Gamasutra's
regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list.
As new releases slow to a crawl in Western territories, a select few standout releases manage to make the week interesting nonetheless.
The Orange Box will soon see its PlayStation 3 debut in the U.S. and the UK.
In addition, North American PS3s will additionally receive an awaited version of
Unreal Tournament III. Japan, meanwhile, will receive
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, a much-anticipated preview of the next edition in the popular driving simulation series.
The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending December 15th, 2007.
Games Released in the United States:
Nintendo Wii:
- Indianapolis 500 Legends
- Kawasaki Quad Bikes
- Kidz Sports Basketball
- Myth Makers: Orbs of Doom
- Showtime Championship Boxing
- Super Swing Golf Season 2
Xbox 360:
- Madden NFL 08 en Español
- NCAA March Madness 2008
PlayStation 3:
- BlackSite: Area 51
- NCAA March Madness 2008
- The Orange Box
- Unreal Tournament III | PlayStation 2:
- Dai Senryaku VII: Exceed
- Madden NFL 08 en Español
- NCAA March Madness 2008
- NeoGeo Battle Coliseum
Nintendo DS:
- Luxor 2
PlayStation Portable:
- Warriors of the Lost Empire
PC:
- The Golden Compass
- The Lost Crown
- Universe at War: Earth Assault |
and
The Orange Box have long stood among this year's most anticipated PS3 releases, and both will find their way to store shelves in the United States this week. The Nintendo Wii will receive a handful of racing and sports titles, meanwhile, as PS2 owners await niche budget releases like
Dai Senryaku VII: Exceed and
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum.
Next week is shaping up to be the last major release week the U.S. will see until 2008, with titles like
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams and the PS2 port of
Rock Band making their debut just before Christmas.
Games Released in Europe:
Nintendo Wii:
- The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
PlayStation 3:
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition
- The Orange Box
PC:
- The Golden Compass | PlayStation Portable:
- Beowulf: The Game
- Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
- The Golden Compass
- WipeOut Pulse
- World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets |
The busiest segment of the UK's holiday release season appears to have come to an abrupt end, with this week offering up a scant few titles across all platforms. The PlayStation 3 boasts a pair of heavy-hitters in
The Orange Box and the Game of the Year Edition of
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, however, and the PSP is scheduled to receive
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and
WipeOut Pulse after a week's delay. Elsewhere, though, the pickings are slim, and according to UK retailers, further cross-platform releases are not expected to arrive until 2008.
Games Released in Japan:
Nintendo Wii:
- Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure No Meikyuu
- NiGHTS: Hoshi Furu Yoru no Monogatari
- Puchi Copter Wii: Adventure Flight
- Shanghai
- Shikigami no Shiro III
- Soulcalibur Legends
- We Love Golf!
Xbox 360:
- Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
- Shikigami no Shiro III
- Smash Court Tennis 3
- Stuntman: Ignition
PlayStation 3:
- Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
PlayStation 2:
- Hakarena Heart
- Spectral Gene | Nintendo DS:
- DS:Style Series: Chikyuu no Arukikata DS (Great Britain)
- DS:Style Series: Chikyuu no Arukikata DS (Hong Kong)
- DS:Style Series: Chikyuu no Arukikata DS (Seoul, Busan)
- DS:Style Series: Chikyuu no Arukikata DS (Shanghai)
- Fujinomori no Let's Tarot
- Jinsei 8-Ban 7000-Kai no Shokuji o Rakushi Kusuru: Oishiku Kiwameru Shokutsuu DS
- Kageyama Method: Masu x Masu Pure Hyaku Masu Keisan - Hyaku Masu no Maeni Kore Dayo!
- Kirarin Revolution Tsukutte Misechao! Kime*Kira Stage
- KuruKuru * Princess: Yume no White Quartet
- Ookiku Furikabutte: Honto no Ace ni Nareru kamo
PlayStation Portable:
- TalkMan Travel
PC:
- Shin Megami Tensei Online: Imagine Memorial Package
- Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer
- Sukatto Golf Pangya! Yokubari Kit |
Japan continues to outpace other regions in its quantity of weekly releases, with this week featuring an expanded lineup of anticipated titles.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and
NiGHTS: Hoshi Furu Yoru no Monogatari are currently generating the highest weekly preorder numbers of any of this week's offerings at Amazon.co.jp.
Shooter enthusiasts will enjoy
Shikigami no Shiro III on the Xbox 360 and Wii this week, while fans of the Xbox-born
Kingdom Under Fire series await the release of
Circle of Doom, an Xbox 360-exclusive sequel that could end up being a system-seller for the franchise's large Japanese fanbase.
