the remaining formats making up six percent.

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (the Diabolical Box in the States) held onto the number two spot from the week prior, while Halo 3: ODST sales dropped 75 percent to the third spot, after holding last week's crown.

Source -- FIFA 10 scores BIG (Chart Track)
Source -- All formats chart (Chart Track)

Professor Layton is in Boston today ... somewhere

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 29th 2009 at 11:15AM }

It appears that Professor Layton is in Boston today, working the streets to promote his latest adventure, The Diabolical Box. Those who track down the professor will receive a "fun Nintendo gift," as well as entry into a draw for five Nintendo DSi systems. Check out the official rules for all the details.

The latest clue at 11AM EST states: "Professor Layton is wandering on a cobblestone promenade similar to the one in Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and watching a street performer." That means the professor is very likely right outside of Quincy Market. If you get a lock on Layton, holla back. Also, send us pics! The professor will hop on a flight and be in Seattle tomorrow.

WB thinks Scribblenauts will have 'Layton appeal'

by Justin McElroy { Sep 17th 2009 at 8:30AM }

Warner Bros. says it's counting on Scribblenauts to start a new puzzle franchise, getting a taste of the same success that a certain top-hatted DS puzzler has enjoyed. "What Scribblenauts offers is something akin to Nintendo's Professor Layton – an addictive and challenging game that has real mass-market appeal all wrapped up in a uniquely stylised package," said WB marketing manager Phil Lamb.

He seems to be making a logical argument until dropping this bon mot: "Many forum users are saying the game is the biggest incentive they've had to revisit their dormant DS in a long time." So ... umm ... did they not know Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box was out or what?

Professor Layton and the Decent US Sales Debut

by David Hinkle { Sep 15th 2009 at 7:43PM }

Despite being absent from the August NPD figures, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box managed to be somewhat of a success in the US. Gamasutra obtained some data from NPD that shows the game sold 65,700 copies in the month of August, which isn't all that bad considering the game went on sale August 24.

On the flip side, the figure can also be seen as a failure for Nintendo, based on how much money the company sank into the marketing machine trying to get ladies interested. Regardless, we're hoping the game fares better in September, because we'd like to actually play the other Layton games.

Joyswag: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (and a real Diabolical Box) [update]

by David Hinkle { Sep 1st 2009 at 1:15PM }

Update: The giveaway has come to a close. Keep an eye on your email to see if you won!

Now that we've finished reviewing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, it's high time we sent the game to one of you -- and that's where Joyswag comes in. If you want to get your hands on the game and an actual diabolical box, follow the directions below. Good luck!

Leave a comment telling us what you plan to store within the Diabolical Box
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 1:00PM ET on Monday, September 7
At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box on DS ($35 ARV)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Level-5's CEO on lessons learned from Professor Layton's first adventure

by Xav de Matos { Aug 29th 2009 at 5:00PM }

In Level-5's homeland of Japan, the top-hat wearing sleuth Professor Layton is well past his originally planned trilogy, but North American gamers have only recently caught up to the second game in the franchise. According to Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino, a combination of localizing the game's puzzles and images and giving each title enough room to breathe at retail are contributing factors to Layton's slow release schedule Stateside. "We want to let each title have time to perform on the market before releasing the next game," Hino told Wired.

As for the recently released sequel Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Hino estimates the game features "roughly double" the amount of data than the first. Not only is Layton's new tea-sipping adventure bigger, but it makes more sense contextually. "One lesson we learned from the first title is that some puzzles seemed irrelevant to the storyline," Hino said, noting the Professor's second outing actually works the puzzles into the game's story to give them a purpose. "For instance, you may have to solve a puzzle about a key in order to enter a locked chamber."

If Layton's adventure piques your interest, make sure to check out our review of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.

Professor Layton 4 includes unlockable Professor Layton RPG

by JC Fletcher { Aug 25th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Most American gamers have yet to get their copies of Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, and Level-5 has already released news that will make you yearn for the fourth game. At last night's LEVEL-5 VISION conference, the company announced that Professor Layton and the Devil's Flute will include a bonus game, Professor Layton and London Life.

The Brownie Brown-developed London Life is an RPG that, according to Level-5's Akihiro Hino, will last over 100 hours. It was originally announced for the ROID cell phone game service -- we have yet to learn whether it will still be released there in addition to DS. Devil's Flute will be out on November 26 in Japan.

[Image credit]

Gallery: Professor Layton and London Life (DS)

This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Real people play Professor Layton

by David Hinkle { Aug 24th 2009 at 7:45PM }

Nintendo has made a bold move with Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. Instead of having plastic or cardboard (see: fake) people promote the game, Nintendo has put it into the hands of real flesh-and-blood individuals. Will it pay off for the company to promote the game via the everyman, or should it have stuck with its usual people who have too much money to play games?

Hit the jump for this week's content on the Nintendo Channel.

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Review: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

by JC Fletcher { Aug 24th 2009 at 7:00PM }

After more than a year, Nintendo has deigned to grant the second Professor Layton game to a DS audience clamoring for gentlemanly puzzle adventure. Is Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box worth the wait? Unless, for some reason, you were expecting a dramatic reinvention of the gameplay, yes.

To be clear, this is not the Zelda II of the Professor Layton franchise. It features the same combination of woodgrained old-world feel and Osamu Tezuka-style character designs, a similarly puzzle-minded citizenry, and a storyline intriguing enough that, somehow, the player manages to be drawn into a world that ostensibly exists only as a puzzle delivery system. There was absolutely no reason to change the formula after the magical Curious Village, and developer Level-5 knew it.
The Layton series is proof that almost any activity can be grafted into a video game to make an engaging experience. These games do for brain teasers what RPGs have done for menus.

Gallery: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

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Professor Layton and the REAL Diabolical Box

by David Hinkle { Aug 11th 2009 at 2:30PM }

Click image to help us solve the mystery

Nintendo has been on a roll with its games shipments lately, as Joystiq HQ just received the package you see above containing Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and ... a real Diabolical Box. We quickly threw the small, wooden thing into a corner and made for the Professor Layton, but, in a move most cruel, Nintendo shipped us an empty game case. It was then we realized that the game was located in a wooden prison, so we were forced to solve a puzzle before we could play this game about solving puzzles.

Gallery: Nintendo's Diabolical Box

Iwata: Vitality Sensor coming 'not too late' in 2010

by JC Fletcher { Aug 10th 2009 at 3:57PM }

In the same investor Q&A in which president Satoru Iwata declared the ten-million-copy sales potential of Wii Fit Plus, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Wii Sports Resort and dismissed the idea of a price drop, Iwata also discussed the ... less than guaranteed hit, the Wii Vitality Sensor. Iwata said that Nintendo "would like to deliver the actual product not too late in the year next year."

As for software, the first game will have a "theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives," but he casually mentioned the idea of "measuring how horrified a player is in a horror title" as an example of the application of the thing.

One other interesting point: Iwata explained why Professor Layton's European box art is so ugly: it was designed to look more like a Brain Age title in an effort to appeal to new, Brain Age-only gamers. Whatever Nintendo did, it worked!

Professor Layton's Twitter account: solved!

by JC Fletcher { Jul 24th 2009 at 4:00AM }

If you have kids who still believe in Professor Layton, and you want them to continue to behave themselves all year so he will bring them puzzles, make sure they don't see this post. In fact, just escort the kids out of the room.

Professor Layton isn't real. Specifically, the Professor Layton who Tweets riddles and puzzles as @TopHatProfessor. For weeks, he posted totally in character, offering riddles like the ones in the DS games and interacting with other Twitter accounts representing Luke and other Professor Layton series characters.

The account was the work of Roger DiLuigi, a college student and game journalist who just wanted to promote Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, which Nintendo revealed at E3 with minimal fanfare. Crispy Gamer interviewed the man behind the hat about the phenomenon, which now includes a sort of ARG message board. "I figured that if Nintendo wasn't going to make the U.S. release of the second game known," DiLuigi said, "I was going to take matters into my own hands."

Dear Nintendo and Level-5: We've decided to jump into the freebie Layton promotion game, and we've got another puzzle just for you. Unscramble this sentence: "For God's sake, please release the Professor Layton movie in North America." This one's worth one Picarat.

Come, adore Professor Layton & the Eternal Diva trailer

by Justin McElroy { Jul 21st 2009 at 9:00PM }

Despite what Professor Layton would have you believe, every puzzle does not, necessarily, have an answer. For instance, if we were to ask you how much we want to watch the Professor Layton movie advertised by the trailer after the break, and you would attempt to answer with any of the many English words you have learned since birth, you would fall short of capturing our enthusiasm.

No, we would have to invent an entirely new word for our adoration, say ... blujargin, or krunksable, and that would hardly be fair to the guesser, would it?

[Via Siliconera]

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