2009 in Review (part one) (Ferrago.co.uk)
January to June
Feature// SPOnG’s Review of the Year ‘09: July (Spong)
(31 Dec 2009) Blackmail, Reflections and Old Media.
Games of the Decade (part two) (Ferrago.co.uk)
We've come a long way, baby
Top Gaming Figures of 2009 (Ferrago)
The 15 faces of the last 12 months
Our predictions for 2009 (that came true) (Games Radar)
Way back in January, we did what a lot of other tech and gaming websites do, and published a list of predictions for the then-new year.
What can Symbian learn from Sony? (All About Symbian)
It's been a rough year for the Symbian ecosystem, and an especially rough year for their partners. Samsung and Sony Ericsson have taken their portion of the punishment, but the lion's share belongs, for good or ill, to Nokia.
Nibble// No PSP4000 Despite Advert (Spong)
Follow us on... Share on... An advert appearing in the most recent edition of UK video games trade mag MCV last week appeared to state that a PSP 4000 was on the cards. It appears not to be the case.
News// Japan Hardware: All Platforms Sales Rise, Except PSP Go (Spong)
(21 Dec 2009) Wii still selling strong in home console charts.
00:13 (BST), 21/12/2009 Iron Fist Boxing Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18 2009 … (gamesindustry.biz)
IRON FIST BOXING is the original real-time 3D MMA fighting game at the iTunes App Store. This final version sports a totally revamped input system, a longer career mode, more game modes, and more characters than ever.
Gameloft still to cut investment in Google’s Android despite U-turn (Guardian Unlimited)
Gameloft will scale back on developing games for Google's Android, despite appearing to reverse its decision after drawing flak from industry experts Mobile-game developer Gameloft will still cut investment in Google's Android platform despite an apparent U-turn on its controversial decision last month to scale back on developing games for the operating system. Gameloft's chief financial officer ...
Tinchy & Chipmunk take LittleBigPlanet (News Of The World)
TINCHY Stryder and recent MOBO winner Chipmunk have designed their very own levels for the hugely popular PlayStation game, LittleBigPlanet.
PSP-4000 coming from Sony? (Ferrago.co.uk)
New handheld revealed?
Premium PSN service includes major perks (Ferrago.co.uk)
Extra perks actually sound worthwhile
15:00 (BST), 18/12/2009 Video Delivery Service Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS The holiday season has arrived … (gamesindustry.biz)
The holiday season has arrived and to celebrate PlayStation®Network Video Delivery Service and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEE) are releasing a selection of everybody’s favourite festive films in time for Christmas Day.
Wi-Fi Access Accounts for a Quarter of Smartphone Internet Traffic (Cellular-News.com)
Mobile advertising agency, AdMob has examined the rise of smartphones, the global growth of the iPhone, and the immediate impact of new Android devices in its November 2009 AdMob Mobile Metrics Report.
10:00 (BST), 18/12/2009 F1 2009 Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Friday 18th December/… FORMULA ONE™ fans … (gamesindustry.biz)
Friday 18th December/... FORMULA ONE™ fans around the world can now enjoy the world’s most thrilling motorsport on their iPhone and iPod Touch as F1 2009 is now available to download on the App Store.
09:00 (BST), 18/12/2009 Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS London – December 18, 2009 … (gamesindustry.biz)
London – December 18, 2009 – Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, is pleased to announce that Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) will be one of the first titles playable online using the adhocParty application when it launches on December 22nd.
OUR TWEETS (Games Asylum)
A lot of people will be doing their Christmas shopping this weekend, so releasing a new game the week before Christmas isn’t an entirely mad thing to do.
11:05 (BST), 17/12/2009 Blood Bowl Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are proud … (gamesindustry.biz)
Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive are proud to announce the launch of the Blood Bowl World Cup! Involving all the coaches of Blood Bowl on PC throughout the world, this is the first major competition organized for the Blood Bowl video game since its release.
The year’s (video) game changers (Independent)
This year looked to be a golden one for gaming. Despite hedge funds getting mown down and US banks falling over like zombies in a gory shooter, the video game industry looked to be recession-proof.
00:58 (BST), 17/12/2009 V-Screen Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Los Angeles, Calif … (gamesindustry.biz)
Los Angeles, Calif. (December, 2009) - Handheld video games will enter a new age of visual excitement in January at the annual CES trade show with the introduction of the V-Screen from RealView TM Innovations, a developer of optical technology located in Ireland.
The year’s game changers (Independent)
This year looked to be a golden one for gaming. Despite hedge funds getting mown down and US banks falling over like zombies in a gory shooter, the video game industry looked to be recession-proof.
News// PSP Comics Service Get Go (Spong)
(17 Dec 2009) Disney Signs To PSP Digital Comics Service
Third place Sony talks tough (Ferrago.co.uk)
Rosy outlook
Digital comics available now on PSP (Ferrago.co.uk)
Except in Ireland
11:19 (BST), 16/12/2009 GameShastra plans Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GameShastra … (gamesindustry.biz)
GameShastra, Princeton, NJ - 16th December 2009 -- India's largest games services company has today revealed its forthcoming line-up for PSP Go, WiiWare, PC and Mac. Over the next few months, 12 new titles will be released across the various formats - to complement the two already published - as the company completes its move from independent developer to publisher.
Sony Computer Entertainment (gamesindustry.biz)
John Koller, Sony's head of PlayStation marketing, has said that family, shooting and sports games will be central to the success of its upcoming motion controller, and that Project Natal and Wii will struggle to compete with it in those genres.
Playstation video store tested (The Inquirer)
Dean Pullen THE INQUIRER First Inqpressions Sony go slow
21:00 (BST), 14/12/2009 Army of Two: The 40th Day Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Montreal, Canada – December 14 … (gamesindustry.biz)
Montreal, Canada – December 14, 2009 – EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced a demo for ARMY OF TWO™: THE 40th DAY will be available as a free download on the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace on December 17th.
13:46 (BST), 14/12/2009 Spec Ops: The Line Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS New York, NY – December 14, 2009 – 2K … (gamesindustry.biz)
New York, NY – December 14, 2009 – 2K Games, the publisher of the critically acclaimed BioShock® and Borderlands™, announced today that Spec Ops®: The Line™ is currently in development at YAGER for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
News// Japan Hardware: Wii Sells Over 100,000 (Spong)
(14 Dec 2009) PSP topples DSi LL in Handheld sales too.
: Dante’s Inferno PS3 demo does 60FPS (Eurogamer)
Digital Foundry analyses performance. Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno has received its first public outing with the release of a playable demo that's available to download from the American PlayStation Store. First impressions are that the game is clearly inspired by Sony Santa Monica's epic God of War series, albeit with the ancient Greek mythology swapped out for Crusader-era Christianity, as ...
News: Five PSP minis already PS3-compatible (Eurogamer)
The rest to be ready by Thursday. Although Sony had previously said it would be 17th December before PSP minis were ported for use on the PS3's new emulator, the official blog reveals that five are compatible as of now. They are: Dynogems (£2.49 / 2.99), Heracles Chariot Racing (£3.49 / 3.99), Let's Golf! (£3.99 / 4.99), Telegraph Crosswords (£3.49 / 3.99) and Beat 'Em Up (£2.49 / 2.99). We'll ...
Invizimals Review (Ferrago.co.uk)
Paul sees creatures... everywhere
PS3 tops review scores chart (Ferrago.co.uk)
Critical acclaim for Sony's titles
News// NPD November: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (Spong)
(11 Dec 2009) Still, nearly everybody is pleased
News: PixelJunk Shooter heads PSN update (Eurogamer)
COD Classic and some more minis too. Sony has updated the PlayStation shops with some downloads and that. Pick of the bunch is undoubtedly the spiffing PixelJunk Shooter from Q-Games, which goes for £6.29 / 7.99, while Call of Duty Classic also pitches up for an enormous and bewildering £11.99 / 14.99. Otherwise it's a bit pedestrian, although there may be some gems among the PSP minis. We'll do ...
News: Greenberg reckons Reach will lap GT5 (Eurogamer)
Xbox exec gets a bit fighty. Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg reckons Halo: Reach will be king of the sales castle come the end of 2010 and has even dismissed competition from Gran Turismo 5. "Is it launching next year?" he joked about the PS3-exclusive Polyphony Digital racer, speaking in an interview with Gamasutra. "I've seen years and years of mini-games, but I haven't seen that the game is done ...
Nintendo (gamesindustry.biz)
If there's one commodity which the games industry isn't lacking in, it's pundits.
00:26 (BST), 11/12/2009 Dante’s Inferno Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Redwood City, Calif. – December 10, 2009 … (gamesindustry.biz)
Redwood City, Calif. – December 10, 2009 – Visceral Games, an Electronics Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio today announced Dante’s Inferno™ “Divine Edition” exclusive for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
03:01 (BST), 11/12/2009 Frogger Returns Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS El Segundo, Calif. – Dec. 10, 2009 … (gamesindustry.biz)
El Segundo, Calif. – Dec. 10, 2009 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced the availability of Frogger Returns on the PlayStation®Network.
10:16 (BST), 10/12/2009 Kurulin Fusion Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Thursday, December 10, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE … (gamesindustry.biz)
Bellevue, Washington – MTO USA is pleased to announce Kurulin Fusion™, an hypnotic new puzzle game for the PSP system.
News: PS3 firmware 3.15 now available (Eurogamer)
Minis emulator now, content next Thurs. That new PS3 firmware we mentioned yesterday has gone live. The 3.15 update includes the option to transfer data between two PS3s in order to help people who need to move their stuff to a new console. It also introduces the option to download and play PSP minis on the PS3 via an emulator. Read more...
News: PSP minis coming to PS3 next week (Eurogamer)
New firmware also adds PS3 data transfer. Sony has announced that an optional firmware update for PlayStation 3 will be released next week. Version 3.15 is set to introduce a data transfer feature for people who've bought a new console, along with the chance to play PSP minis on PS3. The latter has been rumoured for a while, and will be a reality from 17th December, with Sony aiming to get "the ...
OUR TWEETS (Games Asylum)
It’s a good week for both Wii and PSP owners, but mostly for the former. On Nintendo’s white opus there’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, The House of the Dead, Dancing Stage Hottest Party, Sega Bass Fishing and the sadly offline-only Worms: A Space Oddity amongst others.
OUR TWEETS (Games Asylum)
Now here’s a surprise – Wario Land: The Shake Dimension, Samba de Amigo and Sonic Chronicles have all failed to enter the top 40 chart . However, Pure – Disney’s ATV racer that’s had little publicity – skids in at a lofty #9. Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway goes in at #4, then lower down Atari’s Family Trainer at #20.
OUR TWEETS (Games Asylum)
I think EA might have finally realised that decent games sell better than shit ones – review scores have been glowing for FIFA 10 this year, which have seemingly helped it become the second fastest selling game in the UK so far.
Play your PSP Minis on your PS3 soon (Ferrago.co.uk)
Time to enjoy some Minis-action on the big screen
News// PS3 Pre-Xmas Update - PSP Minis & More (Spong)
(8 Dec 2009) Also file transfer
News: Sony confirms PSP Minis for PS3 (Eurogamer)
Mid-December firmware has emulator. Sony has confirmed that PSP Minis will be compatible with the PlayStation 3 from 17th December. The next PS3 firmware update will come with a Minis emulator that will enable users to download the digital games for use on the PS3 as well as the PSP. PSP Minis are 100MB or smaller digital games that launched alongside the PSPgo. Sony has said on its European ...
13:40 (BST), 08/12/2009 Obscure: The Aftermath Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Amsterdam … (gamesindustry.biz)
Amsterdam/New York – 8 December, 2009 – Playlogic Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq OTC: PLGC.OB), an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, announced today that it will publish Obscure: The Aftermath in Asia. Obscure: The Aftermath for PlayStation®Portable will be available from the Asian PlayStation®Store on the 8th of December.
00:31 (BST), 08/12/2009 B.O.S.S. Controller Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS For Immediate Release: December 7 … (gamesindustry.biz)
Los Angeles – Enhance your "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" experience with the new B.O.S.S. Controller from Performance Designed Products (PDP), a top gaming accessory provider. With a suggested retail price of only $9.99, the controller makes a great stocking stuffer.
Rockstar makes iPhone debut with Beaterator (Macworld UK)
With the company's wares not performing up to expectations on the DS and PSP, it should come as no surprise that Rockstar is now looking to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch as potential new gaming platforms.
News// Rumour: PSP Minis Playable On PS3 Before Christmas? (Spong)
(7 Dec 2009) French website PS3Gen seems to think so.
News: PSP Minis to be playable on PS3? (Eurogamer)
Before Christmas, sources reckon. Sony's independently-developed PSP Minis may soon be playable on PS3. Both Joystiq and Pocket Gamer have heard from a collection of separate sources that this will happen before Christmas. What's more, the transition to PS3 will supposedly bring a resolution bump for the bite-sized games. PSP Minis - a platform for small, independently developed downloadable ...
10:15 (BST), 07/12/2009 VEMPIRE Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS Torino, Italy 7 December 2009 For immediate … (gamesindustry.biz)
The casual puzzle game VEMPIRE (Vampire + Empire) is now available on Facebook too. The Sony PSP and iPhone game has been slightly modified for the new social platform. The game is more arcade and the strategy parts have been removed in favor of a more immediate high score centric gameplay.
Are expensive games killing the PSPgo? (Guardian Unlimited)
Ok, it's not love but I am very fond of my PSPgo . Sony's download-only version of the PSP gets a lot of playtime, primarily because of convenience. I've got about 10 games installed on it all - including the excellent LittleBigPlanet - and it is obviously easier than carrying 10 UMD discs around. Yes, the iPhone gets its fair share too but real physical controls, rather than a touch screen, are ...
News: Bayonetta heads PS3 Store refresher (Eurogamer)
Video Store and VidZone restocked too. A demo for PlatinumGames' superb third-person action game Bayonetta is star attraction this week on the PlayStation Store. There's a sampler for LittleBigPlanet on PSP that shouldn't be overlooked either. There's also new content for Fight Night Round 4, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Need for Speed: Shift and of course Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Read ...
PSP Minis set to work on PS3 soon (Ferrago)
Cross-compatibility rumoured
News: Gran Turismo 5 demo dated (Eurogamer)
Arrives with GT Academy in December. Sony's announced that the GT Academy competition will begin this year on 17th December. That may be unremarkable, but on the same day a special demo of Gran Turismo 5 will be released. That sampler of Polyphony's game offers up a Time Trial platform to qualify for the Academy. Race a Nissan 370Z as fast as you can around a new GT5 circuit before 24th January ...
ModNation Racer for PSP handheld? (Ferrago)
US retail reveals new game
News: Probably no more Rock Band PSP DLC (Eurogamer)
"Planned slate" is now finished. MTV Games has said that it has "run through our planned slate of Rock Band Unplugged DLC", meaning there probably won't be any more. The very enjoyable PSP spin-off to the main Rock Band series has around 100 tracks available across the UMD disc and associated DLC shop. "Right now, our DLC team is focused on Rock Band Network, weekly console DLC, and unannounced ...
Get free games with the PSPgo (Ferrago)
New special offer from Sony
Sony and Microsoft in Thanksgiving tussle (Ferrago)
Platform rivals hype up performance
News// PSP Go and the Free Games (Spong)
(1 Dec 2009) Sony really pushing PSP Go
News// Black Friday Boasts from Microsoft, Sony & Nintendo (Spong)
(1 Dec 2009) Prepare yourself for standard number spunking
HMV sale highlights PSPgo problems (Ferrago)
Still expensive
440,000 PlayStation 3’s sold over Thanksgiving week (gamesindustry.biz)
Sony has revealed that it sold over 440,000 PlayStation 3 units over the Thanksgiving week in the US. The week includes the traditional Black Friday sales, where many retailers discounted software and hardware to kick off the busy Christmas sales period.