Thousands of passionate GiN readers have cast their ballots to choose the nominees for the Game Of the Year Awards. According to GiN columnists Chella Ramanan and Todd Hargosh, 2007 was an incredible year for gaming, producing more excellent titles that at any other time in recent memory, making the job of finding just a few nominees in each category all the more difficult. As such, even being nominated is a huge honor. Like a caucus, the top vote getters in each category have advanced to the final vote process. Nominees had to garner at least ten percent of the … Continue reading GiN Game Of The Year Nominees Announced →

Computer and video game software sales reached $9.5 billion in 2007, 28% over the previous year, and set a new record according to final data compiled by the NPD Group and announced today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The industry's economic impact is illustrated further through data showing that Halo 3, the best-selling title of 2007, took in more revenue in its first day of sales than the biggest opening weekend ever for a movie (Spider-Man 3) and the final Harry Potter book's first day sales. "The video game industry set the pace over all others in 2007, with … Continue reading ESA Says Game Industry Now Worth $18 Billion →

Harmonix, one of the world's leading developers of music-based games, and MTV Games, part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that individual instrument peripherals for Rock Band will start shipping to U.S. store shelves beginning on February 12th. "The release of standalone instruments allows Rock Band musicians to enjoy the full Rock Band experience, including drum, microphone and guitar head-to-head modes, creating a whole new level of competitive fun," said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder, Harmonix. "We're also delivering a stand-alone wireless guitar solution for all versions of … Continue reading Stand-Alone Rock Band Instruments Going On Sale →

GCS Game World and Valve announce that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be available for digital download worldwide exclusively on Steam (www.steamgames.com), a leading online platform for the distribution and management of PC games. The official prequel to the Survival FPS game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is currently slated for simultaneous release on Steam and at retail outlets later this year. "Steam has introduced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to many thousands of new fans all over the world," said GSC Game World's CEO Sergiy Grygorovych. "We chose to deliver the digital version of the game exclusively on Steam because of its proven success not … Continue reading New S.T.A.L.K.E.R. To Be On Steam →

Telcogames Limited, the leading European mobile games distributor, today announced that Juan Montes has been appointed as chairman of the board. Montes joins Telcogames with a long and well established pedigree in console and mobile video games. His previous roles have included; Vice President of Software Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), Vice President & CTO (EMEA) Mobile Content & Solutions for Motorola (NYSE:MOT) and MD Europe for Jamdat (acquired by Electronic Arts NASDAQ:ERTS). Montes extensive experience includes six years at SCEE where he was instrumental in the launch and establishment of the Sony PlayStation platform in Europe, the … Continue reading Juan Montes Is Chairman Of Telcogames →

By William Jackson GiN editor at large The big guns of the gaming industry are targeting online subscription services as a way to boost revenue and promote brand loyalty, according to a recent analysis by In-Stat, a high-tech market research firm. Last year was a good one for video game makers, but the hardware side of the business is costly, not to mention fiercely competitive. But game console customers also are proving to be good online customers as well, and the study predicts major growth in the subscription market. "The primary differences among Nintendo's, Sony's, and Microsoft's online efforts are … Continue reading Online gaming subscriptions a growth market →

Funcom announces a new release date for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. The highly anticipated MMO receives eight more weeks of development, allowing Funcom to deliver a more polished MMO experience when the game launches on the 20th of May 2008. Despite great feedback on vital aspects like immersion, fun factor and the exciting combat system, the management of Funcom has decided to polish the game even more. Eight weeks of development work is therefore added to stress game systems and polish the game further leading up to launch. Funcom is fully committed to its communities and the quality-level they … Continue reading Age Of Conan Launch Pushed Back To May →

Eight weeks after the release of the red-hot music video game, and while Rock Band continues to fly off store shelves, the response to the downloadable music is clear, as fans and gamers have propelled its downloadable content to "double platinum" status, purchasing more than 2.5 million game levels based on songs since its launch on November 20, 2007. "Our goal with Rock Band was to create an entirely new way for people to interact with the music they love," stated Van Toffler, president, MTVN Music Group/Logo/Films. "The incredible response to the downloadable content we've released to date motivates us … Continue reading Rock Band Downloadable Content Sells 2.5 Million →

Play Ten Interactive (PTI), a prominent Russian publisher and developer of videogames, announces an agreement with top Chinese publisher CITVC Netempire Entertainment (CNEC) to release a hotly anticipated "UberSoldier 2" FPS game in People's Republic of China during this year's festive season. The product will be fully localized to Chinese and will feature multiple improvements over it's predecessor, the original "UberSoldier," published worldwide by CDV in 2006. Among those are a brand new multiplayer system with three exciting game modes available on 12 maps, a refurbished character development structure adding roleplay element to the game, multiple special bonuses for hard-core … Continue reading Russian And Chinese Game Firms Partner →

KOEI today announced that Samurai Warriors: KATANA for Wii is available now at North American retailers. "Samurai Warriors: KATANA is an incredibly fun way to step into the world of the Samurai Warriors," said Amos Ip, Senior Vice President of KOEI Corporation. "By using the motion-sensitive Wii Remoteâ„¢ to control a variety of weapons, run past deadly traps, or even ride on horseback, this amazing first-person adventure lets players enjoy the thrill of battle whether they are new to games or battle-hardened veterans." Using an exhilarating first-person perspective, Samurai Warriors: KATANA is based on the hugely popular Samurai Warriors series … Continue reading Samurai Warriors Hits Wii →