Nintendo At The Tops Of US July Console Sales

425,000. That is the number of Nintendo Wii consoles shifted in July in U.S., 11 % more than in June according to NPD. With that they completely outran Sony and Microsoft. PS3 and XBOX360 together did not manage to match that number.

Xbox sales number was 170,000 and, shortly after, comes PS3 which sold 159,000. PS3 sales riced 59 % which presumably was because of their drop on price on their console.

Nintendo is doing great business with their DS taking the second place on the chart.

Here is the consoles listed after how many sold in U.S. in July.

Nintendo Wii - 425,000
Nintendo DS - 405,000
Playstation 2 - 222,000
PSP - 214,000
Micorsoft XBOX360 - 170,000
GameBoy Advance - 87,000

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Xbox 360 Warranty Extended To Three Years

Company boosts console warranty after investigation finds too many consoles needing repairs.

Computing giant Microsoft today announced that it would boost the warranty on its Xbox 360 gaming console to three years from date of purchase. The new warranty comes into effect globally.

The announcement came after an investigation found what Microsoft is calling an “unacceptable number of repairs to Xbox 360 consoles”. The investigation looked into possible causes of the “three flashing lights” hardware failure that has affected an estimate 33% of all Xbox 360 consoles according numerous online reports.

The company believes it has found the cause of the problems and has made improvements to the Xbox 360 design but declined to outline what those faults were or what caused them.

However, the cost of its Xbox 360 program will be significant with the company announcing it expects to take a pre-tax charge of between $US1.05billion and $US1.15billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2007 as a result of the warranty upgrade.

“The majority of Xbox 360 owners are having a great experience with their console and have from day one. But, this problem has caused frustration for some of our customers and for that, we sincerely apologize,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division. “We value our community tremendously and look at this as an investment in our customer base. We look forward to great things to come.”

To keep faith with its gaming market, Microsoft has announced that it will retroactively reimburse any customer that has previously paid for repairs that related to a three-flashing lights general hardware failure. This will also include shipping costs.

Microsoft is currently in a three-way battle with Sony and Nintendo in the gaming console market. According to figures released by market research firm NPD Group, Nintendo’s Wii console outsold the Xbox 360 in the US by more than two-to-one, selling 338,000 units to 155,000 with Sony’s PLAYSTATION3 coming a distant third at just 82,000 in the race for next-generation supremacy.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced the date for the expect release of its Xbox 360 Elite in Japan – October 11. The latest version adds HDMI video output plus a larger 120GB hard drive.

Reports from The Register are that Microsoft is having a tough time shifting its console in the tough Japanese market, where the Xbox 360 trails both the Nintendo Wii and Sony PLAYSTATION 3. In the month of June, over 270,000 Wiis were sold in Japan against 41,600 PLAYSTATION3s and just 17,600 Xbox 360 consoles.

Japanese market figures for the first half of 2007 are no better with the Xbox 360 selling just 122,000 units against a stagger 1.78million Nintendo Wiis and over 500,000 PLAYSTATION3 consoles.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 reliability issues have been heavily reported on the internet in recent times with much of the heat focussed on the console’s own heat production. Speculation has been raised on Gameworld Network that the failure is due to insufficient airflow near the graphics processor unit (GPU) causing the chip to heat and solder on its ball-grid array pins to melt.

At time of publishing, Microsoft has not outlined the reasons for the higher than expected failure rate.

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Suspension Of "Manhunt 2" Leads To Increased Demand

MATT SLAGLE,

AP Technology Writer

The decision by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. to suspend distribution of the violent video game "Manhunt 2" could actually end up boosting demand from curious gamers, industry analysts said Friday.
Analysts do not believe the move will harm the company's long-term bottom line. And if the game ever sees the light of day, the current controversy could give the title "a lot more exposure that would actually benefit game sales in the long run," said Colin Sebastian, senior research analyst at Lazard Capital Markets.
"Manhunt 2," initially slated for a July release on Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2, depicts the escape of an amnesiac scientist and a psychotic killer from an asylum and their subsequent epic killing spree.
Following bans by Britain and Ireland, as well as a ratings flap in the United States, Take-Two said late Thursday it was reviewing its options.
"We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment," the company said.
The game received a preliminary "Adults Only" rating in the United States from the industry's self-governed ratings body, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, restricting sales to customers 18 and older.
More importantly, such titles aren't stocked by large retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and all three console makers — Microsoft Corp., Nintendo and Sony — do not allow "AO" games on their systems.
Take-Two still could appeal the rating or craft a toned-down version that meets the less-stringent "Mature" rating for players 17 and older.
It's a move anticipated by analysts, but no indication was given on the fate of the title as of Friday. Telephone messages left with a Take-Two company spokesman were not returned, and a spokesman for its Rockstar Games division, which created "Manhunt 2," declined comment.
"It's free publicity," Sebastian said. "Consumer backlash is a risk but at the end of the day if it's rated `M' the retailers will take it."
Added Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst with The Motely Fool: "If anything, with this suspension there's going to be a demand for it because of the controversy."
Investors also seemed unfazed as Take-Two shares rose 21 cents, or 1 percent, to $20.82 in trading Friday.
Take-Two and Rockstar still have a marquee franchise on tap for a fall release.
"Grand Theft Auto IV," the latest in a series of urban crime games, should prove to be the real money maker when it is released on the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 in October.
Previous versions have been top-sellers, and Sebastian said any financial hit from "Manhunt 2" would be more than offset by the new "GTA" game.
"Relative to Grand Theft Auto it's a lot less significant," Sebastian said of "Manhunt 2." "Grand Theft Auto is the key driver. This is a second-tier title."
The previous game in the series, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," was at the center of a ratings controversy two years ago that sparked a Congressional inquiry.
Rockstar was forced to replace its first edition of "San Andreas" after a hacker discovered a password-protected game inside it that involved a sexual encounter.
This year has already been a turbulent one for Take-Two, which recently underwent a shareholder coup that ousted its chief executive and nearly all of its board.
The company said earlier this month that layoffs were likely as part of a restructuring effort designed to cut costs by about $25 million a year by 2008. Specific numbers haven't been released. Take-Two has about 2,100 employees.
It's not clear what effect the "San Andreas" controversy had on sales, as the title had already been available for months by the time the hack was discovered. In 2004, the year it was released, "San Andreas" was the top seller with more than 5.1 million copies sold in the U.S., according to market analyst NPD Group.
Controversies like "Manhunt 2" are to be expected for a company with a reputation for publishing edgy content, said Munarriz, the analyst.
"You have a company that's always lived in the gray area," he said. "These games are controversial and that's part of the allure."

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