From the press release:

FOSTER CITY, Calif. – Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announced the availability of a new 80GB PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) at online and brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States and Canada. The system, available immediately for a suggested retailer price of $599US/$659 CND, comes with the hit online-enabled off-road racing game MotorStorm™ packed in the box.

Featuring an expanded hard disk drive , the new 80GB PS3 is designed to appeal to the online gaming and entertainment enthusiast, providing ample storage space to download more games and other entertainment content from PLAYSTATION®Network. There are currently more than 60 playable games and game-related downloads available through PLAYSTATION®Store, with expanded entertainment content coming soon. The new model features the million-selling game MotorStorm in the box, allowing up to 12 players to play online at one time, hitting the dirt in this visually-arresting, fast-paced racing title.

“The 80GB PS3 offers expanded options in the PS3 family of products for those who want to enjoy more downloadable content,” said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing, SCEA. “The new model will provide ample storage space to meet the appetites of those who wish to download content today, and for many more years to come. With the expanded disk capacity and dynamic system upgrades, we have effectively created a system that is ‘future-proof’, providing consumers an exceptional entertainment value that will stand the test of time.”

The 80GB model joins the existing 60GB PS3 that has been available at retail since launch last November. The 60GB PS3 is currently enjoying a surge in sales following a price reduction in the US and Canada on July 9 of $100 to $499/$549 CND. Since that date, unit sales at the company’s top five retailers have jumped 113% when compared to the average sales of four weeks prior to the price drop. SCEA will continue to sell the 60GB in the US and Canada at the new, reduced price until current inventory is depleted, which is predicted to be this fall based on current consumer demand.

Throughout the holidays and this fiscal year, more than 120 new first and third-party software titles will be available for North American PS3 users to enjoy, in addition to the more than 40 software titles currently available. Key upcoming first-party titles include Folklore™, Heavenly Sword™, LAIR, NBA ’08, Ratchet & Clank® Future: Tools of Destruction™, SingStar™, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™, PAIN, and Warhawk™.

Both the 80GB and 60GB PS3 models come standard with Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.), built-in hard disk drive, 1080p high-definition output, Wi-Fi connectivity, SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and Blu-ray Disc™ player. According to Nielsen VideoScan, there are currently more than 270 high-definition Blu-ray Disc™ movies available at retail, including the recently released “300,” “Shooter,” and “Ghost Rider.”

From the press release:

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360™ by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title “Madden NFL 08” on Aug. 14. “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets.

“The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360,” said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of ‘Madden NFL 08,’ there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360.”

Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an ERP of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 (U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo® 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 (U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, and more.

In addition to being a great value, Xbox 360 is the only console on which consumers will be able to play all of this year’s biggest titles: “Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision), “Halo 3” (Bungie Studios), “Madden NFL 08” (EA) and “Rock Band” (MTV Games). Xbox 360 is also home to the most exclusive games, such as “BioShock” (2K Games), “Lost Odyssey™” (Mistwalker and Feel Plus), “Blue Dragon” (Mistwalker and Artoon Co. Ltd.), “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action,” (Screenlife), “Project Gotham Racing® 4” (Bizarre Creations Ltd.), “Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.), “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (Ubisoft), and “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). With a record-setting attach rate of 6.1 games per console sold (NPD, Life-to-date, June 2007), a new price and the greatest holiday games lineup ever, Xbox 360 has proved itself as the home of the best games and entertainment at the best value.

From the press release:

New York, NY and El Segundo, CA - 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced today a new and exciting Major League Baseball® title - MLB® Power Pros. Developed by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., and based on the best selling “Power Pro” baseball series in Japan, MLB Power Pros will be published by 2K Sports in North America and will be available in Fall 2007.

“For years, Konami’s Power Pro Baseball has been Japan’s No. 1 baseball game, in sales and fan ratings,” said Kazumi Kitaue, Chairman and CEO of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “Now, in an excellent partnership with 2K Sports, it is with great pleasure that we bring Power Pro Baseball to the North American market as MLB Power Pros, where this great sport was born.”

MLB Power Pros delivers an original visual style to America’s favorite pastime. Every MLB® player will be represented in the “Power Pro” character style - a miniature toy-like figurine model. Gamers will recognize their favorite baseball stars through comic usage of facial expressions, facial hair, and hair styles. Every MLB ballpark has been faithfully replicated with their respective famous landmarks, bringing astounding authenticity to every game. This visual combination is certain to delight baseball fans of all ages.

Solid gameplay features and responsive controls provide an exciting baseball experience in MLB Power Pros. The easy pick-up-and-play mechanics in both pitching and batting allow for instant fun. Amazing animations will be seen in the field with incredible double plays, diving catches, and even home-run-robbing wall catches.

Featuring over a dozen different game modes, MLB Power Pros offers great long-term playability highlighted by the detailed Season Mode and popular Success Mode. With Season Mode, players become an MLB team general manager with the goal of winning the World Series™ by controlling all aspects of the team including training players, purchasing better equipment, making trades, and much more. Success Mode combines traditional role-playing elements with baseball scenarios to create one of the most unique and compelling game modes in any sports title. This story-based mode puts the user in the role of a college baseball player with the goal of becoming a Major League player - gamers will train the player in numerous games while dealing with real-world situations of academics, part-time jobs, and other social situations.

MLB® Power Pros will be available on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo in Fall 2007.

Here we are again with another week of Virtual Console releases. One thing we can say about the VC so far is that the N64 hasn’t gotten much love. Well, N64 lovers can rejoice as another game is being released today. Some would consider it a classic, even. The TG-16 game we knew was going to be released last week and the NES game is one we all recognize from days gone by. Not a bad week, especially compared to last week. Remember all games will be available for download at 9:00am PDT. Hope you enjoy and we’ll be back next week.

From Nintendo’s press release:

Wave Race® 64 (Nintendo® 64, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Take to the waves on your own personal watercraft and experience some of the best water effects in video game history. Choose one of four characters, each with his/her own unique abilities and style, and master the game’s excellent controls. Make your way through nine courses, each with its own challenges. If the ramps, mines and hairpin turns aren’t enough, you’ll also have to deal with varying weather conditions that can make the water choppy or cover the course with fog. And if you ever feel like taking a break from racing, then try out Stunt Mode to polish your skills by pulling off handstands, rolls and more. Get good enough and you might even be able to ride a dolphin-just don’t get seasick.

ADVENTURES OF LOLO™ (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): This was the first game in the Eggerland puzzle series to be released in North America. After the love of his life, Lala, is kidnapped by the Great Devil and taken to a haunted castle, our hero Lolo sets out to rescue her. The journey is perilous because the Great Devil’s fortress is guarded by a massive army. But Lolo has a few tricks up his sleeve, including a Magic Shot that turns enemies into eggs and an Emerald Framer that shields him from attacks. Combining clever environmental puzzles with tricky enemies and an engaging style, ADVENTURES OF LOLO is a true classic.

GALAGA™ ‘90 (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): This is an updated version of the classic arcade shooter Galaga. Set in the vast reaches of space, you will fight your way through all 29 rounds to reach the enemies’ stronghold on Planet Galaga. Game levels consist of a few rounds with changing enemies and backgrounds. To top it off, the nostalgic “Galactic Dancing” lives on to mark the end of each level. With the new addition of dimensions, you can choose your attack route. Collect capsules and open dimension warps at branch sections to take on even tougher enemies. GALAGA ’90’s inclusion of the triple fighter, scrolling backgrounds, boss Galaga and even new system effects make it nothing less than a masterpiece.

It’s been a while since we’ve posted about the Japanese hardware numbers. This is something we’ve been wanting to get back to and we will start again this week. Also starting this week we will be covering the numbers on Friday instead of Monday, which would be a lot closer to when the numbers are actually updated from Media Create. The interesting thing about looking at the numbers is that it hasn’t changed much. The PS3 has gotten a little boost from the release of Minna No Golf (Hot Shots Golf 5), but not as much as people were predicting. The DS is still the king of the mountain with the Wii picking up second as usual. One thing that can be said about the Japanese market up until this point is that the race there is pretty lopsided. Will be interesting to see how the race shapes up as we roll into the winter season.

• DS Lite: 150,494
• Wii: 77,169
• PSP: 35,068
• PS3: 28,829
• PS2: 11,757
• Xbox 360: 3,872
• Gameboy Micro: 263
• Gameboy SP: 228
• Gamecube: 102
• DS: 90
• Gameboy Advance: 41

Source

From the press release:

NCsoft proudly present a piece on Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa entitled “Unleash the Power of LOGOS”.

“Unleash the Power of LOGOS”

Thousands of years ago, an Ancient Species known as the Eloh, made a great discovery. They uncovered a key to a powerful science unifying all known theories of physics. With this key, they were able to unlock answers to the fundamental questions of the Universe that explain the nature of all matter and energy. This knowledge allowed them to develop Logos, a way to manipulate matter, energy, and force in unique and powerful ways.

With the power of LOGOS at their disposal, they began exploring the universe. By folding space to quickly cross vast distances, they visited galaxies of all sizes in a quest to meet other sentient life. The Eloh shared their knowledge with all whom could comprehend this powerful truth. But sharing such knowledge and giving other LOGOS-receptive beings the ability to manipulate matter, energy, and force would eventually trigger an intergalactic war between the Eloh and the Bane, resulting in the enslavement of many species and ensuring the Bane’s place as our oppressors.

Like any science, LOGOS can be used for great advancement and discovery, or great destruction and oppression. Though the enemy has access to the knowledge of LOGOS, like all beings the Eloh visited, they are not able to harness its full power. Luckily for the members of the Allied Free Sentients, Bane usage of this power has always been volatile and unpredictable. Whether it is lack of training, lack of discipline, or an incomplete understanding of the power they hold, the Bane have never been able to master LOGOS. We must exploit this weakness. Our mastery of LOGOS is what will ensure our success and grant us freedom from our oppressors.

In Tabula Rasa, you are a LOGOS-receptive soldier of the AFS, and are able to learn the language of LOGOS at shrines throughout the worlds you travel to. Not only can your knowledge of LOGOS be used to activate special abilities that can help the AFS win this war, but the ancient symbols you uncover can also unlock hidden locations where you can further your training and enhance your skills. Ancient secrets will be revealed to you as you collect more and more LOGOS to your tablet.

LOGOS abilities will allow you to harness the very fabric of the cosmos. Use this power to defeat the Bane and secure our future!

From the press release:

ANAHIEM,CA - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for the second expansion to World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Unveiled at the company’s BlizzCon™ gaming festival before an audience of more than 8,000 gamers, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King™ will open the forbidding wasteland of Northrend to exploration by the hardiest adventurers. New levels of power, challenging new dungeons and encounters, an exciting new character profession, and the game’s first hero class are just some of the new features awaiting players in Wrath of the Lich King.

“This expansion will add some of the most infamous characters and settings from the Warcraft® universe to World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment®. “In addition to new story content, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a number of features specifically requested by players over the past couple of years. We’re looking forward to sharing further details with everyone as development progresses.”

Players last visited Northrend in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne™, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful beings in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde will venture into battle against the Scourge amid Northrend’s howling winds and fields of jagged ice.

Building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King will add a rich variety of content to an already massive game. New features coming with the game’s second expansion include:

• Death Knight Hero Class: Create a high-level Death Knight character - the game’s first hero class - once certain challenges have been met.
• Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 80 and gain potent new talents and abilities along the way.
• Northrend: Explore the harsh new continent of Northrend, packed with new zones, quests, dungeons, monsters, and items - and do battle with the undead armies of the Lich King.
• “Inscription” Profession: Learn this exciting new profession and gain unique ways to permanently enhance spells and abilities in the game.
• Siege Weapons and Destructible Buildings: Take the battle to another level with new player-vs.-player game mechanics and new battlefields to wage war on.
• New Character Customization: Change how characters look and express themselves, with different hairstyles and dance animations.

From the press release:

Rockville, MD – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced its next STAR TREK videogame, STAR TREK®: Conquest, a blend of strategy and intense action set in “The Next Generation” era. Conquest will be available for the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo and PlayStation®2.

Players take control of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, and Breen forces and lead them in a campaign to control the Galaxy, one planet at a time. Build and manage your growing empire in turn-based strategy, fully utilizing the Wii Remote™ as you select and maneuver your starships throughout the large, galactic map.

Strategically, you must effectively manage limited resources to expand your empire. You decide how to best achieve objectives by managing your fleets and admirals, building support structures, researching technology, and engaging your enemies in combat.

Once battle is initiated, Conquest switches to a ship level tactical view allowing direct command of your ships as you engage in real-time combat. While maneuvering your starship with the Nunchuk™, take direct aim and fire away with the Wii Remote™.

Conquest has not yet been rated by the ESRB. Scheduled for a simultaneous release this Holiday at an estimated MSRP of $29.99 on the Wii™ and $19.99 on the PlayStation®2.

From the press release:

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced record financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2007.

Net revenues were $495.5 million, a 163% increase, as compared to net revenues of $188.1 million reported for the first quarter last fiscal year. Net income for the first fiscal quarter was $27.8 million, or $0.09 earnings per diluted share, as compared to a net loss of $18.3 million, or a loss per share of $0.07 reported for the previous first quarter. Excluding the impact of expenses related to equity-based compensation, the company reported net income of $32.8 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.11 for the first quarter. This compares to a net loss of $14.7 million and loss per share of $0.05, excluding the impact of expenses related to equity-based compensation for the first quarter of last fiscal year.

Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO of Activision, stated, “During the quarter, we shipped more than eight million units of new game releases worldwide and for the first six months of the calendar year, Activision was the #1 third-party U.S. publisher on the console and handheld platforms. As a result of our strong performance, we are raising our fiscal year 2008 net revenue and earnings outlook and are increasing our fiscal year operating margin outlook to a company record”

Kotick continued, “Our focus on growing our strong franchises and next- generation console leadership position is yielding superb results. We intend to continue expanding our franchise portfolio, strengthening our development capabilities and improving our operating efficiency over the balance of the fiscal year. We believe this strategy will create strengths and capabilities that should enable us to continue growing our revenues, operating margin and earnings per share, as well as increase our return on invested capital.”

Business Highlights

Activision’s record first quarter performance was driven by strong consumer response to its proven franchises, Guitar Hero IITM, Spider-Man 3TM and Shrek The ThirdTM, as well as its new intellectual property TRANSFORMERS: The Game, which was released in the U.S. during the quarter.

According to The NPD Group, during the quarter, Activision was the #1 U.S. publisher on both the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system. The company also ranked as the #1 third-party publisher on the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system and the Nintendo platforms in the U.S. Activision grew its U.S. console and hand-held market share to 16.9%, as compared with 8.5% over the same period last year.

Other quarterly business highlights are as follows:

- Guitar Hero II and Spider-Man 3 were two of the top-three best-selling titles for the quarter in the U.S., according to The NPD Group. Guitar Hero II was the #1 best-selling U.S. console game overall, and Spider-Man 3 was the #3 best-selling U.S. console and handheld game.

- Shrek The Third was the #1 kid’s movie-based title in the U.S. for the months of May and June combined, according to The NPD Group.

- In the U.S., Activision was the #1 third-party handheld publisher, according to The NPD Group.

- Activision’s international publishing revenues grew 240% year over year.

- In Europe, Spider-Man 3 was the #1 best-selling console and handheld game for the quarter in the U.K., Germany and France, according to Charttrack and Gfk.

- On May 11, 2007, Activision completed its acquisition of DemonWare, the leading provider of network middleware technologies for console and PC games headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

For the second quarter, Activision has already shipped TRANSFORMERS: The Game internationally in connection with the film’s theatrical release and Guitar HeroTM Encore: Rocks The 80sTM for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Activision also expects to ship Enemy TerritoryTM: Quake Wars on the PC.

Company Outlook

Today, Activision increased its fiscal year 2008 net revenue and earnings per share outlook. For the full fiscal year, the company expects net revenues of $1.87 billion and earnings per diluted share of $0.51, including the impact of equity-based compensation expense, compared to the company’s previous fiscal year outlook of $1.8 billion in net revenues and earnings per diluted share of $0.45. Excluding the impact of equity-based compensation expense, the company expects earnings per diluted share of $0.61.

For the second quarter, the company expects net revenues of $250 million and a loss per share of $0.04, including the impact of equity-based compensation expense. Excluding the impact of equity-based compensation expense, the company expects a loss per share of $0.03.

From the press release:

SUNNYVALE, CA - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today 11 new songs for Guitar Hero™ III: Legends of Rock, the next installment in the #1 best-selling music and rhythm based game franchise, including master tracks from rockers AFI, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slayer and the Strokes.

The 11 additional tracks include:

· Miss Murder (by AFI)
· Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
· Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
· 3’s and 7’s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
· Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
· Raining Blood (by Slayer)
· Reptillia (by The Strokes)
· Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
· Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
· Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
· La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)

“Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock features the most comprehensive song list ever assembled for a game,” said Tim Riley, Activision’s worldwide executive of music. “Artists and music execs from the major and independent record labels and publishers respect the brand and have given us unrivaled access to their music vaults allowing us to give gamers what they want - to grab their Gibson guitars and shred to their favorite music.”

In fact, real rock stars like Jade Puget, guitarist for AFI, a band featured in the game is anticipating the upcoming release of the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and wants fans to know that “if you’re going to start playing Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, make sure you have, say, the next 2 years free, because that’s all you’re going to want to do.”

In addition to the newly announced tracks, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock’s previously announced tracks include:

· Slash’s Original Boss Battle Recording
· Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N’ Roses)
· Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
· Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
· Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
· The Metal (by Tenacious D)
· My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
· Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
· Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
· Lay Down (by Priestess)
· Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
· Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
· School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
· Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
· Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
· Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will include explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. While continuing to retain all the key features from their prior legendary performances, fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a killer set list from many of the most popular rock songs ever recorded.

For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans will also be able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform, including exclusive Gibson Guitar’s Les Paul model for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. PlayStation®2 gamers will also get to shred on a new exclusive shape, Gibson’s Kramer guitar, popularized by hard rockers and known for its body design, pickups, electronics and construction for furious finger fretting.

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