Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JoystiqThe Joystiq Podcast combines insightful commentary on the week's video game news and culture with several disembodied, often spooky, voices. Voices may or may not belong to Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann, Joystiq.com editors, or their guests. Spookiness not guaranteed where prohibited, please check local laws. More information available at www.joystiq.comSting, Tool join Guitar Hero World Tour's lineuphttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/sting-tool-join-guitar-hero-world-tours-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/sting-tool-join-guitar-hero-world-tours-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/05/sting-tool-join-guitar-hero-world-tours-lineup/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Joining Hendrix, Ozzy and others, Sting will be walking around the virtual concert halls of Guitar Hero World Tour. According to the press release, you can play as Sting during the vocal career "or play alongside him" in the Police track, "Demolition Man." Additionally, three songs from Tool (who are not bringing their likenesses to the game) have been confirmed: Parabola, Schism, Vicarious.

We now know about 65 tracks of the reported "over 85" tracks. With about seven weeks to go before its October 26 North American launch, when do we get to learn the rest of the tracklist? More importantly, where's our virtual likeness of Lars Ulrich?
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]]>activisionguitar-heroguitar-hero-world-tourneversoftstingtoolFri, 05 Sep 2008 14:20:00 ESTCall of Duty: World at War confirmed to deploy Nov. 11http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/call-of-duty-world-at-war-confirmed-to-deploy-nov-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/call-of-duty-world-at-war-confirmed-to-deploy-nov-11/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/call-of-duty-world-at-war-confirmed-to-deploy-nov-11/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A couple of weeks back during X08, we learned that the "fall" release time frame Activision had been giving for the latest Call of Duty installment actually meant "November." Today, the publisher narrowed it down even further to November 11. That's the date all console versions of Call of Duty: World at War will rumble into retail - except, of course, for the never-to-be PS2 version. Those hankering for an earlier taste of multiplayer flame thrower action should hit our post from earlier today on the upcoming October beta.
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]]>activisionbreakingnewscall-of-dutycall-of-duty-world-at-wartreyarchThu, 04 Sep 2008 18:30:00 ESTActivision Blizzard still 'reviewing' fate of Ghostbusters, 50 Centhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/activision-blizzard-still-reviewing-fate-of-ghostbusters-50-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/activision-blizzard-still-reviewing-fate-of-ghostbusters-50-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/activision-blizzard-still-reviewing-fate-of-ghostbusters-50-c/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


It seems Activision Blizzard is still uncertain as to who it's gonna call -- to publish ectoplasmic epic Ghostbusters. Speaking to MCV, the newly melded megapublisher was still hesitant to divulge the "absolutely not cancelled" game's fate, along with the fate of fellow Vivendi leftovers like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.

In the wake of Vivendi UK's closure, Activision Blizzard's general manager for the region, Andrew Brown, pointed out that while "Crash, Spyro and Prototype will definitely be released this and next year," the company was still in the midst of "reviewing its options regarding titles that it will not be publishing." Sound familiar? If the games are found unsuitable for Activision's immense sequel conveyer belt, it's likely that they'll be shipped off to more eager publishers.

Still, aren't you utterly relieved to learn that Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon are just fine? We were worried there for a second.
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]]>50-Cent50-Cent-Blood-on-the-SandActivision-BlizzardGhostbustersVivendiThu, 04 Sep 2008 12:30:00 ESTVenJuvo's Trade4Cause sends old console's value to charityhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/venjuvos-trade4cause-sends-old-consoles-value-to-charity/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/venjuvos-trade4cause-sends-old-consoles-value-to-charity/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/venjuvos-trade4cause-sends-old-consoles-value-to-charity/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


We're starting to head into the holiday season, which means our collective capitalist guilt tells us it's time to start thinking about the less fortunate for five seconds as we spend $4 on a Frappuccino. Electronics trade-in site VenJuvo.com is now offering its Trade4Cause program. The program appears to be fairly painless: Pick your console from the list (we did the PS2), get a quote on its value ($35), choose the charity from the dropdown menu to receive the donation, print the shipping label, pack and send. The company tests the product once it's received and donates the payment on your behalf to the charity.

Another nice touch is that if the charity you're looking for isn't on the company's list, there's also the option of filling in the organization's information. Obviously, we're big fans of Child's Play, but there are plenty of other worthwhile gamer-centric causes out there. VenJuvo also has a no-cost recycling program for products that qualify, just in case you're looking to be charitable to our little planet this holiday.
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]]>charityrecycletrade4causevenjuvoThu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:00 ESTNintendo Fanboy Weekly: Aug 28 - Sep 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/nintendo-fanboy-weekly-aug-28-sep-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/nintendo-fanboy-weekly-aug-28-sep-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/nintendo-fanboy-weekly-aug-28-sep-3/#commentsFiled under: ,


We've got some great features and other original content that went down on the Nintendo Fanboys over the past week. Below, you'll find some great content to jam into your eyeballs from the world of Nintendo, so skip this unimportant text and hit the links below to check out our best stuff from the last week.

DS Stuff
Wii Stuff

Gallery: 5 Great GameCube Mods

Steady, Dak, it's just a GameCubeWe're falling for Wall-E, the GameCube modTurn your GameCube into a stylish clockHey! Listen! Play me!It's-a me, Airbrushed Mario
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]]>nintendo-dsnintendo-wiiweekly-recapwiiThu, 04 Sep 2008 04:00:00 ESTFour more GH World Tour tracks leak, Aussie release date revealedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/four-more-gh-wt-tracks-leak-aussie-release-date-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/four-more-gh-wt-tracks-leak-aussie-release-date-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/four-more-gh-wt-tracks-leak-aussie-release-date-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It may seem odd that we're still talking about leaking Guitar Hero World Tour tracks, especially when we've had a full set list for the competing Rock Band 2 for months now (heck, we've had the whole thing ranked by difficulty for a week). Nonetheless, four more included tracks were revealed at an Activision press conference in New Zealand. The newly revealed songs (as reported by Gamespot) are:
In addition, the event revealed a Nov. 12 release date for the game in Australia. With 64 tracks already confirmed by various sources, we have to wonder when the rest of the reported "over 85" tracks will finally be revealed.
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]]>activisionghwtguitar-heroguitar-hero-world-tourred-octaneThu, 04 Sep 2008 01:00:00 ESTClassic rockers re-record tracks for Guitar Hero World Tourhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/classic-rockers-re-record-tracks-for-guitar-hero-world-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/classic-rockers-re-record-tracks-for-guitar-hero-world-tour/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/classic-rockers-re-record-tracks-for-guitar-hero-world-tour/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Who says you can't teach old bands new tracks? (Insert groans from audience). Activision sent word today that the Guitar Hero World Tour track list will include three classic songs that have been re-recorded just recently. First off, MC5's 40-year-old classic "Kick Out the Jams" has been "updated and modernized" by MC5's Wayne Kramer, with help from Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell and Guns 'N' Roses Gilby Clark. The Sex Pistols will be offering up a newly recorded version of 1969's "Pretty Vacant" and Motörhead came back to the studio to re-record their 1979 hit "Overkill" for the game.

Activision is casting these re-recorded classics as a way for fans to get "a unique experience of old yet new legendary sounds." Still, we have to wonder if the decision might have had more to do with missing or incomplete master recordings, a problem that afflicted the "Who's Next" DLC that was planned for Rock Band. Either way, it's nice to see some classic rock stars coming together to support a thoroughly modern interpretation of their songs. If only they all felt that way.
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]]>activisionghwtguitar-heroguitar-hero-world-tourred-octaneWed, 03 Sep 2008 19:30:00 ESTThe Force Unleashed tops the charts ... in hardcover fictionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/the-force-unleashed-tops-the-charts-in-hardcover-fiction/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/the-force-unleashed-tops-the-charts-in-hardcover-fiction/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/the-force-unleashed-tops-the-charts-in-hardcover-fiction/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is already a hit in the world of rectangular objects filled with paper and words. The New York Times' bestseller list shows that The Force Unleashed novel by Sean Williams has Jedi mind-tricked its way atop the hardcover fiction pile.

A demo for The Force Unleashed is currently available on both XBLM and PSN. The full game releases globally in two weeks.

[Via Game Daily]
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]]>star-warsstar-wars-the-force-unleashedthe-force-unleashedWed, 03 Sep 2008 10:30:00 ESTGuitar Hero: World Tour lacks a 'No Fail' optionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/guitar-hero-world-tour-lacks-a-no-fail-option/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/guitar-hero-world-tour-lacks-a-no-fail-option/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/guitar-hero-world-tour-lacks-a-no-fail-option/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Serving as a great anecdote for the old saying, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone," an Activision representative has confirmed that Guitar Hero: World Tour will be lacking Rock Band 2's party-friendly "No Fail" option, either as a menu option or as a cheat code. Also interesting is that you can't save your bandmates should one fail; instead, you can comparatively miss more notes than in RB and stay alive.

The lack of a "No Fail" option certainly isn't going to be a game-changer -- after all, its predecessors (including RB1) sold very well without it. And although the virtual rock elitist might scoff at the notion that it's now harder to fail songs, GH:WT does have the added bonus of presenting a detailed analysis of your performance after each song (we've placed an exemplary image after the break Update: Now it really is after the break). We'll have more on our time at PAX 2008 with the game, specifically the drums, later this week.

Continue reading Guitar Hero: World Tour lacks a 'No Fail' option

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]]>ghwtguitar-heroguitar-hero-world-tourrock-bandrock-band-2Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:00:00 ESTDisaster: Day of Crisis officially looming in UKhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/disaster-day-of-crisis-officially-looming-in-uk/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/disaster-day-of-crisis-officially-looming-in-uk/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/disaster-day-of-crisis-officially-looming-in-uk/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The Day you thought would never come has finally arrived, leaping over the horizon and declaring, "I am alive, but not to be confused with I Am Alive, the similarly themed disaster survival game from Ubisoft!" It seems Nintendo has finally gotten around to announcing the official UK release date for Disaster: Day of Crisis, thus dragging the Monolith Soft-developed Wii game from the murky realms of vaporware and into the fluorescent aisles of your local video game retailer.

October 24th has been chosen as the day which game protagonist Raymond Bryce is sure to describe as the worst of his life, what with it attempting to kill him constantly in earthquakes, fires, floods and tenuously connected terrorist attacks. There are also bears. See the peril for yourself in the gallery below.

We certainly hope the game's been worth the wait, if only to spare us from a parade of self-congratulatory reviewers cleverly dubbing it a "disaster."

Gallery: Disaster: Day of Crisis

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]]>DisasterDisaster-Day-of-CrisisTue, 02 Sep 2008 18:30:00 ESTSmashing Pumpkins single to debut as GH: World Tour DLChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/smashing-pumpkins-single-to-debut-as-gh-world-tour-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/smashing-pumpkins-single-to-debut-as-gh-world-tour-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/smashing-pumpkins-single-to-debut-as-gh-world-tour-dlc/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Aural squash annihilation news now, with Activision already promoting Guitar Hero: World Tour DLC in the form of a Smashing Pumpkins track pack. In addition to the hits "1979" and "The Everlasting Gaze," the downloadable pack will feature the exclusive debut of a new single dubbed "G.L.O.W." Unsurprisingly, you can expect the content to become available for download sometime after the game's launch later this year.

Those hoping to find lead singer Billy Corgan on the game's disc won't be disappointed either as, well, he's actually on there. Corgan will appear as an in-game and undoubtedly creepy character, singing and gyrating (probably) through the band's "Today," or whatever other career song you choose to fling at him. Be gentle.
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]]>ActivisionDLCGuitar-HeroGuitar-Hero-World-TourPSNXbox-LiveTue, 02 Sep 2008 17:00:00 ESTNew Games This Month: Sept. 2008http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/new-games-this-month-sept-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/new-games-this-month-sept-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/new-games-this-month-sept-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Wow. We know we talked about it in our weekly new games post, but the fall is in full swing. We're featuring 17 big releases this month, and we didn't even have room for all of the ones we wanted to talk about. Is the first time we're going to go broke in September?

By the way, we're not complaining.

New Games This Month: September 2008







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]]>joystiqfeaturesnew-games-monthlyTue, 02 Sep 2008 13:00:00 ESTMy Aquarium probably won't be yours today on WiiWarehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/my-aquarium-probably-wont-be-yours-today-on-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/my-aquarium-probably-wont-be-yours-today-on-wiiware/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/my-aquarium-probably-wont-be-yours-today-on-wiiware/#commentsFiled under:

Here's a great example of why you shouldn't sleep in. Every week, Nintendo sends out a release about its new downloadable game offerings of the week. My dear, close friend Ross, still flush with joy from his trip to PAX, gets to the email first and ends up writing about the Virtual Console release, the totally awesome Super Mario RPG while I, still groggy from choosing a Sunday night to make myself the Mayor of Lower New Drunkington, get to write about the WiiWare side of the coin: My Aquarium (Hudson Entertainment, 1 player, 500 Wii Points).

So, here we go: My Aquarium is a virtual aquarium, similar to a real aquarium in every way except that it never forces you to teach your children complicated and often troubling lessons about death.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed.
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]]>my-aquariumwiiwarewiiware-weeklyMon, 01 Sep 2008 13:00:00 ESTNew games this week: Mercenaries 2 editionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-games-this-week-mercenaries-2-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-games-this-week-mercenaries-2-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/new-games-this-week-mercenaries-2-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


We hate to be the ones to break the news to you, but, with the season still three weeks away, the fall onslaught has officially begun. The biggest release is the oft-delayed Mercenaries 2, sure, put you've also got a new Viva Pinata, Trouble in Paradise, and Facebreaker, which ... well, at least it has Snoop Dogg in it.

See the rest of the week's releases right after the jump.
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Continue reading New games this week: Mercenaries 2 edition

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]]>eamercenaries-2mercenaries-2-world-in-flamesnewgamespandemicMon, 01 Sep 2008 11:00:00 ESTSuper Mario RPG, Clu Clu Land press A to attack Virtual Consolehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/01/super-mario-rpg-clu-clu-land-press-a-to-attack-virtual-console/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Well, this is certainly a great surprise for Labor Day. We're pretty sure one of these Virtual Console games needs no introduction or description. It just needs your money.
  • Clu Clu Land (NES(R), 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Obviously the greatest game about a sea urchin ever conceived. Obviously.
  • Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): A little-known collaboration between small developer Square Enix (at the time an even tinier Squaresoft) and struggling console maker Nintendo. The game is virtually unknown in all parts of the world.
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]]>clu-clu-landmariomario-rpgnintendosquare-enixsquaresoftsuper-mario-rpgvirtual-consolevirtualconsolemondayMon, 01 Sep 2008 10:00:00 ESTJapanese hardware sales, Aug. 18 - Aug. 24: Packs 2008 editionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/japanese-hardware-sales-aug-18-aug-24-packs-2008-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/japanese-hardware-sales-aug-18-aug-24-packs-2008-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/japanese-hardware-sales-aug-18-aug-24-packs-2008-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


It was an easy enough mistake to make, really. After forty-eight hours of driving, the exit to Tacoma, Washington, looks terribly similar to the exit to Seattle. Eyes made weary from two straight days of travel could easily confuse a radio tower for the Space Needle. The absence of a Starbucks on every street corner should have been a dead giveaway, but my typically keen observation skills weren't at their sharpest following my lengthy PAX-bound pilgrimage. Yes, unrelenting fatigue had brought me to Tacoma -- but some other force, be it fate or coincidence, had arranged for the 2008 Packs Convention to kick off in tandem with my accidental arrival.

I would later discover that the Packs Convention (or PacksCon, as their annual attendees have affectionately nicknamed it) was not, in fact, a video game expo hosted by the creators of a certain wildly popular webcomic. It was a celebration of portable textile containers; an unparalleled trade show for backpacks, fanny packs, attache cases, satchels, purses, man purses, handbags, duffel bags, gym bags, totes, luggage, and rucksacks. Booths lined the halls of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, representing major players in the industry and their experimental designs. Though not my intended destination, I was fortunate enough to witness the future during the past 72 hours -- and the future involves edible briefcases.

It wasn't until I was halfway through yesterday's Jansport panel that I had realized the mix-up. Cursing my ambitious travel arrangements, the PacksCon administrators, and the concept of homonyms, I began to wonder if there would be a major gaming convention this year that I wouldn't miss out on. However, I found some small amount of solace in my newfound knowledge of the textile container industry -- and, following a number of grief purchases, how incredibly easy it was to store my belongings for the long trip home.

- DS Lite: 55,995 22,671 (28.82%)
- PSP: 47,604 16,809 (26.10%)
- Wii: 35,173 17,863 (33.68%)
- PS3: 9,020 2,373 (20.83%)
- PS2: 8,420 1,748 (17.19%)
- Xbox 360: 3,551 3,807 (51.74%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The travel-weary archives
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]]>japanese-hardware-salesjapanesehardwaresalesSun, 31 Aug 2008 22:00:00 ESTPAX 2008: TellTale talks Wii, IP licensing and the futurehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/pax-2008-tell-tale-talks-wii-ip-licensing-and-the-future/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/pax-2008-tell-tale-talks-wii-ip-licensing-and-the-future/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/31/pax-2008-tell-tale-talks-wii-ip-licensing-and-the-future/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


TellTale, purveyors of all things pointy and clicky, were kind enough to have a natter with us on the PAX show floor. Designer, Mark Darin, and PR Manager, Emily Morgant, chat to us regarding developing for the Wii, how deals for the Sam and Max, Homestar Runner and Wallace and Gromit franchises came about and plans for the future. Hint: we won't be finding out about any more TellTale products for a little while.

Are there any plans to bring any of TellTale's properties on to XBLA or PSN?

Mark:Start with the hard questions! I don't really have too many answers to that. I know that we're looking to get on as many platforms as we can. We're talking to people about opportunities but no solid plans right now.

Emily: I would add to that that when we announced that we coming out with a WiiWare game and it was already in production and that it would be coming out a few months later, everybody was very surprised. We do things and don't talk about them.

How has your experience been with Nintendo's platform versus the PC?

Mark: Working with Nintendo's been pretty good. Actually our production process is kind of streamlined and our TellTale Tool is created to work well with multiple systems. So for us there's really no bottleneck, it's the same as working on the PC environment. All the help that Nintendo's been giving us and allowing us the opportunity to be on WiiWare has been great for our company and great for getting titles like SBCG4AP out there to a new audience who maybe isn't used to Adventure games. It's been a great partnership with Nintendo so far.


Continue reading PAX 2008: TellTale talks Wii, IP licensing and the future

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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>joystiqfeaturesPAX-08PAX-2008sam-and-maxSBcg4APstrong-bads-cool-game-for-attractive-peopleTellTalewallace-and-gromitSun, 31 Aug 2008 08:00:00 ESTGuitar Hero director knocks Rock Band 2 cymbalshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/guitar-hero-director-knocks-rock-band-2-cymbals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/guitar-hero-director-knocks-rock-band-2-cymbals/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/guitar-hero-director-knocks-rock-band-2-cymbals/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


We knew that as we came closer to the games' respective release dates, the feud between Harmonix/EA's Rock Band 2 and Neversoft/Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour would reach critical mass. In the quarrel's latest smack talk salvo, Guitar Hero director Brian Bright discussed rival Harmonix's cymbal attachments for their sequel's drum kit peripheral with Eurogamer, providing some highly quotable zingers -- and buddy, we don't mean snack cakes.

Bright condemns Rock Band 2's cymbals for being "dual-mapped", meaning they'll share the functions of one of the pads of the standard kit, making the attachments somewhat unneccessary. He also dismisses them for being a panicked copycat reaction to World Tour's cymbal-equipped kit -- based on the familiar gameplay we've seen from the latest installment in the Guitar Hero franchise, we assume Neversoft would be the unparalleled experts on matters duplicative.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>activisioncymbalseaguitar-hero-world-tourharmonixneversoftrock-band-2Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:00:00 ESTNintendough: Fiscal 2009 forecast raised againhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/nintendough-fiscal-2009-forecast-raised-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/nintendough-fiscal-2009-forecast-raised-again/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/nintendough-fiscal-2009-forecast-raised-again/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Good news, everybody*! Nintendo expects to make even more money during its 2009 fiscal year than it had previously anticipated. And it had previously anticipated quite a bit.

According to VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi and Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter, Nintendo has raised its financial forecast for the six months ending Sept. 30, 2008, as well as its expectations for the full fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. Thanks to phenomenal Wii and DS sales and improved foreign currency exchange rates, Nintendo now expects to shift 30.5 million DS units in the full fiscal year, along with 197 million DS games, 26.5 million Wiis and 186 million Wii games.

Projected fiscal 2009 revenue? Two thousand billion Yen. That doesn't even sound like a real number!

*Particularly those obsessed with the financial wellbeing of emotionally detached megacorporations.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>FY-2009It-Prints-MoneyNintendoThousand-BillionFri, 29 Aug 2008 15:45:00 ESTLego Batman cartoon coming, same Lego Bat-time, same Lego Bat-Channel!http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/lego-batman-cartoon-coming-same-lego-bat-time-same-lego-bat-ch/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/lego-batman-cartoon-coming-same-lego-bat-time-same-lego-bat-ch/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/lego-batman-cartoon-coming-same-lego-bat-time-same-lego-bat-ch/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Lego Batman is going to use his grappling hook to swing from consoles to television screens sometime in the near future. Traveller's Tales producer Rich Earl dropped the news that an unnamed studio is working on a spinoff animated show. Right now, it's a one-off 20 minute production, but they're undoubtedly looking to make it into a series. You've got Lego, you've got Batman... what else do you need?

We wouldn't mind seeing an Indiana Jones and the Mysterious Lego show either. The tongue-in-cheek humor that appears in these games is perfect for animated shows, and it could prep young, malleable minds to become Robot Chicken fans down the line. Speaking of which, where's Robot Chicken: The Game? Curse you television, for warping our young minds. Now pass us that video game controller.
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SPONSORED BY: Age of Empires III - Real-Time Strategy Game Control a European power on a quest to colonize and conquer the New World. AOE3 introduces new gameplay elements, as well as new civilizations, units, and technologies. http://www.ageofempires3.com/

]]>BatmanLegoLego-BatmanFri, 29 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST