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Joystiq Wii, May 18, 2012: EA's request to dismiss a class action lawsuit from former NCAA athletes has been denied, meaning the trial will movie forward and EA stands to lose more than $1 billion if found at fault.

The former NCAA athletes claim EA conspired with the NCAA and the CLC to have players sign away their likenesses and names to be used in video games without compensation. The players allege that in order to participate in NCAA sports they were required to sign a form allowing EA their likenesses in games, even after their college sports careers ended.

The federal judge previously dismissed other claims in the lawsuit, but denied EA's attempt to have an antitrust claim thrown out.

EA is facing more than a few lawsuits at the moment, but it did recently settle a two-year-old lawsuit with Activision, with as-yet undisclosed concessions from either side.

Former NCAA athletes' lawsuit against EA is so on originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 May%2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 18, 2012: The "Maiden Epics" pack of Iron Maiden tunes coming to Rock Band next week has things that sound like they wouldn't be metal, but are, in fact, totally metal.

Like "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Sounds like some old epic poem, right? Well, it is epic in that sense, as well as in the sense of being thirteen minutes long.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Iron Maiden

Rock Band Weekly: Iron Maiden originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 May%2012 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 16, 2012:
Epic Mickey's first foray was a Wii-exclusive affair. This time around, Junction Point is bringing Mickey's epic-ness to what it's calling "next-gen consoles." We might call them "7-year-old consoles," but, well, Mickey's best bud is from 1920, so we can appreciate the anachronism at play here.

Epic Mickey 2 and 'The Power of Next Gen' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May%2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 15, 2012: THQ saw a net loss of $239.9 million for the fiscal year ending March 31,%2012, $100 million more than the previous fiscal year's loss of $136.1 million.

"We have made significant changes to our business, and are on track to execute our strategy of delivering quality connected core gaming experiences, beginning with the sequel to the award-winning Darksiders in August," president and CEO Brian Farrell said in a THQ earnings statement.

THQ has seen a rough year, with plummeting revenue despite the success of Saints Row: The Third and WWE '12. THQ laid off 240 employees, slashed the salaries of its head honchos and cut its "kids' licensed video games" department earlier this fiscal year, following quarter losses of nearly triple the previous period.

THQ has sold through 84 percent of its shipped uDraw tablets and expects to sell its remaining inventory in fiscal%2013. The company's "future kids' license commitments" have been reduced by $30 million, THQ reports.

THQ describes its emergency layoffs, salary cuts and company rehashing as follows: "The company exited the traditional kids' licensed games business, and streamlined its product line, organization and cost structure to support a smaller company positioned for sustained profitability."

THQ sees net loss of $239.9 million, still in business originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May%2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 15, 2012: Which would you be more likely to walk into a store and ask for? Something called "WWE 12" or something called "WWE Smackdown vs. Raw%2011?" THQ reports that common sense has won out, as it attributes increased sales of the new title, in part, to the new naming convention.

"The successful rebranding of this annual franchise has led to higher sell-through to date," the company notes in its latest earnings release, "which is up approximately%20 percent on like-for-like platforms in North America versus the year-ago title." THQ didn't share the sell-through number, but it did disclose that it shipped more than 2.2 million copies since November. It sounds like a much more successful rebranding than "Hollywood Hogan."

THQ: WWE franchise rebranding boosted performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May%2012 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 15, 2012: Ubisoft ended the%2012 financial year on the up, reporting a gross profit of €718 million ($917 million) and sales up 2.1 percent to €1 billion ($1.4 billion) year-over-year, according to its financial results for%2011-2012.

Ubisoft ended fiscal%2011-12 with net income of €37.3 million ($47.6 million), up from a net loss of €52.1 million ($66.5 million) in the%2011 fiscal year.

Sales from "core gamers" in Assassin's Creed Revelations, Rayman Origins, Driver San Francisco and free-to-play title The Settlers Online generated €578 million ($738.1 million) in revenue, Ubisoft reported. Casual games brought in €483 million ($616.8 million) in revenue, mainly from Just Dance, Rocksmith and free-to-play title Howrse.

Core and casual titles contributed to a 110.8 percent jump in online and digital sales, bringing that figure to €80 million ($102.1 million), Ubisoft reported.

Ubisoft's net cash position is down from €99.2 million ($126.6 million) in%2011 to €84.6 million ($108 million) in%2012, while current operating income rose 90 percent to €56 million ($71.5 million) year-over-year.

Ubisoft profits in%2012, 'core gamers' drive rise in sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May%2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 15, 2012: Activision has paid out $42 million to the "Infinity Ward Employee Group," which sued Activision in%2010 seeking profits from Modern Warfare 2. A source speaking to Polygon said that the payment was not a settlement; rather, Activision's discovery phase (for its own lawsuit against former Infinity Ward leads Jason West and Vince Zampella) found no evidence that the Employee Group members were complicit in the breach-of-contract issues for which Activision is suing, and so Bobby Kotick and Activision agreed to pay them.

That group sought $75 million to $125 million, plus punitive damages. IWEG attorney Bruce Isaacs told Polygon that "although it is a meaningful payment it is only a small portion of what we are seeking in litigation." And it is still going forward with said litigation. Isaacs said the payment was a "cynical attempt to look good before the jury trial."

Activision pays $42 million to Infinity Ward Employee Group originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 May%2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 14, 2012:

Continue reading Now Playing: May 14-20,%2012

Now Playing: May 14-20,%2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May%2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 14, 2012:
Ah, the one hit kill. As a rule, they're fun to perform, but not so much fun when they're performed on you. Nearly everyone sees both sides of the equation in this mash-up of famous one hit kills. Check it out and see who winds up on top.

Famous one hit kills get mashed up originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May%2012 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 14, 2012: Despite never having been released for Wii in North America, the Wii's "New Play Control" version of Pikmin 2 will be released as part of the "Nintendo Selects" line June 10, alongside fellow GameCube port Mario Power Tennis. Rather than question the logistics of a budget re-release of a game that was never released in the first place, we'll celebrate the $19.99 price point under which it's coming out.

Also joining the Nintendo Selects line are two bona fide Wii games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the excellent Donkey Kong Country Returns, at $30 each. It's about (two years past) time for Brawl to be made cheaper, though it's unusual that these two games will sell for $10 above the normal Nintendo Selects price.

Continue reading Pikmin 2, Mario Power Tennis on US Wii June 10, DKC Returns and Brawl discounted

Pikmin 2, Mario Power Tennis on US Wii June 10, DKC Returns and Brawl discounted originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May%2012 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, April 21, 2012: Opening up the Nintendo Direct conference livestream, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the company has big plans to celebrate the%20th anniversary of Kirby. A new Wii game will collect past titles and package them on a retail disc - which classic Kirby titles would be included is a mystery.

Outside of the existence of Kirby's%20th Anniversary on Wii, nothing else is known right now.

Nintendo celebrates Kirby's%20th Anniversary on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri,%20 Apr%2012 23:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, May 12, 2011: It sure feels like we've waited an eternity for Square's timeless Super Nintendo RPG to come to Virtual Console. Begrudgingly, we suppose it's true -- good things do come to those who wait. Next Monday, May 16, marks Chrono Trigger's long overdue release on Virtual Console in North America.

Following its press release, Square Enix confirmed that the game will be sold at the standard 800 Wii Points ($8) price for SNES ports on VC (as opposed to the 900-point premium being charged in Japan). That's quite a bargain for pretty much the best game ever.

[Image source: Chronopedia]

Continue reading Chrono Trigger travels to Virtual Console next Monday

Chrono Trigger travels to Virtual Console next Monday originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 May%2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, May 9, 2011: Nintendo will deliver its E3 presentation on June 7 at 9AM Pacific (12PM Eastern), at LA's Nokia Theatre -- so if you're dying to know which of the many preposterous things we've heard about the Wii successor is the preposterous truth, you'll have to wait until then.

We can also expect to hear more about upcoming games for the Wii, DS, and especially the new 3DS -- like the 3DS Super Mario game, for example, and probably some games we haven't heard of yet. You'll be able to read about it all in real time right here on Joystiq!

There'll probably be streaming video, too, but you should just stick with reading Joystiq. Just because.

Nintendo's E3 conference set for June 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May%2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, April 29, 2011: Nintendo hasn't officially detailed the MotionPlus-enhanced minigames in the Wii Play: Motion collection, but a set of screenshots posted by GoNintendo gives an impression of all the new minigames you'll own when you decide to buy another Wiimote.

There's a game in which you fly around using an umbrella in strong wind; one called "Spooky Search," which makes use of the Wiimote speaker (to locate ghosts in your room); a stone-skipping game; and a sort of "Human Tetris" scenario in which you pose a Mii to fit through Mii-shaped holes in the wall. There's also a side-scrolling minigame about guiding balloons through mazes, something diving-themed, and a spacecraft flight game.

Wii Play: Motion will begin irritating hardcore gamers with sales on June 13 in North America and June 24 in Europe.

Wii Play: Motion has stone skipping, ghost hunting originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Apr%2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, April 28, 2011: Who needs to go hunting for warp zones at 1-2 or 4-2 in the original Super Mario Bros when you've got a portal gun? Portal one, portal two and voila! Princess is ready for a smooch.

Continue reading Super Mario gets a Portal gun

Super Mario gets a Portal gun originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Apr%2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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