January 2008

[danizduhman]

The writers of the Gaming Chronicle will add their video game impressions, reviews, previews, and general opinion columns below this post.

(If you are interested in writing for the Chronicle, then click on the groups link in the header. Then chose the Chronicle usergroup, and then click join.)


Best Buy December sales rise 1.5 percent

By JOSHUA FREED, AP Business Writer Fri Jan 11, 11:26 AM ET

MINNEAPOLIS - Best Buy Co. Inc. said on Friday its comparable-store sales rose 1.5 percent in December on strong sales of video games and notebook computers.

The results were not as good as last year but far better than its rival Circuit City Stores Inc. Best Buy left its profit guidance unchanged.

Its shares fell $1.45, or 3.1 percent, to $45.12 in morning trading. They've traded between $41.85 and $53.90 over the past year.

"We remain very much in a sell first ask questions later market with investors likely to point to projected weakness as spending slows next year," Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter wrote in a note. But he said Best Buy stuck with the guidance it had raised previously, beat its most direct competitor, "has a product cycle that looks quite favorable for 2008 and has reduced its share count at advantageous prices" through buybacks.

Like other retailers, Best Buy's December was hurt by a calendar shift that put an extra week of post-Thanksgiving shopping in November. Adjusting for that shift, Best Buy said sales at stores open at least 14 months would have risen 3 percent in December.

On Monday, struggling Circuit City said same-store sales fell 11.4 percent in December.

Best Buy's results were helped by strong growth of sales in Canada and China. International comparable-store sales rose 7.6 percent, while domestic stores were up just 0.3 percent. (Domestic comparable sales would have risen 2.1 percent if not for the calendar shift.)

Almost half of Best Buy sales come from consumer electronics, and sales in that segment fell by 3.1 percent. TV sales declined after Best Buy stopped selling non-flat-panel TVs on Oct. 1, even though sales of flat-panel TVs continued to grow. Global-positioning equipment sales more than doubled. But sales of digital music players declined.

With new game consoles easier to find, sales of video game hardware and games grew more than 10 percent. Sales of DVDs and music CDs declined.

The company still expects to earn $3.10 to $3.20 per share for fiscal 2008, which ends in February. Best Buy forecast revenue of about $40 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial are expecting, on average, a profit of $3.18 per share on sales of $40.2 billion.

___

Joshua Freed can be reached at jfreed(at)ap.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_hi_te/best_buy_sales

[danizduhman]

Top ten PlayStation 3 Games
Now in its third generation, the PlayStation 3 has come a long way since the first PlayStation video games console was released. Just think of it, over four Grand Turismo games, four Metal Gear Solid games and more than five Final Fantasy games have been published, and the PlayStation video games consoles are still growing strong in its selection of games.

I can remember when I played Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation. I really liked the game, its size and scope was just about awesome. Even though the graphics may not be up to date to what is available today, the game was, and still is fun to play, and you are always discovering something new in the game.

The same goes for The first Metal Gear Solid game. I heard about the game in game magazines, and on the internet. I grabbed my copy of the game when it was released, and started playing it.

The game can be described as mix between a graphic novel and an action movie. Some of the most memorable things of the game, are the game characters. Each character is reminiscent of heroic characters you might have read about in a graphic novel.

Metal Gear Solid went even further giving players a feel of being in a movie, except playing the hero which is called Solid Snake. Solid Snake has been popular among players of Metal Gear Solid, and most of the characters in the games.

Now the graphics on the PlayStation 3 have become almost movie like, and a game like Metal Gear Solid 4:Guns of the Patriots are approaching the quality you would only expect to see in a movie.

Metal Gear Solid 4:Guns of the Patriots will feature movie like action on the PlayStation 3. Solid Snake is back. More games will feature movie like action on the PlayStation 3, and just like the eye-toy bring new kinds of game play to the PlayStation 2, new technology could bring could open new kinds of game play to players.

The top ten list and new games.
What new games will the PlayStation 3 bring gamers that approach movie like titles ?

That is what the top ten PlayStation 3 games list hopes to uncover. The top ten PlayStation 3 games that show what the console brings to gamers that have come to expect the speed and thrill of games like Grand Turismo, the fun and excitement of a game like Metal Gear Solid, and the marvel and mystery of a game like Final Fantasy.

Many will want to keep on playing sport games like Madden NFL, others will look for new and unexplored areas of what the PlayStation 3 has to offer. Already there are games that are exploring what the PlayStation 3 graphics processor is capable of.

Games like Resistance: Fall of man, have tested some of its capabilities. We also expect sequels to old favorites like Grand Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, and Final Fantasy series of games to hit the PlayStation 3 top ten list. Gamers wont have to wait for a long time, because sequels to these popular games are already coming to the PlayStation 3.

They are not the only games that are coming to the PlayStation 3, Army of Two is a game based around two player missions. Rock Band is a game that test a new way of playing a music based game. You can affect the top ten list by posting your favorite PlayStation 3 game to the list.

Top ten PlayStation 3 games
1. Call of duty 4
2. Resistance:Fall of man
3. Guitar hero III:Legends of rock
4. Heavenly Sword
5. Skate
6. Rock Band
7. Madden NFL 08
8. Elder Scrolls IV:oblivion
9. DiRT
10. Assassin's Creed


Source: http://www.video-games-magazine.com/top-ten-PlayStation-3-games.html#t optenps3games

[danizduhman]

Best (and Worst) Gaming Comebacks
Does everyone deserve a second chance? Find out which gaming comebacks worked out and which should have retired for good.

By Mike Smith


As Rambo prepares to return to the big screen after a twenty-year absence, we look back over video games series and companies that have tried to pull off similar comebacks. Which games vanished for years, only to return out of nowhere? Which companies tried to cash in on fondly remembered franchises and failed? And which much-loved character could be set for a ten-year-overdue comeback of his own?


Metroid

Eight long years separated the releases of 1994's SNES smash Super Metroid and the 2002 Gamecube masterpiece Metroid Prime. Not only did the series skip the N64 entirely, it lost its original designer, the celebrated Gunpei Yokoi, who resigned from Nintendo in 1996 shortly before his tragic death in a car wreck. Instead, Nintendo kicked this particular morph ball to Austin-based Retro Studios, which turned it into that most American of genres: a first-person shooter. Spectacular success followed, as Retro carved itself a unique niche in an all-too-well-trodden theme with the help of atmospheric levels, superb music and classic weapons and abilities from Metroids past. Neither critics nor consumers failed to recognize its quality, making it both one of the highest-rated and biggest-selling games on the Gamecube.


Marathon

Believe it or not, once upon a time there were games on the Mac. One of them was Marathon, a trilogy of spectacularly good first-person shooters from now-celebrated developer Bungie set in a compelling sci-fi world. They starred Durandal, a rogue artificial intelligence who manipulated the player as he made his way through an intricate storyline packed with imaginative alien races. The Marathon games also earned well-deserved praise for their multiplayer modes, which were far more fleshed out than comparable shooters of the age.

Sound familiar? In 2001, Bungie had a new baby, and they named it Halo. OK, Halo isn't exactly a Marathon comeback, and the official word from Bungie is that the two series share no more than a developer. But many of the gameplay concepts developed in the Marathon games persist in the Halo universe, and in-jokes and references are everywhere. What's that? You want to play Marathon now? You're in luck. Not only is Marathon 2 available on Xbox Live (under the name Marathon: Durandal), all three Marathon games can be downloaded for PC from Bungie's web site, for the grand total of...nothing.


Sid Meier's Pirates

Pirates! designer Sid Meier is set to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award at this year's Game Developers Conference, and it's long overdue. His classic Pirates! mixes open-ended navigation, ship-to-ship combat, swordplay and messing around with Governors' daughters, and backs it all up with a suitably swashbuckling tale. Released in 2004, the remake brought this nautical adventure to a whole new generation of hardware -- including the PSP, for an on-the-go experience addictive enough to while away even the longest sea voyage.


Doom

Perhaps the most famous of the early first-person shooters, the Doom series seemed to vanish into the ether somewhere around 1996. For some years, you could play Doom on your cellphone, your digital camera and even your 3DO - but no new version of what many hold to be one of the most important games of all time was even mentioned.

All that changed, of course, with the coming of Doom 3. Although a decade had passed since the original game made the hairs on the back of our necks stand up, Doom 3's state-of-the-art graphics and movie-quality storytelling terrified us all over again. A successful PC release was followed up with a well-regarded Xbox port, and this notoriously dark game joined its predecessors in the halls of first-person shooter fame.


Bioshock

Way back in 1994, now-defunct studio Looking Glass Technologies released an odd little first-person role-playing game called System Shock. With an innovative 3D engine, a detailed storyline and a realistic world, it caused quite a stir - and the sequel, helmed by the now legendary Ken Levine, made even more of an impact. System Shock 2, originally released in 1999, is still enjoyed by many enthusiasts, thanks to fan-made modifications that enhance the graphics and tweak the gameplay to meet modern expectations.

Although last year's Bioshock isn't a follow-up to System Shock in a literal sense, the similarities in plot development, gameplay and development staffers speak for themselves. It was a hot contender for our Best Game of 2007 award, and if you're one of the few who has yet to immerse themselves in its suboceanic world, you're missing out.


Nintendo

Let's face it: The Gamecube didn't exactly perform well. Hamstrung by poor third-party support, strong competition from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and essentially no online capabilities, it crossed last generation's finish line in third place. Who'd have put money on Nintendo's chances once Sony and Microsoft rolled out their next-generation hardware? And who would have honestly thought that a machine with a dopey name like "Wii" would still have been sold out more than a year after its release?

Not only did Nintendo bounce back, it defied its critics with a system that caught the public imagination - and shows no signs of letting it go. The Wii's been topping charts for the last year, and we still have the heavyweight tag-team of Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl to come in 2008. This might just be the most drastic comeback of all.






Not all returns are welcomed. Check out what happens when a comeback attempt falls flat.




Sega

Back in 1997, Sega was on the ropes. A disastrous showing from its Saturn console, out-priced and out-performed by its rivals, left many skeptics wondering if this once-proud giant would ever be a significant force in video games again. Until, that was, the Dreamcast came along. Hitting streets just two years later and equipped with innovative hardware that put it at the top of its class, surely this compact powerhouse would restore the company's fortunes?

Well, no. In fact, despite a strong launch, the Dreamcast quickly floundered. Much has been written on the reasons for its demise, but the weakness of Sega's brand, poor marketing, its inability to play DVDs (a big deal at the time, believe it or not) and no support from EA Sports' powerful franchises all played their parts. Though the Dreamcast is still remembered with fondness by many enthusiasts, Sega's days as a top-tier player disappeared with it.

Phantasy Star

Starting life as a Final Fantasy-like series of console role-playing games, the Phantasy Star trilogy entertained countless Sega fans throughout the late 80s and early 90s. Its fortunes sank along with Sega's, only to emerge reborn in 2001 as the first massively-multiplayer game ever seen on a console platform.

Much about Phantasy Star Online was novel, from the button-mashing, action-heavy combat system to the innovative communication system that enabled -- encouraged, even -- players from Europe and Asia to cooperate. The series is still alive, with Phantasy Star Universe launching back in November, but like its publisher it's clinging to relevance by the merest thread.

Rampage

Gracing the arcades a full two decades ago, Rampage's monster movie-inspired formula was an instant success. Smashing buildings never gets old, especially when you can bring a couple of friends along: George, Lizzie and Ralph, the game's monster stars, became...well, monster stars. Like most hit arcade games of the era, it appeared on all kinds of home entertainment systems - but sank without trace, Godzilla-like, shortly afterwards.

Any 'Zilla fan knows that you can't keep a good monster down, though, and Midway hauled out Rampage's remains to be bathed in the life-giving lightning of the Wii's 2006 launch -- but let's just say that its return was not a welcome one. Even among what was a patchy launch line-up, Rampage: Total Destruction still stood out like a rotting corpse at a beauty pageant. If you're looking to find out whether Rampage's city-crushing formula has stood the test of time, you can find the original version on the PlayStation 3's online store, but please, please, give Total Destruction an even wider berth than you'd give its stars.

Battlezone

Atari's 1980 tank sim Battlezone was one of the first 3D games to see the light of day -- or, at least, the half-light of a corner of your local arcade. With its distinctive, periscope-equipped cabinet, the game proved so realistic it attracted the attention of the U.S. Army, who reportedly considered using the game as a training tool for real-life tankers.

By the time the Battlezone name was revisited, though, those tankers would have been thinking more about honorable discharges than boot camp. Eighteen years passed before Activision brought out its revamped Battlezone, a 3D, first-person game that mashed up Command & Conquer-like strategic elements with tank combat that paid homage to the arcade original, and a mighty fine game it was, too. Battlezone spawned a sequel, but the series -- which introduced many concepts we'd later see revisited in EA's highly celebrated Battlefield games -- died there.

Duke Nukem Forever

Duke Nukem, his "time to kick ass and chew bubble-gum" attitude, beloved strippers, and half-pig mutant police officers have fallen on hard times. The star of two early 90s side-scrolling platformers and a near-legendary 1995 FPS has been out of work for ages; the latest in his series, Duke Nukem Forever, was first announced in 1997 and, staggeringly, still isn't finished.

After being a running joke for many years, it had reached the point where Duke Nukem Forever became just too easy to poke fun at. We'd written it off. Then developer 3D Realms released a new teaser trailer for the game just before Christmas, and, of course, made it fair game all over again. Can it really live up to ten years' worth of expectations? Will posterity file it as a successful comeback after all? Will it ever even come out? Time will tell, but we're guessing (and we're not going out on a limb here) "no," "no," and a resounding "no."



Source: http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/best-and-worst-gaming-comebacks/11 79151

[danny12]

Around once a year or every couple of years, there's always a game come's out which you couldn't care less about, you hear everyone tell you it's awesome and how good it is but you don't care. And then you sit down to play it, and you realise yourself, this game is outstanding. Call Of Duty 4 is one of these games, and it does an outstanding job of giving COD fans something to shout about.

The COD series was well renowned as a genre of game's which were all about WW2, so naturally it came as a surprise when we learned that this game was going futuristic but once you play this game, you won't regret the move, in face you'll wish they had done it sooner.

For most COD game's the story was always pretty average, there's only so many different ways that WW2 can be told from so the move to the present day had opened so many different avenues for COD4 Developers, Infnity Ward to explore and they have used this advantage well.

The single player is fairly simple. You play as two solider's, one for the British S.A.S and one from the US Marines, and whilst these two stories at first are totally seperate, as the story progress, the story intertwines and you realise the two soliders are both fighting for the common purpose, to take down the army of Kahled Al-Asad and the man himself on suspicion of planning to use nuclear weapons. Whilst not the most original story thought of, the sheer maginutde what you are witnessing will exstinguish your doubts within seconds. With a new game, come's new idea's and this dosn't dissapoint with the game being well known for it's in your face action, the surprising section of the game came around 3/4 in whenever you take part in a stealth action mission, split into two sections. Whilst this may seem intimidating at first for a FPS, it is pulled off fantastically well, and really is the part of the game where you stop and tell yourself how brilliant the game really is.

But of course, with every good FPS comes gun's and once again we arn't dissapointed with old favourites and new entries. The old classic's like M4's and AK47 return with newer weapons such as the USP. With such detail given to the weapons, it's hard not to love them, they look and sound like the real versions.

The defining part of this game isn't actually in its gameplay, it's the graphics. For such an amazing game, it also has amazing graphics. People who lack a HD TV must not fear, this still looks like a top of the range title. Everything from facial movements, to minor details such as water and grass, you can tell the developers were really making an effort to make this an excellent looking and feeling game.

And so we arrive at the multiplayer. In few game's a multiplayer mode surpasses a single playre mode but in this case, it's very true. In Multiplayer mode, you start off as a lowly ranked solider, but as you earn points which is done by killing, detonating or defusing bombs, you gain ranks which in turn unlock new weapons and new additions called Perks. These Perk's give your solider special abilites such as dropping a grenade once you die, or allowing you to pull out your pistol before you die to try and get in one last kill. The online play is immense and will keep the average gamer hooked for hours, it almost seem's never ending as once you reach the highest level of 55, you unlock Prestiege mode which resets everything including your level and you have to earn everything back again, doing so will earn you various prizes and those who do this 10 times will be heavily rewarded although only the most dedicated gamer will be able to accomplish this mammoth task. And to top off the multiplayer is the classes. There are 6 Solider classes, 5 of which are preset and 1 which is reserved for a class which you can choose whatever weapons and perks you wish. With every class come's challenges which include "Get 25 headkills with the M4". With so many things to unlock and to pursure, including an online ranking table, online on it's own is worth the asking price for this game.


But as every game does, there are flaws. I shall start with the single player mode. Whilst as good as it is, a 6 hour Single Player is not value for money, the game may be more suited to the online equipped gamer, but those without will feel hard done by.
Another is the lack of different music in the game, whilst the music is of top quality, hearing it looped in different levels is lazy on the developers part.

But overall this game is a credit to the gaming world. With such a rich multi player mode, and a decent single player experience, any gamer would be proud to say to their friends "I own Call Of Duty 4".

Overall Score - 9.1 / 10

[danny12]

GTA IV - World Release 29/4/08


http://www.rockstargames.com/xml/newsfeed.xml

[danizduhman]

By now, anyone with even a cursory understanding of the Star Wars mythology knows that the nefarious Darth Vader is the proud papa of rebellious twins Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. We know that he was once a nice enough guy, but the fear of losing his love prompted him to commit unforgivable acts of treason and murder. We also know that, try as he might, Vader was unable to convert his baby boy into a willing accomplice. Luke simply wasn't interested in the Sith family business.

But what if Darth Vader was just trying to find a replacement? What if, in fact, he already had a Jedi helper bee? And what if this person was you?

In the upcoming Star Wars video game The Force Unleashed, you'll take on the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice. You'll study the ways of the Dark Side, wielding inconceivable amounts of destructive Force power as you aid your asthmatic master in his quest for redemption. And along the way, you'll witness the convergence of the most exciting new technology to grace video game software in years.

All this and more is revealed in the third official Force Unleashed webdoc, found exclusively on Yahoo! Video Games. Detailing how the team behind The Force Unleashed managed to combine three cutting-edge simulation technologies into one seamless experience, it delivers a compelling, behind-the-scenes look at the game's development.



Lucas Arts is keeping specific details about the plot tightly under wraps, but here's what we know so far. The game takes place in the roughly twenty-year interim between the end of Episode III and the start of Episode IV. Under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine and led by the iron hand of Darth Vader, the Empire has tightened its grip on the Republic and the few remaining Jedi have all but vanished. But unbeknownst to the Emperor, Vader isn't simply in it to bring order to the cosmos. He's got other plans.

That's where you come in. As Vader's undercover agent, you take on deadly, top-secret missions all across the famous galaxy far, far away. It's a tale of duplicity, as not even the Emperor knows about your actions, and at the moment, neither do we. More details about the game's intriguing story - as well as insight into what famous characters you might meet up with along the way - will hopefully be revealed in the coming months.

For now, we'll focus on the crux of this third-person action extravaganza: the gameplay, and the amazing technology that powers it.

Set for release on six platforms - the 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP - The Force Unleashed is all about being a badass Jedi. That means using powers like Force Push and Force Grip to toss stormtroopers around like dolls, electrifying objects and enemies with Force Lightning, or even cutting to the chase by slicing and dicing with your trusty lightsaber. If they did it in one of the movies, you'll be able to do it here.

That includes zipping through the air using a dash move and effortlessly blocking laser blasts with your lightsaber. You'll find depth in the form of upgrading both your Force abilities and standard talents like base damage and overall health. To that end, two different lightsaber styles thankfully keep the button-mashing to a minimum. A new combo system lets you combine powers to create devastating attacks. You might light up a bad guy with a torrent of lightning, then use Force Push to hurl him at others as an electrified cannonball. A quick sprint move infused with some force can turn you into a lethal battering ram. The more creative you can get, the more damage you can deal.

And trust us when we say you've never seen damage handled like this before. For The Force Unleashed, LucasArts crafted the most realistic interactive version of Star Wars to date. Using a combination of Havok physics, NaturalMotion's Euphoria tech and Pixelux's Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) engine, the development team has built a stunning simulation the likes of which has never been seen before in a video game.

Videos:

http://videogames.yahoo.com/predownload?eid=1181640

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/yvideogames?cl=6060618


Source:http://videogames.yahoo.com/xbox360/star-wars-the-force-unleash ed/preview-1181641

Here's how it works. The underlying action is powered by Havok, which most gamers have experienced in one form or another as the cool, ragdoll physics in action games. Havok applies to most environmental objects like barrels or crates - but enemies, however, can be infused with Euphoria, a procedural animation technology that adds extra realism. Enemies will generate their own animations based on what's happening to them at any given time. That might mean grabbing on to a railing to avoid being jerked into the air, or trying to right themselves while dangling upside down. It's a little like instinct; no one action is pre-determined by the developers.

Then there's DMM, which imbues materials and substances with lifelike properties. In most video games, destructible objects break apart in very specific ways - they're essentially programmed to fall apart when struck enough times by the player. But with DMM, a wooden door will splinter differently if you hit it in different places and with different amounts of force, while a metal wall will merely buckle and bend. Things work the way they should rather than the way the designers purposely intended. For a more complete explanation, we again urge you to watch that webdoc, because it's awesome.

We watched this all come together (or more appropriately, come apart) over the course of a full gameplay demo. First we witnessed the Dark Jedi tearing up a Tie Fighter construction facility, at one point even using the imperial war machines themselves as massive projectile weapons. On the organic planet of Felucia, we fought off force-sensitive creatures by turning our lightsaber into a lightning rod, eventually defeating a huge albino Rancor using a God of War-like finishing move. We blasted through junk golems and even took down rogue Jedi Kazdan Paratus on the junk planet of Raxis Prime, witnessing new features like force and lightsaber "locking" during the ending boss battle. Very impressive stuff.

However, we should point out that only the 360 and PS3 versions are getting the technological trio treatment. The Wii, PSP and PS2 versions are being developed by Krome studios, while the DS is handled by Nspace. To make up for the lack of Euphoria and DMM, the Krome games will feature exclusive levels and the Wii version gets its very own 'Duel' mode, essentially a Jedi fighting game featuring nearly 30 characters from the Star Wars mythos.

There's been a great deal of speculation over exactly how the Wii version will operate; by virtue of the wireless Wiimote, fans have hoped that this would be a true lightsaber simulation. Well, it looks like you're have to put those Star Wars kid moves back in the closet, because that's not how the Wii works. You do use the remote and nunchuck to perform lightsaber swings, but it's not a one-to-one experience. You do not stand in front of your television and wield a lightsaber in first-person, hacking away at Wookies and blocking laser shots like a gifted swordsman. It's essentially the same game as the PS3 and 360 games, but utilizing common Wiimote gestures to swing the saber. Disheartening? Only if you had your heart set on a lightsaber simulation, because frankly, the Wii version looks and feels a lot like its more powerful brethren.

And that's saying a lot. Between its revolutionary marriage of cutting-edge technologies and its deliciously diabolical premise, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed seems destined to take the franchise in a seriously destructive new direction. Jedi training doesn't officially begin until the summer, but we'll certainly learn more about it in the coming months.