Gadgets and Video Games

Generally speaking, when a company can post a year-over-year growth in the double digits, it’s doing pretty well. We write up a lot of financial news here at the ‘Stiq, and it’s not often that we can report that a company managed a 623 percent increase in its income. And yet, here we are, as GameSpot reports that NCsoft has done exactly that — thanks in no small part to its latest MMO, Aion . Specifically, NCsoft reported revenues of KRW634.7 billion ($546 million) for its fiscal 2009, an 83 percent increase over the previous year. Actual income (profit, in other words) reached KRW185.4 billion ($160 million), a 623 percent increase over 2008

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NCsoft 2009 financials get high on Aion

Though Disney’s gaming division saw improved operating results during the company’s first fiscal quarter of 2010 (which ended January 2) — a loss of $10 million compared to a $45 million loss in Q1 the previous fiscal year — CEO Robert Iger has maintained a prudent stance on upcoming projects. “Disney-branded games seem to perform better on the Wii and DS platforms,” he noted during a recent investor call (via Computerworld ). It seems Disney will continue to target non-Nintendo platforms, but with fewer shots and steadier aim

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Disney Interactive to be more ‘judicious’ with HD games as losses abate

Accessory company Mad Catz released its earnings report for the third quarter of its fiscal year (ending December 31, 2009), with numbers that suggest its wares are selling like mad . Net sales came to $48.8 million, which is “the second-best quarter of sales in the company’s history.” Profits increased 51 percent over the same period in the previous fiscal year, a change Mad Catz attributes to its movement out of low-price controllers and into higher-end specialty accessories. Hello $150 FiightStick ! In its announcement , Mad Catz also listed the controllers and accessories it plans to ship in the near future. In addition to the new Super Street Fighter IV “Tournament Edition S” FightSticks (pictured above), the release also reveals plans to sell a new Super Street Fighter IV edition of the standard FightStick. It’s as of yet unconfirmed if the standard stick will be given a new layout and shell like the superified Tournament Edition stick, or merely new artwork

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Mad Catz reports growing profits, hints at new Super Street Fighter IV joystick

[Image: Bungie ] Microsoft is pulling the plug on the Xbox Live services that still cater to the original Xbox. As of April 15th, all Xbox 1 games — including those playable on Xbox 360 or via the Xbox Originals service — will be severed from the online realm. “I want to start by saying this isn’t a decision we made lightly,” Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten said at the start of a letter to Xbox Live members , “but after careful consideration, it is clear that this will provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox Live community.” Whitten added that in continuing to “evolve the service,” Microsoft requires changes that are “incompatible” with the previous console’s games. “We will contact the Xbox LIVE members directly impacted by this change and if this includes you, I encourage you to check your LIVE messages and associated e-mail account over the coming weeks for more details and opportunities.” According to Major Nelson ’s most recent list of top Xbox 1 Live titles, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Counter-Strike players will be hardest hit

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Xbox Live service for Xbox 1 games to be discontinued on Apr. 15

Bethesda sent word today that the Obsidian-developed Fallout: New Vegas will start irradiating store shelves this fall. It’s a little less nebulous than the previous ” sometime in 2010 ,” but it’s still not specific enough for our tastes. No, the real draw today is the second half of Bethesda’s release, the debut teaser trailer that we’ve put just above. No gameplay, but it’s got style and Sinatra to spare.

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Fallout: New Vegas coming this fall, teaser coming … right now

The prospect of racing against the Bonanza Bros. as a forklift-driving Ryo Hazuki likely has many Sega fans on the precipice of purchasing Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing . However, those of us whose common sense has yet to be short-circuited by fan service would prefer to try out the game in order to determine whether the actual racing is worthwhile

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Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing demo might be forthcoming

This past summer, we learned that Mass Effect 2 players could import save files from the previous entry in the franchise, bringing all of the decisions made in the first game into the sequel. But are decisions capable of decimating hordes of insidious, robotic invaders?

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Mass Effect 2’s save game import features explained

There are no words . This trailer for Mass Effect 2 — which just happens to be the expanded edition of the trailer teased during IGN’s pre-VGA show — is just completely radical . This particular video is more story-driven than the previous pieces of marketing for the game, giving a bit of backstory into the team Shepard has assembled, then showing that team going to war against a gigantic, sinister spacecraft.

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Mass Effect 2 cinematic trailer makes us want to skip Christmas

Old-school Mario is news again as New Super Mario Bros. Wii sold at Sonic-speed throughout its Japanese launch last week.

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NSMB Wii hits big in Japan: bricks record, collects coin

If amazingly fast and explosive men have been the bane of your existence in Modern Warfare 2 as of late, then know that Activision’s go-to guy, Robert “fourzerotwo” Bowling , has got the hot scoops on a patch in the works to address the despised Javelin glitch. Version 1.06 of the game will not only do away with that awful bit of frustration, but will also address two other notable exploits in the multiplayer experience: Fixes the Javelin glitch (thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster!) Fixes unlimited care packages glitch Fixes areas where players could exploit geography (e.g. hide inside rocks in Afghan) Bowling says the patch is currently in the hands of Microsoft for certification on Xbox 360 and presumably in Sony’s for PS3 certification. We’ve contacted Bowling for more info and will update the post when we hear back

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Modern Warfare 2 update 1.06 fixes Javelin glitch, infinite care packages, geography exploits