Tag Archives: Activision Blizzard

Train2Game news: UK Charts – Prototype 2 leaps to No.1

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Train2Game blog readers see Activision Blizzard take their first No.1 of 2012, with Prototype 2 taking top spot in its first week on sale. Radical Entertainment’s open world action game reaches No.1, despite failing to match the debut week sales of 2009’s original.

FIFA Street is a non-mover at No.2, with fellow EA Sports title FIFA 12 also remaining in the same spot it occupied last week at No.3. Mass Effect 3 and Kinect Star Wars both move up one position each to No.4 and No.5 respectively.

After reaching top spot last week, The Witcher 2: Assassin’s of Kings drops five to No.6, with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 slipping one to No.7. Battlefield 3 drops to No.8, while Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is once again a non-mover at No.9.  Saints Row The Third moves up two places and complete the top ten.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 both drop out of the top ten, slipping to No.13 and No.14 respectively.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 28th April 2012 is therefore as follows:

1. Prototype 2 (Activision)
2. FIFA Street (EA)
3. FIFA 12 (EA)
4. Mass Effect 3 (EA)
5. Kinect Star Wars (Microsoft)
6. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Namco Bandai)
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (EA)
8. Battlefield 3 (EA)
9. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Sega)
10. Saints Row: The Third (THQ)

Releases for the week ahead include Sniper Elite V2 and Tera.

What are your thoughts on the charts this week? Will Prototype 2 hold onto top spot this time next week?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm sells 4.7 million copies in one month

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World of Warcraft Cataclysm Train2Game Blog Image

Train2Game students certainly weren’t the only people hyped for the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm last month, with Activision Blizzard revealing that 4.7 million copies of the expansion have been sold worldwide.

The huge success of Cataclysm – a game which has more than likely stolen the lives of many Train2Game students – means that it has set a new record for monthly PC game sales.   The previous record holder was another World of Warcraft expansion in the form of  Wrath of the Lich King.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm was released on December 7th and sold 3.3 million copies worldwide in its first 24 hours.  Here in the UK, it managed to reach third in the All Formats chart.

“We created thousands of new quests, introduced new lands to explore, and extensively revamped the game world for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, making it our biggest and most ambitious expansion yet,” said CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime.

“We’ve been floored by the community’s response so far, and we’d like to thank them for their continued passion and support for World of Warcraft, and for helping Cataclysm reach this incredible milestone.”

Prior to the launch of Cataclysm 12 million players – including many Train2Game students – held monthly subscriptions for World of Warcraft.

2010 was a good year Activision Blizzard’s PC releases, with Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty selling over three million copies during its first month on sale.

Today UKIE revealed the top selling games of 2010. In the PC Chart, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm was fourth.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the success of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm? Are you impressed by the sales numbers? If you’re still playing, how are you finding it?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Activision Blizzard]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm coming December 7th

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm goblinsWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be available from December 7th. The release date of the highly anticipated expansion to World of Warcraft was revealed by publisher Activision Blizzard.

The Cataclysm expansion pack will dramatically change the world of Azeroth, and allow World of Warcraft players to take part in new missions, level their World of Warcraft characters up to level 85 and play the worlds’ most successful MMO as two new races – worgen and goblins.

The official announcement about when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is released comes after rumours on fan sites including MMO Champion and WoWHead. CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, says World of Wacraft: Cataclysm will be good for both old and new Wow players.

“Cataclysm includes the best content we’ve ever created for World of Warcraft. It’s not just an expansion, but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned levelling experience for those just starting out.”

“With the help of our beta testers, we’re putting on the final polish, and we look forward to welcoming gamers around the world to enjoy it in just a couple of months.”

Activision Blizzard keenly point out in their press release that the first two World of Warcraft expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, both broke PC game sales records upon their release. These PC game sales records were broken earlier this year by another Activision Blizzard title, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The publisher must therefore be expecting another big payday when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is released on December 7th!

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be available on DVD-Rom and as a digital download at a ‘suggested retail price of $39.99’ If you’re so inclined you’ll also be able to pick up a World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ‘special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99’

The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm beta test is currently underway, and you can sign up for a chance to participate on the official Battle.net website.

So Train2Game, are you a World of Warcraft player? If so are you interested in World of Warcraft Cataclysm? Are you already tempted to attend a midnight launch? And could World of Warcraft Cataclysm replace Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty as the fastest selling PC title of all time?

You can leave your thoughts on World of Wracraft: Cataclysm here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Blizzard release Starcraft II custom map ‘Burning Tide’

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Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Burning TideBlizzard have released Burning Tide, the first custom map for their highly successful Real Time Strategy game Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. The 3 vs 3 map was announced on the Starcraft II Battle.net blog. The Starcraft II blog says:

“We’re proud to announce the release of Blizzard Entertainment’s first new StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty custom map: Burning Tide!”

“Featuring timed lava surges and collectable mineral caches, Burning Tide is a 3v3 map that combines several thematic elements from the epic single-player campaign mission “The Devil’s Playground.”

“Like the campaign mission, the goal of this game is greed, and the first team to reach the specified resource total wins! Players hoping to achieve victory on this map will need to work together, carefully managing their team’s unit production and safeguarding their vulnerable workers as they defend against enemy forces.”

Starcraft II players can access Burning Tide in the custom games list in the game client. It’s likely that Burning Tide will be the first of many custom maps released by Blizzard for Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. Any interested Train2Game students can get a taste of Burning Tide by looking at the screenshots on the Starcraft II Battle.net blog.

Activision Blizzard is extremely pleased with the success of Starcraft II, with Wings of Liberty being the fastest selling strategy game of all time, selling 1.5 million copies in the first 48 hours of release. Starcraft II then went on to sell three million copes in the month after its much anticipated release on July 27th.

So Train2Game, will you be playing Burning Tide? Or have you done so already? Are you pleased Blizzard are releasing more multiplayer challenges for Starcraft II?

You can leave your thoughts about Burning Tide and Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II sells over three million in a month

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Starcraft IIStarcraft II: Wings of Liberty has sold over three million copies worldwide in just its first month on release according to publisher Activision Blizzard.

The long anticipated Starcraft II was released simultaneously worldwide on July 27th with many eager Starcraft fans attending midnight launches in order to be among the first to get their hands on the RTS sequel.

Starcraft II was a massive success, with 1.5 million copies Blizzard’s title being sold in the first 48 hours of release, making Starcraft II the fastest selling strategy game of all time.

Naturally, Starcraft II had no trouble topping the UK Charts in its first week on release, an impressive achievement given that downloaded copies of Wings of Liberty weren’t counted in the chart at the time.

These strong sales have given Starcraft II the momentum required to push past the three million copies sold mark, further cementing Wings of Liberty’s position as the most successful PC game of 2010 so far. With three million copies sold, it seems unlikely that anything will be removing Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty from its position of most successful PC game of the year.

Activision Blizzard will no doubt be well on the way to recouping the supposed $100 million Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty cost to produce.

Naturally, CEO of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime is pleased with the success of Starcraft II.

“We appreciate all the enthusiasm that players around the world have shown for StarCraft II.”

“It was important to us to deliver an overall gameplay experience that was accessible, balanced, and fun, and it’s been gratifying to see how strongly the global community has already embraced the game.”

With Starcraft II being divided into three instalments, it’s likely that Activision Blizzard will have more success with the franchise in future. However, there’s no word yet on when the second part of Starcraft II will be released.

So Train2Game, have you picked up a copy of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty in the month it’s been on sale? If so, is it really that amazing?  How much are you looking forward to the next instalment of the Starcraft II franchise? And will anything else released this year topple Starcraft II from its position of most successful PC game of 2010?

You can leave your thoughts on Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, or the Starcraft franchise in general, here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

Starcraft II finally launches

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It has been one of the most anticipated PC games in years, but finally, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has launched worldwide – and only 12 years after the original Sci-Fi RTS was released!

Here in the UK, a midnight launch took place at Game on central London’s Oxford Street, with hundreds of fans queuing up in order to be among the first to get their hands on a boxed copy of the game.

Of course, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is also available as a digital download, but many still see the advantages of buying PC games on a disc.

It’s widely predicted that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty – the first instalment of a three part sequel – will sell exceptionally well for a PC title. Unfortunately, we may not know exactly how well the Sci-Fi RPG sells, because digital downloads are not tracked in the UK by Chart-Track.

Analysts suggest that Starcraft II could sell 7 million units and generate $350 million in sales which would nicely make up the reported $100 million the game cost to produce.

So, Train2Game students, have any of you already got your hands on Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty? If so what do you think?  Would you prefer it in a box or as a download? And what would you give to someday work on a massive title like Starcraft II?

As usual, leave your thoughts either here or on the Train2Game forum.

To infinity… and beyond! Toy Story 3 tops UK charts.

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The chosen one

Toy Story 3 has rocketed to top spot in the UK software charts, providing Disney with their first Number 1 since 2007. The game launched last week and achieved a respectable 5th place, but the release of the film last Monday – with Toy Story 3 just happening to having already become the second highest grossing movie of 2010 – helped boost game sales. It’s Disney’s first number 1 video game since Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in June 2007.

Crackdown 2 held the top spot for two weeks running, but the Microsoft exclusive sandbox shooter has now dropped all the way down to tenth place.  Meanwhile, Red Dead Redemption is still selling strongly with the Rockstar title climbing one place to take second. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Just Dance have all climbed up the chart this week while Dance on Broadway, Lego Harry Potter and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa have all dropped a place each.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has dropped out of the top 10 for only the second time in 37 weeks. Will it re-enter next week, or is the momentum behind Activision Blizzard’s hit title finally slowing down?

There was only one new entry into the top ten this week, with Square Enix/Nintendo’s DS title Dragon Quest IX debuting in the ninth place.

So, Train2Game students, is it a well deserved top spot for Disney? Should Dragon Quest have entered at a higher position? And is it all over for Call of Duty? As usual, leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.

The full top 10 chart for the week ending July 23rd is:

01. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
02. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)
03. Dance On Broadway (Ubisoft)
04. Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner)
05. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (EA)
06. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
07. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (EA)
08. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
09. Dragon Quest IX (Square Enix)
10. Crackdown 2 (Microsoft)

Starcraft II release date revealed.

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Activision Blizzard have confirmed that their long delayed RTS Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty will finally be released on July 27th. The game will be released both as a digital download and on the stores of your local games retailer.

The first full sequel to the original Starcraft has been a long time coming; after all it was released 12 years ago. That’s during the last millennium for crying out loud! That was back in the day before Blizzard became a part of Activision too so, you know, ages ago.

Starcraft II was originally scheduled to be released last year but a statement was released in August saying it would arrive in the “First half of 2010” Well…I suppose July isn’t that far into the second half of the year. So, why such a long delay?

Well, the simple answer is that it takes a long time to properly develop a game to perfection, something that all Train2Game students I’m sure know already! None of you would want to release an unfinished, buggy game on the world now would you? No, you’re all of course aware that games development takes a long, long time.

At least the delay meant that Activision Blizzard, along with some lucky gamers, had plenty of time to test Starcraft II in a closed Beta, allowing them to refine many aspects of the game. There have been plenty of Starcraft II previews which have generally been positive so all this extra testing due to the delay can only have made it better right? Blizzard have also upgraded their Battle.net online gaming service to include new features such as voice chat, cloud file storage and stat-tracking.

So, the wait that spanned over two millennia is now almost over. Do you think it’s going to be worth it?