Red Dead Redemption ships 8 million, Take-Two profits flat, GTA V missing exact date.

Western game hits new sales milestone as publisher names Undead Nightmare expansion a major hit; NBA 2K11, Civilization V also solid holiday players; next GTA missing from release calendar.

Nearly nine months after its release, the Red Dead Redemption money train keeps on rolling. Today, Rockstar Games parent Take-Two Interactive revealed the Western action adventure has shipped 8 million units to date, just under half of Grand Theft Auto: IV’s total haul as of last June. The game’s zombie expansion, Undead Nightmare, was also named as one of the publisher’s biggest hits during its October-December quarter.

Take-Two also reported its earnings for the aforementioned quarter. The company took in $334.3 million in net revenue, down 7 percent from the $360.4 million during the same period the year prior. Profits were $40.8 million, essentially flat from the $39.4 million in profits from the same quarter the year before.

That said, the bigger picture proved much rosier. For the nine months ending December 31, Take-Two’s net revenue increased 80 percent to $954.6 million. Income during the period went from a $98.4 million loss to a $76.2 million profit year-over-year, thanks again in large part to Red Dead Redemption. Other major hits for the period included the quadruple platinum NBA 2K11, Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete, Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition, and Sid Meier’s Civilization V.

Looking ahead, Take-Two predicts it will take in $130 million to $150 million in revenue during the current quarter, with earnings totaling $1.08 billion to $1.10 billion for the year ending March 31, 2011. The company recently shifted its fiscal year, which used to end on October 31.

During the current quarter, the company’s two major releases are Major League Baseball 2K11 and Top Spin 4. Looking out to the next year, the company plans to ship Duke Nukem Forever on May 3 and L.A. Noire on May 17. Beyond that, the just-announced Darkness II is due out in the fall, with Spec Ops: The Line and XCOM due out during the company’s next fiscal year. Calendar 2012 will bring BioShock: Infinite, the sky-set semi-sequel to the popular first-person action series.

Missing from Take-Two’s release schedule was any mention of Max Payne 3, the reportedly troubled next installment in the dark shooter series. Speaking with analysts after the report, Take-Two CFO Lainie Goldstein would only say, “There’s no update on that title as of this time.” Also missing from the schedule was any mention of the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, which analysts don’t expect until sometime next year.

By : 20th CGN

Enslaved Sells Over 460,000. Namco Bandai over the profit zone of last year.

Publisher and toy maker posts $45.3 million profit as acclaimed action adventure game underperforms.

Following Sony, Konami, Electronic Arts, Square Enix, and THQ, Namco Bandai became the latest game company to post earnings results this week. For the nine months ending December 31, 2010, the publisher and toy maker reported net sales of ¥288 billion ($3.5 billion), up from ¥282.8 billion ($3.4 billion) the year prior. Net income–aka profit–was ¥3.7 billion ($45.3 million), way up from the ¥11.7 billion loss ($143.3 million) the company posted the year prior.

Enslaved didn’t do as much monkey business as Namco had hoped.

In terms of games, the company’s best-selling title for the current fiscal year remains Tekken 6. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 fighting game sold 1.08 million copies during the nine months ending December 31, more than double Namco Bandai’s highest profile new release, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Despite solid marks from critics, the action adventure, loosely inspired by the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, sold just 460,000 units on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 after shipping in October.

Other best sellers called out by Namco Bandai were Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, with 490,000 units in nine-month sales, Gods Eater Burst with 460,000 units, and Gundam Musou 3, with 430,000 units. The company released 64 new titles during the nine-month period selling a total of 13.8 million units of software. Overall software sales were 21.8 million units for the time frame.

By : 20th CGN

Battlefield 3 Limited Edition Details Leaked

Premium edition to include “Back to Karkand” expansion according to leaked ad; content bundles updated weapons, vehicles, and maps from Battlefield 2.

Source: A leaked ad for the limited edition of Battlefield 3, as seen on Battlefield fansite EnterBF3.

What we heard: Last week Battlefield series developer DICE officially lifted the veil on the latest entry in the series, Battlefield 3. The Swedish studio said the title would arrive this fall in standard and limited edition iterations. Now, some new intel on the LE has crept out.

According to a leaked ad for Battlefield 3 (pictured at top), the limited edition of the new shooter will come bundled with the “Back to Karkand” expansion, which will contain a heap of Battlefield 2 content including weapons, vehicles, and four multiplayer environments.

The ad did not reveal which four maps will be included with the pack, however, Strike at Karkand was a popular multiplayer environment in Battlefield 2, and would seem a likely fit for the “Back to Karkand” expansion.

The ad only shows the PC version of the title, but according to additional wording, it looks like the limited edition is coming to consoles. The ad says the limited edition will include additional trophies and achievements for players to unlock, which is a likely indicator that the edition will land on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

Additionally, those who do not purchase a limited edition copy of Battlefield 3 can purchase and download the “Back to Karkand” expansion content about a month after the title releases, according to the leaked advertisement. Neither a price nor a more exact release date has been affixed to the content thus far.

The official story: As of press time DICE has not responded to 20th CGN’s request for comment or clarification on the matter.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking very much not bogus that EA is planning a multiplatform limited edition for Battlefield 3. But whatever the case, answers will arrive soon, as DICE has said it will unveil the limited edition properly at this year’s Game Developers Conference, which is set for the end of the month.

By : 20th CGN

Prototype 2 – Exclusive First Hand Trailer [HD]

Title: Prototype 2
Release Date: TBA 2011
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Label: Activision
Genre: Action
Age Rating: M

By : 20th CGN.

X-Men Destiny – Exclusive New Trailer [HD]

Title: X-Men Destiny
Release Date: TBA 2011
Platforms: Xbox 360
Label: Activision
Genre: Action
Age Rating: T

By : 20th CGN.

 

New SSX domain names registered, New Future SSX Games..??

SSXDeadlyDescent.com, SSXFirstDescent.com registered by unknown company; EA staying mum on possible titles.

Among its library of intellectual properties, Electronic Arts has one of the more popular snowboarding series, SSX. The franchise has lain fallow since 2007, when SSX Blur was released as a Wii exclusive. Prior to that, installments in the series appeared on the PSP, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and original Xbox.

Now, there are signs that EA may be bringing back the SSX franchise. This week, the Internet sleuth known as Superannuation uncovered two URLs that were registered by a domain company last week: SSXFirstDescent.com and SSXDeadlyDescent.com. The domains DeadlyDescent.com and DeadlyDescents.com were also registered. All four URLs currently point to blank white pages.

Though no definitive link to EA was established, the use of the snowboarding term “first descent” in conjunction with the trademarked SSX name points to a possible new title from the publisher. However, reps for the Redwood City, California-based company declined comment on the URLs, dismissing any association with EA as “rumor and speculation.”

Source : IGN

By : 20th CGN

 

Shippin’ Out: Oct 17-23: Fallout: New Vegas, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, DJ Hero 2.

New release slate spearheaded by latest entry in RPG series, Nintendo’s cutesy platformer, turn table disc jockey game, EA’s new fighting game, Sega’s Vanquish, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011.

Last week’s new release plate was focused on the Afghan war, Mexican wrestling, and adjectives, but this week’s attention is channeled into radioactive wastelands, Nintendo’s pink mascot, turntables, cage fighting, action, and soccer.

Leading the pack this week is Fallout: New Vegas for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the role-playing game is set in the Mojave Wasteland and casts players in the role of a courier who gets shot in the head over a package and is left for dead. After recovering, players will be free to roam the desert, exploring new areas and modifying weapons. They will also get wrapped up in the larger conflict between the New California Republic and the slave-trading Caesar’s Legion, based out of the former casino Caesar’s Palace.

Gamble with your life in Vegas.

The most notable release for the Nintendo Wii this week is Kirby’s Epic Yarn. The game will see the Nintendo mascot return in a new 2D platformer with an arts-and-crafts aesthetic. In the game, Kirby and the rest of his world is represented in yarn, felt, beads, and other common materials to give the game a distinct look. As for gameplay, Kirby will wield a yarn whip that can be used to interact with the environment, tugging at seems to unstitch the background and reveal new paths or secure platforms to one another.

Also debuting this week is DJ Hero 2 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. DJ Hero 2 is a sequel to last year’s warmly received original, and will come with 105 songs, remixed in 80 distinct ways. Notable artists featured in the game include Eminem, who lends “Not Afraid” to the game; Deadmau5, who scratches up his iconic beat “Ghosts N Stuff”; and Metallica, offering their eight-minute headbanging hit “The Day That Never Comes” to the game.

DJ Hero 2 will come in a variety of bundles, including a “party in a box” set ($149.99) that includes a copy of the game, two turntables, and a microphone, as well as a single-turntable bundle ($99) and a version without accessories ($49.99 for the Wii, $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3).

Entering the cage this week is EA Sports MMA for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The title boasts Randy Couture and Fedor Emelianenko as cover athletes, and allows players to take control of a number of fighters duking it out on numerous virtual battle mats.

For shooter fans, Sega this week releases Vanquish for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. A third-person shooter with an emphasis on action, Vanquish will follow a government-backed one-man army named Sam as he takes on robotic enemies in a world where an energy crisis has once again put the United States and Russia at odds. Unfortunately, this conflict isn’t another Cold War, with hostilities started by the obliteration of San Francisco from an orbital laser cannon.

Vanquish wreaks havoc on the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week.

On the footie front, Konami will release the latest entry in its annualized soccer franchise this Tuesday. Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 comes to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii this week with wunderkind and current FIFA Player of the World Lionel Messi on its cover. Konami is promising that PES 2011 “will deliver a completely new footballing experience.” According to the publisher, this will be achieved through AI improvement, and changes to the game’s aesthetics, including a revamped animation system and greater control for the player over the speed at which the game is played.

he full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17:

Kirby’s Epic Yarn–Wii–Nintendo

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18:

Busy Scissors–DS,Wii–Little Orbit
Farmtopia–DS–505 Games
Honda Fever–Wii–CokeM Interactive
I Spy: Spooky Mansion–Wii–CokeM Interactive
My First Dollhouse–DS–505 Games
Power Gig: Rise of the Six String–X360,PS3–Seven45 Studios
Zhu Zhu Pets: Kung Zhu–DS–Activision

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19:

Active Life Explorer–Wii–Namco Bandai Games
Aqua Panic–PS3–EKO Software
Arcania: Gothic 4–X360, PC–JoWooD Entertainment AG
Bakugan: Defenders of the Core–PS3, DS, Wii, PSP, X360–Activision
Blazing Souls: Accelerate–PSP–Aksys
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011–X360, PS3, DS, Wii–Activision
Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales–Wii–Disney Interactive Studios
Cosmos Chaos!–DS–Crave
Costume Quest–PS3–THQ
CSI: Fatal Conspiracy–Wii–Ubisoft
DJ Hero 2–X360, PS3, Wii–Activision
Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team–PSP–Namco Bandai Games
EA Sports MMA–X360, PS3– EA Sports
Empire: Total War – Gold Edition–PC–Sega
EVE Online: Commissioned Officer Edition–PC–Atari
Fallout: New Vegas–X360, PS3, PC–Bethesda Softworks
Flip’s Twisted World–Wii–Majesco Games
Girls Only–DS–O Games
Kevin Van Dam Fishing–PS3–Zoo Games
Mathews Bowhunting–Wii–Zoo Games
Mystery Tales of Time Travel–DS–O Games
Nail’d–PC–Deep Silver
Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water’s Edge–MAC, PC–Her Interactive
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2–X360, PS3–Namco Bandai Games
NBA 2K11–Wii–2K Sports
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011–X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP–Konami
Remington Super Slam Hunting North America–Wii–Jack of All Games
Rock of the Dead–PS3, X360–Conspiracy Entertainment
Saw 2: Flesh & Blood–X360, PS3–Konami
SBK X: Superbike World Championship–X360, PS3, PC–SouthPeak Games, Deep Silver
Sesame Street: Cookie’s Counting Carnival–Wii, DS–Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Smart Girl’s Playhouse Party–DS–UFO Interactive
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures–PC–Sony Online Entertainment
The Shoot–PS3–SCEA
Time Crisis: Razing Storm–PS3–Namco Bandai Games
Vanquish–PS3, X360–Sega

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20:

Casper’s Scare School: Spooky Sports Day–DS–Crave
Costume Quest–X360–THQ
Mechanic Master 2–DS–Crave
Super Meat Boy–X36–Team Meat

By : 20th CGN.

Source : Gamespot.

Shippin’ Out Oct 10-16: Medal of Honor, Super Scribblenauts.

New releases this week highlighted by EA’s shooter reboot, 5th Cell’s creative sequel; others hitting shelves include Lucha Libre, Borderlands GOTY.

Last week’s new release schedule included post-apocalyptic action, basketball, and vampires, but this week focuses on the Afghan War, a little man named Maxwell, and Mexican wrestling.

Leading the pack this week is Electronic Arts’ modern day shooter, Medal of Honor. Hitting the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on Tuesday, the title is a reboot of the 11-year-old Medal of Honor franchise. Fans can expect two distinct experiences with Medal of Honor. Its single-player campaign was created using the Unreal 3 engine and its multiplayer runs on DICE’s Frostbite. The title follows a squad of Tier-1 operators throughout combat scenarios abroad.

War Rages On in Medal Of Honor.

Also dropping this week is 5th Cell’s sequel to the highly praised Scribblenauts. Super Scribblenauts comes exclusively to the Nintendo DS on Tuesday and packs in an element not found in its predecessors…adjectives. Now, with the help of this new ability, players will be able to guide protagonist Maxwell in a variety of new ways. What was once just a baseball, can now become a slimy baseball.

For those looking for some mat time, Konami is bringing Lucha Libre: Heroes of the Ring to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this Tuesday. Lucha Libre will feature the league’s familiar six-sided ring, as well as a number of international stars, including ex-WCW wrestlers La Parka and Konnan. Other AAA stars that could be included but are not yet confirmed for the game include Octagon, Abismo Negro, Jack Evans, Teddy Hart, and Silver King.

Gamers who’ve yet to try their hand at Gearbox Software’s sci-fi-themed Borderlands, can pick up the Game of the Year Edition this Tuesday on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The new SKU packs in all previously released downloadable content as well as a token to play the Duke Nukem Forever demo early.

For further details on the week’s games, The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11
Casper’s Scare School: Spooky Sports Day–Wii–SVG Distribution
Deal or No Deal: Special Edition–DS–Zoo Games
G.G. Series: Super Hero Orge–DS–Genterprise
Ivy the Kiwi? Mini–DS–Namco Bandai Games
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1–Wii–Sega

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12
Alan Wake: The Writer–X360–Microsoft Game Studios
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition–PC, PS3, X360–Take- Two Interactive
Disney Sing It: Party Hits–Wii–Disney Interactive Studios
Dragon’s Lair Trilogy–Wii–Destineer
I love Puppies–DS–Destineer
Invizimals–PSP–SCEA
Jewels of the Tropical Lost Island–DS–City Interactive
Just Dance 2–Wii–Ubisoft
Logic Machines–DS–City Interactive
Lucha Libre AAA Heroes del Ring–X360, PS3–Konami
Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals–DS–Natsume
Medal of Honor–PC, PS3, X360–Electronic Arts
My Baby 3 & Friends–DS–Majesco Games
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes–PS3, Wii–Capcom
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1–PS3–Sega
Super Scribblenauts–DS–Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Vampire Moon: The Mystery of the Hidden Sun–DS–City Interactive
Who’s That Flying?–PS3–SCEA
ZhuZhu Pets 2: Featuring the Wild Bunch–DS, Wii–Activision

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13
Ninjabee Critic’s Choice Collection–X360–Majesco Entertainment
Pinball FX 2–X360–Microsoft Game Studios
Sesame Street: Elmo’s A-to-Zoo Adventure–Wii–Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1–X360–Sega

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14
DJ Max Portable 3–PSP–PM Studios Inc.
Dynasty Warriors: Online–PC–Aeria Games and Entertainment
Painkiller: Pandemonium–PC–Dreamcatcher
The Guild 2: Renaissance–PC–Dreamcatcher

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
Solitaire Overload Plus–DS–Telegames, Inc.

By : 20th CGN.

Source : Gamespot.

Microsoft closing Massive – Report.

 

In-game ad unit to be liquidated by parent company nearly four and half years after being bought out for $200-$400 million.

In May 2006, Microsoft bought Massive, a rising in-game ad company. Unfortunately, three years later, the bloom was off the rose. That’s when Microsoft cut 28 percent of the firm’s workforce as part of a company-wide staff reduction of 3,000 people.

Microsoft is reportedly shuttering Massive, its in-game ad department.

Now, according to an article in Adweek, Massive is being shut down entirely. Citing unnamed “insiders,” the trade magazine reports that the division’s general manager, JJ Richards, is seeking employment elsewhere, while the tech and marketing teams of the company are being transferred into other departments within Microsoft.

As of press time, Microsoft reps had not responded to requests for comment. However, if confirmed, the closure would mark a remarkable decline for the business unit, which was reportedly purchased for between $200 million and $400 million. When it was bought, in-game ads were all the rage in the game industry, with then-CEO Mitch Davis predicting a $2 billion market for the spots by 2010.

Adweek blames Massive’s closure on two big factors. First is Xbox Live, which Microsoft is favoring because it doesn’t have to share ad revenue with third-party publishers as it does with Massive. The second culprit is one of those third-party publishers–Electronic Arts–which decided to take all of its own in-game ads in-house earlier this year, thereby depriving Massive of a large chunk of its business.

By : 20th CGN.

Source: Gamespot.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone Driving Hands-On.

We take 007 for a spin in Siberia, in a hands-on with a driving segment of Bizarre Creations’ James Bond action adventure.

A James Bond action adventure punctuated with flashy vehicle sections, Blood Stone stars Daniel Craig as 007 and Joss Stone as Bond girl du jour Nicole Hunter. We took them both for a spin in Siberia, chasing down Russian villain Pomerov through fiery wrecks, crumbling towers, thin ice, and attack helicopters.

Who’s making it? Liverpool-based Bizarre Creations gives Blood Stone a solid pedigree on the driving and racing front; this is the studio that brought us Project Gotham Racing and, more recently, Blur. Bizarre’s experience with running and gunning is less extensive, with arcade-y third-person shooter The Club its most notable stab at the genre.

What it looks Like: Though Blood Stone isn’t primarily a racing game, the driving experience at least appears to be more than tacked-on vehicle segments. We went behind the wheel as Bond in Siberia, in the game’s level 2.4, titled “A Train to Catch.” We were in pursuit of Pomerov, a Russian of unspecified villainy, as he made his escape on a train through an industrial-looking area and onward over a frozen river.

The level began on the road, resembling nothing so much as chaotic racer Split/Second: We swerved and dodged through an unusual abundance of fuel tankers, with explosions on all sides as Pomerov’s train–tracked with a waypoint marker–sped off ahead on a parallel rail track. Bond girl Nicole Hunter, meanwhile, chipped in helpfully from the passenger seat. (Of a concrete tower already collapsing onto the road in front: “James! The tower!”)

We went off-road via a micro cutscene; Bond took the car off a ramp and onto a partially frozen river, alongside which Pomerov’s train ran on a raised rail track. Then, instead of explosions filling the frame, snow spattered the lens–the game throws a lot at you visually and verges on distracting at times. As we raced along the icy surface of the river, we had to slalom around unfrozen patches, occasionally mounting the sloping sides of the riverbank to avoid plunging into the water and meeting an instant death.

Midway through the river section, Pomerov dispatched an attack helicopter to deal with us. It fired on the car and on the ice but seemed more like action cinema spectacle than genuine hazard–it was the open water and not the helicopter that put an end to us a handful of times. The driving sequence ended with Bond taking the car off an ice ramp and landing it on the back of Pomerov’s train. At this point, the game segued into a third-person action segment, which wasn’t available for play.

What you do: Blood Stone is far from a simulation-like driving experience. This is one-button-style driving that rewards quick reflexes, not realistic racing lines. On the Xbox 360 version of the game, controls are straightforward: You use the left and right trigger to brake and accelerate; you use the Y face button to switch between first-person and camera-behind-the-car views.

How it plays: The driving feels arcade-y, with plenty of drift. The damage modelling is not extensive and crashes aren’t terminal, though they can slow you down enough to let the train get away. The train’s onscreen marker is labelled with distance, and one or two full-on collisions will lose you enough ground to mean game over–happily, checkpointing through the sequence is frequent.

What they say: Blood Stone is an original, authentic Bond adventure that combines driving with gritty unarmed combat and gunplay.

What we say: Driving isn’t the heart of the Blood Stone, though with Bizarre developing the game, we were already expecting compelling vehicle sections. If this Siberian driving level was representative, Blood Stone’s driving sequences will be short and action focused, heavy on the Split/Second-style spectacle, and used to link the on-foot, run-and-gun levels. Expect more chase sequences.

By ; 20th CGN.

Info By : Gamespot.