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    Modern Warfare 2 leads UK game sales for 8th straight week

    January 4, 2010 - 11:59am


    Following another week of tepid new releases (er, were there any releases at all?), and despite a 41-percent drop in sales, Modern Warfare 2 remained atop the UK all-formats sales chart for the week ending January 2. This marked the eighth straight week that Modern Warfare 2 led UK game sales, a feat unequaled since the gritty street sequel, Need for Speed: Underground 2, captured the British imagination five years ago. This week, Bayonetta gets her first shot at taking down the reigning champ.

    Additionally, Assassin's Creed II continued its rebound up the week's towering sales list, perched at the number two position, followed by a trio of casual Wii games. FIFA 10 dropped four spots into sixth place as weekly sales of the soccer sim "footie fax" fell 61 percent. Finally, UbiGaga's Just Dance made a fevered surge up to seventh on the chart, with New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart and Avatar rounding out the top ten. Can we get a "TAROK MAKTO!"?

    Source - Call of Duty Ends the Year on a High [GFK Chart-Track]
    Source - Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]Permalink | Email this | Comments

    EA pulling plug on older sports games' servers

    January 4, 2010 - 11:35am


    It's a new year, and the hammer must fall once more on the EA games that the company has deemed "unfit" to play. But the server shutdowns (which are traditionally closer to the middle of the year) are earlier than ever this time (beginning February 2), so fans of Facebreaker, Fantasy Football 09, Fight Night Round 3 on PS2, and many other soon-to-be retired online sports games have little time to achieve their last feats of glory.

    We've got the full list of server shutdowns -- courtesy of MCV -- after the break. Let us know if you're still playing any of the games getting the axe.

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    NintendoWare Weekly: Fast Draw Showdown, Trajectile, Final Fight 3

    January 4, 2010 - 11:05am

    This week might be a bit lighter on the triple-A WiiWare content than last week (which saw the releases of Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth and The Magic Obelisk), but there are still numerous titles available for Wii and DSi owners. One of which is Final Fight 3!

    And one more of which, you lucky downloaders, is the promised Fast Draw Showdown, which means you can be shooting at full motion video-captured, Old West-types today. A "yee-haw" would seem appropriate right now.

    Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Fast Draw Showdown, Trajectile, Final Fight 3

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    Sega 'probably not' making more hardcore Wii games

    January 4, 2010 - 10:40am


    Sega gave it the old college try in 2009, reaching out to "mature" gamers with the likes of MadWorld, The Conduit and House of the Dead: Overkill. But after none of those made much of an NPDent, it would seem the publisher may be abandoning the practice. While speaking on the performance of those games during the 4 Guys 1UP podcast, Sega of America studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos said, "That begets the question, you know, are we gonna do more mature titles for the Wii and it's like ... probably not."

    Hantzopoulos then pointed to the poor performance of Dead Space: Extraction on the Wii, saying he had been using it as a litmus test for the potential of mature titles on the platform. In other news, Sega has apparently decided on "be a little more arrogant" as its New Year's resolution.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Best of the Rest: Chris' picks of 2009

    January 3, 2010 - 7:00pm


    Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
    A high-definition update - with high-quality voice work to boot! - of the adventure gaming classic, Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition represents a sea change in how LucasArts treats its adventure gaming roots. Instead of squirelling them away in a vault while development continues on Star Wars title after Star Wars title, LucasArts is putting them up on Steam, and remastering them for a whole new audience, with the first Monkey Island adventure leading the charge.

    Continue reading Best of the Rest: Chris' picks of 2009

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    Best of the Rest: Randy's Picks of 2009

    January 2, 2010 - 6:30pm


    Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes
         If I had my way ... well, a lot of things would be different. When it came to video games, I'd make sure that everyone -- whether they own a Nintendo DS or not -- had a chance to play Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. Now, I know, Might and Magic? Isn't that some long-dead RPG franchise that's probably best left in the ground? Well, yes -- but Clash of Heroes is about as far from any of the other games in the series as you can get. At its core, it's a puzzle game -- a combat puzzle game -- developed by Capybara, the same team behind PSN's wonderful Critter Crunch. Take that game's core mechanic, add a load of clever new ones and build a story-driven experience around it and you have one of the finest (not to mention most addicting) DS games ever.

    Continue reading Best of the Rest: Randy's Picks of 2009

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    Best of the Rest: Richard's Picks of 2009

    January 2, 2010 - 2:00pm


    Halo Wars
    Say what you will about the game's simplicity, or the brevity of the single-player campaign, but Ensemble Studios absolutely nailed console real-time strategy with Halo Wars. The controls work beautifully, allowing for the kind of granular management required in RTS games, and yet they remain simple enough for almost anyone to get the hang of the game. Add great online multiplayer and it's one tasty proposition.

    Frankly, I was so addicted to the Skirmish mode when reviewing the game that it ate into my work hours. Remembering that makes it harder to face the fact that Ensemble was shuttered once work on the game was complete. I can only hope that Robot is given the chance to further the series, or at least work the controls into an entirely new game.

    Continue reading Best of the Rest: Richard's Picks of 2009

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    Best of the Rest: Xav's Picks of 2009

    January 2, 2010 - 9:00am


    Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
    Upon release, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars immediately found its way on my top five games of 2009. With its style, humor and variety it's clear Rockstar was trying to shine a new light on the popular franchise. Not only that, Rockstar took chances in hopes to attract a similar audience to a handheld GTA as it has on consoles. From a new class of criminal, fighting for honor and turf in Liberty City to an addictive (albeit, mostly cloned from Drugwars) illegal narcotic mini-game, Chinatown Wars felt like a breath of fresh air. Sadly, the game was a commercial disaster, relative to its console-based siblings. Be that as it may, Chinatown Wars was not only my favorite on-the-go game of the year, it was easily one of the best games to release across any platform in 2009.

    Continue reading Best of the Rest: Xav's Picks of 2009

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    Joyswag: Win 4,000 Wii Points from Stop Stress [update]

    January 1, 2010 - 11:00pm


    [Update: Congrats to WMcPete, the big winner.] Our friends at Abylight Studios, the makers of Stop Stress: A Day of Fury, have gotten into the holiday spirit just a few days late, offering 4,000 Wii Points to some lucky commenter. If you'd like to take a shot, you'll find a complete list of rules below.

    In case you didn't get enough during the holidays, we're also providing you with a grandma guilt trip: Well, no, you don't have to spend your Wii points on Stop Stress, the first-person anti-stress game, but it would be a nice way of saying thank you. Also, call your Aunt Kathy. You know how she misses you.

    To enter for your chance to win:

    • Leave a comment on this post telling us how you relieve stress
    • You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
    • Limit 1 entry per person
    • This entry period ends at 10:00PM ET on Saturday, January 2
    • We'll randomly select one winner at that time to receive 4,000 Wii Points [ARV: $40] -- please check your emails!
    • For a list of complete rules, click here.

    What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Best of the Rest: Ludwig's Picks of 2009

    January 1, 2010 - 8:15pm

    Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
    I mocked this "re-imagining" of Silent Hill when it was first announced. I thought Harry Mason had become an older, life-hewn Harry Potter and considered the town's frosty makeover as nothing short of sacrilege. But an encounter with the game at E3 2009 (and with candid producer Tomm Hulett) quickly changed my mind. While the game departs significantly from the franchise's known lore, it retains and streamlines much of what made Silent Hill stand out against games like Resident Evil. Encased in the game's frigid atmosphere, you'll experience a sense of bewilderment that, if you've been playing these games for a long time, you will not have felt in years. Indeed, the best surprises prey on those of us who think we know everything about Silent Hill.

    Continue reading Best of the Rest: Ludwig's Picks of 2009

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