Xbox 360 To Surpass The Wii's UK Sales Record

Nintendo's console set to lose its UK crown

Microsoft's Xbox 360 console has topped 8 million consoles sold in the UK to date, and is now on track to surpass Nintendo Wii's sales record in the region. This would secure the system's position as the UK's number 1 selling console.

But that incoming PlayStation announcement on February 20th could intrinsically effect how Xbox 360's momentum holds up — as could the Wii U's growth, for that matter.

Here's what Jon Grimes, Microsoft's regional boss, had to say about the news:

Ten years ago, to think we would be the leader in our second generation is a achievement.

Our job is not to get lost in the industry chatter, but to ensure that the consumers going into stores, going online, still experience Xbox. The announcement is important for the industry, but it is also important to remember who is buying right now.

Four times as many 360s than Wiis were sold in 2012 according to retail research agency GFK Chart-Track. Previously, Nintendo UK had confirmed that 8 million Wii consoles had been sold in the UK by Christmas 2012. Now Xbox 360 looks to overtake Wii's subsequent sales figures in a 'number of weeks', according to MCV.

The Xbox 360 has been knocking around since late 2005, which is quite some time as far as console generations go.

As staggering as these figures may be, it's worth keeping in mind that the Wii was released a full yearafter the 360 in most parts of the world and has since been replaced by the Wii U. Meanwhile, a successor to the Xbox 360 is still yet to appear.

SOURCE:NINTENDO LIFE

Gears of War: Judgment Playable At Halo 4 Midnight Launch

It has been announced that Gears of War: Judgment will be playable for the first time for New Zealand gamers during a special midnight launch event for Halo 4.

The event is being presented by Gameplanet, EB Games and Microsoft to celebrate the worldwide release of Halo 4 on November 6th. Because of time differences, New Zealand is the first country where Halo 4 will be released to the public.

Gears of War: Judgment won’t be out until early next year, but Kiwi gamers will have a chance to check it out.

If you live in Auckland, New Zealand, why not head on over to the Botany Town Centre on the evening of November 5th to celebrate the release of Halo 4.

SOURCE:JUSTPUSHSTART

Halo 4 Xbox pirates targeted by Microsoft

Microsoft is targeting video gamers playing pirated copies of its forthcoming title Halo 4.

Several users have already had their Xbox Live accounts "permanently suspended", preventing them from being used to access multiplayer games via the internet.

The firm has also indicated that some might face tougher punishments.

The latest Halo game is not due for release until 6 November. An early leak of its code threatens to limit sales.

"We are aware of isolated cases in which Halo 4 content has been propped on the web and are working closely with our security teams and law enforcement to address the situation immediately," Microsoft said in a statement.

"Consumers should be aware that piracy is illegal and we take vigorous action against illegal activity related to our products and services."

Although there is nothing to prevent users with blocked accounts from creating new ones, Microsoft has said it might also enforce "console bans" designed to permanently prevent targeted machines accessing its network.

Halo 4 is being marketed for about £50, although many retailers plan to sell it at a cheaper price at launch.

'Unspoken force'

News of the action was first reported by the video game trade magazine MCV . It reported that a version of the game was first leaked on to the internet over the weekend, allowing others to copy and play it.

That in turn has led to video clips of the title being posted online, spoiling some of the product's surprises.

"The Halo 4 leak has happened much earlier than these things normally do, and the fact is that many people are going to want to play it," MCV editor Michael French told the BBC.

Halo 4 leaked online more than three weeks before its launch date

"Piracy is a bit of an unspoken force on the Xbox 360. The industry talks about it being rife on PCs - which it is - but it also exists on consoles.

"A modded machine allows you to download the files over the internet and play them yourself. It's not super-hard to do but it is illegal."

In the past it used to be difficult for publishers to track such activity.

But playing with or against others via the internet is now part of many games' appeal, and when a user first connects to a console-maker's servers after launching a new title it can carry out checks on the software.

A study by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada  has suggested video games piracy accounted for 3.5bn Canadian dollars (£1.6bn) worth of lost gaming sales a year in the US and Canada.

Publisher Ubisoft also made headlines earlier this year when it said it believed up to 95% of the versions of Assassin's Creed, Driver and other of its games played on the PC platform had been pirated.

"One of the most effective ways both the console industry and PC market - through systems such as Valve's Steam facility - are trying to combat this is by building up a gamer's online identity," said Ed Barton, director of digital media at Strategy Analytics.

"That includes creating a friends list and achievements.

"The threat of having this taken away can be just as devastating to a gamer as losing their Facebook account."

SOURCE:BBC

New Video Game Releases List for 10/22 on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS Vita, Wii!

New Video Game Releases List!

The video game release highlights for the week of October 22, 2012 on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS Vita, Nintendo DS, 3DS, and PC/Mac include Medal of Honor Warfighter, Forza Horizon, Skylander's Giants, plus a few more gems...

Our recommended new release of the week will go to:

Medal of Honor: Warfighter is a First-Person Shooter featuring covert Tier 1 military operative combat. The game is a sequel to the 2010 release, Medal of Honor, which moved the long-running game series from its roots in WWII based gameplay, into modern warfare scenarios and true-to-life conflicts. The single-player campaign features mission play involving returning characters "Mother," "Preacher," "Voodoo" and others in operations after their service in Afghanistan. Multiplayer modes include 2-20 player support in which players have the ability to play as one of 13 real special ops units, from 10 countries.

Written by active US Tier 1 Operators while deployed overseas and inspired by real world threats, Medal of Honor: Warfighter delivers an aggressive, gritty, and authentic experience that puts gamers in the boots of today's most precise and disciplined warrior. The game is an up close and personal look at today's battlefield and the fight against the ongoing global terror threat.

In the single player campaign, Medal of Honor: Warfighter tells the story of US Tier 1 Operator, call sign "Preacher" as he returns home from overseas only to find his family torn apart from years of deployment. Trying to pick up the pieces to salvage what remains of his marriage, Preacher is reminded of what he’s fighting for - family. But when an extremely deadly explosive (PETN) penetrates civilian borders and his two worlds collide, Preacher and his fellow teammates are sent on missions to real world incursions to solve the problem. They take the fight to the enemy and do whatever it takes to protect their loved ones from harm.

Current Amazon Video Game Pre-order Deals:

Medal of Honor Warfighter  Bonus Tin Case + Map Pack Forza Horizon  Exclusive Bonus Cars Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz  $5 Amazon Credit

Pre-order Bonus Steps:

• Click here: 
  • Amazon - Medal of Honor Warfighter 
  • Amazon - Forza Horizon 
  • Amazon - Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz 

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of October 22, 2012 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Playstation Vita (PS Vita), Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, 3DS, and PC!  As always, release dates are subject to change, slip, slide, and be fairly unpredictable.

Medal of Honor Warfighter

Forza Horizon

Just Dance: Disney Party

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013

Cabela's Hunting Expeditions

Skylanders Giants Starter Kit

Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack

Medal of Honor Warfighter

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013

Cabela's Hunting Expeditions

Skylanders Giants Starter Kit

Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack

Just Dance: Disney Party

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013

Cabela's Hunting Expeditions

Skylanders Giants Starter Kit

Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack

Street Fighter X Tekken

Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz

Skylanders Giants Starter Kit

Skylanders Giants Portal Owner Pack

    

Medal of Honor Warfighter

Nancy Drew: The Deadly Device

Hotline Miami

SOURCE:HAWTWIRED

UK top 20 video games chart

Fifa 13 hangs on to the top spot despite challenges fromDishonored, 007 Legends, Doom BFG and Skylanders Giants

Fifa 13 is still the reigning champion

UK top 20 video games chart, week ending 20 October 2012

Position	Game (age rating)	Platform (share%)		Weeks in chart
1 (1)	Fifa 13 (3+)	Xbox 360 (48) PS3 (42) Wii (3) VITA (2)		4
2 (–)	Skylanders Giants (7+)	Wii (46) Xbox 360 (34)		1
3 (2)	Dishonored (18+)	Xbox 360 (58) PS3 (36) PC (6)		2
4 (6)	Just Dance 4 (3+)	Wii (92) Xbox 360 (7) PS3 (1)		3
5 (–)	Doom 3: BFG Edition (18+)	Xbox 360 (50) PS3 (41) PC (9)		1
6 (3)	Pokemon Black Version 2 (3+)	DS (100)		2
7 (4)	Resident Evil 6 (18+)	Xbox 360 (51) PS3 (48)		3
8 (8)	Borderlands 2 (18+)	Xbox 360 (65) PS3 (30) PC (5)		5
9 (5)	Pokemon White Version 2 (3+)	DS (100)		2
10 (7)	XCOM: Enemy Unknown (12+)	Xbox 360 (55) PS3 (28) PC (17)		2
11 (9)	F1 2012 (3+)	Xbox 360 (50) PS3 (47) PC (3)		5
12 (–)	007 Legends (16+)	Xbox 360 (51) PS3 (49)		1
13 (10)	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (15+)	Xbox 360 (77) PS3 (15) PC (8)		45
14 (14)	Rocksmith (12+)	Xbox 360 (45) PS3 (30) PC (25)		4
15 (12)	Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (3+)	PS3 (66) Xbox 360 (33) PC (1)		5
16 (15)	New Super Mario Bros 2 (3+)	3DS (100)		10
17 (11)	Sleeping Dogs (18+)	Xbox 360 (54) PS3 (45)		10
18 (19)	Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes(7+)	Wii (26) Xbox 360 (22) DS (15) PS3 (12)		18
19 (13)	Forza Motorsport 4 (3+)	Xbox 360 (100)		21
20 (16)	Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition (3+)	PS3 (100)		4

UKIE  Games Charts © compiled by GfK Chart-Track

SOURCE:THEGUARDIAN