News

It's true. According to CNN, Sony reduced the MSRP of the 20-gig PS3 (that's the lower-quality version) by 12,200 yen, or around $105. Sony is going to allow retailers to price the 60-gig version of the system themselves, using the MSRP of the 20-gig version as sort of a starting point.

However, as far as we know, this price drop applies only to Japan, whose original price of the 20-gig PS3 was approximately $515 (now it's closer to $410). There is no word on any price drops anywhere else in the world as of yet, however, and we can only hope that Sony will also make a similar announcement applying to the North American and European releases of the PS3.

What with the Tokyo Game Show only a few meager days away, it's no surprise that several new game titles, all ripe for media discussion, seem to be rolling out of the floodgates left and right as of late. Among them is yet another chapter in Square-Enix's long-running Mana series - having recently recovered from somewhat of a hiatus - for the Nintendo DS, entitled Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana.

Unlike the past installments of Kouichi Ishii's popular RPG franchise, Heroes of Mana is set to feature a battle system composed of the role-playing genre's traditional elements along with new real-time strategy. Placed in the shoes of a young Pedan Kingdom soldier named Roger, players will experience an implemented gameplay method similar to Square's own Bahamut Lagoon, including an airship that serves as a mobile base and monsters that can be summoned to assist the characters during battle.

No info concerning a launch date for Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana has come into sight, but this weekend's TGS may prove to provide us with many more in-depth details. Until then, North American gamers in particular can take solace in the fact that the October 30th release date for Children of Mana - and its more classical gameplay - is not too far off.

In the meantime, why not pop on over to GamesAreFun.com and check out some juicy new scans á la Seiken Densetsu 4: Dawn of Mana, the RPG Square-Enix has allegedly declared to be the developer's last major game for the PlayStation 2.

Source: EuroGamer

Nintendo has finally released a firm launch date and North American price for its upcoming console, the Wii. Those of us in the United States or Canada can look forward to doling out $249.99 (USD) on November 19 and walking away with quite a package.

The console will ship with one Wii remote, the nunchuck attachment to the remote, a console stand, and a sensor bar with stand, along with the necessary cords and cables. This package will also include a Wii Sports sampler to show off the usage of the new controller.

Information regarding the Virtual Console has also been released. 30 classic titles from other systems will be available for purchase by the end of the year, and games will cost between $5 and $10 each.

New Wii games published by Nintendo will retail at $49.99.

All in all, this sounds like a great package. Nintendo really seems set to take the market by storm.

Source: IGN via Elessar (maybe he should just be a newsposter)

A brand new display dubbed "Television Game Museum", courtesy of Tokyo Game Show producer CESA, has been designed for this year's event. The exhibition will outline all the major steps taken throughout the history of console gaming, beginning with Nintendo's Famicom (or the Nintendo Entertainment System, as it's known in the Western world) and leading up to the current generation of game systems.

Sadly, in a neglectful yet not too surprising manner, all pre-NES consoles - to name just a few, the Magnavox Odyessy, the revolutionary Atari 2600, and even Nintendo's very own obscure Color TV console series, all circa 1970's - appear to be completely left out.

This "museum" goes one more step further: Within each credited video game year will be a small assortment of notorious titles set alongside their corresponding console. Young gamers will be able to experience the fun via the "Retro Gaming Corner", an exhibit dedicated to educating the younger crowd about ye olde gaming days while also allowing the seasoned veterans an almost virtual trip back in time to bask in a more nostalgic era.

The "Television Game Museum" display is cosponsored by Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment, and by Microsoft. The Tokyo Game Show will begin September 22nd and go on through the 24th.

Source: GameSpot

Square-Enix has thrown eager fans yet another bone in the form of some spankin' new media concerning the Nintendo DS's remake of Final Fantasy III. Featured within this batch is a handful of screenshots depicting the different modes of transportation accessible across the game's World Map. The real highlight, however, is a new gameplay movie showing off a brief portion of dungeon exploration as well as the characters engaged in battle - a boss battle.

Final Fantasy III DS is now set to release in North America on October 3rd.

Japan's Tokyo Game Show, scheduled to be held at the Chiba prefecture's Makuhari Messe from September 22nd through the 24th, should be packed with an alleged record number of participating companies this year. According to a recently updated list, the annual show's organizers are anticipating their largest ever group of 134 exhibitors presenting about 1,702 game related products. Additionally, over 160,000 in attendance are surmised for the 10th anniversary event - a total slightly below last year's.

The three-day show's theme this year, as disclosed by the Tokyo Game Show website, is "new stimulus, new feeling, new era." In the words of the Japanese game industry trade body Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), "[the theme] is meant to reflect the changing and converging landscape, one in which consumer consoles, online games, mobile games and next-gen are all supported."

As a final note, Nintendo, formerly holding its Space World event each year as a means in which to publicly showcase its upcoming games and systems exclusively, will once again forgo making an appearance at the TGS.

For more information on the Tokyo Game Show, check out the event's official website (in English).

Source: Gamasutra