Speaking to Gamasutra, Xbox 360 product management director Aaron Greenberg had the following juicy tidbits to say.

When speaking of the 360’s 53% increase in year over year sales for Feb. Greenberg had this to say ”That exceeds even the high end of what analysts projected we would do for the month,” he said. “I think the highest I saw was roughly 30 percent. We’ve had multiple months now of sustained year over year growth, which is fantastic.”

Greenberg also spoke about the success of Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned DLC stating that; “the most successful game addon content we’ve ever launched.” He also added “If that content was sold at retail, it would be one of the best sellers across all platforms, it would have outsold Killzone 2.”

When speaking about the PS3 Greenberg in usual fashion had the following to say; “You can’t underestimate that we’re half the price of the PS3 at a time when consumers were looking for great value,” he said. “The PS3 was down in February two percent even with the launch of Killzone 2 — that’s months of year-over-year declines. Xbox continues to head north while the PS3 is heading south. We’re gaining share.”

“But what we hear from our partners is that it’s not just PS3, it’s also PS2 down 62 percent year over year,” he continued. “With that business declining, and with the PS3 business declining, it’s been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse.

“What we’re finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we’re driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation. We’re switching people from the PlayStation brand over to the Xbox brand.”

“Not only is Resident Evil 5 selling more, but we did a limited edition Elite bundle with that as well — so we’ve obviously benefited from having this deep partnership with Capcom, and we’re excited to have the Resident Evil franchise for the first time ever on our platform,” he said. “That follows in the steps of franchises like Grand Theft Auto and we all know Final Fantasy is coming that have been historically associated with PlayStation.”

The full list of U.S. sales numbers for February 2009
Wii – 753,000
Nintendo DS – 588,000
Xbox 360 – 391,000
PlayStation 3 – 276,000
PSP – 199,000
PlayStation 2 – 131,000

Top 10 Retail Games Feb. 09
1. Wii Fit w/Balance Board ( Wii) – 644,000
2. Street Fighter IV ( Xbox 360) – 446,000
3. Street Fighter IV ( PlayStation 3) – 403,000
4. Wii Play w/Remote (Wii) – 386,000
5. Killzone 2 (PlayStation 3) – 323,000
6. Mario Kart w/Wheel (Wii) – 263,000
7. Call Of Duty: World At War (Xbox 360) – 193,000
8. Mario Kart DS (DS) – 145,000
9. New Super Mario Bros (DS) – 144,000
10. Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) – 136,000

With GDC a week away I thought I would give you guys a couple of my predictions for the upcoming conference. Don’t expect too many major announcements with E3 right around the corner, but there should be some quality new trailers for already announced games and some new announcements.

Big Reveals:

1. With Crytek revealing their new CryEngine 3 engine at the conference, the company should expect a lot of eyes to be on them. With this type of hype around them, I think they will also reveal what game they are working on for the consoles with this engine. Is it Crysis? Maybe, maybe not. Either way I think they will reveal some game to not only show off the engine, but also to get even more hype around them.

2. I think Infinity Ward will show off their first trailer for COD:MW2. It is confirmed that Infinity Ward will be at GDC, and they are known for making announcements at the conference. Last year, they announced COD4’s first map pack DLC at the conference. Since the game is expected to be released in the Fall this is a good time to show a teaser for the fans before E3. Also note that COD4 was announced around the same time two years ago, so the timeline does fit.

Other Possibilities:

1. New Heavy Rain Trailer: I think this is possible since it’s been a while since anything has come out. GDC is a more technical conference than E3, so I think they would want to show off what they are trying to accomplish in the game. GDC is focused on the developers so for a game like Heavy Rain it makes sense that they would show something.

2. Alan Wake: I think there will be something. There has to be something. The developers have shown off the engine before, and GDC would be a good place to show it off on a grand scale. Also with the 360 having a lack of great exclusives coming out in the Fall they need to start announcing exclusives ASAP. The only reason they wouldn’t show anything is because they want to wait till E3. That would be foolish though. They need to get hype now!

Not going to happen:

1. PS3 Price Drop: That’s an E3 type of announcement. With the announcement of a new bundle coming out earlier this week don’t expect them to drop the price until E3.

2. No Team Ico Reveal: While Fumito Uedda, developer behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus,  is speaking at the event I don’t think they will reveal their new project. Sony will likely want to keep that in their back pocket until E3, so they can show it off as one of their big reveals.

There was a time when you could say the name Playstation and everyone would want to jump on board talking about the Playstation 1 and 2 successes; time has unfortunately changed since 1994 & 2000. Playstation was launched and it didn’t make a big bang at first because everyone was doubtful that Sony (new to console development business) didn’t know what they were doing but Sony proved with great aggression and marketing strategies that they did know what they were doing. The PS1 (also known as PS, Playstation, & PSX) led to the development of a few other products such as the Net Yaroze (PS1 Region unlocked) and the Pocketstation, a peripheral for the original Playstation. Like the Saturn, both it and the PS1 were slated for a September release date; the Saturn on September 2 1995 and PS3 on the 9th. The first ever E3 announced that the date given by Sega was a ruse and that it was going to be released earlier than anticipated.

The Saturn failed because everyone including developers weren’t ready. The Saturn was slated for the September release date and it had developers thinking they still had time. When the Saturn was launched it had very little games so this wasn’t a very good selling point for them. Aside from it having no games, it also had a price tag of $399; the PS1 launched with a tag of $299. Sony’s reasoning for a lower price tag was because the Saturn launched way earlier so they called the next move on E3. Third party publishers, particularly these based in North America, were angered as the surprise launch prevented them from capitalizing on the momentum inherent in an anticipated, planned release. Essentially the only software available on the shelves at launch was software released by Sega. Many within the gaming industry viewed the early launch as a calculated move by Sega to give them larger revenue in software sales at the expense of independent developers. Stores such as KB Toys and Wall*Mart were enraged with Sega for not including them in the early release date, so much that KB Toys refused to launch Sega’s Consoles from then on (includes the Dreamcast) to make it easier for their competition to sweep in and take the win. Sega Saturn sold 80,000 consoles upon the release date of the PS1 which had already sold 100,000 consoles upon its release.

Nintendo 64 was a decent system with a couple of classics such as 007 Golden Eye, Cruis’n World, & Killer Instinct which were just some off the top of my head, but no machine could compete with Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken, and so much more that Sony brought to the table. The competition was fighting a losing battle. On to the PS2 cycle which was very interesting and marked the first time a console broke the 100 million user base barrier. When PS2 was released, it wasn’t all it was hyped up to be, then again, there wasn’t much hype back then as there is now. PS2s would break down consistancly if they hadn’t already been repaired. Fortunately for Sony, they had a big enough back bone to fix all their errors with a low expense. Then the Dreamcast launched and it was met with many titles released in its presence but they did not for see their error of releasing a console with old hardware, thus aside from all the games, it’s graphical power and length of games was no match for the DVD format which Sony brought to the table. GameCube came along but once again fell short to the power of Sony not even Mario could stop the new face of Playstation which was and still is Kratos from God of War. The PS brand never really had a real representative like Nintendo or Microsoft, but they didn’t need one since it had many exclusives and great ones at that too. The Xbox soon arrived delivering Halo to the masses, which till this day is the reason why we have Xbox 360 domination. Microsoft though, couldn’t nub Sony out of its position regardless of what they threw out, not even price drops because Sony would just counter them until it was lowered to $199 and then $149. All console developers moved onto DVD format though Nintendo used mini DVD format but was enough to stay in the competition to throw out Dreamcast with the CD format based console.

Now it was Microsoft’s turn to make the next move and that they did. The without doubt made a smart move in releasing their console a year earlier than the completion but could’ve have been a foolish move by them. Sony could have learned from the few mistakes 360 had a launch and implement some of their features on their own console, or at least the most fan loved features. They could have also lowered their price for their console (the PS3) to that lower than the 360, just as they did with Sega when they released the Saturn earlier. Sony failed to do that though allowing their arrogance to get the best of them & Microsoft was able to capitalize. Nintendo made a smart move by release their console, the Wii, at a fraction of the cost of both consoles which in terms, allowed them to abolish the completion. Although we can’t say for certain what will happen, it doesn’t look too bright. What I mean is that when the PS2 was released, there were so many conversations starting up saying Sony was moving too fast with DVD format as well as Saturn and PS1 with their CD’s. Now People are saying they are moving too fast again including Blu-ray with their PS3’s, but I digress and see this in the long run, as a strong point. So many things change in time, for instance when the 360 was first released, so many gamers hated on it and said Microsoft should just stick to making software (YEAH! Don’t start thinking everyone forgot about that! Don’t act like you forgot neither), but now it’s the most beloved console this generation. Like I said, time changes everything.

While many people compare this ratio “PS3 2 Years = 21 Million; 360 2 Years = 17 Million, 3 Years 28 Million”, the fact of the matter remains that Sony is still in 3rd. These videos show Sony’s advertisement against that of Microsoft’s with both their big exclusives. 30 second trailer against a 1 minute 30 seconds trailer. Sony was on top of it back then, not now.

Microsoft sold 391,000 units of the Xbox 360 in February. The news gives Microsoft a 53% year over year sales increase for the month of February. The PS3 managed a decent month by selling 276k units, but still could not beat out Microsoft. The Wii continued dominance as usual by selling 753k.

GDC 2009 Event

DATE: Tuesday, March 24
TIME: 6.00 – 10.00 p.m.
LOCATION: Mezzanine
444 Jessie St.
San Francisco

Preview the 2009 lineup!

Duke Nukem: Critical Mass (PSP, DS)
Cursed Mountain (Wii)
Risen (Xbox 360, PC)

…and a special performance by

The HipHopGamer

Fans of the Nazi-Killing Wolfenstein games will be happy to know that the website for the new game is now up and running. Here is the overview of the story directly from the site.

“In Wolfenstein you play B.J. Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the office of Secret Actions(OSA). You are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Reich to investigate evidence of the Nazi’s possession of a new and mysterious power”.

“While behind enemy lines, you discover they have done much more than develop a new weapon. The Nazis are harnessing the power of a dark parallel dimension called The Veil; in order to create a weapon of war-ending magnitude”.

“Move between the Nazi’s dark reality and yours as you command an enormous arsenal of Resistance and Axis Weapons. You can also turn to the Black Market for weapon upgrades, or unleash the Nazis own dark powers and perverted science against them with supernatural weapons and Veil-enhanced firepower”.

Weapons Listed So Far Include:

MP43 Automatic Assault Rifle 30 clip/200

Kar 98 – Bolt Action Rifle 5 clip/30 pouch

MP40 – Automatic Sub-machine Gun clip/ 200 pouch

Enemies:

SS INFANTRY: The SS Infantry are fearless soldiers and fanatical believers that the 3rd Reich is destined to rule the world.

SCRIBES: With the discovery of an archaeological dig site that revealed connections with the Black Sun, the Nazis quickly recruited their brightest scholars.  The scholars, known as Scribes, were given orders to discover the secrets of the Black Sun by any means necessary. Scribes use the power of the Black Sun to empower other Nazi soldiers.

VEIL HEAVY TROOPER: The Heavy Trooper Personal Protection System was the first technology that utilized the power of the Black Sun.  The Heavy Trooper’s suit grants its wearer an incredible increase in strength and a much improved resistance to damage.

VEIL ASSASSIN: Volunteers for the Assassin program were given cybernetic implants allowing them the unique power to vanish into the Veil at will. The experimental procedure was unbearably painful and drove the test subjects insane. An Assassin is seldom seen until moments before a victim’s death.

More info and enemies will be revealed soon.

Artist: Lil Wayne

Song: Prom Queen (2009)

Review:

WTF is this shit? Seriously, this kid thinks he is the best rapper alive? Shit, if he is the best rapper alive then all the other rappers in the industry better kill themselves because they must suck. He not only ruins one genre of music, but actually two (Hip-Hop/Rock). My god I have this playing in the background as I write this and all I want to do is bang my head against a wall.

Why am I posting this song? Because the people need to know that there is better hip-hop out there than this kid. Can you believe that this song at one time was the top song on iTunes? My god. I hope Jay-Z, Rakim, Eminem, and Dr. Dre save hip-hop in 2009 because this kid needs to get off his horse. People stop giving this kid so much props. It’s almost like he doesn’t even need to put good music out to sell.

I will tell you a story. One day I was talking to my friend who is a big-time Lil Wayne fan. The kid sat there and argued with me about how Lil Wayne will go down as the best rapper ever. I wanted to smack the hell out of this kid for arguing with me. He’s white like me, and at that moment I understood why many people think white people know nothing about hip-hop. It’s a damn shame

Score: 0 out of 5

11alive.com

ATLANTA — Four African American women made history this month when they took an ASA flight from Atlanta to Nashville. They weren’t passengers. They were the nation’s first all black all female flight crew.

Meet airline captain Rachelle Jones, first officer Stephanie Grant, and flight attendants Diana Galloway and Robin Rogers. When they worked that ASA flight from Atlanta to Nashville they never expected to make history. In fact, it was a matter of chance.

“The first officer became ill and was replaced with Stephanie,” said Galloway.

“When I got to the cockpit and I saw Rachelle — we just met a few weeks prior,” Grant said. “And I was just ecstatic when I saw her in there.”

“We did not realize the historic ramifications of it,” Rogers said. “We were just like, okay this is gonna be fun.”

But Captain Rachelle Jones got it right away. She and Grant in the cockpit, Galloway and Rogers in the cabin — all black, all female.

“I said this could be a first, so let’s be on our P’s and Q’s,” Jones said.

“I think we had a little more pep in our step,” said Galloway. “I think we were just so proud.”

They took a lot pictures because their history just happened to be during Black History Month.

“I’m still tingling about it,” said Rogers. “This is great. It’s spectacular.”

“It still hasn’t hit me now,” said Jones. “I was just excited. I called my mom, my family and said guess what happened today.”

Jones is one of only ten black female airline captains in the country. She used to be a customer service agent for Delta. Piloting was never on her radar until a friend suggested it.

“And it paid off — and this was my goal — to be here where I am today,” she said. “And I’m so happy at what I’ve accomplished.”

As little girls, they’d never seen anyone who looked like them piloting a plane. Now for other little girls, they’re proof you really can be whatever you want to be.

“Fate may have a little bit to do with it, but for everyone that will look at us as role models or look to aspire to be what we are today, they need to know that it was hard work and dedication to get here,” Grant said.

“Young girls need to see that yes they can be flight attendants and yes they can be pilots,” said Jones. “The sky is the limit.”

Atlantic Southeast Airlines has three black female pilots. Only one has made Captain so far.

People are invited to congratulate the crew at http://www.flyasa.com/contact/crew-contact.php

Expansion Mode for FIFA 09 Enables Fans to Create Their Fantasy Team
Guildford, UK. – March 19, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that a new downloadable game mode called FIFA 09 Ultimate Team is available now to download to the award-winning EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system.

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team challenges gamers to collect the most talented players in the world, develop them into a dream team and then compete online. Feel the exhilaration as you take your carefully assembled squad into matches and tournaments online against the most formidably talented teams ever assembled—and out play them. Here is the ultimate test of your skills as a player and manager.

Collect bronze, silver and gold virtual cards, including Player, Staff, Contract, Formations, and Tactics, to create a fantasy team. Strategically collect and manage players and different types of cards, and then set the match strategy to win. Carefully select or trade for the right Manager, then choose the best Tactics and Formations that forge the team chemistry necessary to take your club to the top.

Write your own legend with FIFA 09 Ultimate Team. Create yourself in game, line up alongside your heroes and captain your squad to glory. Customize everything from players and stadiums to the kits and badges, creating the world’s next great football club. Compete offline and online to earn more valuable cards or trawl the market for the ones needed to complete a winning team. Climb the league table or compete in knockout tournaments for the most coveted trophies.

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team is available now as a download to FIFA 09 for 800 Microsoft points or £7.99. Fans are able to experience the new game mode by creating a team with a starter package of players and virtual cards and play a five game trial before deciding to purchase the FIFA 09 Ultimate Team mode. FIFA 09 is required.

LONDON – 19th March 2009 – Microsoft today announced that sales of “Halo Wars” have reached more than one million units worldwide, making the exclusive Xbox 360 title the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console. With a revolutionary control scheme designed expressly for the Xbox 360 controller and a riveting story that takes “Halo” fans deeper into the “Halo” universe, “Halo Wars” is breaking new ground for the strategy genre by introducing a new wave of fans to strategy games and reminding existing fans why it’s so fun.

Set in the year 2525, “Halo Wars” takes players on a perilous journey through the famed “Halo” universe. As players take the command seat in the early, epic battles between the UNSC and Covenant, they will begin to unravel events 20 years before “Halo: Combat Evolved” that shaped the franchise into what it is today.

Since the game’s release throughout Asia on February 26 and subsequent launches in Europe and the Americas, fans around the world have been taking full advantage of “Halo Wars’” rich Xbox LIVE gameplay. To date:

• There have been more than 2.6 million multiplayer matches played
• More than 118 years of time has been spent in multiplayer matches on Xbox LIVE
• On average, more than 200,000 “Halo Wars” fans have taken up arms in battles between the UNSC and Covenant each day
• For more statistics and game information, fans can visit the official stats page at: http://www.halowars.com/stats/globalstats.aspx
But these initial explosive battles in “Halo Wars” are just beginning. Microsoft is working closely with partner and newly formed studio Robot Entertainment, which is comprised of “Halo Wars” and “Age of Empires” veterans from Ensemble Studios. More Halo Wars content is being prepared, so stay tuned.

“Halo Wars” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ PEGI and is available worldwide. “Halo Wars” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ PEGI and is available worldwide. A demo is also available on Xbox LIVE in all LIVE enabled regions worldwide. For more information, visit Xbox.com/Halo or HaloWars.com.
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