All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Mad Catz is a bunch of Happy Catz today, announcing record net sales of $37.4 million in its fiscal Q2, which ended in September. That's 73.2 percent higher than Q2 of last year. Operating profit was $1.9 million -- another record, and obviously preferable to last year's negative $200,000.

Xbox 360 sales accounted for the largest percentage of sales, 37 percent in all. PS3 sales grew one percent, and everything else shrunk in proportion. The biggest-selling category of items wasn't FightSticks, as might be expected, or even Modern Warfare 2-branded controllers -- it was audio products, including those made by new acquisition Tritton. Specialty controllers were the next best sellers.

"While second quarter net sales benefited from initial shipments of Rock Band products and our recently acquired Tritton gaming audio line," said Mad Catz president Darren Richardson, "it's important to note that, thanks to our strong portfolio of new products across all our brands, we would still report growth for the quarter if both those product lines were excluded from our sales."

So what exactly goes into making a controller-free experience with Kinect? A lot of technology, apparently. The folks at iFixit have broken down a Kinect unit, revealing a bevy of chips and parts inside the new peripheral.

Kinect features not one, but two cameras to capture various information about the user. One camera, combined with an infrared emitter (the third "pinhole" on the front), provide the 3D information necessary to create the "depth map," while an additional camera captures the standard visible spectrum at 1600x1200 resolution. With the proper lighting and space, the combination of these cameras allows Kinect to see you in 3D.

Perhaps more surprising than the number of cameras hidden in the sensor is the number of microphones. In addition to three cameras, the device features four downward-facing microphones, three on the right side and one on the left side, integral to the Kinect's voice recognition capabilities. Considering the sheer quantity of power-hungry parts hidden inside the Kinect, it's no surprise that its power demand (12 watts) is so much greater than what a standard USB port can offer (5 watts) -- that's why you'll need a separate power adapter for using it with original Xbox 360 consoles.

#madden Sunday, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan benched his quarterback late in a winnable game, claiming "cardiovascular issues" made him unsuited to a hurry-up offense. Most though Shanahan was full of crap, but Madden NFL 11 took him at his word. Hilariously. More »

#clips Call of Duty isn't only enjoyed by businesswomen, construction workers, line cooks and hotel concierges—professional basketball players and late night talk show hosts love it too! Or so says the first, explosive Call of Duty: Black Ops ad. More »

It's common practice for developers to create "target" footage of their games early in the development process in order to give their artists and designers something to shoot for. Following its look back at the now-canceled collaboration between EA and director Steven Spielberg, Project LMNO, 1UP has posted what it says is target gameplay footage from the cooperative "escape" game.

It's a (very) brief clip, but it clearly shows the A.I.-driven future girl "Eve" from a first-person perspective, and actions that imply that it's the player's character looking at her. The player sniffs a rose that's sitting in a vase on the table of the diner they appear to be in, and passes it to her. Eve smells it next, showing a range of reactions on her face, then abruptly bolts from the table when a sinister black Humvee pulls up outside. This is presumably the beginning of an escape sequence, and sees Eve performing inhuman acrobatic moves to traverse the restaurant.

The footage is clearly pre-rendered, and it's not much to go on, but it's unquestionably neat to see what Project LMNO could have looked like. You can see for yourself just after the break.

A portion of an NWR review… FlingSmash is full of interesting gameplay ideas that would’ve been a lot more fun if the game controlled well, or at the very least, compensated for the poor controls by being a little more forgiving. The unpredictable controls come dangerously close to breaking the game.

One time, I was pushing a TV around so I could watch He-Man while I ate my Cap'n Crunch in the dining room. I was four years old. I accidentally pushed the TV over, bringing it smashing down on my finger. I had to get eight stitches and I eventually lost the fingernail.
Kinect reviews

• Kinect hardware
• Kinectimals
• Kinect Sports
• Kinect Joy Ride
• Dance Central
• Sonic Free Riders
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

I mention this only so you can fully appreciate the gravity of me saying that the half-hour I spent with Fighters Uncaged was the very worst TV-related thing that has ever happened to me. It's ugly, the fighting moves only work half of the time (except for ones like the straight right leg kick, which work none of the time). The training goes on forever before you get to the first round of actual fighting, which is against ... your trainer. It's terrible. I would erase Kinect from the fabric of time if it meant Fighters Uncaged would similarly be lost to the ether.

I'm not giving it a score because I think scoring a game after a half hour sets a bad precedent, and I'd rather eat a rain-soaked box of poison buttholes than ever play Fighters Uncaged again.

#milestones EA Sports today said its FIFA franchise broke the 100 million barrier, in terms of lifetime sales, making it the top-selling sports game of any type worldwide. FIFA joins gaming staples like Mario and Pokémon in the nine-digit club. More »

Flying high.

Atlus PR and sales bard, Aram Jabbari, describes The Cursed Crusade as "a story of salvation and survival" set during the often unpleasant Middle Ages. "The game's main characters are not heroes; they're just men, susceptible to temptation, easily made to feel doubt and despair," Jabbari says, plucking a string (but in like, a sinister way). "The raw, gritty accuracy of many of the game's historical locations is sharply contrasted by Denz and Esteban's supernatural struggle to save their souls. Their affliction, the Templar's Curse, threatens to accelerate their descent into hell, burning their humanity away as it engulfs the space around them in demonic flame."

Apparent non-comedy troupe Denz and Esteban star in The Cursed Crusade, a new third-person action-adventure game coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. It looks to be heavy on the melee combat, with Atlus and French developer Kylotonn (see: Speedball 2) promising a wide variety of weapons and ways to inflict critical flesh wounds. The curse that threatens to overwhelm Denz and Esteban also seems to grant them supernatural strengths -- including the anachronistic ability to fight cooperatively over the internet.

Join Denz and Esteban on their violent tour of Medieval Europe in Summer 2011. Bring your demonic flame-resistant dalmatica.

#gameface Peter Gonzales, last seen waiting outside of the Times Square Toys R' Us on Tuesday, celebrates being the first customer to purchase Kinect last night, and the chance to finally take a shower. More »

In the wake of Kirby getting another new look in Epic Yarn, we examine some classic character makeovers.

Thanks to "strong performance" from industry staples like Activision Publishing's Call of Duty franchise and Blizzard Entertainment's perennial MMO World of Warcraft and a stellar launch for Blizz's long-anticipated sequel StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, Activision Blizzard exceeded its prior third-quarter outlook of $600 million with net revenues of $745 million in the period ending September 30, 2010. Compare that to net revenues of $703 million for the same period last year. It also reported profits of $51 million for the quarter versus $15 million for the same period last year.

"For the third quarter, we exceeded our net revenues and earnings per share outlook and delivered strong year-over-year growth," Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick explained. "Activision Publishing is about to introduce what is likely to be the biggest entertainment launch of the year with Call of Duty: Black Ops, followed by Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which we believe will deliver an incredible breadth of new content to the world's largest massively multiplayer online role playing game community." That's another way of saying, "If you think these Q3 numbers are great, wait until you see next quarter!"

And with Q4 capping off Activision Blizzard's fiscal (and calendar) year, Kotick notes that things are looking better than ever for ol' Actiblizzard. "As a result of our over-performance, we are raising our calendar year 2010 net revenue and earnings outlook. We expect to deliver the most profitable year in our history with record operating margins." Specifically the publishing giant is raising its outlook for net revenues from $4.18 billion to $4.28 billion - shareholders should like the sound of that. Gamers will just enjoy Black Ops and Cataclysm. And gamers who are also shareholders can use some of that money to pay for the games you just bought. Investing!

Help test Sackboy's skills.

With the recent release of God of War: Ghost of Sparta, players now have the opportunity to explore Atlantis on the PSP. But this isn’t the first time Atlantis was going to be featured in a God of War game. Back in 2005, Senior Level Designer Jonathan Hawkins was given his first assignment on God of War II – create an epic experience set in the fabled lost city of Atlantis. Unfortunately, after months of work, Jonathan’s designs had to be cut from the game due to some high-level changes. Afterwards, he went on to create some of the more memorable moments and puzzles in God of War II, such as the heart pounding Grapple Bridge sequence.

In honor of God of War Collection being release in HD on the PSN, we have delved into the Santa Monica Studio archives and found the never-before-seen layouts and sketches of this lost level. In the video above, Jonathan walks us through his designs and the heartbreak of having it cut from the game.

We hope you enjoy this exclusive behind the scenes look and enjoy playing God of War Collection even more.

In addition to the behind-the-scenes, be sure to visit the PlayStation Store to check out God of War Anthology, where you will find not only the digital version of God of War Collection, but also all the various add-on, video, and other titles that featured our Spartan Warrior, Kratos.

#salesget Two games, one for the PSP, one for the PlayStation 3, helped kick Mario's latest game from its perch at the top of Japan's bestselling games chart. Who's responsible for Super Mario Collection for the Wii settling for third? More »

#spoilers The Halo franchise has infiltrated a Kinect launch game. What kind of gesture-controlled Halo are we talking about? Video spoilers below. More »

Few would describe God of War 3 as an abridged action-adventure. "I would say we cut less" compared to the previous games, director Stig Asmussen told 1UP in a video interview covering the topic of the game's "deleted scenes." Still, cut they did.

"There were a couple of big moments that we lost," Asmussen recounted. "We had a [water-based] puzzle with this guy named Ixion [...] He was a really cool character. The inspiration was -- I don't remember his name -- but he was the flying guy from The Road Warrior." The objective, of course, was to drown Ixion.

"The big cut," Asmussen then revealed, "was the end of the game" -- an unpolished, three-way rumble between Gaia, Zeus and Kratos (pictured). "It was a tough cut, but it's something that needed to be done."

Hear more from Asmussen and producer Steve Caterson and see alpha footage of the deleted scenes in the video embedded after the break.

Not only is the 3DS no longer alone in the 3D, glasses-free handheld market -- it's not alone in having 3D, glasses-free, handheld Capcom games. The GALAPAGOS 003SH and 005SH, two new Android phones offered by Japan's Softbank mobile phone company, both have 3D screens, and Capcom has announced three games that will come pre-installed on the devices.

3D versions of the iPhone's Ghosts 'n Goblins: Gold Knights and Resident Evil: Degeneration are joined by a 3D-ified port of the first Mega Man. So it's not quite the same scale as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and the two Resident Evil games Capcom is producing for 3DS.

[Image: iPhone version of Ghosts 'n Goblins]

#clips With so much focus put on the technical prowess of The Creative Assembly's Shogun 2: Total War, it's easy to overlook the game's story, steeped in rich Japanese history. More »

Japanese publisher's sales and earnings down. Fixed on the way for Final Fantasy XIV.

Japanese publisher's sales and earnings down. Fixed on the way for Final Fantasy XIV.

Japanese publisher's sales and earnings down. Fixed on the way for Final Fantasy XIV.

Japanese publisher's sales and earnings down. Fixed on the way for Final Fantasy XIV.

Man, people will cram anything into an old NES cartridge. This person went all-out with a sticker to make things official. I’d definitely buy one of these!

I have to agree with this choice. Here’s another game that people have to pick up and play. You can get Deadly Creatures for so cheap right now. I really recommend the purchase.

Start your own fight club.