Boomtown X

Dear friends I’m sorry to say that I come here this morning to bury BoomtownX rather than to praise it. We’ve reached the end of the run - which for me began all the way back in 2004. The truth is that that BTX hasn’t managed to support my family and so I have to put my and energy elsewhere. There’s a limit to how much time and effort we can put into a site that doesn’t pay its way. And so today BoomtownX closes as an ongoing daily concern.

That’s not to say we’re going to suddenly disappear. Oh dear me no. The site will be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and so on. But it’s unfair for publishers and developers to send us games we can’t promise to get reviewed in a timely manner due to a lack of time and resources. And so while we’re likely to still post some of the usual nonsense, we’re not going to be a commercial site anymore, nor are we going to expect to receive review code that will just pile up waiting for someone to tackle it. So dear friends in the trade, thank you so much for your support, it has meant an awful lot to us. But please delete us from your mailing list to receive your games, we just can’t promise to review them.

Let me take you back in time a little. Back in late 2004 I had been working as a professional online writer/editor for several years. At INC I’d worked on such concerns as IGN, Gamespot, Daily Radar, FGN Online, BW Vault and Racing Gamer. I then moved on to edit sites for Telefragged - including PS2Faction which was hugely successful. I then moved out of mainstream games coverage for a while editing channels for the ISP Supanet and then developing a new website for Firesoft Technologies.

In November 2004 I became the UK editor for Boomtown.net. This was one of the greatest career moves I’ve ever made. Not in terms of riches, but in terms of job satisfaction and the wonderful friends I have made over the years. Of course many of you will think that getting paid to write about games is as good as jobs get but that isn’t true. But working for Boomtown was as good as you might imagine it could be thanks to wonderful colleagues such as Jakob Paulsen, Christian Johansen, Michael Ronde and James Hamer-Morton all of whom I’ve known since the very beginning. And there are many more names I could mention who have joined the writing team since 2004 and become good friends.

During most of the time I worked for Boomtown we were owned by TDC (Danish Telecom). We were a very small cog in a very big machine and didn’t really receive the resources to do our excellent team of writers justice. But while we didn’t have a flashy Web2.0 site what we did have was integrity, honesty and a team of writers striving to put the reader first. Our aim was honesty - which often didn’t sit well with fanboys or publishers - but meant we actually reviewed games between one and ten out of ten, rather than the current tabloid site norm of nine for good games, eight for poor ones.

Check out the video below, which features some of the technology behind EA Sports' FIFA 12. The new "impact engine" really is rather impressive - offering some very convincing interactions between players such as dribbling while shielding the ball and reworked realistic injuries.

Last week was a good one for Electronic Arts. Crysis 2 remains at the top of the all formats chart with new entries Shift 2: Unleashed and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 entering the chart in fourth and sixth place respectively.

A great week for 505 Games too with Zumba Fitness sliding straight into second position. The week was less good for SCEE/Evolution Studios though as Motorstorm Apocalypse could only muster a chart entry of 17th, understandable though given the delay and interrupted marketing push.

All formats full price chart for week ending April 2, 2011

1 Crysis 2 - EA Games (1)
2 Zumba Fitness - 505 Games (-)
3 Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars - Lucasarts (2)
4 Shift 2: Unleashed - EA Games (-)
5 Homefront - THQ (3)
6 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters - EA Sports (-)
7 WWE All Stars - THQ (-)
8 FIFA 11 - EA Sports (10)
9 Pokemon White Version - Nintendo (5)
10 Art Academy - Nintendo (33)
11 Fight Night Champion - EA Sports (11)
12 Just Dance 2 - Ubisoft (12)
13 Pokemon Black Version - Nintendo (7)
14 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - Ubisoft (21)
15 The Sims: Medieval - EA Games (8)
16 Super Street Fighter Iv 3D Edition - Capcom (4)
17 Motorstorm: Apocalypse - Sony Computer Ent. (-)
18 The Sims 3 - EA Games (17)
19 Call Of Duty: Black Ops - Activision (22)
20 Killzone 3 - Sony Computer Ent. (16)

Source: ChartTrack/UKIE

A rather bumper crop of new games today. That's in part to a bit new release - Crysis 2 - and the arrival of Nintendo's new handheld - the 3DS.

To be honest I'm more exited about a release for next Friday - Shift 2: Unleashed, but let's get on with today's retail releases.

XBOX 360
Assassins Creed Brotherhood: Da Vinci Edition
Crysis 2
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars

PLAYSTATION 3
Assassins Creed Brotherhood: Da Vinci Edition
Crysis 2
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
PlayStation Move Heroes
Tomb Raider Trilogy

WII
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
Nickelodeon Fit

PC
Crysis 2
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
The Sims Medieval

3DS
Asphalt 3D
Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
Nintendogs and Cats
Pilotwings Resort
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011
Rayman
Ridge Racer 3D
Samurai Warriors
Splinter Cell
Super Monkey Ball
Super Street Fighter IV
The Sims 3

DS
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
My World My Way
Peppa Pig Theme Park Fun
Phineas and Ferb Ride Again
Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus

PSP
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
Naruto Shippuden: Kizuna Drive

THQ's what-if shooter set in a USA invaded by North Korea - Homefront - has entered the UK videogames chart in top position, pushing Dragon Age II down into second place.

Shogun 2: Total War enters the chart in fourth place. Despite the many bugs and poor strategy AI I've long been a fan of the Total War series but I must admit that I'm not getting along with Shogun 2. Maybe I'm just not into the setting.

1 HOMEFRONT THQ -
2 DRAGON AGE II EA GAMES 1
3 POKEMON WHITE VERSION NINTENDO 2
4 SHOGUN 2: TOTAL WAR SEGA -
5 POKEMON BLACK VERSION NINTENDO 4
6 FIGHT NIGHT CHAMPION EA SPORTS 3
7 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT 5
8 FIFA 11 EA SPORTS 8
9 KILLZONE 3 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 7
10 ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT 13
11 BULLETSTORM EA GAMES 6
12 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION 9
13 TOP SPIN 4 2K SPORTS -
14 UDRAW STUDIO THQ 10
15 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 SONY COMPUTER ENT. -
16 TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 ATARI 17
17 KIRBY'S EPIC YARN NINTENDO -
18 WII PARTY NINTENDO 12
19 JUST DANCE UBISOFT 15
20 FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS -

Source: ChartTrack/UKIE

Call of Duty: Black Ops has returned to the top of the UK all formats videogames chart.

The newly released Marvel vs. Capcom 3 trails it in second place.

All formats week ending 19 February 2011

1 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION 4
2 MARVEL VS CAPCOM 3: FATE OF TWO WORLDS CAPCOM -
3 DEAD SPACE 2 EA GAMES 2
4 TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 ATARI 1
5 FIFA 11 EA SPORTS 3
6 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT 7
7 ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT 5
8 MARIO VS DONKEY KONG: MINI-LAND MAYHEM! NINTENDO 6
9 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: COMPLETE EDITION ROCKSTAR 9
10 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 10
11 NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT EA GAMES 16
12 MARIO SPORTS MIX NINTENDO 8
13 DANCE JUNIORS UBISOFT 12
14 WII PARTY NINTENDO 18
15 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO 20
16 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO 13
17 TOY STORY 3 DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS -
18 MASS EFFECT 2 EA GAMES -
19 BEN 10 ULTIMATE ALIEN COSMIC DESTRUCTION D3P 17
20 JUST DANCE UBISOFT 15

Source: ChartTrack/UKIE

Codemasters has announced that Dirt 3 will be released worldwide on May 24th 2011.

"DiRT 3 will boast more cars, more locations, more routes and more events than any other game in the series. With more than double the track content of 2009’s hit, players will enjoy a career as an elite professional driver, competing in off-road racing events featuring jaw-dropping damage and race-changing weather. DiRT 3 will feature the most amount of Rally content to feature in the series to date, accounting for 60% of its extensive career mode. With rally stages set across three continents, including the addition of all-new locations Finland, Kenya, Norway and Michigan, players will learn to master the conditions on tarmac, gravel and snow in dry and wet conditions for the most authentic rally experience."

The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

We already knew that there was a Lego PotC game on the way, now there's confirmation and a release date of May for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Videogame.

Now there's confirmation that the game will be released simultaneously with the new film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in May 2011.

We've got new shots after the break.

The UK all format chart is rather interesting this week as there's been plenty of movement near the top. Dead Space 2 is the new number one and pushes LittleBigPlanet 2 into second place. Meanwhile FIFA 11 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood have risen once again to push Call of Duty: Black Ops down to the depths of fifth position.

All formats week ending 29 January 2011

1 DEAD SPACE 2 EA GAMES -
2 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 1
3 FIFA 11 EA SPORTS 4
4 ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT 5
5 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION 2
6 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT 3
7 NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT EA GAMES 10
8 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO 6
9 ART ACADEMY NINTENDO 15
10 JUST DANCE UBISOFT 11
11 MASS EFFECT 2 EA GAMES 7
12 KINECT SPORTS MICROSOFT 8
13 THE SIMS 3 EA GAMES 12
14 GRAN TURISMO 5 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 9
15 WII PARTY NINTENDO 16
16 DANCE CENTRAL MICROSOFT 13
17 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011 THQ 20
18 RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE ROCKSTAR 17
19 EA SPORTS ACTIVE 2 EA SPORTS -
20 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO 18

Source: ChartTrack/UKIE

Black Ops is having to spend a week down in second place as Sony's welcome sequel to LittleBigPlanet takes the top spot.

The rest of the chart is pretty much business as usual apart from the arrival of Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3.

All formats week ending 22 January 2011

1 LITTLEBIGPLANET 2 SONY COMPUTER ENT. -
2 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS ACTIVISION 1
3 JUST DANCE 2 UBISOFT 3
4 FIFA 11 EA SPORTS 2
5 ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD UBISOFT 7
6 WII FIT PLUS NINTENDO 4
7 MASS EFFECT 2 EA GAMES -
8 KINECT SPORTS MICROSOFT 5
9 GRAN TURISMO 5 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 8
10 NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT EA GAMES 6
11 JUST DANCE UBISOFT 13
12 THE SIMS 3 EA GAMES 11
13 DANCE CENTRAL MICROSOFT 12
14 FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 9
15 ART ACADEMY NINTENDO 15
16 WII PARTY NINTENDO -
17 RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE ROCKSTAR 17
18 WII SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO 16
19 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2011 SEGA 18
20 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011 THQ 19

Source: ChartTrack/UKIE