Mass Effect 2 has maintained the top spot on Chart-Track ’s UK all-formats sales chart for a second week in a row. However, there seems to be some kind of Batarian flu loose on the isles, because Mass Effect 2 sales, which dropped by 64 percent this week, were “within touching distance” (850 units, to be exact) of Wii’s Just Dance. Rounding out the unchanged top three for a second week was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 . EA’s Dante’s Inferno had one hell of a premiere on the charts, earning a somewhat sinful spot at fourth. In a good sign for MAG , the mega shooter slipped only three notches to seventh place. Meanwhile, the surprise return of other BioWare game Dragon Age: Origins to the top 40 last week has gained even more momentum, moving up another three spots to 28th. Source – Mass Effect 2 leads an unchanged top 3 [GFK Chart-Track] Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
BioShock didn’t need a sequel. I know it, you know it; heck, I’d bet if they were being totally honest, the staff of 2K Marin would tell you they knew it too. BioShock was that rare combination of a perfectly realized world, fresh yet refined action and a narrative that left me with no real burning questions. It didn’t need a sequel. But all that has very little to do with BioShock 2 because whether it needed to be made or not, it’s here now. And the surprise isn’t that someone other than Irrational had the chutzpah to make a BioShock sequel. The surprise is just how worthwhile it is
Filed under: Podcasts This week on the Xbox 360 Fancast , we talk about one man’s quest to find a copy of the original Mass Effect , what it takes to get into the First Annual Joystiq Blueberry Muffin Tops Breakfast and, just for fun, what Xav thinks of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 . It is, as always, a laugh and a half. Download the latest episode for all this and more. Also, don’t forget that it’s okay to drink with strangers, just remember to BYOB*. *This is a joke. [ iTunes ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [ Zune ] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace (MP3). [ RSS MP3 ] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
We’ll be honest — we weren’t too interested in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing when we first heard about it, but every time the publisher announces a new playable character, our desire to play the game intensifies.
If you’re wondering where Rock Band 3 is, a year and a half after Rock Band 2 and five months after the launch of The Beatles: Rock Band , it seems EA isn’t sure it’s going to get to publish it. During an investor conference call, EA execs revealed that the publisher’s deal with Viacom (the company that owns MTV, Harmonix, Rock Band and maybe you as well) is only active through fiscal year 2010 (which ends March 31). Presumably the deal somehow includes the yet-to-be-released Green Day: Rock Band — but EA’s unlikely to announce any more Rock Band games until it knows it has the license locked down for another year.
Electronic Arts today announced that Ferrari is returning to Need for Speed. On February 16 th , players of Need for Speed SHIFT will be able to download a content pack that delivers 10 Ferrari cars including the 430 Scuderia and the ultra-rare FXX and F50 GT. Now, Need for Speed SHIFT players will feel the rush of being in the driver’s seat, realizing the true driver’s experience of being behind the wheel of a Ferrari car. The Ferrari Racing pack is the latest DLC for Need for Speed SHIFT and will be available February 18 for 800 MSPoints (or $10.00). The Flash Player and a browser with Javascript support are needed.. In addition to 10 new cars, the Ferrari Racing Series will also extend SHIFT ’s career mode with 46 new Ferrari specific challenges designed for the Ferrari cars to participate in including hot laps, eliminators, endurance races and a world tour. Completing the perfect Ferrari package are an additional 125 gamerpoints as a reward for undertaking various exciting challenges. All Ferrari cars can also be taken online where players can prove who has the skills to master these high-performance Italian racing machines. The Ferraris available include: 1996 Ferrari F50 GT 2005 Ferrari F430 Spider 2005 Ferrari FXX 2005 Ferrari Superamerica 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 2006 Ferrari F430 Challenge (Online/Quick event only) 2006 Ferrari F430 GTC (Online/Quick event only) 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia 2008 Ferrari California 2008 Ferrari 16M Scuderia Spider “ Need for Speed is recognized globally for showcasing amazing cars, including some of the world’s most desirable high-performance vehicles,” said Keith Munro, vice president at EA
Well, folks, it’s been a long wait but it’s finally here . After first being rumored nearly four years ago , Darwinia+ is due to hit Xbox Live Arcade in only two more days. We’re sure that the game’s fans are pleased to hear the news, as is developer Introversion. After all, the company has a lot riding on Darwinia ’s XBLA outing. The game features a single-player campaign, online multiplayer for four players and plenty of sweet, retro stylings
A few days ago we got a chance to attend a call with a few members of the Bioshock 2 development team. In this TXD Special you’ll get to hear as they answer a slew of questions about the game.
Thanks to today’s EA earnings report (EArnings?) we’re starting to get an idea of how the company’s holiday season is going to shape up. This is all subject to change, of course, but as of right now it would appear you can look forward to Crysis 2 , NBA Jam and EA Sports MMA sometime between October and December of 2010. Filling out the holiday quarter are some yet-to-be-formally-announced titles like The Sims 3 on consoles, a new Need For Speed game (perhaps the Criterion-developed one ?) and a new Harry Potter game (likely tied to this November’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I) . Want to come up with your own wild speculation
Thank the Enkindlers! Encompassing an entire galaxy’s worth of alien beings, uncharted worlds and tattooed psychopaths, Mass Effect’s bible doesn’t exactly make for light reading. “We probably spent 6-12 months with a team of designers, artists and so on doing concepting, world building, design and character iteration, timelines, and the history of the universe,” BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka recently told IGN . The “IP bible” is consulted for all Mass Effect games, he explained, comparing it to an “iceberg that’s down there, giving it weight and gravity, credibility and depth.” Echoing earlier statements made by BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk, Muzyka pointed to the franchise’s considerable backstory as a viable source for “future extensions, ancillary products, things like that.” Things like that may include spin-offs like Mass Effect: Galaxy for iPhone, novels , further expansions to Mass Effect 2 , and, obviously, Mass Effect 3 . Sadly, if there’s one thing the Mass Effect bible can’t teach us, it’s the virtue of patience . Who wouldn’t kill for the next part of the trilogy right now?
