According to the video game analysis group NPD, the video game industry has seen an improvement in sales for the month of September. NPD is reporting that sales are up 1 percent from $1.27 billion to $1.28 billion, and the top selling console was none other than the Sony PS3.

NPD is reporting that for the month of September the PS3 outsold all other consoles with 491,800 units sold. The Nintendo Wii came in second with 462,800 units sold, and the Xbox 360 came in third with 352,600.

The increase in sales for Sony has been attributed to the release of slimmer and cheaper version of the PS3, known as the PS3 Slim. Currently selling for a price of $299, it is the first time Sony has cut the price of the console, as well as the first time (since its birth) it has had a best selling month.

A price cut is the major motivation for buyers as they had been demanding one for the PS3 for some time now. With the increase in sales that Sony has seen since, some analysts believe this would indicate a strong holiday season for Sony.

CNET

A month ago, the CEO of Activision, Bobby Kotick, complained about the high cost of Sony’s PlayStation 3. Kotick’s threat to Sony, to lower the price of the PS3 or Activision stops making games for the console, is covered here.

Yesterday, in an investor call, Sony CEO Nobuyuki Oneda revealed that manufacturing costs of the PS3 are down by 70%.

Sony reported the company’s first annual loss in 14 years when it released its fiscal first quarter earnings yesterday. Further, the company is projecting over a $1 billion loss through March 2010. Sony may be blaming poor sales on the state of the economy, but people like Bobby Kotick would be sure to argue the price of the PS3 is to blame.

Why does Sony’s PS3 cost so much?

The cost of manufacturing each console is roughly $800. The price to buy a PS3? $399. While it may be the highest priced console against its competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox and the Nintendo Wii, Sony is taking a hit for every PS3 sold.

Sony saw some relief in January when it announced that the cost of manufacturing had dropped by 35% to $450. Though a 70% drop in cost seems to be just what the company needs, which would allow, as rumored, Sony to drop the price of the PS3. But will Sony really want to eat into its new profits, especially after a first quarter in the red and a poor outlook for the rest of the fiscal year?

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In an interview with the Times of London, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick threatened to stop making video games for Sony’s PlayStation 3. Kotick blames the high cost of the PS3 and the company’s poor sales of the No. 3 video game console. To the Times, Kotick said, “I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better.”

The No. 1 video game console in the United States, the Nintendo Wii, has a price tag of $250. The cheapest version of Microsoft’s Xbox costs $200.  But Sony’s PS3 goes for a staggering $399, causing complaints among many of Sony’s game publishers.

Unfortunately for Kotick, who is calling for Sony to make some price cuts before losing more business, Sony refuses to do as such. Despite reporting a $1 billion loss last quarter, Sony insists that the PS3 is losing momemtum in the mark.  In response to Kotick’s threats, Sony issued this statement, “We enjoy healthy business relationships with and greatly value our publishing partners and are working closely with them to deliver the best entertainment experience.”

Kotick may give Sony until 2010-2011 to make a price cut before reconsidering Activision’s support of PS3 and the PSP.  But with a market value of $16 billion as the world’s largest independent video game developer, we’re pretty sure Activision has no qualms about cutting Sony out.

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This may come as a surprise, but for the past 5 weeks straight the PS3 has been outselling the Wii…in Japan!  Nintendo sales are hurting in Japan, despite the fact they continue to boom here at home. Apparently Nintendo is not putting out the software needed to keep its fans faithful.

A Nintendo spokesperson has said “We hope to line up strong software to support hardware sales in the second half of the year.”   The boost in PS3 sales have been attributed to the quality titles they have been releasing, something Nintendo is not doing.

” It is still the first few months of the year when sales are slow for the industry, so we are not particularly concerned.”  From what I have been hearing they should be! Some economists are saying Nintendo’s stock will soon drop and now is the time to sell.

I think that it all comes down to putting out quality games, and Sony has done an excellent job of that.  Last year, we had Metal Gear Solid 4, Little Big Planet, Resistance 2, just to name a few titles.  I honestly can’t remember the last time Nintendo put out a title I was even remotely interested in (aside from Resident Evil 4), and I am not being biased - just realistic. Unless Nintendo starts releasing some innovative games, I foresee this trend continuing.

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The highly anticipated Sci-Fi first person shooter Resistance 2, has finally been released. Exclusively a PS3 title, and developed by Insomniac Resistance 2 continues the plot of the Resistance Fall of Man in which we see the return of the Chimera who have launched a campaign to conquer the United States. Nathan Hale the games protagonist has also returned and has joined a special task force known as The Sentinels,  a group of individuals who are able to resists the Chimeran virus. Hale fights along side the sentinels to try and destroy the Chimeran race and liberate the US from their threat.

The new game includes new Chimeran enemies, the most notable, and most popular, the 300ft tall leviathan. The game has three basic modes of play campaign, cooperative, and competitive and each is said to consist of enjoyable game play.  Within the campaign mode you are able to battle along side The Sentinels at multiple locations all on American soil. Within the competitive mode of the game you are able to battle up 60 individuals online within a single match.

From what we have heard the game play is great, and the plot is a good continuation of the first game. The only negative aspects of the game would be the graphics, which are not bad by any means, but are not quite the quality as other big titles like Gears of War2. Despite that small draw back it seems Resistance 2 is destined to be one of the great first person shooters, and will stand along side such great titles as Call of Duty, and Halo.

If you are a fan of the Sci-Fi game genre, or a fan of the first person shooter you will want to pick this game up. The general buzz is that it lives up to the original title.

Here’s the tailor

YouTube Resistance 2 Video trailer

Lara Croft embarks on a new adventure in the 8th installment in the grave robbing saga, Tomb Raider Underworld.  This is the third game in the series that Crystal Dynamics has developed, and the plot of the new game will continue where Tomb Raider Legend left off.

The Demo which was released yesterday on Xbox Live, features the new environments, and game play that fans of the third person action shooter series can finally get a glimpse of.  In Tomb Raider Underworld the environments are totally interactive, and hold memory.  If Lara bends a shrubbery or breaks a tree branch it remains that way. The environments are meticulous in their design, and the development of Lara Croft has been just as detailed.  Croft is said to have over 2,000 animations, and contextual movements, and for the first time in Tomb Raider history she has been motion captured, and the developers used Olympic gymnasts to sculpt her movements.

In terms of game play the demo features the new combat system in which Croft will be capable of shooting at two targets at once, and be able to melee enemies by kicking or vaulting off of them.  The developers have also tweaked the platforming in the new game, in which the camera angels are more forgiving, and Croft will be capable of shooting at enemies while traversing planks, or hanging from ledges.

So load your guns and ready your daisy dukes because Tomb Raider Underworld will be in stores Nov. 21st. It will be released for PC, PS3, PS2, Nintendo Wii, DS, and Xbox 360.