Mere weeks after the release of Monster Hunter 2nd G and the PSP is still managing to maintain its clear dominance in the weekly Japanese sales charts, according to data from marketing research firm Media Create.

For the week ending May 4, the PSP edged past the 100,000 mark in unit sales. Its rival, the Nintendo’s DS, sold 52,542 units during the same time period. That’s nearly less than half of what the PSP sold. But even with these impressive numbers, we can’t imagine that Nintendo is worried much, considering the DS has already sold through 22 million units across Japan, compared to 9 million PSPs.

As usual, the full list of hardware sales can be found after the break. more »

In an earnings conference call with investors today, Activision reaffirmed its position on reinventing the long-running Tony Hawk skating series from the ground up, with company CEO Michael Griffith revealing that an exclusive Nintendo DS entry in the series is currently in development.

While the developer for the title went unnamed, Griffith further noted that the new DS title will be the only Tony Hawk title released this year. A separate developer is working on a new console installment planned for release in fiscal 2010, which begins on April 1, 2009.

“For competitive reasons, we’re not going to talk about it today but we are very bullish on the kind of innovation this will bring and this won’t be your father’s Tony Hawk,” said Griffith.

Publisher Activision today released its financial figures for the 2008 fiscal year ending March 31, revealing whopping net revenues of $2.90 billion, up from $1.51 billion the previous year.

Reporting $602.5 million in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2008, Activision attributed the results to “strong market conditions” and the ongoing success of multi-platform software hits Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. For comparison’s sake, the company made $312.5 million in the fourth quarter of last year.

In terms of future outlook, Activision’s first quarter of fiscal 2009, which runs through April 1 to June 30, will see the release of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Kung Fu Panda, Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Sierra Entertainment today announced the development of third-person action adventure title The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Developed by Eurocom Studios and based on the forthcoming live-action film, players will assume the role of adventurer Rick O’Connell and his son, Alex.

The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor is slated to hit shelves July 22 on the Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS. A European release will follow on August 8. more »

Just like Europe before it, Nintendo’s acrobatic exercise game WiiFit is gearing up to be a massive hit in the states. Pre-orders of the title have sold out across GameStop brick and mortar outlets nationwide, according to multiple reports. Additionally, the retailer’s web site lists WiiFit as “not for sale.”

GameStop isn’t the only retailer seeing a vast number of WiiFit pre-orders. A quick trip to online retail giant Amazon reveals that the title is out of stock. The company says it is “actively seeking” more of the product from its suppliers.

It’s worth pointing out that Best Buy and Wal-Mart are still accepting pre-orders for WiiFit, however. As revealed last week, Wal-Mart is offering a $10 gift card with the pre-purchase of the title, so that’s probably your best bet as of now.

Nintendo of America has confirmed via a teaser clip on the newly released Nintendo Channel that Dr. Mario Online RX is slated to hit the North American WiiWare download service, which is scheduled to launch on May 12.

Already released in Japan, the Tetris-inspired puzzle title supports online play over Nintendo WiFi Connection and features the ability to play as user-created Mii characters.

The video clip revealed that the title will cost 1000 Wii Price, but did not denote a release date. Nintendo still has yet to release an official list of U.S. WiiWare launch titles, even though the service is a mere five days from opening.

Editorial written by Paul Govan of Family Gamer.

The gaming landscape has changed somewhat since the last article. Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV and Wii-Fit, two of the biggest games of the year, were released to critical acclaim and not a little media circus. Although these two share top billing they couldn’t be more different. One game is marketed squarely at the twenty something hardcore gamer whilst the other sets its sights on the family gaming market. However, scratch beneath the surface and they have something fundamental in common – the opportunity for increased well being. This is obvious for Wii-Fit but how so with GTA IV? more »

According to a James Bond fan site, publishing giant Activision has launched the official website for its yet to be announced current-generation Bond title.

In addition to showcasing more than a dozen (tiny) screenshots and artwork, the site in question reveals a fall 2008 release window for the title, as well as an actual name: Quantum of Solace.

Sharing the same title as the upcoming movie, the game is expected for a release across multiple formats, with Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch handling development duties on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version.

Again, nothing has been officially announced at this time. We’ve contacted Activision for comment.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE - 007THEVIDEOGAME.com [Activision via Commander Bond]

Electronic Arts has launched an all-new casual centric sub-brand named EA Sports Freestyle. Games labeled under the announced brand are said to deliver a “playful” and “inclusive” experience geared towards gamers of all ages.

“The launch of EA SPORTS Freestyle is an exciting milestone in the evolution of the EA SPORTS brand,” said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. “EA SPORTS Freestyle will be a perfect complement to our core portfolio of games that our loyal fans are deeply passionate about, and will provide compelling opportunities for new audiences looking for a lighter gaming experience and an easier entry point into EA SPORTS.”

EA Canada’s forthcoming arcade-style boxing title Facebreaker will be the the first title to debut under the Freestyle brand. Additionally, EA confirmed that the title is slated for a North American release in September 2008 on the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. more »

Publisher Ubisoft today announced that a new WiiWare offering entitled “Protöthea” will be available as a download later in May.

Boasting 3D visuals and a storyline spanning across ten separate missions, the game is described as a pick up and play type vertical scrolling shooter in which players control a spacecraft from a top-down perspective. The Wii Remote is used for shooting down foes, while the Nunchuk attachment will move your craft from point A to B.

As with the majority of shoot ‘em up titles, Protöthea will offer a wide array of lethal weaponry. In all, eight different air-to-air weapons and two different air-to-ground bombs can be obtained throughout the game, including a special power-up that decelerates time.

Protöthea will cost 1,000 Wii Points when it hits WiiWare later this month. Hit the jump for the first screenshots.

Protöthea Screenshots