Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has become the first PSP game to ship over 3.5 million units, according to Capcom.

Released in Japan in March 2008, Monster Hunter became the best selling PSP game of 2008. In October, an enhanced 'Best' version of the game was released and shipped a further one million copies. The 3.5 million figure takes into account both versions of the game.

Following its popularity on PSP, Capcom will release a new Nintendo Wii instalment to the series on August 1 entitled Monster Hunter 3(tri-).

The game will be the first third-party title to be bundled with the Nintendo Wii and sold as a special pack. In addition, Capcom is planning a series of special preview events in July and 'Monster Hunter Festa '09' in August, where fans will take part in Monster Hunter themed celebrations.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...retail-records ...

The PlayStation Network offers a lot of things Xbox Live doesn't and is no longer playing catch up with the Microsoft online service, according to Sony Computer Entertainment America's director of PSN Operations, Eric Lempel.

"I don't think there's a lot of 'catch up' [with XBL] any more. In some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have," he said in an interview with Industry Gamers.

"In terms of strengths, of course we're still free, and we're giving you a lot for free. It's not just free online gaming, but we've got PlayStation Home, which is a massive community and application that's totally free to use.

"I think there's a lot we're doing that in some cases they're not doing, and I don't see a lot of things they're doing that we're not," he added.

Touching on the subject of the types of software that could be offered over PSN - specifically for the PSP - Lempel said the company didn't want to go down the same route as the App Store.

"Right now our free catalogue consists of demos, wallpapers, themes and videos about games. I don't think we want to degrade the experience you get from a PSP. Because [iPhone] is not a gaming-centric device, I think a user picks it up and says, 'This is kind of dumb, but I don't care because I know this device wasn't intended for games.'

"I want to make sure we uphold the quality of games on PSN; that doesn't mean they can't be shorter or quirky but we don't want to see a bunch of little things that don't quite make sense or provide a good experience because I think that takes away from what the device is intended for."

Lempel went on to say Sony has no immediate plans to offer a PlayStation 3 games-on-demand service similar to the one Microsoft unveiled for the Xbox 360 at this year's E3 due to the sheer size of its Blu-ray discs.

He also poured doubt on Microsoft's plans to let users stream films at 1080p, saying similar examples he's seen of this technology have produced results that are "a little grainy" and not on par with what the PlayStation 3 and big television can currently deliver.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...xbox-live-sony ...

The PlayStation Network offers a lot of things Xbox Live doesn't and is no longer playing catch up with the Microsoft online service, according to Sony Computer Entertainment America's director of PSN Operations, Eric Lempel.

"I don't think there's a lot of 'catch up' [with XBL] any more. In some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have," he said in an interview with Industry Gamers.

"In terms of strengths, of course we're still free, and we're giving you a lot for free. It's not just free online gaming, but we've got PlayStation Home, which is a massive community and application that's totally free to use.

"I think there's a lot we're doing that in some cases they're not doing, and I don't see a lot of things they're doing that we're not," he added.

Touching on the subject of the types of software that could be offered over PSN - specifically for the PSP - Lempel said the company didn't want to go down the same route as the App Store.

"Right now our free catalogue consists of demos, wallpapers, themes and videos about games. I don't think we want to degrade the experience you get from a PSP. Because [iPhone] is not a gaming-centric device, I think a user picks it up and says, 'This is kind of dumb, but I don't care because I know this device wasn't intended for games.'

"I want to make sure we uphold the quality of games on PSN; that doesn't mean they can't be shorter or quirky but we don't want to see a bunch of little things that don't quite make sense or provide a good experience because I think that takes away from what the device is intended for."

Lempel went on to say Sony has no immediate plans to offer a PlayStation 3 games-on-demand service similar to the one Microsoft unveiled for the Xbox 360 at this year's E3 due to the sheer size of its Blu-ray discs.

He also poured doubt on Microsoft's plans to let users stream films at 1080p, saying similar examples he's seen of this technology have produced results that are "a little grainy" and not on par with what the PlayStation 3 and big television can currently deliver.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...xbox-live-sony ...

Music games might not need consoles in the future, according to Harmonix creative director Josh Randall. Instead, instruments could store songs on them and be plugged straight into a television.

"I think you could foresee a future where maybe you don’t even have a console," Randall said, speaking to VideoGamer.com. "Your instrument can have all these songs and you just plug it into your TV. I’m sure it [the genre] is going to start to move in weird ways that no-one’s even thought of yet."

He also revealed that, while the company is concentrating primarily on console development, it's keeping an eye on developments outside of the traditional home console sector.

"We’re obviously focused on the consoles, but outside of Harmonix there are people doing interesting stuff in the mobile space. It’s going to be interesting when it all splinters apart and then comes back together in some form we’ve not even thought of yet."

Harmonix was acquired by MTV Networks in 2006 and is currently working on The Beatles: Rock Band as well as, in conjunction with TT Games, LEGO: Rock Band.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-in-the-future ...

The kind of release schedule congestion that hit the videogames industry last November could be eased with the increasing popularity of digital distribution, with potentially lower price points also teasing gamers into buying more games throughout the year.

That's the opinion of Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans, who saw his company's much-anticipated LittleBigPlanet - released late last year - suffer from the deluge of triple-A titles that were launched in a hectic four-week period.

But while he told GamesIndustry.biz that, in hindsight, he wouldn't have altered the game's release date - preferring to get it to people as soon as possible - he did see a possible way forward for the industry in that area, despite the huge revenues available from festive gift-giving.

"And with the high barrier to entry as well - USD 40, or 60, or whatever it is - you have to fall at those times," he said, referring to that lucrative period for the market.

"I think that's one of the things that's interesting about digital distribution - yes it changes the distribution and marketing model, but I think it also lowers the costs, and that actually ends up spreading when people are willing to drop the cash.

"I'm not talking about hardcore gamers, but those in the middle ground. I have a feeling that it's not quite the same in the music business - people buy CDs all year round. But I'm really interested to see if that as prices come down, and you can get stuff online, you'll see more forgiving release schedules when stuff can come out and break even."

Evans went on to talk about some of the new tools that the company is working on in relation to LittleBigPlanet, specifically aimed at making the content creation and sharing aspects easier.

"One of the things we're focusing on next is looking at stuff that insane - generally French and Japanese - people have built, and then making that more accessible, just making some of the ideas that are possible, easier," he revealed.

"The second side of it is that at the moment you can exchange objects via PSN messages. One of the original ideas that was axed from the original game was that you could publish objects from the game online, not just levels, and you'd be credited with the use of those objects.

"I think something like that will really boost it - if you're just a beginner user, you can go and browse not just for levels, but for cars, let's say. Take that, sticker it up, and you're done - and that will change the barriers to entry.

"So both of those things - changing the tools themselves, and changing how you share - are coming."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ase-congestion ...

Skyfire plans to turn its mobile browser into a platform for media and entertainment focused apps.
CEO Nitin Bhandari is stepping back to a role as chief product officer to oversee the process. His replacement as CEO is Jeffrey Glueck, who was previously chief marketing officer at online travel portal Travelocity.

"Due to its unique architecture, Skyfire is poised to become much more than a browser," says Glueck.

"I look forward to accelerating the growth of Skyfire to bring all types of smartphone users the web sites they love. We’ll also enable media publishers to distribute their multimedia content without compromise."


Skyfire has attracted plenty of buzz already thanks to its rich media features: it lets users stream music and video from sites that aren't usually supported by mobile browsers.

The browser can be downloaded to Windows Mobile and Nokia handsets, and has more than one million users. Skyfire's job now will be to convince media and entertainment brands to develop apps for this audience.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/33674...t-app-platform ...

The RPG nature of Dragon Age: Origins means there's not likely to be a demo for the game before it's out, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk has told us.

"The way the game's set up actually makes it hard for a demo because there are six origin stories and we don't know whether to just pick one or a couple," he explained.

"It's not likely that we'll have a demo ready for release, but very shortly after we'll probably figure out some parameters where we chop the game into pieces and make them available for people to experience."

The game's due out on PS3, 360 and PC on October 20.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=219115 ...

A game based on the first Fighting Fantasy book is coming to DS. Developed by Big Blue Bubble and published by Aspyr, Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain will be released in the US this Christmas.

We've been told by the developer that it's still waiting on final dates for UK, Europe and Asia.

"Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is our most ambitious Nintendo DS project to date," said Damir Slogar, Big Blue Bubble boss. "Driven by the vision of bringing next gen console gaming to the handheld platform, as well as our passion for role playing games, we spent the past few years working on a game that will showcase how this FPSRPG on Nintendo DS can and should look."


Those on the CVG team over 25 still have fond memories of the Fighting Fantasy (and Lone Wolf) series, so we'll be keeping an eye on this one.

For those under 25:

Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain follows a lone adventurer on his travels through the old Dwarven keep within Firetop Mountain. Now the residence of an evil warlock and hordes of foul creatures, the keep is a mysterious and dangerous place from which no one has returned in many years.

As players guide the adventurer through the many passageways and dungeons, they develop the character's abilities and attributes to suit their play style. Enemies will fall before the player's brute strength with sword and axe, power of the arcane arts, nimble quickness or custom combinations of skills. A wealth of weaponry, armor, potions and enchantments are equipped through an intuitive drag-and-drop inventory system while helpful (or not-so-helpful) NPCs provide guidance, quests, trade goods and skill training.

The Fighting Fantasy book series launched in 1982 with the first title, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Authors Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson created a revolutionary new idea for the fantasy genre: the reader would become the hero of his or her own fantasy adventure in a story that would be part book, part game. After each paragraph a decision must be made: which way to turn, whether to fight or flee, which mysterious character to approach, and what risks to take.

Each choice sent the reader to a different page to discover the consequences of their choice, with each read-through ending either in disaster, or with the discovery of the ultimate goal. To date, the series has seen more than 70 titles published and more than 14 million copies sold worldwide.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=219081 ...

Gear Live found a roundabout, but clever, way of streaming Zune tracks onto your iPhone. Why would you do that? Because Zune Pass gets you a basically unlimited amount of songs, and they don't play natively on the iPhone.

What you do is set up Orb on a Windows machine to transcode, on the fly, your already downloaded Zune songs. This way you can listen to your music (your entire music library, not just 16GB or 32GB worth) wherever you have an internet connection. It works over 3G as well as Wi-Fi, but EDGE is a little too slow for full-quality music.

http://gizmodo.com/5309642/stream-zu...to-your-iphone ...