Gamertell

It’s that time of month again - the NPD group has released the hardware and software sales for April, and the results are anything but surprising. GTA IV had an incredible debut, sitting pretty at the top spot with 1,850,000 (Xbox 360 version) and the third spot with 1,000,000 (PS3). In between was Mario Kart Wii (Wii - duh) at 1,120,000. Hardware sales show the Wii and DS still on top, followed by the PSP, Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2.

The full lists, from 1up:

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The Lost in Blue series has been successful enough to warrant two sequels, and now the series is making the jump from the Nintendo DS to the Wii.  According to a post in GameLife, Konami has revealed Lost in Blue Shipwrecked, which marks the series’ first installment on a home console.

Each of the first three games put the player in the role of someone lost on a deserted island, and tasked them with surviving in less then ideal circumstances.  Gameplay consisted mostly of mini-games related to survival, such as starting a fire, catching food, or talking to island dwelling monkeys.  This new version looks to continue in the same mold, and will feature more then 40 different island survival based mini-games, including fishing and carpentry.  The game will use both the Wii remote and nunchuk in an attempt to make the actions as realistic as possible.

In order to ease newer players in the game, Shipwrecked will feature a rather extensive tutorial mode, intentioned to make the normally frustrating game much more accessible.  Lost in Blue Shipwrecked will be coming to the Wii in Fall 2008.

Read [Game|Life] Also Read [Videogamer]

Electronic Arts continues to hitch a ride on the Wii bandwagon, announcing Hasbro Family Game Night.  The game will feature five classic board games, including Battleship, Yahtzee, Boggle, Connect Four, and Sorry!  Best of all, the game will be hosted by the one and only Mr. Potato Head.

In addition to playing the traditional versions of the games, players will also get a chance to play newly enhanced versions like Connect Four Power Chips, Battleship Barrage, Reverse Yahtzee and Boggle Portal Cubes, which will feature new rule sets and power-ups.  The game will also allow players to customize their own game room with unlockable furniture, trophies, and other decorations.

EA is clearly going after the casual/family/party market, and as such, are going to be bringing the game to both the NIntendo Wii and the PlayStation 2.  Hasbro Family Game Night will be released in Fall 2008.

Read [1up] Also Read [Game Daily]

And the corporate consolidation of media continues - Kotaku is reporting on CBS’ acquisition of CNET networks cache of sites, including gamespot. Apparently, CNET’s board of directors unanimously agreed to the merger, and the transition is slated to occur by the third quarter of this year.

From the post:

“Upon closing, CNET Networks’ sites will be combined with CBS’s stable of dynamic and growing interactive businesses. These include CBS.com, CBSSports.com, CBSCollegeSports.com, MaxPreps.com, CBSNews.com, last.fm, Wallstrip, MobLogic, CBS Radio and CBS Television Stations digital media platforms, and the distribution network of the CBS Audience Network, which is made up of more than 300 partner Web sites and reaches 82% of all online users in the United States.”

As if gamespot hadn’t already had its share of nasty business in the corporate relations department… but business is business, right?

Read [Kotaku]

One of the most under appreciated games in recent memory is 2003’s Beyond Good & Evil.  Despite a having rabid cult following and near-universal critical acclaim, the game experienced less then stellar commercial success.  Because of this, publisher Ubisoft has been reluctant to create a sequel, but it looks as though director Michel Ancel is going ahead and making one anyways.

While speaking with French magazine Jeux Video, Ancel said that the sequel has been in pre-production for almost a year.  A team of 10-12 employees has been working on the game, but there’s a catch.  Ubisoft has yet to give the game the go ahead for development.

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Of course we all remember how Capcom held a We Love Golf poll to let fans determine which 2 extra characters will be in the North American release of the game. Capcom wanted to make the NA Wii release We Love Golf! special. Now we can see the poll results in action, thanks to new screen shots featuring Mark as Ken (Street Fighter) and Stephanie as Morrigan (Darkstalkers).

Both characters won’t always look like Ken and Morrigan. Like the other characters already included, Mark and Stephanie will just have addition costumes which can be unlocked to make them appear like the iconic fighting legends. These characters will only be available in the North American version of the game, which should be out before the end of summer, 2008.

Click through to see Mark and Stephanie in their normal attire…

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Sega and Platinum Games have just announced an exclusive four game partnership, where Sega will publish four new titles developed by Platinum Games. The titles will be on multiple systems, and so far three of the four have been formally announced. The new games will all be available in 2009.

The first title mentioned is MADWORLD for the Wii. It will be a third person, black and white action game which mimics the style of manga and graphic novels. In it, players battle opponents with all sorts of unusual weapons while an announcer offers running commentary. It could be out as soon as Q1 2009.

Click through to read about the other two titles…

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The Xbox 360 is going to enjoy strategic RPGs as long as Atlus is arround. Zoids Assault, a strategic RPG based on the Zoids toy/anime/manga. Players will command an army of Zoid mechs, which they can fully customize. The game, rated “Teen,” will be available in North America on August 26, 2008.

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By now, we’ve all heard the news that Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski will direct the big-screen adaptation of thoughtful underwater shooter Bioshock. We’ve already extolled the virtues of the game and it’s filmic possibilities elsewhere, so right now, let’s focus on the man himself. Is Verbinski up to the challenge of making one of the most fully realized game worlds (and cleverest narratives) come to life? Or are we destined for yet another lame game movie night? We check out the director’s earlier film work, his statements on the adaptation, and his gamer cred to make a long-term prognosis.

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Title: Boom Blox
Price: $49.99
System(s): Nintendo Wii
Release Date: May, 6, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Electronic Arts
ESRB Rating: “Everyone”
Pros: Makes great use of motion controls. Fun, frantic multi-player. Gets extremely additive.
Cons: Not all modes are created equal. Frame rate occasionally chugs along. May be a tad cutesy for some.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one sideways; 85/100; B; * * * 1/2 out of 5

When the Wii was first unveiled, the unique motion-sensing controller led many to believe that it would lead to a boom in creative, original titles. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, and aside from a few notable exceptions (mainly consisting of first-party Nintendo titles), games for the Wii have mostly been rushed ports and budget shovelware. 

That’s what makes Boom Blox so great:  It’s a game that couldn’t be played on any other system and, instead, it plays to the console’s strengths, offering a wholly fun and unique experience.

Click through for the full review…

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