From February 27th to March 13th, Nintendo DS(i) and Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum Version owners will have the opportunity to bring their games to a participating Gamestop to download this little happy looking critter to their console!

Jirachi has the ability to grant any wish for just one week every thousand years and comes equipped with attacks such as Wish, Confusion, Rest, and the powerful Draco Meteor. What’s more, this Jirachi holds a secret that will be revealed in the upcoming Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version games! When you trade Jirachi into one of those games, you’ll be able to unlock a special Route inside the Pokéwalker accessory — a Poké Ball shaped pedometer that helps Pokémon gain experience and allows Trainers to encounter special Pokémon and find hidden items, all as a result of walking around in real life. Obtaining this rare Pokémon Jirachi distribution is the only way the Route map for Night Sky’s Edge can be accessed.

Pokemon fans have much more to look forward to, as Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are slated for release on March 14th, 2010.

Of course, for more information visit www.pokemon.com!

…What’s that? Borderlands will launch with a 40 dollar release price in Canada? Woo hoo!

My friend Paul Hunter of Nextgenplayer.com reported that Borderlands will be sold at the very affordable price of 40 dollars at all major Canadian retailers; Future Shop, Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

With the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, it’s nice to see more cheap [quality] games coming our way.

Check Borderlands out on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on October 20th, 2009!

World-wide publishers take note!

In what was deemed; ‘The Canadian Video Game Purchase Process’, a survey to find out when, where and why games were purchased, results came back showing that Canadians will opt for cheap and used titles in the time of an economic recession. (Go figure.)

From the article: “Clearly gamers are becoming much less reluctant to spend on games,” said Matthew Tattle, group manager for The NPD Group. “One would think it is a little unusual to see impulse purchases during a recession but it’s clear that hardcore gamers will find a way to satisfy their need for something new, different and enjoyable.”

The study also went on to find that Ontario was and Quebec are the most gaming-heavy provinces, with the average gamer spending 10-15 hours a month on their video game consoles. (…Is it sad that such a number seems like a weekly estimate for me?)

Sadly though the demo will only be available to those who pre-order from selected retailers around the globe.

Check out the below list to find out how to pre-order and to secure yourself a demo code.

US

• GameStop

UK

• GAME

Australia

• EB Games

New Zealand

• EB Games

Italy

• Blockbuster
• GameRush

Finland

• Netanttila
• VPD
• Discshop

Both Best Buy and Gamestop stocks have bumped up 4.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively. What the causes of this bump were cannot be pinpointed, perhaps it was the rising dollar value, or maybe the PS3 Slim and Xbox 360 price cuts may have contributed. Either way, it’s nice to see good news once and a while.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, “GameStop meanwhile closed at USD 24.93, but experienced continued price growth in after hours to rise a further 1.4 per cent to USD 25.27.”

With a boost of 43 percent a week before the Slim launch, things are looking good for Microsoft–at the moment. Will this momentum continue with the PS3 Slim on its tail?

Speaking following the price drop last week, Microsoft’s Euro Xbox boss Chris Lewis said that the new price is designed to help the company maintain its lead of Sony in the Christmas period and into 2010.

“We know that when we get to price points that are logical and sweet – and EUR 249 / GBP 199 is certainly one of those – we know that we see exponential growth rates,” said Lewis.

“The holiday phase will give us seasonal growth of course, but we have a very bullish plan this year, we have bullish plans every year. Our appetite to continue to win, and to hold our lead and grow our lead over the competition is very central to what we have planned in and budgeted in for the year.”

While on the other hand, at least the Xbox 360 is getting a bit of love.

The full Media Create Japanese hardware chart for the week ending August 24 is as follows:

• Nintendo DS – 65,313
• PlayStation Portable – 27,187
• Nintendo Wii – 26,972
• Xbox 360 – 8,979
• PlayStation 2 – 3,295
• PlayStation 3 – 2,052

What is this news? Earlier I was browsing the blades on the Xbox 360 dashboard when I noticed a Wal-Mart ad.

What does this AD read? Well it stated that Batman Arkham Asylum will cost a mere $38.00 CDN. For such an anticipated title, Wal-Mart sure is playing its cards right

We can only hope other publishers will take note to the success of this discount and follow suit. (Okay they wont, but we can hope, right?)

Update: This price is also confirmed for the PS3 version.

“We are very sorry but Microsoft have discontinued this line,” says the retailer.

What does this mean? Well rumor has it… a price drop on the Elite!

With all of the murmerings of a PS3 Slim and PS3 regular price cut, we can’t help but feel inclined to agree that Microsoft will drop the Xbox 360 elite price to the current premium price to offer great competition.

It’ll be interesting to see what is to come of this news story, and when we know more, we’ll be posting the news here of course! So check back.

Hit the break to check out the full details on the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Collector’s Edition and what Will Curley had to say about this.

• A copy of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, exclusively for the PS3
• Limited Edition 80 page ‘Ninja Gaiden Treasury’
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 prologue comic written and designed by Team NINJA
• Character and Concept Art Gallery
• Lite-Strategy Guide including: Weapon Profiles for the 4 playable characters
• Commentary from Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 producer Yosuke Hayashi
• Complete, limited edition original soundtrack CD
• Exclusive downloadable costume available through the PlayStation Network.

Will Curley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing commented.

“Tecmo Koei Europe is staffed by gamers, with a gamers’ eye on what makes a worthwhile purchase. With the announcement of the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Collector’s Edition, we’re sure fans of the series will love what’s in store for them”,

“Setting the RRP of the Collector’s Edition Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 at £49.99 we believe gamers will feel they’re getting a lot of Ninja Gaiden and extras for their cash”.

The company has announced in conjunction with GameStop, gamers that pre-order a copy of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 for the PS3 or Xbox 360 from a GameStop store or online at www.GameStop.com will receive an exclusive playable character – Juggernaut.

When are companies going to stop with these store exclusive deals?

DJ Hero will only cost US consumers USD 120, according to GameStop – which translates to around GBP 73.

HMV, which offers DJ Hero for GBP 99.99, told Eurogamer it is “going with its own price on this”. Other local retailers are yet to set a firm price.

Last week, Activision CEO Mike Griffiths told GamesIndustry.biz that he considers DJ Hero to be a key title in expanding the business in European regions.

Courtesy of Games Industry

US retailer Best Buy has entered the used games market and is trialling kiosks that allow users to swap old games for in-store credit.

The system is similar to that employed by Wal-Mart, and analysts believe that rather than take share from the second hand market, it is likely to help increase sales to as much as USD 3 billion annually.

“While we believe that Best Buy’s entry into the used video game market will create a new overhang on shares of GameStop, we expect Best Buy’s initiative to expand the used videogame market rather than take significant share from the speciality channel,” wrote Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets.

“We estimate the size of the commercial used videogame market in the USD 2.5 billion range worldwide, continuing to grow, driven by major players including GameStop, Game Group, Game Crazy, and Internet marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon,” added Sebastian.
Courtesy of GamesIndustry.Biz

Capcom has teamed up with acclaimed artist Dave White to create a one-off fully customised Mad Catz 360 Tournament Stick.

Using exclusive artwork and signed by Dave White, this stick has arcade-spec components and looks unlike any other stick out there. And you could own it!

With Mad Catz Tournament Sticks still in short supply months after the release of Street Fighter IV this is the perfect time to marry your need for unbelievably sexy kit with your need to give money to charity.

Anyone interested in owning this stick should send their details plus the amount they wish to bid to iheartdavewhite@capcomeuro.com before 16th June. At the close of the auction the highest bidder will win the stick and the proceeds will go to the charity Shelter.

Be one of the first to play the best boxing games to arrive this June, pre-order Fight Night Round 4 from Gamestation.co.uk.

You’ll get early access to a playable demo which you can download from Xbox Live or Playstation Network this upcoming Thursday. The game is out June 26 for both PS3 and 360.

See the world through different eyes by stepping into Wolverine’s shoes! To support the release of the hotly awaited feature film; X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the video game of the movie will be available at Gamestation from Friday 1st May 2009 and will follow the return of one of the most popular characters of all time.

Taking you through an adventurous escape from the Weapon X facility, to the risky jungles of Africa, this game is set to get even the strongest of hearts racing! Equipped with Wolverine’s unique skills including immense strength and indestructible claws, you will travel through the film’s storyline and beyond.

Whilst finding the truth behind Wolverine’s tragic past, his regenerative power will help you to not only fight other opponents, but to also heal in real time from any blow that may be received along the way.

Prepare to be taken to a variety of locations, where survival and animal instincts will be put to the test as hidden dangers begin to close in.

Are you ready for more than the challenge of a lifetime? Visit any Gamestation store or go to www.gamestation.co.uk to get your own copy.

SCEA today announced that the PlayStation 2 will be available starting April 1 for only $99 and $110 (CDN).

It’s also been confirmed by SCEE that a price drop will be available from tomorrow in Europe for only €99 while UK the price of Playstation 2 is not being reduced.

What bad economy? Capcom just passed along word that the launch of Resident Evil 5 is now officially the most successful Resident Evil at launch in the franchise’s history with four million units shipped.

Wanted to let you know that Capcom’s headquarters in Osaka, Japan, today announced that the initial world-wide shipment of Resident Evil 5 surpassed more than 4 million units. This is the biggest launch for any of the Resident Evil games to date.

With RE5, this now brings the tally of Resident Evil games worldwide to over 40 million units since the series debuted in March of 1996! Additionally, the three “Resident Evil” Hollywood major motion pictures have achieved combined sales of over 300 million dollars, and the CG film, “Resident Evil: Degeneration,” has now shipped over 1.5 million copies.

Friday 13th March may be considered unlucky by many, but Gamestation’s customers may beg to differ! This particular Friday; 13th March 2009, sees the launch of the eagerly awaited Resident Evil 5 game, the sequel to one of the highest-rated videogames in history. To celebrate, Gamestation stores across the country will be opening their doors at midnight tomorrow night, giving its customers the chance to be amongst the first in the UK to get their hands on the game.

Says Martyn Gibbs, Managing Director “This game is arguably the biggest launch so far this year and we wanted to make sure our customers could buy the game as soon as it’s available. Our midnight openings always go down a storm with shoppers and staff alike, so we’re opening over 200 of our stores across the country tomorrow night at midnight, with staff even getting dressed up for the occasion!”

Gamestation will also be selling a variety of other Resident Evil 5 items such as T-shirts, hoodies , thermal mug holders and, an extremely limited edition red Xbox Elite console package including the Resident Evil 5 game, Resident Evil 5 Theme and Street Fighter II HD Remix.

At midnight PST they should be going on sale for $29.99 with free shipping. Unfortunately, there is tax for the poor souls like me who live in California.

Last few days of the Gamestation Advent deal of the day, Gamestation are pleased to announce that Sonic Unleashed on Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii is just £17.98!!!

http://www.gamestation.co.uk/lowdown.aspx?lid=20113

Grab it while you can as this deal can only last 24 hours! Also don’t forget Tomb Raider: Underworld is still half price on PS3, 360, PC and Wii formats.

http://www.gamestation.co.uk/lowdown.aspx?lid=20092

Grab it while you can as this deal can only last 24 hours!

Just a little heads up to our European readers:

Gamestation are pleased to announce that for one week only Fable 2 on Xbox 360 is less than half its original price and is now available for an unbelievable £19.57!!!!

Buy Fable 2 (Xbox 360) for £19.57 only at Gamestation
http://www.gamestation.co.uk/lowdown.aspx?lid=20092

Remember this offer is for one week only, but Gamestation have plenty more bargains both in-store and online at www.gamestation.co.uk

You’re welcome!

The music ranges by location and scenario. There are moments of long beds of orchestral music, followed by electronic/metal sounding tracks that put the listener into a different space altogether. There are also vast ambient tracks that are made of layers upon layers of sample-based sounds and evolving electronic sounding textures as well.

So while the music and audio is Norse in its presentation, it is not exclusively Norse in its sound. It branches out quite a bit, but still stays in the realm of an ancient lost world of technology. It also has its moments using a more aggressive contemporary sound. In places, the Silicon Knights audio team brought in layers of electronic elements, but in a more subtle way. The cyber elements are more elegant and organic in style. In some cases the song style was influenced by the style of the instrument itself, whether that be a Balaban, Bone flute, Frame Drum, Bagpipe or something else, making the phrasing and general feel of a song constructed around the characteristic of that one instrument.

The magazine will be a bespoke, 44 page pocket sized guide with a launch print run of 300,000 copies, to be distributed through more than 500 Currys and Currys.digital stores. In addition, a digital edition will be available online at currys.co.uk, extending the reach of the print edition beyond the store environment.

Content will include games reviews, information on the latest hardware and peripherals and offers aimed at everyone from the casual player to hardcore gamers.

Commenting on the magazine, David Poulter, Currys’ Trading Manager for Consoles said:
“We are offering a superb, extended range of hardware and games for peak trading. The introduction of a games guide will help customers choose the right products for themselves and their friends and family.”

Simon Tapscott, MediaClash’s Head of Customer Publishing said of the win:
“The Currys games guide will help customers select the best new games and hardware formats this Christmas and beyond, driving incremental sales for Currys during the busiest trading period of the year.

“This launch is a clear and confident sign of Currys’ strategy to grow their share of the games market and we’re delighted to have been appointed to help them achieve this goal.”

The first issue of the magazine features a huge giveaway – readers will be offered the chance to win everything reviewed within the issue, including a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, a Wii and at least 60 games– a fantastic Christmas gift for any gamer.

The games guide marks a further step forward in the relationship between MediaClash and Currys, who have previously worked together on in-store guides and direct mail work. MediaClash are also working on a variety of other projects on Currys’ behalf, including instore photography and audio visual publications.