Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said that the decision to release 3DS next year was primarily due to production concerns.
"At first we thought it would be desirable to launch the 3DS within the year, so we made our forecasts on that basis,” he told an analysts' conference attended by Reuters. “At this point it is clear that if we launch within the year, we will not be able to supply enough units."
Halo: Reach remains the most talked about game in a week that sees five new top ten entries.
Halo: Reach remains the most talked about game this week by a comfortable margin, with 26,432 mentions. Bungie's FPS is closely followed by Dead Rising 2 (12,116 mentions) and Final Fantasy XIV (6269) in second and third place respectively.
Like Jamma earlier this year, Tokyo Game Show, which took place between September 16 and 19, was notably scaled down compared to previous events. Attendance figures may have been up, but a reduced exhibitor count left the show floor feeling sparse. The event revealed an industry still focused on handhelds, as well as western audiences, but a market that remained conservatively wary of HD gaming and motion control.
Like Jamma earlier this year, Tokyo Game Show, which took place between September 16 and 19, was notably scaled down compared to previous events. Attendance figures may have been up, but a reduced exhibitor count left the show floor feeling sparse. The event revealed an industry still focused on handhelds, as well as western audiences, but a market that remained conservatively wary of HD gaming and motion control.
Nintendo expects to sell four million 3DS units and 15 million games for the new handheld between its release on February 26, 2011 and the end of the company’s business year on March 31.
Indie world-building game Minecraft has reportedly generated $350,000 in sales in a single day.
Swedish game maker Markus Persson said one copy of the €9.95 ($13) PC and Mac title is currently being purchased every three seconds, Texyt reports.
Zynga has signed a seven-year lease agreement for an alternative San Francisco office that will serve as its new headquarters from spring 2011.
The social game developer will occupy 270,000 square feet in Townsend Center, a 650,000 square foot property on 699 Eighth Street, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced.
Zynga has grown from 398 employees to 1,200 in the past year and now operates 13 studios globally.
A new report by the NPD Group has found that six per cent of Americans downloaded content via online connected game consoles in the past three months.
During the same period, three quarters of US consumers above the age of 13 didn't connect or download content via any platform, suggesting there's still a very "large and untapped market for devices that offer connected capabilities and the digital content played on those devices".
Ignition is to shut its London development studio on October 31 and is in the process of laying off an undisclosed number of staff.
Internal development of War Devil and Project Kane has ceased, although the company said both games could still be completed externally, according to GamesIndustry.biz.
Format: Xbox 360 (Version tested), PS3
Release: October 8
Publisher: Konami
Developer: MercurySteam
Screenshot gallery
Nintendo has slashed its net income forecast for the business year ending March 31, 2011 by more than half, from 200 billion yen (£1.5b / $2.4b) to 90 billion yen (£679m / $1.1b).
Its full year sales guidance has also been reduced, from 1.4 trillion yen (£10.6b / $16.7b) to 1.1 trillion yen (£8.3b / $13.1b).
Nintendo’s 3DS is to release in Japan on February 26 for 25,000 yen (£189 / $299).
The company said in a statement that its overseas subsidiaries will make announcements regarding specific launch details at a later date. Nintendo of Europe told us this morning that the system will release in March 2011, while media reports suggest the same launch timeframe for the US.
Multiple Game outlets are telling customers that pre-ordering Kinect quickly is the only way to secure one at launch as there will be no stock in stores when the device releases on November 10.
According to one Game store manager contacted by CVG, the retailer told staff the news at a behind-closed-doors national conference last week. The site also spoke to four other stores this afternoon and received the same message each time.
GDC 2011 organisers have announced an expanded summit line-up and a call for speakers for the 25th annual Game Developers Conference.
This year the conference is introducing the GDC Smartphone Summit, which will focus on platforms like iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android OS phones and tablets.
The Social & Online Games Summit will return, as will the Independent Games Summit, highlighting the top indie game creators and lessons.
Playfish co-founder and general manager Kristian Segerstrale is to keynote the first Evolve London conference on December 8.
Following its success running alongside the Develop conference in Brighton, Evolve will take place as a one day standalone event focusing on game development for new platforms, technologies and markets.
Ron Gilbert has joined Tim Schafer‘s Double Fine Productions and is at work on an unannounced title.
Best known for his work alongside Schafer and Dave Grossman on the first two Monkey Island games, and for Maniac Mansion and more recently DeathSpank, Gilbert started work at Double Fine last week, Kotaku reports.
In his keynote at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft Game Studios corporate vice president, Phil Spencer, revealed five new Japanese developed Xbox 360 titles and reaffirmed the company's commitment to Japan. Despite the Xbox 360's lukewarm reception in the region, it remains an important part of Microsoft's strategy.
PopCap CEO Dave Roberts has questioned rival developer Zynga’s business model and future prospects, labelling the FarmVille maker “a marketing company” without a gaming heritage.
A new company established by ex-Reatlime Worlds board members is said to have acquired the collapsed studio’s social game MyWorld.
PSP2 development kits have reportedly been widely distributed to first and third party studios, with Sony said to be keen to offer a “significant launch window line-up” for the as-yet-unannounced handheld.
That’s according to multiple Develop sources, who claim the platform holder is intent on making a big software impact at launch.
A highlight from our community-written blogs, featuring a letter written to Nintendo regarding Pokemon in the classroom.
UK retailer Game Group has announced plans to reduce its store portfolio after posting an expected loss for the six months ended July 31, 2010.
The company reported a loss of £18.8 million, versus a profit of £14.5 million in the first half of 2009, while revenue declined 9.6 per cent year-over-year to £624.6 million.
Publisher and studio head respond to comments made by the Activision Blizzard CEO in recent Edge interview.
Speaking to CVG, EA has responded to comments made by Activision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, in a recent interview for issue 220 of Edge (available from UK newsagents today).
Unity Technologies has launched the third version of its 3D development platform for web, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, Android, Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3.
Unity 3 features dozens of new features, over 100 additional enhancements and up to tenfold performance improvements, according to the firm.
Sony Computer Entertainment Australia has announced the rollout of Yahoo!7's catch-up TV service PLUS7 on PS3.
The company said that the new PlayStation Network offering, which allows users to watch full length episodes of TV shows, is “the first commercial catch-up TV service to be optimised for viewing with PS3”.