Hasta La Gadget!

Dead Space 3 has been doing well in the market place. The game launched at the beginning of last month, and was the top selling game throughout February. The game sold around 605,000 copies in February, knocking Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 down to second place. Other games Dead Space 3 beat include: Crysis 3, NBA 2K13, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Aliens: Colonial Marines 2013, Just Dance 4, Far Cry 3, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, and Madden NFL 13.

While Dead Space 3 has been seeing some good sales figures, the video game industry as a whole has been seeing negative results. The NPD Group stated that video game sales fell 25% in February down from last year. Video game hardware did even worse, falling 36% down from last year, and software fell around 27%. These figures make Dead Space 3′s, and the Dead Space franchise’s, future seem uncertain. EA’s President, Frank Gibeau, stated that Dead Space 3 had to sell at least 5 million copies in order for there to be a sequel.

This also brings up the tiff between EA and the website, VideoGamer. VideoGamer stated in the past that EA cancelled the Dead Space 4 sequel due to poor Dead Space 3 sales. It had gotten the news from their “trusted source”. EA’s Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore was quick to debunk the rumor, calling it a case of “Shoddy Journalism”. VideoGamer countered Moore’s response by saying that they trust their source and stand by their original statement.

Dead Space 3′s 600k sales figure for the month is a good number, especially in this economy, but it’s miles behind EA’s expectations. EA stated that Dead Space 2 sold over 2 million copies within only its first week of sales, so Dead Space 3′s sales figures may be disappointing to them. Gibeau may be reaching for the stars when he said that Dead Space 3 would have to sell at least 5 million copies. Dead Space 3′s sales may do well throughout March, however, since its Awakened DLC was released just a few days ago. The DLC, like the game itself, has been well-received by game reviewers all around, many saying that it was an amazing and must-have addition to the game.

[via GameSpot]

Dead Space 3 claims top spot in February game sales is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s time again for the most wild and crazy blast of do-anything gaming madness with the next chapter of the franchise: Saints Row IV. The idea that this game series would continue was doused last year as the original owner of the title THQ was kicked in the gut and closed shop – as it turns out, the developers behind the series survived, and being purchased by none other than Koch Media in the time between then and now, Volition will once again be allowing us into their collective wild and crazy mind environment. The teaser for Saint’s Row IV was revealed today.

What you’re working with here in the newest chapter in the Saint’s Row franchise is another look at the go-anywhere and do-anything universe the public first fell in love with in the game known as Grand Theft Auto III. Open-run blast-anything and ride-everything returns here with Saint’s Row IV and we couldn’t be more pumped up about it. Have a peek at the first teaser trailer right this minute!

This game has been teased as taking place everywhere “from the Crack House to the White House” with no less than “ball-busting” excellence from start to finish. As you’ll see here, this game is ready to allow you to ride a car through town, murder your way through enemies galore, and fly. Fly right through the sky if you want – go for it!

The release of this game is set for some time inside August of 2013. At the moment it’s looking like a PC-certain release with current-generation consoles on deck. This means we’ll likely see Saint’s Row IV on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 – no word yet on PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 action as yet. Stay tuned for more!

[via DeepSilverHQ]

Saint’s Row IV unleashed: open-playground madness on tap! is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Xbox 360 is continuing its dominance as the best-selling console in the US. Microsoft has announced that they sold 302,000 consoles in February, making it the 26th straight month that the Xbox 360 has been on top in the US. Meanwhile, though, Nintendo Wii U sales continue to slump, with only 64,000 consoles sold during the month of February.

The Wii U had a really rough January, seeing sales as low as 57,000, but while February sales of the new console saw a jump by 40%, that only means that the Wii U sold 64,000 units, which is still lower than the lowest that the PS3 or the Xbox 360 has ever gotten. It’s said that January was a particularly bad month for the Wii U due to holiday backlash and people returning the console to stores.

However, as for the Xbox 360 console, it holds 41% of the market share among current-generation consoles, and the total money spent on the Xbox 360 in February — including hardware, software and accessories — was the most for any console in the US. Some pretty impressive numbers considering that Microsoft hasn’t lost the number one spot in over two years.

Total video game sales for February topped out at $810 million, which is actually down 25% from the same time last year. Console sales racked up $244.2 million, video game sales reached $369.9 million, and accessories rang in at $213.9 million while also boasting just a 3% drop from last year, while all other categories dropped 25% or more.

[via Gamasutra]

Xbox 360 best-selling console in US for 26th straight month, Wii U struggles is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft must have looked over in the direction of Mojang’s Minecraft title for their Xbox 360 and seen just how many folks picked up the Xbox 360 just to play the game, and decided it would be better if there was a disc-based version of Minecraft for the Xbox 360 made available over retail stores. In fact, Microsoft recently dropped a bomb, saying that they will ship a retail disc copy of the Xbox 360 Minecraft port, which was developed by Mojang as well as 4J Studios, to stores around the world.

Those living in the US will be able to pick up the disc copy of Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition at the end of April for $19.99 a pop, where it will then go on sale in Down Under, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan sometime early this June. As for our friends who live across the pond, sorry folks, there has been no word on an European rollout just yet. Just what will the disc edition hold? Well, you will find similar content to that which is available on the Xbox Live Arcade downloadable version of Minecraft that launched in May last year, including content that is coming in the game’s 9th title update. You can also play against your mates who downloaded a copy of Minecraft. Good times are ahead, indeed.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: GCW-Zero Arrives This April, Pikachu Edition Nintendo 3DS XL Arriving This March 24th,

Microtransactions have become quite common in games today, which can be seen as a good or bad thing depending what side of the fence you’re standing on. On one hand, microtransactions can add to a game if you’re somebody who doesn’t have time to earn it yourself within a game. On the other, it could also hold back a good portion of the gameplay experience just so the developer could nickel and dime you. Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will soon go the microtransaction route.

Starting tomorrow, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will receive an update to offer a free Nuketown 2025 map, the option to download the Nuketown Zombies map and something Activision is called “Micro items.” These reworded microtransactions allow players to spend additional money in order to receive a number of benefits from the game, such as paying 160 Microsoft Points ($2) to receive ten additional Create-a-Class slots.

You can also spend 80 points ($1) to a “Flags of the World Calling Card Packs, and 160 points ($2) for a “Personalization Pack” that allows you to customize your weapon, Calling Card and reticle. Activision showed off one of the packs, called the “Bacon personalization pack” which equips your weapons in a delicious coat of bacon. We’re not sure why you’d want such a skin, but if it’s one thing we do know, it’s that everyone loves bacon.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nintendo Sells 88,000 Wii U Units In February [Analyst], God of War: Ascension Arrives,