Game News: December 14, 2006

"Gears of War" wins No. 1 spot in U.S. video game sales
(Reuters)


   

Reuters - Microsoft Corp.'s

Treit and True: The Holidays: Xbox 360 Style

   Treit's plans to use Xbox 360 to bring the family together this holiday season.

College Creates Center For Collaboration, Serious Games

   

NBA 2K7 Best Selling Next Generation NBA Title

   

2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announced today that NBA 2K7, the 1-rated basketball video game series for five-straight years, is the number one selling Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system basketball title for a third straight month; and the number one selling PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system basketball title. Additionally, NBA 2K7 won Best Team Sports Game at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards, confirming the critical recognition that NBA 2K7 is the 1-rated basketball video game.

Sony keeps PS3 targets despite headwind
(Reuters)


   

Reuters - Sony Corp. (6758.T) said on Thursday it
has no plans to change its targets for shipments of its
hot-selling PlayStation 3 and operating profit margin,
signaling its recovery is on track despite drawbacks such as
battery recalls.

Burning Crusade fuels anticipation fires

   Just one more month to go, just one more month to go - in the meantime, here's the expansion's intro cinematic.


Blizzard Entertainment's well-known for its brilliant cinematic sequences and the intro cinematic for WoW: The Burning Crusade is a typically impressive affair.

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Brutes playable in Halo 3?

   Internet rumours suggest the hairy covenant race will be playable in Halo 3.


A tasty Halo 3 rumour is floating around the internet this evening, claiming that a third playable faction will be featured in the Xbox 360 shooter instalment; the ape-like Covenant Brutes.

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GRAW 2: The extended trailer

   Clancy sequel exposed in explosive new video.


Ubisoft has released the extended trailer for its forthcoming Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter sequel, which is hitting Xbox 360, PS3, PC and PSP next year.

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Sony adds new back-compat support to PS3

   PS3 now supports PS2 games that use the PS2 hard disk (never released here) thanks to a new firmware update.


In addition the update, which brings the firmware up to version 1.31, features content appearing in the recent 1.30 update - which included changes to resolution handling - and has resulted in changes in the "Playability status with the PS3... for some PlayStation and PlayStation 2 format titles".

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Wii is "more of a novelty", says Sony

   Sony's Dave Karraker lashes out at the competition. Again...


Not uncommon for the company, Sony has once again talked down the competition this morning, calling Nintendo's Wii a "novelty".

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Fan feedback improves Lost Planet

   Matchmaking set for re-tinkering following feedback from gamers.


Fan feedback from the recently released multiplayer demo has urged Capcom to revamp the lobby and matchmaking service for Lost Planet.

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Assassins Creed in sci-fi shocker

   Telly stunner Kristen Bell drops Assassins Creed plot revelations - spoilers inside!.


Actress Kristen Bell has let slip a huge plot revelation in Ubisoft's much anticipated medieval swashbuckler Assassin's Creed (spoilers ahead) - that the game's Crusade-fighting antics are in fact part of a Matrix-style virtual reality project.

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Sony sticks to PS3 shipment target
(AP)


   

AP - Sony is sticking to its target of shipping 2 million PlayStation 3 consoles by the end of the calendar year, its president said Thursday, addressing concerns the company wouldn't be able to meet even the relatively low goal it set ahead of the year-end shopping season.

Wii's next 'must-have' game launches Jan 12

   Insane mini-game action comes to UK Wii owners on January 12 in the form of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves.


We were hoping Wario Ware: Smooth Moves would reach our shores before Christmas but with only 11 days to go, that appeared unlikely anyway. But an early January release date isn't too bad.

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UAT Breaks Ground On Major New Student Residence

   

The University of Advancing Technology (UAT), an institution focused on new and emerging technologies including game courses, has broken ground for construction of a new $10.6 million student residence facility.

Ubisoft: Raising the bar with R6 Vegas

   "We're not inventing anything here; it's the way spec ops work," producer tells CVG.


Tomorrow, here in the UK, Ubisoft is firing out the latest round of Rainbow Six tactical shooter operations with the arrival of Vegas on PC. And in an interview to be published in full on R6 Vegas' PC assault day, we asked Ubisoft how the latest instalment on the beige box raises bar in the tactical shooter genre.

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Blue Dragon outsells Wii games in Japan

   Xbox 360 RPG beats out Wii software according to Japanese charts.


Ladies and gentlemen, you might want to sit down; flagship Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon has outsold the recently released Zelda: Twilight Princess - and all other Wii software - in Japan.

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Sony caught red handed

   Fake PSP fan blog rumbled and Sony gives up the lie.


After a PSP fan blog was exposed to be a promotional site actually set up by Sony, the company has come clean with the below statement:

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Game day for PS3, Wii
(USATODAY.com)


   USATODAY.com - If you want a new video game for the holidays, you may have fewer shopping days left than you think. Though two weekends remain till Christmas, observers expect the already-slim odds of finding a Sony PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii to fall precipitously after this weekend.

Wii revolutionises Mercury Meltdown

   One of the PSP's best puzzlers tilts its way to Wii.


Mercury Meltdown Revolution will be right at home on Wii, being a game all about tilting platforms to guide a blob of mercury to the goal.

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Sony keeps PS3, margin targets despite headwind
(Reuters)


   

Reuters - Sony Corp. (6758.T) said on Thursday it
has no plans to change its targets for shipments of its
hot-selling PlayStation 3 and operating profit margin,
signaling its recovery is on track despite drawbacks such as
battery recalls.

Obsidian confirmed as Alien RPG dev

   PC and next-gen console feeling the Alien role-playing bite thanks to KOTOR II and Neverwinter Nights 2 developer.


Sega has confirmed our report from earlier this week that Obsidian Entertainment is creating an RPG based on the Alien franchise.

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Rocky uppercuts PSP in the jaw

   Ubisoft is stepping into the ring to deliver a videogame based on the forthcoming Rocky Balboa movie.


Details on the game are, well, pretty non-existent really, although judging by the first screenshots that have been released the title will feature a roster of Rocky opponents that have starred in previous movies, as well as stuff from the new flick. Rocky Balboa on PSP is set to release alongside the film next January.



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