X-Box's Selling Price?
Microsoft has maintained since the Xbox was originally announced that when the console is finally launched, it will be priced competitively. Robbie Bach, senior vice president of Microsoft's games division, echoed those sentiments in discussing specific price points for the Japanese and North American Xbox for the first time as part of a recent CBS Marketwatch article. "Console pricing is a pretty well-defined science," Bach said. "The research has told us that consoles typically start around the range of $299 in the US and somewhere between 29,000 yen and 39,000 yen in Japan. We will take that research into account when we start pricing the Xbox." The 39,000 yen (about $315) Japanese price point is slightly lower than the launch price of the Japanese PlayStation 2, which debuted at 39,800 yen (about $320). When contact for comment a Microsoft spokesperson told GameSpot that the prices discusses by Bach were only approximate price ceilings that the company hopes to maintain, and not the official price of the console. Microsoft will officially announce specific pricing and launch details for the North American Xbox at the upcoming E3 in Los Angeles. The North American launch is slated for this fall. The Japanese release will follow a month later.
The Future of WCW Videogames Unclear
Electronic Arts is in jeopardy of losing its WCW license as a result of the recent buyout of the struggling wrestling organization by its primary competitor, the WWF. At the present time, Electronic Arts is taking a "wait and see" approach, as specific details regarding the buyout deal have not been solidified. If the WCW were to retain its own franchise rights, the organization could conceivably provide licensing options to third parties such as EA, but that possibility remains unlikely.
Mortal Kombat blamed for boy's death
Andrea Wilson of Norwalk, Connecticut has file suit against Midway Games, alleging that her 13-year-old son Noah was stabbed by a friend after playing Mortal Kombat at a restaurant in 1997. The boys were on their way to a screening of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation when one of them found a knife on the sidewalk and allegedly tried to imitate a scene from the game. Wilson's suit alleges that the friend "was still feeling the effects of and was controlled by the Mortal Kombat video (game)" and that her son and his friends were "obsessed" with it. The owners of the restaurant say they have never had a Mortal Kombat machine at their establishment.
High registration numbers for PSO
Sega of America has announced that more than 200,000 users worldwide have registered for its online role-playing game Phantasy Star Online since its release in December. The game is the first of its kind on the console format, as it lets players from around the world meet, communicate, and compete on the PSO servers.
"The revolutionary new concept and global online gameplay in Phantasy Star Online have spawned an enthusiastic and dedicated gaming community among gamers from around the world," said John Golden, director of product marketing at Sega of America. "With literally thousands of gamers playing at any given moment, Phantasy Star Online delivers an online gaming experience unparalleled in the industry."
New Development Studio
Three former Midway employees have formed a development firm named Swinging Ape Studios to create games for multiple next-generation platforms. The job-listings page on its Web site lists the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox as the two target console platforms for the company. Swinging Ape Studios was formed by Steve Ranck, Mike Starich, and Scott Goffman, whose prior work with Midway includes such games as Hydro Thunder and Cruis'n 64, among others. Swinging Ape Studios hasn't released details on any specific projects at this time.
Electronic Arts secured the WCW license in early 1998 and has released multiple WCW-branded games on the Nintendo 64, the Sony PlayStation, and the Game Boy Color. The company's WCW game for the Sony PlayStation 2 is currently on indefinite hold, pending the eventual resolution of the buyout. THQ currently owns the WWF license. However, it is also officially taking a similar "wait and see" approach on whether it can ultimately include the WCW wrestlers in its upcoming WWF games.
