New press release:

Electronic Arts announced today that the company is developing MySims™, the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims, designed especially for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ platforms.

MySims introduces a charming cast of whimsical characters while delivering the creativity, customization and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By unlocking cool new clothing, hairstyles and accessories, players explore the game’s incredible depth of customization and expression… and the characters are just the beginning!

Transforming the traditional Sims gameplay for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims moves the player to a delightful but disorganized town where – thanks to the easy and unique controls – they can re-shape everything and make it their own. The town is rundown, but the player can make it much more dynamic. Using a selection of building blocks, unique patterns and engaging creativity tools, players can design furniture and appliances, architect new homes and businesses, and re-define the entire MySims landscape!

As players explore and build up the town, they will get to know dedicated, long-time residents like the always-busy Mayor Rosalyn P. Marshall and Buddy – the mostly-lazy hotel Bellhop. Once things start to look up, they’ll meet and choose from a variety of colorful, would-be residents. Will they build a restaurant for Gino Delicioso the Italian Chef, or will they help Ocean Breeze set up his Yoga studio instead?

Design is everyone’s domain in MySims. From building a new Pizza Oven for Gino to putting the finishing touches on a new roof for Buddy’s busy hotel, each completed task will help the town grow. As it expands to new areas, players will receive special building blocks, decorations and patterns which help customize their unique creations. From furniture and buildings to the town as a whole, every choice informs how residents and visitors feel and behave.

“We want MySims to provide a creative play experience like never before on a video game system,” said Executive Producer Tim LeTourneau. “By giving players the tools to create literally any kind of world they want in MySims, we’re reinforcing the idea that the players create the magic. Will the town support a plethora of spooky, mysterious townsfolk – or buzz with the laughter and smiles of fun-loving Sims? It’s your call! In MySims, what players make… makes all the difference!”

MySims will be available for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms in Autumn 2007.

About MySims


MySims is the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims™, designed exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Explore a whole new world that’s yours to transform with MySims. Socialize with the locals and uncover all sorts of useful and surprising treasures hidden throughout the town. Accessible and intuitive controls make it enjoyable to create Sims, build their homes, and interact with other Sims and their world. For more information check out www.Mysims.com ...

New press release:

Electronic Arts announced today that the company is developing MySims™, the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims, designed especially for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ platforms.

MySims introduces a charming cast of whimsical characters while delivering the creativity, customization and classic open-ended gameplay that has enchanted Sims players worldwide. Players begin by creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes. From pig-tails and baseball caps to dreadlocks and Mohawks, the options are endless and the style is unlike any Sims game to date. By unlocking cool new clothing, hairstyles and accessories, players explore the game’s incredible depth of customization and expression… and the characters are just the beginning!

Transforming the traditional Sims gameplay for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms, MySims moves the player to a delightful but disorganized town where – thanks to the easy and unique controls – they can re-shape everything and make it their own. The town is rundown, but the player can make it much more dynamic. Using a selection of building blocks, unique patterns and engaging creativity tools, players can design furniture and appliances, architect new homes and businesses, and re-define the entire MySims landscape!

As players explore and build up the town, they will get to know dedicated, long-time residents like the always-busy Mayor Rosalyn P. Marshall and Buddy – the mostly-lazy hotel Bellhop. Once things start to look up, they’ll meet and choose from a variety of colorful, would-be residents. Will they build a restaurant for Gino Delicioso the Italian Chef, or will they help Ocean Breeze set up his Yoga studio instead?

Design is everyone’s domain in MySims. From building a new Pizza Oven for Gino to putting the finishing touches on a new roof for Buddy’s busy hotel, each completed task will help the town grow. As it expands to new areas, players will receive special building blocks, decorations and patterns which help customize their unique creations. From furniture and buildings to the town as a whole, every choice informs how residents and visitors feel and behave.

“We want MySims to provide a creative play experience like never before on a video game system,” said Executive Producer Tim LeTourneau. “By giving players the tools to create literally any kind of world they want in MySims, we’re reinforcing the idea that the players create the magic. Will the town support a plethora of spooky, mysterious townsfolk – or buzz with the laughter and smiles of fun-loving Sims? It’s your call! In MySims, what players make… makes all the difference!”

MySims will be available for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms in Autumn 2007.

About MySims


MySims is the first game in a revolutionary new line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims™, designed exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Explore a whole new world that’s yours to transform with MySims. Socialize with the locals and uncover all sorts of useful and surprising treasures hidden throughout the town. Accessible and intuitive controls make it enjoyable to create Sims, build their homes, and interact with other Sims and their world. For more information check out www.Mysims.com ...

via joystiq

Ubisoft rode the back of the hot-selling Wii in January to boost its sales by 78%. As previously reported, the publisher placed early bets that Wii would be a big seller announcing numerous games as a result. So far, the payoff has been a hefty one.

I'm betting, however, that Ubisoft can thank the sheer amount of junk games it threw at Wii owners for the spike in sales as other conservative publishers offered little to no games. And though not the case with all of Ubi's Wii games, a clear majority saw little to no effort during production. I mean, whoever released Far Cry on Wii (read: it was Ubisoft) should be stoned. That game was garbage. ...

via kotaku

Sony blog Three Speech got a chance to talk to Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe about last week's announcement that the PS3 wouldn't be fully backwards compatible.

Despite the fact that the blog is Sony backed, they asked some good questions and got some direct answers including why Europe is paying more for less and how to tell the difference between the gimpy UK and non-gimpy US models. Hit the jump for the short Q&A. Brian Crecente

People weren't expecting this announcement. Surely we have the right to know the number of PAL supported games before the launch?

We have been assessing the extent of backward compatibility, and will continue to do so right up until launch. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific number of backwards compatible titles at this stage, but close to launch consumers will be able to check whether their titles are compatible with PS3 by looking at the list of compatible titles at http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc. This site will be available on 23rd March to meet launch day.

Does this mean that the PS2 hardware chips have been removed completely and replaced with software-only emulation?

The original PS3 used the Emotion Engine/Graphics Synthesiser to emulate PS2 titles. With the latest European specification we have removed the Emotion Engine, retaining the graphics chip. This has an impact on the number of PS2 titles that will be backwards compatible.

If this is a business decision to save cost, why are users left to bear the burden, having to purchase a system inferior to those sold in the US and Japan at a higher price?

The PS3 launching in Europe is every bit as powerful as the PS3s available currently in North America and Japan. PS3 is defined by key features such as the CELL broadband engine, its Blu-ray drive, the SIXAXIS Controller and its ability to output full 1080P HD game content which makes it an entertainment system for the future, without equal.

PS one titles remain backwards compatible and we will continue to assess the compatibility of PS2 titles right up until launch We will continue to offer firmware upgrades to increase the number of titles that are compatible, but rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3, truly taking advantage of this exciting technology.

How will consumers be able to tell the difference between the fully compatible launch model available in America and Japan and the new degraded model?

On the external packaging of the PS3 there will be a small 'PAL' logo to denote that the PS3 is built for the European market (North American and Japanese models have a 'NTSC' logo). The model number will also appear on the label stuck to the top flap of the PS3 packaging (beginning CECHC followed by two digits - see below).

In addition, each PS3 carries a barcode and serial number on the back of the system. At the end of the unique serial number for each console is the model number. In the SCEE territories there are four model numbers:

Europe: CECHC04
UK and Ireland: CECHC03
Australia/New Zealand: CECHC02
Russia/India: CECHC08

Will the new updated hardware version improve the quality of the images of PS2 games on the PS3, as the current crop have been highly criticised?

This has already been achieved by a firmware upgrade, which will be incorporated in European launch models. ...

via kotaku

Say what you will about Phil Harrison, the guy's a real trooper. He's in a position that lesser me would have run screaming from over the last few months, and yet he soldiers on, telling it like it is. James Brightman from GameDaily.Biz has just posted an exclusive interview with Phil from DICE earlier this month, where Phil explains why there are PS3 systems sitting on store shelves.

Talk to the people who run GameStop, talk to the people who run BestBuy, and they'll tell you that the demand is unprecedented and that they give us kudos for managing to keep a very sophisticated supply chain moving.

So in other words, the moment after you see a stack of PS3 systems somewhere they are gone, only to be replaced with a completely different stack next time! Of course!

I just love seeing what the guy has to say, and the interview is a great read overall. He discusses the price point, the rumble feature ("it's not the next-generation feature"), and things the competition could learn from Sony. ...

More news on the MSX and NeoGeo coming to Wii:

via gamesradar

Games for the NEO GEO and MSX formats will be made available to download onto Wii as Nintendo expands its Virtual Console service.

The update, which is currently only confirmed for the Japanese Virtual Console, is due to be made in spring.

Nintendo had previously announced that the MSX was on its way to the Virtual Console, and Nintendo's official Japanese website has confirmed that two games, Eggy and Aleste, will be among the first available for the format. MSX games will cost 800 Wii Points.

The Virtual Console will also see increased third-party support with companies Spike, G-Mode, Pony Canyon and SNK all pledging to throw games at the service.

This should mean heaven for fans of 2D beat-'em-ups with games like Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting, King of Fighters and SNK vs Capcom all possibilities for Wii.

And the coming of MSX brings with it the possibility that legendary space trade sim, Elite, could make its way to Wii.

Nintendo has "no further details at this time" in regards to when we might see these updates. ...

via gibiz

Ambitious new games publisher Xider is to release 12 titles throughout Europe in 2007, GamesIndustry.biz can reveal.

Bone, previously a download only title from developer Telltale Games, will be getting a retail release from the publisher, with the company focusing on the PC and Nintendo DS markets.

Other PC titles due include World Basketball Manager 2008 from Icehole, Deck 13's adventure sequel Ankh: Heart of Osiris and Brainfactor Entertainment's RPG World of Chaos.

The publisher is also preparing a number of games for the Nintendo DS, with titles to be announced shortly. ...

Games industry recruitment specialist Specialmove has launched a brand new website featuring several hundred job vacancies across a wide range of global territories.

Once registered, jobseekers can create a profile, upload their CVs, select job hunt preferences and choose criteria for searches. They will be briefed by Specialmove on company information, and once they have registered their interest their details will be passed on to the client.

The site also features news and a list of top 10 games industry jobs, and each applicant who successfully secures a job through the Specialmove website and completes their probationary period is eligible to receive a free 4GB red iPod nano.

"Specialmove pride themselves on being different from most other recruiters. The website is geared towards making the whole process of finding a job or finding staff as simple as possible. Not only that, but it looks great too," said recruitment executive Matthew Hill.

"The site already contains hundreds of hot new jobs, so if you haven’t already registered or if previously sent your details in, log in now and check out what’s on offer."

via gibiz ...

via gibiz

Sony has confirmed that the new model PlayStation 3 for Europe has had its backwards compatibility reduced due to costs.

Sony released the final specifications for the Euro PS3 last week, revealing that the machine would only play a 'limited range' of PlayStation 2 titles.

Speaking to GameSpot, Sony Australia MD Michael Ephraim stated that PAL PS3's will not contain the 'emotion engine' chip – the PS2's CPU. Instead, the technology will be emulated.

"Clearly costs is one of the [reasons]. If software is cheaper than the cost of the chip, then why not do that?," said Ephraim.

Sony intends to release a full list of PS2 titles that are compatible with the PlayStation 3 on the day the console launches in Europe, March 23.

Ephraim downplayed the importance of backwards compatibility, even though the publisher is happy to support more original PlayStation titles than PS2 games.

"I think backwards compatibility is important, but when you look at what the PS3's doing with new games, digital content and so on, that specific functionality may not be as important as previously felt," he said. ...