Analysts predict hardware, software drops in February NPD

Analyst Colin Sebastian is guessing at a 15 percent decline, despite encouraging early sales for games like Heavy Rain and preorders for games like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (which, as an early March release, may fit into the NPD February sales period) and God of War III. The fact that high-profile games are likely to show sharp declines after strong first-week sales will prevent software trends from turning for the better.
Tiger Woods 11 to support PlayStation Motion Controller
Much like the star it's named for, it seems the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise isn't adverse to trying new things. EA has announced that the next iteration, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, will support the PlayStation Motion Controller to "give gamers an authentic interactive swing experience."There aren't any other details about Motion Controller implementation at the moment, but the game is slated for release on June 8 -- well before the Motion Controller's projected fall release. (And before you ask, no mention has been made of support for Microsoft's Project Natal.)
It may be less flashy, but series fans may be interested to hear the game will also feature the Ryder Cup, allowing for two 12-man teams to face off against each other.
We say 12-man, but we guess it could be 12 women against 12 men, right? Heck, maybe even 12 women against one man. Can you imagine, one guy trying to keep up with all those women? We sure can't.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 will be available on June 8 for Wii (with MotionPlus support), Xbox 360, PS3 and iPhone.
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Mega Man 10, Moon Cresta

In any case, Mega Man 10 is up on WiiWare in Japan today, and it's likely to overshadow anything else available this week, including the ancient Moon Cresta:
- Mega Man 10 (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
- Moon Cresta (VC Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
- G.G. Series Throw Out (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
- Renjuku Kanji: Shougaku 4-nensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
- Renjuku Kanji: Shougaku 5-nensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
- Brain Challenge (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
- Let's Golf (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)
Rock Band Weekly: Lady Gaga, Cartman's 'Poker Face'
Don't even lie! You're just as excited as any club kid that boundary-pushing pop sensation Lady Gaga is coming to Rock Band next week. So, in the privacy of your living room, break out the tight-fitting pleather and get your jam on (to the tracks you, publicly, tell everyone you hate).
Of course, you could pretend you "accidentally" bought the Gaga Track Pack, when you actually meant to purchase South Park chubby charmer Eric Cartman's rendition of "Poker Face." Yup, that lil' ditty will also be available. See, now you can cover up that undeniable desire to go goo-goo for Gaga with a veil of irony!
Check out the full release list after the break.
Of course, you could pretend you "accidentally" bought the Gaga Track Pack, when you actually meant to purchase South Park chubby charmer Eric Cartman's rendition of "Poker Face." Yup, that lil' ditty will also be available. See, now you can cover up that undeniable desire to go goo-goo for Gaga with a veil of irony!
Check out the full release list after the break.
Ryan Kesler is the NHL 2K11 cover athlete

"It's a dream come true for me," Kesler, ever the good spokesplayer, said. "I grew up playing, and to be on the cover of 2K is unbelievable."
Kesler confirmed that he got in his motion capture time for the game last year with 2K10 cover athlete Alexander Ovechkin. "I'm not a flashy scorer like Ovechkin, by any means, but I think I'm exciting in my own right," Kesler observed, suggesting that his Olympic performance was what attracted publisher Take-Two to his game ... face.
Hopefully, for Kesler's sake, there's no equivalent "Madden Curse" for NHL games. Hockey players are already doomed to lose all their teeth anyway. NHL 2K11 will be out this fall.
VC in Brief: Final Fantasy II (SNES)
- Final Fantasy II (SNES, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) (actually FFIV)
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Pokemon TV spots

Oh, you don't believe us? Well, that hurts our feelings, but, by all means, check out the full list of this week's content past the break for yourselves. We'll just wait for you in the corner with our broken heart.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands gameplay footage revealed; game coming to PC in June
The Forgotten Sands puts our Prince in his brother's neighboring kingdom during a great conflict. As a last-ditch effort to ensure the survival of the kingdom, the two release the Sands of Time, which saves everyone ... but also unleashes dark horrors. Uh-oh.
In PoP news, Eurogamer reports the PC version will release in June, a month after the console installments (due May 18). This is nothing new for Ubisoft, as the publisher followed the same protocol with staggered releases of both Assassin's Creed games. And if waiting an extra month hasn't deterred your goal to play The Forgotten Sands on the PC, know that it will also include Ubisoft's internet-based DRM solution -- something to keep in mind.
Flipnotes from the PAX 2009 show floor

Showing what can be done in a few minutes by a talented artist, and building on the excitement of a popular convention, makes this initiative a great promotional tool for the free app (and for the DSi in general), which is why Nintendo waited until six months after the event to release these!
Nintendo leading fans on wild Pokemon chase in New York City

Nintendo's usual launch events take place at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center, but this one is located in (and around) the Times Square Toys 'R' Us. Should you show up at the NWS, you'll just have to do a little extra walking.
Rising Star crowdsources Spanish localization of Fragile Dreams

This is a clever approach to localization for a couple of reasons. First, fifty motivated kids will be able to get the job done in a fraction of the time a professional localization team would take. Additionally, it'll be much easier for Rising Star to laugh off the inevitable errors than it would with a 'real' localization.
NintendoWare Weekly: Final Fantasy II, Max & the Magic Marker

Or you could bypass that whole Final Fantasy thing and play a cute game about a kid and his amazing drawing ability.
Gallery: Max & the Magic Marker (WiiWare)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is new king of UK sales charts
It's debatable whether or not the server crashing this past week was a symptom of Battlefield: Bad Company 2's success. What isn't debatable is the game's explosive debut on the UK's Chart-Track all-formats chart. The multiplayer-centric shooter, which we've been thoroughly enjoying, outsold the original Bad Company's launch week numbers almost 3 to 1. According to Chart-Track, BC2 is the "best ever launch for any game released this early in the year." Interestingly, 53 percent of BC2 sales went to the Xbox 360 version, followed by 31 percent and 16 percent of sales for the PS3 and PC, respectively. (The game also topped the three, individual platform charts.)
Of course, lurking in the corner was Just Dance. The game will not go away and continues to stay in the top three week after week after week. Last week's top game, Heavy Rain, slipped down to fourth and the battle of Aliens vs. Predator held onto third. Check out the complete top ten after the break.
Source – Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a born leader [GFK Chart-Track]
Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
Of course, lurking in the corner was Just Dance. The game will not go away and continues to stay in the top three week after week after week. Last week's top game, Heavy Rain, slipped down to fourth and the battle of Aliens vs. Predator held onto third. Check out the complete top ten after the break.
Source – Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a born leader [GFK Chart-Track]
Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
Nintendo Power: Scribblenauts sequel coming this Fall
As evidenced by the image above, the latest issue of Nintendo Power reveals a sequel to 5th Cell's Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS. According to a report from GoNintendo, the magazine feature additionally details the game's release window ("fall"), that it will receive "10,000 more words" and "120 new and improved levels," and will have a focus on the use of adjectives. Thankfully, the report also notes intentions to improve the game's controls -- a major setback of the first outing. We've shot an email to the developers and will hopefully have more information on the game sometime soon. For now, you can check out the full magazine cover right here.





















