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This is Modern Warfare 2's official launch party

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 10th 2009 at 12:00AM }

It seems a bit silly to have a launch party for a game that pretty much "launched" already. NYC became host to the official Modern Warfare 2 launch, where enthusiasts were able to wait on line for their chance to play the game. After the festivities, they could walk one block away to GameStop to buy a copy of the game at midnight -- and no sooner.

Funnily, a good percentage of people waiting on line already had a copy of the game. Why bother going to the launch event, then? Perhaps the swag proved too enticing: XL Modern Warfare 2 t-shirts and the chance to oogle at IGN's Jessica Chobot were more than enough reason to wait on line for upwards of an hour.

Considering this is arguably the biggest game release of the year, the event ended up being a bit underwhelming. Other than the dozens of Xbox 360 demo kiosks (with nary a PS3 in sight), Activision didn't offer much else to see or do. For the sake of this blogger, a more "ridiculous" marketing budget would have offered a far more spectacular launch party, one filled with fireworks, ninjas and dedicated servers.

PSP Go sells 28K units on Japanese launch day

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 2nd 2009 at 11:00AM }

While most of you probably spent your Sunday relaxing with a chilled beverage, watching some sporting event and relishing in the extra hour of life that had recently been bequeathed to you, the hard-working folks at Enterbrain were ... well, they were working hard. See, the PSP Go launched in Japan yesterday, and Enterbrain's sales statistics gatherers took it upon themselves to gather the sales data from the launch. Here's what they found: Sunday is a pretty terrible day to release a new handheld device.

According to Enterbrain, retailers moved 28,275 units of the PSP Go system during its first day of availability. While that's still a fairly sizable amount of hardware, Japanese gaming blog Andriasang points out that the DSi, which went on sale on Saturday, November 1 (2008), moved 170,770 units during its first two days on the market. We guess that just goes to show, if you want your handhelds to launch with a bang, launch them on Saturday. Also, put two cameras in them. Sounds silly, we know, but it works.

Tekken 6 launch tournament promises to 'be hype'

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 22nd 2009 at 1:30AM }

If you're a fighting game enthusiast living in Southern California -- or a really big fighting game enthusiast living in Northern California -- you might want to check out the Tekken 6 launch party that's being hosted by a number of local fighting game community sites in Hawthorne, CA. Attendees who shell out for the $10 entry fee will have the chance to play the brawler on comically large screens, win some swag (such as the drool-inducing wireless fightstick bundle) and schmooze with some Namco Bandai developers.

You can be sure that we'll be in attendance -- we're going with the hopes of being able to shake the hand of the person responsible for the panda-booting screenshot above. That thing has brought so much joy into our lives, and we'd like to personally thank its progenitor.

Gallery: Tekken 6 (6/22/09)

Spend a few minutes with this Half-Minute Hero trailer

by Andrew Yoon { Oct 9th 2009 at 8:15PM }

Okay, Half-Minute Hero is finally seeing release. In addition to launching an official site for the game, XSEED has released one last trailer for the game that gives you a good overview of all the wackiness you can expect from the game. Does it look familiar? Yeah, but now this one's in English, a language commonly used by Joystiq writers and readers.

Half-Minute Hero hits UMD next week, and PSN a week thereafter.

PSP Go launch generates 'platform' sales boost

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 8th 2009 at 11:00AM }

Without disclosing actual sales figures, Sony has found a way to trumpet last week's launch of the PSP Go: In its first three days at retail (October 1–3), North American PSP platform sales soared by 300 percent over the previous week's figures. Again, we don't yet know the numbers -- but that's not even the most important part of the equation.

Read it again: PSP platform sales soared by 300 percent. Whether the Go tanks or not, it's got the PSP brand on consumers' wish lists again. "With several blockbuster games launching digitally and on UMD in the coming weeks -- from LittleBigPlanet to Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines -- we expect this momentum to continue and look forward to a strong holiday season for both the PSP Go and PSP-3000," SCEA corp. comm. director Patrick Seybold told Gamasutra.

The PSP Go currently retails for around $250, and its most compelling trait could be that it highlights what a great deal the only $169.99 PSP-3000 model is -- it plays all the same games, after all; from Minis to full-game downloadables.

Hong Kong first to get PS3 Slim, hosts global launch party

by Randy Nelson { Aug 21st 2009 at 9:30PM }

Due to its spot in the global timezones, Hong Kong will be the first market to sell the slim PS3 when it goes on sale midnight September 1.

Siliconera reports that the city will also be the venue for Sony's global launch party for the system, with the festivities taking place in its Causeway Bay shopping district beginning at 6:00 p.m. August 31. The event poster (right) shows some of the swag that will be available to party-goers, including cell phone charms, umbrellas and T-Shirts.

If you happen to attend, let us know how it went -- and be on the lookout for the shirtless magician levitating a PS3 Slim. How does he do that?

Celebrate the launch of The Legendary Starfy, only a month after it happened

by JC Fletcher { Jul 7th 2009 at 5:10PM }

Nintendo announced today that it will hold a launch event for The Legendary Starfy at its Nintendo World Store in New York City on July 11. You may be looking at your copy of Starfy right now and wondering if another one is coming out -- no, this is for the one that came out on June 9.

The event will run from 1-3 p.m. and will feature Starfy-themed contests, face painting, balloons, and even a life-sized Starfy mascot character. That seems like a lot of attention for a game from a developer who usually doesn't even take credit for the games it works on. Good for TOSE.

Red Faction: Guerrilla PC version delayed, coming 'during this summer'

by Griffin McElroy { May 21st 2009 at 3:00PM }

Though the console-bound versions of THQ's upcoming liberation sim, Red Faction: Guerrilla, will be hitting store shelves in a week and some change, it looks like the PC version of the title will be a little late to the party. We received tips pointing us to a few online retailers who had listed the game's launch date as August 25 -- almost three months later than the drop date for the Xbox 360 and PS3 version of the title.

We contacted THQ to see if the PC version of Guerrilla would really be belated. A representative responded, "Indeed, the RFG PC sku will be a little late," adding that the game would "ship during this summer." Hey! August 25 is technically in this summer! We'll let you know when we hear a firm release date from THQ -- for good measure, we've also contacted Reactor Zero (the folks porting the shooter to PC) to find out what the deal with the hold-up is. Stay tuned!

DSi sells 600k over US and EU release weekend

by Griffin McElroy { Apr 9th 2009 at 10:31AM }

Earlier today, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and childhood memory manufacturer Shigeru Miyamoto delivered a presentation about Wii Sports Resort and Wii/DS price cuts (or lack thereof). However, neatly tucked within the folds of their discourse was a fascinating figure for the hardware salesophiles among us -- in its launch weekend in the US and Europe, the DSi sold 300,000 units in each territory. Our on-call mathematician is currently visiting his grandkids in Des Moines, but we're pretty sure that equals 600,000 units.

The two went on to discuss some of the miscellaneous features Nintendo hopes to implement in the shutterbug handheld, such as museum maps, schoolroom applications, and tour guide programs. Those sound intriguing, though ultimately not compelling enough to steal us away from our tireless all-catching endeavors.

No official DSi launch event in the UK

by JC Fletcher { Mar 31st 2009 at 12:27PM }

In the US, Nintendo fans can celebrate the DSi's launch at the Universal CityWalk GameStop in Los Angeles. In Australia, early adopters can go to a launch party at the "Nintendo Experience" on Melbourne's Swanston St. Melbourne. Nintendo just announced that there will be no such event in the UK to celebrate the April 3 launch of the DSi.

A Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer that no such event is planned "because the handheld is an evolution of the hardware - and not a replacement," in a baffling instance of Nintendo downplaying its own product. Why not just tell people, "Hey, it's just another DS, don't worry about buying one, guys!"

According to the Nintendo spokesperson, even though there's no "official" shindig, you'll still be able to pick up a system at one of the 200 GameStations, 55 GAME stores and "select HMV outlets" that mistakenly think the DSi is a big product.

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

Don't worry if you haven't been following the DSi for the last few months -- your crazy friends at Joystiq Nintendo have been all over it. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!

Nintendo launching DSi in North America on April 5

by Jason Dobson { Feb 18th 2009 at 8:37AM }

Early adopters can begin forming a line outside their electronics boutique of choice as Nintendo has officially announced the street date for the DSi. The company's third stab at its popular touchable moneymaker will hit and, we predict, promptly fly off store shelves on April 5. The date is just 24 hours off of an earlier prediction last month, which by prognosticator standards isn't half bad.

For those who have been living under a rock (it's difficult to take pictures of you under there), this latest hardware revision will shoehorn a pair of cameras onto the handheld, as well as an interactive voice recorder and ability to play tunes stored on an SD card. Downloadables are also promised with what Nintendo creatively calls its DSiWare application, with software available for a range of prices starting at 200 DSi Points. It's unclear what software will be available at launch, however. What we do know is that the system will retail for $169.99, a bit cheaper than expected, and will be available in any color you want. As long as those colors are either blue or black.

Rumor: DSi out April 4 for $180

by JC Fletcher { Jan 14th 2009 at 10:21AM }

IGN's Matt Casamassina reports that "multiple sources close to Nintendo" have specified a release date and price point for the eagerly-awaited (by us, anyway) North American release of the Nintendo DSi. According to whomever, the system will be released on April 4, for a crushing $179.99. It's still a deal compared to the Japanese DSi, which retails in Japan for 18,900 yen ($212) and can be imported for $250, but it's also $20 less than an Xbox 360 and $10 more than a PSP.

This timing basically falls in line with previous comments from Nintendo about the DSi's North American release. Reggie Fils-Aime said last fall that the system would launch "certainly after April", but context indicated that he meant within fiscal 2009, which starts in April.

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

[Via Joystiq]

DS Daily: At launch

by JC Fletcher { Nov 22nd 2008 at 10:30AM }

Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of the US launch of the DS. What was your opinion of the DS back in 2004? None of us knew back then what it would become today; we expected GBA-level popularity at best.

Were you totally lined up for a system on the first day? Did you wait until Christmas? Until Kirby? Or were you not drawn into the DS life until the Lite appeared? Whenever you got into the DS, we're glad you did, because we doubt you would be part of our community otherwise.

As for me, what finally sold me on the DS was Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Luckily, the system got even more awesome after that!

Joystiq at the Wrath of the Lich King launch: Southern California

by Kevin Kelly { Nov 13th 2008 at 9:00AM }

While it might be Launch of the Glitch King (how many writers are hoping and praying they get to use that pun in the next few days?) over on the East Coast, the West Coast launch in Southern California is pretty much going off without a Lich. Er, hitch. While we couldn't get an official head count on the event at Fry's in Anaheim, we did overhear one Blizzard employee telling another that "there are a crap ton of people outside." While that not be a unit of measurement recognized by the U.S. Government, we'll take it.

Check out the highlights from the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King launch in Anaheim, a mere stone's throw away from the company headquarters in Irvine. More than 100 members of the development team were on hand to sign boxes, people were wearing costumes, schwag was given away ... and they were serving Hot Dog on a Stick. Check out the photos below and the highlights inside.

Gallery: Wrath of the Lich King Launch: Los Angeles

Continued →

Joystiq at the Wrath of the Lich King launch: San Francisco

by Randy Nelson { Nov 13th 2008 at 5:30AM }

Late last night (and well into this morning), Activision, Blizzard, and GameStop turned a slice of San Francisco's Powell Street into a "Lunar Festival" for the launch of World of WarCraft: Wrath of the Lich King. There were cosplayers; there were dancers; there were face painters; there were ... lots of people eager to get their mitts on the expansion.

Several hundred fans turned out, including yours truly. We went, we saw, we ... Liched some King? Okay, so we didn't do that – and no, it doesn't even make any sense – but we did take a whole bunch of photos ensuring that, if you weren't there, it would be sort of like you were. Only without the crazy lady from upstairs threatening to have everyone charged with misdemeanors if the event didn't get quieter. Seriously.

Have a look at our photo gallery and tell us that WoW isn't absolutely, preposterously huge.