Longtime consumer electronics reporter and videogamne blogger N'Gai Croal announced today in his final "Level Up" blog post that he was leaving the magazine. The post recounts his history with the prestigious newsweekly and his move into videogame journalism and commentary starting with a whirlwind tour of the industry in 1999. Since then Croal has become a prolific writer and commentator on gaming, with appearences on television and his work appearing on MTV News and Edge magazine. While vague about his plans, Croal does say they include: "videogame design consultant, media strategist, consumer technology reporter, columnist, blogger and, as always, provocateur." For those interested in the best of Croal's work, they can check out his commentary on the so-called "Gerstmanngate," the controversial firing of longtime GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann. He also ignited a firestorm of conversation regarding the controversial Resident Evil 5 trailer. There's no word whether "Level Up" will survive as a Newsweek feature or whether someone will be replacing Croal on Newsweek's gaming beat.
Midway told MTV Multiplayer today that, if at all possible, it would actually rather not pawn the Mortal Kombat franchise off on another publisher. The prospect of Midway selling MK off arose after the company's recent Chapter 11 filing, which mentioned the sale of the franchise as a possible goal in the proceedings. But according to Midway's Geoff Mogliner, the stress is on "possible." "It's not our goal to sell Mortal Kombat," Mogilner told Multiplayer. "It is something that, in the world of scenarios, it is something that could happen here. But it's not something that we as a company are going for." Mogliner went on to cite lots of publisher interest in the franchise, and admitted to Multiplayer that there have been talks. But he also stated that the MK team is currently at work producing another game.
Earlier today, Gamasutra reported that Eidos has provided its shareholders with the schedule for an acquisition by Square Enix. According to the article, shareholders will vote later this month, and if everything goes according to schedule, Square Enix will own Eidos by early May. Gamasutra's report also indicates that Time Warner, a 20% Eidos shareholder, must allow the deal unless it makes a counteroffer. We'll probably hear more later this month, and bigger news down the line when the buyout becomes official.
Earlier today in a joint announcement, Harmonix, MTV Games, and Apple Corp announced a September 9th worldwide release date for The Beatles: Rock Band. The game will launch simultaneously on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. The press release also detailed U.S. pricing for three versions of the game, which seems to follow Guitar Hero World Tour's triple-tiered setup. There's a standalone game, a guitar-only version, and a special edition bundle, which will be premium priced. Here's a glimpse at the official announcement: New York, NY - March 5, 2008 - Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band (http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com). The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360?video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION? computer entertainment system and WiiTM home videogame console from Nintendo.
Amazon is the latest retailer to join the game trade-in blitz. What's significant, of course, is that the online retailer will be conducting the trades via the U.S. Postal Service. If you've ever bought a game off someone on eBay, you'll know the dirt cheap media mail rate quite well. To participate, you simply identify the game you want to trade in, print Amazon's shipping label, and drop the game in a mailbox. Provided it's in "good" condition, of course. After a successful transaction, your Amazon account will be credited with the game's trade-in value. For you, the consumer, there is one clear advantages to trading stuff in through Amazon versus Gamestop or Best Buy or Toys "R" Us. Primarily, it means that your old games are no longer merely worth a fraction of a new game, alarm clock radio or Lego set. Thanks to the online retailer's vast stores of merchandise, your trade-ins can net you pretty much anything under the sun: from groceries and toiletries to dry goods and heavy goods.
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