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Halo: ODST Declared Winner in Hording Post-E3 Consumer Interest

Nielsen Company blog, the Nielsen Wire, reports that in the study they did measuring Post-E3 consumer purchase interest of a variety of software products, Halo: ODST was on top of the heap. The upcoming Halo 3 expansion scored a 53% rating. This was followed up by God of War III which garnered 49% interest. One surprising finding is that the Beatles: Rock Band only garnered 30% of post-E3 consumer interest.

The full list (with release date and % interest):
53% – Halo ODST (9/22/09)
49% – God of War III (March 2010)
45% – Wii Sports Resort (7/28/09)
42% – Guitar Hero 5 (9/1/09)
37% – Final Fantasy XIII (April 2010)
35% – Madden 2010 (8/14/09)
34% – Guitar Hero: Van Halen (12/1/09)
32% – Assassins Creed 2 (11/17/09)
32% – Need for Speed: Shift (9/22/09)
32% – Need for Speed: Nitro (10/17/09)
32% – NCAA Football 10 (7/14/09)
30% – Beatles Rock Band (9/8/09)

Via NielsenWire

StarForce Talks Comeback – Gamers Everywhere Feel Disturbance in the Force

If you think saying that ‘StarForce is attempting a comeback’ sounds cool, think again. StarForce is not some uber-secret space fighter squadron spreading Democracy and freedom across the cosmos, oh no! It is, instead, a vilified (and rightfully so) DRM scheme which installed a malware-like driver onto user’s PCs which did not go away just because the original game was uninstalled. Worse yet, the system did not even work properly as it was only a matter of time before crackers figured out workarounds. It is yet another example of how DRM hurts honest consumers. And now they are coming back, at least, according to a recent interview with GamaSutra.

From the Interview:
Why do you think StarForce’s new anti-piracy measures will rebuild the company’s reputation?

I think that new products, excellent customer service, and the right combination between publisher and customer needs will help. We have seriously worked on our errors and offered new solutions. Now we need to receive more feedback to be able to say something specific and continue with improvements. But based on our Russian and Eastern European experiences, both publishers and customers are very delighted with our new steps.’

Nintendo Wii Madden NFL 10 Screenshots


EA SPORTS has released a ton of new screenshots for the upcoming Nintendo Wii version from their Madden NFL 10 football title. The game is due out on August 14th for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and iPhone platforms.

See all the new screens After the Break!

Activision Releases Five New Guitar Hero 5 Screenshots


Looking forward to playing some Guitar Hero 5 when it releases on September 1st? You might want to check out the five new screenshots released today After the Break!

The game’s new art direction for the franchise looks very cool and makes me wonder if Harmonix is going to go the same route in Rock Band 3.

Video Games Live Releases Pre-Loaded MP3 Player


If you ever wanted to hear the orchestral sounds of Video Games Live but did not want to purchase a CD or attend a live show you can now purchase a specially-branded MP3 player for $50 dollars which comes pre-loaded with ten of their best covers. The MP3 player also comes with 2GB of unused memory with which you can add more music on the player.

The pre-loaded player will also come with Vivo earbuds as well as a USB connection cable.

Microsoft Announces Project Natal – Motion Control System


Microsoft’s Don Mattrick announced Project Natal, the Xbox 360 motion control camera system at their press conference today. As their big, final announcement, Project Natal seemed slightly less-exciting (in terms of audience applause level) then their other announcements, but still looks to be an interesting system should it work as advertised.

The system would not only allow you to play all sorts of games by just using your body, but would also allow you to control the Xbox LIVE dashboard with your body as well.

Director Steven Spielberg was brought on stage to also talk about the project and how he believes in the system. The presuposition here being that his upcoming secret project will make full-use of the system.

Metal Gear: Rising Coming to Xbox 360


At Microsoft’s press conference today, Don Mattrick introduced Hideo Kojima to the stage. Kojima announced that they will be bring Metal Gear Solid: Rising to the Xbox 360 and the game is in development now.

Kojima alluded to the fact that the game would not be centered around Solid Snake but would not comment more passed the image of what we assume to be Raiden being displayed in the background.

Official Release:
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., announced today that Metal Gear Solid: Rising is currently in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft – the first Metal Gear Solid game to launch on the Xbox 360®. Raiden, one of the most popular characters in the Metal Gear Solid universe, will star in the all-new title from Hideo Kojima. Raiden first debuted in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system as a playable character and appeared as a non-playable cyborg in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Halo: Reach Announced for 2010

*UPDATE – Check out the teaser trailer here.

As per the rumor earlier, Bungie confirmed at Microsoft’s press conference that Halo: Reach was their big announcement for E3 2009. The teaser trailer for the game showed the planet being glassed while all hell broke loose on the combat comms. It releases in 2010 and seems to deal with the Spartan team on planet.

When you purchase Halo: ODST, you will be able to participate in the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta test at a later date.

EA Sports Shows Off Co-Op Play in Madden NFL 10


EA Sports has released a new video showing off the newest feature to the Madden series: co-op play! Due out August 14th in North America, Madden NFL 10’s co-op mode is not the only new thing to the series as EA teases us an even BIGGER one will be announced during the Microsoft press conference on June 1st.