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Joystiq
Joystiq (culture.joystiq.com) has great Activision news, photos, videos and more
Tuesday, Nov 17
Robomodo CEO hints at new software for RIDE peripheral
Robomodo CEO David Michicich hinted that more software for the Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard controller could be on its way. When asked if the developer had other ideas for the peripheral's use outside of the skating genre in an interview with Develop, Michicich replied, "We're doing a game...
Ex-Visceral Games staff find new home with Activision's 'Sledgehammer Games'
It's official: Visceral Games staffers Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey (best known for Dead Space) have taken positions at a new Activision studio in Foster City, California, called Sledgehammer Games. This tidily clears up two rumors we've been hearing. Yes, Schofield and Condrey...
Activision pulled MW2 'No Russian' scene in Russia on advice of 'local counsel'
Activision has confirmed that it decided to remove the controversial "No Russian" scene from Russian versions of Modern Warfare 2, noting that there was no influence from the Russian government to do so. In a statement to Eurogamer, the publisher explained that Russia does not have a for...
Monday, Nov 16
Achtung! Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies infests iPhone
What's less clear is who is behind the development of Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies. The iTunes Store lists the game under "Vivendi Games Mobile," the presumably outdated name of Vivendi Games' mobile gaming arm, taken over during the 2007 merger. We've put a line into Activision.
Sunday, Nov 15
Rumor: MW2 recalled in Russia due to 'No Russian' scene
To make sure this report stays as "fair and balanced" as possible, we've contacted Activision and Infinity Ward for comment. Any Russia-based readers that can shed a little bit more light on the situation should feel free to contact us.
Activision pursuing 'online monetization models' for Call of Duty franchise
For quite some time now, Activision execs have been hinting at the idea of MMO monetization being implemented in games other than Blizzard's behemoth World of Warcraft. Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets Conference this past week, another Activision exec - CFO Thomas Tippl - was tasked...
Friday, Nov 13
WRUP: 'We don't control the Modern Warfare 2 servers' edition
We appreciate passionate gamers, but please stop sending us emails asking us to fix the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 servers. We're happy that the game is so enjoyable; however, we do not control nor do we have even the slightest influence over how the game functions. Please direct all issu...
Activision: Probably fewer 'Hero' SKUs next year, but next DJ, Guitar and Band lined up
Activision may have "fewer SKUs" in 2010, but it still needs its Heroes to champion the financial cause. Guitar Hero brand CEO Dan Rosensweig tells MCV that the publisher is already working on the "next iterations" of Guitar Hero and Band Hero, and mentions that there will be "more" DJ Hero....
Oct. NPD: Brutal Legend sold 216k; DJ Hero sold 123k
Update: Removed reference to Brütal Legend as an Activision-published title. We know better!Oct. NPD: Brutal Legend sold 216k; DJ Hero sold 123k originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Wednesday, Nov 11
Activision applies for Drum Hero trademark
Activision has applied to trademark Drum Hero. Yes, your initial reaction is likely the same as ours: "Wait, how did Activision not do that already?" Good question, but apparently the Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and Band Hero publisher only applied for the trademark in late October. This does no...
Bizarre-developed Bond opts for EastEnder over Daniel Craig
According to Adam Croasdell, the EastEnders star (it's a long-running BBC soap opera, for the non-British amongst us) has wrapped up voice work on the game. "Oddly enough I have just played James Bond in the new James Bond video game -- how weird is that?" Croasdell told BBC Asian Network, a...
Monday, Nov 9
This is Modern Warfare 2's official launch party
Considering this is arguably the biggest game release of the year, the event ended up being a bit underwhelming. Other than the dozens of Xbox 360 demo kiosks (with nary a PS3 in sight), Activision didn't offer much else to see or do. For the sake of this blogger, a more "ridiculous" marketing...
EA: Medal of Honor being revitalized, details 'in the months ahead'
The long-established war series - whose Allied Assault team led to the creation of Infinity Ward and the now dominant Call of Duty series at competitor Activision - has been absent since 2007's triple showing of the poorly received Medal of Honor: Airborne, the poorly received Medal of H...
Sunday, Nov 8
Activision establishing 'Call of Duty Endowment,' donating $1 million to war veteran aid
On the eve of Modern Warfare 2's official release, the game's publisher has announced intentions to donate $1 million to veteran-related charities through a newly created foundation. The "Call of Duty Endowment" (or simply "CODE") is said to "support other groups that assist veterans...
Select GameStops in NY, OH and PA selling Modern Warfare 2 already
Poor, poor GameStop. As the gaming public's anticipation for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 approached critical mass, they faltered in their loyalty, and took their business to small "mom and pop" game retailers who had broken the game's street date. Fortunately for the retail juggernau...
Friday, Nov 6
LGJ: Read the fine print!
Well, after the incident with Courtney Love and Kurt, it looks like the whole issue of famous musicians in games is back in the press with No Doubt suing Activision over Band Hero. A one time event is an anomaly, but twice in just a few months suggests something else. Of course, both of these all...
Activision catches both pirates and thieves in Modern Warfare 2 investigation
While it might be tempting to go straight to Craigslist with those Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundles you stole, it turns out that Activision notices exciting, high-profile offers just like your potential customers might. VentureBeat reports that when Activision noticed a listing for o...
Modern Warfare 2 refused by digital distribution retailers; Steamworks to blame
At Direct2Drive," the statement on what would be the Modern Warfare 2 product page reads, "we believe strongly that when you buy a game from us, you shouldn't be forced to install and run a 3rd party software client to be able to play the game you purchased." The site offers an Amazon link to pu...
Thursday, Nov 5
Guitar Hero, Call of Duty franchises lead Activision's 'better-than-expected' Q3 2009
In fact, the CEO called Guitar Hero the year's "#1 best-selling third-party franchise in North America and Europe" through September, claiming that U.S. sales of music games increased 72 percent year over year in September. Last year's big-band-box edition, World Tour, and Call of Duty:...
Tuesday, Nov 3
Initial Modern Warfare 2 budget was 'ridiculous'
During an interview with Develop, Infinity Ward's front-line man, Robert "fourzerotwo" Bowling, recalled the early planning stages of Modern Warfare 2. Unsurprisingly, publisher and owner Activision was eager to pour money into the development of the COD4 sequel, following the bas...
DJ Hero sales 'modest,' analyst says; Activision refuses to comment
When contacted by Joystiq, Activision refused to comment on the matter. With no less than three new rhythm titles on the horizon, we presume publishers hope the trend of sluggish peripheral-based game sales comes to a screeching halt; like the days of disco music and, apparently, outlin...
Monday, Nov 2
Deal of the week: 50% off CoD 4's Variety Map Pack
This week, Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers will be able to snag Call of Duty 4's Variety Map Pack for half off, Activision announced. We've seen this with car dealers a million times. With next year's model -- Modern Warfare 2 -- about to hit the show floor soon, Activision is looking to get as much as it c...
Thursday, Oct 29
First DJ Hero DLC mix pack today; David Guetta pack dated Nov. 24
Activision and FreeStyleGames aren't wasting any time in expanding DJ Hero's already fairly expansive 93-mix-long track list. The "Extended Mix Pack 01" DLC will be added to the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store today and includes the following two mixes for 480 and $5.99, res...
Wednesday, Oct 28
Band Hero's DS 'drum skin' in action
Activision is making people believe in the weird DS "drum skin" attachment for Band Hero the best way it knows how: by finding the most excitable shills it can in shopping centers, and putting the game in their hands. Predictably, they love it. We've never seen a mall so full of people willing...
New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism
Sorry, mainstream press, but we already beat you to the headline! Much like the level of anticipation amongst us gamers, controversy is set to reach uncomfortable levels when Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 starts shooting up the sales chart (and the airpo...
Science makes Air Guitar Hero a reality
This is just a demonstration of some experimental technology. It's not specifically a game controller, and Activision won't be shipping electrodes to stores any time soon. This is a presentation for the Association for Computer Machinery's Symposium on User Interface Software and Tec...
Sunday, Oct 25
Guitar Hero co-founder expects DJ Hero to have slower initial sales
Huang mentioned that while overall sales will be bolstered by the Hero part of the game's moniker, the DJ portion may scare potential players off -- causing Activision to focus on in-store demos to push the product on passersby. If we were unenlightened of DJ Hero's existence, we'd probab...
Wednesday, Oct 21
London's Leicester Square to host Modern Warfare 2 midnight bash
Late-night revelers and iron-sight junkies situated near London should note that Activision plans a proper launch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at Leicester Square, on the night before the game's November 10 launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Hip square visitors to-be can gap...
Harmonix calls for an encore in Gibson patent case
The patent suit brought by Gibson against Harmonix and other parties related to Guitar Hero and Rock Band was stayed due to the US Patent and Trademark Office deciding to reexamine the patent. According to Patent Arcade, Harmonix and a group of retailers have asked a Tennessee court to con...
Sunday, Oct 18
Retailers list Modern Warfare 2 bundle for November 10
We can't say that we were exactly taken aback to find out a couple of online retailers are listing the upcoming Modern Warfare 2-paired 250GB Xbox 360 launch as November 10, the same day the game arrives at retailers nationwide. An eagle-eyed reader at Joystiq sister site Engadget spotted...
Activision couldn't help but sign on to help market 'Couples Retreat'
When we heard that Vince's character is a salesperson of the video game we laughed hysterically," Will Kassoy, senior VP of publishing at Activision, told Variety. With the film opening to a $35.3 million weekend, it appears everyone involved was laughing all the way to the bank, proving t...
Friday, Oct 16
Jurassic: The Hunted looks awfully familiar
Jurassic: The Hunted arrives for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2 on November 3. We're not sure it's fair of Activision to put Modern Warfare 2 up against this kind of competition.
Thursday, Oct 15
Runnin' Late with the Devil: Guitar Hero Van Halen delayed on PS3
Activision promises to begin mailing the game out this week. The good news, we suppose, is that everyone affected by this delay has Guitar Hero 5 to play in the meantime. If you're an insider and can tell us what the printing error was, we have to know. Did the title say "Guitar Hero: Van Helen?" W...
Wednesday, Oct 14
Activision: Guitar Hero 5 launch 'probably' franchise's best, DLC sales getting 'interesting' [update]
If you want to know anything about Guitar Hero, you talk to Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Activision's Guitar Hero division. (Yeah, it has its own division.) Speaking to GI.biz, Rosensweig offered -- rather candidly, we might add -- some insight into the performance of Activision's latest, Guita...
Activision: DJ Hero's 'diversity' key in attracting 'Hero' newcomers
In other news: Nepalese GameStops have begun surveying all customers claiming to be unfamiliar with Guitar Hero games. Their responses are to be documented and shared in November's nationwide educational seminar, "How To Avoid an Avalanche."Activision: DJ Hero's 'diversity' key in a...
Friday, Oct 9
Play DJ Hero at GameStop this Sunday
Activision has announced that GameStop will be hosting a special DJ Hero demo event this Sunday, October 11. The event is taking place at all United States GameStop locations from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and will give gamers the chance to try out the game a full three weeks in advance. Gamers will...
Thursday, Oct 8
Retail roulette: Who has the best DJ Hero pre-order bonus?
Round and round the DJ Hero pre-order bonuses go. Who has the best one? Nobody kn -- oh wait, we do! Planning on putting down the cash for the Activision turntable simulator at the end of October? Let's see which major retailer has the best deal:
Wednesday, Oct 7
Activision: Guitar Hero beat Beatles because it's 'fun as hell'
We were just as perplexed as anyone when Guitar Hero 5 trounced The Beatles: Rock Band in the UK -- where we hear the Fab Four is fairly popular still. Thankfully, Activision's Guitar Hero business CEO, Rock 'n' Roll Dan Rosensweig, is there to explain it all. "The number one thing about Guita...
Tuesday, Oct 6
Report: Activision reduces 7 Studios by half
We've contacted 7 Studios for comment on the reported workforce reduction. Stay tuned.Report: Activision reduces 7 Studios by half originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Play as your Mii, or a professional skater, or a professional skater's Mii in Tony Hawk Ride
While both Guitar Hero World Tour and 5 included Mii modes, Xbox Avatar support was new for the latest GH game. We've contacted Activision to determine whether Avatars will find their way into Ride as well.Continue reading Play as your Mii, or a professional skater, or a professional skate...
Activision files trademark for Call of Duty film adaptation
Perhaps the reason why video game-to-film adaptations have failed so ubiquitously is because none of them were of a truly epic scale. Perhaps what the ailing genre needs is a massive, Saving Private Ryan-esque cinematic endeavor -- which might just be coming in the form of a movie based on...
DJ Hero's full track list revealed
Activision Blizzard has dropped the list of all DJ Hero's block-rockin' beats that players will be mixin' for mad points. The full catalog on the disc consists of 93 tracks covering several genres of music -- the kids (both young and old) aren't likely to be disappointed.
Monday, Oct 5
Game Developer Research's 'Top 20 Publishers 2009' stays the same
The full, totally unsurprising list -- which was calculated based on number of games released, average review scores for said games and estimated revenue for each company -- can be found after the jump. Comments stating why Publisher A is still infinitely better than Publisher B can be fo...
DJ Hero mashes up Europe on October 30
During GamesCom, Activision said that DJ Hero would come to Europe in "late October." The good news is that the publisher didn't pick the very last day in October to release the game ... though it's awfully close. Today, Activision told Eurogamer that all versions of DJ Hero will be out in the UK a...
Friday, Oct 2
New Modern Warfare 2 trailer during Sunday Night Football
According to USA Today, Activision and Infinity Ward have a new Modern Warfare 2 trailer debuting during Sunday Night Football. It'll play sometime during the game between the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8PM ET (5PM PT).
Wednesday, Sep 30
Feign surprise: DJ Hero 2 allegedly in the works
Considering what Activision has done with the Guitar Hero franchise, it wouldn't exactly be a shock if DJ Hero 2, DJ Hero 3 and DJ Hero: Scratch the '80s all hit within a year of each other.Feign surprise: DJ Hero 2 allegedly in the works originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:30...
Monday, Sep 28
Activision 'Rocktober' trademark conflicts with EA's Brutal Legend marketing
Low and behold, we turned up an Activision trademark filing for "Rocktober" dating all the way back to 2007. An EA representative was unable to comment at the time of this posting, but assured us we'll have an official statement from the publisher soon. We've also reached out to Activision f...
Guitar Hero 5: October DLC
Activision has announced all of the forthcoming Guitar Hero 5 DLC tracks for ... Rocktober! Queens of the Stone Age, Billy Squier and Wolfmother are the featured track packs next month, along with some themed collections later in the month. Each pack will cost 440 on Xbox 360, $5.50 on PS3 and 55...
Wednesday, Sep 23
TGS 2009: Every major publisher 'actively working on games for Project Natal'
Kicking off Tokyo Game Show 2009 with a kick digitally translated into a game, Microsoft has announced massive industry support for upcoming motion device Project Natal. Trumpeting a laundry list of gaming industry all-stars from Activision to Ubisoft, it appears that every major pub...
Rumor: Activision pulls Wolfenstein in Germany over swastika use
In related news, the uncensored Xbox Live demo is out today in: Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. Nope, Germany's definitely not on the list. [Shortcut: Add Wolfenstein Demo to your Xbo...
Monday, Sep 21
Blur crossing finish line in 2010
Activision still has plenty on its plate this holiday season with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and DJ Hero. Then again, with the early part of 2010 as packed as it is with pushed releases, who knows what delays are still lurking. Gallery: Blur
Thursday, Jul 23
Space Quest and King's Quest Collections join Steam, with other Sierra titles
At least, that's how this scene would've played out only yesterday. While adventure games are seemingly in the middle of a resurgence in popularity - thanks in large part to LucasArts classics making their way to places like Steam and Xbox Live Arcade - the availability of Sierra's classi...
Tuesday, Jun 23
Opinion: Activision confidence bolstered by 2009 lineup, 'sparser' competition
Griffith doesn't seem concerned by competition from The Beatles: Rock Band either, saying quite simply, "Well, Rock Band is the most similar title on the market, but Guitar Hero outsells it by four to one in the US; in Europe that number is ten to one." Okay then. Griffith also shakes off the n...
Wednesday, Jun 25
Today in Joystiq: June 25, 2008
Filed under: Culture A collage of video games from Flickr user bobfoldsfive. In his words, "This here is a list of video games that I have some attachment to in some way or another. May not be the most highly rated games, but they are games that I've played and have influenced me in some way." Whil...
Thursday, Jun 5
Today in Joystiq: June 5, 2008
It's too hard to find stuff on XBLA, says Microsoft God of War track hits PS3 Guitar Hero III today Five new Guitar Hero III track packs in June, Motörhead up first Nielsen: Wii usage is second to Xbox 360 Activision, System 3 take the Ferrari Challenge
Thursday, May 22
Today in Joystiq: May 22, 2008
PS3 Guitar Hero III getting free God of War track in June See first screens from Guitar Hero: World Tour Sublime joins Guitar Hero: World Tour, Activision confirms previous acts, details Microsoft: No spring dashboard update this year Wii gives shelved Xbox title a second chance
Thursday, Mar 20
Today in Joystiq: March 20, 2008
Microsoft hires former Nintendo exec to expand Euro footprint UT3 PS3 patch coming March 27 Activision believes Gibson's patent has 'no merit' Nintendo stock downgraded on fears of slowing system demand Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard give voices to 'Iron Man' video game
