Electronic Arts' Strategy Shift: More Original Video Games

Electronic Arts has been a trend setter in licensing big entertainment properties for video games. But now it is backing off on the strategy that it pioneered of using high-profile movie licenses as the marketing hook for its video games.

The strategy shift, announced earlier this year, will take years to unfold. But it shows that Redwood City-based EA doesn't mind running against the grain as it takes to heart criticism from gamers that they're tired of playing games with franchise characters that have become too boring. In fact, other major players are spending a lot of money on licenses and alliances with Hollywood companies just as EA tries to grow its own "original intellectual property,'' or games based on characters or stories that its own developers have created.

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PSP Price Cut Imminent

In his latest Game Over column, Chris Morris over at CNNMoney has said that, according to analysts that he has spoken with, the PSP should receive a price cut of $50, down to an MSRP of $149, before this holiday season.

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Target Indirectly Lists Wii Launch as October 4th

On an online advertisement on their website, Target lists a number of games as releasing on October 4th.

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Gaming is for Grownups

"Adult gamers ... spend more time playing each week than do teenage gamers, according to the 2006 Gaming Technology Study released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)."

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[PS3] See the next-gen consoles side-by-side for the first time!

High quality images of the PS3 and XBOX 360 side by side for the first time ever!..Oh and the PS2 tries to fit in as well.

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Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Interview

1UP's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars QuakeCon interview is now available. Paul Wedgwood is asked about progress since E3, the release date, the possibility of a 360 release, and retaliation when people are teabagging you.

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Lost Planet Xbox360 Screens

Capcom has released a slew of screens from their Xbox360 game, Lost Planet. The screens look ok, but they are so small, not HD resolution for some reason. Check them out.

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Battlefield 2142 Web Site Launches; New Screenshots

The official Battlefield 2142 web site has launched (thanks Blue's News) containing new info, media and screenshots (reproduced here) from the upcoming sci-fi multiplayer shooter from Digital Illusions and Electronic Arts.

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July Sees U.S. Game Sales Soar 22%

According to an analyst report by Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter, the NPD has officially released its North American game sales figures for July 2006, showing the market up 22% to $386 million.

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CEA Might Take Over Where E3 Left Off

We have make sure the booth babes still can keep their jobs.

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Zune Price Revealed?

According to TWICE, This Week In Consumer Electronics, Microsoft will offer a single Zune unit this fall at a suggested retail price of $299. In addition, the publication claims to have learned the size of the internal hard drive and other specs:

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Halo 3 Domain On Ebay... for $944.40 So Far...

I found this Auction for the Halo 3 Domain (www.halo3finishthefight.com) and I was the surprised.. over 900 Dollars so far. Fanboys go crazy for any piece of Halo these days...

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Current top 10 Xbox 360 game rankings

"Survey of Xbox 360 games 101: Here are the current top 10 rated Xbox 360 games based on cumulative reviews by both Game Rankings and Metacritic. But these guys never catch the hidden gems (if any)."

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PS3 vs. Wii - Apple Style!

PS3 Hardware issues: Teething troubles or a deeper problem?

With the console race heating up this fall are you ready to part with $500 of your well earned money on something that is likely to break?

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NBA LIVE 07 Xbox Screenshots!!!

With all-new EA SPORTS Total Freestyle Control and revolutionary gameplay-complete with ultra-realistic moves and player emotions-the highly acclaimed basketball video game from the EA SPORTS brand plays as good as it looks. Pull off moves only the pros perform as you replicate the styles of your favorite NBA players. Elevate to the...

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G4tv's G-Phoria Video Game Award Show Results

See who won Game of the Year and more, as voted by you the viewers.

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The Shat to host Canadian Electronic & Animated Arts Awards

Canada (apparently the "Hollywood of the video game industry") is having its first video game awards - and William Shatner is hosting them.

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GameStop facing employee lawsuits

Store managers say they didn't actually manage anything and should have been eligible for overtime pay.

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Number of Next-Gen Games in Development for PS3, 360, and Wii

Technophilia has compiled a few graphs which illustrate the number of games in development for all 3 next-gen systems.

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Madden NFL 07: Rosters and Ratings
A full breakdown of every player in the NFL.
August 10, 2006 - 99. That's the elusive number every player wants to see by their name. The minute Madden comes out, ballers from San Francisco to New York unwrap the package and want to know one thing, 'What am I rated?'"
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Exclusive Viva Pinata Interview with Rare

Since its first projects with Nintendo, Rare Ltd. has enjoyed one of the most cult-like followings of any videogame developer. From Killer Instinct and Battletoads to Conker's Bad Fur Day and the revered GoldenEye, Rare, in its fans' minds, is unable to do any wrong.

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Will Wright talks Spore, Leipzig, next-gen

Spore designer discusses his game's many possibilites, those handheld and console rumors, and letting computers do all the work for you; exclusive new screens inside!

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NEW INFO! Official Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive Page

Official Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive Page

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High Def Arcade Cabinet For Your Consoles

Playing too many video games can give you a hunched back. Appropriately named arcade cabinet maker, Quasimoto, has updated their many buttoned, many joystick'd model with an "HD" designation. That's a thinner profile, thanks to the wide-aspect flatscreen LCD that replaces the CRT in previous models we've written about.

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Flight Simulator X Demo Download

Microsoft has posted a demo download for Microsoft Flight Simulator X! You can check it out at this URL: http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulatorx/
downloads.html

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C&C 3 Base Screenshots In-Game

well, it's pretty.

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John Carmack from id talks Next-Gen Consoles and Next Project

This is an excellent interview with John Carmack from id Software. He shares his opinion on all the next-generation consoles as well as Nintendo's anti-Carmack stance of putting the interface before the technology. Also talks about id's next project. Good stuff.

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First Bullet Witch Screenshots Released

Spellbinding Bullet Witch TO DESCEND UPON GAMERS
Atari, one of the worlds most recognized brands today announced a publishing agreement with Japanese AQ Interactive Inc. for the forthcoming neo-apocalyptic action game, Bullet Witch, for Xbox 360.
Developed by Japan-based Cavia, Bullet Witch is set on a bleak planet earth in the year 2013.

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Battlestar Galactica targets Xbox Live

TV special recapping Peabody-winning Sci-fi channel series will become first frakkin' full-length show available Microsoft's online service.

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PS3 Not Playable In Leipzig

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has recently announced that none oftheir upcoming PS3 launch titles will be playable in Germany later this month.

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Set up your Xbox 360 to automatically pull down podcasts and pictures!!

Major Nelson shows you how you can get your podcasts and Flickr pix automatically to your Xbox 360

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Xbox Live Gamerpoints Currency Converter

Ever wanted to know how much a game or content on Xbox Live Marketplace would cost you in your native currency? This site automatically converts gamerpoints to USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD, JPY, CHF and NOK currencies. (P.S. Currently, it would cost 100540 points or $1,256.25 to purchase every lick of content on Xbox Live Marketplace).

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GameSpot E3 DVDs Released for Download

GameSpot has compiled five discs worth of E3 content for subscribers to download. Instead of selling the discs, GameSpot is offering the iso files to burn to DVD. Even though the material is no longer 'news' it's still interesting to see all the interviews in a high quality format. Unique distribution strategy as well.

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Sweet! Detailed Pictures of Nintendo Monopoly (just came out)

Seeing this made me very happy. The Monopoly people have released a Nintendo version of their game, complete with little Zelda iron boots from the Ocarina of Time and a little NES controller.

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New FREE Content Download for Dead Rising!

The game has been out for about a day and already we have downloadable content over Xbox Live. What's even better is that it's free!

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What Pre-1985 Video Game Character Are You?

after you answer the questions the website will process your answer and tell you what
What Pre-1985 Video Game Character you are!
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NVIDIA releases Quad SLI for the masses
If you've got the cash to wrangle your very own Quad SLI setup, you're probably not far off from one of those snazz Alienware or Voodoo PC boxes, which give you all that graphic muscle with none of the hassle."
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Xbox Community Giving Away Metal Case With 360 goods on Saturdays-Mondays

Check out the details on a weekly contest Xbox 360 gamers can enter by playing Xbox Live Arcade games and getting achievements.

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Amazing Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Screenshots

This game looks amazing.

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MS to launch Xbox Live gaming service in India

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Madden Achievements

Here are the achievements for Madden NFL 07. They are a huge step up from last years as they cannot all be completed in one game by an average player. EA is also integrating their personal achievement meter the Madden Gamer Level into the festivities.

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IBM Working On Portable GameCube?

"IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo hand-held -- presumably one that plays GameCube discs." SPOnG has had a handle on Nintendo's push towards a portable GameCube player for well over a year now. We are more than pleased such a device is seemingly nearing an official announcement.

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Pacman Released on XBOX Live Arcade

Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday officially wraps up today with the release of Pac-Man. This title is 400 points and is available in all Xbox Live Regions.

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Next-gen deal dawns between Day 1, LucasArts

MechAssault-maker inks deal with Star Wars publisher to make all-new game for next-gen consoles.

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Halo Movie Director Chosen - Amazingly Amazing ;)

The Halo motion picture will be helmed by Neill Blomkamp, making his feature film debut. Blomkamp is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and original artists currently working in short films and commercial advertising. Visual effects, miniatures, and creature design and creation will all be handled by Peter Jackson's Weta Studios!

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"Interview: Will Wright on Breeding Spore" - IGN

Interview with Will Wright on IGN. Talks about multiplatform and other information. "Well, we're focusing solely on the PC version at the moment. But we're thinking of Spore as a franchise, definitely, that will be across all platforms. Cellphones, too."

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Games for Health 2006

"Slowly but surely the last year has seen a growing appreciation for what modern-day video games can offer to health care," said Games for Health cofounder Ben Sawyer.

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Free Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine Subscription

Get it while it's hot for all you gamers.

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Huge Interview with CliffyB

Geargeads of War sat down with CliffyB got a huge interview out of him. Covers the "big announcement", why Gears of War is launching on Sunday, why some stores will have Gears before Nov. 12th, and some insight into CliffyB's childhood. Really cool read!

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Simply Stunning! New Crysis Screenshots

This Game IMOP is shaping up to be the one of the best looking games in video game history. Crysis is a sci-fi first-person shooter from the award-winning developer Crytek, the developers of the critically acclaimed Far Cry.

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NFL Replica Headset for XBOX 360/Playstation 2 from Motorola

Inspired by the NFL Coaches Headset, this version has been modified to support the ultimate online gaming experience. With authentic appearance and high-quality microphone and materials, the X205 provides the user with clear voice communication and gaming voice commands.

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Madden Mini-Game Madness Videos Galore
Madden NFL 07 has a unique mini-game setup that follows the NFL combine, providing a chance for gamers to take their favorite team and reenact the drills that test talent. We thought it would be fun to run down these mini-games in Madden NFL 07, and give an understanding of what it will take to dominate each event.
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Sony Announces the Mylo Personal Communicator
Sony announced today its first WiFi broadband communication and entertainment device. The new mylo™ personal communicator works in any open 802.11b wireless network and lets you use instant messaging, browse the Internet, listen to music, send emails and view photos concurrently. The name mylo stands for “my life online”.
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3 More Retro Classics Coming to Xbox Live Arcade

Upon searching around the ESRB website, I found that three more classic titles, Midway's Defender, Root Beer Tapper and Paperboy, have all been given ratings for the Xbox 360. Now I would have to go ahead and assume that, unless Microsoft is going to charge $60 for these titles, they will join arcade classics like Pac-Man and Galaga on XBLA.

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NHL 07: Production Diary Dynasty Video
Build a Dynasty from the ground up and lead your team to multiple Stanley Cups.
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NBA Street crosses over to PS3, 360
"Gravity-defying streetball game hits new courts in spring 2007; game headed to PS3 and Xbox 360 only, no current-gen versions planned."
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Atari Tests Trailer Promo
Atari has announced a contest in which consumers act as a marketing agency for the firm, creating an official trailer for Test Drive Unlimited.
Image The firm is known to be looking to save costs where it can, but this innovative initiative is more likely down to creating online buzz. The 'Build an Official Trailer' contest invites gamers to build and submit a trailer online for peer review. The resulting winner will have their submission 'deemed and used' as an official trailer for Test Drive Unlimited."
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Microsoft: 360 HD-DVD drive will be cheapest

Major Nelson's podcast reveals that the next-gen console's external high-def DVD player will be the least pricey model on market.

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HUUUGE videogame collection

Some guy's been collecting his whole life and ends up with a huge videogame collection

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The Legend Of Zelda : Twilight Princess gameplay

Title says it all...

Kameo: Elements of Power Pack underway by Rare for 500 Microsoft points

Kameo will get expanded with more co-op action, the upcoming Kameo Power Pack is sure to put your abilities to the test. This downloadable content contains three great new co-op modes of play: Expert Mode, Rune Battle Mode, and Time Attack Mode. It'll cost 500 points or $6.25.

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Which of my Live friends have my games?

Info on a cool Xbox 360 fan site that will organize your Live friends list by game, and by achievement points. Makes it easy to see which of your friends have the same game you do, and how your achievements in each game stack up against the list of your friends.

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Xbox modder gets home detention

Los Angeles store owner that peddled illegally modified Xboxes sentenced to six months of home detention, ankle bracelet and all.

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40 Percent of Players Are Addicted to World of Warcraft

An expert in computer, Internet and video game addiction believes that 40 percent of the more than 6 million subscribers suffer from a clinical addiction to the game and wants warning labels on the game boxes similar to the Surgeon General's warnings on cigarettes. TwitchGuru has the interview.

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So You Think You are a Gamer!
The Ultimate Game Quiz

Sega's Kick Ass Chinese Arcade

This is the future of arcades.. Last May, Sega opened super slick arcade Player's Arena in Shanghai's Vegas-looking New World Castle department store. The 12,000 square game center features wall-to-wall cabinets, UFO catchers, etc.

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Major Nelson Show #186 (WMA) The one about the HD-DVD player
This week’s show:
E3 Cancelled? Being modified
Interview: Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player
Community Interview: The founder of Gamertagpics.com
Name the GameTM
…and much more! "
WMA Link

Wii Priced at $229

Apparently IGN posted an article with a little too much detail. But basically the Wii will hit North America in mid-November with a $229 price. The price alone makes it extremely competitive with the technically superior, but pricey, PS3 and Xbox 360. It's going to be an interesting Christmas!

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EA Unveils Next-Gen NBA STREET, Teaser Trailer
"Electronic Arts announced today that the newest iteration of NBA STREET, the critically acclaimed and culturally defining streetball videogame franchise, is scheduled for release in spring 2007 under the EA SPORTS BIG brand. The game is in development in Vancouver, B.C. by EA Canada, the studio that also is home to the industry-leading NBA LIVE and NCAA March Madness basketball videogame franchises. "
Teaser Trailer

SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run Launch Trailer
"SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run takes the Spy Hunter franchise where it's never gone before–on foot. Featuring action superstar Dwayne 'THE ROCK' Johnson as government super–spy extraordinaire Alex Decker, players for the first time ever can step out of the Interceptor and straight into 3rd person action, utilizing THE ROCK'S physical prowess to take down enemies with intense melee combat moves. "
Watch Trailer

F.E.A.R. Demo Imminent

A member of the CheapAssGamer forums took a screenshot of his friends list when he noticed that one of his friends had been playing the F.E.A.R. demo. Later in the thread the friend replied by saying that due to his job he had gotten a hold of the demo and that it would be packed in with next month's issue of the Official Xbox Magazine.

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Microsoft's Xbox Piracy Spreading

Software piracy on Microsoft's new video game player Xbox 360 is rapidly spreading in Korea, casting a dark shadow over the company's fledgling game business. Since its launch last November, Microsoft had been proudly saying that the new high-tech game player is invulnerable from such hacking attempts.

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IGN Removed Rumor - Portable GameCube in the Works?

IGN posted an article on the usual Wii rumors (price $229, launch date Nov 2 or 12). More interesting one given by mysterious sources that IBM was in the process of shrinking & slowing down the Wii's Broadway chip for a "future Nintendo handheld". THEN THEY YANKED IT! ""At the request of our sources, who do not wish to go to jail this week"

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Microsoft shows off HD DVD drive for Xbox

Microsoft on Monday offered the first glimpse of an external HD DVD drive built for the Xbox 360 game console.

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