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Returning participants will notice that most of the rules and guidelines are the same as last year, but we've been working hard to make exciting changes that will make the 2010 Pokémon Video Game Championships better than ever! These changes include:
* Players now using Pokémon HeartGold or SoulSilver Version games exclusively
* Pokémon Level 51 and higher being automatically graded down to Level 50 for the duration of the battle using a new auto-leveling feature
o Each Pokémon keeps all of the moves it knew before being adjusted
It seems like there's a lot of discussion about older gamers going on now, which just so happened to spawn after an article at Wired that featured an aging game fan. Keeping up with today's games is tough, especially if you're not exactly in your early years. Now other older gamers are speaking up to discuss how old gamers can work hard and compete with the young bloods of today.
In the second video, we see a player's attempt at 'snaking', which Mario Kart racers are very familiar with. Sumo Digital has come forth to say that the tactic above is not snaking, and actually keeps you from getting faster times. What do you guys have to say?
- Chris Petrovic, senior vice president and general manager of GameStop Digital Ventures. The executive will appear on a panel on game investments to discuss his steps to integrate a digital strategy with GameStop’s core retail business.
This seems like a great idea! Apparently the game is completely music focused, but it doesn't actually used licensed songs. Other than that, it's basically Typing of the Dead...but with guitar peripherals. Seems like a great release to take advantage of all those dusty guitars. It'll be either $30 or $40, so that's another bonus!
This is the reason why I need the game industry to slow down with their releases. I simply don't have enough time to play all that's out there! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one.
SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)-- Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (NYSEAmex/TSX: MCZ): Conference Call: Today, February 9, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. EST Dial-in Numbers: (212) 231-2904 (U.S. & International) Webcast: www.madcatz.com (Select "Investors") Replay Information: See release text Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. ("Mad Catz" or "the Company") (NYSEAmex/TSX: MCZ), a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended December 31, 2009.
Mad Catz reported net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 of $48.8 million, an increase of 19% from third quarter net sales of $40.8 million in fiscal 2009 and the second-best quarter of sales in the Company's history. Net sales in North America, the Company's largest market, totaled $24.6 million, while net sales to Europe increased to a record $23.0 million for the fiscal 2010 third quarter. Gross profit of $15.9 million in the fiscal 2010 third quarter represented an increase of 51% from $10.5 million in the same quarter of the prior year, primarily due to a shift in the Company's product mix and a return to more normal levels of reserves as a percentage of sales as compared to last year's period of unusual economic uncertainty. Gross profit margin improved by nearly 7 percentage points to 33% from 26% in the year-ago quarter.
Excluding the $28.5 million goodwill impairment charge taken in the third quarter of fiscal 2009, total operating expenses in the third quarter of fiscal 2010 decreased by 2% to $8.3 million, resulting in operating income of $7.6 million for the quarter, compared to operating income of $2.1 million in the year ago period. In the first nine months of fiscal 2010, Mad Catz reduced its total operating expenses by approximately 16%, or $4.2 million, compared to the first nine months of the prior fiscal year when excluding the goodwill impairment charge taken in the year-ago period. The Company had a foreign exchange gain of $0.1 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2010, compared to a $1.0 million gain in the prior year's fiscal third quarter. Reflecting income tax expenses of $1.6 million, Mad Catz reported record quarterly net income of $5.6 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2009, or $0.09 per diluted share - also a quarterly record - compared to a net loss of $26.9 million, or a loss of $0.49 per diluted share after income tax expenses of $1.1 million in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year.
"Because the cost of making games has more than doubled this cycle, the risk of failure is much greater, and the publishers are constantly looking for the right 'window' in which to release their games. ...quite similar to the year-round big releases we see from movie studios." - Michael Pachter, analyst
Game makers are realizing now that they can put out strong titles at different release windows and actually make a profit on them. This is definitely going to help the holiday season as we continue on. This most recent holiday season was certainly different, and I expect it will continue on.
Do you have a grandpa that plays video games? I certainly don't and I never did! You guys might be in a different situation though. Some grandpas might like to game, but today's gaming situation is a lot different from what it was 20 years ago. How can a gaming grandpa actually get into what kids are younger gamers are playing today? Perhaps some advice from today's gamers will help.
A portion of an Aussie-Nintendo review...
Deep Silver knew they'd made a mistake by not including a digital Russell Grant (ala Brain Training's Professor Kawashima), as this was eventually released in Australia simply as Astrology. Still, this UK import was worth the massive $9 asking price, if only for the cover. Wait, no it wasn't.