Rockstar may have had high hopes with its first adult-oriented title on the DS handheld, but Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has sold well below expectations. The recent NPD sales figures for March 2009 show that the game sold only a paltry 88,704 units in North America. This is despite the game having scored a phenomenal 94 overall on metacritic, wowing game journalists and bloggers alike. Chinatown Wars certainly brings the fun back to GTA, but why aren't people buying it?
Certainly, piracy has to be partly to blame. Many of the same adult gamers who own a Nintendo DS and might have bought this release also engage in piracy, thanks to the availability of devices like the R4 linker. A quick scan of popular torrent sites shows that GTA: Chinatown Wars has been downloaded at least 120,000 times since launch. Those are potential sales that, when added to the actual numbers for March, no longer look quite so depressing.
Still, we are used to the days when a new Rockstar release on any platform would be a guaranteed million seller within a few months. This doesn't appear to be ready to happen on the DS, even with its massive installed base of over 40 million users. Interestingly, another adult-themed release on a Nintendo console, Madworld, failed to sell impressive numbers last month as well. Perhaps core gamers really have moved away from Nintendo hardware, and mature game titles are no longer viable on either machine.
Given the huge sales disparity between GTA: Chinatown Wars and the two PSP titles Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, we think another handheld PSP installment is almost guaranteed. And who knows, maybe if the rumored PSP 2 comes with a touch screen, a version of Chinatown Wars might even make an appearance on Sony's handheld.
Source : PVG.com
Another year, another E3. Just like last year, Nintendo's press conference was heavily unbalanced, portraying how the company is shifting the large majority of its gears towards Wii development. There are, however, a good amount of DS tidbits to report, including a few interesting surprises:
Grand Theft Auto hits the DS: Although it was barely mentioned, this is quite possibly the biggest surprise at this year's Nintendo media briefing. Grand theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is set to launch this December, bringing Liberty City to Nintendo's handheld, including clasic gameplay in a brand new engine', hinting at a 3D title to look forward to.
Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades is on its way: Somewhat of an expansion to this summer's big-seller, On Tour Decades is set to release very soon, including its own set of tracks and the ability to share music with standard On Tour players.
Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What To Eat coming to North America: Shipping this November, this digital recipe book allows your DS to invade the kitchen, with helpful tips and voice clips to help you prepare delicious dishes.
Rhythm Tengoku 2 / Rhythm Heaven to see the light outside Japan: Our prayers have been answered; Nintendo will be releasing this quirky DS rhythm title, a sequel to a GBA import-only masterpiece, in North America. A release window has yet to be given.
Pokémon Ranger 2 finally has North American release date: A sequel to a surprisingly fresh Pokémon spin-off, which was released in Japan almost ten months ago, is finally on its way to the US; titled Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, the title has a November 10 release date.
Retro Game Challenge U.S.-bound: Game Center CX, based off a popular Japanese TV show, features a collection of many different takes on clasic old-school titles. The title received great praise in Japan, and is set to launch this winter as Retro Game Challenge.
And that's about it. Nintendo had previously confirmed Kirby Super Star Ultra and Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir for a September release, and surprisingly only the latter was found at the E3 show floor. No word on Fire Emblem DS, Pokémon Platinum, or Miles Edgeworth: Perfect Prosecutor; at least not yet
Source: [PVG.com]
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 – July 2: At last, a true sequel to the Trauma Center series returns to its birthplace, the Nintendo DS. With a few new operations and the same challenging gameplay, the title has been praised of being good, although a bit non-innovative. For those looking for more E.R. action, TC:UTK2 won't disappoint.
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution – July 8: A bit of a 'laid-back' approach on the hardcore Civilization gameplay, simplifying gameplay to expand the game's audience while keeping many gameplay aspects and tons of replay value. Although basic 2D graphics aren't impressive, the addictive strategy gameplay and tons of content make the DS version of Civ one worth checking out.
Carnival Games – July 8: The not-so-good-but-sold-a-ton Carnival Games for the Wii is attempting to cash in with the DS market. This game is a collection of carnival-themed mini-games for stylus play, featuring many prizes, a town to explore and customize, and microphone usage. It might not be great, but casual gamers keen to the Wii version will probably enjoy this.
Final Fantasy IV – July 21: Known as 'the definitive FFIV version' to many, this enhanced remake featuring gameplay enhancements, gorgeous 3D visuals, and connectivity features offers a challenging, old-school role-playing adventure for nostalgic fans or newcomers alike.
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns: July 22: Izuna's second DS adventure is on its way, with a lot of dungeons to explore, enemies to defeat and items to collect. Izuna's DS titles are dungeon crawlers similar to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, titles that many consider repetitive but that have an increasing fan base that can't get enough of them.
