Today in Gaming - 3/14/11: Earthquake's Effect, PAX Turnout

For many years I've looked forward to the NPD figures that are released each month, not because of the flame wars they start, but because it gives us some insight into how well games and systems are performing. Ever since NPD became more restrictive with the numbers it would share, they've become much less useful to the public. And as Electronic Arts has now pointed out, they fail to take into account the digital market, something that's becoming increasingly larger and more integral to publishers. I don't think they should be suddenly cast aside, but when taking them into account, do keep them in the proper perspective.

Today's highlights:

And here's what else happened today:

PAX East Attendance Nearly 70,000

It might not be the "Prime" version of PAX, but this past weekend's PAX East event set a record for a Penny Arcade-organized event. 69,500 people attended, an increase of more than 17,000 over the first PAX East last year and 1,900 more than PAX Prime 2010. "The venue we have this year is massive - it's legitimately 2-3x larger than last year's venue, so the amount of breathing room was fantastic," said Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo. "I didn't hear a single complaint about overcrowding. I never thought I would see the day."

Source

Ocarina of Time 3DS Includes Lots of Original Content

Even if you've played through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time before, it sounds as if Nintendo is making sure you'll have a reason to pick up the 3DS remake. Beyond the improvements to the interface thanks to the second screen, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said in a recent Iwata Asks, "[T]he Nintendo 3DS version of Ocarina of Time is crammed with interesting things that weren't in the Nintendo 64 version." More details on whatever those things are will be coming closer to release.

Source

Prey 2 Confirmed by Bethesda

As revealed (apparently inadvertantly) by a European magazine cover last week, Prey 2 is indeed in the works. "We are thrilled to be working with Bethesda on Prey 2," said project lead Chris Rhinehart. "Prey 2 will provide gamers the opportunity to explore a new facet of the Prey universe, one that offers fast-paced action in an open, alien world. We're excited to show gamers the title we have been working on and hope they will be as excited by this title as we are." The original's developer, Human Head Studios, will be working on the sequel, which is scheduled for release in 2012 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

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