The Week in Review

In this week’s edition: Nintendo wins January, Azeroth grinds to a halt, the Muppets make us laugh, 2k Marin weighs in on faboyism, and Fallout: New Vegas gets hardcore.

Wii Still Leads the Pack in the U.S.

Nintendo had a pretty good January in the U.S., according to sales figures released by the NPD. How good, I hear you ask? Well, the company sold nearly 600,00 Wiis and five of the top ten games were Wii exclusives, with New Super Mario Brothers Wii beating Mass Effect 2 for the top spot by more than 80,000 copies. Sadly, both hardware and software sales were down on this time last year’s, with only a slight increase in accessories providing any light in an otherwise gloomy tunnel. (link)

Troubling Times in Azeroth

Pop quiz time: What’s the most notable thing about World of Warcraft? If you said that it keeps on getting bigger and bigger, I’m afraid you’re wrong. According to Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, the game has plateued at 11.5 million users, which is still a pretty hefty number, but not the unrelenting juggernaut that most people take the game for. Is this the end of the World of Warcraft? Not according to Morhaime, who expects the numbers to start moving again with the release of the next expansion Cataclysm. (link)

Muppets Lampoon the ‘Net

As anyone who has ever put anything on the internet knows, the web can be a harsh mistress, with people more than willing to be incredibly mean when they know they can’t be punched in the teeth for it. Something good has come out of it however, as the Muppets neatly lampoon the tendency for people to be jerks online with another hilarious video, which you can see by hitting the link. Poor Beaker, he never stood a chance… (link)

Every Time Act Like a Fanboy, 2K Marin Kills a Kitten

Well, ok, the kitten thing isn’t exactly true, but the BioShock 2 developer certainly doesn’t like the never-ending conflict between platform stalwarts. “From a development perspective, the console wars are a bit silly,” said creative director Jordan Thomas. “Our target is consistency, and it’s always kind of sad to see people throwing their energy into ‘platform partisanship,’ because it seems to flood the critical channels and drown out other creative discourse.” How long before 2k Marin really does start killing kittens, just to teach us a lesson? (link)

Are You Hardcore Enough for Fallout: New Vegas?

Does having to keep track of thirst and the weight of ammunition sound like a lot of fun? If so, you might enjoy the new hardcore mode in Fallout: New Vegas, which adds a touch more realism to the proceedings. Also coming in the latest addition to the Fallout universe are skill-based conversation options and unique special attacks for every melee weapon. Probably the biggest draw for New Vegas however, is that it is made by the same people who made the first two Fallout games, and that’s an impressive pedigree.

(link)