Via Next-Gen

While many third party publishers were late to realize the potential of the Wii, Ubisoft were one of the first. However, the French firm has now admitted that a number of its early Wii titles were rushed and lacked quality.

Ubisoft Wii launch games exclusive to the system included Red Steel (pictured) and Rayman Raving Rabbids, both of which have gone on to become million seller titles. However, the company went on to quickly release a number of uninspired ports of games previously released on other systems, a strategy Ubisoft now acknowledges was flawed, reports IGN.

Speaking to German magazine Spiegel, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and the company's European head, Alain Corre admitted, "We made mistakes," having been over-eager to capitalize on the promise of the Wii. They stated that future titles would be of a higher quality.

The pair also reaffirmed their belief that Nintendo’s rivals Sony and Microsoft should drop the price of the PS3 and Xbox 360 respectively in a bid to boost sales. "Sony should set a new price point soon if it still wants to sell a satisfactory amount of units this year. Microsoft, too, by the way." ...

Via QJ

Rumors of a PS3 outing for the EverQuest II expansion Echoes of Faydwer have been shot down by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). According to IGN, the official word from EQ2 senior producer Scott Hartsman is that "it isn't happening."

"At this time, there aren't any plans to bring Echoes of Faydwer to consoles of any kind at," said Hartsman. SOE Public Relations Manager Michael Shelling also added, "There are no plans right now, but EverQuest Online Adventures is still available for PS2 and a dedicated community of players."

As for the pictures, Jason (Unregistered) commented on our previous post on the subject that they looked like they were from the new Neriak content update. A quick check revealed that the screenshots were indeed from a recently-released batch of screenshots for the new content update. The screenshots focused on the new Arasai race.

MMORPG fans who are hoping for a PS3 MMO can look forward to a couple of possibilities mentioned by SOE President John Smedley. According to IGN, aside from the DC Universe MMO expected to come out next year, a "spy-themed MMO and a 'whimsical' MMO are in the works for the PC and PS3". ...

Via Worth Playing

Playing as a warrior riding a voracious dragon trained for deadly aerial and ground combat, and capable of scorching, clawing and smashing thousands of enemies, gamers must defeat countless armies to save a civilization. Together, the gamer and the beast will attempt to change the destiny of a world on the brink of extinction.


In a world ravaged by endless conflict and natural disaster, a call for peace turns into a bloodbath of betrayal and deceit in Lair for the PS3. Playing as a warrior named Rohn who rides a voracious dragon trained for deadly aerial and ground combat, gamers must defeat the war-hungry Mokai to save the Asylian civilization. Together, Rohn and his dragon will attempt to change the destiny of a world on the brink of extinction by scorching, clawing and smashing through thousands of enemies and their war-trained beasts.

Features :

* With over 60 minutes of beautifully rendered cinematics and professional voice-overs, Lair weaves the tale of a heroic struggle in a world of savage beasts as civilization repels the onslaught of an unrelenting army.
* With amazing 30-frames-per-second high-definition visuals, Lair is one of the first 1080p native resolution games, offering jaw-dropping, lifelike graphics.
* Fierce ground and air warfare catapults players into epic fights against other dragons, beasts, warships and armies comprised of thousands of armored soldiers.
* Face off against enormous beasts of massive scale, including a huge sea serpent that measures over a mile long!
* Supporting full tilt control and gesture recognition, the SIXAXIS wireless controller allows for 180-degree turns, dives and attacks all through intuitive motion-based controls.
* Smooth, seamless gameplay weaves missions and story tightly together and allows influence over the battles as a whole through destroying legions of soldiers, engaging ferocious 40-ton dragons, escorting supplies and demolishing armaments to save civilization.

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Screens can be found on this page ...

Via Worth Playing

LittleBigPlanet is a community-based game with a hugely innovative concept behind it. Meet on a blue and green planet scattered with individual plots -- and use your character's amazing abilities to play, create and share what you build with other gamers throughout the world via PS Network.

The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players learning about their character’s powers to interact physically with the environment. There are places to explore, creative resources to collect and puzzles to solve – all requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As soon as players begin their creative skills will grow and they will soon be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings – the first step to sharing them with the whole community.

Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There’s no complicated level editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Creativity is part of the gameplay experience and playing is part of the creative experience. Players can make their world as open or as secretive to explore as they like. When it’s ready, they can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their patch – or can go and explore everybody else’s.

Features :

* There’s not just one way to play. Players craft their own individual experience based on their own creativity.
* Unlimited possibilities for user-created content – players can customize everything: their characters, the landscape around them and their own patch on LittleBigPlanet.
* Players learn new skills and discover new items to aid them on their creative journey Explore the massive single player game or go online to find user-generated content.”LittleBigPlanet will change every day as players contribute their own levels
* Online and offline multiplayer modes – play alone, work as a team or get competitive
* LittleBigPlanet global community for players to get involved with: includes player comments, rankings and easy communication with new and existing friends

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The screenshots can be found here. ...

Via PSX Extreme

We haven't heard much about the next entry in the ultra-creepy Silent Hill franchise, but thanks to a recent interview in Electric Shock magazine with the game's chief director, Masashi Tsuboyama, we've got more info. The biggest tidbit from the discussion? Konami could be planning to make the game exclusive...provided the PS3 sells better.

A few things are pretty eye-catching, here. First of all, Konami and the team looked closely at all the consoles and found that none were able to fully support their idea for Silent Hill 5. Well, none except for the PS3. Tsuboyama said Blu-Ray is a "very necessary asset" in their development process, and he believes the system's processing power is "far beyond" that of the other consoles. Currently, they have no plans to bring the game multiplatform, although they may be forced down that road if PS3 sales don't improve.

We might be able to expect more info at E3, but for now, all of this is pretty encouraging for PS3 owners. It's another major developer saying Sony's system is head-and-shoulders above the competition in terms of power and potential, and if sales get better, we might be seeing more exclusives in the future. We'll keep you updated with any further Silent Hill 5 developments. ...

(VERY long read)

Via Canada.com

The stratospheric rise of Nintendo's latest gaming system has been nothing shy of Wii-markable, flattening Sony's PS3 and charging after Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The company is thriving in markets around the world. The Wii was the top-selling console system in Canada, the Nintendo DS handheld was the top-selling portable gaming system, and Nintendo held the top four spots for games (Pokemon Diamond Version DS, Pokemon Pearl Version DS, Wii Play, and Super Paper Mario for Wii) for the period of April 8 to May 5, according to the latest Canadian figures released by independent market researchers NPD Group Inc.

Nintendo boasted the same achievements in the United States while in France the 15 top-selling games are all for Nintendo systems.

"We're ecstatic over the explosive appeal of Wii and Nintendo DS," said vice president and general manager of Nintendo of Canada Ron Bertram.

At the November 2006 launch of the Wii in Toronto, Bertram anticipated good things for the console and hoped for "a strong second place" showing. The actual success is beyond anyone's expectations. In less than five months since introduction, the company has sold six million Wii systems globally and nearly 29 million Wii games. The console has taken a step toward becoming a cultural phenomenon.

"Wii is selling out everything we put into the marketplace," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president and CEO of Nintendo of America, speaking at a conference in Seattle on May 22 to announce sales achievements and upcoming games for the company.

Sony's PS3, which launched about the same time as the Wii, has sold just 1.84 million units worldwide, while Microsoft has sold more than 10 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide. The 360, launched in November 2005, had a year head-start over the others. Nintendo now expects to have sold 14 million Wiis by the end of its first fiscal year, March 2008, and has ramped up production to meet the demand.

In comparison, about 22 million GameCubes have been sold since its launch in November 2001. Sony's PS2, which launched in October 2000, has sold more than 106 million units around the world but there is now debate over whether Sony can maintain its dominance over the industry.

The reason for Nintendo's rise is its approach to new consumers and giving them something different, said Fils-Aime.

With its innovative motion-sensing controller, Wii gamers get as close to the action as possible. Players swing the controller like a baseball bat or golf club, leap around their living rooms to make a backhand return in tennis, jab madly away at the air in a boxing bout, and point it at the screen to aim their weapons. Sitting on the couch and pressing buttons just doesn't cut it anymore.

The Wii remote controller is also simple to use. It's based more on gestures than button combinations, so there are very few gadgets on it, making it less intimidating to people who've never played games before.

Nintendo has also taken aim at non-gamers with titles that veer away from the shooters and racers that appeal to males aged 18 to 35.

The game plan is based on the book Blue Ocean Strategy, which suggests that with too many companies fighting for the same consumers, no one can truly grow.

Tomorrow's leading companies will succeed not by battling competitors, the book's authors argue, but by creating "blue oceans" of uncontested market space. In terms of video games, those oceans are teeming with females, seniors and 40- to 50-year-old businessmen.

"We're not just competing with Sony and Microsoft anymore. We're competing with movies and other leisure activities," said Fils-Aime.

Nintendo began feeding non-gamers with Nintendogs, a non-competitive and quirky game that requires people to adopt, care for, and raise a computerized canine companion. It has since put out a series of puzzle games, and a collection of mentally stimulating mini-games to test thinking, memorization, analysis, identification and computation.

Consequently, "the market is changing in unprecedented ways," said Fils-Aime. "There's no question consumers are picking up a controller who've never played before. And these games are becoming a part of everyday life for many of them."

Recent data shows an increase of 127 per cent in people 35 years old and up purchasing a DS device, for which most of the brain games have been produced. The female contingent in that is up 42 per cent.

Another 16 per cent of men over 50 report they play games regularly, while 10 per cent of women over 50 are also regular users.

The pattern of consumers purchasing video games is also changing. ...

Via PS3 Center

The Nintendo of America Boss George Harrison has stated that the PS3 is failing because of the price point and low quality.

Nintendo has not been all that silent in regards to their intentions this next-generation now that they have a solid lead with both the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS leading hardware sales.

Harrison had an interview with the web site Wires and stated that the Sony SIXAXIS controller as well as Viva Pinata from Microsoft were attempts to try and steal some of the market which Nintend is now enjoying with their Wii remote control as well as Animal Crossing.

He stated bluntly that "Sony rushed out their Sixaxis controller as an effort to respond to the Wii remote."

It is no secret now that it has been reported, right here at PCN, that Nintendo plans to sell 35 million Wii consoles over the next four years and control 50% of the market.

"There’s a price point and there’s the quality that’s holding the PlayStation 3 back. They’re selling so many PlayStation 2s because people are saying, ’You know what? The graphics are pretty good, the price is good, and the library is good.’ So we have a great expectation this lifecycle’s actually going to last more than five years," Harrison stated.

Harrison concluded the consumers are more satisfied with the current technology, even though the PS3 has the capability to pump out some amazing visuals. ...

Via CVG

DS Lite is getting shinier from June 23 when two glossy new colours of the portable will hit shops in Japan.

Metallic Rose (a shinier, darker pink) and Gloss Silver colours have been revealed (pictured), and will help you further forget those days of having to hide at the end of a train carriage as you embarrassingly played the bulky, grey 'I'm homeless' DS.

These join the three existing colours, white, pink and black (if they have more technical colour names, don't bother correcting us - we don't care that much), and will go on sale for 16,800 Yen, which is, as usual, a disgustingly cheap £70.

Expect DS-crazed Japanese people to form 20-mile-long queues outside shops on June 23. ...

Via Gaming Today

Odin Sphere (North American version) is now available for the PS2. Brought to you by Atlus USA, this looks like a an RPG worth looking into. The PS2 is obviously still the best console for RPG games and continues to put out quality content. Many believed initially that the PS3 would be the end of the PS2, but this definitely has not been the case. The Sony PS2 is still a very viable system of choice and will continue to be so for a long time. This will certainly not go down in history as one of the great RPGs, but it will still hold it's own for a while. Stunning details and interesting characters with developed background stories are the bonus with this game. Frequent load times and slowdowns during gameplay have been cited by many as the negative aspects of the title. Please enjoy the trailer and further information after the break. Odin Sphere is rated "T" for teen.

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click here to view the trailer ...