QuikJump QuickPeek 72: Reading between the lines of NPD results, industry line-ups, and more pre-E3 presentations
This is a rather unique position we are in. The E3 is nearing, and yet we’ve got just about the biggest surge we’ve had the past couple of months. Okay, that might well be an exaggeration, but still. You gotta agree with me when I say it was a busy past week, yes? Rumors, confirmation of rumors, and surprising – yet at the same time not-so-surprising – NPD results for this month all proved to be the cherry on top for this game-filled, fun-filled week. Hmmm.. imagine all those cherries on top…. Dig in, then.
This is a rather unique position we are in. The E3 is nearing, and yet we’ve got just about the biggest surge we’ve had the past couple of months. Okay, that might well be an exaggeration, but still. You gotta agree with me when I say it was a busy past week, yes?
Rumors, confirmation of rumors, and surprising – yet at the same time not-so-surprising – NPD results for this month all proved to be the cherry on top for this game-filled, fun-filled week. Hmmm.. imagine all those cherries on top….
It sure took them long enough, but Square Enix finally managed to pin down a specific date for Dissidia: Final Fantasy‘s US launch this week. The good news was still tainted with some bad, however: Rock Band: Unplugged got leaked onto the Internets three weeks before its official release date. On second thought, whether this is good news or bad news depends entirely on your stance regarding the piracy issue.Link: PSP Weekend Warrior
Another week, another edition of the PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior. Things were a bit quiet this week on the homebrew front compared to last week’s big ChickHEN coup. Perhaps devs are still working on their apps, games, and other homebrew offerings for the newly-cracked PSP-3000. Maybe we’ll see more next week.
Link: PSP Homebrew Weekend Warrior
The QJ.NET PS3 blog saw a very varied mix of news this week. We heard of rumors about a PS3 redesign, a rumored PS3 outing for GTA IV‘s The Lost and Damned DLC, updates for the PS3 firmware as well as PlayStation Home, and more game news than you could shake a relatively average-sized stick at. Even the odd bit of homebrew sneaked its way in.
Link: PS3 Weekend Warrior
An impressive week, it sure was for the Xbox 360 blog. That’s all I can say. There was a balanced mix of gaming news, rumors, Industry bits… It was a healthy week, alright. Even more because of the NPD, the rumored (non)exclusives, as well as Microsoft‘s long overdue entry into the handhelds category. Dig in, jump up.
Link: Xbox 360 Weekend Warrior
Lots of big news for this week’s recap, so you’d better stay comfy. There’s a hell lot of games coming to the Wii and DS in 2009, and we have news on the biggest that the two platforms are gonna get – whether they’re the Pokemon remakes, Monster Hunter 3, and a bunch of retro WiiWare games, we’ve got ya covered. Just like a million fans got the DS covered last month. Literally.
Link: WiiDS Weekend Warrior
This week on the iPhone – high profile names are turning up at the App Store. The list includes Terminator, Resident Evil, X-Men Origins, and even Final Fantasy. Now that’s some serious iPhone gaming right there. And if you thought that the hardware rumor-fest was only limited to Sony and Microsoft, you’d be wrong. Apparently, there’s one coming for the iPhone as well.
Link: iPhone Weekend Warrior
Industry News:
The biggest head-turner in our Industry section this week would probably have to be the recently-released NPD results for the month of April in US. It was an astounding month, mostly because of the dismal numbers of hardware sales. But what took the cake was the quiet, unassuming Nintendo DS handheld, which raked in a staggering one million units sold (800,000 of those would be the freshly-launched DSi).
Of course, as with every NPD result, you can expect each Big Three company’s (they would be Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, in case you’re wondering) press relations people racing to get their own statements/ reactions on the figures. Some with more optimism than others.
Nintendo says thanks, it’s expected. Microsoft says, “Although we weren’t on top this month, we still got an impressive first four months growth of Xbox 360 sales for ’09.” And Sony: “Well, our hardware still has the best non-gaming features.”
Am sure you can tell which PR office had trouble writing their stuff up.
Link: NPD US April shows astounding 1 million DS sales, slams sales of all other
combined
Link: The Big 3 respond to NPD April results]
There are more DS and PSPs to be sold, if this iSuppli analysis is right. The research company is predicting that come 2013, the shipments would have grown to 63.5 million in total. Whopeedoo.
Personally, am just relieved to see that other people still believe there will be anything left beyond 2012.
Link: Analysis: DS and PSP shipments to balloon to 63.5 million by 2013
More economic hurdles and woes beset the industry, as another one bites down acquisition in order to survive, while another succumbed to the pressures of financial meltdown.
Atari Europe was cocky two years ago, saying that they’re not affected by the US economic crisis. Just a couple of days ago, they were officially acquired by Namco Bandai. But at least that technically makes them still alive, right?
Factor 5 wasn’t as lucky, as they flatlined this week. After months of grappling with their financial dilemmas, they have now thrown in the towel.
Link: Namco Bandai acquire Atari Europe
Link: Factor 5 throws in the towel — officially
This is new. A German research claims that we should blame the Pentagon for violent video games. You know, because they introduced simulation. They had machines to “train people to kill”, they said. Yeah, you should read this piece. I think it will go nicely with that article on SOCA alleging that PlayStations are being used to run criminal empires from within UK’s prisons (that’s most likely at the PS3 Weekend Warrior).
Link: German researchers say Pentagon responsible for violent video games
And here we have something for the LOLs. The GLM is set to declare their 1,000,000th English word soon. No, it’s not some academic, hifaluting term. It’s “noob”. Oh my. The Matrix is coming true.
Link: Global Language Monitor to declare the millionth English word
E3 2009 Watch:
With just a few weeks away from E3 (make that just a couple), companies set to present are busy with their last-minute preparations. Surprisingly, though, Atari seems to have a different meaning for final touches. Cos they just withdrew from the event. Did anything not meet their internal deadline?
Link: Sudden withdrawal: no E3 for Atari
In the meantime, Epic Games laid out their sweet, detailed plan for their E3 presentation. It looks good, I must say. Very polished as far as plans go. They’re finally presenting the much-talked about, “next-gen-ready” Unreal Engine 3, and they’re even accommodating private viewings.
Link: Epic Games lay out plans for E3 ’09, to present Unreal Engine 3
QJ Front Page:
If you haven’t noticed, our QuickGuide – Who’s Who Edition has been pared down to just one the past couple of weeks. No, it’s not because we’re running out of people to thank for their wonderful contributions. Rather, it’s because we’re stocking up for the upcoming biggest gaming event of the year — so far. You know, we have to gear up for E3, too.
But. We make sure not to miss out on anyone deserving. That’s why as we whittle to a temporary stop of the Who’s Who Edition, we present to you the iconic Fanjita, the PSP freedom fighter.
Link: QuickJump QuickGuide #15 – Who’s Who Edition: Fanjita, the PSP freedom Fighter
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand that’s it for yet another week in QuickJump QuickPeek. The stuff’s been getting good, yes? Great, great. We do expect a sudden quiet in the final weeks running up to the E3, sort of like how the water in the ocean moves away from the shore before a tsunami hits.
Yes, we are warning you now of a dry spell. But not to worry, because we have a lot of E3 goods in store for you, to fill that hunger while we wait for the buffet. Oh, all this food talk’s making me hungry.
That’s it. Just keep jumpin’!