News via http://www.retroactionmagazine.com/

Issue 3 of Classic Video Gamer Magazine (Winter 2009) is available to purchase in digital PDF form for $1.95. There is a special preview download available to readers who wish to get a taste of the issue. Issue 3's retrogaming content includes:

Cover Feature: Rush Rush Rally Racing for Sega Dreamcast & Zaku for Atari Lynx
NWCE 2009 Show Report
Review:
Review: Last Hope Pink Bullets (New Release)
Review: Shield Shifter (VCS New Release)
Review: StripOff (VCS (New Release)
Review: Dux (DC)
Hardware Review: USB CX-40 Joystick
Events Central (New Column)
Game Over: 30 Years After Pac-Man Fever
Developer Interviews
Interviews with Classic Gaming Community Icons
Returning Columns: What’s on Tap, etc.
and more
Weblink: http://www.classicvgm.com/ ...

Sega has just revealed plans to release a premium edition of Yakuza 3 on PS3 when the Tokyo-set brawler arrives in UK shops on March 12.

The fatter bundle, which Sega confirmed to CVG will cost £49.99, will come packed with:

4 pieces of DLC
- Battle for Survival - Take on all the bosses of Yakuza 3 as Kazuma
- All-Star Tournament (7 character tournament)
- All-Star Tag Tournament (8 team tournament)
- Haruka's Request - This unique series of challenge missions will send you on a task of exploration throughout the entire Yakuza world, playing mini-games and entertaining Haruka.

31 track soundtrack
Yakuza Who's Who - learn how all the characters are connected and who turned from rivals to allies in this fully animated guide

There are some pre-order-only goodies too. According to the official PR: "Consumers who pre-order the game will receive the Challenge Pack which will allow them to enjoy 2 player mini games, competing against their friends at Pool, Bowling, Darts and Golf. They will also be able to customise their principle characters with four alternative costumes for Kazuma, Haruka and Rikiya."

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

There are "many stories" that could be told within the BioShock universe, the sequel's audio lead has told CVG.

Speaking in our recently-published BioShock 2 interview, 2K's Michael Kamper said the series has some "pretty intense fans" who'd lap up any sort of brand expansion.

"Rapture is probably one of the most unique places ever invented," he told CVG. "I have to imagine that there are many stories that could be told within its walls. But right now we're just focused on making a successful launch for BioShock 2."

On expanding the BioShock 2 brand to other media, such as comics, toys and films, Kamper said: "Personally I would love to see all of those things available but I can't speak to future plans regarding any brand expansion.

"We have some pretty intense fans who I know would just devour all of that material and 2K's dedication to quality would make sure that every product would be something worth spending your money on."

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

Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and Guardian editor-in-chief Alan Rusbridger have both praised Apple's iPad tablet, and its potential impact for their businesses.
Iger described the device as a "game changer", and suggested it will new kinds of spin-offs from the company's ESPN and ABC TV networks.
"The interactivity that it will allow as a portable device with such a high-quality screen will enable us to develop product that’s different to what we see on internet connected computers and TVs," Iger said, following Walt Disney's latest financials.
Of course, he'd be unlikely to slate (ahem) the device, given that a certain Steve Jobs is one of the biggest shareholders in Disney.
Meanwhile, the Guardian's Rusbridger suggests that the success of the newspaper's iPhone app could herald even better returns from the iPad.

"It’s perfectly possible that the iPad, if we get the right functionality and design, could produce interesting, significant revenue streams," he tells Reuters.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/35971...uardian-bosses ...

Disney is to publish fewer titles for "high-end systems" in the future, as it focuses on the Wii and Nintendo DS, according to comments made by Disney CEO Bob Iger.

As reported by website ComputerWorld, Iger was asked how the company's approach to the video games market compared to its position in 2007 and the formation of Disney Interactive Studios.

"Disney-branded games seem to perform better on the Wii and DS platforms," answered Iger.

"While we'll continue to make high-end games," he added. "We'll be very judicious in how many we make and which ones we choose."

Despite seeming to downplay the importance of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases, Iger identified racing game Split/Second as a key title for 2010, along with Wii exclusive Epic Mickey and movie adaptations Tron Legacy and Toy Story 3.

Instead of Disney tie-ins the company's recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment seems set to become more of a priority for the HD formats. "We have some interesting opportunities with Marvel." said Iger.

"That's a brand we think would do extremely well on higher-end consoles," he said.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...marvel-tie-ins ...

The shortlist for the BAFTA GAME Award of 2009 has been announced, with the public being encouraged to vote for their favourite title of the last year.

The award is the only one in the GAME sponsored BAFTA event to be voted for by the public, with titles including Modern Warfare 2, FIFA 10, Assassin's Creed II, FIFA 10 and Batman: Arkham Asylum amongst the possible choices.

In 2008 more than 60,000 people voted for the award, which was won by 2007 release Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

The public are invited to vote at the official BAFTA Game Award website, with the results due to be announced at the gala awards ceremony on March 19.

The event will be hosted by comedian Dara O'Briain, a lifelong gamer, who commented: "I am delighted to have been asked back to host the GAME BAFTA’s for the second year running. It’s an honour to acclaim the very real people whose creativity, innovation and wit produce such amazing virtual worlds".

The full list of GAME Award nominations is as follows:

Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos/Rocksteady Studios)
The Beatles: Rock Band (EA/MTV Games/Harmonix)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision/Infinity Ward)
FIFA 10 (EA/EA Canada)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar/Rockstar Leeds)
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)
Street Fighter IV (Capcom/Dimps)
Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves (Sony/Naughty Dog)
Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...or-public-vote ...

Accessories maker Mad Catz has seen revenues increase by 19 per cent in its third quarter, with Christmas 2009 sales the second best in the company's history.

The owner of the Saitek and Joytech brands reported net sales of $48.8 million for the three months ended December 31, up from $40.8 million at the same time in 2008.

North American sales experienced a small decrease of 1 per cent to $24.6 million, while net sales in Europe rose by 58 per cent to a record $23.0 million. Net income also hit record amounts, with a $5.6 million profit compared to the previous year's loss of $26.9 million.

The company claims to be ahead of schedule in its drive to reduce sales, general and administrative expenses by at least 10 per cent. It has also attributed the improvement to high profile tie-ins to prominent titles such as Modern Warfare 2 and Street Fighter IV.

"These results reflect our success in aligning the company with some of the industry's most popular and anticipated titles and in bringing high-value products to market that enhance the gaming experience," said president and CEO Darren Richardson.

Over the past few years, we've successfully transitioned Mad Catz's product strategy from a value-oriented console videogame focus to a premium products focus, diversifying both geographically and by expanding to the PC market," he added.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...christmas-2009 ...

Forza Motorsport 3 has now sold two million copies worldwide, according to figures from Microsoft.

"After speeding past the finish line last October, Forza Motorsport 3 is now in the hands of more than two million passionate car lovers around the world,” said developer Turn 10. "To give fans even more reasons to keep behind the wheel with the game, Turn 10 today releases two brand new tracks in the downloadable Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit Track Pack."

At the start of December the game had sold over one million in its first month on sale.

The new DLC is available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace priced at 400 MS Points.

Earlier this week it was reported that Sony's Gran Turismo series has now sold over 55 million, with the latest Gran Turismo PSP reaching sales of 1.8m.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...lion-worldwide ...

The former VP of Sony's Worldwide Studios, Jamie MacDonald, has said that developers from web backgrounds are proving successful in the casual games space due to their focus on "grabbing eyeballs" and growing user bases over simply making level-based games that tell stories.

And according to MacDonald, people from traditional gaming backgrounds will need to change their mindsets in order to succeed similarly in that sector.

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, MacDonald - who left Sony last year and has gone on to work consulting start-up companies in the social and casual gaming spaces - said that he first noticed the divide in attitudes between developers from games backgrounds and web ones before Sony, when he was working for interactive TV company NTL Interactive.

"I couldn't help but notice that there are two distinct almost digital media tribes. There's the web people and the games people. It always felt like they were working on tantalisingly close parallel lines which never converge and they kind of have different mindsets," he said.

"A lot of the successful developers in this casual games space and social games space come from a web background rather than a games background. I think that traditionally people from a web background are much more focused on grabbing eyeballs - that's what they would do on an hour-by-hour, day-by-day basis. It's about getting people's attention rather than, say, telling a story. It's about how to distribute their content and growing their audience and that's not something that a traditional games developer has been focused on, which is a more long-form kind of thing.

"It's not rocket science, and the people from a traditional games background will, and indeed are, changing their mindsets."

Talking about the rise of casual games on open mediums such as Facebook, MacDonald said that he doesn't believe their popularity will have a negative impact on console gaming, nor change the established relationship between traditional developers and publishers.

"Was the cinema boxed in by the rise of TV?" he says. "At the time they probably thought they were, but it just broadens and just generally increases the size and scope of the medium. And personally I think the consoles, certainly at the moment, are absolutely providing real cutting edge experiences. The products that other people are working on, in the casual and social spaces, they aren't replacing by any means what's happening on the consoles. They're complimenting it."

And he added that the rise in popularity of social gaming wasn't simply a fad but an important part of gaming's evolution.

"I wouldn't like to say it's unstoppable, but I see it as a central thread of how interactive entertainment is evolving," he said.

"It's not a fad. I think that maybe at the moment it's the area that has a lot of focus, and that maybe the attention will move away from it in the next year or two, but from a business and consumer point of view I don't think it's going to go away. I think that if anything it's going to grow and become embedded and a fundamental part of how we play and communicate with each other and entertainment ourselves."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-web-designers ...