Nintendo has released an image of its new Wii controller, dubbed Classic Pro.
The image above, released onto Nintendo's own website, shows what essentially looks like a bulky classic controller with additional prongs, together resembling the GameCube controller layout or even Microsoft's own Controller S.
In late 2006, Sega created some positive buzz when it said it would be publishing an RPG that married the Aliens movie franchise with Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2 developer Obsidian Entertainment.
But after recent rumored layoffs at Obsidian, and Sega's cryptic proclamation earlier this month that it has "strategically updated the release of the other upcoming Aliens titles currently in development," the publisher effectively threw a wet blanket on Aliens RPG expectations.
Acclaim's David Perry says there's a new PSP in the works, one that ditches the UMD drive.
A somewhat unlikely source for such a rumor, Perry is chief creative officer for Acclaim, which focuses on free-to-play online PC games. But, he told Kotaku, he has insider knowledge. "I spoke to a developer who is working on [a UMD-less PSP] right now. I know this developer is already working on it, so that means they have a prototype. That would sound like a fall release to me."
Facebook game developer Playfish only launched its first game, Who Has The Biggest Brain?, just before Christmas 2007. But it has already generated 43m users across its six Flash-based casual games, with 21m playing within the last month.
Another Wii exercise game is entering the fray via a partnership between French publisher Ubisoft and Gold's Gym.
Gold's Gym: Cardio Workout is a Wii-exclusive workout game that is slated for release on March 31 in North America. It's licensed by Rocket Co., and is the first Gold's Gym-branded videogame.
"It is a natural extension of our brand and is in line with our mission to get more people around the world excited about exercise and fitness," said Lisa Zoellner, chief marketing officer of Gold's Gym International.
Sega of America and Sega Europe have partnered with Madrid-based developer Pyro Studios, the maker of 1998's Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, to develop a licensed game based on the upcoming Sony Pictures animated film Planet 51.
The release, a mission-based driving game, is set to appear on Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 and DS this winter. The movie debuts November 20.
Robert Ferrari has done orcs, wizards and barbarians. Now he's tackling a new challenge: Hello Kitty.
Ferrari, former VP of business development at Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine, is now VP of publishing and business development for Sanrio Digital, where he will assemble a U.S. team and forge partnerships for Hello Kitty Online and "other initiatives in virtual worlds, gaming and social networks on PC, console and handheld platforms," according to a statement.
The beta for id Software's free web-based Quake Live has opened to the public, but gamers can expect a very long wait to get their hands on the shooter.
In 2008, the UK games market managed to overtake Japan for the first time in history.
While retailers in the UK were no doubt overjoyed with the blossoming British market, in Japan there is a growing belief that the nation is losing its relevance in the global games market.
House of the Dead: Overkill
Sega
Headstrong Games
Wii
US Release: Out Now
UK Release: Out Now
Screenshot Gallery
Square Enix has elaborated on its interest in Britsoft publisher Eidos, citing key franchises and major development studios.
In the publisher's fiscal report, the Japanese giant cites four series under its title of “Major Franchises”: Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Kane and Lynch as well as Hitman.
Japanese giant Square Enix has revealed that its poor financial forecasts for the remainder of the fiscal year are largely due to falling expectations in operating income from its Offline Games and Amusements divisions.
Operating income via offline games had been projected to hit ¥7.5 billion by the end of the four financial quarters.
Time Warner, a key Eidos stakeholder, has backed the recent acquisition bid from Japanese giant Square Enix.
Last week it was discovered that Square Enix had recently closed in on the struggling UK publisher and launched a generous takeover offer at 32p/share. That acquisition now has the backing of Time Warner and its 20 percent slice of the company.
By the time you read this column, 2008 will be receding into memory.
Nevertheless, I wanted to cap off a remarkable year in gaming with a closer look at the co-op zombie apocalypse shooter Left 4 Dead. Valve’s attention to detail and high levels of polish are well known, but after weeks of entertainment, I was still trying to tease apart on a fundamental level ‘How’d they do that?’ How did Valve take two tastes that taste great – survival horror and co-op – and make them taste great together? Here’s what I came up with.
Members of the defunct outfit Ensemble have reunited to form a new development studio, known as Robot Entertainment.
All copies of Street Fighter IV have sold out in Japan on the game's first day of launch.
Halo Wars
Microsoft Game Studios
Ensemble Studios
Xbox 360
US Release Date: Mar 3
UK Release Date: Feb 27
Screenshot Gallery
Here I am at the premiere art and music venue in the hippest district of one of the most creatively vibrant cities on the globe, and I’m playing videogames. I’m not alone, as the club is crowded and raucous with badge-wearing students, local artists, curiosity seekers, movers, shakers and, of course, videogame developers of every flavour.
This is GAMMA. We’ve packed into a dim concrete space hung with glaring projector screens, on which the world’s newest games are being played.
Like a drunken phone call to an ex, blind enthusiasm does not always equal success. To celebrate Valentines, we present examples of game-love gone slightly nuts...
Ten stories for the weekend, including some games you might enjoy...
Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has appointed a new general manager to its Seattle studios.
Laura Fryer – who up until recently was an executive producer at Microsoft Game Studios – will lead two key development studios in Seattle; FEAR 2’s Monolith Productions, as well as Snowblind Studios. Warner Bros state that the most recent title under Fryer’s supervision was Gears of War 2.
The demo version of Ensemble’s final game, Halo Wars, has been downloaded over two million times.
That figure was reached in the space of one week since the demo was released, marking it as one of the most popular Xbox 360 demos yet.
Microsoft will soon be opening a string of official retail outlets across the US.
The company has also announced that David Porter – the former head of worldwide product distribution at DreamWorks Animation SKG – will be taking charge of the new enterprise.
Total hardware sales for the week ending Feb 8 have taken a fifth successive drop, according to data provided by Media Create.
Around 146,876 hardware units were sold at the retailers in Japan, representing a weekly decline of 13% from the previous week’s sum of 169,019.
All next-gen consoles, save for one, felt the drop, yet the chart arrangement hasn’t changed throughout 2009.
