Newly released today:



features
Great songs: Dance to over seventy songs with truly universal appeal with music from the 70s to today!
DJ Mode: This mode makes its debut on Xbox 360®, allowing you to create your own tracks and song lists for dancing
Quest Mode: Compete against bosses throughout the DanceDanceRevolution city to become the ultimate champion
Customization: Customize your own character with over 400 options of clothing, faces, skin tones, and hair styles
Xbox LIVE® play: Do more on Xbox LIVE, play online, download new music seamlessly, and compete internationally with a different song list every week

description
DanceDanceRevolution celebrates its tenth anniversary with DanceDanceRevolution® UNIVERSE 3 dancing its way to you with an all-new sleek enhanced interface, fun new modes and settings for players of all skill levels, cool smash-hit songs, robust online and offline support, and exciting new exclusives!

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2zt2.html ...

Newly released today:



features
It all begins with a talking shovel – The discovery of a talking shovel begins an eccentric adventure where you become the master of the monster lair! As the shovel's new owner, you're given the incredible job of digging a dungeon and hunting the monsters that come to live in it .
Be the architect of your lair – Transform a small hole in the ground into a huge dungeon for hunting monsters! Fill it with over 20 different types of rooms, including Chapels, Cellars, Stables, Trash Dumps, and more to attract different types of monsters and help you obtain different items.
Share your lair! – Challenge your friends to reach the end of your custom monster lair and see what monsters and items are waiting in theirs. Trade designs over local wireless and prove that you're the best dungeon digger around wireless and prove that you're the best dungeon digger around!

description
The quiet town of South Arc is about to have some monster trouble. Foul creatures with serious attitude problems have infested nearby forests and are now slowly moving into the village. The townsfolk, fearful for their safety, do not even dare to leave their homes. Calls for help have gone unanswered, likely because every other town in the Kingdom is similarly troubled. As a young lad off in search of your calling, you stumble across a talking shovel. The verbose tool forcibly binds you to the task of digging a dungeon on the outskirts of South Arc, hoping to bait and trap the scrounging monsters. Looks like you found your calling, Master of the Monster Lair. Now start digging!

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2tw4.html ...

Just like Microsoft in Europe, Sony Japan are going bananas for hardware bundles this holiday season. With Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and LittleBigPlanet deals already in place, they announced over the weekend a third bundle, this time for Pro Evo 2009 (or, as it's known there, Winning Eleven 2009). It'll include a new (for Japan) 80GB PS3, a copy of Pro Evo 2009 and not one, but two DualShock 3 controllers. The bundle will sell for ￥46,980 (USD$500), and goes on sale November 27.

http://kotaku.com/5069017/japans-latest-ps3-bundle ...

Brain Training is really Studying: The Game. Wii Fit is Standing Straight: The Game. Wii Music is Noodling: The Game. There's nothing wrong with that approach. Those games are popular, and they've made Nintendo gobs of money. Nintendo didn't always make those kind of games. Shigeru Miyamoto explains his change in approach:

I have a much greater degree of freedom. In the past, I would develop a game and then finish it and the next question is always: What is the next game we would create? In recent years, I've really found that with this idea of applying the structure of video games in a variety of ways, I've found anything can be a video game, and I've found a greater degree creative freedom in what I want to do next and explore.

That's good Miyamoto has grown as a game creator. And sure, anything can be a game, but not anything can be a good game.

http://kotaku.com/5069081/miyamoto-o...ng-has-changed ...

PlayStation development took center stage at Casual Connect when Sony Europe's developer relations manager George Bain addressed an audience of Eastern European developers.

The PlayStation 2 has sold 131.3 million units to date, he said. The software sales for that platform have been over 1.4 billion.

The PlayStation Portable has sold 41.3 million units. Software sales have been 169 million.

And as of June 30th, the PlayStation 3 has sold 14.4 million units, with software sales of 94 million.

The most important information Bain had for his audience was news that, in Europe, the PlayStation 2 "is effectively an open platform," adding, "You no longer have to submit a game for content approval." He used examples from Russia and Indian developers, saying they can "create low-development cost titles and release them in their market."


Without the need of a licensed publisher, it's a direct relationship between a developer and Sony.


Bain reports that there is no cost to become a licensed developer, but dev kits do cost. In some cases, Sony lends dev kits.

In a press release from November of 2007, Sony Computer Entertainment International announced that dev kits for the PlayStation 3 would cost $10,250.

Bain told his audience that if they were working on a smaller casual title, they could alternately use debug units which are less expensive – 10 percent of the cost of a full dev kit.

The PSP is easier to develop for, Bain pointed out: "It doesn't require a huge amount of programming resources to develop on the PlayStation Portable." He also outlined the release of Media Manager version 3 – an application that would function as iTunes, but for the PSP.

Moving on to the PlayStation Network, Bain reports over 12 million registered accounts, as of September of this year. And 5 million of those subscribers are from SCEE's territory alone.

"One thing that a lot of developers seem to forget is that PlayStation Network is free," said Bain. "Consumers do not have to pay a monthly fee," he said in reference to other similar services.

He also said that Sony does not require a demo of games that are for sale. "It's up to the developer if they make a demo or not."

"Game developers should create games for local markets," Bain said. Several new policies allow for that.

First, Sony is adapting a global approval system. Previously games had to be submitted separately through Sony Europe, Japan, and America. Now, the game idea is sent through a single website for approval.

And now, Sony will allow developers to publish by going through a third-party publisher. "This has never been done before," notes Bain. "This is something we're actively promoting."

"...without the need of a licensed publisher," he continues, "it's a direct relationship between a developer and Sony."

Something else to ease the process is an edict that, once a game has been approved, episodic and expansion content won't need to be approved before being published.

Currently, developers interested in utilizing in-game ads must work with the only two licensed ad providers, Double Fusion and IGA Worldwide, but Bain says the company is in discussions with additional partners.

Bain concluded by restating: "Developers no longer need a publisher to distribute games on PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3."

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne...latform/?biz=1 ...

PlayStation development took center stage at Casual Connect when Sony Europe's developer relations manager George Bain addressed an audience of Eastern European developers.

The PlayStation 2 has sold 131.3 million units to date, he said. The software sales for that platform have been over 1.4 billion.

The PlayStation Portable has sold 41.3 million units. Software sales have been 169 million.

And as of June 30th, the PlayStation 3 has sold 14.4 million units, with software sales of 94 million.

The most important information Bain had for his audience was news that, in Europe, the PlayStation 2 "is effectively an open platform," adding, "You no longer have to submit a game for content approval." He used examples from Russia and Indian developers, saying they can "create low-development cost titles and release them in their market."


Without the need of a licensed publisher, it's a direct relationship between a developer and Sony.


Bain reports that there is no cost to become a licensed developer, but dev kits do cost. In some cases, Sony lends dev kits.

In a press release from November of 2007, Sony Computer Entertainment International announced that dev kits for the PlayStation 3 would cost $10,250.

Bain told his audience that if they were working on a smaller casual title, they could alternately use debug units which are less expensive – 10 percent of the cost of a full dev kit.

The PSP is easier to develop for, Bain pointed out: "It doesn't require a huge amount of programming resources to develop on the PlayStation Portable." He also outlined the release of Media Manager version 3 – an application that would function as iTunes, but for the PSP.

Moving on to the PlayStation Network, Bain reports over 12 million registered accounts, as of September of this year. And 5 million of those subscribers are from SCEE's territory alone.

"One thing that a lot of developers seem to forget is that PlayStation Network is free," said Bain. "Consumers do not have to pay a monthly fee," he said in reference to other similar services.

He also said that Sony does not require a demo of games that are for sale. "It's up to the developer if they make a demo or not."

"Game developers should create games for local markets," Bain said. Several new policies allow for that.

First, Sony is adapting a global approval system. Previously games had to be submitted separately through Sony Europe, Japan, and America. Now, the game idea is sent through a single website for approval.

And now, Sony will allow developers to publish by going through a third-party publisher. "This has never been done before," notes Bain. "This is something we're actively promoting."

"...without the need of a licensed publisher," he continues, "it's a direct relationship between a developer and Sony."

Something else to ease the process is an edict that, once a game has been approved, episodic and expansion content won't need to be approved before being published.

Currently, developers interested in utilizing in-game ads must work with the only two licensed ad providers, Double Fusion and IGA Worldwide, but Bain says the company is in discussions with additional partners.

Bain concluded by restating: "Developers no longer need a publisher to distribute games on PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3."

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne...latform/?biz=1 ...

Alert the SPCA.

With just under three weeks to go before the new Animal Crossing hits the Wii, Nintendo is kicking off a Cosplay contest to try and generate a bit more attention for their game.

But not content to get gamers to dress up in absurdly embarrassing outfits, the Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest is an invitation to instead embarrass pets.

The entrants of the top 50 photos of animals dressed in costumes or characters from Animal Crossing will receive a Wii video game system, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak microphone, access to exclusive information about the game and the eternal and voiceless scorn of their pets.

Daily photo picks and details about the contest will be posted over at www.welcomewaggincontest.com, which appeared not to be working when I checked it a bit earlier today. Entries for the contest will be accepted starting today and running through Nov. 16.

http://kotaku.com/5069147/nintendo-rewards-pet-dress+up ...

Wednesday sees the return of our old friend Leland Yee as he and California Governor T-101 attempt once again to get their violent video game law passed, this time in the Federal Court of Appeals. The law, which was shot down last year in federal court for being unconstitutional, sought to prevent children from purchasing games that contained "especially heinous, cruel or depraved" violence, putting in place $1,000 fines for retailers who sold such titles to minors. In preparation for this Wednesday's appeal, Senator Yee practiced his spiel.


"This is the same technology the armed forces use to help soldiers kill the enemy," said state Sen. Leland Yee, the San Francisco Democrat who wrote the legislation. "All we're saying is, 'Don't sell it to kids.' "

I predict this appeal will get them absolutely nowhere, though I suppose we can't fault them for using taxpayers' money to check back every now and then, just in case the Constitution changed while we weren't looking.

http://kotaku.com/5069281/yees-calif...-up-for-appeal ...

Of all of the beloved video game characters that have fallen by the wayside (or been forced there by a string of subpar games) Earthworm Jim is one we'd most like to see make a comeback. C'mon, game publishers, the guy practically oozes charm, just give him a gun and some things to shoot and you're three-fourths of the way there.

For now though, we'll have to sate ourselves with the original Earthworm Jim (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) on Virtual Console, which we suppose will have to do, if only to square off once more with Bob the Killer Goldfish.
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/27/ea...rtual-console/ ...