The Sims 2 beats EA’s launch record
With over one million copies sold in the first ten days, ‘the Sims 2′
has set a new PC launch record for Electronic Arts.
Since its original release ‘the Sims’, a game where you control every
aspect of the life’s of a number of virtual people, has pumped out an
amazing seven best selling PC expansion packs, as well as less welcomed
console spin off, and a Nokia N-gage version.
A second try at a console version, “the Urbz: Sims in the City”, is set
for an November release on PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, Game Boy Advance, and
(err.. in November?..) Nintendo DS.
The more talked about new features of the second game is virtual DNA,
which is passed onto the Sims’ relatives, and further control of the
Sims’ life.
Calling the game (or “franchise”) a “cultural phenomenon” Gerhard
Florin, Senior VP and MD of Electronic Arts Europe, stated, “The game
has sold one million units worldwide in its first ten days at retail –
and more than fifty percent of those games were sold here in Europe”.
http://www.thesims.com/
http://www.ea.com/
Cian Ginty
Multiplayer events – GalwayLAN 11, Darkside, GameCon
GalwayLAN 11 runs from October 22 to 24, 7pm Friday to 8pm Sunday. At 30
euro pre-pay, or 35 euro on the day, there are currently only 7 out of
40 places left.
Meanwhile, the 80 person, 36 hours LAN ‘Darkside X ‘ is full, while
GameCon in November has 124 out of their maximum 170 spaces filled.
Cian Ginty
Links
GalwayLAN 11 – http://www.room101.org/comments.asp?item=252view=on
GameCom – http://www.gameconvention.net
NEWS COMMENT: Survey – 90% boys, 75% girls own computer games
According to the Irish Independent newspaper, a survey by
the South Eastern Health Board and the Waterford Institute of Technology
carried out on schoolboys and girls between 9 and 11 years has found 90% boys
and 75% girls have computer games at home.
In a fit of simplicity, the website of the Dublin radio
station ‘Newstalk’ summed up the results “children who spend most time
playing computer games spend far less time doing physical exercise and are more
overweight”. Thanks Newstalk, we’d have never guessed not doing exercise
would make people fat.
“Certainly Irish children are at the upper end of the
European scale and closer to the American figures for computer games,”
Michael Harrison, a lecturer in exercise science at WIT told the Independent.
UK
tabloids, beyond the headline ‘Obesity grows as kids ditch sport for Tomb
Raider’, the Irish Independent article manages to be balanced, stating
Ireland
ranks lowly for sport at school.
John Treacy of the Irish Sports Council said that it’s up to
parents first, adding “we have to make sure there is sport and physical
activities available to everyone, not just those who excel at it”, pointing out
even his children play PlayStation.
Niall O’Hanrahan, MD of Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland,
added that it clearly wouldn’t be good for anyone to play computer games for
four hours in a row.
the balance has to include physical activity at home, as well as school;
however, our eating – not going into kinds of food – but our ’supper-sized
meal’ over eating culture cannot be ignored.
Cian Ginty
PlayStation 2 redesigned (PStwo)
Already been named the ‘PStwo’, as predicted last week by reports – as well
as some of the media receiving ‘mystery invites’ by Sony – a redesigned
PlayStation 2 is to be revealed this morning.
Entertainment Ireland (SCE IE) is to host the local launch of the redesigned
device later this morning in Dublin.
The reworked console is smaller and has a built-in broadband adapter. It is set
for retailer’s shelves in
Ireland in November.
Sony was also kind enough to remind us at 32%, and over 450,000
units, Ireland has the highest penetration of PS2s outside of Japan.
With the new GTA game, San Andreas, and the Christmas season looming it
is
expected the redesign will push sales even further.
Although a price drop was speculated last week, at this early hour of the
morning none has been official confirmed — we’ll post images and any another
details as soon as we can.
PlayStation 2 redesigned (PStwo)
Already been named the ‘PStwo’, as predicted last week by reports – as
well as some of the media receiving ‘mystery invites’ by Sony – a
redesigned PlayStation 2 is to be revealed this morning.
With the compulsory female models to get mainstream media notice, Sony
Computer Entertainment Ireland (SCE IE) is to host the local launch of
the redesigned device later this morning in Dublin.
The reworked console is smaller and has a built-in broadband adapter. It
is set for retailer’s shelves in Ireland in November.
Sony was also kind enough to remind us at 32%, and over 450,000 units,
Ireland has the highest penetration of PS2s outside of Japan. With the
new GTA game, San Andreas, and the Christmas season looming it is
expected the redesign will push sales even further.
Although a price drop was speculated last week, at this early hour of
the morning none has been official confirmed — we’ll post images and any
another details as soon as we can.
[For some information in this article, we have upheld a requested
embargo that ended at 8.00am Tuesday September 21, 2004 -- although the
article was put in our system sometime before, it was not publicly
published until after the requested time]
Cian Ginty
Gamecon: back with new 24-hour event
Gamecon 5 on Saturday November 13 is the latest in the series of
console, and bring your own PC, multiplayer gaming event. The IMI
conference centre in Sandyford is once again the venue. Registration
now opened.
The organisers posted on Boards.ie on Sunday, and sent out the news
by email this morning, tonight there was 62 reregistered, and 14
prepaid gamers. The number of attendees is set at 170 people – the same
as the last event.
An online prepay option with a five euro discount is being pushed,
“it is the only way to guarantee your seat”. Paying the full 35
euro at the door is an option, but they “will be running a first come
first served policy and you will have to turn up early to pick your
place”, according to the organisers email.
Voting on what games will be played in competitions is now tied into the registration process.
Gamecon recently expanded their already massive sponsorship line-up,
with Activision, and Take Two joining EA, Microsoft/Xbox, EA,
Nokia/N-Gage, GameStop, Digtal Jesters, Elara Systems, G3, and
Alienware. “We are delighted to announce that Activision and Take 2
have joined our ever growing list of sponsors. This is great news for
all of us as it means more prizes for you guys” stated the event’s
website.
http://www.gameconvention.net
LON 04: Games shows clashed — as consumers added to the mix
The London-based historic games industry trade show Ects has
suffered at the hands of the trade show, and consumer show European
Games Network, and Games Stars Live run by the UK games industry body
Elspa.
The once main attraction Ects is now all-but deserted of the
‘big-name’ publishers — all of whom have floated over from the
Earl’s Court to the docklands for Egn, and Gsl at the huge conference
center ExCel.
One Irish retailer gave us the blunt description of Ects been
“shit”, some commented that the Irish Government development
origination the IDA should have been at Egn — the phrase
‘tumbleweed rolling by’ was used by a number of people we talked
to. Logical speculation of this been Ects’ last year running was
widespread — “play it cool” read the front cover of the events’
guide.
While Games Stars Live has opened its doors to the general public,
Sony abandoned the so-called ‘London games week’, moving its public
event the PlayStation Experience to a later date at the theme park
Alton Towers.
Games Stars Live is a mixture of playable console and PC games
(including Halo, the Sims 2, Fight Club, and Metroid Prime),
multiplayer events, stage performances, and “booth babes”, along
with an attendance mixture of children, teenagers, parents,
journalists, retailers, developers, publishers, and other various
gaming and industry persons.
Meanwhile the two developer’s conferences, Games Developer
Conference Europe at Earl’s Court, and the Games Developer Forum at
ExCel have been seen as to slight harm each other.
Cian Ginty
LON 04: “will we seize the day?”
Speaking last Thursday at EGN, on the topic of the next decade for
the games industry, Doug Lowenstein President US based ESA, said he
could not predict the future, and if he could he would tell a room full
of journalists and other assortment of industry persons.
The industry must capitalise on the growing market without
disappointing, that with a growing mainstream and more mature audience,
storylines and gameplay will be of greater importance then pixels, and
dazzling graphics — “will we seize the day?” he questioned.
Lowenstein stated, although it’s not a crime to play it safe,
Hollywood is not the way; that the creative edge needs to be kept.
Unlike, clams, and figure distortions by many, he pronounced that
“We’re not bigger then film industry, and may not be in any time in
the near future”.
Offering suggestions on how wider appeal could be sought “games
that offer positive roles for blacks, Muslims, and woman” could be a
start.
Highlighting the recent UK media frenzy — mostly by the tabloids
– on violence in games, he said that other entertainment forms, such
as mainstream films like Kill Bill, had extreme violence, but the other
media forms should not be used as a defence; but instead he mentioned
the average game player is in their 20s in the United States, as well
as freedom of speech. However he warned that parents concerns should
not be ignored.
Cian Ginty
LON 04: EA moves directly into mobile phone games
On seeing phone-based mobile gaming as a growing market and
profitable market, publisher Electronic Arts is taking a more active
role in developing games for the format.
Until now, mobile specialists, Digital Bridges transferred Ea’s
games to the format, making versions of FIFA and a Tiger Woods branded
Pga tour golf game. Apparently, all is not lost for them, as the news
is been portrayed as a strengthening of the company’s current
agreement with EA – they will “make use of Digital Bridges’
mobile-specific development expertise”.
A Need for Speed Underground 2 port is now in the making, while a version of the Sims is expected in 2005.
Announcing the news at a keynote presentation about expanding the
games market on Thursday at the European Games Network in London,
EA’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of European
Publishing, Gerhard Florin, talked of the wider mobile market saying
that EA sees games as a possible replacement for newspapers or books in
public places like bus stops, but unlike the “toy” like Game Boy
the “public will take notice of [Sony's upcoming handheld] the
PSP”, he went on to said “by no means” will everyone suddenly
start playing on their mobiles, “but we’ll get there sooner then
people think”.
Brian Greasley, CEO of Digital Bridges stated, “This agreement is
not only a vote of confidence in Digital Bridges, it is also a
fantastic endorsement of mobile gaming.”
Event review: GameCon 4
GamesCon 4, hosted at the opulent – depending on how you look at it
- IMI conference centre in Sandyford, took place some time ago, on the
14 – 15 August. GamesToaster.com dispatched it’s away team in the
form of me, myself and I.
Spanning fourteen games and four formats – PC, GameCube, Xbox and
PS2; the event had everything you could possibly want from a battle
royale. The event had 170 people signed up, with 18 on the waiting list
– gamers from Scotland, and England joined those from Ireland, north
and south.
Entering the convention, I was a Lan party virgin. Therefore, I was
a little bit startled to see so many computers in any one room and,
also, the intermittent shouts of ‘CAMPER!’. Another thing that got
a newbie like me off-guard was the fact that everyone was referred to
by their gaming name. Imagine the following scenario;
“So, what’s your name?”
“Brian.”
“What kind of name is that? I’m Chewie27!”
Using my ‘I’m-a-journalist’ routine, I was permitted to sit on
a three-way match of Halo between some folks from the gaming clan
‘Celtic Snipers’. Of course, once they figured out that I was
carefully marking the name down, they proceeded to mention other gaming
clans who they clamed weren’t up to their standards. I also managed
to sit in on a game of Unreal Tournament 2004; the match being won by a
guy called ‘Tuxy’ – again, I was baffled by that until I realised
it was his gaming name.
The atmosphere was that of a bedroom filled with games – you know,
curtains pulled over, your eyes burned out of your head from the
TV/monitor – the tension building as the game started off.
In all, it was a cracking good experience. According to the
organisers, GamesCon 5 will be held on 13 November, in the same venue.
I highly recommend checking it out if you are anyway interested in LAN
gaming, and butting heads with your fellow gamers on Unreal Tournament,
Halo and Battlefield: 1942.
[For more on GameCon 5 stay tuned to GamesToaster.com, or visit the event's website at gameconvention.net]
Brian Lloyd