All Articles: Wii

Diablo III named best-selling game of May 2012 after collecting a ton of loot

Posted on June 15, 2012 by John Scalzo

Can you guess the best-selling game of May 2012 according to The NPD Group’s monthly calculations? Go on, guess, it’s not really a mystery… The best-selling game of May 2012 was Blizzard’s Diablo III.

Diablo III’s loot frenzy was the lone bright spot for the game industry this month as total sales were down 28% from May 2011 with console hardware taking the biggest hit (a 39% drop).

But that’s not for lack of trying. A ton of new releases broke into the top ten this month including Max Payne 3 (#2), Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (#3), Sniper Elite V2 (#7), and Dragon’s Dogma (#9). But I guess they didn’t put up the sales numbers to compete with last May’s biggest game, L.A. Noire.

The complete top ten can be found after the break. (more…)

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NBA 2K13 slams it home on October 2; tips off at Wii U launch too

Posted on May 30, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s bad luck to change anything in the middle of a hot streak. Your favorite headband, your driving route to the court, even your underwear. It all has to stay the same. Every athlete knows this.

It looks like the people at 2K Sports are a superstitious bunch as well. Just as they’ve done every year since 2007, the publisher plans to release NBA 2K13 for the PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360 during the first week of October (October 2 to be exact). A Wii U version is also in development and will ship during the “holiday season.”

NBA 2K13 is, as always, in development at Visual Concepts. This year, the developer plans to include a new downloadable NBA All-Star content package with every pre-order of the game. Buying early on the PS3 and Xbox 360 will net fans a trio of star-studded bonuses:

[The NBA All-Star] add-on content will be set in Houston, the site of the 2013 NBA All-Star Game and will allow fans to stage their own NBA All-Star Game, including three NBA All-Star events – the Foot Locker Three Point Shootout, BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, and the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest featuring all-new intuitive, pick-up-and-play controls.

Gamers can pit the NBA’s current superstars against classic players in both the Foot Locker Three Point Shootout and Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. Rosters for both the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge and 2013 NBA All-Star Game will feature the 2012 All-Stars, with dynamic updates to the 2013 rosters once the participants are announced.

“The NBA All-Star package is our way saying ‘thank you’ to fans for their ongoing love of the NBA 2K series,” said Jason Argent, Vice President of Marketing for 2K Sports. “This content provides a ton of depth and value to our fans, and it’s just the beginning of a lot of big news about NBA 2K13.”

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FIFA Soccer 13 will bring the innovation this Fall

Posted on May 15, 2012 by John Scalzo

EA Sports has officially announced that FIFA Soccer 13 will be available this Fall on the… deep breath… 3DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360, and iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad.

The latest addition to EA’s footie franchise promises to take a few revolutionary steps forward with an improved Career Mode, improved online play, and more than 500 officially licensed teams (clubs in soccer-speak).

The publisher has also revealed that big changes are coming to the on-field action, which you can read more about after the break. (more…)

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Prototype 2, Kinect Star Wars lead April 2012 NPD report

Posted on May 10, 2012 by John Scalzo

Activision’s Prototype 2 took the top spot in the latest NPD report of bestselling games. Another new release, the Xbox 360-exclusive Kinect Star Wars, “did the Han Solo” all the way up to #2.

The remainder of the list is overflowing with familiar faces from last Fall including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (#3), NBA 2K12 (#5), and Just Dance 3 (#9). It wasn’t a Fall release, but Mass Effect 3 continues to hold strong at #8 now that the controversy over the game’s ending has come to… an end.

In terms of dollars made, the game industry suffered a 32% drop in overall sales from April 2011 ($630.4 million versus $930.9 million) when Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat ruled the charts.

You can check out the NPD Group’s complete list of bestsellers for April 2012 after the break. (more…)

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NCAA Football 12 is the valedictorian of July’s NPD chart

Posted on August 12, 2011 by John Scalzo

The NPD Group has revealed the top ten bestselling games for the month of July and NCAA Football 12 jumped to the head of the class. None of the rest of the month’s new releases managed to crack the list (including the awesome Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon or the alluring Catherine). Even the heavily-hyped Duke Nukem Forever was unable to maintain its place in the top ten.

With few new releases, only 17 titles were released during the month, gamers spent their money on other things in July. According to The NPD Group’s Anita Frazier, July was the “lowest month [for game sales] since October 2006.”

Maybe that’ll show publishers that the gaming community is pretty desperate for new games in the Summer. So maybe they shouldn’t backload every worthwhile game into the September-November period. In the meantime, check out the full top ten after the break. (more…)

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Jordan, Bird, Magic triple-team NBA 2K12 cover

Posted on July 21, 2011 by John Scalzo

Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. 2K Sports has chosen those three legends to grace the three different covers that’ll be available for NBA 2K12. The basketball sim will be available for the PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 on October 4.

After the huge success of last year’s Jordan-infused NBA 2K11, expanding the game’s repertoire of hoops legends is a great idea. The looming NBA lockout probably influenced 2K’s decision to stay away from active players as well.

However, I wouldn’t get too attached to the artwork of His Airness. If you look close you’ll see that, instead of his familiar “23” (or even his short-lived “45”), the number on Jordan’s jersey is a “3.” (A second look reveals that the “2” in “23” is there, just pushed all the way to the left.)

Whoops! Hit the (fast) break for a look at all three covers. (more…)

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See the final box art for Madden NFL 12

Posted on May 31, 2011 by John Scalzo

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis vaulted over some stiff competition to earn the right to grace the Madden NFL 12 cover. Today, Hillis has officially been targeted by the Madden Cover Curse as the final box art for the game was revealed. Feel free to click on the image to view a slightly larger version.

Madden NFL 12 will be released for the PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 on August 30.

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EA unveils E3 2011 lineup; includes multiple unannounced projects

Posted on May 24, 2011 by John Scalzo

Electronic Arts has caught the E3 fever and the only cure is an hour-long show on Spike TV!

Geoff Keighley of GameTrailers TV will host “Gamechangers: EA 2011 Preview,” a live broadcast of EA’s 2011 E3 press conference. The photogenic game journalist will be joined by EA CEO John Riccitiello and several of the publisher’s development teams to unveil their E3 lineup:

  • Experience an explosive, never-before-seen demo of Battlefield 3
  • Travel across the galaxy for a look at Commander Shepard’s final voyage in Mass Effect 3
  • Hit the pitch for a first look at FIFA Soccer 12
  • Discover what’s new in Madden NFL 12
  • Shred the mountains in the world premiere look at SSX
  • Experience the high-speed thrills of Need For Speed: The Run
  • Star Wars: The Old Republic and multiple “unannounced projects” will also be revealed during the broadcast

Gamechangers will air live on Spike TV on Monday, June 6 at 3:30 PM (Eastern Time).

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