It took more than 20 years for desktop processors to go from single-core to dual-core. Now, Intel is preparing to release its first desktop quad-core processor after introducing its first dual-core desktop CPU in April 2005. Intel executives this week announced that it will begin shipping the first quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processors this November. Intel did not announce pricing details, but new Extreme Edition processors have traditionally shipped at the $999 price point.

The Core 2 Extreme, codenamed "Kentsfield," will incorporate two dual-core chips on a single package for a total of four processing cores and 8MB of L2 cache memory. The Core 2 Extreme QX6700's 2.66GHz clock speed makes it slightly slower than the current Conroe-based 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme Processor. That means that the faster dual-core processor will likely outperform its quad-core sibling in applications that haven't been optimized for multiple processor cores, but the quad-core should perform better in newer multithreaded applications designed for multicore processors.

Remedy Entertainment's upcoming action thriller game, Alan Wake, can take advantage of quad-core processors by devoting separate program threads such as physics, game action, environment, and sound processing to each core.

Comparison systems provided by Intel showed the Core 2 Extreme quad-core chip scoring 8910 compared to the dual-core Core 2 Extreme's 8286 in the popular 3D gaming benchmark 3DMark06. However, the default 3DMark06 test is primarily a video card benchmark, and the close scores better represent the performance of the systems' matching GeForce 7950 GX2 video cards. The quad-core processor had a much wider lead over the dual-core version in 3DMark's specialized CPU test, where the quad-core scored 3903 to the dual-core's 2497.

Rival processor manufacturer AMD is preparing to release its own "4x4" quad-core platform later this year, but AMD's hardware will use dual-socket motherboards and dual-core CPUs to get up to four cores. AMD will follow up with single-chip quad-core CPUs in 2007.

The quad-core Core 2 Extreme processor will be compatible with most existing 965 and 975 LGA775 motherboards but may require a BIOS update. The Core 2 Extreme QX6700 will be the only Intel quad-core CPU available this November. Mainstream Core 2 Quad processors are scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2007. ...

If variety is the spice of life, the US PC Charts are one of the blandest dishes on the planet. For the past two years, the top slot in the chart has almost always been occupied by World of Warcraft, the Sims 2, or one of the various Sims 2 expansions. During the week of September 3-9, the add-on The Sims 2: Glamour Life Stuff enjoyed its second stay at number one after dethroning WOW, which had spent much of the prior month in the pole position.

However, the monotony changed during the week of September 10-16, according to the most recent sales rankings released by the NPD Group. That seven-day stretch saw both Electronic Arts' Paris Hilton-worthy-accessory expansion pack and Blizzard Entertainment's social-life-gutting massively multiplayer online role-playing game bested by a newcomer. LucasArts' block-toy/sci-fi-film crossover Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy proved to be quite the retail force in the days after its September 12 release, becoming the first game to debut at number one since Madden NFL 07's brief stint at the top in August.

The week also saw another game do well during its first week on the market. The regular edition of THQ and Relic's Company of Heroes premiered in a solid third place, wedged in between Glamour Life Stuff and WOW, while the special Collector's Edition of the game landed in sixth place, just below The Sims 2. Despite some problems with SLI graphics-card compatibility (which has since been patched), the World War II real-time strategy title has earned sparkling reviews from numerous outlets, including GameSpot.

Besides the omnipresent WOW, Blizzard had a second game in the top 10 during the week--the Warcraft III Battle Chest compilation, which landed in seventh place. That was ahead of THQ's film-inspired minigame compilation Cars Radiator Springs Adventures (eighth), EA's Sim City 4 Deluxe (ninth), and The Sims 2 Open for Business (10th).

Five titles dropped out of the top 10 during the week of September 10-16: Star Wars: Empire at War, Civilization IV: Warlords, Half-Life 2: Episode One, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Gold bundle. ...

Research firm DFC Intelligence released a game-industry brief providing its lay of the land heading into the PlayStation 3 and Wii launches this November, and the organization is abstaining from backing any particular horse in the race. The brief is titled "Win, Place, or Show: Does it Really Matter," and it suggests that there are more important considerations than who is going to sell the most consoles this year.

"The console hardware battle is a marathon, not a sprint, and will be played out over the next three years," the firm said. "It is unlikely that this holiday season will reveal any major surprises that would cause us to make a major market reassessment."

DFC has been vocal in the past about its opinion that Sony's pricing of the PS3 has left the door open for Microsoft and Nintendo to claim plenty of market share at the electronics giant's expense. To stay in the hunt, DFC thinks Sony needs to keep the PlayStation 2 market active to postpone consumers from making the leap to the next-generation systems and to make the PS3's price competitive by late 2007. One move the firm applauded was Sony's announcement that it would include an HDMI port in both versions of the PS3 hardware, noting that it should cut down on confusion and keep the cheaper bundle from being perceived as a "crippled" version of the system.

"Another key point is that under all scenarios the new game systems from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all viable platforms," the brief said. "In the past generation there was one platform, the PS2, that far outclassed the field. Going forward we do not see a scenario where any platform has that kind of dominance over the next five years. Even under the worst case scenario, Microsoft and Nintendo do better with the Xbox 360 and the Wii than they did with the Xbox and GameCube."

And while the differences in the three main hardware platforms will make porting games a challenge for developers, DFC believes those unique qualities each platform possesses may spur the industry's growth in the coming generation.

"Increasingly consumers own multiple platforms on which they play games," the brief said. "There are many opportunities to reach a growing consumer base. Unfortunately the market is also getting substantially more competitive and the pitfalls are growing just as fast. Even the largest companies risk becoming overextended as they try to be all things, to all people, in all places." ...

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the pricing and release date for the first of its Zune MP3 players. Set to hit stores on November 14--three days ahead of the PlayStation 3 and five prior to the Wii launch--the 30GB player will cost $249.99, in line with Apple's 30GB iPod.

Zune will also use Xbox Live Marketplace's currency.
However, unlike Apple's iTunes Music Store, the Zune Marketplace won't just deal in real-world coin. It will use a virtual currency well-known to Xbox 360 owners--Microsoft Points. According to the software giant, "users can purchase songs individually using Microsoft Points for 79 points per track." As anyone who's ponied up for a new set of nonrefundable premium gamer pictures knows, that 80 points comes to about $0.99--the same per-song-cost as iTunes.

Microsoft also clarified that the Microsoft Points used on Zune and XBLM are one and the same--meaning the company is essentially creating its own currency, which it prefers to call a "stored value system." "Microsoft Points ... can be redeemed at a growing number of online stores, including the Xbox Live Marketplace," it said in a statement.

But does the shared currency mean that the Zune and Xbox Live Marketplaces will be unified at some level ? Will there be any connectivity between the two--i.e. will one be able to access Zune Marketplace songs via Xbox Live and download them right to a connected player? (Note: All Mp3 players, inlcuding iPods, can already stream music onto a 360 when when connected via a USB port.) That's unclear for now, as Microsoft had not responded to requests for clarification as of press time. ...

For Nintendo's hardcore fans, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime is more than just a spokesperson for the company they adore, he's a general leading them into the next-gen console war.

Reggie will hand out the first Wii consoles in NYC.
Nintendophiles will have a chance to get up close and personal with their leader, Fils-Aime told ABC News. In an interview with the program, the man known simply as "Reggie" said he would be handing out some of the first Wiis at a New York store on November 19, the day the console goes on sale in North America.

"Those consumers, the core gamer, are very important to us," Reggie said. "And you know what? I'll be at a store in the New York area, where they will camp out and I will be handing out some Wiis that very first minute that we're available for purchase."

The store Fils-Aime refers to is likely the Nintendo World Store in Times Square, which has played host to other Nintendo events in the past.

Reggie used the network-television time to hawk the system to the mainstream crowd.

"Our focus with a mass market game [console], was to have a mass market price, and a mass market collection of software, and we think we've done that."

The mass market price comes with some caveats, as the console won't have some of the multimedia perks that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 have. But that doesn't bother Fils-Aime.

"There are some choices that we made in the development in order to achieve that price point. There's no DVD playback capability. And our thinking is most consumers have about 5 different [DVD players] in their house. Our games are not high-definition. Again our thinking is HD penetration is [only] about 15 percent of households."

The current generation of systems clearly had a winner--the PlayStation 2. While many try and predict who will be this generation's champ, Fils-Aime doesn't think there will be gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, he's not content to simply share the spotlight.

"In order for me to win, must they fail? I don't think so, because they're trying to do something very different," he said. "But our goal is to be the leader in this industry." ...

1up is running a piece looking back at the ten years since the N64's launch. The start of Nintendo's slump, the N64 still managed to come out of the console wars with some great and lasting memories, like GoldenEye, Smash Bros., and Ocarina of Time. From the article:
"Nintendo certainly gave players plenty of time to get all 120 stars. By the end of 1996, the N64 still had fewer than a dozen games, and even that anemic library was glutted with mediocrity like Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Cruis'n USA. Sure, there were gems like Mario Kart 64 and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, and there was the stubborn optimism of Nintendo of America President Howard Lincoln (who insisted N64 games sold more than 250,000 per title), but industry commentators were starting to see through the emperor's clothes. Meanwhile, Sony was turning up the heat with massive blockbusters like Final Fantasy VII."

What were your Favourite N64 Games ? ...

The X06 line-up might have impressed the games industry, but Xbox boss Peter Moore has conceded that Microsoft must work harder to attract new gamers if it is to match arch rival Sony and “hit 100 million”.

And, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in Barcelona earlier this week, Moore revealed that Microsoft is already working on peripheral-based software that it believes can match the market-broadening success of titles like SingStar and Guitar Hero.

“We recognise that what we call the 'Family Funster' stuff, if it's a category, is something we need to do better on,” admitted Moore.

“With Viva Pinata there's this interesting concept of building an animated series – this is Microsoft doing children's television. If we'd said two years ago we'll have stuff for 8-12 year olds on Xbox Live I'm sure you'd have given me a slightly puzzled look. But I recognise that and we are doing a lot of stuff, we're just not ready to announce it yet.”

Asked whether this meant Microsoft is currently working on its answer to the likes of SingStar and Buzz, Moore confirmed: “Oh yeah. And it's more than just games. Buzz, Singstar, Guitar Hero – there are peripherals and stuff of that nature. Things that in some instances take the controller away and give you things you feel more comfortable with.”

Moore argued that the EyeToy-aping camera peripheral, due for release later this year, was an important step in the right direction, broadening the appeal of 360 by opening up “all types of possibilities not just with video chat but interesting ways to interact with the game”.

Senior European publishing execs, who privately expressed concern during the X06 event that Microsoft still lacked the mass-market penetration achieved so consummately by Sony and Nintendo, are likely to be encouraged by this news.

“You make a good point that, in the traditional sense, we're checking the boxes of a lot of genres and that's important,” he continued.

“[But] it's about getting people to interact with the games console, regardless of whether they do it for 30 hours a week or ten hours a week, whether it's my mum or my sister or my daughter. Those are the people we need to get.

“If you're going to hit 100 million you need to address that market. We're still finding ways to be able to do that, but we will. I absolutely guarantee that we will.” ...

Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot has hailed Microsoft's X06 showcase, warning that the growing strength of 360 is putting market leader Sony under pressure to react with its rival PlayStation 3 console.

Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz at the aftershow to the glitzy Barcelona event, Guillemot, whose firm significantly pledged an exclusive Splinter Cell title to the next-gen Xbox, said increased competition will benefit everyone in the market.

"What Microsoft is showing is that even if Sony has a lead in market share, Xbox is going to get better penetration in Europe," he said. "It's good to have many players on the same battlefield; I think it will push Sony to react, and also Nintendo to look at how they position themselves to make their machine a success. When the manufacturers are making great games and pushing each machine hard it can help everybody make the videogames business a better business."

But Guillemot refused to be drawn on whether Sony's market-leadership was now under seriously under threat, adding: "Sony is very far ahead in terms of market share so it's not possible to say today - we will see how Sony reacts. But there is more competition, which we think is good."

Ubisoft proved one of the biggest third-party 360 cheerleaders on the night, with the announcement of the Splinter Cell exclusive and an on-stage demo of the stunning Assassin's Creed proving one of the highlights of the conference.

On the decision to hand the next instalment of the lucrative adventures of stealth operative Sam Fisher to Microsoft, Guillemot explained: "Splinter Cell was created on the first Xbox, so we thought it was important to come back for one volume with Microsoft to create a very good quality title focused on using the full power of the system.

"And especially for next year when the big guns will be out, it's very important to have a game that will use 360 to the full, because you will need that to fight against all the other games that will be there. For us it's a good way to win the next-gen battle. We love Xbox 360 because it's easy to develop on and that's why we want to put great quality products on it."

Elsewhere, the French publisher boss also praised Microsoft's partnership with movie director Peter Jackson as vital to the development of interactive entertainment.

"I think this was a great presentation not just because it showed great games, but also great future games," Guillemot insisted. "The most important thing was the alliance between the movie industry, the CGI industry and the videogames business. I think that's a good move in creating games that will bring more emotion to the experience - those guys know how to create emotion so they are going to help us as an industry to deliver that."

Ubisoft worked with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker on the chart-topping Kong Kong videogame in 2005, and has previously expressed an intention to make film tie-ins account for 20 per cent of the publisher's overall business in the future. ...

Via GIBiz

Rising Star Games has appointed Codemasters to handle its UK sales and distribution.

The agreement, announced today, will see the Britsoft publisher handling Rising Star titles to the end of 2006.

These will include DS releases of highly anticipated RPG Contact, Ys Strategy and New Zealand Story.

PSP titles covered under the deal include Pilot Academy from Kuju's Sheffield studio, and Bubble Bobble Evolution.

"Codemasters relishes the opportunity to work with Rising Star Games in the UK," said Jonathan Hales, vice president of sales for Codemasters.

"To work with such titles as Contact and Pilot Academy, which are perfect fits for the handheld market, is a testament to Codemasters' sales reach in the UK."

Rising Star Games is a joint venture between Japanese publisher/developer Marvelous Interactive and Nordic distributor Bergsala AB. ...