Resident Evil’s Recent Success Attributed To Action Focus

BY

The Resident Evil series has taken a bend towards action as opposed to horror in recent entries. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a reflection of this and it is a purposeful marketing decision.

“We’ve seen the popularity of Resident Evil increase massively as the series became more action oriented – Resident Evil 5 is the biggest seller in the series. So, it makes sense for us to follow this action area more fully,” said Capcom U.K.’s head of marketing, Dave Turner, adding of Operation Raccoon City: “The dream would be that the millions of Call of Duty fans that are enjoying these fast-paced online games are attracted to this Resident Evil.”

Source: mcv.com

Nintendo Had Most TV Airtime In U.K. For 2011

BY

According to a study by Generation Media, Nintendo occupied the British TV airwaves for the full 52 weeks, achieving the greatest “share of voice.” Microsoft saw the highest TVR (an equivalent to one percent of a target audience) despite having only 10 TV campaigns.

The study also showed that Bethesda beat out Warner Bros for ninth place, thanks to each of their titles reaching over 200 TVRs. These top ten publishers accounted for 86 percent of all games and consoles TV advertising in 2011.

Source: mcvuk.com

Sony Says It’s Invested More First-Party Than Nintendo/Microsoft Combined

BY

One of the criticism early on in the lifetime of the PS3 was that it did not have the competitive first party offerings to compete with what the Xbox 360 had. However, that concern has fallen away as games from Sony have come out more frequently, to the point where Sony Computer Entertainment’s Director of PlayStation Home and Sony PlayStation Network Jack Buser thinks they produce more that their competitors.

“We have a 15 year heritage of investing very, very heavily in the PlayStation platform. We have actually invested more in our first-party studios than Nintendo and Microsoft combined,” said Buser. “We have a tremendous catalog of game titles that are second to none out there, and now with PlayStation Suite and PlayStation Network the ability to deliver those experiences across so many devices and even potentially across third-party devices is an incredible competitive advantage.”

While Buser was it it, he also trumpeted Sony’s relationships with third parties, as well. “The PlayStation philosophy has always been about our third-party partners and our ability as a games industry to raise all boats together as partners,” said Buser. “We’re not like some other game platforms that say ‘Hey! Put your game out here on the App Store and maybe you’ll be one of these 10 featured apps if we feel like it right now, and then the rest of you guys can all go out of business.’”

“Or some other platform owners who are saying, ‘Look, we’re gonna make all the great games and if you guys can maybe make a great game on our platform, good luck but we’re not going to help you much.’ Or some other guys who say ‘Hey, we hand-picked you and we’re gonna shove a bunch of money in your pocket and the rest of you guys can all dial the 800 number and try to dial through to the front desk,” he asserted. “We’re all about our partners, our publishing partners, we always have been. If you talk to any game publisher out there, and you mention the word PlayStation, they are going to be very, very loyal to our brand.”

Source: IndustryGamers

I Am Alive Birth Soon

BY

I Am Alive is finally releasing online in early March on PSN and Xbox Live. It looks to be a compelling test of survival as a desperate outcast looks for his daughter.

Darksiders II: Death Lives

BY

Darksiders II will mark a significant departure from the first game in both gameplay and tone, with the focus being on the Rider on a Pale Horse . . . Death.  Come see the developers talk about it, and some new gameplay.

Ninja Gaiden 3 – ‘Weight Of The Sword’

BY

The Ninja Gaiden series has always been known for its fast and heavy action, but the third game in the series looks to take it up a notch. Ninja Gaiden 3 will be a more personal game for Ryu Hayabusa and will also feature the most visceral sword-play in the series.

 

Could You Handle Kevin?

BY

A Facebook engagement for the new Lynn Ramsay film We Need to Talk About Kevin has been launched. Fans are asked, “Could you handle Kevin ” and must authorize the App to continue. Fans are presented with a series of five questions that test their ability to deal with obnoxious children and their behavior issues. Once complete fans are told whether they could handle Kevin or if they should have even clicked submit in the first place.

Swipe The Spider

BY

They may look like your average spiders, but these have super strength and can’t wait to take you down. Think you can beat them Inspired by the famous Mentos Rainbow Spider commercial, this game allows you to exact revenge on these ferocious arachnids. It’s your thumbs against their eight legs in a fight to the finish! From veteran Game Designer Graeme Devine, lead designer of 7th Guest, 11th Hour, Quake III and Halo Wars. Fight your way through the six classes of these mini beasts and compete for status in Game Center. For a bonus, beat the 1st spider and get a coupon for a free roll of Mentos with purchase.

Microsoft Points May Be Discontinued

BY

According to reports Microsoft’s proprietary virtual currency system Microsoft Points will be phased out by the end of 2012. This will affect the marketplaces on Windows Phone, Zune Marketplace and most prominently on Xbox Live.

Reports are that transactions will instead be based on a regional purchasing account and based upon real currency, which for Windows Phone would put it on par with the App Store and the Android Market. For Xbox Live, this would mean that content would now not just be listed in real dollar amounts and not necessitate buying Microsoft Points in “blocks.”

Source: Inside Mobile Apps