Apple's new iPad could challenge Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS and become a link between mobile and home console gaming, according the German developer lbx games.

But CEO Fabian Thiele also said that a lack of support for Flash and multitasking may hamper the iPad as a home entertainment device when compared to Netbook offerings already on the market.

"Thanks to the iPhone/iPod feature set, the big screen and the fast processor, it's a real challenger for PSP and DS," said Thiele, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz.

"It combines the best features of these two devices and excels them in nearly all functions. Sure, some hidden button and a directional pad would be brilliant, but for all the games the iPhone is famous for, the iPad will shine. And I'm pretty sure, that there will be a lot of iPad specific games and applications."

Pitched as an entertainment device for the home and with an interface and operating system already familiar to iPhone and iPod Touch users, the iPad offers opportunities for both mobile and console developers, said Thiele, and further increases Apple's expansion into the games market.

"The iPad could be the link between mobile gaming and normal computer games. So both ends, the mobile developers and the 'normal' computer developers, can use the platform as an extension to their product strategy.

"Besides, it could help to strengthen the Apple position in the gaming world. Even MacBook users can hope for more games. Sure, it will be a challenge to please both crowds, but with the expansion on more devices the opportunities are wonderful."

lbx is already planning to port its iPhone hit, Spongebob Jellyfish Jam, to the iPad, with upgraded assets, controls and new features. In the future, there will be opportunities to release versions of lbx games simultaneously for both formats, said Thiele. But the device may face some hurdles with consumers accustomed to certain features.

"There are two problems - the missing support for Flash [and] the lack of multitasking. Yes, thanks to Adobe´s CS5 you will be able to transport flash-applications to iPhone/iPod and iPad. But especially surfing through the web can be disappointing without Flash. I hope that Apple or some resourceful developer will add Flash support later.

"Multitasking can be a problem, when you compare the device with a Netbook. They both play in the same price league, but with a Netbook people are used to have a look at their mails without for example stopping the movie playback."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...d-ds-lbx-games ...

Sony will release "around 10 or so" games for its impending motion control device this year, according to reports.

And among the titles that will be released for the motion controller - rumoured to be named Arc - are sports and pet raising games, said a Nikkei report (translated by Andriasang).

Last week, an "extensive line-up" of software was promised by the company, along with a worldwide release of the motion controller in North America, Europe, Japan and the Asian regions.

It also announced that the device's release date had been shifted from spring 2010 to fall - which puts its launch much closer to that of Microsoft's Natal peripheral, due this 'holiday'.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ion-controller ...

Key iPhone developers have expressed their commitment to creating games for Apple's newly unveiled iPad, and labelled the device as an important part of the impending shift from traditional console games to casual games that are enjoyed by the wider market.

"This is big because it will build on the success of the iPhone and iPod touch, increasing the presence of the iPhone platform in the living room and the bedroom," said developer Tapulous, creator of the best-selling title Tap Tap Revenge.

"That means users will spend more time in front of iPhone OS devices, and less time in front of their TV and traditional console devices, which ultimately means they will spend more time in Tap Tap Revenge and other iPhone games.

"This is part of a big shift from traditional console games aimed at hardcore gamers, and towards casual, social games enjoyed by everyone during their spare minutes."

The games the studio has currently released onto the App Store will run unmodified on the iPad, said the developer - Apple has confirmed that the device can run almost all of the 140,000 apps currently available through its store, either in 1:1 pixel in the centre of the screen, or by doubling to full screen in low resolution.

But it added that the new form factor opened up a world of new possibilities - "For example, two-player mode will be a blast on the iPad. We're going to aggressively explore how we can take full advantage of the new capabilities."

Those new capabilities will also be exploited by iPhone developer Firemint from the offset. The Australia-based developer of the acclaimed Flight Control confirmed that it was already working on an optimised and re-imagined version of the 2 million plus-selling title for iPad.

"Flight Control will work perfectly on iPad without any changes from us," it said. "But we want to ensure a delightful experience on iPad that feels just right.

"We started developing Real Racing before the iPhone 3G was announced. Similarly, we are already building our next generation of games for higher definition, more powerful devices than are available today.

"The iPad announcement and Apple's A4 chip have come at a fantastic time for us. We are working on some incredibly fun and exciting games that will look amazing on iPad and take full advantage of its features, as well as working brilliantly on iPhone and iPod touch."

At the device's unveiling, EA also demoed a version of Need for Speed and Gameloft showed off an enhanced version of its iPhone title Nova.

The iPad - which features an accelerometer and 9.7 inch multitouch screen - is set to launch in March.

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New development start-up Wonderland sees significant advantages for game design in Apple's new iPad, singling out the size of the screen and its processor as opening more creative avenues than the smaller iPhone.

The team, made up of ex-Lionhead staff, went public this week – the same day that Apple unveiled its new device to an expectant market.

"There are two features in particular that have incredibly exciting gameplay consequences: the big screen size and resolution; and the way that the iPad is going to be used," said Matthew Wiggins, CEO of Wonderland Software, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz.

"You can see from the software that Apple demoed, how the 4x pixel area totally changes the kinds of interfaces and interactions available compared to the iPhone - things that weren't possible, or are severely compromised, on a smaller screen are now up for the taking. The faster, in-house processor backs this up really well - it's a big thing that Apple can now control the hardware and software for their products."

Wiggins also said gameplay experiences for the iPad can be designed for longer periods of time, as the device is targeted at the home entertainment market, rather than as a portable gadget.

"Equally significant is the way the iPad is going to be used – this is a device designed to be used sitting down, for extended periods of time. This means that where the iPhone favours shorter, more bite-sized experiences, using the iPad is going to be a lot more immersive and substantial. For a developer exclusively developing for Apple platforms, it's a exciting opportunity to create games that work with both kinds of consumption," he added.

Wonderland is currently working on iPhone game GodFinger for publisher ngmoco, and while development is ongoing, it's not interested in jumping on any early "me-too" bandwagon.

"We'd be mad to not support it in the future, but we won't release a game for it until we have something magical to give to people. When that will be, I can't say,” offered Wiggins. “In the short-term, they'll be a lot of me-too developers trying to get a cheap port done for launch, in attempt to win the goldrush lottery. A few will succeed, most will not. Needless to say, we won't get involved in that."

One of Wiggins' early suggestions for game design is to tie both the iPad and iPhone together, to help create persistent experiences.

"After that initial rush, I think there's a fantastic opportunity for creative, talented devs to produce experiences tailored for the iPad," he said. "Apart from the different experiences possible due to the design of the iPad and the way it will be used, there's potentially some very interesting stuff you could do with having both iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch clients for a server based game – using the iPad at home for longer, more immersive play, then using the iPhone app whilst you're on the move to keep tabs on the game. This will work brilliantly for persistent games."

Early critics of the device may be asking who the target market is, but Wiggins believes Apple has thought long and hard about how it will sell the iPad, evidenced by the low starting price of the vanilla SKU.

"They've made a good start by tackling this head-on – before even announcing it, Jobs talked about whether there was a need for a 'third category' device. Apple are conscious of the problem, but after spending years on the tablet fence, they wouldn't release this device without being sure of it's appeal and usefulness.

"They've also managed to deliver it at a great price - by positioning it way below their laptops, they are stopping them going directly head-to-head. The biggest surprise of the launch was the $499 price - no one expected that low."

According to Wiggins, the casual market will be attracted to the iPad and its ease-of-use, not just as an entertainment device, but as a substitute for a traditional PC.

"The iPad is going to be a hard sell to the geek-tech crowd, who generally have a powerful laptop and a smartphone already, but that market doesn't really matter to Apple now - they are going for the millions of people who want a brilliant user experience, rather than the complexity of a traditional computer," said Wiggins.

"As soon as people watch a video of the iPad being used, and eventually have a chance to use one, they'll want it. It's been 12 hours since the launch, and already both my wife and son want us to get one - that's the appeal that Apple are going for with this," he concluded.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ameplay-design ...

Nintendo has released current life to date sales figures for the Wii and DS, in conjunction with its financial results for the period April-December 2009.

According to the figures, the Wii has now sold 67.4 million units worldwide - with 9.7 million units sold in Japan, 32 million in the US, and 25.7 million throughout the rest of the world.

In addition to the hardware, 509.6 million units of Wii software have been sold - 46.6 million in Japan, 275.8 million in the US, and 187.2 million in the remaining territories.

DS life to date figures stand at 125.1 million. The handheld reached the 100 million landmark in March 2009 - and the year was the console's strongest in the US, with record sales of 11.2 million (according to NPD figures).

Of that overall total, Japan accounted for 29.9 million DS sales, the US 45 million, and other territories 50.2 million.

Total DS software sold stands at 688.3 million units worldwide - 172 million in Japan, 261.9 million in the US, and 254.4 million in the remaining countries.

In its latest financials, Nintendo reported profits were down 9.4 per cent for the nine months ended December 31, 2009.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ach-67-million ...

Nintendo has reported a 9.4 per cent decline in profits for the nine months ended December 31, 2009, from JPY 212.5 billion (£1.4bn / $2.5bn) to JPY 192.6 billion (£1.3bn / $2.1bn).

Net sales were JPY 1.18 trillion, or 23 per cent, down from JPY 1.54 trillion, with operating profit plunging 40.8 per cent from JPY 501.3 billion (£3.4bn/ $5.5bn ) for the nine months last year, to JPY 296.6 (£2.0bn / $3.2bn).

The company blamed slow sales in the first half of the year and appreciation of the yen, although it noted that sales during the third quarter were "robust" and holiday sales in some regions exceeded last year's performance. For the full year the company expects to sell 192 million games, up from the 180 originally forecast, due to bundling with hardware over the Christmas period.

Global sales of Wii hardware were 17.05 million units during the period, with game sales at 156.64 million units. New Super Mario Bros. Wii has now sold 10.55 million units, Wii Fit Plus 10.16 million units and Wii Sports Resort 13.58 million units worldwide.

During the nine month period DS units – which include the newly launched DS iLL – reached 23.35 million sold, with Pokemon HeartGold Version and Pokemon SoulSilver Version selling a combined 3.74 million units in Japan, and Tomodachi Collection 2.74 million units.

Sales of Pokemon Platinum Version reached 3.1 million units worldwide, and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, released in December, has now sold 2.45 million units globally.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-falling-sales ...

First-party Nintendo software accounted for 47 per cent of Wii revenue in the US during 2009, and 38 per cent of all units sold at retail.

That's according to NPD data quoted by analyst Michael Pachter on forum Neogaf, revealing that 27.5 million first-party games were sold totalling $1.53 billion in sales, out of the overall 72.4 million units and $3.23 billion in Wii game sales during the year.

The average third-party game on Wii sold for $37.85, while the average first-party title from Nintendo sold for $55.63.

Pachter also pointed out that Capcom's Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles and EA's Dead Space: Extraction were were outside of the top 150 best-selling games on Wii, at 151 and 261 respectively. Earlier this month, Capcom in France expressed disappointment at sales of its mature Wii game.

The highest ranking Guitar Hero game for Wii was Guitar Hero: World Tour at number 30, which was outsold by Just Dance, Cabela's Big Game Hunter, Deal or No Deal and The Biggest Loser.

"The conclusion I draw from this is that the Wii audience is far more casual and harder to reach than the PS3 or 360 audiences, and they buy brand name software (with 'Wii' or 'Mario' in the title, or with a TV/product tie-in)," wrote Pachter.

"The average selling price of third-party titles says a lot, coming in almost $7 below the average for all Wii titles, and almost $18 below first party titles."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-sales-in-2009 ...

Capcom Europe has today revealed the final box art design for the forthcoming Super Street Fighter IV. Set for release across Europe on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 30th 2010, as revealed earlier this week, Super Street Fighter IV will improve on it’s predecessor by offering additional characters, backgrounds, gameplay modes and those sorely missed bonus rounds from Street Fighter II.

Street Fighter IV launched in February 2009 to critical acclaim. Electronic Theatre delivered an in-depth review shortly after launch, stating that; “Street Fighter IV is a fantastic rendition of a one much-loved series, and will undoubtedly be a success at retail.” Which, it seems, it most certainly was.

Super Street Fighter IV sees the addition of new characters Cody and Guy from the Final Fight series, and the all-new Juri, as well as the Electronic Theatre Imagereturn of a number of old favourites. Super Street Fighter II’s Deejay and T. Hawk join the line-up, as well as Adon from the very first Street Fighter title, later featured in the Street Fighter Alpha series. In addition to these new characters, a handful of new backgrounds (featured in new screenshots here) and a number of new gameplay modes will be included in the title also, all of which are demonstrated in a trailer, available right here.

Super Street Fighter IV will be available across Europe this coming April, and Electronic Theatre will keep you updated with all the latest details on this and other forthcoming titles from Capcom.

Via: ElectronicTheatre ...

Capcom Europe has today revealed the final box art design for the forthcoming Super Street Fighter IV. Set for release across Europe on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 30th 2010, as revealed earlier this week, Super Street Fighter IV will improve on it’s predecessor by offering additional characters, backgrounds, gameplay modes and those sorely missed bonus rounds from Street Fighter II.

Street Fighter IV launched in February 2009 to critical acclaim. Electronic Theatre delivered an in-depth review shortly after launch, stating that; “Street Fighter IV is a fantastic rendition of a one much-loved series, and will undoubtedly be a success at retail.” Which, it seems, it most certainly was.

Super Street Fighter IV sees the addition of new characters Cody and Guy from the Final Fight series, and the all-new Juri, as well as the Electronic Theatre Imagereturn of a number of old favourites. Super Street Fighter II’s Deejay and T. Hawk join the line-up, as well as Adon from the very first Street Fighter title, later featured in the Street Fighter Alpha series. In addition to these new characters, a handful of new backgrounds (featured in new screenshots here) and a number of new gameplay modes will be included in the title also, all of which are demonstrated in a trailer, available right here.

Super Street Fighter IV will be available across Europe this coming April, and Electronic Theatre will keep you updated with all the latest details on this and other forthcoming titles from Capcom.

Via: ElectronicTheatre ...