North Koreans Undercutting MMO WOW Farmers?

The North Koreans may be undercutting the MMO farming market according to GameSetWatch:

Chinese-based game service companies offering WoW power-leveling numbered less then 30 in 2004, but service companies will surpass 2000 soon, and this number is growing continuously.

Looking over the entire Southeast Asian market, many of these companies are concentrated in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and other areas in India.

North Korea is worth mentioning because the labor cost is currently the most inexpensive.

Source: VE3D

2007 = Best year in video games history

The BBC reports

The last 12 months have been one of the best years in video game history, both critically and commercially.
Gamers have been able to revel in some of the most exhilarating interactive experiences ever designed.

Sales in the UK are at an all-time high, with more than £1.52bn taken in the last 12 months.

Some video games crossed over into blockbuster entertainment territory. Halo 3, for example, earned £84m in its first 24 hours on sale.

Top three games for 2007 from ...

DAVID AMOR, RELENTLESS GAMES

1. Ratchet and Clank - PlayStation 3
2. Super Mario Galaxy - Nintendo Wii
3. Command and Conquer - PC

DAVID BRABEN, FRONTIER GAMES

1. The Darkness - Xbox 360
2. Bioshock - PC and Xbox 360
3. Halo 3 - Xbox 360

MARGARET ROBERTSON, GAMES CONSULTANT

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Final Fantasy XII - PlayStation 2
3. Planet Puzzle League - Nintendo DS

More from the BBC website ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7156701.stm

IGNs top 100 video games of all time - see if you agree

The Top 100 Games of All Time! - Over the next ten days...

Yes, friends, more than 30 editors located all over the world set aside their ages, allegiances and personal favorites to pick the hundred best videogames that the planet has ever seen! There was fighting, there was mayhem, and there was pizza -- lots and lots of pizza.

Now, some of you may proclaim, "but your list is different from the rankings you guys did in 2005!" Well, of course it is people. Plenty of fantastic games have been released since then, and we have plenty of new folks in our ranks to throw in their couple of cents. We're also not afraid to admit that our tastes change over time too.

Our criteria for creating this list of our picks for the Top 100 Games of All Time are as follows:

• Eligible games had to have been released no later than December 31, 2006 (perspective is a good thing)


• A number of factors were taken into consideration when selecting a winner: How good the game was compared to others of its time, its overall game design, how well it stands up over the years, how influential it has been in the realm of gaming and just plain how much fun we had playing it are all points for contention.


• The list is comprised of single, stand-alone titles and doesn't include compilations, expansion packs or add-ons.


• Titles with multiple editions such as collector's boxes, gold editions or direct re-releases have been consolidated into one single entry, with the edition deemed most deserving taking precedence.


• Updated versions of original titles were only included on the list if they were significantly different from their predecessors.

So what made it and what didn't? To find out, keep checking back with us over the next 10 days as we start with games No: 100-91 and work our way down to the golden ten. After you've had a chance to check out the list, tell us what you think about it on the IGN Boards, and share your own favorite games with everyone. Enjoy!

See the list on the IGN website here... http://uk.top100.ign.com/2007/

Stand-alone Rock Band guitars available in January 2009

Game maker Harmonix Music Systems of Cambridge and distributor Electronic Arts Inc. are scrambling to satisfy customers angry about defects in many of the guitar-shaped game controllers that come with Rock Band. There's also a shortage of these controllers, making it difficult for players to create the four-piece band promised by the gaming software.

Many gamers were hoping they could use controllers created for the game Guitar Hero III - a rival program from Activision Inc. that's based on technology invented by Harmonix. They can, if they're using Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 game machine, but not if they've got Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 videogame console.

Harmonix wants to fix this with a software patch to make the PS 3 version of Rock Band work with the Guitar Hero III controller. About 68,000 copies of Rock Band have been sold for the PS 3, while the PS 3 version of Guitar Hero III has sold over 247,000 copies. Many PS 3 owners have purchased both games, and want to use the same controllers with either one. But Activision has refused to allow the necessary modifications, unless Harmonix and its owner MTV Networks pay for the privilege.

But because McBain bought Sony's PS 3, his Guitar Hero controllers refuse to cooperate. Harmonix published a software patch on the Internet to fix the incompatibility problem. But Activision successfully demanded withdrawal of the patch, and is insisting on financial compensation before such a patch can be issued. Other PS 3 games use standard PS 3 controllers, which are made by Sony and a variety of other companies. Players don't usually need different controllers to play different games on the same console.

Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif said her company was willing to work with Harmonix to make the various game controllers fully compatible with one another. "Unfortunately for Rock Band users, Harmonix has been unwilling to discuss an agreement that will allow us to provide that option in a manner that maintains the high standards people have come to expect from Activision," Lataif said.

Harmonix spokeswoman Spencer Saltonstall said her company is also committed to doing what's best for gamers. "We are really and truly not looking at this from the financial standpoint," Saltonstall said. "We are looking at this from the consumer standpoint."

Saltonstall also said that Harmonix, MTV, and EA are working hard to put stand-alone Rock Band controllers onto store shelves. "We have 7,000 people in China manufacturing guitars for us," she said. "They're on their way." The controllers are expected to go on sale next month. Saltonstall said that Harmonix launched Rock Band before it had enough guitar controllers to go around, to get the game into stores in time for Christmas.

There's no question which game is winning the battle of the bands. Guitar Hero III, priced at $100, sold 1.9 million units in November alone, and 3.3 million since its debut in October, according to game industry trackers at the NPD Group. By contrast, the $170 Rock Band sold just 382,000 units in November, its first month on the market.

One reason for Guitar Hero's huge lead is that it works with Sony's PlayStation 2, still the world's most popular home videogame console. About 45 percent of the Guitar Hero III games sold so far have been for the PS 2. This week, Harmonix launched a PS 2 version of Rock Band, and the company said that the game is playable with the PS 2 controller for Guitar Hero III.

Source: Boston Globe

Sony play catch-up as PSP sales double in Japan - Nintendo DS still leads

Nintendo's DS still leads hardware market

Sales of Sony's PSP have more than doubled in Japan, with the console selling 184,610 units for the week ended December 16, compared to 91,481 units the previous week.

The boost in sales comes without any significant new PSP software releases during the period, with only three games for the handheld in the top fifty best-sellers.

However, Nintendo's DS is still leading hardware sales in Japan with 222,144 units sold in the past week, backed by 28 games in the top fifty.

The Wii has shifted 170,558 units according to data from Media Create, with the PS3 selling 63,720 and the PS2 18,025 units.

Sales of the Xbox 360 are still under 10,000 units with Microsoft shifting 8,561 units.

Source: Games Industry

Nokia to delay N-Gage cellphone revamp

Nokia N81

Testing has uncovered "issue" needing to be addressed

Nokia has announced another delay in its N-Gage First Access platform, originally scheduled for a November launch.

The pre-release version, was going to work only on Nokia N81 or N81 8GB phones and was to feature one or more games. Those with access to the application could post feedback and make suggestions on the company's forums.

Now, however, even the pre-release version of the revamped N-Gage platform has been delayed.

"We know all of you are eager to get started with N-Gage First Access, and we are just as eager to get it into your hands and start hearing your feedback. We have teams of people around the world, literally, working overtime to deliver this experience to you," said a statement on the official N-Gage blog.

"Unfortunately, as can sometimes happen in software development, unexpected difficulties can occur. We have been doing an internal run with more than 1,000 global testers this week, and during this process we uncovered an issue we feel we need to address.

"Overall, the games and service are working smoothly, but because of this issue, we feel we could not release N-Gage First Access before the holidays as planned."

While working on a solution, and carrying on extensive internal testing over the holidays, Nokia plans to "polish the overall experience" even as it readies more games.

Nokia released the original N-Gage, a combination phone, handheld gaming device, MP3 player, PDA, and FM radio, in 2003. A year later, a subsequent redesign - the N-Gage QD - removed radio reception and MP3 playback features.

The latest iteration of the N-Gage is an application, built into or downloaded to a supported Nokia phone, that acts as a central hub for content including games.

Sony and Capcom team for Devil May Cry PlayStation 3 bundle in Japan

Two limited edition PlayStation 3 SKUs for Japan

Sony and Capcom are teaming up for the release of Devil May Cry 4 by announcing two limited edition PlayStation 3 bundles for Japan.

Available in both black and ceramic white, the 40GB PlayStation 3 will come with a copy of the game and extra content on a separate Blu-ray disc.

The bundle will retail for JPY 47,800 when it's released on January 21.

Source: Games Industry

Nintendo Wii and DS software dominates Japan video game charts

Sony's Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has made its debut in the Japanese charts at number three, selling 116,000 copies according to data from Media Create.

However, it's the only PlayStation 3 title in the top twenty, with Nintendo Wii and DS product clogging up the charts for the week ended December 16.

Mario Party DS is at number one with 180,000 sales over the seven day period, while Wii Fit is at two with 124,000 units sold, taking it past half a million sales since release.

There are two PlayStation 2 games in the top twenty from Konami and Bandai Namco, and one PSP title – Sony's Hot Shots Golf sequel.

The Japanese top twenty follows:

1. Mario Party DS (DS)

2. Wii Fit (Wii)

3. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)

4. Prof. Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)

5. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

6. Dragon Quest IV (DS)

7. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)

8. Wi Sports (Wii)

9. Wii Play (Wii)

10. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: The Labyrinth of Forgotten Time (Wii)

11. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS2)

12. Mario Party 8 (Wii)

13. Powerful Pro-kun Pocket 10 (DS)

14. Kirarin Revolution (DS)

15. Pokemon Mysterious Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS)

16. Mario Kart DS (DS)

17. Taiko Drum Master (DS)

18. Pokemon Mysterious Dungeon: Shadow Expedition Party (DS)

18. Hot Shots Golf Portable 2 (PSP)

20. SD Gundam G Generation Spirits (PS2)

Source: here

78 million UK games sales in 2007 is new record

78 million games sold in 2007

Sales of game software in the UK will reach 78 million units by the end of the year, as retail enjoys another year of rapid growth.

According to data from Chart Track, last week generated sales of GBP 87.9 million, with the UK seeing a record-breaking third quarter as revenues rose 36 per cent from GBP 233.5 million in 2006 to GBP 332.6 million.

The number of units sold was up 16.6 per cent for the weeks 1 to 50, and 25.3 per cent by value.

"2007 has been a fantastic year for our industry as all the latest generation of consoles and handheld devices have become fully established," commented Paul Jackson, director general of ELSPA.

"Interactive entertainment is now truly mass market, and this is just the beginning of a period of real sustained growth."

Software units for the third quarter were up 33 per cent from GBP 8.52 million to 11.33 million, with console revenues up 45 per cent from GBP 180.95 to GBP 263.20 million.

The console market now accounts for 79 per cent of software revenues and 75 per cent of total software units.

Source: Games Industry

Sony PSP firmware update allows remote play of all PlayStation One titles

PlayStation 3 2.10 and PSP 3.80 firmware required

The recent PS3 and PSP system update comes with an unannounced feature - the ability to remotely play any PS One game on the PSP handheld.

A PS3 2.10 firmware update was released in the US today, adding a voice changer feature to voice/video chat, DivX and VC-1 (WMV) codec support to video playback, and picture-in-picture features to Blu-ray disc playback.

A PSP 3.80 firmware update was also released, adding Internet radio compatibility.


Remote play of PS One titles was not mentioned in either update, but GamesIndustry.biz has confirmed the existence of the new feature.

Although some PS One titles have previously been made available for sale via the PlayStation Store, this update allows all PS One titles to be played on the PSP via the PS3's remote connection.

It also lets PS3 owners play purchased PS One titles remotely from the hard drive, rather than requiring them to be downloaded to a PSP memory stick.

A SCEA spokesperson had not yet responded to a request for comment.

It is not known if there are any compatibility issues with specific titles, but users will need to reassign the controls in many games to account for the PSP's lack of two analog sticks and four shoulder buttons.

Source: Games Industry