In all, you can expect around 5 hours of gameplay. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but the experience is at least fun. Max and the Magic Marker is an ambitious game, one I wouldn’t feel bad about recommending.

Just like in North America, fans that are eager to try out Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth can now download a demo for your DS via the NintendO Channel. This is the same web demo that we featured some time ago, but now you can actually get a feel for it on the DS. This game has been a long-time coming. Let’s hope it ends up worth the wait!

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As Long as the Audio is Fun, the Game Will Be Too
Speaker: Akira Yamaoka (Grasshopper Manufacture Studio)
Date/Time: Friday (March 12, 2010) 1:30pm — 2:30pm
Location (room): Room 135, North Hall
Track: Audio
Secondary Track: Game Design
Format: 60-minute Lecture
Experience Level: All

Session Description
My first 20 years in video game production, and the many years to come. People tend not to think about game design and audio design in parallel. I will present my views on audio design in games from a producer’s perspective, having had experience in both roles. With few technological limits remaining, we can focus on achieving realism and interaction. What challenges remain in audio design?

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5-in-1 Solitaire is a fun game to be sure, but it suffers from two big problems. The first is that you can generally get this game for free on any standard computer. The second is that you can get the exact same game for your DSi for only $2 instead of paying $5 for the WiiWare version.

“Every once in a while, you want to make something that high school girls can get into.” - Shigeru Miyamoto

Hmmm…I’m not sure why controlling a little army of flower buds automatically appeals to high school girls, but Miyamoto knows this sort of thing better than I do!

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The other day, we showed you an Amazon listing for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on Wii. It turns out that the listing was indeed spot-on, as Ubisoft has just confirmed a Wii version of the game being in the works. All we know is that this version of the game is in development by a studio separate from the 360/PS3 version, and that a ‘different approach’ will be taken for the Wii audience. Let’s hope the game we get ends up resembling the HD versions in more ways than not. Mysteriously, no mention of the DS version was made, which Amazon also says is on the way.

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If there’s one creature that can claim to be a true party animal, it’s got to be Pavé. This critter’s appetite for candy is second only to his love of Festivale – the time of year when the dull days begin to disappear and dancing moves to the top of everyone’s agenda.

Pavé himself will be in your town on 15th February from 6.30 a.m. – 12 p.m. And while handing him some candy will earn you a generous gift, the friendly fellow has also put something special in the post for you.

To mark the arrival of Festivale in Animal Crossing, you can acquire an exclusive addition to the stylish Pavé series of furniture by making sure you cross paths with your friendly postman, Pete, between 8th – 15th February. Speaking to Pete between this period is the only way to get the Pavé clock, but the item is a must-have for anyone who likes to keep the Festivale spirit alive all year by decking their house out in the funky geometric furniture of the Pavé series.

If you have your Wii connected to the Internet, you’re well on your way to receiving your Pavé clock. Read the tutorial below to find out how you can ensure this exclusive gift makes it to your mailbox.

Note: The Pavé clock won’t count in your favour when it comes to having your home assessed by the good people at the Happy Room Academy.

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Third-quarter sales: €495 million

Update on the rollout of the strategic plan

Initial comments for 2010-11

Paris, February 9, 2010 – Today, Ubisoft® reported its sales for the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2009.

Sales

Sales for the third quarter of 2009-10 came to €495 million, down 2.7%, or 2.0% at constant exchange rates, compared with €508 million recorded during the same period of 2008-09. For the first nine months of fiscal 2009-10, sales totaled €661 million versus €852 million in the corresponding prior-year period, representing a decrease of 22.5%, or 22.1% at constant exchange rates. This performance is in line with the revised targets announced on January 13, 2010.

Update on the strategic plan rollout

High-end games strategy

In line with the announcement January 13 announcement, Ubisoft continues to refocus its high-end games strategy by concentrating on more regular releases for its major franchises. These refocusing measures also comprise a reduction in new creations investments, which will enable Ubisoft to rebalance its existing resources on a constant headcount basis. This strategy will provide heightened visibility and profitability with a lower level of risk, thereby accelerating the generation of cash flow.

Online strategy

Ubisoft’s online initiatives are now materializing with numerous launches in 2010-11 including Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms™, Trackmania® 2 and Imagine Town™ – a virtual world based on the successful franchise, Imagine®. Imagine Town™ will be plugged in to UbiWorld™, the portal dedicated to young girls, which was launched in 2009.

Ubisoft is also broadening its offering of online services, through:

− Uplay™, a portal for gamers launched in late 2009 with Assassin’s Creed® 2, which is set to become the online hub for Ubisoft® games.

− A platform of online services for PC titles offering gamers a more in-depth gaming experience as well as providing an innovative solution for reducing PC game piracy. The first games to benefit from this solution will be released in the coming months.

Casual games strategy

Lastly, Ubisoft® continues its initiatives in the growth segments of the casual market, in which there is still a large potential to tap. These include:

− the launch of new games for the Wii™, by capitalizing on successful titles such as Just Dance™;

− numerous projects for the launch of Natal and several games for the PLAYSTATION® 3 Motion Controller as well as Facebook.

The Group’s exposure to the Nintendo DS™ segment has been significantly reduced, resulting in a sharp decrease in external investments.

Outlook

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2009-10

The fourth quarter will see the following main releases:

− Assassin’s Creed® 2: Director’s cut edition for PC

− Red Steel® 2 for Wii™

− The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom™ for PC

− Silent Hunter® 5: Battle of the Atlantic for PC

The Group expects fourth-quarter 2009-10 sales to come in at around €200 million, approximately 3% lower than in the fourth quarter of 2008-09.

Targets for full-year 2009-10

Ubisoft confirms the recently revised targets for full-year 2009-10 : Sales of around €860 million and a current operating loss before stock-based compensation of around €50 million.

Initial comments for 2010-11

Ubisoft expects to return to profitable growth and positive cash-flow in 2010-11. This guidance is based on the following assumptions and considerations:

− A stable market in 2010.

− The launch of at least 7 franchise titles (Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction™, Driver®, Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™, Assassin’s Creed®, Tom Clancy™’s Ghost Recon® and Raving Rabbids® have already been announced), as well as at least 2 new brands (R.U.S.E™ has already been announced) and at least 5 online games (Imagine®, Trackmania® 2 and Might & Magic Heroes Kingdoms™ have already been announced).

− Stable back-catalog sales and a slight decrease for casual sales.

− A significantly improved gross margin due to:

* - a product mix in favor of franchises for Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION® 3
* - better profitability for the back-catalog and casual segment
* - first revenues from online games.

− An increase in R&D depreciation due to the launch of numerous high-end franchise titles. This charge should be similar to the amount of development costs capitalized during the year, which is expected to be on par with 2009-10.

− A slight decrease in SG&A expenses as a percentage of sales.

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Apparently the pair debated a bunch of issues, but Sakaguchi actually enjoyed these exchanges. He believes this debate shows that him and Mr. M make a great match, as they can discuss important details with great passion, but manage to stay calm at the same time. Sakaguchi goes so far as to thank Mr. M for his enthusiasm, and then thanks the entire staff for their hard work.

Who in the world is this mysterious Mr. M.? Of course, since we’re dealing with Nintendo titles here, all I can think of is Miyamoto!

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. and SEATTLE, Wash - February 9, 2010 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. and Screenlife today announced that Scene It?® Twilight™ for Nintendo DS™ is now available at retail outlets nationwide. Following the recent success of Scene It? Twilight for Wii, the Scene It? Twilight DVD board game and Scene It? Twilight for the iPhone™ and iPod Touch®, the first Scene It? game release for the DS extends the popular franchise even further. Now players and fans of the blockbuster film can show off their TWILIGHT expertise anywhere, anytime. Featuring over 500 multiple-choice questions ranging from general knowledge about the TWILIGHT film to in-depth analysis of the first movie, music, audio and video clips - the game will challenge even the most ardent fans.

“By taking Scene It? Twilight to the portable space, we allow for fans to enjoy a true trivia experience via pass and play with friends,” said David Daniels, Director of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. “This echoes our content strategy with Screenlife, which is to deliver exciting TWILIGHT material upon numerous fronts to feverish Twi-hards worldwide.”

“Scene It? games are available on multiple platforms, but this is the first time we are bringing the brand to the Nintendo DS™,” said Barry Watts, Chief Executive Officer at Screenlife. “We believe bringing the experience to the Nintendo DS is a natural fit for the game, and we are pleased to offer yet another opportunity for fans and players to enjoy the Scene It? Twilight game.”

Scene It? Twilight takes players to the dark and mysterious world of Forks, WA where they will learn everything there is to know about Bella Swan, TWILIGHT’s heroine, Edward Cullen, the dark and unlikely love of Bella’s life and other characters from one of the most popular film franchises in history. Featuring a new user interface, players use their DS stylus to buzz in and navigate through challenging game play modes including Finish The Line, What’s Missing and Alice’s Vision. TWILIGHT fanatics can play alone or take turns with friends as they look to prove who the ultimate TWILIGHT fan is!

Scene It? Twilight for Nintendo DS™ is rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB and is available now for the SRP of $29.99.

For more information on the video game, please visit: www.konami.com

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bittos+

5-in-1 Solitaire

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Hamburg, January 9, 2010 – The Hamburg-based online game developer and publisher Bigpoint (http://bigpoint.com) is opening an office in San Francisco on March 1, 2010. The subsidiary in the technological and creative mecca, Silicon Valley, will be overseen personally by Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. The 33-year-old entrepreneur will live mostly in the US during the coming months, but will also continue to head the operative business of Bigpoint GmbH in Hamburg as CEO. To accomplish this, he’ll be returning to Germany each month, as well as fulfilling his duties on the board of the GAME national association and the steering committee for the Gamescom.

In the US, Hubertz will concentrate on setting up the new subsidiary with an emphasis on creativity. In addition to the new development studio, business development, marketing and PR departments will also be established.

After locations in Hamburg (headquarters), Berlin, Malta and New York, the office in San Francisco will be the fifth site for the growing enterprise. Silicon Valley is known as the creative and technology center for the entire world. Next to companies like Facebook, Apple and IBM, Google also has its headquarters here.

“The US is one of the most strategically important markets for us,” explains Heiko Hubertz, CEO and founder of Bigpoint. “Now that we have spent the past several months building up a strong and experienced management team for our Hamburg headquarters, I am going to personally oversee the successful development of the US market in the coming months.”

Bigpoint is already heavily involved with the US market. In 2008, the media company NBC Universal joined the Hamburg-based enterprise as one of the major investors. With media partners such as SiFi, Wild Tangent and Hi5 and users numbering in the two-digit millions, Bigpoint is already today one of the top players in the online games market in the US. At the end of 2009, the online gaming portal http://bigpoint.com was chosen by US players as the best website in the area “Entertainment”.

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - February 9, 2010 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced a continued partnership with the Games for Health Program to launch a statewide 2010 DanceDanceRevolution West Virginia State Championship Tournament offered to high schools, middle and elementary schools in the state of West Virginia. All West Virginia public schools currently participating in the West Virginia Games for Health Project are eligible to participate. This sensational statewide competition is the first of its kind and expands on Konami’s existing relationship with the state of West Virginia, which began in 2004, when the DanceDanceRevolution video game series was introduced into public schools’ curriculum in an effort to encourage kids to get in shape while also having fun. Beginning February, all enrolled students (grades 3-12) from the hundreds of West Virginia public schools are invited to participate in this championship tournament that will reward winning players with games and scholarships.

Complete with support from the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and School of Medicine and the Office of Governor Joe Manchin III, this initiative will continue to revolutionize the physical education curriculum of West Virginia. Since 2004, DanceDanceRevolution has been incorporated into the Physical Education courses throughout the state and has proven to be both successful and effective by students, staff and faculty in promoting fitness and active lifestyles for participating students. This new extension of the current curriculum allows students to take their skills to the next level and compete on a national stage amongst their peers.

“I’m pleased to announce a new collaboration involving the state of West Virginia and Konami Digital Entertainment, the makers of the physical activity video game, DanceDanceRevolution. The state will be hosting the 2010 DanceDanceRevolution West Virginia State Championship Tournament with the winners receiving $1,000 in higher education scholarships funds donated by Konami,” said First Lady Gayle Manchin. “This interactive game, which has proven to be beneficial to our state’s children, promotes a healthy life balance of exercise and fun.”

This program perfectly echoes Konami’s vision to use video games to promote active lifestyles, encourage competition, camaraderie and sportsmanship while doing our part to combat childhood obesity,” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., “With the support of Governor Manchin and the continued excellence of Games for Health in West Virginia, we look forward to this exciting tournament and the improved health of West Virginia children for years to come.”

“The initiative representing the outstanding effort between Games for Health and Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. to help reduce childhood obesity rates in West Virginia is unique. The project continues to spread the message and the need for childhood health and wellness in the state,” explained Dana D. Brooks, dean, WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

“Konami’s focus on the health and wellness of children throughout West Virginia reflects the College’s vision for a healthier West Virginia,” said Brooks.

“The statewide competition will emphasize the benefit of combining healthy activities, and lifestyles of young children while sharing this message statewide,” he added.

The tournament, which runs from February - June 2010, is as much about fitness as it is about fun! But with fun comes the spirit of competition, which is in full force for this campaign! Over the course of the 4 month initiative, students from all over the state will take to the mat to hone their skills in DanceDanceRevolution in hopes of making it to the State Championships in Charleston. But the road to Charleston will be arduous as students compete amongst their divisional peers throughout the state.

The tournament structure and bracket is as follows:

Eligible Divisions:
Elementary Division: Students in Grades 3-5
Middle School Division: Students in Grades 6-8
High School Division: Students in Grades 9-12

Round One
Statewide Qualifier

* Students from all over the state will compete against their classmates at their respective schools.
* First and Second place from each Qualifier is allowed to advance to next round

Round Two
Regional Championships

* Seven (7) Regional tournaments will be conducted to determine who will advance to state finals
* Winners of Round One Qualifiers will compete
* First and Second Place winners from each region will be invited to finals

Round Three
State Championship Tournaments

* Championships will be held in the state capital of Charleston.
* Winners of Round Two Regional Championships will compete against each other
* Top three places are awarded with scholarships and prizes

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The Creation of Character
Masayuki Doi - Art Director & Character Designer

As a developer, it’s always exciting to come up with something new. I believe the sensation is similar to what people feel as they’re about to play a new game for the very first time. In the last featurette, I talked about the visual aspects of Trauma Team from the art director’s point of view. Today, I’d like to go over the process of character design, using CR-S01—a skilled surgeon and one of the six protagonists in Trauma Team—as an example. I hope I can convey to you the same excitement I felt when I created this character.

Dr. Derek Stiles, protagonist of the Under the Knife titles, is probably the most recognizable surgeon to fans of the series. Dr. Kimishima was added in Second Opinion, and Dr. Vaughn and Dr. Blaylock were the main characters of New Blood. With this many surgeons already in the series, we spent a great deal of time figuring out what kind of character the surgeon in Trauma Team should be.

The game’s multi-story structure was the deciding factor. We needed each of the six protagonists to have a strong personality and presence, or else some of them would be overshadowed by the others. If you were working to create a title with a single storyline and only one protagonist, you wouldn’t be so concerned about this, but it’s a crucial element for a game like Trauma Team.

What kind of characteristics will appeal to the audience? What will make this character stand out? If we can’t breathe life into our creation, it’s nothing but a failure. After many discussions and brainstorming, we came up with this:

He’s a doctor with outstanding surgical skills, but not working for any particular hospital. In fact, he is on death row for a crime he allegedly committed. Because of his skills, however, he is summoned from the prison to perform a difficult operation. At first he seems to be devoid of emotion, but as he interacts with other doctors, he slowly regains his passion for life. His appearance is completely opposite that of a typical hero; compared to the protagonists of the past titles in the series, he is more of a solitary specialist.

How’s that? Doesn’t it make you want to know more about this character? Now that the character’s concept has been established, it’s up to the designer to create a solid image that visually expresses the character’s traits.

He stands quietly by himself, yet there’s something about him that draws your attention. At the center of his well-chiseled face are his captivating dark red eyes. You see him wearing a pure white straitjacket (there is a meaning behind the color white, but I can’t disclose that information here) underneath the white doctor’s coat.

We wanted to incorporate all the elements we had of him into the design, and make sure we would get our message across to everyone who saw this character… That’s how CR-S01 came to be.

From there, CR-S01 took off and started moving on his own in the event scenes and operations. And once the game is released, he will completely leave our hands and mature as a fully-fledged character in each player’s mind.

This is our general process of character creation. We have six protagonists (and many other characters) in Trauma Team, and we put our utmost attention to each and every one of them. It is our wish that as you play through the game, you come to like at least one character.

Finally, I’d like to mention the contest that we held at E3 2009, in which the prize was to have the winner made into a character in Trauma Team. Congratulations to Mr. Charlie Malone, and thank you for providing us with the photos! We did our best to make the character fit the game’s art style while retaining the features from the reference pictures. This character is one of the patients, so you’ll have to save his life with your own hands!

Thank you very much for your continued support! There is still much to be revealed about Trauma Team, from inside info straight from the development team to new screenshots and movies. Stay tuned!

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Dear lord…talk about the day that wouldn’t end. Non-stop work today, and I’m ending the night with a headache. I just have to keep in mind that it’s all relative. There are plenty of people out there in much worse situations that me tonight. A headache and a heavy work load shouldn’t even be complaints! Always helps to put things in perspective. With that said, I hope you all had a fantastic day, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a great week as well. See you all in a few, short hours. - RMC

Well, sorry to say that GameFly has yet to send me either No More Heroes 2 or Tatsunoku vs Capcom. I guess a lot of you guys must be renting it yourselves, eh? I’m sure both games will be good…it’s just a matter of how good, isn’t it? Since I have yet to get my hands on either game, stay tuned for a review of Blaster Master: Overdrive next week. Quite a surprise, eh? Nintendo just keeps cutting it close with these startling WiiWare launches! Lastly, some people seemed upset that I didn’t complete Crystal Bearers before reviewing it. I think my opinion on the matter was explained well enough. If you really don’t like it, just pay attention to the blurb at the start of each review and look at it as an “extended preview” or some such. The important thing is that I try to be upfront and honest with you guys. I hope that’s appreciated because I could always just review games like everyone else without you knowing how much time I put into it…It’s up to you.

Lastly, this review brings up an issue that I have always taken into account with DLC titles: price. If a DLC game (or any game in general, really) has a lower price I will have lower expectations from it. That just makes sense to me. That said, enjoy the review. Later days~

The Magic Obelisk

-Wii Little Sprout-
Time played: About 3 Hours
Obtained: Purchased on Shop Channel [500 Points]
Completion: Completed the game and an extra level

-Small Spirit on a Small Adventure-
The Magic Obelisk, from the get-go, is clearly a cheaply developed WiiWare title designed for a young audience. This much is pretty obvious just by watching a trailer for it. That said, this is precisely the kind of platform that games like this can now thrive in. Games with low budgets and low price tags have totally changed the gaming landscape, and Magic Obselisk, while not superb, is a nice little diversion for Wii owners with a few bucks to burn.

The game’s plot is simple but original: Lukkus is a young tree spirit in the form of a little boy. In this world, tree spirits venture out in the land to find a good place to take root and sprout into a proper tree. The problem? Direct sunlight is what triggers their transformation. If you’re familiar with the WiiWare title “LIT” then think in reverse here: Magic Obelisk is a puzzle game about navigating environments by moving through shadows. It’s tackled in a different manner, of course — a more flexible one, thankfully. Puzzles don’t necessarily have an A, B, C approach. Granted, most of the time there is a formula that needs to be followed, but it’s not always exact and I found myself working through areas in slightly different ways than the obvious solution. Speaking of obvious, did I mention this game skewed young?

Granted, by the end there are definitely some that require a little more brain matter than you might expect, but I managed to get through the game with minimal difficulty — I didn’t even need to resort to a guide, which, for me, is kind of telling for this type of game. This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the game, but it is extremely cutesy, with a simple theme of serving others that concludes with an adorable ending. The narrative actually takes dominance in a handful of levels, which makes the game feel longer than it actually is. Of the 33 levels (plus one extra I unlocked) about five or so are extremely short and present little actual gameplay. This game has easily be played through in a single sitting if you’re up for it. And that’s not a bad thing, given its audience. Frankly speaking, many games are too long and involved for a general audience to complete. Magic Obelisk presents an endearing if brief tale with simple gameplay, a good learning curve, and is just the right length for a budding gamer to complete.

The presentation is probably what will be an issue for some, as it can’t be understated how childlike everything is presented. This game has an audience it’s going for. But the gameplay has some fun ideas. Players control a fairy (who thankfully never utters a word) that can create light against Magic Obelisks (see what they did there?) to make shadows appear. These shadows can be rotated by spinning around the column, and different Obelisks can produce different results: red ones produce heat, blue ice, and yellow wind. Each of these elements aren’t quite used to their peak of puzzle design, but they certainly add a nice little touch to the shadowplay navigation. It’s short, it’s fun, and I imagine younger gamers will be challenged but certainly capable of completing it with a little assistance if needed.

There are a few issues that hold the game back from being a solid recommendation for the platform, however. For starters, camera control is nonexistent, which can be an issue from time to time. Also, there were a few points (the last level in particular) where it was really difficult to guage exactly where a shadow was. Considering that at these points the shadows are being cast vertically over surfaces like water or a PIT — don’t ask me how that works) and there is no top-down perspective, this might be why. Lastly, you have no control over Lukkus directly. Which means that if you leave him idle to wait for you set up shadows for him, he may end up wandering himself into a spot of shadow that might disappear or rapidly change, leaving him high and dry. I was also periodically frustrated with his innate ability to automatically detect the paths I laid out for him. Earlier on, this was a convenience. Later on, as things ramped up in complexity, he seemed to get confused and end up running along an unfinished path only to turn around and go backwards rather than wait for me to finish creating a shadow for him. They’re manageable issues since you can press the 2 button to call him in a direction but even then he would occasionally ignore my command.

-Growing Some Courage Leaves-
The Magic Obelisk is a small game for a small price. You can certainly find better games on the Virtual Console and WiiWare service for 500 points but it’s a good game for its asking price. I was left with a smile on a face and felt my $5 had been spent with just enough reward to warrant them. With some more content to explore and some technical tweaks to the formula, this could become a worthwhile franchise. The cheap price for a budget game isn’t so bad here. If you want something for a younger gamer to give a spin or just have a few Wii points in your pocket and want something a little bit different, The Magic Obelisk is a decent buy.

-High Score-

7/10

- EA will release only 36 packaged games in the 12 months ending March 2011
- this is down from 54 in the current fiscal year
- that will account for a 33% drop
- EA releases would drop 20 percent in the next 12 months, aiming for 40 games overall

Uh oh, should Wii and DS owners start to get worried? EA seems to be quickly steering away from that Wii content promise they made a few months back. How quickly things change.

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Perhaps some more DLC offerings should be made free. That way devs can really experiment, we can test out some wacky ideas, and then devs can pull feedback to see what did and didn’t work. Then they can turn around and make a full game with the feedback we get, and everyone is happy!

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