Nintendo: Proud mother of 100 million DS babies

Nintendo launched its dual screen portable gaming console in the last quarter of year 2004 and it was an instant hit. It was again revised and launched as DS Lite in 2006 and DSi in 2008 (to be released in Australia, Europe and North America this coming April). 6th March, 2009 saw Nintendo DS touching the magical 100 million mark and the company announced that their handheld gaming device “helped redefine what a video game could be.” Also Nintedno boasted of how 83 DS games have shipped more than 1 million and 7 of these have been shipped over 10 million times each.

Game Boy currently holds the record of maximum units sold at 119 million, which is just 19 million away and with DSi releasing, in North America, Europe and Australia this April, it might not be too big of a goal. DSi is an advanced version of DS Lite, it’s got a bigger screen, two cameras, music playing capabilities, larger screens, online downloads and in addition to all that it’s slimmer than DS lite. Once DS breaks the record of Game Boy its eyes will be set on the record of the highest-selling gaming console ever (PS2), which stands at 150 million units. DSi will be available in Europe and North America from April 3 and April 5, respectively for $169.99

Via: shacknews

First screenshots of G.I. Joe made public

Who does not love the G.I.the Joe franchise? You could never quite get enough of those action figures, imagining your way to glory in some make-believe games. This year will see the much-beloved franchise return to the forefront of kids’ admiration with a movie, accompanied by a game. Electronic Arts is publishing G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and has released the very first screenshots of the title. The game is being developed by Double Helix and is to be released in August 2009 on PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS and Xbox 360. The game is supposed to be a sequel to the live-action movie and players can pick off from where they left. The game will feature 12 G.I. Joe characters and there’s single-screen co-op mode to be enjoyed. And for the uninitiated, that’s Snake Eyes all right! Jump for more images.

SimBin for PC: Race On!

WTCC-based title is on from SimBin; officially. The company from Sweden has announced its little bonanza for PC gamers in the form of Race On, which would be released in second quarter this year. All the cars and tracks from the WTCC season ’08 would be for available for gaming pleasure. Thus, allowing gamers to get in the shoes of their favorite drivers and recreate one of the most competitive seasons of WTCC ever. Also thrown in would be some Detroit muscle cars and some brand new US tracks. Open-wheel fans are catered to as well and they can cash in on the Formula Masters Series. SimBin has announced that Race On will be available as either an expansion pack to GTR Evolution/RACE 07 or as standalone software with all Race 07 content. Race On’s new content includes 16 unique car models (8 classes), taking the total available car models to 39 (17 classes), and 12 tracks, taking the total to 30. Scandinavia’s Touring Car Championship (“STCC The Game”) is thrown in as a bonus add-on.

Via: Simbin.se

XBLA landing Virtual On this spring: Officially!

Get ready for some mech fighting, old school (not too old actually). We knew this was coming after Famitsu posted some tasty shots and then Sega Japan kinda gave it away. Now American and European offshoots of Sega have sent to flight the classic Virtual On, which will be landing on Xbox Live Arcade this “spring”. Virtual On Oratorio Tangram (known as VOOT for ease) is a favorite of the Dreamcast fans, what with its immersive gameplay and twin-stick control; which by the way will not be shipped. VOOT is considered as the best game in the series, which, if I’m correct, had four outings. Sega’s press release cites some major improvements in the arcade classic for the new generation console. Improved graphics and online multiplayer mode for some stinging one-on-one action are guaranteed. The players have a choice of 15 playable virtuoids and the single player action takes place through 10 Arcade and 14 Score attack stages. The press release is silent on the number of MS points that this title would cost. Expect things to become clearer by…well, spring, of course.

Via: electronictheatre.co.uk

Global Financial Crisis hits Nintendo Wii’s trade price

Nintendo has made a tough decision in the wake of a continuous fall in the international value of British Pound to increase the trade price of Nintendo Wii. British Dollar touched a 26 year high against US Dollar when in November 2007 it rose to $2.1161. But the global financial crisis has seen a steep fall in the value of British Pound; it fell to its 24-year-low on 23rd January 2009 and is currently valued at around $1.38.

EA’s Tiger Woods 10 dated for June

Get ready to hit the links this June when Tiger Wood 10 is released. The best selling golf franchise has officially been announced by EA Sports. The latest installment promises some fist pumping action with innovative gameplay. This time around players would feel the heat with larger crowds surrounding every hole. A real-time weather system is guaranteed to match the in-game conditions with those in the real life. Among other changes is TV-style presentation with a new announcer team of ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman. The game will feature 2009 U.S. Open course and for the very first time, it will also feature the USGA’s Rules of Golf; so better dig into your pockets to bring it out just like the real pros do. Tiger Woods PGA Tour will make an appearance on Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP and Wii. On Wii it will support the new Wii MotionPlus accessory to enable you to swing for real. The game is slated to hit the US retailers on June 16. European release is yet to be confirmed.

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Via: videogamer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 inspires smugness and more

At best we have some sketchy details, and, of course, a trailer to accompany them. But the anticipated release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 during the “holiday season” still has us quivering with excitement. The words from the Activision camp are just adding to that excitement by sounding awfully confident. Activision CFO Thomas Tippl said at the Wedbush Morgan Securities annual meeting that Infinity Ward’s work was “looking incredible.” He added:

Split/Second is official, coming next year

If you are craving for a racing game that offers speed and reality in one go then you are craving for the wrong combo, but if you want racing bundled with unreal experience and lots of destruction then you are about to have a party as Split/Second has been officially announced today by Disney Interactive Studios. If you thought by destruction I meant hitting opponents and destroying their cars then you probably got it all wrong as S/S takes it to another level. Game is set in a city sitting on explosives that can be triggered by drivers to stop their opponents from winning.

CrossOver Games going DirectX 10

For us PC gamers, Windows is the Mecca of Games. If there’s one thing that Mac and Linux lack then it is the availability of a wide range of gaming titles. CodeWeavers’ CrossOver Games was a valid option only till DirectX 10 was released, as its current version supports Direct X 9 games only. Revealing details about CodeWeavers’ future plans, founder and CEO, Jeremy White said that they are ‘getting ready to move on DirectX 10.’

Resident Evil heading to Wii: Rumors rest in peace

Speculation was always rife. Everyone wanted to know what’s next in the Resident Evil Series? Now there’s a rumor to quash all the rumors. It is reported that Resident Evil is heading to Nintendo’s Wii as Biohazard: The Darkside Chronicles. This has been reported in the latest issue of the Japanese magazine Famitsu. It is believed that Capcom is mulling an official announcement very soon; in which case the title of this bit assumes an ironic dimension. The title would make the game a sequel to Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. While this would make some Wii fans very happy, some of those hoping for a PC appearance would be disappointed. And yet some of the fans have already complained about the lack of effort that seemingly goes into the remakes/ports. The demand, apparently, is for originality. Details about the game are scarce at this point and we’d update this post as soon as more surfaces. Till then gear up for another rail shooter (Yawn!).

Via: Siliconera