EL33TONLINE: News tag archive: uk

Razorworks, an internal developer at Empire Interactive, has been purchased by Rebellion, an up-and-coming super developer based out of the UK, known for Sniper Elite, Rogue Trooper and its Alien VS Predator games. Razorworks, known for a variety of Ford Racing games, was in the process of being shut down.

The Razorworks studio has been under a watchful eye for some time, after Rebellion bought Strangelight, the Starship Troopers developer, from Empire Interactive in 2006.

Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director of Rebellion said “We heard some very good things about the set-up, the team and their approach, which is very similar to our own. So, when we had the opportunity to buy the studio, we seized it with both hands.”

Chris Kingsley, CTO of Rebellion added, “The Razorworks purchase is in line with our ambitious expansion plans. The Razorworks team will be joining us in the Oxford studio and will bring a raft of experience to our current and new projects. Razorworks will also be the focal point in expanding Rebellion knowledge base and portfolio.”

This is especially good news as times are tough on UK developers, with several studios closing in the last year, such as Stormfront Studios, EA’s UK development studio and Sega’s UK-based Racing Studio, to name a few.

Sony of Europe and Sky have launched Go!View, the official PSP video-on-demand service, in the UK and Ireland.

Go!View enables PSP owners to transfer content to their PSP via a PC. The service includes a wide range of content thanks to agreements with Disney, ABC, ESPN, BBC, Sony Pictures, NBC, National Geographic and Sky Sports. Gamers can look forward to US dramas including Lost and Desperate Housewives as well as top UK shows Doctor Who and Top Gear.

You can also grab comedy, sports and entertainment packs by monthly subscription or use the rental service on Go!View for various movies and TV series. Subscription packs cost £5 (7 Euros) each while you can get two packs for £8 (11 Euros) and three packs for £10 (14 Euros). The good news is that you can trial all three packs free for a month. Rental TV costs £1.50 (2 Euros) per episode while movies will set you back £2.50 (3.20 Euros).

Content including TV, movies and sport will be added regularly to this service. If you sign up for the service at www.goview.tv you will receive a free month’s subscription.

Nintendo UK has put over 30 new Nintendo DS centres at shops across the UK.

The centres enable people to learn more about the Nintendo DS through videos, TV commercials and demo games. Currently in-store demo games include a wide list of popular DS titles such as Sight Training, Nintendogs, Big Brain Academy, New Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda; Phantom Hourglass and Animal Crossing: Wild World.

For DS owners the centre offers the exciting opportunity to download demo games and extra content via Wi-Fi to play on their own DS. You will be able to download one demo game from the unit. The demo game will disappear when the power is switched off but will be available as long as the DS is in Sleep Mode.

Downloadable DS titles include Brain Training, Sight Training, More Brain Training, Big Brain Academy, Mario Kart DS and 42 All Time Classics.

Nintendo aims to update the in-store and downloadable demo games regularly as well as introduce more NDS Centres. Currently the Nintendo DS Lite is available across Europe and the UK in white, black, pink, silver, red, green and blue for £99 each.

Head over to Nintendo’s website for a list of the 30 retailers and more information on the DS titles.

Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV has topped the UK’s All Formats Chart for a second week. Despite experiencing a 77% drop in sales, GTA IV outsold Nintendo’s Wii Fit (at number 2) by 4 to 1 for the week ending the 10th of May.

According to Chart Track, GTA IV has now past the one million sales mark in the UK. The Xbox 360 version of GTA IV accounted for 62% of sales this week in comparison to 55% last week, thus further widening its lead over the PS3 version.

Wii Fit, keeping up the pace at number 2, experienced a 48% sales drop while Nintendo’s Wii Play moved up one spot to number 3 and Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games drops one place to number 4. Chart Track figures show that Wii Play and Mario & Sonic have only been separated by a few hundred units over the past two weeks.

Nintendo takes the title of most well represented All Formats Top 10 publisher this week, boasting four games, with Sega following with two. Now in its second week, Sega’s Iron Man: The Official Videogame moves up six places to number 5. Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare gains two spots at number 6 while Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer sticks in seventh.

Sony’s Gran Turismo 5: Prologue drops two places to number 8 and Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii loses four places to finish in ninth. Nintendo’s Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training rounds off the top ten, down one place from last week.

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Konami has announced a limited edition of Metal Gear Solid 4 will be available in the UK when the game is released on the 12th of June. Gamers in the UK can also look forward to a pre-order campaign.

The limited edition will include a soundtrack CD, a 6” Old Snake action figurine as well -as a ‘Making of’ Blu-ray disc (behind the scenes look at the development of the game and interviews with Hideo Kojima). It will retail at £79.99.

Gamers who pre-order MGS4 through key retail partners in Europe will receive Metal Gear Saga Volume 2 as part of a pre-order campaign. It is a seven part documentary which takes a look at the origins and evolution of the Metal Gear series.

“Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is rightly seen as the stand-out title for 2008, and we were determined to come up with something special for its launch,” commented Martin Schneider, European Marketing Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH.

“With interest so high, it is only right that we reward fans of the series for pre-ordering the game, and the Metal Gear Saga DVD is a stunning look at how the series has evolved into the phenomenon it has become. Likewise, the Limited Edition is a celebration of all things Metal Gear, and will be prized by those who buy it.”

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has outsold the PS3 version in the UK. The Xbox 360 version sold over 100 000 copies in the UK, 20% more than the PS3 version, since GTA IV was released last Tuesday the 29th of April.

According to data released by ELSPA/Chart Track, the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV sold 514 000 copies in the UK in week one while the PS3 version of the game sold 413 000 copies. Microsoft also pointed out that sales of the Xbox 360 console increased by 125%.

Earlier in the week Chart Track announced that GTA IV sold 926 000 copies (£39.9 million) in its first week in the UK. The title debuted at the top of the chart as the biggest All Formats number 1 ever, after selling an estimated 631 000 copies in the first 24 hours.

In the meantime GTA IV has also racked up the title of most-played game on Xbox Live. As of the 4th of May over 9.7 million hours of GTA IV online multiplayer have been logged on Xbox Live while more than 31 million hours have been spent playing the game overall.

Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to exclusive downloadable episodes via Xbox Live this autumn.

“Today it has become clear that consumers are finding Xbox 360 the best way to experience Liberty City and we expect this trend to continue, especially with exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV episodes coming to Xbox 360 in the Autumn,” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft EMEA.

“Grand Theft Auto has a new home on Xbox 360, and consumers are discovering how our platform can enhance the experience like no other.”

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV has broken all previous day one sales records in the UK, selling an estimated 609 000 copies for the Xbox 360 and PS3 combined for the 29th of April.

This is according to ELSPA, who reported that day one sales of GTA IV beat the previous record of 501 000 copies which was set by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PS2 in October 2004.

“The scale of GTA’s day one sales are phenomenal and reflect a vibrant market which continues to grow. Gamers are from all age groups and demographics with estimates putting the total number of people in the UK who enjoy games at over 20 million,” said ELSPA managing director, Mike Rawlinson.

Microsoft’s Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 recorded sales of 266 000 copies on day one in September 2007. The new 24 hour record is GTA IV which totaled an estimated 335 000 copies on day one.

The previous record for the PS3 was Sony’s Gran Turismo 5: Prologue which recorded day one sales of 80 000 copies in March 2008. The new 24 hour record is GTA IV which totaled an estimated 274 000 copies on day one.

Chart Track figures are due to be released tomorrow so stay tuned.

MTV Games, Harmonix and EA have announced that Rock Band will make its debut on the Xbox 360 in the UK and Europe on the 23rd of May.

Rock Band will have an exclusive launch window on the Xbox 360 in the UK and Europe from the 23rd of May. The game will be available on additional platforms (PS3, PS2 and Wii) later in the summer.

Rock Band will feature nine new tracks in addition to the 58 tracks from the North American release. These new tracks will feature German, French and UK hits including:

• Blur “Beetlebum” (English)
• Oasis “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (English)
• Tokio Hotel “Monsoon” (English)
• Muse “Hysteria” (English)
• Les Wampas “Manu Chao” (French)
• Playmo “New Wave” (French)
• Die Toten Hosen “Hier Kommt Alex” (German)
• Juli “Perfekte Welle” (German)
• H-Block X “Countdown to Insanity” (German)

The 70 songs which are currently available for purchase and download in the US will be made available in Europe from the 27th of May. The tracks will cost 160 Microsoft Points each on the Xbox 360. It has been confirmed that after the 27th of May, all new Rock Band downloadable content will be available simulatenously in the US and Europe on a weekly basis.

The instruments will not be bundled together with the game. The Instrument Edition will be available for £129.99 or 169.99 Euros (which includes a drum kit, guitar and microphone) and the game will be sold separately for £49.99 or 69.99 Euros.

This means that wanna be Rock Banders will have to fork out a total of £180 or 240 Euros for the game and the instruments. Players will also be able to purchase wireless guitars separately for £59.99 or 79.99 Euros and the drum kit for £69.99 or 89.99 Euros.

Head over to the Rock Band website for a full list of the Rock Band songs which are available to purchase to date.

Sony is working on the next UK SingStar title for the PS2. They have called on SingStar fans to help create the new title by voting for a theme.

There are four possible themes: Boybands vs Girlbands; Cheesy Tunes; Divas; and 80s Vs 90s. You can vote at singstargame.com or on SingStar UK’s MySpace and facebook pages.

According to Sony, the chosen title will be released towards the end of 2008. After the theme is selected Sony will be asking SingStar fans to decide upon the tracklist as well.

The Video Appeals Committee has upheld the appeal against the rejection of Manhunt 2 by the BBFC. The BBFC has since issued an 18 certificate for the game in the UK.

The BBFC previously refused to issue a certificate to Manhunt 2 but the appeal to the VAC was successful. Thereafter the BBFC brought the VAC’s decision before the High Court, challenging it by way of Judicial Review, where the decision was quashed based on errors of law. The VAC reconsidered the appeal with the High Court’s directions in mind and allowed the appeal (by a majority of four to three) with Manhunt 2 being given an 18 certificate and getting the green light to go on sale in the UK.

David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said “As I have said previously, we never take rejection decisions lightly, and they always involve a complex balance of considerations. We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk.”

“However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an ‘18’ certificate to the game.”