Gadgets and Video Games

The latest Famitsu reveals a third entry in Atlus’s hardcore dungeon RPG series Etrian Odyssey (Sekaiju no Meikyuu ). Etrian Odyssey 3 ditches the series’ forest setting for the seaside town of Armolode, in which an earthquake has recently uncovered — surprise! — a big labyrinth. According to the 1UP translation, the new game will include new character classes “including prince/princess, phalanx, monk, pirate, and shinobi,” and will allow players to explore the ocean by ship when they aren’t being killed in the labyrinth. The game will be released March 4 in Japan, and has a pretty good shot at a North American release: not only has Atlus USA translated the previous games in the series, it continues to show willingness to publish first-person DS RPGs like The Dark Spire and the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey . Back into the labyrinth: Atlus announces Etrian Odyssey 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST

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Back into the labyrinth: Atlus announces Etrian Odyssey 3

Publisher Kalypso Media USA and its recently released debut title, Tropico 3 , have something in common: both are trying to build an empire from the ground up. Speaking with the The Washington Post , Kalypso’s El Presidente Deborah Tillett describes the current economic clients as a good time to start something up, because “you can’t get worse than zero.” Tillett explains that Kalypso had the opportunity to buy the Tropico rights from Take-Two because the previous games sold “hundreds of thousands of copies.” That’s great for Kalypso, but Take-Two wouldn’t have been able to make enough profit if it had done another installment. She notes Tropico ’s figures are “a pittance compared with many millions of unit sales for every new GTA game.” The Germany-based Kalypso plans to release about 10 games a year, most of which will be indie titles that couldn’t make the trip across the Atlantic

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Tropico 3 publisher aiming for 10 games a year

After yesterday’s full-fledged assault on mainstream gaming news coverage , we were refreshed to read this great USA Today report on the current state of the Halo franchise. Sure, it further promotes the tired opinion that Bungie’s ever-popular shooter is set to overtake the Star Wars franchise in the cultural marketplace. However, it backs up that assertion with startling figures: According to the report, Halo 3: ODST has sold 2.5 million units in the past two weeks, bringing the total sales for the entire franchise up to a cool 27 million. Additionally, USA Today further supports its thesis by compiling a list of the future franchise spin-offs, including — *deep breath* — Halo: Reach, the Halo: Blood Line comic series, Halo Legends, Halo Waypoint, the Halo: Evolutions novel (and another heretofore unnamed book trilogy), and more McFarlane toys. Some may accuse this franchise of succumbing to oversaturation — we think it crossed that bridge around the time it got its own Mountain Dew

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ODST reaches 2.5 million sales; Haloverse expansions detailed

According to USA Today , Activision and Infinity Ward have a new Modern Warfare 2 trailer debuting during Sunday Night Football . It’ll play sometime during the game between the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8PM ET (5PM PT). Your options: Watch the game live …

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New Modern Warfare 2 trailer during Sunday Night Football

If you’ve been gaming as long as we have, you know that Columns is one of Sega’s great puzzle games. Like most puzzle games, the object is simply to line up four same-colored gems — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — and watch them explode. Whether you’re familiar with the game or not, we’ve got some good news: Sega is giving away the iPhone version of Columns for free in celebration of USA’s Independence Day. The app will be free starting midnight, Friday, July 3, all the way through Monday, July 6

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Get iPhone Columns as a free 4th of July treat from Sega

According to a USA Today article , Activision has turned to Jay-Z and Eminem to provide some added value to a special-edition release of DJ Hero . In addition to the game , the bundle reportedly includes greatest-hits CDs from both rappers, possibly with new tracks, an “advanced version of the controller, a DJ stand and metal traveling case.” In addition, the two will serve as “consultants” to Activision, and will, of course, contribute tracks to the game. Another collaborator, DJ Shadow, put four screenshots of DJ Hero up on his website that finally show some gameplay. It appears to be very similar to Guitar Hero , except sometimes the note line moves a bit, which we believe indicates switching tracks on the crossfader. Gallery: DJ Hero [Via NeoGAF ] USA Today: Jay-Z/Eminem limited edition DJ Hero pack coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 May 2009 09:30:00 EST

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USA Today: Jay-Z/Eminem limited edition DJ Hero pack coming

We still don’t know much about Tony Hawk Ride’s board-shaped peripheral. Things like “How much will it cost?” (GameStop indicates that it won’t be cheap) or “How does it work?” While clearly powered, in part, by your “imagination,” a recent video from USA Today (found after the break) adds some technological jargon to that list of ingredients: dual accelerometers.

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Tony Hawk Ride’s board powered by dual accelerometers, imagination