via Eurogamer


Call of Duty 4 has racked up 11 million unique players since launch on Xbox Live, and over 4 million on PlayStation Network, according to Infinity Ward's Rob Bowling.

Bowling revealed the sensational figures when accepting one of COD 4: Modern Warfare's three BAFTAs in London on Tuesday night.

"I'm delighted that we just reached 11 million unique players on Xbox Live and we've got over 4 million on PSN," Bowling said, according to eyewitnesses (who'd had a bit to drink so don't blame us if the wording isn't exact).

We've confirmed with Activision that the figures relate to COD 4 alone, not the entire Call of Duty franchise.

According to Microsoft, Xbox Live has 17 million users overall, meaning two-thirds of them have played Infinity Ward's first-person shooter. The figures track all players, not just those who've played online multiplayer (necessarily so, since the word is that only 9.5 million people pay for Xbox Live Gold).

Add the untold number of players out there who haven't connected their 360s to the internet, and you get a sense of the true scale of Infinity Ward's success - and that's not even counting PC and PS3 players. As a comparison, MMO king and Activision Blizzard stablemate World of Warcraft has 11 million players worldwide (although, unlike the COD figure, these are all currently active).

Infinity Ward is currently working on a Modern Warfare sequel, due for release at the end of this year. ...

via Games Industry


Resident Evil 5 on the PlayStation 3 has debuted at the top of the Japanese software sales chart, shifting 319,000 units, according to Media Create.

Capcom's survival horror was followed by Sega's DS title Seventh Dragon, which debuted with 80,000 unit sales. Resident Evil 5 appeared once more at number three on the Xbox 360, selling 79,000 units.

PlayStation Portable title, Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid came fourth, while Yakuza 3, for the PS3, dropped from first to fifth place.

DS titles Mario & Luigi RPG 3 and Aibou DS took sixth and seventh places respectively, with the latter title debuting this week at 43,000 units.

Super Robot Taisen Z Special Disc, for the PlayStation 2, also released this week, took eighth place with 28,000 units.

Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) came in ninth and Tennis no Oji-Sama: Doubles no Oji-Sama - Girls, Be Gracious! for the DS, debuted at number ten with 14,000 units sold.


Japanese software sales chart follows:

01. Resident Evil 5 (PS3)
02. Seventh Dragon (DS)
03. Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)
04. Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid (PSP)
05. Yakuza 3 (PS3)
06. Mario & Luigi RPG 3 (DS)
07. Aibou DS (DS)
08. Super Robot Taisen Z Special Disc (PS2)
09. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) (PSP)
10. Tennis no Oji-Sama: Doubles no Oji-Sama - Girls, Be Gracious! (DS) ...

via Games Industry


Don McCabe, managing director of UK retailer Chips, has spoken out in surprise at Nintendo's price increase of the Wii, suggesting that the videogames giant could have sold the console at the GBP 199.99 price point "from the very beginning".

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, McCabe explained how the move by Nintendo was not entirely unexpected, but would impact sales negatively as the price would have to be passed on to the consumer.


He explained that Nintendo could have probably sold the console at the higher price point since its launch without impacting sales, but that the public perception of the price hike will be negative.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I think Nintendo could have sold all the machines that they have done at the GBP 199 price point, because we've effectively had shortages from day one, pretty much all the way through."

He added: "There's never ever been quite enough stock in the market place, each Christmas we come to there's always stock shortages."

"It will have a negative effect on the sales... I think we'll still end up with shortages come Christmas again, but through the summer it's going to have an effect."

When asked if there were concerns of more price hikes across different products, McCabe commented: "It wouldn't be unrealistic to expect similar price rises across the whole Nintendo range."

The increase price will almost certainly have to passed on to the consumer, McCabe reasoned, despite any current reports to the contrary.

"I don't think any retailer has got the ability to soak up that sort of margin change," he explained. "I think I saw one story that said the supermarkets wouldn't be passing the price point on but I think they will. I don't think any retailer can take that sort of squeeze." ...

via Eurogamer


New ball rolling game Vertigo has been confirmed for a release next month.

The Wii version can be played using either the remote or the balance board. There are more than 50 levels, three classes of ball and a host of unlockable upgrade options. You can also customise balls to suit your playing style.

There's a deathmatch mode for multiplayer action, along with mini-games such as ten pin bowling and football.

Vertigo will be released for PC and Wii on 3rd April. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Project Gotham Racing 4's Premium Challenge Pack is the new Xbox Live Deal of the Week.

The pack, which includes more than ten new vehicles and the World Challenge Arcade Mode, is now available for 240 Microsoft points (£2.04), a saving of 40% from its original 400 point price tag.

The deal's available only to Xbox Live Gold members, says Microsoft, and it's trying to make sure that XBL deals are available to all regions.

Forthcoming Xbox Live deals include a discount (between 25% and 50% apparently) on the original Xbox version of Fable, which will be nice. ...

via Computer and Video Games


In light of recent rumours, Nintendo has told CVG that Wii MotionPlus technically isn't delayed because it was never officially dated.

The new motion-sensing peripheral was widely expected to release this spring - when Nintendo had originally dated the peripheral's showcase title, Wii Sports Resort, to hit shelves.

Wii Sports Resort, however, recently dropped off Nintendo release shedules, and rumours suggest Nintendo is still ironing out some creases with the new MotionPlus tech, which may see its release fall beyond June.

But a Nintendo rep told CVG: "No date was ever announced for MotionPlus - so technically it can't be delayed."

Doesn't sound like it'll be out any time soon. ...

via IGN


You might recall rumours of a Silent Hill remake heading toward both Wii and PSP, following website VG247's recent noises regarding secret toil happening down at developer Climax's UK studio.

Well, the British Board of Film Certification (eagle-eyed overseas readers might more readily remember it as the entity which twice banned Rockstar's Manhunt 2 in the UK) has added weight to rumours by publishing certification details for a new Silent Hill game, submitted by Konami and classified on March 9, 2009.

That - '15'-rated - certification covers various components, listed on the game's BBFC classification page, including the game itself, plus numerous video submissions. With names like "BAD+ ENDING PT.1.WMV", these are clearly cut-scene elements.

According to the BBFC's extended classification information, "SILENT HILL is a horror / survival game that is played from the third person perspective. It was originally released on the Sony PlayStation in 1999. The player assumes the role of Harry Mason, a writer who has visited the town of Silent Hill with his young daughter, Cheryl. Following a car crash Harry regains consciousness to discover that Cheryl is missing."

So yes, it's a version of the franchise's seminal first outing but, with no mention of remakes or specific formats, it's still entirely open to speculation as to exactly what this recent content submission refers to. Obviously, expect more information as and when we get it. ...

via Games Industry


The NPD Group has issued its report, Online Gaming 2009, revealing that the Xbox 360 is the most widely used console online.

According to the study, Microsoft's console accounts for 50 per cent of the online home console market and is followed by the Nintendo Wii at 29 per cent, up from 18 per cent the previous year.


The report further revealed that online gamers aged between 13-17 years-old increased from to 22 percent in 2009, while those between 18-34 years-old, as well as those 35-54, decreased slightly. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Okay, so Metal Gear on iPhone isn't a full sneak-off, but it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. Konami looks to be making a game that suits the touch screen and it looks very nice indeed.

As you can see, Metal Gear Solid Touch is a fixed-position shooter based on the Metal Gear Solid 4 storyline.

You tap the screen to shoot various enemies in a range of environments from the PS3 game, and duck into cover to avoid enemy fire. Could make a good pastime on the Tube.


Screenshots here ...