via Advanced Media Network

Eidos today announced the development of Glory Days 2, a brand new flight action game for the Nintendo DS that puts intense strategy at the forefront of gameplay tactics.

Players will take on the role of an ace fighter pilot by fusing strategy with shooting tactics in order to deploy units, rescue civilians, capture enemy bunkers amidst unforgettable war battles.

"Glory Days 2 presents a unique blend of strategy and action," said Director of Marketing, Matt Gorman, Eidos, Inc. "The result is a faster and more intelligent gameplay experience unlike anything that is currently out on the Nintendo DS."

Catered exclusively to the Nintendo DS’s unique capabilities, Glory Days 2 will feature three individual gameplay types ranging through 8 environments. An intense and involving multiplayer mode will support of to 8 players simultaneously, allowing for even deeper strategic warfare.

"We are very excited to bring Glory Days 2 to the North American market," said Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Robert Lindsey, Eidos, Inc. "The gameplay is instinctive and fun, and when coupled with a robust multiplayer mode, Glory Days 2 makes one of the best choices for a Nintendo DS game."

In development at Odenis Studios, Glory Days 2 for the Nintendo DS is expected for release sometime this summer. Stay tuned to AMN for complete coverage. ...

via seattlepi

Nintendo of America Inc. plans to move about 80 people, in three divisions, off its Redmond campus to either New York or San Francisco, a Redmond city official said Tuesday afternoon.

The game maker plans to move its sales, marketing and advertising divisions away from its campus at 4820 150th Ave. N.E. in Redmond, said Jim Roberts, deputy planning director for the city of Redmond.

He said Nintendo real estate executive Bruce Meyer confirmed the moves, adding that Meyer said the company plans to keep its corporate headquarters in Redmond.

Rumors of Nintendo's plans to move some or all of its employees out of Redmond have been appearing for four days on several gaming Web sites and blogs.

Nintendo owns about 8 million square feet in several buildings on the west side of state Route 520, adjacent to numerous Microsoft Corp. buildings. In March 2005 it had 756 employees on the Redmond campus. ...

via PlayStation Universe

It seems Sony has been the receiver of good news lately, and the latest comes in the form of Australia sales figured for the PlayStation 3. Despite being released three months after the Nintendo Wii, Sony has sold only 1,000 units less. Gaming site, gamer.blorge.com reports that as of last quarter, Sony has sold 27,000 PlayStation 3s down under.

Sony's latest console has also been the largest revenue generator compared to the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360, pulling in AUS$27 million. However, critics argue that although the PlayStation 3 remains a massive revenue generator, Nintendo is the only console maker which is making a profit on each unit sold.

Given that the PlayStation 3 has only been on Australian shores for a little over a month, it is still too early to predict if it will end up being a success, however, if sales figures are any indication, Sony is off to a good start to dominating the world gaming market once again. ...

via developmag

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has told Entertainment Weekly that Nintendo was disappointed with the results outsourced development on newer Namco and Sega produced Starfox and F-Zero games, saying that the titles failed to live up to expectations.

"In the past we've worked with some outside development houses on titles like F-Zero and Starfox — and let me just say that we were disappointed with the results. Consumers got very excited about the idea of those games, but the games themselves did not deliver."

His comments came during an interview which reiterated many of the points he delivered to the industry during his GDC keynote in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, urging developers to follow their instincts and the reactions to players when making games.

When asked about the risk-averse attitudes of American games publishers, he answered: "With rising budgets, I understand why game companies have a great deal of concern if they don't design games in this way. But you need to create what you want to create! In that sense, I would really like to see people develop games like I do. When I show a game to people I don't ask their opinion or give them a survey. I just watch their eyes and their face while they play. Do they smile? Do they look frustrated? So I guess I do test my games — but it isn't very scientific."

He added: "I could make Halo. It's not that I couldn't design that game. It's just that I choose not to. One thing about my game design is that I never try to look for what people want and then try to make that game design. I always try to create new experiences that are fun to play." ...

segadreamcaster (Craig) finally received the reply from Sega Europe and sadly PSO official server will not be back with a third-party or support from Sega.

"Dear Craig,

Thank you for your letter and your campaign pack which have been passed to me by Mike Hayes.

SEGA are proud to have such devoted customers and we are extremely grateful for your commitment to Phantasy Star Online. Unfortunately PSO has reached the point where the number of active players no longer justifies the manpower and resources required to operate and maintain the game servers. This situation is unlikely to change in future and regrettably we cannot re-open the servers, even in a limited capacity.

With regards to your second and third proposals: both of these would involve releasing our server-side code. This software remains the intellectual property of SEGA and it cannot be distributed to a third-party or released into the public domain for various reasons, including copyright and confidentiality. The game bears the SEGA brand and the Terms and Conditions make reference to SEGA. These would both need to be changed. Additionally, the authentication software and database would still need to be stored and maintained by SEGA because we cannot release these to a third-party.

We would encourage all fans of PSO to try Phantasy Star Universe and its forthcoming expansion, Ambition of the Illuminus. If you prefer something closer to the original, PSO Blue Burst for PC has an active and strong community.

Thank you once again for your loyalty to Phantasy Star Online.

Yours sincerely

Ryusuke Ito
IT & Network Director" ...

via Cubed3

Considering UK team Rare, developer of the seminal FPS GoldenEye 007, was sold to Microsoft from Nintendo and EA lost the Bond license to Activision recently, chances of the classic appearing on Virtual Console seemed slim-to-none.

But, when asked about the possibility of the James Bond shooter appearing on Nintendo's Virtual Console and/or Microsoft's XBLA, the answer given was "GoldenEye is caught up in a convoluted web of rights the likes of which would make the Weaver from Perdido Street Station jealous. That doesn't mean it won't happen, just that a lot of people with a lot of different perspectives are involved."

However, that answer hardly sheds any new light on what we already knew. Adding to this, a question was asked about other Rare games from Nintendo systems appearing on the Wii's retro service, and the response was:

"This is where we finally edge into territory that could see Scribes neutron bombed from management level. The only Rare-developed title on Virtual Console right now is the original Donkey Kong Country, and unofficially there's a strong likelihood that its sequels will follow. But the Donkey Kong series of games is a Nintendo-owned franchise starring an established Nintendo character, whereas something like Banjo isn't (and even Diddy Kong Racing is less clear-cut), so it's nowhere near as easy to call. Especially when you also consider the existence of Xbox Live Arcade. So right now, the best answer we can offer (for either download service) is 'it's possible'." ...

via Cubed3

Revistronic has announced a tactical combat project for next generation consoles, pitting players against deformed Hordes of the Beast, an evil creature wreaking havoc across the land.

In Project WITCHES, players take control of a sultry warrior known as Gwen , who resists his evil will and leads a rebellion to relieve the world of darkness. The creature lives in the depths of a deep, dark castle in a really original storyline.

Players team up with human/computer allies to aid their combat, rescue captives, obtain help and lead their team.



Project WITCHES hits Microsoft Xbox360, Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii in 2008. Thanks to NGC for the tip. ...

via GizmoCafe

For those who’ve been interested in owning the Nintendo Wii since it launched last November, the pursuit has been something like hunting a great white whale. Although the equally anticipated Sony PlayStation 3 was the first to experience massive shortages, growing excitement over Nintendo’s motion sensitivity and lower price tag eventually made it the in-demand Christmas toy. It seems Nintendo simply wasn’t prepared, and after months and months of keeping quiet while consumers fumed, the company is finally admitting it has a problem.

In a recent Q&A hosted on Nintendo’s website, CEO and President Satoru Iwata apologized for the shortage, saying,

“We are sorry that we were unable to sufficiently forecast this kind of demand…Making a significant volume of the high-tech hardware, and making an additional volume, is not an easy task at all”

Finally, word from the top. Unfortunately, there may not be any end in sight. Iwata goes on to say,

“…when we clear one bottleneck for a production increase, we will face another one.”

Some hope exists. For one, the company is ramping up production as much as it can, with an expected “small increase” in retail numbers for the next month or two. Beyond that, Iwata doesn’t appear optimistic.

Regardless, the “white whale” status of the little console – along with its rampant popularity – are both good news for Nintendo. With the list of software hits still a bit soft in its first full year in release (at least, compared with Sony and Microsoft), the continuing shortage keeps the public firmly focused on a Wii console that simply must be phenomenal – otherwise, why would it be sold out? ...

via Video Game Generation

D3Publisher of America announced today that it will release Ben 10: Protector of Earth to the Nintendo Wii, DS, PS2, and PSP this fall. In the game, players take on the role of tyke turned hero Ben Tennyson as he uses the power of the Omnitrix to change into one of five alien forms and save the world from arch-enemy Vilgax.

“Ben 10: Protector of Earth authentically portrays characters from the hit animated series, including Ben, Gwen and Grandpa Max, evil Kevin 11, the Forever Knights and even Ben’s arch-enemy Vilgax,” said Careen Yapp, vice president of licensing and business development for D3PA. “The Omnitrix’s most popular alien heroes will be accessible as playable characters, and a familiar summer vacation storyline including all-new locations and content for players will immerse gamers in Ben’s world like never before!”

“Taking the action-packed world of Ben 10 to the next level and creating an immersive gaming experience for our fans is really exciting for us,” said Christina Miller, vice president of Consumer Products for Cartoon Network Enterprises. “D3PA has a proven talent for turning Cartoon Network’s popular characters into authentic and well-designed video games. The variety of powerful action play in Ben 10: Protector of Earth will engage players of all levels and keep them coming back.”

The DS version is in development at 1st Playable Productions, while other versions are being handled by High Voltage Software. ...