via Computer and Video Games


PS3 was noted for being a particularly expensive console to make on its release year of 2006, but the cost of making them has almost halved, according to electronics research company iSuppli.

The original launch day versions of PS3 were said to cost Sony around $840 per unit to make. Sony was selling them for $599 in the US (£425 over here).

Since then, PS3s have lost PS2 game support, a couple of USB and memory card ports, and gained bigger hard drives, that the revisions seem to have paid off.

According to iSuppli (via Business Week), who did a recent tear-down of the latest PS3s available, those costs are now down to around $440 per unit, which Sony sells on for $399 (or £299).

If the figures are accurate, that would put Sony's losses per console down from around $240 to just $40 per unit.

Despite expectations, Sony has insisted it has "no plans" for a price reduction on PS3 in March next year, in which the company expects to sell 10 million consoles. ...

via Games Industry


FIFA 09 is the UK's Christmas 2008 number one game, jumping up two places to leapfrog Call of Duty: World at War and Mario Kart Wii.

It will have surprised many who believed that Call of Duty was going to stay at the top, but the Activision shooter fell back to number two, followed by Mario Kart.

Need for Speed: Undercover remained in fourth place, while Brain Training held steady in fifth.

Wii Play was up one place to sixth, while the Bond brand clearly proved popular with gift-givers as Quantum of Solace jumped up from 13th to seventh place.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village made a creditable debut in eighth, while Tomb Raider: Underworld was in ninth and Wii Fit took tenth.

A number of the big names moves up a few places elsewhere on the chart, including LittleBigPlanet, Prince of Persia and Far Cry 2, but Fallout 3 was the biggest loser in the top twenty, dropping from sixth to 14th place.

In all Nintendo took the most places with five titles in the top ten, while EA and Activision Blizzard had two apiece and Eidos one.

The full top ten is as follows:

• FIFA 09 (EA)
• Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
• Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
• Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)
• Brain Training (Nintendo)
• Wii Play (Nintendo)
• Quantum of Solace (Activision Blizzard)
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
• Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos)
• Wii Fit (Nintendo)

Chart information Copyright ELSPA. ...

via Games Industry


FIFA 09 is the UK's Christmas 2008 number one game, jumping up two places to leapfrog Call of Duty: World at War and Mario Kart Wii.

It will have surprised many who believed that Call of Duty was going to stay at the top, but the Activision shooter fell back to number two, followed by Mario Kart.

Need for Speed: Undercover remained in fourth place, while Brain Training held steady in fifth.

Wii Play was up one place to sixth, while the Bond brand clearly proved popular with gift-givers as Quantum of Solace jumped up from 13th to seventh place.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village made a creditable debut in eighth, while Tomb Raider: Underworld was in ninth and Wii Fit took tenth.

A number of the big names moves up a few places elsewhere on the chart, including LittleBigPlanet, Prince of Persia and Far Cry 2, but Fallout 3 was the biggest loser in the top twenty, dropping from sixth to 14th place.

In all Nintendo took the most places with five titles in the top ten, while EA and Activision Blizzard had two apiece and Eidos one.

The full top ten is as follows:

• FIFA 09 (EA)
• Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
• Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
• Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)
• Brain Training (Nintendo)
• Wii Play (Nintendo)
• Quantum of Solace (Activision Blizzard)
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
• Tomb Raider: Underworld (Eidos)
• Wii Fit (Nintendo)

Chart information Copyright ELSPA. ...

via Eurogamer


Sony's Pulse video show reckons PAIN has been the most downloaded PlayStation Network game this year.

The physics-based hurl-an-avatar-into-things-for-points title was released in March, and has benefited from extra levels and Trophy support over the subsequent months.

Even David Hasselhoff hopped on board, re-recording Culture Club and perhaps slopping a cheeseburger on the floor in the process.

High Velocity Bowling managed to take second, according to the list on PS3 Fanboy, followed by Super Stardust HD and the excellent PixelJunk Monsters. FlOw eased into fourth, tailed by Warhawk at five and Aquatopia at six.

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection kicked up a fuss at seven, beating High Stakes Poker at nine and Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty at 10.

But where is WipEout HD? The game Sony Europe told us (on Friday, in a statement about the Trial version) was the "fastest-selling" PSN game to date and the "top seller" for the whole of November?

The WipEout HD trial will go live from 24th December, which is when we will be doing our Christmas shopping. ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo plans to add brilliant Square Enix Super Nintendo action role-player Secret of Mana to the Wii Virtual Console on Boxing Day.

This is one of our all-time SNES favourites, and at 800 Wii Points (GBP 6 / EUR 8 approx) we've no need to be asked twice. Consider the three-player co-op, upgradable weapons, ridable dragon and epic plot and you shouldn't need much prompting either. Punchable rabbit-things, too. Even now the words "ring menu system" give us chills.

The same day also hails the arrival of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from the days of the Master System. Sonic was good back then, and at 500 Points (GBP 3.50 / EUR 5 approx) it's a cheap trip down memory lane, where Tails is invited to cross the road without looking. Splat.

We'll bring you our thoughts on both soon. ...

via Joystiq


You've got to feel for Bob Pelloni. The guy sinks 15,000 hours over five years into making a DS RPG -- completely by himself -- called Bob's Game. Now, when his labor of love is finally ready to be shown to the world, the poor guy can't wrestle the last thing he needs, a disc containing the development kit (or SDK), away from Nintendo. After 17 weeks of trying, Bob's getting serious and locking himself in solitary confinement for 100 days in protest.

Bob's got no internet, no television, just the tools he needs to work and a phone to check his email (in the hopes that Nintendo tries to get a hold of him). If you'd like to pitch in and help out, Bob's asking that you drop a line to Big N. We'll do the same, and let you know what we hear. ...

via Computer and Video Games


An as-yet unexplained error related to PS3 Trophy synchronisation is breaking a number of games on the console.

The error, which seems to have first struck after the release of firmware version 2.50, appears to occur when users change their PSN ID or password.

After doing so, their Trophy data becomes corrupt and running a select number of games brings up an error that notifies the user of a failure to sync Trophy data. In the worst of cases, the game forces the player to quit and "try again", only to repeat the same message.

Known affected titles include WipEout HD, Burnout Paradise, LittleBigPlanet and Pain.

The first complaints hit forums back in October and, having gone unfixed for so long, it has left many doubtful that a patch will come before the Christmas break, when those PS3s should be getting a considerable hammering.

A Sony community man posting under the alias 'MusterBuster' only just this week said: "A fix is on the way, but I don't have an ETA yet".

Firmware update 2.53, released earlier this month, didn't fix the problem.

CVG has contacted Sony for an official statement. Hopefully we'll have some good news for you before the day's out.

Otherwise, there is one suggested fix that has worked for some titles. Bit of a pain in the ass though. You have to:

• Delete your Game Data (that's the install files for a game, NOT the Save Data).
• Use the Backup option in the PS3's XMB to create a full backup of your hard drive.
• Restore your PS3 from the backup.
• You trophies will all be gone but don't panic - that data will be stored on Sony's servers. Just reinstall the game, install the Trophy data and the sync should work fine. Maybe.

Give it a go at your own discretion. Meanwhile, we'd offer you one other tip: don't change your PSN ID or password for a while. Prevention is better than cure.

Thanks to CVG reader Glen for the tip. ...

via Eurogamer


Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds has said it's in "ongoing discussions" with Microsoft following reports that Crackdown 2 is being developed by a new studio, Ruffian, formed by ex-RTW staffers.


Realtime Worlds boss and Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones added that he would be "gutted not to be involved", and said if Microsoft did go elsewhere, he hoped the team picked would be more established and capable of offering "the quality gaming experience Crackdown players would demand".

MacDonald explained that "maybe five or six" former employees had been snapped up by Ruffian, but said "the vast majority of the Crackdown team remain at RTW".

Realtime Worlds currently has its hands full with urban MMO APB, which is expected to launch sometime next year. There's also, added MacDonald, "an unannounced project that will cause quite a stir when unveiled". Perhaps it's Crackdown 2! [Droll - Ed].

Crackdown, an Xbox 360 exclusive, launched in early 2007 and offered up a cel-shaded openworld where super-powered agents were tasked with wiping the city of various crime lords and factions.

Among the chief attractions were online jump-in co-op, plus various exaggerated explosions and rooftop acrobatics. Very good, said we. ...

via Eurogamer


Atari has set a 13th February 2009 release date for the Xbox 360-exclusive RACE Pro.

That's a weekend's head start on America, where the game hits shops on 17th February. This gives us plenty of time to practice and put our foreign friends to shame, like we do in the rowing and, er, cycling. Pip pip.

Atari has a demo planned for "late January", too.

Developed by Swedish outfit SimBin, RACE Pro sticks to the authentic side of motoring, where gears can be calibrated and corners require caution not carelessness.

The studio's responsible for the well-received GTR series, and our hands-on impressions of RACE Pro suggest this is another tip top affair.

Our RACE Pro gamepage has much more, like pictures. (And we do like pictures). ...