From the Ashes of Flagship

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 at 1:10 AM

Flagship Seattle"s action RPG Mythos was on the launch pad. Developed by ex-Blizzard North developers, the title had been accumulating interest in RPG circles and an open beta was on the horizon.

But when Flagship Seattle"s San Francisco, Calif.-based parent collapsed under the weight of the embattled Hellgate: London for PC, Mythos was officially placed in dreaded development limbo.

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Review: Final Fantasy IV

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 at 1:10 AM

While aesthetically there’s very little to distinguish this update from the previous one, this is a game far evolved from its predecessor in terms of mechanics and, in particular, narrative. Themes of power, dominion, revenge and loyalty thread together to create one of the series’ darkest tales, albeit one presented a little like a school play thanks to over-acted lines and animations.

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Super Monkey Ball iPhones Super Sales

Posted on Aug 13, 2008 at 1:10 AM

The success of Super Monkey Ball for iPhone has surprised Sega of America president Simon Jeffery, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The company told the paper that it has sold over 300,000 units of the game in 20 days for $9.99 each.

"That"s a substantial business," said Jeffery. "It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform."

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Gamescampus Launches Shot Online Season 2

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:59 PM

The Popular MMO Golf Simulation Game's Season 2 update is now available. More...

Zu Online: Exploring the Northern Icy Fairyland

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:22 PM

IGG is guiding us to the Northern Icy Fairyland of the 3D MMORPG Zu Online. More...

Voyage Century: New Treasure Hunt System Feeds Your Anticipation of Expedition

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:15 PM

The Voyage Century Online team from IGG wants to teach you a little about the newly-developed sea treasure hunting system in the game. More...

Tales of Pirates: Moonlight Isle Server Released

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:11 PM

With the new round of server merging, the new Tales of Pirates server Moonlight Isle will be launched soon. A new world and a new start await those who want to experience it, as well as new friends. More...

Rock Stars to Send DNA Into Space

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Planet Make-Over’s Musical Director Stephen Bruton selects Eric Johnson and Patrice Pike to join him in NCsoft’s Operation Immortality to reverse Global Warming. More...

Midway Austin Laying Off 90

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

Chicago-based Mortal Kombat house Midway Games said Monday that it will be laying off 90 of its 130 workers at its Austin studio.

The layoffs come after a net loss of Kris Graft4.8 million for the company"s June quarter. The firm said the reduction represents 10 percent of the company"s global workforce.

The reduction results from Midway"s decision to cancel a to-be-announced project, as the developer aims to put resources towards games with "the highest chance of success."

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NCsoft: Mass Layoff Rumor "Outrageous"

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

Rumors of layoffs at NCsoft Austin are "not accurate," NCsoft reps told Edge on Monday.

Entertainment website Giant Realm cited anonymous sources who told the website that a "vast majority" of NCsoft Austin"s staff would be laid off, with 20-30 being given the axe initially, and 150 total are "on the chopping block."

One NCsoft rep called the report "just crazy" in an e-mail to Edge.

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Analysts: Strong Software Growth in July

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

Ahead of monthly U.S. sales data, analysts said year-on-year software sales could have increased as much as 44 percent in July.

Wedbush Morgan"s Michael Pachter expects July console software sales to increase by 44 percent to $605 million.

Pachter said, "We have consistently underestimated growth this year, and the comparison for July is a relatively modest 11 percent, so it is possible that July could again substantially exceed our expectations.

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Super Monkey Ball iPhones Super Sales

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

The success of Super Monkey Ball for iPhone has surprised Sega of America president Simon Jeffery, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The company told the paper that it has sold over 300,000 units of the game in 20 days for $9.99 each.

"That"s a substantial business," said Jeffery. "It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform."

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Halo 3 Scoops Edge Award for Interactive Innovation

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

At the Edinburgh Interactive Festival today, Bungie beat competitors such as Nintendo and Rockstar to win the Edge Award For Interactive Innovation for Halo 3.

We hand out this accolade to the title released in the last 12 months that does most to further the creative culture of gaming – in other words, to mark out new directions for the form.

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Breaking Your Casual Game into the U.S

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

Why do most international casual games struggle in the US? It’s a particularly relevant question given the tremendous growth in the market today. PricewaterhouseCoopers recently predicted the worldwide market for online video games will be worth Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM4.4 billion by 2012, up from $6.6 billion last year. Large numbers of international publishers continue to enter the U.S. market with the goal of cashing in, but with few standout performers one has to ask, “what’s missing?” It’s a complicated question but I have a few answers.

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Pachter: Wii May Push 1M Per Month

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:10 AM

The Wii has been able to outsell Xbox 360 and PS3 combined in recent months in the U.S., but Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says it could sell even more per month thanks to a slightly stronger dollar.

The Wii sold an average of 685,000 units per month during the April-June period. Pachter said in an investor note Monday, "...We expect monthly sell-through to increase by as many as 300,000 units per month, beginning in August."

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Phantasy Star Portable Ships 500,000 Copies

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

Sega’s Phantasy Star Portable has reportedly shipped 500,000 units.

According to this Game Watch report, translated by Kotaku, the PSP action RPG hit the half million shipment mark in the first full week following its launch in Japan.

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Deering: Just Three in Ten Games Recover Their Costs

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

Speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, Chris Deering said that developers must turn to new revenue sources in order to cover their losses, reports Develop.

According to Deering, who expects the game playing market to hit 2.5 billion players by 2011, “traditional revenue sources will not be sufficient to fund games development” as the sector grows.

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Microsoft Announces 60GB Xbox 360 for UK

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

Microsoft will launch the 60GB Xbox 360 in the UK on August 15 for £199.99, the same price as the existing 20GB model.

The 60GB 360 will come with a wireless controller, headset, Xbox Live Silver membership and a one month Gold subscription to Xbox Live.

The news follows the firm’s pre-E3 announcement that it would be replacing the 20GB model with a 60GB unit in North America and cutting the price of the former by $50 to http://www.mmoabc.com/a_8a8080d21bb57feb011bb5802f500011./Microsoft-Announces-60GB-Xbox-360-for-UK.htm99 "while supplies last".

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Flagship Seattle Reforms as Runic Games

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

The former Flagship Studios Seattle team has announced its reformation as Runic Games.

The Runic team had been working on free-to-play MMORPG Mythos (pictured) at Flagship Seattle before the developer suffered widespread layoffs last month, leading to the closure of the game"s beta.

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Nintendo Bans Miyamoto from Discussing Hobbies

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

According to a report in The Times, sources have revealed that Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has been banned from speaking publicly about his hobbies in order to stop rivals gaining an insight into the company’s product strategy.

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Preview: Jumpgate Evolution

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

The gargantuan sales of World Of WarCraft have yet to stop other developers tossing their hat into the Tolkienesque ring of me-too fantasy MMOGs, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that some plucky developer has stepped up to the challenge and gone bow-to-bow with Eve Online – a game which is now one of Iceland’s major exports and supports a playerbase larger than that country’s own population.

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This Week: Madden NFL 09

Posted on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:09 AM

The latest Madden title will release on all major consoles and handheld platforms, with many stores opening at midnight for kick-off. There’s also a 20th Anniversary Collectors Edition for PS3 and Xbox 360, while the Wii All-Play version features unique controls and system-exclusive modes.

The first episode of Strong Bad"s Cool Game for Attractive People, Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Fable II  Pub Games also ensure it’s a strong week for downloadable titles.

Releasing this week: