Joystiq

Here in the States, we've grown accustomed to certain luxuries: subsidized gasoline for our free Hummers (hey, gotta stimulate that economy!); a complimentary 72oz soda with every purchase (just buy anything!); a lifetime supply of type 2 diabetes; and, of course, monthly updates from NPD charting the sales numbers of the major video game consoles. Our friends in the UK aren't so fortunate. So when we get a peek behind that curtain, we look to share it with you.

And here, courtesy of UK retailer GAME's first-half fiscal statement, we find data from GfK Chart-Track for sales up to June 27th, 2009. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is in the lead with the DS, having sold 2.7m in the past year, bringing its total up to 9.1m units (that includes 300,000 DSi units sold since launch). The Wii is in second place with 5.4m, up 2.3 from last year. And then we get to the main attraction: 360 and PS3 sales.

You'll recall that in February, Microsoft claimed the 360 bested the PS3 in overall European sales by 1m units, citing GfK Chart-Track data again. In the UK, the Xbox is siting pretty with 3.9m units, up 1.7 from last year, while the PS3 is at 2.2m, up 900k from last year (and, coincidentally, right where Microsoft would've been a year ago). In between the "big boys" is the PSP, with 3.3m consoles sold, up 500k from last year.

It's weird: despite their genetic differences (three stomachs? gross!) the video game shopping trends of UK citizens sound an awful lot like those in the States.

Move over Johnny Lee. Now that you've gone corporate, there's a new student researcher in town ready to take up your mantle. What mantle is that, you ask? The "show us cool tech that can be used in video games via YouTube" mantle, of course. Introducing Torben Sko, a PhD candidate at Australian National University. He's currently "studying the idea of augmenting traditional forms of computer game interaction using unconventional, but commercially viable approaches." Translation: head- and face-tracking in video games using a traditional webcam.

The video after the break shows off several very impressive demonstrations of this technology using none other than Half-Life 2's Source engine: 1) VR Desktop is a "replication of the [technique] made popular by Johnny Lee"; 2) Zoom in by moving your head closer to the screen; 3) Peering allows you to look around the corners by tilting your head; 4) Camera rotation/spinning allows you to look around, "more like a Handycam"; 5) Ironsighting "allows the player to aim down the barrel of their weapon by tilting their head to the side."

If you're anything like us, you're already imagining this functionality in games using both the Xbox Project Natal camera and the PlayStation Eye. Afraid that new camera-based interfaces herald the death of traditional gameplay? ("I don't want to play Halo Reach by jumping up and down!") Fear not! This video is whispering in your ear, Core Gamer, and saying, "Don't be afraid. Everything is going to be alright."

[Via PushingPlay]

Continued →

This moment brought to you by the letters W, T, and F:

After the break, a very special moment made up of three disparate, but equally important, elements: 78-year-old Doris Roberts (that's Everybody Love's Raymond's mom to most of you); the line "Game on!"; and an honest-to-goodness shoryuken (don't call it an uppercut!).

We have the upcoming movie Aliens in the Attic to thank for the existence of this moment. To spare you the pain of watching the entire trailer, we've trimmed out the relevant scene from Hulu and tucked it away after the break. Overseas? Try this YouTube variant (but skip to 1:25! You've been warned!).

[Via Capcom Unity]

Continued →

While we were ready to believe that online co-op in the Xbox Live Arcade release of Trine was "speculation," we'll admit, we were pretty taken aback to hear the developer refer to the XBLA release itself as "speculation" as well. While Trine's would-be XBLA publisher at Atlus issued a terse "no comment," we got a hold of the developers at Frozenbyte, whose Lauri Hyvärinen had this to say:

An XBLA version of Trine is a possibility but nothing more at present time. We would love to have Trine on XBLA and we've partnered with Atlus to make it happen, but it needs Microsoft's approval and there are other factors as well. So it may happen or it may not, that's really the current situation. Everything else ranging from release date to features is just speculation and isn't based on any facts.

As soon as we know more we will also inform everyone else :)

So, there you have it. Microsoft needs to approve the game and Frozenbyte has to address "other factors" (we don't think online co-op is required – Bionic Commando Rearmed lacks online support for its co-op mode). But don't keep your feelings bottled up inside (you can get sick that way, y'know?). Share them with us in our handy poll, which is awaiting your input just after the break.

Continued →

It's been awhile since we've heard anything "official" regarding Quake Arena Arcade, the Xbox Live Arcade port of Quake III Arena. For example, we just found out that "Quake Arena Arcade" is the title of the game! First announced nearly two years ago at QuakeCon 2007, the Pi Studios-developed title was MIA until John Carmack told Joystiq in February that the title was "very close" to being finished.

Now, with the power of Twitter at its side, Pi Studios has ushered the very first screenshot of the game into this world. Sure, it's a pretty boring menu screen; however, the more astute amongst you will notice things like: new levels! "Cliffside"? That looks awfully bright and airy compared to the Quake III Arena we remember (see: Arena Gate). Pi Studios' site has some more details on the game: 40 Arenas in single and multiplayer; 16-player multiplayer; leaderboards, matchmaking; and oodles of game modes, including "Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Tournament, Harvester and Overload."

So, "very close" eh? We don't see it in this here Summer of Arcade post ... maybe QuakeCon will bring more news.

[Via Gamerbytes]

Source – Quake Arena Arcade page at PiStudios.com
Source – @QuakeXBLA

What is Dreamkiller? It's like Psychonauts and Painkiller had a baby, and that baby has grown into an angry teenager who then scratched the design doc for the game on the outside of his notebook. Mindware Studios – the developers behind Painkiller Overdose – are back to "probe the insidious depths of the subconscious" with Dreamkiller for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms, available this fall.

Ever wanted to go "inside the dark and twisted nightmares of tortured souls possessed by unknown forces"? Yeah, us neither ... but that's just what you'll do in the "role of Alice Drake, a psychologist with the extraordinary ability to enter the minds of her patients and combat the ravenous foes haunting their dreams." So, 12 "mega-bloodbath" single-player levels and "numerous multiplayer modes" are what they're offering.

The bad news: that same design doc was already used for some levels in Psychotoxic, where you also play a female protagonist who can enter people's dreams and do battle with their subconscious. Our own Ludwig Kietzmann, in a previous life, wrote, "Setting yourself on fire and then diving into a pool of broken glass is more fun than playing this absolute disaster of a game." So, the good news: it couldn't possibly be any worse than Psychotoxic.

Anatomy of confusion:

1. At E3 earlier this month, Atlus announces that they'll be publishing Frozenbyte's very impressive co-op platformer Trine on Xbox Live Arcade.
2. Primotech is purportedly told by an Atlus representative at E3 that the Xbox Live Arcade release will feature online co-op as well as offline. Neither the PC nor PSN versions, both of which are being released much sooner than the XBLA version, will feature online co-op.
3. Shacknews links Primotech's assertion, and Joystiq in turn links that.
4. Developer Frozenbyte takes to the forums to clear the confusion, stating that "The XBLA version and its features is just speculation at this point."

Wait, what? "The XBLA version ... is just speculation at this point"?

Developer fb_joel writes, "... as developers, we would love as many people as possible to be able to play our games and therefore I hope Trine will eventually find its way to XBLA too." So, not only is Frozenbyte stating that online co-op in the Xbox Live Arcade version is "speculation" but that the XBLA release itself is speculation as well! We bet Atlus wishes someone told them that at E3!

The developer later said, "On the actual topic I will not comment as no-one knows anything about XBLA at this point, and I really hope when some people do know, I would be one of them." Yeah, we're right there with you. GamerBytes reported from E3 that Trine "hasn't been given the official nod from Microsoft for concept approval, and therefore Atlus are unable to send out press releases or other information about the game." That may explain why, when contacted for this story, Atlus responded with a very terse "no comment." We've reached out to Frozenbyte as well, and will update this story accordingly.

[Update: We've heard from Frozenbyte's Lauri Hyvärinen and here's what they say: "An XBLA version of Trine is a possibility but nothing more at present time. We would love to have Trine on XBLA and we've partnered with Atlus to make it happen, but it needs Microsoft's approval and there are other factors as well. So it may happen or it may not, that's really the current situation. Everything else ranging from release date to features is just speculation and isn't based on any facts. As soon as we know more we will also inform everyone else :)

So, there you have it. Trine on XBLA is not a sure thing. There, there ... it'll be okay.]


[Via Shacknews]

When 38 Studios CEO Brett Close told Joystiq that his company's acquisition of Big Huge Games from THQ was due in no small part to the "incredible veteran talent" at the developer – even singling out Oblivion and Morrowind designer Ken Rolston – we had assumed that he was also referring to the studio's CEO and Creative Director, Brian Reynolds. Yeah, you see where we're going with this ...

Social gaming developer Zynga (think: Mafia Wars) announced today that it has hired Reynolds to fill the newly created position of "chief designer" (a reaction to social gaming competitor Playdom's appointment of legendary game designer Steve Meretzky to the position of VP of game design last year?). Reynolds will "head up operations at Zynga East" in Baltimore, and "production efforts will be focused on creating new social network games ... with a strategic emphasis."

When asked for comment on Reynolds' departure, Close told Joystiq, "38 Studios highly values the vision and contributions of BHG founder Brian Reynolds to the portfolio of BHG products and the video game industry in general. We wish him great success in his new endeavor." But with Reynolds out, who's left to run things at BHG (they've still got titles in development after all)? Close said, "With regards to his position at BHG/38S, we are still evaluating roles and responsibilities between the two studios; the other founders and top talent at BHG are stepping up in the meantime."

Chief amongst those "stepping up" would be co-founder Tim Train, President and Chief Operations Officer of Big Huge Games, as well as the studio's General Manager. Train told us, "Having worked with Brian for seventeen years, I'm very excited to see what fresh ideas he'll bring to the social gaming space. I'm also happy to have a new studio in the Baltimore area that can attract new talent and investment to the region. We wish Zynga East the best!"

So: is Maryland joining Massachusetts as a mecca for East Coast game development? With just 12 to 15 employees at Zynga East, we're not quite ready to say that, but consider our curiosity officially piqued.

Is something in the air? While this week saw ZeniMax's acquisition of industry legend id Software, last month saw newcomer 38 Studios' acquisition of Big Huge Games, THQ's troubled developer that, like id, has rockstar status of its own. We had a chance to talk with 38 Studios' CEO Brett Close shortly after the announcement last month. On the plate: What will Big Huge be working on now? What's happening to the two titles BHG was working on for THQ? And when could we see something Copernicus-themed from Big Huge Games?

Joystiq: Why Big Huge games? And were you looking or considering any other developers to bring into the 38 Studios family?

Brett Close: Well, we've got 36 studios to go, of course.

Continued →

It's been nearly a year, but remember when we broke the news that pirate-murdering simulator and half-tuck trendsetter Uncharted was making its way from the wilds of the video game jungle to the majesty of the silver screen? Looks like our original source was dead-on: Atlas Entertainment had optioned the rights for the title last year and now, with a script by Kyle Ward of "Kane & Lynch" and "Hitman 2" game-to-not-yet-movie fame – they've found a partner in Columbia Pictures.

For those of you not well versed in the corporate parentage of movie studios (Gulf + Western who?) we'll remind you: Columbia Pictures is part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. And the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group is, in turn, a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment. And you'll never guess who owns ... oh, you already guessed? So, yeah, through a labyrinth of corporate relationships, Sony is making a movie based on a game made by a studio owned by Sony.

Regardless, The Hollywood Reporter, uh ... reports that the movie follows the plot of the first game – the project is titled Uncharted: Drake's Fortune – wherein "a treasure hunter named Nate Drake ... believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue." Oh, and what about that other part of the first game? "The search becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is racheted up several notches when creatures -- actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis -- begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure's true secrets."

Creatures confirmed.

[via @geoffkeighley]

Here's how it works: Xbox Live Primetime's initial offering, 1 vs 100, will be free to Xbox Live Gold members (translation: the ones who lay down $50 a year for the service). We're still not sure how (or if!) free-but-limited Xbox Live Silver members will be able to play the title short of upgrading to Gold. Sure, we caught an errant "Buy Season Pass" option in the menus, so that could be one option. Also: how about free-to-play weekends?

Microsoft let us know that this weekend – from Friday June 26 (that's today!) to Sunday June 28 – Silver members "can enjoy the 1 vs 100 premium entertainment experience reserved exclusively for Gold members" for a limited time only. We're going to assume that most of you on Xbox Live are Gold members so consider this an opportunity to get some gaming in with those Silver members taking up space in your friend's list. Not a Gold member? Give 1 vs 100 a shot and see if it's an effective gateway drug.

When Raven Software's long-in-development Wolfenstein (remember when it was an Xbox 360 timed exclusive back in 2005?) finally hits store shelves this August, it'll mark the end of an era ...

... oh no! Not of Wolfenstein games – there are plenty more of those coming – but of outside developers working on id Software's hallowed franchises. John Carmack told Joystiq today that bringing external development back in-house at id is "exactly what's going to be happening." Carmack says that while id's had some hits (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory springs to mind) and some misses (Enemy Territory: Quake Wars springs to mind) the externally developed titles haven't "had the same record that our internally developed titles have." We'd have to agree with him there.

With the lead team cranking on Rage for EA Partners, they created a second development team to work on Doom 4, with a still-formative third team currently toiling away on Quake Live. "We'll have three teams," Carmack told us. "We'll have Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, and Rage and one of them will be taking a vacation each cycle and that will depend on what we want to be doing each time." So don't worry, you'll have plenty of all of the above to go around.

Following yesterday's news that ZeniMax – the parent company of Fallout 3-developer Bethesda – had purchased id Software – one of the most successful, and long-standing, independent video game developers of all time – we had a chance to speak with ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman and id co-founder (and industry legend) John Carmack.

Joystiq: How long has the acquisition process been in development?

Robert Altman: I had my first meeting with [id Software CEO] Todd Hollenshead at E3 a year ago. We had a general discussion about how our two companies might explore matters of mutual interest and the conversations then took place over the ensuing months. So it's been almost a year, on and off, that we've been having these conversations.

And how long has Bethesda – or ZeniMax in this case– been looking to expand that studio range outside of just Bethesda and Vir2L,etc.?

Continued →

Following the sale of Gamecock to Southpeak last October, merry pranksters – and co-founders of both Gamecock and Gathering of Developers – Mike Wilson and Harry Miller have re-emerged as Devolver Digital. Devolver Digital is described as "a brand new production and publishing company based in Austin, Texas, specialising in delivering top quality entertainment to gamers worldwide at affordable prices by any and all means available."

First spotted by Big Download this morning, tucked away in the Serious Sam XBLA remake news, Wilson confirmed his and Miller's involvement in the startup telling our sister site, "We're basically acting as the production company for the XBLA game, since we are not an official MSFT publisher yet, and will be publishing the PC version of the games." Video game historians will recall that Gathering of Developers published the original Serious Sam in 2001 and Croteam retains the intellectual property rights, giving them the ability to work with Wilson and Miller on this latest incarnation of the blow-up-big-things simulator. Majesco is serving as publisher of the XBLA release, which will be released "late summer" for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

LittleBigPlanet-developer Media Molecule is "expanding." Stop looking surprised! After winning more gee oh tee why awards for it's maiden voyage than they probably had room for in their small Guildford-based studio, it's expanding! But, if a "job listing" is to be believed, this expansion isn't limited to an awards wing – it's also hiring a "Gameplay Programmer."

This code wizard is expected to not only have 2+ years industry experience, but also to have "shipped a console game with an online component," an unsurprising requirement considering the studio's (admittedly singular) pedigree. The job listing states that MM is "working on a ground-breaking, AAA, PS3 title for Sony Computer Entertainment" – as much as we'd like to announce "LittleBigPlanet 2 totally confirmed" we're not convinced this description necessarily means a followup game. After all, with DLC still in production on LittleBigPlanet – which is a ground-breaking, AAA PS3 title for Sony Computer Entertainment – this could be related to maintaining LBP as a platform.

But, of course, it's working on other games – expanding the PS3 development team to maintain the already shipped LBP doesn't make sense ... and the job listing does say the applicant "will be expected to maintain and improve the existing code and data structures." Existing code? Data structures? Oh emm gee! LittleBigPlanet 2 totally confirmed!

[Via PS3center.net]