Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings have just wrapped up, with several baseball players signing deals for outrageous amounts of money to play with new teams or stay with their previous squads.
Sony made its own baseball deal recently, announcing that it was bringing the MLB: The Show series back for extra innings. MLB 07: The Show was announced today for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.
MLB 07: The Show adds online league play, lets gamers compete in online leagues of up to 30 teams (Sony did not specify which platforms this feature would be available for). Baseball fans can also tinker with the game's sliders and upload them to servers for others to try out.
The series' pitching has been given the most changes in the upcoming edition of the franchise. Catchers will recommend pitches based on hitters' tendencies, or players can shake off the backstop and simply throw what they want. Like the sport it emulates, MLB 07 will also feature finicky umpires, with their own strike zones and tendencies.
The atmosphere of baseball is being focused on in the PS3 version, with the addition of crowd animations, including tussles for foul balls, the seventh inning stretch, and the wave. Sony is also adding correct grips and arm angles for different pitch types for true students of the game.
MLB 07: The Show has not yet been rated or priced and will be available in spring 2007.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
UK Game Charts: December 3-9
Electronic Arts' FIFA 07 scooped the top slot in the UK all-formats games chart for the third consecutive week, with Need for Speed Carbon again spinning its wheels at number two. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 moved up one place to three, swapping places with Activision's Call of Duty 3, which fell one slot to fourth position.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess debuted at the number five slot, making it the highest new entry this week. In total, six of the 14 Wii launch games made it into the all-formats top 40, including Wii Play (which can be bought only as a bundle with the Wii Remote) at nine, Red Steel at 19, and Rayman Raving Rabbids at 30.
There are also a total of 14 Nintendo DS games in the top 40, including Yoshi's Island DS at 36--which almost doubled sales in its second week of release--and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (Brain Age in the US) still hanging on in the charts at 13.
Those figures mean that Nintendo has a total of 20 games for its formats in the top 40 this week.
The biggest climber of the week was Project Gotham Racing 3, up 14 spots to 22, whereas the dubious honour of the biggest freefall goes to Bratz: Forever Diamondz, down nine ticks to 20.
This Friday's releases include five for the Wii: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Super Fruit Fall, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, and Gottlieb Pinball Classics. Other titles due include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the GameCube, Sniper Assault for the PlayStation 2, and The Sims 2: Pets for the PSP.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess debuted at the number five slot, making it the highest new entry this week. In total, six of the 14 Wii launch games made it into the all-formats top 40, including Wii Play (which can be bought only as a bundle with the Wii Remote) at nine, Red Steel at 19, and Rayman Raving Rabbids at 30.
There are also a total of 14 Nintendo DS games in the top 40, including Yoshi's Island DS at 36--which almost doubled sales in its second week of release--and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (Brain Age in the US) still hanging on in the charts at 13.
Those figures mean that Nintendo has a total of 20 games for its formats in the top 40 this week.
The biggest climber of the week was Project Gotham Racing 3, up 14 spots to 22, whereas the dubious honour of the biggest freefall goes to Bratz: Forever Diamondz, down nine ticks to 20.
This Friday's releases include five for the Wii: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Super Fruit Fall, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, and Gottlieb Pinball Classics. Other titles due include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the GameCube, Sniper Assault for the PlayStation 2, and The Sims 2: Pets for the PSP.
Retail Radar: GameStop offering imports
Importing games has traditionally been a niche activity in the US, with few consumers willing to deal with language barriers, bypassing regional lockouts, and finding a good source to buy games from just to play games from other countries.
But things are changing. Language barriers can still be a concern, but regional lockouts are becoming less common, with the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS all being region-free systems as far as games go. (Regional locks on the Xbox 360 are determined by the publisher.) The availability looks to be getting better as well, if GameStop's product listings are any indication.
GameStop is currently accepting preorders for a pair of Japanese DS games that it expects to ship this month. The more prominent of the two is Jump Superstars, Nintendo's crossover fighting game featuring more than 150 characters from 27 manga and anime series that have appeared in Shonen Jump magazine. Among the properties included are Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. In the past, games specific to those franchises have been released in the US by Atari, Capcom, Namco Bandai Games, and Konami.
GameStop is charging $49.99 for Jump Superstars, and expects it to ship December 27. The game was originally released in Japan last year, and has already spawned a sequel there, Jump Ultimate Stars.
Also on offer is Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4, the latest DS fighting game based on the anime and manga series. The game costs $39.99, and according to GameStop's product page, it was expected to ship today.
As of press time, a GameStop representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on the company's importing plans.
Please note, while retailer listings frequently give gamers a heads up on unannounced news, they should not be taken as final confirmation of a game's release date, platform, or even its existence.
But things are changing. Language barriers can still be a concern, but regional lockouts are becoming less common, with the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS all being region-free systems as far as games go. (Regional locks on the Xbox 360 are determined by the publisher.) The availability looks to be getting better as well, if GameStop's product listings are any indication.
GameStop is currently accepting preorders for a pair of Japanese DS games that it expects to ship this month. The more prominent of the two is Jump Superstars, Nintendo's crossover fighting game featuring more than 150 characters from 27 manga and anime series that have appeared in Shonen Jump magazine. Among the properties included are Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. In the past, games specific to those franchises have been released in the US by Atari, Capcom, Namco Bandai Games, and Konami.
GameStop is charging $49.99 for Jump Superstars, and expects it to ship December 27. The game was originally released in Japan last year, and has already spawned a sequel there, Jump Ultimate Stars.
Also on offer is Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4, the latest DS fighting game based on the anime and manga series. The game costs $39.99, and according to GameStop's product page, it was expected to ship today.
As of press time, a GameStop representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on the company's importing plans.
Please note, while retailer listings frequently give gamers a heads up on unannounced news, they should not be taken as final confirmation of a game's release date, platform, or even its existence.
Cop not charged in PS3 shooting
A series of crimes has dogged the US launch of Sony's PlayStation 3. So far in the life of the console, which sells for an average of just under $1,200 on eBay, there have been shootings, muggings, and thefts.
In one instance, a student who had waited in line for three days to get his hands on two of the consoles was battered with a blunt object while unloading the PS3s from his car. The consoles were stolen during the assault. Some two weeks later, police served warrants on two other students suspected of being involved in the assault. During the raid on one of the residences, in which the Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in to support the campus police, suspect Peyton Strickland was fatally shot.
Christopher Long, who had been a deputy since 1996 and had participated in the raid, was fired from his post on December 8 by Sheriff Sid Causey. Yesterday Long was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder by a New Hanover County grand jury, according to the local paper, The Wilmington Star News.
During the raid, the officers could see into the residence through three glass window panes on the front door. According to an official report, the officers watched Strickland approach the door, look through the window, and then walk away. Previously, Strickland's roommate Michael Rhoton had said that the youth might have been holding a PS3 controller as he approached the door, leading some to speculate that the officers mistook the black object in his hand for a weapon, but no mention was made of the controller in grand jury testimony. It was stated, however, that the student was unarmed.
The officers ordered him to open the door and another sheriff's deputy began using a battering ram to enter the premises. Officer Long confused the sound of the battering ram striking the door with gunfire, and fired shots, the autopsy later reported. Strickland was shot in the shoulder and in the head--the fatal shot had ricocheted off another object into his skull.
Two other deputies, currently on paid leave, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
[UPDATE] In a dramatic turn of events, murder charges against Long have been dismissed, after the grand jury foreman admitted to incorrectly checking the wrong box that would decide Long's fate.
Upon hearing the news, Strickland's parents released the following statement: "Yesterday, our son's murderer was going to have to answer for what he did. Today, we just don't know what is going on in Wilmington. We are upset, confused and searching for answers."
In one instance, a student who had waited in line for three days to get his hands on two of the consoles was battered with a blunt object while unloading the PS3s from his car. The consoles were stolen during the assault. Some two weeks later, police served warrants on two other students suspected of being involved in the assault. During the raid on one of the residences, in which the Emergency Response Team (ERT) was called in to support the campus police, suspect Peyton Strickland was fatally shot.
Christopher Long, who had been a deputy since 1996 and had participated in the raid, was fired from his post on December 8 by Sheriff Sid Causey. Yesterday Long was indicted on a charge of second-degree murder by a New Hanover County grand jury, according to the local paper, The Wilmington Star News.
During the raid, the officers could see into the residence through three glass window panes on the front door. According to an official report, the officers watched Strickland approach the door, look through the window, and then walk away. Previously, Strickland's roommate Michael Rhoton had said that the youth might have been holding a PS3 controller as he approached the door, leading some to speculate that the officers mistook the black object in his hand for a weapon, but no mention was made of the controller in grand jury testimony. It was stated, however, that the student was unarmed.
The officers ordered him to open the door and another sheriff's deputy began using a battering ram to enter the premises. Officer Long confused the sound of the battering ram striking the door with gunfire, and fired shots, the autopsy later reported. Strickland was shot in the shoulder and in the head--the fatal shot had ricocheted off another object into his skull.
Two other deputies, currently on paid leave, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
[UPDATE] In a dramatic turn of events, murder charges against Long have been dismissed, after the grand jury foreman admitted to incorrectly checking the wrong box that would decide Long's fate.
Upon hearing the news, Strickland's parents released the following statement: "Yesterday, our son's murderer was going to have to answer for what he did. Today, we just don't know what is going on in Wilmington. We are upset, confused and searching for answers."
Dragon Quest IX exclusive to DS
Though not exactly a household name for gamers here in the United States, the Dragon Quest series is one of the most popular gaming franchises in Japan. The release of Dragon Quest VIII in Japan was met with the same frenzy that typically accompanies the release of the latest edition of another Square Enix franchise, Final Fantasy.
Square Enix released Dragon Quest VIII on the PlayStation 2, which was a great boon for Sony. However, it appears as though the benefactor of Dragon Quest IX will be one of Sony's rivals. Forbes reports that Dragon Quest IX has been announced as an exclusive for the Nintendo DS.
Some analysts think this could be a big blow against Sony, as the Dragon Quest franchise is considered a top-tier franchise and has sold more than 41 million copies worldwide. Hiroshi Kamide, analyst at KBC Securities, said the decision to put Dragon Quest IX exclusively on the DS "was rather unexpected, so it's not a huge vote of confidence for the PlayStation 3," reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
Square is also preparing a Dragon Quest game for the Wii, due early next year, and recently released Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, a series spin-off, for the DS.
Square Enix released Dragon Quest VIII on the PlayStation 2, which was a great boon for Sony. However, it appears as though the benefactor of Dragon Quest IX will be one of Sony's rivals. Forbes reports that Dragon Quest IX has been announced as an exclusive for the Nintendo DS.
Some analysts think this could be a big blow against Sony, as the Dragon Quest franchise is considered a top-tier franchise and has sold more than 41 million copies worldwide. Hiroshi Kamide, analyst at KBC Securities, said the decision to put Dragon Quest IX exclusively on the DS "was rather unexpected, so it's not a huge vote of confidence for the PlayStation 3," reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
Square is also preparing a Dragon Quest game for the Wii, due early next year, and recently released Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, a series spin-off, for the DS.
Age of Conan dawning on 360
The world of Conan the Cimmerian, the fantasy barbarian of legend created by Robert E. Howard, portrayed in films by Arnold Schwarzenegger and re-created in several games, is returning to consoles. Funcom today announced that the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has been approved for the Xbox 360 by Microsoft.
While this is good news for 360 fans who yearn to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentations of their women, it isn't especially surprising. In April, rumors first began circulating that the developers had been working on a version of the game for Microsoft's next-gen console. Those rumors were further fueled in July, when Funcom announced a publishing deal for the PC version of the game with Eidos that also noted that the companies wanted to bring the game to the console market.
No release date was named for the Xbox 360 edition of the game, but a Funcom representative said it will definitely be after the PC version launches (currently expected between March and May of next year). And while the representative said Funcom has been pleased with its partnership with Eidos so far, the publisher has not been signed yet to handle Age of Conan for the Xbox 360. Funcom said it would have more information about the game, including "potential console-specific features," at a later date.
Combining action RPG elements with the MMORPG genre, Age of Conan was named GameSpot's Best Massively Multiplayer Game of E3 2006, beating out competition including EA Mythic's Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
While this is good news for 360 fans who yearn to crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentations of their women, it isn't especially surprising. In April, rumors first began circulating that the developers had been working on a version of the game for Microsoft's next-gen console. Those rumors were further fueled in July, when Funcom announced a publishing deal for the PC version of the game with Eidos that also noted that the companies wanted to bring the game to the console market.
No release date was named for the Xbox 360 edition of the game, but a Funcom representative said it will definitely be after the PC version launches (currently expected between March and May of next year). And while the representative said Funcom has been pleased with its partnership with Eidos so far, the publisher has not been signed yet to handle Age of Conan for the Xbox 360. Funcom said it would have more information about the game, including "potential console-specific features," at a later date.
Combining action RPG elements with the MMORPG genre, Age of Conan was named GameSpot's Best Massively Multiplayer Game of E3 2006, beating out competition including EA Mythic's Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
The Sims are in Season
Electronic Arts today announced a fifth add-on pack for the popular PC game series The Sims 2. The new addition, named The Sims 2 Seasons, will add the four seasons of the year to the game. The additions won't merely be cosmetic, as each will impact the sims' relationships, moods, skills, and careers in a unique way.
New activities such as building snowmen, ice skating, and playing games like Marco Polo in the pool have been added, and a fresh new wardrobe including summer dresses and ear muffs will keep sims looking sharp.
Other new content includes six new career paths to follow (gaming, adventure, music, law, journalism, and education) as well as new weather effects (snowstorms, thunderstorms, lightning bolts, and hailstones). The sims can also now harvest fruits and vegetables to make into energy drinks and love potions and can master new talents including gardening and catching fresh fish.
The Sims series, which has the player create virtual people and then furnish their houses, get them jobs, and try to advance their careers and personal relationships, has become one of the most successful games of all time and has been translated into 17 languages.
The Sims 2 Seasons will be released in Europe on February 23 and in the US on February 27. The expansion requires a full copy of The Sims 2 to play.
New activities such as building snowmen, ice skating, and playing games like Marco Polo in the pool have been added, and a fresh new wardrobe including summer dresses and ear muffs will keep sims looking sharp.
Other new content includes six new career paths to follow (gaming, adventure, music, law, journalism, and education) as well as new weather effects (snowstorms, thunderstorms, lightning bolts, and hailstones). The sims can also now harvest fruits and vegetables to make into energy drinks and love potions and can master new talents including gardening and catching fresh fish.
The Sims series, which has the player create virtual people and then furnish their houses, get them jobs, and try to advance their careers and personal relationships, has become one of the most successful games of all time and has been translated into 17 languages.
The Sims 2 Seasons will be released in Europe on February 23 and in the US on February 27. The expansion requires a full copy of The Sims 2 to play.
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