The Witcher and it’s recent update, The Witcher - Enhanced Edition, have combined to sell over 1 million copies, making the game a HUGE success for developer “CD Projekt Red”. The reason it’s such a big deal is due to the fact that The Witcher was a new IP from an unknown developer from Poland, it’s also a hardcore RPG.

Speaking of the feat., the developers said, “Scientific research has proven that those sales numbers are quite good for a debut game based on a relatively unfamiliar IP from an unknown studio on a ‘dead’ platform,” making light of frequent claims regarding the health of PC gaming.

The announcement comes several weeks after the release of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, a free 2GB update with improvements and new content developed according to fan feedback. The expansion also saw a retail release with several extras, such as music CDs, making-of videos, an official game guide, and a map of The Witcher’s world.

Says CD-Projekt RED CEO Adam Kicinski, “We created The Witcher with the intent of becoming an acclaimed and successful development studio that always made games for its fans; we spent more than $11 million developing The Witcher and the Enhanced Edition, and it sure is nice to make some of that money back!”

He continues, “The success of The Witcher has ensured that we’ll be able to make the games we want – and the games that fans want – for the foreseeable future, and the amazing response we had from the gaming community to the Enhanced Edition really reinforced that we’re on the right track with our development philosophy.”

The Polish publisher and developer also recently debuted GOG.com, or Good Old Games, a digital download platform offering DRM-free vintage titles, such as Black Isle’s Fallout 2, Piranha Bytes’s Freespace 2, and Bohemia Interactive’s Operation Flashpoint. The company also intends to formally announce a multi-platform project with Metropolis Software (Infernal, They), which is also based in Poland and which CD Projekt acquired earlier this year.

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How does Mercenaries 3 sound to you? What about Mercenaries 4? 5? 6? 10?!?!

Well you just may get your wish, because the Mercenaries franchise is big. How big? Well Mercenaries 2: World in Flames sold 1.9 million units across the world, putting the franchise in the upper echelons of successful properties in the Electronic Arts portfolio, on the same level as Will Wright’s Spore and their extremely successful golfing franchise, Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘09.

This is despite the game not getting exactly glowing reviews, thankfully for it’s developer Pandemic though, money talks. As for the sequels mentioned above, EA boss John Riccitiello is dead set on providing Mercenaries games for a long time to come. At least, as long as the franchise remains profitable, of course.

“There will be a Mercenaries 3 and, if I have anything to do with it, there will be a Mercenaries 10,” Riccitello told investors, as reported by GameSpot.

Pandemic though has been open to the idea of furthering the franchise for quite a while, even going back as far as 2007 where they stated in interviews that they already had plenty of ideas for Mercenaries 3.

So now it’s not a matter of IF they’ll be a Mercenaries 3, but when.

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Grand Theft Auto IV plus zombies for Halloween? Sounds like fun to me! Here is the word directly from Rockstar, developers of the massive car-jacking hit (note: This is exclusively for the Xbox 360 version of the game).

“Attention Citizens,

The rest of you: register for the Rockstar Social Club now.”

The new zombie Downloadable Content addition was first hinted at in a Eugenics Inc. “ad” that appeared in the RockStar Social Club, issuing a vague quarantine order locking down the mysterious company’s compound due to a contagious disease outbreak. Eugenics Inc. is a physical location in Grand Theft Auto IV, located in Bohan, though it didn’t play into any part of the game up until today.

The quarantine announcement was actually the second Eugenics Inc. display to appear on Social Club, following a “Sperm for Cash” ad posted in April (now removed), which, to date, has never been an actual in-game activity.

So what are you waiting for? Fire up Grand Theft Auto IV for today’s festivities instead of handing out candy to those miniature bastards at your front door and get ready to kill some zombies!

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Dragon Age Origins will be coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 after it’s early 2009 PC release, says the lead designer of the game, Brent Knowles, in a new interview where he discusses BioWare’s latest epic (which is the spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate). Knowles couldn’t give a timeframe though for the release of the console versions.

Game Informer magazine will also have an exclusive look at the console versions in their November issue.

Dragon Age Origins is the next highly anticipated RPG from the developers who brought the world Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire and, most recently, Mass Effect. The game is being called a ‘dark heroic fantasy’ and is billed as the spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate as mentioned above.

Features of Dragon Age Origins include:

* Epic Party-Based Combat – Dragon Age: Origins introduces an innovative, scalable combat system, as players face large-scale battles and use their party’s special abilities to destroy hoardes of enemies and massive creatures
* Powerful Magic – Raining down awesome destruction on enemies is even more compelling as players apply spell combos, a way of combining together different spells to create emergent unique effects
* Deep Customization – Players will develop their characters and gain powerful special abilities (spells, talents and skills) and discover ever-increasing weapons of destruction
* Your Story, Your Way – With its emotionally compelling story, players choose with whom they wish to forge alliances or crush under their mighty fist, redefining the world with the choices they make and how they wield their power
* Origin Stories – Players will select and play a unique prelude that provides the lens through which the player sees the world and how the world sees the player. The player’s choice of Origin will determine who they are and where they begin the adventure, as they play through a customized story opening that profoundly impacts the course of every adventure

Here is a story trailer for Dragon Age Origins.

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David Hasselhoff aka “The Hoff” has entered the building! Or rather, entered the PAIN.

Sony has announced that David Hasselhoff is going to be added as a playable, flingable, “feel free to run me over with a car or fling me through a glass window” character in Idol Minds PS3 downloadable game, PAIN. You will be able to download him on November 6th, 2008 as part of the PAIN Movie Lot expansion (which isn’t free).

So how did this come about? Here are some details straight from the mouth of The Hoff via the PlayStation blog:

“What am I doing in PAIN you ask? It’s the Movie Studio! What’s a movie studio without The Hoff? You can now put The Hoff into a launcher and fling me into harm’s way – exploding crates, cars, people – everything is fair game. And best of all, you’ll never even put a scratch on this mug of mine!

When I was first approached about PAIN, I really didn’t know what to think. I mean, it’s great to think that someone would want to put me in a game, but THIS game is all about flinging people into walls, smashing them into cars, and spanking monkeys. While I wholeheartedly approve of the monkey spanking, I wasn’t too sure about the rest of the game. When I finally got my hands on PAIN though, everything changed, and I “got it”. If anybody can understand silly fun, it’s me.”

In addition, David Hasselhoff recorded an exclusive song which is a cover of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”.

Another really cool tidbit revealed in the comments section by the creator of PAIN is the fact that he “honestly tried to get Chuck Norris”! Come on Chuck! PLEASE RECONSIDER!

By the way, Chuck has finally gotten his own game, called Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain . . . but now he needs to TAKE THE PAIN!

It’ll be interesting to see what other celebrities Idol Minds will be able to add to pain. What celebrities would you like to see?

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Could a Nintendo Virtual Boy 2 or Wii HD (AKA Nintendo Wii 2) ever be a reality? Shigeru Miyamoto gave a recent interview with a German Technology TV show in which they were able to interview him in London.

Because Nintendo is a company that likes to push the envelope of technology in unique, if unexpected, directions, the interviewer thinks that Nintendo may be the first company to bring actual 3D technology to the gaming world and into the mainstream, like they unsuccessfully tried to do with Gunpei Yokoi’s Virtual Boy. The Virtual Boy was a “portable” video game system which presented 3D graphics in red and black via a hefty goggle-like console which you set up on a sort of tripod and looked through the goggles to play. Unlike previous systems, the Virtual Boy presented “true 3D” graphics by using parallax to create an illusion of depth thanks to the eyeglass-style projector that created the screen the players saw when looking through the eye-piece. The Virtual Boy was created by the maker of the Game Boy, but ended up being a huge commercial failure, and Nintendo only released 22 total games for the system (14 in the U.S.) before they pulled it.

When asked about Nintendo bringing 3D technology to market, Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo’s legendary game designer and the creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, Wii Music, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Nintendogs and more) said this:

“Nintendo is always trying to construct the framework in which we can provide… we can be as creative as possible in order to create as new entertainment as possible. And that’s what Nintendo has been striving at and that’s what Nintendo will be challenging itself once again in order to make unique entertainment opportunity.

But if I can just add my personal opinion: if the new environment requires the player to wear some goggle-style, I really don’t have a good impression of that.”

Miyamoto was also asked about the rumored Wii HD. And this is how he replied:

“We are working in terms of the changes of technology all the time.”

So no concrete answers either way, but it’s still interesting to hear directly from Miyamoto himself.

Read the full interview at Neogaf, images via Virtual-Boy.org

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Today Nintendo of Europe and Australia added new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games went live at midnight CET. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon UK (Card).

Today there’s a trio of Halloween-themed NES games for the Wii Virtual Console! We’ve included videos of the games so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (NES, Platformer/Action, 1 player, 500 Wii Points = €5 / £3.75 / AU$7.50): Fight back against Dracula in the third exciting instalment of the highly popular Castlevania franchise! As with the original Castlevania, in this second sequel from 1990; the player’s goal is to work their way through deviously challenging levels, but this time there’s a difference - when the level ends, you can choose one of two paths to take for a completely different experience! — The most innovative feature of this game lies with the spirit companions that the player will meet through the journey. Besides the main character Trevor, who uses the traditional Belmont weapon, the Mystic Whip, as well as a number of items, the player can also strike up a spiritual partnership with any one of three distinctive characters. These include Sypha the imprisoned sorceress, Grant the pirate, who is able to jump high and climb up walls, and Alucard, who is Dracula’s son but has a bone to pick with his father. With a range of diverse characters and paths available to choose from, this game boasts incredible replay value, ensuring that each playthrough is a new experience!

Devil World (NES, Arcade, 1 player, 500 Wii Points = €5 / £3.75 / AU$7.50): 1987
In 1987 this little-known action game from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was released, in it you play heroic dragon Tamagon, who must defeat evil by collecting Boa-Boa Dots inside a maze and destroying enemies with his fire breath. However, keep an eye on the devil at the top of the screen, who instructs his minions to move the maze in random directions, trying to squash Tamagon within its walls. If this seems familiar, you might have seen the devil performing the same trick as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

Ghosts ‘n Goblins (NES, Platformer/Action, 1 player, 500 Wii Points = €5 / £3.75 / AU$7.50): Ghosts’n Goblins was a popular arcade game before it made the leap to the NES in 1986. Like later games in the series, Ghosts’n Goblins presents quite a challenge to players brave enough to take on the role of Arthur and delve into the realm of demons and monsters to rescue the kidnapped princess. Choose your weapons wisely and take advantage of their strengths to deal with the situation at hand. Pass through the six gates that stand between you and Astaroth, and teach him a lesson in chivalry he’ll never forget. Demonstrating a high level of technical prowess for a game of its era, Ghosts’n Goblins presents a unique and unforgettable universe. The stage for adventure is set. Are you up to the test?

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CastleVania the Arcade game is a surprise title developed by Konami that the Japanese can now enjoy at their local arcade parlor.

How exactly would an arcade CastleVania game work, you ask? (And yes, the “V” is deliberately capitalized) How about by letting YOU become the vampire slayer yourself, by handing you a whip to swing around! That’s right, the arcade machine features a huge screen and allows for two players to stand up next to each other and swing a “whip” around to whack enemies with. But . . . that’s about all that we know at this point.

Sadly, there isn’t much more to go on than a few eye-witness accounts from gamers who have seen it, but the whip is motion-sensitive, which begs the question . . . could this game possibly come to the Wii (who is getting an upcoming spin-off called Castlevania Judgment)? And is it build on the same Wii Arcade hardware as Capcom’s Tatsunoko VS Capcom fighting game?

Via NeoGAF

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Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) announced what new PlayStation Network downloadable games, expansions, demos and videos were released for PlayStation 3 and PSP today in America and Europe.

American Games (Demos):
* Alone in the Dark: Inferno Demo
* Mirror’s Edge Demo (also available today on Xbox Live)
* Tom Clancy’s EndWar Demo
* WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Demo

– Find the rest later today on the PlayStation Blog, once Sony updates the store. –

European Games (Demos):
* Cool Boasders 2 (PSone game for PS3/PSP) - €4,99 / £3.99
* Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover (PSP) - €19.99 / £15.99
* Mirror’s Edge Demo
* Tom Clancy’s EndWar Demo
* Warhawk Demo

European Games (Content):
* Rock Band songs: Siouxsie and The Banshees Pack 01 for €3,99 / £2.49 for the album or at €1,49 / £0.99 each: Hong Kong Garden, Kiss Them For Me, and The Killing Jar. Additionally added songs are: Blink 182 - Dammit (€1,49 / £0.99), Silversun Pickups - Melatonin (€1,49 / £0.99), Silversun Pickups - Well Tought Out Twinkles (€1,49 / £0.99), and The Psychadelic Furs - Pretty in Pink (€1,49 / £0.99).
* Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution: Wonders & Artifact Pack: The Iconic (€0,99 / £0.79), Wonders & Artifact Pack: The Mythic (€0,99 / £0.79), and Wonders & Artifact Pack: The Eternal (€0,99 / £0.79).
* SoulCalibur IV Weapon Sets: Bonus Weapons (€2,99 / £2.39), and Ultimate Weapons (€2,99 / £2.39).

European Videos:
* Mirror’s Edge - Story Trailer 2
* Motorstorm: Pacific Rift - Earth Zone Trailer
* PAIN - Movie Studio & Yeony, Tati and Kenneth Trailers
* Vampire Rain - Waitress Trailer

European Music:
* Soundtrack of the original Soulcalibur (€14,99 / £11.99 or €0,99 / £0.79 per song): The New Legends, Bloom and Harvest, Sail Over The Storm, Duelists, The Cursed Image, Sweet Illusion, Wing of Faith, In The Name of Father, Bred From the Gap, Unblessed Soul, Chasing Downstream, Worth Dying For, Gathering: Fatal Gravity, Eye to Eye; Blade to Blade, Leaving the World Behind, Immortal Flame, and Beyond the Horizon.

European Extras:
* (5) Mega Man 9 Themes (€1,99 / £1.59 each)
* PAIN Wallpapers: Kenneth Superstar & Yeony Superstar

Thanks for the PAL data to Neogaf.

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The Beatles’ extraordinary music and phenomenal legacy is set to rock across the universe in the form of a completely new videogame, through an exclusive partnership between Apple, MTV Games and Harmonix. The music game (which is not a Rock Band expansion pack) is expected to be out for holiday 2009.

This partnership marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive videogame format. Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music videogame company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band, the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

“The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out,” Sir Paul McCartney said.

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles / Apple and Harmonix / Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

“It’s cool. I love it and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades,” said Yoko Ono Lennon.

“People are having so much fun playing Rock Band. Combined with The Beatles tracks, it is a great way to either listen or participate,” said Olivia Harrison. “If you like the music, it doesn’t take much persuasion to get you to play.”
Read more…

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