Crispy Gamer News

Like those pesky dentists from the chewing gum ads, it looks like three out of four holiday shoppers preferred the Xbox 360 to the PS3 on Black Friday. The 360 had record-breaking console sales on one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year over the Black Friday weekend. According to Microsoft, the 360 outsold its PlayStation 3 competitor by a 3:1 ratio, with an estimated 25 percent increase from Xbox 360 Black Friday sales figures over last year. 360 sales were also bolstered by strong software sales, with the console maintaining its record as the console with the highest game attach rate of any console, clocking in 8.1 games per console.

“We entered into the Black Friday sales period with cautious optimism, knowing that dollar for dollar, Xbox 360 offers more social entertainment value than any other console on the market,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Record Black Friday sales in the U.S., coupled with our existing global install base of 25 million and an online community of more than 14 million Xbox LIVE members, have laid the groundwork for continued global sales momentum in 2009.”

Xbox 360 sales have also surged worldwide since the September price drop, outselling the PlayStation 3 week over week across Europe. Console sales in Europe are up as much as 400 percent, with sales nearly double year over year and reaching 7 million consoles sold this generation. With a starting price point of $199.99 worldwide (estimated retail price) for the Xbox 360 Arcade, a strong game lineup, the launch of the New Xbox Experience, and the addition of Netflix integration to the console, it’s looking more and more like the 360 may be the console to beat this holiday season. Well, at least until Nintendo amps up its shipments of Wii consoles to retail.

THQ’s Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon is now in stores for the Xbox 360. The latest chapter in the popular action-focused alien invasion game series promises hi-fidelity destruction, new alien weaponry, open-world environments and new online multiplayer modes, putting players in the role of Crypto the alien as he embarks on a journey of destruction and enlightenment in the 1970’s. The game is available for the Xbox 360 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.

If Square Enix has its way, it may be a while before gamers see the last of The Last Remnant. Early today, the publisher announced details of four upcoming packs of downloadable content for the game, due to release next month over the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

The first two DLC packs, “Purgatory’s Sins” and “The Key of Ancient Ruins” will be made available for free to Xbox LIVE Gold members on the first of December, with Silver members able to get their hands on it a week later on the 8th. “Purgatory’s Sins” is described as a pack of “ultra-challenging guild tasks”, while “The Key of Ancient Ruins” will open up access to a new area of … well … “ancient ruins” for players to explore.
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Tor Books has launched Halo: The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell, just in time for the holidays. The new novel is the latest in the New York Times bestselling series based on Microsoft and Bungie Studios’ Halo video games. The Halo novels, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (Tor 2006) and Halo: Contact Harvest (Tor 2007) became instant bestsellers, along with the three previous novels.

In Halo: The Cole Protocol, Buckell take us through the first desperate days of the Human-Covenant War, when the UNSC has enacted the Cole Protocol to safeguard Earth and its Inner Colonies from discovery by a merciless alien foe.

The 368 page paperback is available now for $14.95 at most major book sellers nationwide.

Lionhead and Microsoft announced that, starting mid-December, fans will be able to download the Knothole Island downloadable content pack for Fable II. The story goes that the remote island of Knothole is dying: its golden sands and lush vegetation are covered with snow, its people freezing, its treasures buried. Only a hero (perhaps you?) can face the trials of the three shrines to bring back the sunshine. With the release of the first “Fable II” downloadable content, available for 800 Microsoft Points, gamers will be able to enter Knothole Island, where new quests, new items and bizarre characters await.

Also in mid-December, fans will be able to score a free Fable II downloadable pack - you’ll need this if you want to play co-op in the Knothole Island content. Free and premium users will also receive several gifts, including Knight’s Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, collectible silver book and more. Players will also be able to check their standing in over 50 new Leaderboards on Lionhead.com.

As an additional treat for Fable II fans, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios have created an all-new Albion dashboard theme to celebrate the launch of the New Xbox Experience. Fans who want to show off their Fable II pride can head over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace to download the Albion theme, available now for 250 Microsoft points.

SEGA of America has the blue blur loose on the Xbox 360. Sonic Unleashed for the Xbox 360 is officially in stores across North America. Sonic Unleashed is an action-packed adventure filled with classic fast-paced gameplay and internationally-inspired locations. Sega promises that this game takes advantage of the newly developed proprietary Hedgehog engine and the power of the Xbox 360. But the real question is, does the game actually work this time out; previous Sonic games on the platform have been less than.. stellar.

Sonic Team’s newest endeavor features classic 2D/3D gameplay and incredibly fast daytime action. The game features new moves that make Sonic even faster including the Sonic Drift (to corner quickly without losing speed), Ring Energy (faster speeds brings more ring energy), QuickStep (to move side to side without losing momentum), and Sonic Boost (uses Ring Energy to give Sonic a speed boost)- each allowing Sonic to reach ridiculously high speeds. Sonic Unleashed also introduces the Werehog – Sonic’s dark alter ego who comes out when the moon shines bright. Within the nighttime levels, players can take advantage of the Werehog’s strong and flexible arms to fight tough enemies as well as to climb and swing reaching all new heights in each level.

Sounds like fun for the whole family. Sonic Unleashed is currently available for Xbox 360, the Wii and the PlayStation 2.

Man, it’s a hard road this week for gamers looking for something substansive and serious.

There’s very little to sink your tetth into this week but there are are afew bright spots including Gothic 3 Collector’s Edition, Syberia for the DS, and Chrono Trigger.

Maybe there’s some other gems in there but it’s looking pretty damn doubtful.  I honestly expected better releases for this week, given that the busiest shopping day of the year - Black Friday - is at the end of the week. Full list after the break.

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