via Games Industry


Sony Computer Entertainment America is celebrating the seven-year anniversary of the launch of the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

Since its release in North America on October 26, 2000, more than 120 million hardware units and more than a billion units of software for PlayStation 2 have been shipped worldwide, making it the best-selling gaming platform ever released.

The PS2 broke the record for the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch. This was faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation, which took 9 years and 6 months to reach the same milestone.

In this current fiscal year, 30 million software titles for the PS2 have already been sold, and 10 million additional PS2 consoles are expected to be sold worldwide by the end of March 2008.


SCEA is still committed to a 10-year product lifecycle for the console, with 160 new titles expected in North America throughout the holidays and by the end of March 2008. Currently, there are more than 1,400 titles in the PS2's software library.

The company plans to release a limited edition ceramic white PlayStation 2 bundled with SingStar Pop and two USB microphones in November for a suggested retail price of US 149.99.

The top-selling PS2 titles worldwide are:

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (13 million)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (12 million)
• Grand Theft Auto III (11 million)
• Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (11 million)
• Gran Turismo 4 (8.79 million)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (7 million)
• Kingdom Hearts (5.6 million)
• Final Fantasy X (5 million)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (3.7 million)
• Final Fantasy XII (3.68 million)

...

via IGN,

...

From CAGames.com.

Cryptic Allusion posted the fifth issue of their podcast, covering independent gaming and development:


Download the show from iTunes (subscribe and review!), or directly from HERE.
---
Digg the CryptoCast!

Guest list
-Roddy
-Pam
-MikeD

In the Works
- We talk about the cinematic for Donk
- New, hi-res video posted to the Donk forums! Go check it out.

"How-to"
- Skipped it this week...we'll get back to it!

Talk about Cinematics
- Since we're on the topic of cinematics, we talk about which ones we thought were some of the more memorable.

Quick Discussion
- We each take one minute to say our piece about this article.

Around the Indie-stry
- http://www.indiegames.com
- Watch the video entitled "Seven minutes of Aquaria" http://bit-blot.com/index.php
- Great site for free games - http://www.retroremakes.com
- Submitted by Juma - http://www.atariage.com

The Not-so-indie-stry
- Sony's elevendy-billion dollar mistake
- The Orange Box (with juicy info submitted by Morden)
- Nintendo Conference 2007 keynote by Satoru Iwata - Link
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Roddy can complain about anything!
- "Wort wort wort!" - it's actually "Go go go!" slowed down, reversed, and messed about a bit.

Beer!
- What the...? How'd this get in there?

Bloopers!
- These are semi-funny...most of the time.

Music for this episode provided by Avenpitch - www.avenpitch.com


Go Digg the CryptoCast! ...

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News from Play Asia:

Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.

Top selling next gen console releases this week have been Thrillville: Off the Rails for Xbox360™, Imabi Kisou and The Eye of Judgment (Asia / Japanese) as well as Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Regular / With Dancing Mat), Ghost Squad (Regular / With Wii Zapper) and Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (US / Japanese) for Nintendo Wii™.

For PlayStation2™ we've got Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On and Banpresto's Ar tonelico II: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujo Tachi no Souzoushi.

Demanded handheld releases this week have been the English language Asia Edition of Konami's Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP™, along with the Nintendo DS™ top sellers Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Fuuketsu no Grimoire, World Soccer Winning Eleven DS: Goal x Goal! (Japanese), Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations and Mega Man ZX Advent (both US versions).

An interesting misc. product release this week has been Square-Enix / Suntory's Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary Potion canned softdrink. Make sure to give it a try...

As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week,

Xbox360™:
Beautiful Katamari US US$ 44.90
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War ASIA US$ 64.90
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War JPN US$ 69.90
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War [Premium Box] JPN US$ 95.00
Thrillville: Off the Rails US US$ 49.90
Thrillville: Off the Rails ASIA US$ 44.90

PlayStation3™:
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition) US US$ 64.90
Imabi Kisou JPN US$ 64.90
Logicool Cordless Media Board Pro JPN US$ 99.90
Need for Speed: Carbon (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
The Eye of Judgment JPN US$ 89.90
The Eye of Judgment ASIA US$ 84.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Dance Dance Revolution Controller JPN US$ 49.90
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party JPN US$ 59.90
Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (w/ Dancing Mat) JPN US$ 69.90
EA Playground US US$ 49.90
Ghost Squad JPN US$ 49.90
Ghost Squad (w/ Wii Zapper) JPN US$ 59.90
Gintama: Banji Oku Chuubu JPN US$ 59.90
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core US US$ 44.90
Mercury Meltdown Revolution US US$ 29.90
Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis US US$ 44.90
Simple Wii Series Vol. 1: The Minna de Kart Race JPN US$ 29.90
Simple Wii Series Vol. 2: The Minna de Bass Tsuri Taikai JPN US$ 29.90
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night US US$ 49.90
Thrillville: Off the Rails US US$ 49.90
Victorious Boxers: Revolution US US$ 44.90
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure US US$ 44.90
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure / Takarjima Z: Barbaros no Hihou JPN US$ 59.90

PlayStation2™:
Ar tonelico II: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujo Tachi no Souzoushi JPN US$ 64.90
Baldr Bullet: Equilibrium JPN US$ 64.90
Baldr Bullet: Equilibrium [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
Bleach: Blade Battles (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Bleach: Hanatareshi Yabou (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Bleach: Selected Soul (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
Colorful Aquarium: My Little Mermaid JPN US$ 64.90
Colorful Aquarium: My Little Mermaid [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor KOR US$ 59.90
God of War II: The End Begins JPN US$ 64.90
Itsuka, Todoku, Ano Sora ni JPN US$ 64.90
Itsuka, Todoku, Ano Sora ni [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn!! Let's Ansatsu!? Nerawareta 10 Daime! JPN US$ 64.90
Need for Speed Carbon (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Nettai Teikiatsu Otome JPN US$ 64.90
Nettai Teikiatsu Otome [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On JPN US$ 28.90
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 31: Dennou Senki Virtual On [Segadirect Super DX Pack] JPN N/A
Taka Reet Ura Mahjong Retsuden: Mukoubushi JPN US$ 49.90
Volleyball World Cup: Venus Evolution JPN US$ 64.90

Nintendo DS™:
Abashii Narugami Gakuen Toshi Densetsu Tantei Kyoku JPN US$ 39.90
CSI: Dark Motives ASIA US$ 34.90
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch JPN US$ 48.90
Crossword DS + Sekai 1-Shuu Cross JPN US$ 29.90
DS Card Block Mixed Pack JPN US$ 7.90
DS Card Block White Pack JPN US$ 7.90
Disney Princess: Magical Jewels US US$ 34.90
Dungeon Maker: Mahou no Shovel to Chiisa na Yuusha JPN US$ 48.90
EA Playground US US$ 34.90
ESSE Kakeibo DS JPN US$ 39.90
Eigo o Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh JPN US$ 48.90
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Fuuketsu no Grimoire JPN US$ 48.90
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Fuuketsu no Grimoire Accessory Set JPN US$ 17.90
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes A Day US US$ 24.90
Hannah Montanna: Music Jam US US$ 34.90
Hard Cover DS Lite (Metallic Skin) JPN US$ 9.90
Horsez: Farm Adventures ASIA US$ 34.90
Illust Logic DS + Colorful Logic JPN US$ 29.90
Iria no Sora, UFO no Natsu I&II Complete Pack JPN US$ 59.90
Iria no Sora, UFO no Natsu II JPN US$ 34.90
Mahjong Quest Expeditions US US$ 24.90
Mainichi Happy! Ayakouji Kimimaro no Life Kit JPN US$ 39.90
Mega Man ZX Advent US US$ 29.90
Mensetsu no Tatsujin: Tenshoku-Hen JPN US$ 39.90
Pet Vet ASIA US$ 34.90
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations US US$ 29.90
Power Rangers: Super Legends US ...

Just in time for the EU launch of Metroid Prime 3, Eurogamer has a retrospective on the Metroid series well worth checking out.
"The first Metroid presciently set the tone for the future of the franchise by appearing first on a struggling format and only reaching foreign shores after lengthy delays. Metroid was initially released only for the Famicom Disc System in 1986. The FDS was one of Nintendo's first attempts to monkey around with new storage methods, but its success was limited and it never made it beyond Japan. One year later, Metroid finally appeared on the plain old NES in North America and then, another year later, we pox-ridden Europlebs were deemed worthy of having a copy to call our own. Hmm. Sounds familiar."

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85987 ...

Just in time for the EU launch of Metroid Prime 3, Eurogamer has a retrospective on the Metroid series well worth checking out.
"The first Metroid presciently set the tone for the future of the franchise by appearing first on a struggling format and only reaching foreign shores after lengthy delays. Metroid was initially released only for the Famicom Disc System in 1986. The FDS was one of Nintendo's first attempts to monkey around with new storage methods, but its success was limited and it never made it beyond Japan. One year later, Metroid finally appeared on the plain old NES in North America and then, another year later, we pox-ridden Europlebs were deemed worthy of having a copy to call our own. Hmm. Sounds familiar."

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=85987 ...