Surprise! Microsoft sold a staggering amount of Xbox 360s during Thanksgiving week
It seems that there’s still a bit of excitement when it comes to getting new consoles these days, even though we’re inching closer to the next generation. It was announced earlier today by Microsoft that over 750,000 Xbox 360s made their way off store shelves in the US last week. When compared to the ~400,000 units that the brand new Wii U pushed, as well as the 300k sales for the original Wii, it’s pretty surprising to see such a huge preference towards the oldest horse still in this race.
I think the number difference between the Wii U and the 360 is the more interesting comparison to spot here, but it’s probably worth noting the significant price differences between some 360 models. While there are only two formats for Nintendo’s new Mario box, each of which require a significant investment, Microsoft’s new 360 subscription plan may have led to a worthy amount of these Black Friday sales. After all, when given the choice between a brand new console with comparatively little in the way of software for $350 or a tested-and-true Xbox for $99…is that really a hard decision to make?
[Source: Eurogamer]
Wii Mini announced as a Canadian(?!) exclusive, genuinely snazzy
Hot off the heels of their Wii U launch, Nintendo decided now was the perfect time to announce…another version of the Wii? Wait, what? That’s what Giant Bomb reported earlier today, making note of the Wii Mini, a smaller, redder version of the original Wii that will ship with some significant downgrades from the base models. Of note is the lack of internet access and GameCube support, the latter being more or less the only reason I would consider buying a smaller Wii. Stranger still? It’ll be exclusive to Canada for the “holiday season,” shipping on December 7th for a lean $99.
This might be the cynic in me that wants to see Nintendo succeed again, but this seems like an awfully confusing way to go about extending the life of your most recent console. A large contingent of people I know with a Wii in their household use them for Gamecube games almost as much as they do console-specific titles. Offering this is a great incentive for people who never got around to buying a standard Wii and don’t want to dip their toes into the Wii U waters just yet, but I’m left feeling a little cold. I’ll keep my Double Dash and Wind Waker, thank you very much.
[Source: Giant Bomb]
Trion postpones End of Nations open beta “indefinitely”, refunds buy-ins
Free-to-play MMORTS End of Nations has always struck me as an odd duck in the best way possible. I’ve been eager to see it come closer to a release, but it looks like those plans might have to wait just a little longer: Polygon reported today that End of Nation’s open beta phase is postponed “indefinitely,” or “until further notice.” They’ll also be going out to refund players who bought Founder’s Editions, a paid-for version of the game that included access to the closed beta and bonuses upon the game’s official launch.
This is an awfully disappointing, if not outright troubling story to read. If developer Trion Worlds was simply pushing the game’s beta back a little bit, there wouldn’t be much reason to think twice about it, but to go the extra mile and start refunding the Founder’s Editions raises a serious red flag. If it’s simply a matter of refunding based on not fulfilling the promises made – Trion did state that the open beta was slated for “Fall 2012” – then perhaps it’s too early to start decrying them, but I have to wonder what could pose a big enough problem to elicit that kind of reaction from the developer.
[Source: Polygon]
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Dyl-Questing: Hey, Maybe Kickstart This Or Something? Sportsfriends
The Kickstarter for this is about halfway to completion, but Sportsfriends represents an incredibly intriguing chance to see a handful of games that really need a chance to breathe and spread their legs, so to speak. The package includes the incredible Johann Sebastian Joust, a game I had an opportunity to play at PAX. If the Sportsfriends package was just J.S. Joust, it’d still be worth pledging, but Hokra, Barabariball and Super Pole Riders all sound like just the extra boost of worthiness it needs. Pledge for it and we can all joust together! Probably.
[Source: Kickstarter]
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