14 DAY TRIAL // This week was dominated by Activision unveiling its good financial results for the last quarter, with more than 1 billion dollars of videogames sold to consumers, and by the official announcement that Starcraft II is now officially confirmed to be pushed back to 2010. But there were other things the knowledgeable gamer should be aware of.
Monday was media-oriented as one kid took the family car for a spin and videogames, specifically GTA IV, got blamed for that bonehead move by the press as they have been blamed for everything from making kids fat to lowering their IQs. A little less stereotyping wouldn't hurt. On a brighter note, music bands are beginning to see how important videogames like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are, with Pearl Jam announcing that their latest album, Backspacer, would be available on release date for Rock Band.
On Tuesday, we all got social as Nintendo announced that those who using its DSi handheld could directly upload pictures taken from both cameras to Facebook via the device. Meanwhile, some gamers will have a reduced social life as Blizzard released patch 3.2 for World of Warcraft, complete with changes and new content.
Wednesday was possibilities’ day. On the one hand, Gears of War 3, which Epic is undoubtedly working on, might allow players to fight around as a female character, contrasting to Marcus and Dom, the macho protagonists of the first two titles. On the other hand, an online source points out that if current trends continue, the PlayStation 3 might catch up to the Xbox 360 sales wise in 2011. Of course, not factoring in things like Project Natal and the PS3 Slim.
Thursday was release date day. Starcraft II was officially pushed back, with strategy gamers everywhere letting a tear streak down their cheek and with Korea mourning in stunned silence. At the same time, football fans could celebrate as Eidos announced that Championship Manager 2010 was set to be released on September 11 with a demo a month before that.
On Friday, Activision revealed that it planned to create another James Bond videogame, probably coming in 2010 and with little relation to the movies released in the series. Meanwhile, Microsoft confirmed that Xbox Live was set to accept payments via PayPal.
And if this is not enough for you, then you can also take a look at our impressions related to the last piece of DLC for Fallout 3, called Mothership Zeta, and at the initial thoughts on Hearts of Iron 3.