I'm going to put this in the rumor mill for now, only because Microsoft has not officially said anything just yet but more information has come to light that we might very well see an Xbox 360 with Sony's Blu-Ray drive. Engadget.com has posted that Economic Daily News (chinese language newspaper) is reporting that Pegatron, who's an OEM subsidiary of ASUS makers of motherboards and other computer products, has won the order from Microsoft to assemble the Xbox 360's with the Blue-Ray drives. They also go on to say that shipments are expected in sometime in Q3 of 2008.
Press Release - Online Gaming Revenue to hit $2.5 billion in 2008, Console Sales Rose by 75% in 2007. SAN JOSE, CA - May 2, 2008 - Niko Partners, the leading market intelligence firm on China's video game industry, today announced results from its latest report citing China's 46 million gamers spent $1.7 billion on online games in 2007, up 71% from 2006. Advanced casual and casual online games made up 21% of the total, and new flash-based casual versions of popular MMO and RTS games demonstrated the hardcore gamers' appetite to play casual games along with subscription MMOs. Online revenue is expected to reach $2.5 billion in 2008 and $6 billion in 2012, for a 29% compound annual growth rate in the five-year period.
EA has released a new trailer for it's upcoming cartoon boxer called facebreaker. Overall after watching the trailer it reminds me allot of the old Dreamcast video game "Ready 2 Rumble". This trailer goes on to introduces the flamboyant character known as "Romeo". Picture a classical dancer meets Antonio Banderas that's Remeo. The good thing regarding this trailer is we finally get to see some of the gameplay. It seems to be a far cry from EA's blockbuster title Fight Night Round 3 but I don't think they were going for that realistic look. It did seem a bit strange that you can lift you opponent off the ground though, can someone say Street Fighter? Be sure to check out the video.
For those of you who watch G4TV's X-Play know that Adam Sessler is someone who can speak intelligently regarding the video game industry. Well he got his chance to show of his skills against the world top video game crusader "Jack Thompson" on a show called Talk the Nation. The two squared off and both had a back and forth debate leaving Jack Thompson sounding like, well Jack Thompson "I have never played the game, I don't have time to play it but the game is nothing but sex, drugs, and marketed to minors. He even went on to say that GTAIV is "Mentally Molesting Minors for Money"
So as many of us may remember on the NES, a little game called tecmobowl was fantastic. It didn't have an NFL approval or real players, but the fun was there and that is the most important part. If you enjoyed the sport of football in a traditional sense, then Tecmo Bowl might not have been for you. But if you like an awesome game that you can kick a ball ridiculous distances, make insane play, take on an entire team with one reciver, then Tecmo Bowl was for you.
I'm not really sure how many people were really looking forward to this one but, it's my job to report the news so just hot off the wire it looks like Kung Fu Panda's Demo is up on Xbox live - Press Release: Santa Monica, CA – May 1, 2008 – Starting today, gamers can become the ultimate Kung Fu Master as Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) releases the Kung Fu Panda™ video game demo on the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.
Press Release: - Grand Theft Auto IV has broken all previous records in UK – selling an estimated 609,000 units. Thursday 1st May/... ELSPA, the Entertainment Leisure Software Publishers’ Association, today reports that day one sales of Rockstar Games’ hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 have comfortably eclipsed the previous record set by GTA: San Andreas in 2004. Tuesday 29th April sell through for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 reached 609,000 units - comfortably beating the previous record: GTA: San Andreas for PS2, which sold 501,000 units on Friday 29th October, 2004.
