Microsoft is also trying to push their sale of console like Nintendo. Recently, there were Xbox parties thrown for women by a Washington based company, Redmond.
In order to increase the demand for their console, Microsoft invited 1,000 women in the US giving them Xbox 360 freebies of worth $150 and asked them to invite 10 of their friends or relatives to play with Xbox 360 system. The women were given a Box Office Smash Hit, Scene-It?, a remote control, a three month subscription to Xbox Live, 1600 Microsoft points. All this is same as Nintendo has been promoting its Nintendo DS and Wii systems.
The latest game for you to grab is Animal Crossing: City Folk which started game for its fans. This giveaway was started on December 16th and ended on Sunday, December 21st at 11:59 pm. For the entry, one had to specify the favorite activity that he liked in the game. It could be anything from fishing to digging the fossils or catching the bugs. The winner was to be selected the following day through random drawing.
However, there were rules that had to be followed to participate in the game. You have to be at least 18 years of age and a current and legal resident of the United States or Canada. A person can make just one entry in a day. There are some official rules that had to be read and abide. Finally, one lucky reader will walk away with a copy of the game worth $50.
Earthworm Jim, an import-only game is making its debut on the Japanese Virtual Console. The Genesis version of Earthworm Jim couldn’t make it overseas, so the VC release is the first of this particular version of Earthworm Jim. There is no surcharge for the import also on this game. The game is by Mega Drive, single-played and worth 600 Wii points.
There are other VC downloads like Jigoku Meguri which is about a monk in hell and a Taito plat former. The name Jigoku Meguri (Tour of Hell) itself refers to a real life visit to the natural hot springs. This game is by PC Engine, also single-played and worth 600 Wii points. The other three WiiWare titles available are Prope’s Let’s Catch, Sorcery Blade and 1 Meke! Dasshutsu Game My Home-hen.
The Australia Club Nintendo was announced to be launched in April, half a year before the North American Club Nintendo, but it is still to be launched. However, its debut is close now. At The Nintendo Experience launch party in Melbourne, the representatives of Nintendo Australia gave some good news that Club Nintendo will launch in Australia before Christmas or shortly after the New Year.
It was also clear by the representatives that the Australian Club Nintendo service has been developed in association with the North American service and the delay of eight months has been due to the website redesign.
Nintendo’s Wii has become one of the hot products this holiday season. WalMart said it will offer the Nintendo Wii console for $249.24 and a bundle package which includes the console and other accessories for $329. You can fond many Wii for sale online as it has become one of the most important games for every family. Certain Wii video games are being sold out for $30. The giant store announced an increase in its sales by 3.4 percent. More and more stores are trying to keep Wii for sale so that they can keep their stores open.
Like other console manufacturers, Nintendo also make money on each Wii for sale. David Gibson, Macquarie Securities analyst, said that Nintendo opt the older and cheaper technology and got fame in the country. Where Microsoft is earning money on whatever number of Xbox 360 they sell, there Sony is losing money with each PlayStation3. Gibson has estimated that Nintendo will sell 2 million Wii this year. Out of this, last month 2 million units were sold out. With a huge number of Wii for sale the company has sold out 35 million units worldwide.
All the giant retailers are trying their best to keep up the stock. Instead of downfall in the economic condition Nintendo is selling more Wii than before. It had overall 8.6 million Wii for sale since it was launched back in November 2006. The outstanding sale is only because Wii is totally different from other consoles. Many analyst say that buying the $400 PlayStation 3 these times may be little too expensive. Hence most of the buyers these days prefer to go for something that is reasonable and affordable.
Wii Fit has come up with another use of its balance board even though the demand is less during these holidays. The new practical use discovered for Nintendo’s console is to help to rehabilitate people, mainly seniors who tend to fall after a certain age. The console helps the seniors to improve their balance in order to avoid falls. This practice is been carried out by Brett Sears, a physical therapist with Capital Region Physical Therapy in New York for four months. His patients are satisfied and have been enjoying the new method of training.
Wii Fit has always been used for rehabilitation purpose and this is nothing new for us to see the Wii fit to be used in this way. Rather, there could be many other ways that Wii Fit can be used for useful purposes in future.
Muramasa: The Demon’s Blade was planned for a release in November 2009 in Europe with the hope that it would be released in North America also. However, retailers have hinted that the gorgeous side-scrolling action RPG game would not be released so late to seem like five million years away!
The title has been given release dates by both GameStop and Amazon. GameStop has given a release date of July 15th and Amazon has given as July 28th. At least this date looks batter than the earlier date but still July also seems to be a long time from now. Still, it is heartening to know that there are many Wii action games ready for release and hit the shelves in the first half of the year which the gamers would enjoy playing. There are games like House of the Dead: Overkill, MadWorld, Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers, and the Conduit
The holiday season is approaching, and the videogame industry’s players are setting everything up for what is considered the most profitable period of the year. Aside from making sure that the stocks are sufficient and will cover any demand, the companies are also planning new releases.
Nintendo, the market’s current number one, announced two limited edition Nintendo DS bundles scheduled for release later today, one called Mario Red Nintendo DS featuring the "New Super Mario Bros." game and an Ice Blue Nintendo DS offered with a matching carrying case and a copy of "Brain Age." The company did not forget about the other markets, as it plans to release its new products in the United States and Europe in early 2009. So far, the DS console has sold more than 24 million units only in Japan, and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Sony also released a new portable game, the PSP 3000, which provides a high-resolution screen and a built-in microphone which allows users call their friends between games and movies. Since the debut of the original PlayStation Portable in December 2004 in Japan, the company managed to sell over 40 million PSPs worldwide.
Going by the final report, Nintendo has sold just under 35 million Wiis since the console's late 2006 launch. That figure was for combined international sales in all territories including the US, Europe, and Asia--through September 30, 2008. The console's sales were boosted past this latest barrier by the launch of Animal Crossing: City Folk which sold over 303,000 units during the week of November 17-23, according to Enterbrain's estimates.
The 7 million sales figures has put the foes in Japan on a backfoot. According to Enterbrain figures quoted by GameDaily, Japanese sales of the PlayStation 3 numbered just 2.37 million units as of September 30, when the Wii had sold around 6.83 million units in the territory. Sony estimates the PS3 sold nearly 17 million units worldwide by the same date. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the Xbox 360 continues to struggle in Japan despite massive marketing efforts. Enterbrain's estimate had less than 750,000 units of the console being sold in the territory since its 2005 launch. Worldwide to date, the console has sold over 25 million units, more than the original Xbox.
Capcom is offering an exclusive Tatsunoko vs. Capcom 2009 calendar to the retailers to promote the release of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes. The cover page will have Shinkiro that will vary by store and the calendar will feature original artwork on each two-month page. The calendar has limited editions and will be handed out along with the copies that will be purchased starting on December 11th, the releasing date of the game.
There are various versions of the calendar. The Bic Camera/Sofmap version has a group portrait, the Geo version has Ryu and Ken the Eagle, and the Imagine Version’s cover features Doronjo and Morrigan. All these preview images are printed out and stapled together with some calendar pages from Word in the exclusive “JC” edition.
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