As expected, the Big 3 responds to the fresh NPD results for April, where Nintendo's DS handheld took in a whopping one million hardware sales, exceeding all other platforms' sales combined. See what they have to say on the numbers at the full article.

The Xbox 360 version of Resident Evil 5 was still at the top of the heap last month in software sales. The game sold 938,000 units, almost 20% higher than the expected sales numbers. With the hardware and software sales now announced, Sony and Nintendo have also sent out their own statements about the March 2009 sales report. Both companies echoed the optimism Microsoft exhibited in their own statement.

Though the prime three have all wired their next generation consoles for downloadable video games, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have different ideas on whether demos should be put out for such short bursts of entertainment or not. Microsoft and Sony's perspectives seem to occupy different ends of the spectrum, while Nintendo - who's just coming round to pushing original downloadable games themselves - stands on whatever the developer decides upon. More at the full story.

(Editor's Note: Achtung, baby! It's Spring Break season!)

Crank up that GDC lever and let's go full throttle. Our weekly Franken-update of sorts is complete with a hodge podge of proverbial limbs, tissue, and... fishies. There's some corporate politicking on the side, with more brew-waggling releases for consoles. Game length seemed to matter much for God of War's Kratos and GTA4's Niko Bellic, because as some of you might consider, size does matter - no, not that kind of size. Time for another wild ride!

The latest in EGM's rumor mill is hot on God of War 3, Gears of War 2, and the revival (from god knows where) of Sega's classic RPG Skies of Arcadia. Mentioned games are supposed to be in development, and will see the light of day by next year.

Given the huge success of God of War, it's not exactly surprising if there's another title in the works. According to rumors, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) Santa Monica is already working on the next bloody action game for the Sony PlayStation 3, and it's scheduled for release next holiday season.

Another almost inevitable game is believed to be in development by Epic Games. When you look at how Microsoft Xbox 360 owners embraced Gears of War, missing out on easy bucks by not making a sequel doesn't sound too smart. This too, is hoping to be on shelves late next year.

What really sent our eyebrows into orbit is the mention of a sequel for Skies of Arcadia. It has been years since the original was released, and Vyse's pirate adventures on the GameCube was nothing more than a port. If there'll really be Skies of Arcadia 2 for whatever next-gen console, one of the items on this blogger's Sega wishlist would be met.

Previous rumors from the mill have turned out to be true, like Capcom revealing Street Fighter IV and Bionic Commando's remake, Square Enix dishing out Dragon Quest IV remake on the DS, and even Samus not talking in Metroid Prime: Corruption if that counts. Rumors are rumors, but if something like Street Fighter came back from the grave, we're hoping Skies of Arcadia would.

Despite hitting some snags in the form of Sega, SCEA, Capcom, and Microsoft backouts, it appears E for All is gaining steam after getting big boosts from dozens of other movers in the gaming industry who have confirmed participation. To prove that E for All is going smoothly as planned, IDG World Expo is now announcing that Future US, Inc. will be publishing the official show magazine for the said event.

This is big news especially for those who are familiar in the ins and outs of attending conventions like this. Why? Event magazines not only provide attendees with a good source of show floor guide, exhibitor and product information, special features and interviews, it's also a great souvenir - it goes right beside event press IDs and pictures with booth babes. Anyway, IDG World Expo CEO Mary Dolaher expressed the same enthusiasm after saying:

We're thrilled to team up with Future to create "E for All Magazine," the event’s official show publication. Given Future’s experience producing publications such as Official Xbox Magazine, PSM: Independent PlayStation Magazine, PC Gamer, Maximum PC and Next Gen, we’re greatly anticipating the creation of a top-notch magazine and commemorative keepsake for this inaugural event.

The magazine will be a 64-page collector's edition in support of the inaugural E for All. Contents will include feature stories, game reviews, product highlights, a full expo schedule, floor plan and exclusive features, interviews with acclaimed game developers, and a user-generated car art from Forza 2. E for All magazine will also carry a commemorative cover to give spice to the said event which will take place October 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center - told you it's a keeper.

FiringSquad reports that Sony along with other major video game publishers will not be gracing the inaugural E For All Expo. Earlier reports had Sony pegged for at least some booth presence at the event.

Aside from Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), FiringSquad reports that Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), NCSoft, Sega and Capcom have also declined to take part in the event. Microsoft, meanwhile, has apparently not decided whether or not it will grace the event.

Back in March, Nintendo of America signed on as an anchor exhibitor for the event. Electronic Arts was also confirmed as an exhibitor earlier this week. FiringSquad also notes that the IDG World Expo website lists THQ, Konami and Namco as event exhibitor along with hardware companies Intel and NVidia.

The E For All Expo, which is being promoted by IDG World Expo as a replacement for the old E3 format, will take place in Los Angeles on October 18 to 21.

And the votes (and sales figures) are in! Here's the data from Amazon.com as of July 8 that gives us the latest list of the top 5 games in America all across your favorite platforms. With all three next gen consoles vying for your hearts and thumbs, let's see if you're favorite game made the list.

  

Top 5 Games in America per console:

Nintendo Wii
Pokemon Battle Revolution didn't manage to get into the top 5 and is not likely to catch up with Super Paper Mario which is also a hit in Japan.

1. Wii Play (Nintendo)
2. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Capcom)
3. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo)
4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
5. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo)

Xbox 360
Although Forza Motorsport is still strong, sales are starting to drop.

1. The Darkness (2K Games)
2. Guitar Hero II Bundle (RedOctane)
3. Overlord (Codemasters)
4. Gears of War (Microsoft)
5. Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft)

PlayStation 3
There seems to be a revitalized interest to the PS3 thanks to Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

1. Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Tecmo)
2. The Darkness (2K Games)
3. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas (Ubisoft)
4. Resistance: Fall of Man (SCEA)
5. Transformers: The Game (Activision)

Click on the full article to get the top 5 games on the DS, PC, PS2 and PSP!

 

For every ground-breaking title out there, there exists an unsung hero. They – like soldiers and bad sitcoms of old – are the miserable underdogs who never receive the due credit they deserve for their work. We're not talking about the developers -  we're talking about specialists - the (fictional) guys who work behind the scenes to ensure that the elements in whatever genre you play will always remain in tip-top condition, whether its your resident androgynous antagonist 's script, or your unfriendly neighborhood mook's marksmanship scores.

These guys will be the topic of today's quick list - along with an explanation with that special thing they do just to make the game better for one special individual - you. On to the list!
 
1. Sephiroth's acting coach
Let's be honest - Sephiroth isn't that original. More than one anime, manga, and J-RPG can boast its own brew of silver-haired, bad-ass sword-wielding bishie hotness, with Sephie being just a part of this popular trend. What sets him apart, however, is execution (acting, not Aeris…).
 
Sephiroth's dark foreboding lines and steely glare will haunt many a gamer's dreams, and for this, we can thank the man's ever-capable acting coach. We're talking the drama-guru who made Sephiroth walk the walk, talk the talk - the dude who probably taught him captivatingly cheesy one-liners like "Shall I give you despair?"
 
I'm afraid you haven't, Mr. Sephiroth's Acting Coach. You did give plenty of fanboys/girls something to think about for their next few - err - dreams, though...
 
Special accreditation goes to Cloud's hairdresser.

The rest of the list is available in the Full Article

And in business and industry news, Nintendo was granted bragging rights recently as the Japanese gaming giant hit an all-time stock high on Monday, June 25, breaking past the worth of Sony Corp. as a whole (and not just SCEA) for one fleeting moment. The company's shares rose 1.5% that day, raising it's capitalization worth to US$ 53 billion.

 

And although the market closed with Nintendo's shares taking a slight dip, it allowed only a 1% cap from Sony's overall capitalization worth. It appears that while the gaming community was eyeing the console race closely and the media's heartbeat was synced to each move the three big players make, investors have been turning the tide of battle to Nintendo behind the curtains.

Just last fiscal year, Nintendo only managed US$ 7.8 billion in profits, while Sony and its consumer electronics empire (Sony) encompassing movies (Sony Pictures Entertainment), music (Sony Music) and games (Sony Online Entertainment, SCEA, SCEE) pretty much vacuumed US$ 61 billion worth of cash.

According to analysts in Asia, there's much promise in the base of support for the Kyoto-based company's efforts. In fact, while PlayStation 3 fans have reduced their visage of the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS as mere toys and Xbox 360 fans have flaunted their superior online gaming capabilities (a feature the Wii has lacked), analysts believe Nintendo is lop-siding the competition in reality, no matter what people choose to believe.

NPD reports, real-time sales numbers, and investor demand for security analysis on the gaming giants has spurred optimistic predictions for the company, including Macquarie Securities analyst David Gibson's forecast of a JP¥ 50,000 (US$ 404) 12-month share target - that's a US$ 40 gap closing for an entire fiscal year and up from last week's JP¥ 44,500 (US$ 361.15).

Other predictions were also favorable over Nintendo's choice to invest more on commercials promoting DS and Wii games, while Wii hardware shipment forecasts were pegged at a positive 17.8 million units, up from 14.2 million, which Gibson believes Nintendo may be able to grab within the present fiscal year alone.