Sony's PSP has remained on top for a second week in Japan's hardware charts, but the combined DS range is currently 140,000 units ahead of the PS range for 2010 to date.

As always, the multiple DS SKUs add up to a greater weekly total than the PSP combined with its increasingly ailing media-free sibling, the PSPgo. The Go's take-up has been sliced in half since the previous week, opening just 831 wallets during the week ending July 25.

Aside from the Go's ill-fortune, the chart is more or less unchanged from last week:

PSP – 28,747
DSi LL – 24,189
Wii – 21,092
PlayStation 3: 19,420
Nintendo DSi: 18,202
Xbox 360: 6056
Nintendo DS Lite: 5059
PlayStation 2: 1475
PSPgo: 831
However, now we've passed the six month point, the total hardware sales in Japan for 2010 to date (totted up at VG247) can be assessed:

DS –1,326,136
PSP – 1,184,652
Wii – 886,880
PlayStation 3: 813,563
Xbox 360: 123,649
PlayStation 2: 49,912
By comparison, these were the sales for the entirety of 2009:

DS –3,978,953
PSP – 2,248,171
Wii – 1,962,367
PlayStation 3: 1,764,532
Xbox 360: 373,357
PlayStation 2: 206,555
If these are halved to approximately represent six months, the 2009 and 2010 to date figures are not enormously different - though the DS's lead over the PSP seems to have declined somewhat since last year, while the PS2 is on track to slump by some 50 per cent.

Of course, the advent of PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect towards Christmas could affect these charts dramatically - as would the unlikely but possible arrival of the Nintendo 3DS before the year is out.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...10-total-sales ...

The internal Bethesda Softworks development team has no plans to develop for Nintendo systems because it feels its games are graphically and thematically better suited to other formats.

That's according to executive producer Todd Howard, who told IndustryGamers, "The stuff we're doing is a better fit on the other platforms. You can never say never, but I think for the kind of games that we like to play and make, it fits the other platforms."

Howard acknowledged that this was more down to a mismatch of audiences than any kind of prejudice.

"Even if there's going to be some bigger, more mature games on it, the system, for better or worse, has been moved to this demographic [of casual gaming]," he said.

"If we had an idea that we thought would really take advantage of that platform, we would do something for it. Usually, we're thinking more in terms of graphically doing things that the other systems do. That's what we get excited about."

Nor is Bethesda considering iPhone or social game development for the time being, although in each case for different reasons.

"Once the id thing came about [Bethesda owner ZeniMax acquired id Software in 2009], they were doing enough mobile stuff that I kind of felt, 'OK, they're doing some really good stuff right now; let's see how that market goes before I start putting my own time or other people's time into something that, at the end of the day, might be a distraction from the bigger game that we need to be making.'" Howard explained when asked about iPhone.

"At the end of the day, [it] might be a distraction from the bigger game that we need to be making. For now, it's definitely on the back burner."

As for social platforms like Facebook and the success of games like Farmville... "I've got to be honest, I don't get it," said Howard. "I look at it and try to understand but for now I've just decided to ignore it."

Bethesda Softworks is currently working on an unannounced project that we assume everyone hopes is a new Elder Scrolls game...

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/be...-iphone-social ...

LucasArts has insisted upcoming Star Wars sequel The Force Unleashed II remains on target for an October release despite the executive producer's decision to quit.

Executive producer and writer of the Force Unleashed videogame series, Haden Blackman, resigned from LucasArts yesterday after 13 years with the studio, IGN reports.

"I've had a fantastic time working with the team at Lucasfilm and am really grateful for their ongoing support," Blackman said in a statement.

"While the decision to leave LucasArts did not happen overnight or come easily, I really feel that now is the best time for me to move on and explore new creative challenges and I look forward to the next phase of my career."

LucasArts said Blackman's departure will not affect the game's development.

"From launching Behind the Magic to delivering Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I and II, Haden has been an invaluable member of the team during his tenure with the company," LucasArts told GamePro.

"We are extremely grateful for his many contributions, fully support him in his new endeavours and wish him all the best in the future."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fo...main-man-quits ...

Activision may be offering similar bundle deals for Call of Duty: Black Ops to those it offered for last year's Modern Warfare 2.

That's if retailer listings for Hardened and Prestige versions of the first-person shooter uncovered by IGN are to be trusted.

The listings on Buy.com, since pulled, offered no information on contents but had $79.99 and $149.99 price points respectively.

Activision told the site, "We haven't made any announcements to date."

The Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 2 came in a steelbook case and included a hardback art book and a redeemable code for the Call of Duty Classic downloadable PSN and XBLA game.

The Prestige version, meanwhile, included a pair of working night-vision goggles, which yours truly bought a friend for Christmas. Apparently they spend a lot of time in the dark under his bed.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bl...-prestige-vers ...

Capcom has revealed that Lost Planet 2 "underperformed its projection substantially", Monster Hunter Tri "grew at a sluggish pace" and Ghost Trick "struggled".

The comments come from a miserable financial report for the three month period ended 30th June. In it, Capcom's net income plummeted by 90.4 per cent to just 213 million yen compared to the same period last year.

Lost Planet 2 sold 1.5 million units globally during those three months, while Super Street Fighter IV sold 1.35 million units ("steady growth") and Monster Hunter Tri sold 690,00 units.

Monster Hunter Frontier Online also witnessed "steady growth". The game shipped 130,000 units on Xbox 360 in Japan in two weeks. That's not bad, given the paltry number of Xbox 360 owners in the region. The PC version of Monster Hunter Frontier Online will have a "major update" in September.

The financial document claimed European and US markets were "shrinking under the stagnating economy", which meant losing money to bad exchange rates, and "an increase in software development expenses" helped operating income plunge 72.6 per cent YOY.

Capcom will attempt to fix these numbers by "renovating" Japanese development and "updating" the overseas alliance model.

Capcom's also going to dive into the mobile market with a social Monster Hunter game.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/lo...underperformed ...

The new Operation Flashpoint game will be called OF: Red River, CVG has discovered.

According to the online CV of a Codemasters artist, the title will be released in 2011 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

No other details about the game are revealed, but it's almost certain to be a strategic FPS like predecessor Dragon Rising.

That title got a decent critical reception on its release back in October, 2009 - and won the admiration of PC Zone.

Dragon Rising was also a commercial success for Codemasters, reaching the Top Five of the UK All Formats chart.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS ...

Despite this week’s ruling that saw the illegalisation of nearly all devices aimed at allowing the running of homebrew and pirated games on the Nintendo DS, MCV has confirmed that some outlets are still selling the accessories.
Though many of the links that come up in a Google search for ‘R4’ now lead to either missing pages or 404 links, in the space of 30 minutes MCV was still able to locate two retailers willing to sell us an R4 card right now.
In addition, we’re waiting on email responses from several more websites claiming to offer the device.
Though both vendors we spoke to were cagey about whether the R4 would allow us to play pirated games, both confessed to uncertainty about its legality – though both were happy to continue selling them.
MCV has withheld the names of the retailers in question and supplied the information to ELSPA and Nintendo.

Thanks to the MCV reader who helped us out with the story.
RETAILER 1

MCV: Hello. I’ve just been looking at something on your website called the R4. The blurb is a little vague so I wanted to make sure it’s the thing I’m after before I order it. Can I ask you what it does please?
THEM: The allow you to play music, video and pictures on your console and can also be used for people who have designed their own games and homebrew on the DS as well.

MCV: I’ve been told that you can play any game you want using them too?
THEM: I wouldn’t know about that.

MCV: I’ve also been told that it’s actually illegal to sell them.
THEM: We’ve not heard anything about that. We’re waiting for a release to find out what’s going on with that. But as far as we’re aware everything’s OK.
MCV: Despite the High Court ruling in London this week saying it’s illegal to import, distribute, advertise or sell them?
THEM: We’re currently in the process of awaiting advice about that.
MCV: But I’m free to order them at the moment?
THEM: That’s correct, yes.
MCV: As long as that’s clear, thanks.
RETAILER 2
MCV: Hello. I’ve just been looking at something on your website called the R4. The blurb is a little vague so I wanted to make sure it’s the thing I’m after before I order it. My friend tells me he’s able to use his to play any game he likes on his DS?
THEM: Erm, it’s used for a number of different purposes. You can use it for watching movies, viewing pictures or playing homebrew games and that sort of stuff.
MCV: What does homebrew mean exactly?
THEM: It’s an unlicensed game that’s been created by a developer without a licence.
MCV: My friend says he plays whatever game he wants on there. Is that how it works?
THEM: Yeah, I mean there is that side of it but we don’t really get involved with that side of things to be honest.
MCV: I’ve also read that these things are illegal. Is that right?
THEM: Yeah, there’s a decision that we’re investigating at the moment that came down through the courts a couple of days ago. It’s possible that once the stock that we’ve got now has sold through that we won’t be stocking this item.
MCV: But I’m OK to order it now?
THEM: I’d suggest that if you want one you order it ASAP. We’ve got limited stock in and it’s selling very fast.
MCV: Sells well, does it?
THEM: Yeah, it’s always been good but I think a lot of vendors have heard about the decision and a lot of them are ceasing to sell them so, yeah, stocks are limited. I’d get one now.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/40230/Reta...gnore-R4DS-ban ...

A survey conducted by a US research firms claims iPad users are unkind and have little empathy, branding them a 'selfish elite'.
The survey, as reported by the Daily Mail, polled 20,000 people, and also claimed iPad users are "six times more likely to be wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50-year-olds.
They are self-centered workaholics with an overwhelming interest in business and finance who cherish ‘power and achievement’ and will not cross the street to help others."
Before the anti-Apple clan get too smug, the survey also claims those who criticise the device are ‘independent geeks’ who do so to give them an "identity statement that helps them cope with their own failings."
"As a mainstream, closed-platform device whose major claim to fame is ease of use and sex appeal, the iPad is everything that they are not."

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/37996...ed-workaholics ...

In its long line of great game titles, the Hands-On Mobile game COPS: High Speed Pursuit is now available across all carriers. Created from one of the most compelling and unpredictable shows on television, COPS fans can now feel the action pack highway speed, the thrill of a car chase and a chance to catch bad guys all from the safety of their phone. Each level comes with different adrenaline-spiked pursuits as players attempt to catch suspects, while racing across the open highways of the Florida Everglades, the mountainous passes of the Pacific Northwest, the dusty, winding roads of Route 66, and the traffic-clogged freeways of Los Angeles. ...