February 2010
Monthly Archive
Deals26 Feb 2010 10:31 am
Weekend Deals 02/26 – 02/28
Reviews24 Feb 2010 11:05 am
Rogue Warrior: Going Rogue
By Brian Perry
Most games when you sit down to play them are either good games, that you enjoy, or bad games that you can turn off and be comfortable knowing you didn’t miss anything. Rogue Warrior strangely manages to sneak into that androgynous zone that is technically solid, and yet makes you wonder why you bothered to play it.
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LITB Gaming News – Retailers point to sixty-dollar price tag for PC version of Diablo 3.
According to Gamervision, both Amazon.com and Gamestop have listed the PC retail version of Diablo III for a cool $59.99. My first reaction to this news was “This is news? Games costing sixty-dollars?” But then I read on and found out that the PC Gaming Landscape hasn’t had to conform to the almost industry standard 60 dollar price tag.
Of course there’s nothing anybody can do to change this if it is indeed the final price for the game, 60 dollars a new game is as normal as anything else you’d find in a gamestore these days. The only good thing about the 60 dollar price tag is that while every next-gen game is priced at that level these days, a few months to half a year after release the game will almost always go down in price to around the 40 dollar level. Hell you could get “Legendary Editions” of old AAA next-gen releases for 50 dollars at most places that still couln’t get rid of those last few Halo 3 Helmets a few years back well after the release. – The Ben
Retailers Cite Consumer’s as losers in EA’s Project 10 Dollars
By Brian Perry
As publishers look for new ways to add profitability to their games, DLC has become the new battlefront for deterring used game sales. In recent weeks both Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment America have begun using Free DLC for new purchasers to provide gamers with incentives to buy new and used game retailers are finally starting to speak out.
While Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz (Registration Required) retail representatives stated that consumers would bear the brunt of these changes. One such retailer Marc Day of SwapGame told GamesIndustry.biz:
“The move to DLC exclusive content is an interesting step, and this obviously provides the publisher with another revenue stream. This move will definitely make the game less valuable on the pre-owned market, so it will be sold cheaper, meaning customers will get less value when trading in.”
Others see this move as a compromise between Retailers, Gamers and Publishers on the hot button issue of used game sales, as stated Christopher Bowen Associate Editor of Diehard GameFAN in the comments:
“I don’t think Project Ten Dollar – which balances risk and reward – is going to alienate consumers. They see the tangible benefits of buying new before the game is sold. In the case of Mass Effect and other EA games, before it’s released. EA has been very upfront about what they’re doing, and while I don’t *LIKE* it – we got more complete packages in the last console generation than we do now, in terms of bang for our buck – I think it’s a nice compromise against the secondhand market and Gamestop.”
With this newest push to digital distribution, and incentives however it will seem only time will tell who is right.
Life Inside The Box22 Feb 2010 12:00 am
Life Inside the Box – 082 – But Wait! Theres more!
This week Brian, Kyle, and Kevin fly loops around the Star Trek Online controversy of the week, and devolve into a debate on the values of the Star Trek Series’. Then they work their way into the news where they talk about Bobby Kotick’s humbling remarks at DICE and ridicule analyst cries for a Wii price cut.
Life Inside The Box15 Feb 2010 12:00 am
Life Inside the Box – 081 – Just Another Show In Paradise
This week the gang gets back together to talk once again about Team Fortress II, Startrek Online, and Mass Effect 2, amongst other games. Then it’s on to the news where they look into the newly released NPD numbers, and discuss the EA’s future with Project 10 dollars. Lastly they go over the announcements coming out of Microsoft’s X10 conference in San Francisco.
LITB Gaming News – NPD time for January 2010
Via NeoGaf, it’s once again time for the NPD results for this past January.
PlayStation 2 41.6K
PlayStation 3 276.9K
PSP 100.1K
Xbox 360 332.8K
Wii 465.8K
Nintendo DS 422.2K
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Nov-09 656.7K
MASS EFFECT 2* 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Jan-10 572.1K
WII FIT PLUS W/ BALANCE BOARD* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Oct-09 555.7K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 326.7K
MARIO KART W/ WHEEL WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Apr-08 310.9K
WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS* WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA Jul-09 297.6K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2* PS3 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Nov-09 259.0K
ARMY OF TWO: THE 40TH DAY 360 ELECTRONIC ARTS Jan-10 246.5K
JUST DANCE WII UBISOFT Nov-09 191.9K
DARKSIDERS 360 THQ Jan-10 171.2k
A pretty normal post-holiday sales result all around.
Of note is Mass Effect making a great debut at number 2 while Mario continues his reign on the charts via NSMBW and Mario Kart Wii which I believe may very well outsell every pre-Mario Kart DS Mario Kart entry combined before the last copy of it is sold years from now.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is still on the charts as are Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus. The only really shocking inclusions and omissions are that Just Dance for Wii from Ubisoft made the Top Ten while Bayonetta didn’t manage to make the cut.
I didn’t expect much in the way of sales for Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom or No More Heroes 2 so seeing them bein outsold by Just Dance isn’t a shock to me, but I felt Bayonetta was one of those titles the entire hardcore set was pushing for. I know SEGA shipped a million copies of the game out to stores. – The Ben
Life Inside The Box07 Feb 2010 11:53 pm
Life Inside the Box – 080 – Podtique Roadshow II
This week the road show continues leaving the audio quality on edge, but they guys compensate with bad highlander humor, and discussion on the weeks news. Great topics like rubbing FFVII fanboys noses in the lack of a remake, telling PS3 gamers they will have no mass effect 2, Gamestop’s latest evils, and THQ’s newest game announcements. Lastly the guys lightly sperg about the new fallout Vegas trailer released last week.
Life Inside The Box01 Feb 2010 12:00 am
Life Inside the Box – 079 – Podtique Roadshow
This week, Brian, Kyle, Stephen, and Kevin engage in lengthy discussions on some of their favorites. Brian and Kyle go off on a long rant about how much they’re enjoying Mass Effect 2, and Kevin interjects with a frightening dissertation on Ragnarok Online. They then talk about the news, including the cancellation of Cities XL’s online portion, as well as some news involving Steam and rumors involving a possible new platform. Which one? Here’s a hint: Kevin is cynical of it. Have a listen and find out.
Due to some technical difficulties, this week’s show is suffering from poor audio quality. Our best technicians are working on tracking down the sabotage and fixing it, but for now, you’ll just have to bear with us.
