US, November 13, 2009 - Microsoft is feeling good about its latest Halo title.
Highlighting the company's strong first-party titles during the BMO Capital Markets conference in New York, Microsoft's COO of interactive entertainment Dennis Durkin revealed Halo 3: ODST has sold over 3 million copies to date since its release on September 22, 2009.
Durkin didn't specify if that number was worldwide or North America only, however.
Halo 3:ODST had an outstanding debut, selling 1.5 million copies in its first month, according to September NPD data, which only tracks U.S. sales. By comparison, though, it only took 12 days for Halo 3, released in September 2007, to reach the 3 million plateau.
Halo 3: ODST took the #6 spot in yesterday's NPD results for October, selling a comfortable 271,000 units in its second month.
Dr Mario KartGames DealerAustin, TXRegistered Userregular
edited November 2009
I'm still surprised that Final Fantasy 13 would come out worldwide in the same fiscal year that DQ9 hits Japan. Theres a random guy on CAG that said he bets 5:1 odds that it will come out when they say it will, and I'm tempted to put $5 on it getting pushed back...
Typically when a specific date is put on a game, that date is adhered to.
Typically.
The only instance I can think of it not coming out is Alpha Protocol.
Especially when it's a high profile game like FFXIII. Despite how skeptical I was that it'd come out in either territory in 2010, I'd put money on it coming out in both in the given week (varying depending on the country).
Dr Mario KartGames DealerAustin, TXRegistered Userregular
edited November 2009
They happened to do it with just the very last game they released. The TGS Crystal Bearers trailer changes the date at the very end, from the date they previously set, though in this case they moved it up 2 weeks.
Remember when everyone was chortling away that Sony want to introduce 3D fairly early. It seems like they're not the only ones thinking along this line.
Channel Four are trying it out, short term and not 'true' 3D but it'll be interesting to see how succesful it is.
Remember when everyone was chortling away that Sony want to introduce 3D fairly early. It seems like they're not the only ones thinking along this line.
Channel Four are trying it out, short term and not 'true' 3D but it'll be interesting to see how succesful it is.
Sky also plans to start a 3D channel next year as well.
Some major network over here did the exact same thing a while ago (edit: it was February of this year). Did a few nights of the prime time shows in 3D or something, with the same kind of 3D glasses.
I think it was NBC.
It was kind of neat, but after a while I didn't really like how the glasses kind of tinted the picture and made the colors look off. It looks to me like Channel 4 is using the same kind of 3D glasses. Even so, I got a kick out of it for that short while.
edit:
from that channel4.com link:
It’s not the full colour 3D tech we’ve seen on show at tradeshows sadly, but instead works with amber and blue goggles.
Yeah it's the same exact thing that NBC did back in February.
I still don't care for 3d. The tech isn't good enough to do for a long time. I found myself taking off my Real3d glasses during UP because the polarization of the glasses darkens the picture you are looking at, so I could barely see things during parts of the movie
Well if they can pull off that 3D tech without requiring 3D glasses and without distorting the picture or the color and can be viewed from any angle or distance (as a normal TV would), then I think it'd be great. Perhaps that's what the full 3D tech "at trade shows" the article mentions; I don't really remember much about that stuff and I don't follow it, nor do I much care personally.
As far as the 3D stuff they showed on NBC and are about to show on Channel 4, or whatever, I think it's a nice gimmick and it DOES get a lot of people excited. They advertised it like crazy during the Super Bowl last time or whatever and it was a pretty big success as far as a marketing thing for that week.
But ultimately I'd hate to watch many shows like that. The 3D effect is kind of cool but I don't feel like it outweighed the negative effect it had on color and brightness when viewed through the crappy 3D glasses you had to watch the shows with. Even so, it was still fun for a couple of shows that one week.
What's the tech like right now? I really have no idea how quickly to imagine it will be taken up without some kind of reference point to the current tech. I must have been away while that discussion here took place. Is there a good link about the current tech?
(As an aside, I've always been a fan of stereoscopic 3D. I actually bought a virtual boy. )
I was googling for some data on something else entirely when I stumbled upon some other forum that did a poll:
Why did Brutal Legend fail?
Too many big games fighting for a shrinking gaming dollar 64 44.44%
Consoles and RTS don't mix 44 30.56%
Too Metal 32 22.22%
The game just wasn't good. 32 22.22%
Tim Schafer is cursed 28 19.44%
$60+ was too much for the game 27 18.75%
Jack Black drove customers away 17 11.81%
169.44 percent of voters agree, that forum is bad at math.
Yeah, I hate when they do the 3D thing because I always find out after all the free glasses are gone and then I don't have them. Fortunately, the Chuck they put up on Hulu was standard without 3D.
Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
edited November 2009
Just because I absolutely adore the new ESRB descriptions, here's one for your viewing pleasure.
It's their description for FF2 (Final Fantasty IV Japan) after it was rated for the VC.
FINAL FANTASY II
Platform: Wii
Rating: Everyone
Content descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Rating summary:
This is a 2D role-playing game (RPG) in which players embark on an adventure involving magic crystals and a quest to save the world from destruction. Players move small character icons across a field map and enter turn-based battles with an assortment of imps, dragons, and robots. Weapons and special attacks (e.g., "magic," "jump," and "kick"), accessed via a menu-screen, cause enemies to blink and disappear when defeated. One female enemy is depicted wearing a bikini top that exposes a moderate amount of cleavage.
Activision plans on shipping less product into the crowded music game genre next year, but that doesn't mean you won't be getting new Guitar Hero, Band Hero and DJ Hero titles in 2010.
Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Activision's Guitar Hero business, tells MCV that we will "probably see fewer SKUs" from the publisher in the company's 2010 slate, "but the focus on making the best-selling, most fun to play, best-reviewed games will continue."
"[There will be] more DJ Hero, and the next iterations of Guitar and Band are on the way," Rosensweig says. "But we will see how the market plays out. What you will see is the games will live longer and be more vibrant through DLC."
When you ship over 25 games featuring the Hero brand—Guitar Hero: Metallica, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: Van Halen, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, Band Hero, DJ Hero—and do so with multiple SKUs of each title—full band kits, guitar only bundles, "Renegade Edition" turntables—and you've reached over 9,000 individual SKUs. Maybe not. My math may be off.
Regardless, it might be difficult not to ship less. Especially when a company like Activision takes a look at the sales of titles like DJ Hero and notices that the PlayStation 2 version only sold 3,300 copies at launch.
Sure, they say DJ and Band Hero will continue, but the bolded part is the most important. This is a company that's finally realized you can't slap "Hero" on any random thing and expect it to sell.
how will i get by without being able to fight satan with the power of rock in 3-4 different games in the next fiscal year? we live in dark times, friends.
i suppose ghvh has the dubious pleasure of being the final straw, even though it's still not officially being released for another month.
Just because I absolutely adore the new ESRB descriptions, here's one for your viewing pleasure.
It's their description for FF2 (Final Fantasty IV Japan) after it was rated for the VC.
FINAL FANTASY II
Platform: Wii
Rating: Everyone
Content descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Rating summary:
This is a 2D role-playing game (RPG) in which players embark on an adventure involving magic crystals and a quest to save the world from destruction. Players move small character icons across a field map and enter turn-based battles with an assortment of imps, dragons, and robots. Weapons and special attacks (e.g., "magic," "jump," and "kick"), accessed via a menu-screen, cause enemies to blink and disappear when defeated. One female enemy is depicted wearing a bikini top that exposes a moderate amount of cleavage.
Hehe, moderate cleavage FTW! :^:
Reminds me when I saw "Mild Peril" on the ratings for Ice Age. Made me laugh.
And the DLC will probably still continue to stop working with the next iteration
Well, World Tour DLC works with GH5, so I'm not sure what you mean.
Htown on
0
RentI'm always rightFuckin' deal with itRegistered Userregular
edited November 2009
I think it's too little, too late
Activision destroyed what little goodwill the GH brand had left in 2009. We're seeing a bunch of pissed off GH fans jump ship to RB for a myriad amount of reasons, the average consumer is gonna see a whole bunch of shit with GH on the label and be overwhelmed, there's no one left to sell to
Activision has doomed themselves by oversaturating the market. I'm saying in 3 years, maybe less, GH will be a has-been as a music/rhythm game series
I certainly know a lot of people who went to Rock Band because they wanted to be in a Rock Band with their friends. When GH started doing it, it was just seen as a poor imitation and a catch up "me too!" of sorts.
Ok, we've seen a huge band based RB vs the 'main line' GH game in september, but what do you guys think about the fairer competition between the family freindly pop versions of [strike]Taylor Swift[/strike] Band hero vs lego rock band? My bet is that the former will will by at least a 3:2 ratio
i just don't see either doing well at sales, though band hero featuring taylor swift (as it was listed on a few retailers websites, heh) will probably edge out on sales due to a stronger marketing presence
i just don't see either doing well at sales, though band hero featuring taylor swift (as it was listed on a few retailers websites, heh) will probably edge out on sales due to a stronger marketing presence
That's seriously the only thing I've heard discussed about it, though supposedly there's some other songs in it too, if you can imagine that :P. As much as it pains me, that one song will probably help it beat out the likes of the final countdown and ghostbusters in Lego rock band. Though both will probably suffer sales fatigue from having so little advertising (I didn't even know that they were already out until I actually saw them in the store) as well as general genre fatigue.
Activision Hints at Call of Duty Online Plans
Gamers demanding additional services and innovations, publisher says.
by Jim Reilly
US, November 12, 2009 - The online business models for many of Activision's key franchises could start to change in the near future.
During today's BMO Capital Markets Conference, CFO of Activision Blizzard Thomas Tippl was asked if the successful World of Warcraft online business model will ever translate into the publisher's other major franchises, such as Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. While Tippl said WoW's model is difficult to replicate, players should expect new monetization models for its other titles soon enough.
"It's definitely an aspiration that we see potential in, particularly as we look at different business models to monetize the online gameplay," said Tippl. "There's good knowledge exchange happening between the Blizzard folks and our online guys."
"We have great experience also on Call of Duty with the success we had on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. A lot of that knowledge is getting actually built into the Battle.Net platform and the design of that," he added. "I think it's been mutually beneficial, and you should expect us to test and ultimately launch additional online monetization models of some of some of our biggest franchises like Call of Duty."
Tippl added there is a demand from its core fanbase willing to pay for additional services and content.
"Our gamers are telling us there's lots of services and innovation they would like to see that they're not getting yet. From what we see so far, additional content, as well as all the services Blizzard is offering, is that there is demand from the core gamers to pay up for that," Tipple explained.
A supposed leaked online survey from June possibly hints at what Tippl is driving at. The survey centered around the idea of a monthly service that gives subscribers additional multiplayer and gameplay enhancements for future Call of Duty titles.
So who wants to bend over first and squeal like a good little piggy.
I want to know what gamers are telling them that they want to pay more to play online.
Dedicated servers maybe? Nah, they can use those on MW1 for free...
I was already waiting to purchase MW2 until Bad Company 2 comes out. Activision better be careful to not destroy the Call of Duty games by charging the consumer at every corner.
Posts
That's quite a leap.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/104/1045085p1.html
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
So... What am I here to do, Al?
Typically.
The only instance I can think of it not coming out is Alpha Protocol.
Especially when it's a high profile game like FFXIII. Despite how skeptical I was that it'd come out in either territory in 2010, I'd put money on it coming out in both in the given week (varying depending on the country).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Ym03T-K94
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
Channel Four are trying it out, short term and not 'true' 3D but it'll be interesting to see how succesful it is.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2009/11/09/channel-4-offers-free-specs-for-3d-week-115875-21809113/
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/themes/3d-week-programmes
Sky also plans to start a 3D channel next year as well.
Some major network over here did the exact same thing a while ago (edit: it was February of this year). Did a few nights of the prime time shows in 3D or something, with the same kind of 3D glasses.
I think it was NBC.
It was kind of neat, but after a while I didn't really like how the glasses kind of tinted the picture and made the colors look off. It looks to me like Channel 4 is using the same kind of 3D glasses. Even so, I got a kick out of it for that short while.
edit:
from that channel4.com link:
Yeah it's the same exact thing that NBC did back in February.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
I still don't care for 3d. The tech isn't good enough to do for a long time. I found myself taking off my Real3d glasses during UP because the polarization of the glasses darkens the picture you are looking at, so I could barely see things during parts of the movie
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
As far as the 3D stuff they showed on NBC and are about to show on Channel 4, or whatever, I think it's a nice gimmick and it DOES get a lot of people excited. They advertised it like crazy during the Super Bowl last time or whatever and it was a pretty big success as far as a marketing thing for that week.
But ultimately I'd hate to watch many shows like that. The 3D effect is kind of cool but I don't feel like it outweighed the negative effect it had on color and brightness when viewed through the crappy 3D glasses you had to watch the shows with. Even so, it was still fun for a couple of shows that one week.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
(As an aside, I've always been a fan of stereoscopic 3D. I actually bought a virtual boy. )
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
169.44 percent of voters agree, that forum is bad at math.
Fie to your logic, sir.
It's their description for FF2 (Final Fantasty IV Japan) after it was rated for the VC.
Hehe, moderate cleavage FTW! :^:
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
http://kotaku.com/5404532/expect-fewer-hero-games-from-activision-in-2010
Sure, they say DJ and Band Hero will continue, but the bolded part is the most important. This is a company that's finally realized you can't slap "Hero" on any random thing and expect it to sell.
I mean they'd really have to try to out-SKU themselves in 2010 compared to this year.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
i suppose ghvh has the dubious pleasure of being the final straw, even though it's still not officially being released for another month.
Reminds me when I saw "Mild Peril" on the ratings for Ice Age. Made me laugh.
What's sad is that that sentence was originally Activision's actual plan.
And it seems Guitar Hero: Sammy Hagar Can Go Fuck Himself got delayed to February.
Well, World Tour DLC works with GH5, so I'm not sure what you mean.
Activision destroyed what little goodwill the GH brand had left in 2009. We're seeing a bunch of pissed off GH fans jump ship to RB for a myriad amount of reasons, the average consumer is gonna see a whole bunch of shit with GH on the label and be overwhelmed, there's no one left to sell to
Activision has doomed themselves by oversaturating the market. I'm saying in 3 years, maybe less, GH will be a has-been as a music/rhythm game series
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Not all of it though
And they also managed to Activision(tm) the song transfer from GHWT disc -> GH5, by selling the song export... as packs.
That's seriously the only thing I've heard discussed about it, though supposedly there's some other songs in it too, if you can imagine that :P. As much as it pains me, that one song will probably help it beat out the likes of the final countdown and ghostbusters in Lego rock band. Though both will probably suffer sales fatigue from having so little advertising (I didn't even know that they were already out until I actually saw them in the store) as well as general genre fatigue.
dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
So who wants to bend over first and squeal like a good little piggy.
Dedicated servers maybe? Nah, they can use those on MW1 for free...
I was already waiting to purchase MW2 until Bad Company 2 comes out. Activision better be careful to not destroy the Call of Duty games by charging the consumer at every corner.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games