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CNET: Target of Hostile Takeover?

Solomon Lee — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:48:30 -0600

According to the rumor mill, reports have surfaced that CNET is being targeted by a consortium group (with a 21 percent stake) seeking to establish majority rule over CNET's board and to remove the company's directors in a hostile takeover bid.

This consortium group, led by Jana Partners and Sandell Asset Management, has been heavily criticized by Wall Street analysts with CNET stating the group's intention to control the company's board to be in direct violation of its bylaws. CNET has not commented on the specific details at this time.

CNET is the owner of the Gamespot and GameFAQs websites.

Trying to Remain Relevant, Don King Makes a Game

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:50:15 -0600

Since Punky Brewster and Fresh Prince are no longer on the air and leaving nobody to make jokes about him, Don King has decided to stick his name on a boxing game from Take 2's 2K Sports label..

Or, Take 2 wanted to make a boxing game but doubted they'd get anywhere considering there's not very much demand and EA's Fight Night covers what little there is, so they thought putting a well-known name on it might give them an edge.

Probably the second one. Personally, I don't think the market can bare many fighting games that don't include popular Nintendo characters or the ability to decapitate an enemy by reciting a 16-button-long combo attack.

Regardless, here's Don King Presents: Prizefighter coming soon from Take 2!

Quoth the press release:

"The combination of real-life fight scenarios, story-driven gameplay and photo-realistic graphics will set this title apart from the competition," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "Our goal has always been to deliver the most engaging and realistic titles, and Don King Presents: Prizefighter will exceed these expectations. Based on the game's innovative features and high-profile fighters, this title will be a 'must have' for any sports gamer."

"In all my years working in professional boxing, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the sport," said legendary boxing promoter Don King. "Don King Presents: Prizefighter is more than a game -- it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the ring for these incredible athletes."

Call of Duty 4 Play and Win Sweepstakes Starts Tomorrow

Shiva Stella — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:07:20 -0600

Shoot to win.

Call of Duty 4 fans interested in earning freebies via logging in online play time on the 360 version may do so beginning Friday, Nov 16 at 12:01 est for a 72-hour "play and win sweepstakes."

A winner will be selected every hour and gamers are automatically entered for each hour of play. Here's a look at prizes and instructions:

Friday, Nov. 16 Sunday, November 18 Play and Win.

Register and Play COD4: Modern Warfare on Xbox LIVE during the weekend and win an Xbox 360 Elite, Infinity Ward team autographed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare swag, limited edition Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare faceplates, Xbox 360 accessories, Microsoft Points and other great Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare prizes. There will be one winner for every hour this weekend (72 hours) as well as the grand prize which includes the Elite, autograph swag, faceplate and accessories. (The hourly winners get Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare poster, t-shirt, and MS Points.)

Here's an "event" schedule:

Friday, Nov. 16 6pm -9pm EST Play with over a dozen gamers from developer, Infinity Ward.

Saturday, Nov. 17 The PMS Clan joins the online action for Saturday night gaming.

Hopefully Infinity Ward has addressed those multiplayer issues to the point that people are actually able to play online and thus enter the sweepstakes. Cross your fingers.

So... Grand Theft Auto IV When?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:06:22 -0600

Just in case you missed out on some interesting Grand Theft Auto IV news yesterday, Take Two's Strauss Zelnick, chairman, has commented that the company will not announce a firm (read: specific) release date for Rockstar's next GTA hit until it's "utterly convinced" that the title can make the date. However, as GameSpot and other sources have pointed out, this does not mean that the game will not make its Q2 2008 release (we just don't know the exact date to expect it in Q2).

That's a bonus for fans who want a completed, quality product, no doubt, but the main question the company is considering is whether missing out on holiday sales will prove a serious mistake.

Explained Zelnick, "I think there was a concern initially when we slipped (on the October 16 date) that we missed the boat in terms of Christmas but I think that concern has been alleviated... because this is a must-have title it's probably okay that we're not selling it in the Christmas season."

Sounds logical. You can hit the jump to view the full question and answer.

Excerpt:

Analyst: "You guys have talked about Grand Theft Auto IV being February 1 to April 30. Obviously, there's been rumors that it could be later, and then, recently, the gaming communities have said that it could be earlier. Just help us understand when we should expect a firm date on when that release could be..." [Emphasis added.]

Zelnick: "It's a fair question, I think, given that we weren't obviously able to stick our firm date the last time. We're gonna give the firm date when we're utterly convinced we have it. And that isn't right now. You know, we do feel that the way the title is being developed so that it's going to be fantastic, we know it's highly anticipated. I think there was a concern, initially, when we slipped, that we sort of missed the boat in terms of Christmas, and I think that concern has been alleviated. I think most people are--even though, obviously, it wasn't the intent--are saying, 'Hey, that's OK. You know, the hardware penetration is going to grow over Christmas, and this is gonna be a must-have title, it's probably ok you're not selling it during the Christmas season.' So I think right now, our view is to put out a really high-quality title. Obviously, we're not in the business of disappointing investors, and we're certainly in the business of doing what we say we're going to do, so we'll give a firm release date when we know we can stick to it." [Emphasis added.]

In happier news, Zelnick has also commented that any downloadable content for the game would not "play a very significant role in generating revenue for the company in 2008" (source: GamesIndustry.biz). I don't have a problem with companies releasing downloadable content to enhance the general gaming experience, but I'm not a fan of paying for content that should have been included in the full game at release, buy hey, that's just me.

Hack Reveals Unedited Content Within PSP Manhunt 2?

Eric Jonathan Smith — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:20:00 -0500

What was a rumor as of yesterday has now been confirmed by Rockstar: hackers have accessed part of Manhunt 2 deemed "Adults Only" by the ESRB.

The game had previously been given the dreaded-by-retail "Adults Only" rating only to see Rockstar edit the game down to receive its current "Mature" rating.

However, utilizing a modified (read: not Sony approved) PSP, hackers were able to illegally modify the game and access the portions edited out (but apparently not completely) of the final release. Rockstar was mum on details of whether or not hackers would be able to access this verboten content on the PS2 or Wii versions.

Hot Coffee, anyone? Perhaps the scope is not the same as a completely hidden sex minigame, though this begs some questioning: are developers responsible for content not accessible by legal means? Is Rockstar leaving this content in and counting down the days until someone opens the virtual magical door and leaks the details to the masses?

Click "read" to jump to GamePolitics and get the full story.

Could Western Game Studios Crush Japan's?

Aaron Dunlap — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:46:51 -0600

If you've been playing Lost Planet: Extreme Condition on the Xbox 360 and have been wondering why it just feels a little... different from recent games like Gears of War or Halo, that's because it was made in Japan, silly.

The game's Japanese feel comes from its use of some design elements that the Western market has all but abandoned, things like clear-cut missions with a mostly-pointless "mission briefing" screen between each; and a boss battle at the end of every level, where the boss has a clearly-identifiable weakness. Even the somewhat-clunky control scheme is a carryover of the Japanese design industry.

Everything else, the gigantic levels and sweeping cinematic visuals, are all inspired by recent Western games. It is very rare these days for a Japanese action game to be designed with a Western and Asian market in mind.

Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, says that if Japanese companies aren't careful, they could be overrun by Western studios. Currently, Western companies design for Western audiences and Japanese studios design for Japan; but if Western studios started aiming at Japan, they might be able to take over the market without a fight.

This seems to conflict with the fact that RPG games are freaking HUGE in Japan and only partially accepted in the states. I find it hard to believe that any Western studio could infiltrate the diluted Japanese RPG market.

Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover Announced

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 23:03:00 -0600

Electronic Arts has announced a new Def Jam title for the PSP, Def Jam Fight For New York: The Takeover.

The game is the prequel to Def Jam Vendetta and allows players to take on the role of musicians and celebrities like Busta Rhymes, Lil' Kim, Ludacris, Carmen Electra, Method Man, Redman, Snoop Dogg and Xzibit among others. The game will feature new arenas to fight in and the ability to create your own fighter. The Takeover is scheduled to release this spring for the PSP handheld.

Originally written by Brian Mohr