Per Grace Chen (Senior Manager, PLAYSTATION Store) today:
Hey, everyone. It’s time again for the PLAYSTATION Store weekly update.
Qore Digital Magazine
Qore Episode 04: September, 2008 ($2.99 Issue, $24.99 Annual Subscription)
Episode 04 of Qore: Presented by the PLAYSTATION Network explores a number of upcoming games, including LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and Prince of Persia, it also includes 30-day exclusive access to the MotorStorm: Pacific Rift demo (scheduled to be available 9/11/08), some great artwork and a new mini-game.
File size: 1.54 GB
Downloadable Games
NFL Head Coach 09 ($49.99)
Brought to you by EA SPORTS, NFL Head Coach 09 gives you the opportunity to make all the decisions that win championships. You can scout players, draft players, sign free agents, chose gameplans, create plays, hire assistant coaches and m... More »
It's not terribly long since THQ looked like one of the best growth prospects in the publishing sector. With a new commitment to quality, a determination to build new IP and a strong pool of publishing and management talent, the company's stock was cautiously tipped as a grower - and it's certainly not an assessment I'd have disagreed with.
The acrimonious divisions that developed between the publisher and the WWE wrestling body from whom many of its successful franchises had been licensed seemed to have been a wake-up call for THQ regarding its reliance on externally owned IP, and the future looked bright.
Now, I remain a firm believer in THQ's abilities as a publisher - and I think that games like STALKER and Company of Heroes have done a great deal to boost the value of the brand among gamers. By no means is it time to start writing obituaries for the firm. However, it's tough to spin this week's news in a positive light.
Following yesterday's announcement that THQ has ceased production on its Juiced and Stuntman franchises and closed its Concrete Games studio, analysts from Wedbush Morgan, Lazard, and Stern Agee have all remained upbeat on the publisher's future, despite a sharp fall of the company's stock.
"While this is a painful step," said Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter, "we think it positions THQ to grow earnings dramatically in FY:09, unburdened by these balance sheet items."
Though Wedbush has lowered estimates on the company "to reflect significantly higher execution risk, given the company's poor performance in FY:08," Pachter says the company's lineup "is quite strong next year, and the increased write offs of capitalized software and streamlining of projects and should position the company to report operating margins in line with its historical performance next year."
Lazard's Colin Sebastian echoed the sentiments, saying that the publisher "is taking... More »
THQ announced today that it has canceled PS3 version of Frontlines: Fuel of War(TM) and also the PS2 version of Destroy All Humans!(R): Big Willy Unleashed.
Two unannounced titles for Xbox 360 and PS3, scheduled for 2010, have also been canceled. The Concrete Games studio, which was working on one of the unannounced titles, will also be closed down.
To quote: However, the company expects to report approximately $20 million in accelerated amortization expense related to the underperformance of certain previously-released games, including Stuntman(R):Ignition(TM), Ratatouille and Conan(R). In addition, consistent with the company's previously-announced quality initiatives relating to product development and its product pipeline, the company expects to record non-cash charges of approximately $27 million related to:
1) the cancellation of the PlayStation(R) 3 (PS3) version of Frontlines(TM): Fuel of War(TM) and the PlayStation(R) 2 (PS2) version of ... More »
Whoosh! That's the sound of games literally flying off the production lines and onto shelves. Today's release list is possibly the best yet. Remember when we were having weeks like these? Thank goodness those are over. Here's the full release list:
US Games Skate
World Series of Poker 2008
EU Games Stuntman: Ignition
SEGA Rally
FIFA 08
Ratatouille
Asian Games Warhawk
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
This week at least one high profile game being released in each territory. We're intrigued to see how Oblivion and Warhawk will do over there here in Japan. All of these games are subject to the constant change in whim of the Game Fates, so don't start moaning if any last-minute delays occur. It's not our fault.
If you see something on that list that you like the look of, but it's not in your region, then don't fret. Simply import the game and play it o... More »
Hi, everyone. Just wanted to give a quick update on what’s new in the PLAYSTATION Store this week. Let’s get straight to the good stuff with four new demos:
• Skate
• NBA 08
• Sega Rally Revo
• Stuntman: Ignition
We’ve also released a new downloadable game, LocoRoco Cocoreccho!, for $6.99. In addition to several new wallpapers, we’ve also posted up some great trailers and videos – everything from GT5 Prologue to Ratchet and Clank Future to Devil May Cry.
List of PLAYSTATION®3 titles compatible with DUALSHOCK®3 in North America and Europe, as of September 20th, 2007:
The Darkness 2K Games
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Activision
Soldier of Fortune Activision
BIOHAZARD® 5 CAPCOM
Devil May Cry® 4 CAPCOM
N-Cube Creat Studios
Warbit Creat Studios
Dark Sector D3 PUBLISHER
Turok Disney Interactive
Highlander Eidos
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men Eidos
Burnout Paradise ELECTRONIC ARTS
FIFA franchise (title name TBD) ELECTRONIC ARTS
Legendary: The Box Gamecock
To End All Wars Ghostlight
RAGE id Software
WarDevil - Unleash the Beast Within Ignition Entertainment
Dynasty Warriors 6 KOEI
Fatal Inertia KOEI
METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS Konami
Blacksite: Area 51 Midway
TNA Wrestling Midway
Unreal Tournament 3 Midway
Wheelman Midway
Cops (codename, title name TBD) Pyro
Planet One (coden... More »
After posting a less-than-expected second-quarter net loss of $9.3 million last month, THQ reaffirmed its fiscal year 2008 guidance of $1.12 billion to $1.15 billion in net sales. THQ president and CEO Brian J. Farrell told analysts that forecast hinged largely upon the projected platinum status of five internally developed multiplatform games: Frontlines: Fuel of War, MX vs. ATV Untamed, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, the latest Destroy All Humans!, and Stuntman: Ignition.
However, selling a million copies for at least one of those games may not be as done of a deal as THQ hoped. In a company note to investors, Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian said early sales of Stuntman Ignition were "a little slow off the blocks" and "slower than originally anticipated." Sebastian noted that the over-the-top racer was experiencing a weak sell-through at retail and that restocking orders were "unlikely in the near-future."
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