Kyoto, Japan-based Nintendo's shares, driven by the success of the DS and the Wii, closed up 1.4 percent today in Tokyo at 44,500 yen (approximately $360).

The latest growth in the share price now brings the Mario Factory's market capitalisation--the cumulative value of its stock--to 6.30 trillion yen ($51 billion), reports Reuters. This takes it past Panasonic parent Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s 6.23 trillion yen ($50 billion) and has it closing in on Sony's 6.64 trillion yen ($54 billion).

Over the last two years, Sony's stock has gained 72 percent, outperforming the Nikkei's average of 59 percent. Nintendo shares have also jumped, some 300 percent over the same time period.

Analysts reacted to the news positively. KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said, "Nintendo is a market leader in everything it does now, which is basically the handheld as well as the console gaming market. We haven't seen Nintendo being a market leader in both products in over a decade."

Ichiyoshi Investment Management chief fund manager Mitsushige Akino said, "I think Nintendo is bound to overtake Sony (in market capitalisation).

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6172790...wstop;title;13 ...

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. president and CEO Kaz Hirai will bring 380 games to the platform internationally by March 2008, reports the Japanese news service Nikkei. If accurate, the report marks a big ramp-up in development for the console, which currently sees a dozen or less new releases a month.

Hirai told Nikkei that Sony will release 200 new retail games and 180 download-only titles, although he did not name any titles or developers. According to the GameSpot database, around 150 retail and download titles are currently slated for release before the end Q2 2008 in the US, Europe, and Japan.

[UPDATE] When contacted by GameSpot, Sony Computer Entertainment America senior director of corporate communications Dave Karraker confirmed "105 Blu-ray disc games and about 40 PlayStation Network games and game packs" would arrive in North America by March 31, 2008. However, he added "I don't have visibility on third party games past Christmas and our fiscal runs to the end of March, so there are probably more."

Hirai also reportedly promised that Sony would work with third-party developers to help promote their PS3 efforts by "coordinating such marketing plans as advertisements, events, and in-store promotions."

SCEI's new boss officially started his role earlier this week on June 19, when former chief Ken Kutaragi stepped down to "pass the torch on to the next generation" and pursue his dreams "beyond PlayStation."

According to The Nikkei, Sony shipped 5.5 million PS3s worldwide in the fiscal year ending March 2007--slightly fewer than the six million the company had forecast. The company is expecting to ship 11 million units in this financial year started in April. Nintendo, on the other hand, shipped 5.84 million Wiis during the same period.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer said that he believed the next-gen machine was "making a comeback already," now that production issues had been solved, adding, "We believe PS3, going forward, will be vital to our future and will succeed." He also has publicly hinted that the company is reevaluating the price of the console, which currently costs $599 in the US and £425 (around $847) in the UK.

Hirai also discussed his plans for an Internet video-sharing service for the PS3, noting "We aim to achieve greater popularity than the PlayStation 2.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6172868...ewstop;title;3 ...

When Take-Two Interactive yesterday confirmed that the Entertainment Software Rating Board handed down a rating of AO for Adults Only for Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2 on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo Wii, the publisher said it was exploring its options.

GameSpot has confirmed with Nintendo and Sony that one of those options, which would be to accept the ESRB's judgment and release the game with the AO rating, isn't an option at all. Both companies forbid licensed third-party publishers from releasing games rated AO for Adults Only on their various hardware platforms. Though Manhunt 2 isn't slated for any of Microsoft's systems, the company has also confirmed that it does not allow AO-rated titles on the Xbox or Xbox 360.

The sole exception to this rule was in 2005 when the already released Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was retroactively rated AO, at which point retailers pulled it from shelves and Take-Two suspended production of the game.

"It's currently our policy not to allow the playback of AO-rated content on our systems," a Sony spokesperson told GameSpot.

Nintendo's official line was much the same. "Games made for Nintendo systems enjoy a broad variety of styles, genres, and ratings," a representative told GameSpot. "These are some of the reasons our Wii and Nintendo DS systems appeal to such a broad range of people. But as with books, television, and movies, different content is meant for different audiences. That's why the ESRB provides ratings to help consumers understand the content of a game before they purchase it. As stated on Nintendo.com, Nintendo does not allow any AO-rated content on its systems."

Take-Two's most readily available alternatives are to appeal the ESRB's AO rating or to modify the game. As of press time, a Rockstar Games representative had not responded to GameSpot's inquiry about how either move would impact the game's scheduled July 10 release date

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6172830...wstop;title;12 ...

via Tech Shout



KOEI, the game company synonymous with strategy and action games announced a new game called Warriors Orochi for the Xbox 360 and PS2 consoles.

Warriors Orochi is a merge between two of KOEI’s blockbuster franchises- Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. Yes, this new game will feature around 77 playable characters from both franchises.

About the game:

Without warning, the evil Serpent King Orochi descended from the skies above. Using his unworldly powers to shatter time and space, Orochi kidnapped the strongest, wisest and most courageous warriors from Ancient China and Feudal Japan in a scheme to test his might against the heroes of these ages.

Most of the great armies of these two periods would succumb to the might of Orochi. Yet powerful warriors remain and are ready to continue the fight. Now, the greatest showdown in history is about to take place.

Warrior Orochi includes new modes such as “Team Battle System” and “Weapon Fusion”, taking tactical action games to a whole new level.

Also, players will be able to create their own three-person tag team. So, at any given time, when one warrior is engaged in battle, the other two could be taking time off to recuperate and restore their Life Meters and Musou Guages.



Warriors Orochi will also see the characters categorized according to their offensive abilities. The game also includes many new fighting techniques.

KOEI’s Warriors Orochi game for the Xbox 360 and PS2 game consoles is being developed by the company’s internal team OMEGA FORCE. This game is expected to ship to North American retailers on September 18, 2007. ...

via Gaming Today

Some people thought that when the PS3 was released, that the PS2 would eventually fade into obscurity. Obviously this is not the case. The PS2 actually outsells the PS3 and is keeping up there with the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. It’s often overlooked, but I think the continued success of the PS2 is one of the big reasons that the next generation Sony console has yet to really catch on.

I actually got rid of my PS2 about a year ago and sold all my games for it. Of course, that turned out to be a big mistake because I really missed the system. I missed it so much; I picked up a PS2, memory card and 6 games yesterday. The system with the games combined was still cheaper than purchasing say a Nintendo Wii.

I truly believe that the PS2 will continue to be a viable option for at least another year or two. The original Xbox has already pretty much faded but I don’t see this happening with the PS2 especially considering the great library of games and cheap prices. ...

via Kotaku

So I am sitting here trying to figure out what to say about the press release I just received, and words are failing me completely. RPG gods BioWare are teaming up with Sega to create a Sonic RPG for the Nintendo DS. My excitement glands and cynicism glands just leapt out of my body and are sword fighting across the top of my desk. We'll see what Sega of America president Simon Jeffery has to say while I wrangle these suckers.

"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages."

So we have BioWare, who have never created anything I didn't love, working in the Sonic universe, which lately has been transformed into a giant farm where they only grow crap. A shitfarm, if you will. Can a story-driven game about a character who has always been about blindingly fast action even work?

If I think about this too much my head will explode, or I'll be torn into two separate beings with the evil side getting the goatee. Kind of fond of my goatee. Here, have a press release.

SEGA And BioWare Collaborate On New Sonic Role Playing Game For The Nintendo DS

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (Thurs 21st June 2007) - SEGA® Europe, Ltd., SEGA® of America, Inc. and Canada-based developer studio BioWare® Corp. today announced a partnership to create a new video game based on the classic SEGA flagship icon, Sonic The Hedgehog. The exact name of the game is undetermined, but this new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS will ship in 2008.

"BioWare is one of the hottest names in RPG development in the world," said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America, Inc. "Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages."

BioWare is the award-winning independent developer that has created some of the world's best-selling titles including the Baldur's Gate™ and Neverwinter Nights™ series, the 2003 Game of the Year, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ and the 2005 RPG of the Year, Jade Empire.™ BioWare is currently developing one of the most anticipated next-generation titles of 2007, Mass Effect.™

"We're thrilled to be working with SEGA on Sonic, one of the industry's most enduring and compelling icons," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "As huge fans of Sonic ourselves, we're committed to delivering a truly amazing story-driven experience within the Sonic universe, focusing on capturing the character's broad appeal and placing him in a completely original adventure," added Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer of BioWare.

The relationship with BioWare reinforces SEGA's increased emphasis on Western content development for Western audiences. In the past few years SEGA has announced partnerships with developers Bizarre Creations, Gas Powered Games, Monolith Productions, Obsidian Entertainment, Planet Moon Studios, Pseudo Interactive and Silicon Knights. SEGA has also acquired development studios The Creative Assembly, Secret Level and Sports Interactive. ...

via eurogamer

SEGA Racing Studio's new vision of SEGA Rally should be arriving on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network in demo form prior to release.

Racing Studio boss Guy Wilday also told Eurogamer that the team is currently targeting a September release for the game across PS3, Xbox 360, PC and PSP.

"We'll look to do potentially 360 and PS3 downloadable demos before release," Wilday said of the demo, although he admitted that content plans weren't locked down.

"We're looking at exactly how the demo's going to work and what we're going to do. The balancing act with demos is always obviously not to give too much away," he explained.

"We want people to get the experience of the game without giving the game away. So that's our challenge - we'll get some more bits of the game finished and then we'll make the final decision as to exactly what we're going to do."

During our visit to Racing Studio in sunny Solihull, near Birmingham, we also asked Wilday about the potential for PC and Xbox 360 cross-play. "I'm not sure that's going to make it in," he admitted. "We'll see. We're still finalising our PC specs to be honest with you. It's something we'd love to do, but we'll see."

Just for the hell of it, we also asked about PS3-PSP link potential. "It's something that's been discussed of course. Again, I'm not sure it's going to make it into this version," he said.

It wasn't all talk of demos, dates and cross-dressing though - we just like to ask those so we can splash news in your faces. The meat of the trip was to play SEGA Rally for the first time, and that we did. You can read our extensive first impressions of the game right now. We also have some sexy new PS3 and Xbox 360 screenshots.

And if you fancy shouting at each other about which is teh bestest consoel!11oneoneshift, you can read some of Wilday's comments on game development in an exclusive interview with our sister site GamesIndustry.biz. ...

via eurogamer

SEGA Racing Studio's new vision of SEGA Rally should be arriving on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network in demo form prior to release.

Racing Studio boss Guy Wilday also told Eurogamer that the team is currently targeting a September release for the game across PS3, Xbox 360, PC and PSP.

"We'll look to do potentially 360 and PS3 downloadable demos before release," Wilday said of the demo, although he admitted that content plans weren't locked down.

"We're looking at exactly how the demo's going to work and what we're going to do. The balancing act with demos is always obviously not to give too much away," he explained.

"We want people to get the experience of the game without giving the game away. So that's our challenge - we'll get some more bits of the game finished and then we'll make the final decision as to exactly what we're going to do."

During our visit to Racing Studio in sunny Solihull, near Birmingham, we also asked Wilday about the potential for PC and Xbox 360 cross-play. "I'm not sure that's going to make it in," he admitted. "We'll see. We're still finalising our PC specs to be honest with you. It's something we'd love to do, but we'll see."

Just for the hell of it, we also asked about PS3-PSP link potential. "It's something that's been discussed of course. Again, I'm not sure it's going to make it into this version," he said.

It wasn't all talk of demos, dates and cross-dressing though - we just like to ask those so we can splash news in your faces. The meat of the trip was to play SEGA Rally for the first time, and that we did. You can read our extensive first impressions of the game right now. We also have some sexy new PS3 and Xbox 360 screenshots.

And if you fancy shouting at each other about which is teh bestest consoel!11oneoneshift, you can read some of Wilday's comments on game development in an exclusive interview with our sister site GamesIndustry.biz. ...

News/release from radioactivex:

Welcome to my Pixel Dump

Since I've been dabbling with games for a couple of years now, I drew a lot of game pixel art, and since I never used most of it (or the stuff in which it was used was never finished) I'll be releasing it here in hope that some developer will find it useful for his next game or app.

If interest is high I'll release more of these "dumps" as I draw new stuff and dig up more stuff from my computer.

NOTE: All these graphics were made by me so consider them royalty free, and use them as you wish, (as long as you don't sell them ).

Download Here

via radioactivex ...