Namco Bandai ‘Proud’ Of Enslaved’s Reception

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was one of Namco Bandai’s biggest releases of 2010, but it didn’t live up to the publisher’s sales expectations. However, the positive reviews (averaging around 83 percent) and warm reception from many consumers has encouraged Namco Bandai.

It didn’t perform as well as we hoped it would, but we’re very proud of how it was received by both the media and the gamers who have experienced it, said Namco Bandai’s marketing director Lee Kirton. I can’t discuss where we are in terms of a sequel, but we’re looking at reviews and feedback from the press and because of the gameplay and quality that Enslaved delivered, we see it as a great catalog title going forward.

Source: MCV

Xbox Live Free Trial No Go In U.K.

Microsoft was going to offer the U.S. and U.K. a free trial weekend of Xbox Live Gold, but only the former ended up happening. The British trial has been postponed because of technical problems.

“Due to a technical issue the Free Xbox Live Weekend will be postponed this weekend in the U.K., said a Microsoft spokesperson. “We are committed to further trial and promotional activity for the free community and will be in a position soon to announce a further Free Live Weekend. In the meantime all Free and Trial members should look out for a host of new promotional offers on the Xbox Live dashboard.”

Source: CVG

Kinect ‘Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device In History’ Says Microsoft

Microsoft recently reported that their Entertainment & Devices division (which primarily generates revenue from the Xbox 360 and related businesses) saw an increase in revenue by 55 percent to $3.7 billion. This includes a 6.3 million Xbox 360 consoles sold over the holidays, up 21 percent, and perhaps most significantly 8 million Kinect sensors sold.

Peter Klein, chief financial officer for Microsoft, proclaimed in a conference call that Kinect is the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history.

Source: VentureBeat

Nintendo’s Iwata: Sony’s NGP Appealing To Customers ‘From A Different Direction’

Nintendo often has fightin’ words for its competition, speaking from a position of confidence and (in the past few years) of strength. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, however, gave a very serene response when asked about how Nintendo looked to counter Sony’s NGP.

“They’re trying to appeal to customers from a different direction than us. The customers will decide which is correct, said Iwata. “Nintendo is not the kind of company that thinks about how we oppose other company’s product.”

Iwata also put the issue of Nintendo games on non-Nintendo platforms to bed, saying, “So long as I am CEO, it definitely will not happen.”

Source: Andriasang

Homefront Timeline Details Downfall

Homefront is a game that takes place in an United States occupied by the Greater Korean Republic. They virally released a timeline, detailing the events from 2011 until 2027 that show the collapse of the U.S. as a superpower, the Greater Korean Republic’s rise to power, and the eventual invasion of the continental U.S.

Check out the entire, engrossing thing at homefront-game.com/timeline.

Invasions Of The In-Game Ads

In-game ads often tend to be a bit in your face but some can be more subtle than others. A few of the more blatant examples were compiled into a list.

Check out the full list at videogamer.com.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Stays True To Series Tenants, Says Writer

Deus Ex is one of the most acclaimed games of all time, some even asserting it is the greatest PC title ever created. According to Deus Ex: Human Revolution narrative designer and lead writer Mary DeMarle, the recent sequel is set to live up to the lofty standards set by the first game.

“I think it does [live up to the original], yes,” said DeMarle. “It’s funny because it’s a story that takes place in the Deus Ex universe with a new story and new characters, so it touches and hints of those other characters that will come into play in the 25 years, but for the most part we’re creating something new and original, which gives us some flexibility.”

“But in terms of the overall feeling and sense of wanting to play someone who is vitally important in uncovering this conspiracy I think we stay true to the Deus Ex tenants, she added.

Source: CVG

SCEA Exec Talks Incorporating Smartphone Games Into NGP

One of the biggest surprises for the Sony NGP is the fact that it will incorporate Android games into its suite of titles. SCEA President-CEO Jack Tretton says it’s all about the company’s tradition of innovation.

Yeah, we definitely have worked closely with Google and I think it was through a number of conversations that we came up with the concept of PS Suite and a PlayStation Store on Android devices that were the best fit for us and for them, said Tretton. I’m glad you’re sold on it, and I’m glad you get it, because I think we’ve never been about the status quo. We’ve always been about, what is the market What is the opportunity Seize the opportunity and differentiate yourself. To sit there and stick your head in the sand and say, ‘smartphones are irrelevant, there are no other gaming mediums,’ I think would be foolish, and it would be a disadvantage for us, because we have all these great games. We have this great gaming heritage.

If you truly believe in your brand and you truly believe in your technology, expose yourself to as many consumers as possible, so hopefully PlayStation Suite introduces people to the PlayStation brand and ultimately they follow the breadcrumbs back to NGP and to our other devices, he continued. We’ve got this huge library of PlayStation One games that are tremendous games, especially when compared to a lot of the other stuff you’re seeing on smartphones. That already sets the bar very, very, high.

Tretton was purposefully vague when asked about the price. Well, the goal is that people will appreciate the quality and the technology, and it’s aspirational. First you create the market where people want it, and then you try to achieve a price that’s within reach . . . So I think we certainly got people’s attention with the technology. They can see the quality, they can see the value there. It’s a question of whether we can bring it in at a price that compels them to want and go out and buy it. That’s the goal.

When asked about a subsidized model with mobile carriers, Tretton added, I think we’re just interested in delivering a good quality device with something developers are excited about, consumers are excited about, and is financially viable for everybody involved. That’s the goal, and beyond that I don’t really have any details for you.

Source: Engadget

Dead Space Movie Has To Be ‘Really Worthwhile’

Dead Space 2 recently released to critical acclaim, although the franchise has quickly become more than just games. There are already animated movies, comics and action figures based on the Dead Space universe, and a live action movie is not out of the question.

“We would love to have a live action film and we’ve had a lot of discussion, said Ian Milham, art director and co-creator of Dead Space. “But one of the reasons Dead Space still exists and is popular is because we’ve made sure to do everything right. So we’re doing the same with the film, not just a cheap cash-in but to do something really worthwhile, so we’ll see.”

When asked if he thought games would be accepted in the mainstream like movies and TV, he responded, “I do [think so]. Especially as people who grew up with video games haven’t stopped playing them. As they mature and become part of culture to an even greater degree I do think video games will be accepted. Especially as the generations continue and things influence each other.”

Regardless of whether Dead Space ever gets made into a movie, the horror game sequel had a similar production value. “It takes about two and a half years. The team grows and shrinks throughout the production depending on what phase we’re in, but it peaks at about 200. And without getting too specific into the detail, the budget is comparable to a large Hollywood film – in the tens of millions of pounds.”

Source: BBC