Irish video games podcast launched
Citizengame.co.uk, although it has a UK web address, is a newly launched Irish games podcast.
Posts categorized "Media"
Havok in court over brand firm dispute
Telekinesys Research Limited, the Dublin-based games middleware firm known as Havok, is being sued by a design agency that helped created their brand.
Xbox 360: Low impact on GameStop chart
- Follows Xbox low ranking on Chart-Track game chart
Microsoft's Xbox 360 console only appears once across two weeks of top-10 charts from retailer GameStop Ireland.
Star follows Sun's lead on games in prisons
- More sensationalism on games consoles in Irish prisons two years later
The Irish Daily Star has followed the Irish edition of the Sun to sensationally link PlayStation access in Irish prisons to an individual criminal on their cover page.
Continue reading "Star follows Sun's lead on games in prisons" »
In Ireland only children play video games
Above is how Toyota created an SUV television advertisement using the World of Warcraft game. That was in the US. In Ireland, only children play computer games.
Continue reading "In Ireland only children play video games" »
Richard Dean Anderson to launch Halo 3 in Dublin; Record breaking attempt planned
Actor Richard Dean Anderson is to launch Halo 3 in Dublin on Tuesday, forming one of the main elements of Microsoft's Irish high-profile release of the highly anticipated Xbox 360 game.
News that the actor, most famous for playing MacGyver and more recently Jack O'Neill on Stargate SG-1, will launch the game was confirmed this evening to Games Toaster by a Microsoft spokesperson.
However, his visit to Dublin is still somewhat shrouded in mystery as there is still little detail of Anderson's visit.
Record breaking attempt
Meanwhile, tomorrow - in the build up to the European release on Wednesday September 26 - Irish gamers will attempt to set record breaking times completing Halo 2.
Blizzard to open call centre in Cork
Games developer Blizzard Entertainment, owned by publisher Vivendi Games, is to set up its European call centre in Cork, the move is designed to offer European gamers with a higher level of support.
The company's investment in Cork is backed by the Irish Government's IDA (Industrial Development Agency). As is standard, no details of what the company was offered to chose Cork were reviled.
Blizzard will created 50 jobs at first, with the total numbers employed growing to over 100 in the the next three year the IDA said on Wednesday, it was on the day Intel said they would look for 200 voluntary job cuts at their Irish plant.
Both Vivendi and Blizzard are headquartered in the United States, but are owned by France media company Vivendi SA. Blizzard is best known for developing the online game World of Warcraft (pictured above), which has 9 million subscribers worldwide.
Vivendi Games Ireland have run computer games localisation operations - including game testing - in Dublin since 1995. They are among a number of companies to do such in Ireland, including Microsoft and Activision, also in Dublin, and Lionbridge in Ballina Co Mayo.
“Blizzard Entertainment is a global leader in the entertainment software industry, setting the standard for online gaming on the personal computer,” said Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
“This decision by Blizzard to establish a new European customer support centre in Cork is further evidence of how Ireland is viewed internationally as a leading location for cutting edge investment in the exciting world of digital content,” the Minister added.
Irish computer games websites
We've updated our links page, mostly containing links to Irish games websites.
It now includes Irish news/review games sites, community and LAN sites, Irish sites with games sections, games cafes/centres, game retailers in Ireland, local official console sites, and links to games companies based in Ireland. There's also a selection of international games sites.
Games Toaster's links section can be found here, or by using the link on the side bar.
To make a suggestion of a site we've missed, use the comments section below, or the 'email me' link on the side bar.
Dublin Pro Evo tournament ends
Winners of the M&M’s Challenge, a Pro Evolution Soccer tournament, were revealed today in Dublin.
The organisers have said that 300 players played in what they called the Ireland's largest ever football game tournament.
Manhunt 2 banned in Ireland
Manhunt 2 has come under a prohibition order by the Irish Film Censor's Office, effectively banning the sale of the game in Ireland. The moves follows a ban by the British Board of Film Classification.
Machinima talk in Dublin film festival
The Darklight Film Festival will feature a talk on Machinima, the process of film making in computer games, it will replace a lecture on interactive writing for games as Guy Miller of EA Games has fallen ill.
Friedrich Kirschner of machinimag.com will host the hour long event on June 22 at 4.45pm.
Darklight will also feature a forum on animating for film and games, as well as a workshop on Second Life, for more see darklight.ie.
€25,000 Xbox 360 game tournament launched in Dublin
Lisa Geiran, UCD; Barry Dolan, Shamrock Rovers FC, Karina Kelly, UCD.
- €25,000 in prizes
- Xbox gaming centers to be roll-out "across Ireland"
A computer games football tournament with a prize fund of over €25,000 was launched in Dublin today, it is one of the largest marketing spends on a games competition in Ireland to date.
Continue reading "€25,000 Xbox 360 game tournament launched in Dublin" »
PS3 to Dublin - Is this living?
Since the Irish PlayStation 3 launch, a huge amount of advertisements with the slogan "This is living" have occupied advertisement spaces across Dublin, backed by TV spots – pictured above is a bit of a twist.
On Grafton Street, one of the main shopping areas in Dublin, Sony asks shoppers and commuters who have just departed the near by Luas tram, "is this living?". The advertisement also points to the thisisliving.ie website.
Meanwhile, we never expected an answer to “what’s the strangest way to make sure journalists will try your game and enjoy them selves?”
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 publisher Ubisoft answered by rounding up some journalists and bring them to a paintball arena in the Wicklow Mountains (pictured below, and more beyond the fold) – there’ll be no escape.
Add to the mix were a few competition winners, Sarin and Jam from the publisher’s ‘Fragdolls’, and eight Xbox 360s and flat-screen TVs from the Xbox Live Gaming Centre.
Playing with Xbox 360s in an open shed in the Wicklow Mountains just after paintball, Games Toaster was thinking it must rank as one of the strangest PR events. Surprising the staff at centre weren’t that shocked, another publisher had held a similar event a few years ago.
PS3 launch in Dublin
The PlayStation 3 launched tonight in Ireland, Games Toaster went out to get the images of midnight launches in Dublin... expect more news on the PS3 later today...
Shoppers waiting outside 'Game' on Dawson Street before midnight to be some of the first to buy the PlayStation 3 in Ireland, there was about 50-60 waiting outside when we arrived.
The first person to buy a PS3 in 'Game' on Dawson Street.
We asked this shopper to pause for a second.
HMV on Grafton Street was also open for the launch. Many Thursday night drinkers were bemused by the line of about 50 shoppers, HMV says they had served about 20 people at this stage. While it's unclear if the performers were regulars on the famous shopping street, also know for its buskers.
Games Toaster then made it over to Dublin's north side to GameStop at Henry Street, where the crowd was still about 50 strong at around 12.40, GameStop say that up to 150 people turned out. That's a DJ on the stairs. And below an indoors shot of GameStop.
Microsoft won’t release Irish Xbox Live numbers
Xbox Live users now exceed 6 million members, but the company says it will not release country specific numbers.
The stance continues to cloud the lack of success for the Xbox 360 outside the United States, while independent games sales figures show that the Microsoft console has just a fraction of the Irish market.
In reply to a Games Toaster request, Xbox maker Microsoft say they “never release country specific figures”, but the in the same press release “record-breaking” United States specific numbers are given.
The release states that the United States has "a record-breaking accessory attach rate of 2.9 units per console”, referring to the amount of accessories people buy with the Xbox 360. At the time of publication the company had not replied to a request for the world-wide figures.
It is possibly that the vast majority of Xbox Live users are in the US where the console continues to perform well. In November and December alone the company sold 1.61 million Xbox 360s.
Even with the opposing Sony PlayStation 3 due to for release later this month Xbox 360 games sales are not substantially gaining on the rival brand.
Figures published recently by Games Toaster from the ChartTrack charts show that the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable have a massive lead, with over 70% of total sales of the games in the top 10 Christmas chart and 80% of the top five games. ChartTrack also compiles the data for the Irish Music Charts and the UK Games.
The independent figures also back up claims made by Niall O’Hanrahan MD of SCE Ireland before the Christmas, “Our own research indicates that, despite its age, the Playstation 2 will still be the biggest-selling console in the Irish market this year” O’Hanrahan told the Sunday Business Post.
Channel 6 & Game On now on Sky
Sky satellite subscribers will now have
access to Ireland’s only TV computer games program ‘Game On’ as the channel it
broadcasts on, Channel 6, was made available on Sky channel 223 this
week.
Game On is a half-hour long program with reviews and news. Previously, Channel 6 was viewable on NTL and Chorus cable networks in urban areas.
The channel was first set to launch on both Sky and the cable networks. But it is understood that the company pulled out of the original talks with Sky because the satellite broadcaster would not offer Channel 6 a prominent position on the program guide close to RTE and TV3. The new deal does not offer such.
New Nintendo blog
Eoin Stanley emails us to say he has set up a new Nintendo blog, nintendobaby.com.
Unlike the blog at wiffy.ie, Nintendo Baby isn’t focused on Ireland, but worth a look anyway. Stanley has previously worked on the web-design end the now defunct IrishGamer.ie.
In the past, he has also set up a Nintendo Logo Resource for personal use within the graphic design community; it’s viewable at eoinstanley.com/nintendo.
Late Late Toy Show: Wii’s wee appearance
Wiffy.ie, an independent Irish Nintendo website, isn’t too impressed with the Nintendo Wii’s showing on the Late Late Toy Show…
We waited, we sat through the cringingly poor intro about aliens, we even watched the Billy Barry Oompa Loompa’s without flicking over, Even when the annoying kid from Kerry was falsetto’ing his way through a book about pirates, we still stayed loyal to the Toy Show. And after about 90minutes, it came, after a marathan ad about Chanel with Nicole Kidman, Pat Kenny introduced the Wii... [more]
Two new Irish games sites seek volunteers
Two new Irish computer games website, ‘Irish Gamers Ressurected!’ (sic), and ‘Next Gen Ireland’ are looking for volunteers to write. The new sites launch at a time when updates on IrishGamer.ie have come to a standstill.
Both sites are in the early stages, Next Gen Ireland has recently launched and is publishing content (including press releases).
Meanwhile, the blogspot-based Irish Gamers Ressurected!, which we previous reported grew out IrishGamers.ie’s forums, is now looking for staff, but so-far the site only contains internal announcements.
In other Irish games website news (or at least news to us), gamingireland.net have started staff blogs – unfortunately login is needed to view, and registration was not working when we tried.
Irish Gamers Ressurected is located at http://igressurected.blogspot.com/, while Next Gen Ireland is at http://www.nextgenireland.citymax.com/. There are more links to Irish computer games websites here.
Irishgamer.ie “site dead?” asks users
Irishgamer.ie which named it self “the only Irish games website which is updated regularly" is no-longer doing so.
The site’s news section was last updated almost two months ago on Thursday, September 28.
Games Toaster was previously told by site editor Noel Brady the site was “glad to be filling a niche as the only Irish games website which is updated regularly".
Before the stop in updates the site had included regular retail price checks, reviews, general games news, interviews, other features, and a reasonably busy discussion forum for a new site.
Replying to site users over a week ago Brady wrote on site’s forums that “The site isn't dead. We're going to try and get some content up and running soon. I'm still writing games content for Campus. Just been too busy with work to concentrate on IG.
However, the last games reviews published on campus.ie's games section were 24: The Game, Fight Night Round 3, and BLACK – all released some time ago.
Furthermore, between September 20-21, admin Andy “There has been no new games out recently.... IrishGamer will be hitting peak, along with MS and Ninty.... Loads of early reviews and a new design will be coming along shortly....” and Brady wrote after him “Nothing major is being released lads. We'll be back in the next few weeks with some improvements!”. That was around eight weeks ago.
The ‘General Chat’ section of Irishgamer.ie‘s forums contains a number of threads asking about the site’s health, including threads titled “erm....... site dead?” and “wakey wakey”.
One forum user even set up and suggested using a blogspot.com blog named “Irish Gamers Ressurected!” (igressurected.blogspot.com) to replace the site.
Separately, the website Xbox Ireland, which previously was accessible vie the address XboxIreland.com, has now closed with an advertisements website taking its place. Site owner Jason Powell had told us that “xboxireland.com is coming back bigger and better then ever before”.
Cork’s RedFM set for Gears of War special
Thursday night’s ‘Cork Talks Back’ on RedFM, a Gears of War special, will include an interviewer with the game’s lead designer.
Epic Games’s Cliff Bleszinski (or Cliff B) will feature in an interview on the show hosted by Victor Barry. The show will also be giving away copies of the game.
Cork Talks Back broadcasts at 9pm from 104-106FM in Cork and online vie www.redfm.ie. After the show goes out the interview will be available for download on the station’s website.
The European “Emergence Day” – Epic’s and Microsoft’s marketing name given to the release date of the game – is Friday. The game is one of Microsoft’s triple-A titles on the Christmas line up.
Victor Barry will be playing over Xbox Live in a public session on Saturday between 3pm and 5pm. Barry (gamertag: vicbarry) will follow in the footsteps celebrities worldwide, and Today FM DJ Ray Foley (gamertag: Ray Foley).
Foley says on his blog that Gears of War “has changed my life”. After introducing himself in a YouTube video “getting my ass kicked” (in the game), he says he’s “shit at games”…
Barry has also been blogging about Gears of War – here, here, here, and here.
Game On responds to "30 minute ad” claims
“This show is for nobody else but the viewer and we want to ensure that we are meeting those needs”.
A producer for the Channel 6 games show, Game On, has replied to criticism levelled at the show by gamers on boards.ie.
In response to criticism that ‘Game On’ was a "30 minute ad" for Microsoft, Michael Brennan, Producer, Intermission Studio told Games Toaster that “The Programme is not funded by Microsoft or any other 3rd party in any way. Game On is 100% funded by Channel 6”
Brennan said that they rely on Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, EA Games and other publishers for video content, but he said “Game On is completely independent from the console makers as this keeps the game reviews and features un-biased and credible”.
Expanding on the extensive Xbox 360 coverage he said, “Microsoft did feature primarily in the 1st programme as they had (in our opinion) the most relevant releases/news which we feel the viewers wanted to see. All other consoles, games etc will be covered in the show between now and Christmas”.
“We have had News sections on the Wii, Modding, and the web. As for the PS2 we have shown in game footage reviews of Pro Evo 6, Canis Canem Edit and Battlefield 2142 on the PC”.
With PSP, Brennan stated that they will be “there are no New Major PSP Titles on release at moment apart from GTA Vice city stories, and Killzone liberation”, adding that, along with DS titles, these PSP games will be reviewed “over the coming weeks up to Christmas”.
When asked how does the Microsoft’s involvement compared to other publishers, he said “Microsoft have been very accomodating to the show at launch, as have Sony and Nintendo. All the developers and publishers have also been very helpful and as at the moment Microsoft have the big titles releases for Christmas so they are able to provide more content to us. As we get material we assess how releavant it is to the weeks show and then include it”.
RDS: Gears of War & Wii for the weekend
The highly anticipated Xbox 360 game, Gears of War, is playable in Dublin a week before launch at the RDS.
As we reported before, it joins the Nintendo Wii at the ‘Boys 4 Big Boys’ expo until 10.00pm tonight, and over the weekend from 10.00am – 7.00pm.
The Nintendo Wii strangely missed the ‘vip’ and press and opening night, leaving any gaming inclined alcoholic drenched hacks to get their blood pumping with Gears of War.
In a four-section stand made out to be sitting and bed rooms, Zelda is accompanied by three Wii Sports games. Nintendo reps also had DS handheld consoles, secured for public
use by attachment to the reps.
Wii Sports is set to come preloaded on the console at the December 8 launch, with the new console retailing at around €249 in the Republic, and £179.99 in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, Gears of War among other games is hosted at the Xbox Live Gaming Centre 
stand, giving attendees a feel for the centre and the 360 console. With a no-show of PlayStation 3 this Christmas, Gears of War may be the icing need to attract some traditionally PlayStation gamers – a broad spectrum possibly including most gamers in Ireland.
The newly re-launched Dublin radio station 
Phantom 205.2 FM is the Xbox Live Gaming Centre’s broadcast partner and should be in attendance in some form.
Admission to the expo is €16.00 for adults, €10.00 for accompanied under 16 year olds, and €45.00 for two adults and two under 14s. Dublin Bus routes 7, 5, 18, and 45 serve the RDS, and Lansdowne or Sandymount are local DART stations. DISCUSSION ON BOARDS.IE>>>
PS2 will be “biggest-selling console in the Irish market” this year, says Sony
“Christmas cancelled for PS fans” noted a Sunday Business Post headline on a news feature covering the delayed launch of the PlayStation 3 in Ireland, now to be released in March 2007.
But Niall O’Hanrahan MD of SCE Ireland told the the YourTechStuff section of the newspaper “Our own research indicates that, despite its age, the Playstation 2 will still be the biggest-selling console in the Irish market this year”.
Warning of compatibility problems if gamers import the PlayStation 3 he said “If they want to source products on various websites they can do that, but it’s illegal for companies to sell them”.
Games Toaster is also quoted in the article which can viewed in full here.
Channel 6 show “30 minute ad” says gamers
Channel 6's ‘Game On’ computer games show has been slated as an advertisement for the Xbox 360 by users on Ireland’s largest games community.
Just weeks after the show first aired, gamers writing on the games section of boards.ie have called “30 minute ad” and a “Microsoft advertisement”.
“Is the show part funded by Microsoft?” asked the upfront ‘Stoichkov’, “An extreme lack of Nintendo (bar the nes) and Sony and judging by next weeks preview it'll be 360 heavy again”.
Some were more reserved, “Oh, and more Nintendo/Sony please. If that's possible...” said user ‘K.O.Kiki’. Others like ‘brim4brim’ gave reasoning “If Sony were undercovered then they should get more coverage. It is the majority of the market after all at the moment”.
'RE*AC*TOR' simply commented that “it was the kind of chewing gum tv, that is devoid of any substance”.
“So how much does a 30 minute ad on channel 6 cost?... Last week was bad, this was week was awful” ‘Stoichkov’ states in a second post. “The biggest gaming devices in Ireland are the ps2, psp, ds and pc, yet they are pretty much ignored”.
The show’s makers had used the same thread on board.ie for research before they launched the program, but the pages of advice looks to have been ultimately ignored.
At the time of publication, Games Toaster has received no response to a request for comment from Channel 6.
Irish Times misleads on ‘Bully’ game
Dublin-based self-proclaimed newspaper of record, the Irish Times, has published misleading details of the computer game ‘Canis Canem Edit’ in an article calling for a boycott of the computer game.
The incorrect detail draws a powerful negative image of the game, while the article featured on page three of last Saturday’s newspaper – a space usually filled with news of national importance.
In a reference to an early mission in the game, “A new computer game that depicts a schoolboy tormenting a homeless man” starts the news article (sub req), and later repeats "the game features... the tormenting of a homeless man who lives in a bus near the school".
The mission starts with the main character and his newly acquired friends planning to do annoy a homeless person; however, the player-character quickly becomes a friend of the man. The game does not simply depict “a schoolboy tormenting a homeless man”.
It’s unclear if the erroneous detail comes from the National Youth Council of Ireland, who have called for a boycott of the title. Originally named ‘Bully’, the title was renamed ‘Canis Canem Edit’ (Dog Eat Dog) for Europe.
It holds a 16+ advisory label in the Republic and a 15 certificate in Northern Ireland. Unlike some conventional wisdom would dictate children are not the main age bracket of computer gamers.
According to its publisher, Rockstar, says Canis Canem Edit uses “humorous tongue-in-cheek storytelling.
Early missions include retrieving a chocolate bar for an obese girl, and protecting a “nerd” boy from bullies. The newspaper lists these as "the game features... an overweight girl searching for chocolates and the teasing of another overweight child with a weak bladder".
Games Toaster has previously reported excessive negative and unbalanced reporting of computer game related news by the Irish Times.
A prime example concerns another game from the same publisher. The timing of television advertisements for ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ ended up as an issue of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland.
The authority upheld the complaints and the Times reported the story. However, in doing so the newspaper only published two of the complaints included in the ‘ASAI Complaints Bulletin 05/2’. Of over 20 in total, two ‘Reader Travel Offers’ from the same Irish Times were included in the majority of up held complaints.
Youth Council of Ireland wants boycott of “shocking" game, Canis Canem Edit
The National Youth Council of Ireland wants Irish shops not to stock what Ireland’s newspaper of record describes as “A new computer game that depicts a schoolboy tormenting a homeless man and throwing eggs at other children”.
The NYCI wants shops and consumers to boycott ‘Bully’, renamed ‘Canis
Canem Edit’ (Dog Eat Dog) for Europe. The game holds a 16+ advisory
label (pictured right) in the Republic and a 15 certificate in Northern Ireland. Bully
is made by Rockstar, the publisher of the controversy Grand Theft Auto
games.
Gearóid Ó Maoilmhichíl, child protection co-ordinator at the NYCI told the Irish Times (sub req) “The release of this game is an insult to the many children who are victims of bullying, and will bring back tragic and disturbing memories to thousands of adults and their families who have lived with the consequences of such bullying,"
"This game glorifies all that is unacceptable about bullying. It sends out the message to young people that the only way to stop being bullied is to become a bully yourself" said Ó Maoilmhichíl.
Rockstar says the game uses “humorous tongue-in-cheek storytelling”, explaining what the game involves they say “you’ll stand up to bullies, get picked on by teachers, play pranks, win or lose the girl, and ultimately learn to navigate the obstacles of the worst school around, Bullworth Academy”.
Before its release, UK retail giant DSG, owner of PC World and Currys, had said they would not stock the game, saying it “is not appropriate for Currys' family-friendly image".
Dawson Street / Kotaku.com phenomenon
Florian Eckhardt, gaming blog Kotaku.com’s Associate Editor Europe, has apparently found it hard to buy Canis Canem Edit (aka Bully) in Game on Dawson Street in Dublin…
assing out. A Mike Hammer style bitch slap, as it were. But I quickly calmed down.
Last month he got to grips with our value added tax (VAT) system…
With an unhealthy interest in Game on Dawson Street, he also found it easy to pre-order a Nintendo Wii console, talks about buying a Black DS Lite in Game, takes a photo of a PS3 pre-order sign (in Game), and 'The Price of a Guinness in Rathmines' - no, there’s on Dawson Street there too.
Hummers, gangsters, soccer, and Xbox Live Gaming Centre – who’s keeping score?
[Err, we’re, err… massively late with some of this one…] Xbox and THQ supported the launch of Saints Row in Ireland by kitting out a Hummer H2.
The car is a crazy in-your-face symbol of ‘bling’ easily associated with some of the gangster culture elements in the game.
The launch campaign also utilized the Xbox Live Gaming Centre, South William Street, Dublin, and the city’s FM104 radio station.
The Fridge on FM104, hosted by Jenny Greene (pictured above in the H2), on four nights gave the chance for listeners to attend the launch party at the Xbox Live centre, and compete in a Saints Row Tournament. Of course, the commute wasn’t in the nearby Luas, but the fuel-guzzling H2.
Continue reading "Hummers, gangsters, soccer, and Xbox Live Gaming Centre – who’s keeping score?" »
Irish TV program on games to hit Channel 6
Game On, described as a “brand new Irish gaming show”, is set to be broadcasted on Channel 6 from this Friday.
Channel 6 is currently available on cable networks NTL and Chorus in urban areas throughout Ireland. The channel already features its own music and film shows.
The half-hour long, Game On is to include reviews, news, charts and “lots more”. At least some of its setup research was conducted on boards.ie’s computer games forum.
Stating that they were looking to create an Irish TV gaming program, in August they posted that they “are currently at brainstorming stage”. And asked was there anything the boards.ie games community wanted to see include, and even “don’t want to see included”.
Recently the same forum poster returned, saying “just to let you know the gaming programme has been given the go ahead on channel 6. It will begin broadcast on fri 27th of October and it will air at 7pm!”. Although at this point it contains few details, the TV program now has a dedicated webpage at channel6.ie.
[ADVERTISMENT:
For more on the media in Ireland read our sister blog BlurredKeys.com.Latest stories include… ‘Duckgate’ - Metro Ireland lifting pictures from an Irish blogger; somebody cyber-squatting on IrishMailonSunday.com; the news and details of the Irish edition of the NME; and RTE’s Ryan Tubridy dismissing a news website which clocked up 3.5 billion hits in 12 months.]
World Cyber Games Ireland ends toady
The Sunday Tribune reports on the World Cyber Games Ireland...
Paddy 'Spaceman' Conway from Dundalk was there to play Quake 3. "We'll play all day
EA, Konami send mixed signals on soccer
Next generation Xbox 360 exclusivity for FIFA 07 and Pro Evolution 6 remains uncertain. It is clear that both games – at lease in name – will be released on current generation platforms such as PlayStation 2, and PSP. Microsoft originally said that both soccer titles were next generation exclusives on Xbox 360 for 12-months, reports have countered this, but the company is sticking to the original statement.
Talking to Gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft has said it “can confirm that PES 6 and FIFA 07 are indeed next-gen exclusive to Xbox 360 in Europe for the next 12 months, as announced", however, this contradicts a statement from Pro Evo 6 producer and creator Shingo Takatsuka, "We never said exclusive for one year on the next-gen platforms. We said this year,” he told 1up.com. Konami, the company behind Pro Evolution is expected to make a statement soon.
While spokespeople for EA, the makers of FIFA 07, are giving conflicting statements to different media outlets. Gamesindustry.biz quoted an EA spokesperson saying, "FIFA '07 is exclusive to the X360 for the next 12 months", adding that it was a worldwide deal. However Game Informer reported that with the claimed 12-month next generation exclusive “EA has also told Game Informer that their announcement is also not true in the case with FIFA games”.
Microsoft has no 12-month soccer exclusives, says publishers
Xbox 360 12-month exclusives were being reporting for FIFA 07 and Pro Evo 6 (pictured, left), this is not the case according to games websites gameinformer.com and 1up.com. The exclusives are now said to be only to the end of the year.
We reported that a Microsoft press release only said such, but the source of the "12-month" claim came a press conference hosted by the firm.
“…Pro Evolution Soccer 6 will be on Xbox 360 next generation exclusive for the next 12 months, I’m also really happy to be able to announce that FIFA 07 will be an Xbox 360 next generation exclusive on Xbox 360 for the next 12 months” said Microsoft’s Chris Lewis speaks at a press conference this week. Speaking to Eurogamer.tv afterwards, he said, “Xbox 360 is the only option for the next 12 months”.
However, Pro Evo 6 producer and creator Shingo Takatsuka told 1up.com that "We never said exclusive for one year on the next-gen platforms. We said this year. We were agreed that it was this year". According gameinformer.com, “EA has also told Game Informer that their announcement is also not true in the case with FIFA games”. [some links vie here]
Irish Nintendo DS site launches
A new site, Wiffy.ie, has launched to cater for sharing ‘friend codes’ for the Nintendo DS to other Irish gamers.
Friend codes are used to identify other users on the DS’s multiplayer network. Once users are connected vie a wireless WiFi internet connection, they can play enabled games and communicate with each other. Nintendo’s upcoming console the Wii will also use the codes.
“When Mario Kart was released in November 2005, I knew this system was something special, playing online so easily with friends was the key feature” said Barry Hand, site developer, “The downside was finding new friends who also had the game, I really wanted to play against other Irish gamers, I knew lots of people were playing, I just didn’t know where they were”.
The DS was released about two years ago, while a slim version the DS Lite was out in June of this year.
Related news: DS gets free WiFi in Ireland (Jan 28, 2006)
Gamesindustry.biz editor points to confusing reporting of new console war
- “North America is still the only territory where the Xbox 360 has seen major success”
Rob Fahey, editor of Gamesindustry.biz, claims that in the new console war pro-Microsoft reporting is “influenced heavily by the American dominance of English-language media”, and that “whereas the Xbox 360 has sold 3.3 million units in North America, it has sold only 1.3 million in Europe and just 400,000 elsewhere”. Pointing to the PlayStation’s broader appeal with different demographic worldwide, but criticizing the firm’s “arrogance”.
In a dig at the mainstream media and analysts, as well as real “fanboys”, Fahey says “Fanboy arguments supported by misconception and exaggeration abound - and that's just in the mainstream media and among analysts. What's going on in Internet forums makes even less sense”.
Gamesindustry.biz is a business-focused computer games site published by Eurogamer Network, the site has a greater industry-based worldwide reach then their sister consumer site Eurogamer.net, both sites are seen to be highly respected. The firm recently launched Eurogamer.tv a trailer and video interview service, and are soon to launch a German spin-off, Eurogamer.de. Eurogamer.net prides their self as being the only ABC tracked games website, last year MD, Rupert Loman said, "we hope that the other games sites will follow our lead to help further increase the credibility of the online advertising sector for the benefit of all."
Last week a Games Toaster / Blurred Keys report of the Irish multi-format games charts found that the PlayStation is very much so the leading player in Ireland. With multi-format games, Microsoft’s consoles combined cannot even compete with Sony’s PlayStation Portable.
PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable continue to dominate Irish games charts
PlayStation Portable alone still frequently
outranks Xbox & 360 in percentage sales
A GamesToaster.com / BlurredKeys.com
examination of the Chart-Track Irish Software charts, which tracks retail sales
of computer games in
Our study of the charts ranges from the start of 2006 to the week ending July 15.
When the combined percentages of the Xbox consoles reach higher percentages the games are usually at the lower end of the charts. Frequently the percentage of the two combined is lower then or around 10%.
When the high profile Xbox 360 game Elder
Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released in March, Microsoft reported that the game
“has topped the all-formats sales charts in key European countries”.
Continue reading "PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable continue to dominate Irish games charts" »
XboxIreland.com to re-launch
After sometime with no updates, XboxIreland.com is set to re-launch next Wednesday, July 19.
Jason Powell, the England-based site owner, told us that “xboxireland.com is coming back bigger and better then ever before”.
Gamecon prize mix up says blog, no says organisers
An attendee of Gamecon 9 says the winner of a one-on-one competition was “Shafted by the Admins” when a prize of an Xbox 360 was replaced with a set of surround sound speakers, the event organisers deny the claim.
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