Super Smash Bros. Brawl Sells 1.4 Million In One Week

Wii fans starved for more Super Smash Bros. have dropped cash on Nintendo's newest mascot fighter at an alarming, record setting rate. Nintendo announced today that it had shifted 1.4 million copies of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the United States during its first week on store shelves, with 874,000 of those being snapped up on day one. It still has a long way to go to get to the numbers its Gamecube predecessor did (7 million!). Insert something about printing money, it's a fad or Nintendo going third party here.

Capcom plans greater focus on digital downloads market

Capcom’s senior European marketing director Michael Pattison has said that they are planning a greater focus on the digital downloads market. “The coming months will see a combination of classic Capcom IP, licensed IP and the development of new original IP, working with some of the best developers in the business.” he said.

MS Insider: 60 gig stanard is confirmed, supply issues down to poor planning

Acording to a rumored MS insider, it is 100% confirmed that the Xbox 360 hard drive is moving to a standard size of 60 GB. "Those configurations are in design verification testing right now. I'd bet that this changeover also contributed to the lack of units. When MS changes major sub-assemblies like this, they try not to over produce the old configurations." he said. He also says that the Microsofts supply issues in February were down to poor planning, supply chain and quality issues restricting production. He makes t clear that it was not a case of demand out stripping supply.

Mexican police raid pirate game facilities

Mexican Law Enforcement officials revently raided four facilities that were involved in burning pirate copies of video games in the Tepito area of Mexico City. They say seized around 290 DVD/CD burners, 28,800 illegal copies of video games 900,000 video game cover inserts. The ESA have apparently been investigating pirate game traffickers in Tepito for several months.

Anime for Korean Winter Sonata TV Drama Hit Confirmed - Anime News Network

The exhibitor notes at the Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) 2008 website list a press stage event for the "Announcement of the Anime Production for the Winter Sonata (Fuyu no Sonata)" live-action drama series on March 28. The plans for an anime version were first revealed in December when the Korean media company Key East signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese entertainment company Total Promotion.

South Korea's KBS broadcasted the original hit drama series in 2002, and the 2004 Japanese broadcast triggered the ongoing "Korean wave" of pop culture in Japan. The drama follows two childhood friends — a boy and a girl — and the tragedy and angst that befalls them and those around them in the years between high school and young adulthood. As a result of the 2004 broadcast, the lead actor Bae Yong-Joon became a superstar among Japanese female viewers. (A third of the Key East company is owned by Bae.) The Japanese publisher Ohzora Publishing Co. eventually imported and translated the drama's manhwa adaptation (pictured at right) under the title Winter Love Song.

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Seven Ways to Win Back Your Gaming Spouse

Are games ruining your relationship? Fight back with these seven tips.

It might be hard to believe that a video game could destroy a relationship, but after we talked to Jocelyn, a Californian whose six-year marriage dissolved when her husband developed a crippling addiction to the massively-multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, we were inundated with similar stories of woe and heartbreak.

It's too late for Jocelyn -- who divorced her husband in 2005 and has sworn to keep away from gamers altogether -- but it might not be too late for you. If your significant other's gaming habits are harming your relationship, here are seven ways to beat the game and reclaim your love life.

1. Learn from the game

Games like World of Warcraft use classic behavioral control techniques: they tie small rewards very closely to repetitive chores. If your spouse is neglecting household tasks -- a common complaint among sufferers -- try employing a little positive reinforcement. The next time he empties the trash, play a loud 'Ding!' sound and tell him his Refuse-Disposal skill just increased.

2. Suggest a date at a video game movie

Just make sure it's a good one, because most of them are terrible. Resident Evil is a good choice, and assuming your spouse is male, the prospect of staring at Milla Jovovich for an hour and a half should certainly pique his interest. Don't let him sneak off to play his game once the movie is done, either: segue into a more intimate scenario before it ends, or you'll lose his attention.

3. Fake a power outage; cuddle up with candles and a board game

No matter how bad your addiction is, you can't play Warcraft with no electricity. Slip out to the junction box and flip the switch (after, of course, making sure any sensitive equipment is safely powered down). Your spouse will be devastated, but they'll be looking for something to keep their mind off the game. What better chance to propose lighting a few candles and playing a round of Scrabble?

4. Put some game into your nighttime activities

If your spouse's gaming addiction is cutting into your bedroom time, think about how you might switch up your usual routine. If they're into military games like Call of Duty or Splinter Cell, uniforms aren't hard to find (nor are night-vision cameras, if you're game). But if they call you a "n00b," it might be time to think about kicking them to the curb.

5. Try a different kind of role-playing game

If you're having trouble distracting your husband from the game, surprise him with a treat. World of Warcraft is packed with sexy female characters (and, let's face it, most other video games). With a little effort in the wardrobe department, you can recapture his attentions by dressing up as a character from the game. We'd suggest a Night Elf as a good starting outfit. For bonus points, learn the character's corresponding dance moves.

6. Get away from it all

Surprise your spouse with a weekend getaway to distract them from their addiction. Something that incorporates outdoor activities is best, because then he or she won't have the time or energy to miss their game. Try skiing, mountain biking, watersports, or fishing, or head for an action-packed hotspot like Vegas or New Orleans. Stay away from relaxing beach vacations, and for goodness sake, leave the laptop at home.

7. If you can't beat 'em...

If all else fails, it's time to consider extreme measures. Have you ever played the offending game yourself? Lots of couples play Warcraft (or similar online games) as a team, leveling up complementary characters and turning isolated and nonconstructive activities into good, old-fashioned quality time together. Most massively multiplayer games are deceptively easy to learn, and you'll have the benefit of an in-house expert to answer your questions in exhaustive detail. Just be careful not to start shirking familial duties yourself.

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EBay to launch Partner Network - IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING STARTING A WEBSITE OUTSIDE OF EBAY, IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER WITH THIS MERGER

EBay Inc. on Monday introduced a new global affiliate program for publishers bringing traffic to the online auctioneer.

Called the eBay Partner Network, it will serve as the company's new in-house affiliate network and will officially launch April 1.

The company's affiliate program has more than 100,000 members across the world, and eBay said it is one of the most successful tools for bringing buyers to the Web site. Affiliates get paid for driving traffic to the online auctioneer from their Web sites.

EBay said in a statement that the network is "designed to more fully align the programs across eBay's global properties and give affiliates expanded access to revenue opportunities across its platforms."

The company also said that with the an in-house affiliate network eBay and Half.com will stop running their affiliate programs through ValueClick Inc.'s Commission Junction platform, and the affected affiliates will need to move their affiliate links to the eBay Partner Network by May 1.

EBay said Tradera AB, ProStores Inc., Reseller Marketplace, Media Marketplace, eBay Stores and StubHub will continue working with Commission Junction.

The company said that eBay affiliates that work with other platforms like Affilinet and Tradedoubler won't be affected by the change.

EBay shares fell 48 cents to $25.77 in trading.

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RPGamer - News Bulletin - Capcom Announces Mega Man Star Force 2 For US

Capcom, the company behind the Mega Man franchise, announced this week that it is localizing Mega Man Star Force 2 for the US. The game will come in two unique "flavors," Zerker X Ninja and Zerker X Saurian and will be released this June.

The game follows the adventures of Geo Stellar and his crew two months after the end of the first Mega Man Star Force. The player will follow along as Geo battles the mysterious "Rogue," and his host of unidentified animated beings. "Rogue" is not the only villain the game provides though, as a new organization is rising up, trying to use the power of "OOPArt" to revive the "Mu" civilization, and only Geo Stellar and Omega-Xis stand in their way.

Similar to previous Mega Man RPGs, Mega Man Star Force 2 will utilize battle card decks, and a three-by-five battle grid, as players battle through the physical and virtual worlds. Also included will be an upgraded "Transer" system, and a host of Nintendo Wi-Fi features.

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GT5 Prologue download weighs 1.9GB

To download or to get the Blu-ray version: that is the question.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's release is coming rather soon for both our American and European readers. However, which version should one pick up? For those seeking instant gratification off the hard drive, perhaps the download is the way to go. But take note: the download weighs a hefty 1.9GB.

Some may be wondering: how come the game is so small when a Blu-ray disc can hold so much more? By getting rid of all the videos. Eurogamer explains: "Prologue reduces its footprint is by leaving cinematics on the server until you choose to download them from GT TV. You can choose to download the opening movie at any time, and when you finish Event series you're told that you can now download the end movie from the in-game high-definition TV download page."

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Toshiba reportedly set to lose nearly $1 billion in wake of HD-DVD format death

In order to truly enter a format war, one must possess a number of things. The first, of course, is a viable format, unique from all others currently on the market. The second is the persistence to constantly push your format on as many film companies and consumer electronics producers as you possibly can, to ensure your victory. Finally, should said victory never come, you must possess a strong stomach and a wide wallet -- as losing a format war is a costly and heartbreaking endeavor.

According to the Nikkea Business Daily, Toshiba is learning this lesson to the tune of a ¥100 billion loss in revenue this year (to grasp the magnitude of this loss, here it is in numeric form: ¥100,000,000,000) or roughly $986 million in U.S. cash. We usually leave the economic speculation to the experts, but we're pretty sure that's a large sum of money that Toshiba would rather not part with. But as they say, in order to make an omelet, you've got to break a few eggs; though sometimes, you have to break 100 billion eggs, only to find that nobody wants to eat your omelet. Okay, nobody says that.

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EA names new president of global publishing, COO

Amidst its hostile bid to absorb competitor Take Two, which is playing out with all the drama befitting daytime TV, Electronic Arts has announced the appointment of John Pleasants as the company's new chief operating officer and president of global publishing. He will report directly to CEO John Riccitello, and in his new role the exec will lead the charge in EA's global publishing, corporate communications and government affairs -- someone's gonna have his hands full.

He will also be getting his hands dirty helping manage EA's online, central development, and technology teams as well. Pleasants' previous experience includes top executive positions as multiple companies including Ticketmaster, meaning that he already likely has a great deal of experience at nickel-and-diming customers into oblivion.

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GT5 Prologue hits 1 million Euro pre-orders

The upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for PlayStation 3 has already reached a milestone, with SCEE confirming the title has reach one million in European pre-orders. That pretty much assures the racer of hitting platinum status within its first week of release.

For those wishing to go the download route, Prologue will only cost your hard drive 1.9 GB. Filling out the remainder of the Blu-ray disc version are cinematics from the game, still available to the downloaded version in-game through GT TV. As explained by Eurogamer (via PS3 Fanboy), you can download the opening movie at any time, and the ending movie becomes available once you beat the game. No word yet on how big those movies are.

GT5 Prologue is due out next Friday, March 28, in Europe (March 27 for download) and April 17 in North America.

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And Famitsu's Top 25 Games For 2007 Were... [Famitsu]

People only seem fussed over the scores from one Japanese mag: Famitsu. And while they're not the most reliable barometer for a title's quality (for long-running franchises like Final Fantasy, you can forget about a fanbase-annoying score), it's still somewhat interesting seeing how they felt 2007's games shaped up. After the jump are the 25 games with the highest scores, and before you jump, know this: four editors review the games and score them out of 10, with the listed score being the total out of a possible 40. Try not to let the number of 360 games SHOCK YOU.

1. Phantom Hourglass - 39

2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360 version) - 38

3. Super Mario Galaxy - 38

4. GTA San Andreas (PS2) - 38

5. Call of Duty 4 (360) - 37

6. Call of Duty 4 (PS3) - 37

7. Minna no Golf Portable 2 (PSP) - 37

8. God of War 2 (PS2) - 37

9. Halo 3 - 37

10. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS3) 36

11. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (360) 36

12. Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero (DS) - 36

13. Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida (PSP) - 36

14. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - 36

15. Lost Odyssey - 36

16. Assassin's Creed (360 version) - 36

17. Ace Combat 6 - 36

18. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction - 36

19. Minna no Golf 5 (Everybody's Golf 5) - 36

20. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (360) - 36

21. Itadaki Street - 36

22. Forza Motorsport 2 - 36

23. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas (360 version) 36

24. Gyakuten Saiban 4 - 36

25. Final Fantasy IV (DS) - 35

Famitsu's top 25 games of 2007 by score [VG247]

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'Handmade Super Smash Shoes'

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