News/October 2002 Updated: 10/31/2002 Ubi Soft announced today that they are working on a new Batman game for all platforms, tentatively titled, "Batman 2". The game will supposedly improve upon Batman: Vengeance, Ubi Soft's best-selling game this past year. The game is currently set for a Fall 2003 release. Eidos Interactive announced today that Hitman 2: Silent Assassin will be heading to GameCube sometime in the Spring of 2003. There have been a combined number of more than one million units from the PC, Xbox, and PS2. This is a wonderful announcement since the GameCube DESPERATELY needs more mature titles. Updated: 10/30/2002 The European Commission has fined Nintendo a total of €167.8 ($165.1) million for breaking anti-trust laws and keeping prices artificially high in certain regions of Europe during 1991-1998. €149 ($146.6) million of the fine is directed at Nintendo with the rest of the total charged to seven European distributors of Nintendo products. It is thought that prices have varied by up to 65% in different European countries, and aggressive attempts to prevent cross territory shipments. Nintendo will be appealing against the decision. More on the situation as it develops. Updated: 10/29/2002 Nintendo of America, Inc announced today that they are teaming up with the Starlight Foundation to create "Fun Centers", state-of-the-art mobile entertainment units designed specifically for hospitalized children. Actress Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie), longtime Starlight international board member Howard Davine, several pediatric patients, and Nintendo video game star Mario headlined a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to commence the national roll-out of the newly designed Fun Center, featuring a Nintendo GameCube and Sharp AQUOS Liquid Crystal Television with DVD player(Damn, I wish I was hospitalized...) A new market study shows how Sony is clearly far ahead in the market ahead of Nintendo and Microsoft, who are duking it out for second place. The study also showed that more than HALF of a number of people who were interviewed about video games expressed interest in online gaming. Also, nearly 1/3 of people who own a PS2 or Xbox watch movies on it(tsk, tsk Nintendo). The study concluded by saying that this winter will decide overall how well Nintendo will do when they release all of their major franchises. A recent interview in Adrenaline Magazine with Croteam revealed that Croteam is working on a new game in their infamous "Serious Sam" series, exclusively for GameCube. Nothing is currently known about the game, except that the game is expected to ship sometime next year. Sega announced today that the first EVER online Nintendo GameCube game, Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II shipped today. Hopefully this game will pave the way for several new online games on GameCube. ATI Technologies, Inc. announced today that they have sold the 12 millionth "Flipper" chip, the graphics processor for the Nintendo GameCube. Way to go, ATI! Updated: 10/28/2002 According to Toys R' Us, they are(or rather will be) offering a bundle that including Metroid Prime and the new Platinum GameCube and TWO controllers for only $224.99. The price does not reflect any kind of discount on any of the items, so it is likely that this is not an official Nintendo package. If you're interested, you can find the bundle on Amazon.com. Updated: 10/27/2002 Sources are now saying that despite the fact there aren't many online games for GameCube, there is a shortage of Broadband adapters across the country. Worse yet, smaller stores seem to be not being able to get into contact with suppliers. Rumor has it that the only place to find one right now is on eBay, for a hefty price of course. Updated: 10/25/2002 Nintendo confirmed today that Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion(GBA) do indeed have link-up capabilities. Apparently, if you have completed Metroid Fusion, linking the two games will unlock the ability to play the original NES Metroid in Metroid Prime. Saving is done directly to your GameCube Memory Card. If you have completed Metroid Prime, you can wear Samus' Fusion suit from Metroid Fusion in Metroid Prime. Both games release on November 18. Updated: 10/24/2002 Nintendo Co. Ltd. recently thrw a "platinum-level" bash in Hollywood to celebrate the upcoming holiday line-up of games and the release of the new Platinum GameCube. Last night, stars streamed down the platinum carpet at the Hollywood & Highland gala to play more than 30 of the most highly anticipated video games from Nintendo, and watch a private concert by The Strokes. Celebrities in attendance included Christina Aguilera, Matthew Perry, Alicia Silverstone, and many more. There were more than 600 attendees at the bash to play more than 180 games from the GameCube's library, including the highly anticipated Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 0, James Bond 007: NightFire, and many more. Sega recently stated that they eventually want to become the #1 publisher in America, pushing aside the current #1 publisher, Electronic Arts. However, due to unexpected low sales of one of the company's key titles, it might take them a little loonger than originally expected. Sega isn’t down for the count, but it looks like the company’s "platform agnostic" structure isn’t as bullet-proof as many had originally hoped. Updated: 10/23/2002 Planet GameCube was the first to reveal today the OFFICIAL Japanese boxart for "Zelda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto", or, Zelda GC. You can see it here. GO! CLICK NOW! Updated: 10/22/2002 Electronic Arts announced today that they will be developing "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" for all platforms. EA says the game will be released sometime later this year. Updated: 10/21/2002 THQ announced today that they have been added to the Forbes 200 Best Small Companies list. Damn wrestling games sell well, don't they? Kemco and DC Comics have announced that they are teaming up to release a limited edition "Batman: Dark Tomorrow" comic book. No release date was announced, but it should be out for sale sometime next year. Updated: 10/19/2002 Nintendo announced today that a Metroid Prime bundle pack very similar to the Super Mario Sunshine bundle pack will be available at Metroid Prime's launch. The "Metroid Prime Prime Time Bundle Pack" will be available for $70, and will include Metroid Prime, a Metroid Prime Player's Guide, a Memory Card 59, $10 of a Wavebird, and a One-year subscription to Nintendo Power. The order page for the bundle pack can be found here. According to the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Nintendo owns the Top 3 spots of best selling games in Japan. No.1 is of course Star Fox Adventures, while No.2 is Super Mario Advance(GBA) and No.3 is Densetsu no Starfy(GBA). Way to go Nintendo! Updated: 10/18/2002 According to to an announcement at the Tallahassee Cube Club today, 1080: White Storm has had a name change to '1080: Avalanche'. 1080: Avalanche is due out sometime next Spring. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the word 'takuto', featured in the title 'Zelda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto', refers to a baton, one that an orchestra conductor would use. As a result, music will most likely play a role in this game, not unlike its predecessor, 'Ocarina of Time'. It is also very likely that the Baton of Wind is an actual item featured in the game, just like how the Ocarina of Time and the Mask of Majora were in their respective games. At the Minneapolis Cube Club, it was revealed today the storyline of Metroid Prime. Apparently MP will take place after Metroid 1 on the NES but BEFORE Metroid 2 on the Gameboy. Not only that, but there is a rumor going around that Metroid 1 from the NES will be included in Metroid Prime as an extra. Updated: 10/17/2002 Nintendo announced today that demo discs of Metroid Prime are now available at Electronics Boutique stores across the world. Walmart stores should receive the demo shortly. Apparently the demo is timed, but skilled players can beat the available level in ten minutes. Updated: 10/16/2002 Strategy Analytics, a global research and consulting company, is now saying that Nintendo will "probably" leave the console business and just make games in the near future. Will Nintendo go the way of Sega? By the end of the year, Sony's PS2 will account for 72% of total global shipments, followed by Nintendo GameCube at 16% and Microsoft's Xbox at 12%. Several factors lead to the conclusion that Nintendo will probably exit the console market since the survival threshold for any game platform is now in the region of 15-20 million systems deployed. This continues to rise as games development costs increase. Note: this information should be taken lightly, as the chances of this happening are slim to none. The official name for the Zelda game for GameCube has been announced: Legend of Zelda: Winds of Takuto. Takuto roughly translates into either "Baton", "Staff", or "Wand". It is currently believed it means "Baton" because music is supposed to make a large impression in the game like Ocarina of Time. Nintendo also previously stated that wind will play an important factor in the game. Obviously. Updated: 10/15/2002 The latest issue of Game Informer magazine is saying that though the game BMX XXX will be censored in Australia, it may not be censored in the U.S. at all. Microsoft and Nintendo have already stated they will NOT censor BMX XXX, but Sony has said they will! Despite the fact that Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s shares have recently dropped, investors are saying now is the time to invest in the company. Investors believe that Nintendo strong upcoming lineup of games, including Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 0, will strongly increase Nintendo's mart value. However, keep in minds, investors still believe that Microsoft's Xbox will outsell Nintendo's GameCube this Christmas. Sega has announced that Skies of Arcadia Legend has been pushed back in Japan from an early November released to December 26. It is currently unknown if this will affect the U.S. release date. Lik Sang, an online import store, is now back online after being sued by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Due to a court order, Lik Sang will no longer sell mod chips of any kind. BAM! Entertainment announced today that the music video for the song "Walk Away" by Mad at Gravity will be featured in Reign of Fire, a game based on the movie released earlier this summer. Reign of Fire is released next week. According to Nintendo, from now until the end of December, there will be at least one game released every day. The "Non-Stop Nights of Nintendo" will end with the Nintendo GameCube having a library of 180 games. Midway Games announced today that the music video for the song "Immortal" by Adema, the theme song for Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, will be featured in the game. The song can be heard on radio stations across the country. Updated: 10/14/2002 NEC announced today that the MoSys 96-Mbit 1T-SRAM used in the Nintendo GameCube hit the 25 million units shipped mark, after only one year since the GameCube's launch. Nintendo's GameCube uses 192Mbits of the single-transistor SRAM, with it's key feature being it's extremely low latency. Three top retailers, including Wal-Mart, are now saying they refuse to carry "BMX XXX", the video game billed as the first major release to feature full-action nudity and with prostitutes and pimps as major characters. Nintendo is now selling a bundle pack that include the Nintendo GameCube, Super Mario Sunshine, and a Memory Card 59 for $189. The bundle can be found at your local retailer of video games. Updated: 10/11/2002 The British Academy of Film and Television Arts 2002 ceremony took place earlier tonight. In the end, the GameCube won 2 awards for Interactivity(Pikmin) and Audio(Luigi's Mansion). Congratulations to Nintendo. Capcom is now selling Biohazard model kits of different creatures on their Japanese website. Right now, the only one for sale is the Cerebrus. They are selling for about 7800 yen(appx. $63 USD). Click here for more information. IGNCube recently questioned Sega as to whether or not the GameCube ASCII Keyboard will be released in the U.S. in time for the PSO launch. Sega replied by saying that they no longer create peripherals, but are working with third-parties to develop the keyboard and are doing everything they can to get the keyboard released in the U.S. in time. Updated: 10/10/2002 The latest sales charts from Japan are in, and Star Fox Adventures is the #1 best selling game in Japan right now. In fact, the Top 3 games on the list are from Nintendo, but No.2 and No.3 and GBA. In hardware sales, GameCube is the No.3 best selling console in Japan, close behind the GameBoy Advance, but far ahead of the Xbox. Mega Bloks Inc., a leading construction toy maker, welcomed veteran video game executive Peter T. Main to its board of directors, where he will sit as an independent director. From 1987 until his retirement earlier this year, Mr. Main was Executive Vice-President of Nintendo of America, Inc. in Redmond, Washington. Updated: 10/9/2002 A new survey from the NPD Group, Inc. confirms this holiday shopping season could be a challenging one for retailers. Sixty-nine percent of American consumers indicated they plan to spend the same amount this holiday as last year. Twenty percent of consumers indicated they plan to spend less this year and only 12 percent plan to spend more than last year. In addition, most consumers plan to "shop for value" this holiday by waiting for sales and spending more at discount retailers. This is of course bad news for Nintendo and all video game developers. To read the full press release, click here. Interplay Entertainment Corp. IPLY announced today that, after the close of the market yesterday, it received notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. that the Company's common stock will be delisted from trading on The Nasdaq SmallCap Market effective with the opening of trading on October 9, 2002, due to the Company not meeting certain minimum listing requirements. The company expects that its common stock will become eligible at that time or shortly thereafter for trading on the NASD-operated Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) under the symbol IPLY. The Tag Company, a leading provider of electronic security tagging solutions, has launched the Red TagDVD and Game Security System to home entertainment retailers throughout the UK and Europe. The Tag Company is partnering with AGI Amaray, the manufacturer of the industry-leading Amaray DVD-Safe case to bring the Red Tag to film studios, game manufacturers, replicators, and stores in time for the busy holiday shopping season. Updated: 10/8/2002 Acclaim is holding a contest on their website where you can win THREE games from their current library. All you have to do is fill out a simple survey. To enter the contest, click here. Updated: 10/5/2002 Nintendo of America is gearing up for a competitive Holiday 2002 by upping its marketing budget by 25% to $140 million. You should expect to see plenty of GameCube ads this fall, even more than during last year's console launch. Much of this budget will go towards marketing aimed at an older audience (teens and 20 somethings), with Metroid Prime and Resident Evil Zero being the centers of attention. Previously announced marketing efforts like the Cube Clubs, Metroid movie commercials, and promo DVDs will be supported with increased TV, radio, and internet advertising as well as promotional partnerships with companies like Heineken, Keebler and Kraft. All in all, it looks like Nintendo is about to finally step up its GameCube marketing. Updated: 10/4/2002 To "celebrate" the European release of Super Mario Sunshine, sports presenter Des Lynam dyed his moustache purple. Nintendo are sponsoring for a year, and are hoping to insure his moustache for this. Updated: 10/3/2002 Bloomberg announced earlier today that Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s shares fell 9.9 percent, declining for a second day after the maker of the GameCube video-game console cut its sales forecast for the game machine. Because of the seaport disputes, there is a good chance there will be a GameCube shortage this Christmas. Lik-Sang, a Hong Kong based online games retailer has been shut down by Microsoft for selling mod chips. Lik Sang sold a number of mod chips for PS2 and Xbox, beginning production of the chips over a year ago. These could allow the machine to play pirated or import discs, and run unauthorised software such as the OpenXbox project, developed to allow upgrades. No further information is currently available about the legal precedings. Updated: 10/2/2002 Black Label Games, a division of Vivendi Universal, announced today that it has signed an agreement to license the interactive rights to Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Miramax film "Kill Bill", set for a theatrical release of October 2003. It is currently unknown which system the game will appear on. Look for the game sometime Spring 2004. Sega of America announced today that Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II for Nintendo GameCube will feature exclusive downloadable quests as part of the game's online service package. The Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II service package will be available from SEGA for $8.95 per month beginning at the game's launch in the U.S. on October 29, 2002. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II can be played offline with up to four players for free. Reuters revealed today that after announcing its profit status, Nintendo's shares ended down 6.96 percent at 12,840 yen, underperforming Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei average, which fell 1.23 percent. Updated: 10/1/2002 Bloomberg announced today that Nintendo Co. Ltd. has cut its full-year profit outlook 11 percent, blaming a stronger-than-expected yen and weaker sales of video-game consoles and hand-held players. Group net income will probably be 80 billion yen ($657 million) in the 12 months ending March 31, down from the 90 billion yen the Kyoto-based company previously estimated. Full-year sales will probably be 600 billion yen, 6.3 percent short of earlier forecasts. TDK announced today that they have acquired the publishing rights for the "Spy VS Spy" series of comics from MAD Magazine to create a video game. Not much is currently known about the game, but look for it sometime next Winter. Kemco announced today that Batman: Dark Tomorrow will delayed until the first quarter of 2003. Kemco says the extra development time will ensure the best in gaming experience.