After enjoying a record total of earnings of approximately US 822.8 million last quarter, the publisher of Tony Hawk Project 8, Guitar Hero II, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance pulls out an optimistic estimate for the current quarter. From a US 170 million earning estimate, Activision instead pushed it up to US 200 million.

Activision CFO Thomas Tippl announced that the decision for the positive outlook for their January to March 2007 quarter is greatly due to the "better visibility regarding the allocation of Playstation 3 hardware." They are most probably referring to the PS3 launch in Europe and Australia, which was delayed mostly due to lack of unit stock.

The approximations are only based on preliminary analyses and is subject to change by the end of March. If all bodes well, then the PS3 would most likely score a significant comeback. Click the "Read" link below to view the whole coverage on Activision's developments.

 
Gamespot was able to talk with NBA Street Homecourt producer Todd Batty recently. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.

When asked about what improvements they did to the previous installment in the franchise - NBA Street V3 - Batty said that their latest installment in the franchise draws not only from its immediate predecessor, but also from the other versions of Street. He says that they incorporated the pick-up-and-play aspect of the first, they got the fun factor of the second, and they added some refinement from NBA Street V3.

He adds that fans of the franchise will immediately recognize the features from all three previous games.

When asked about what the improved next-gen hardware means to the series, Batty says that because of the extra horsepower in both the PS3 and the 360, they were able to build a responsive animation control system, put in the best NBA player models they can, and then add in detailed 360-degree environmen...

There sure is a whole lotta gameplay trailers for this game. How 'bout we give you some in-game screenshots for a change, eh? (Right...if there are too many screenshots, we want videos. If there are too many videos, we want screenshots... We're not fickle. We just like to keep things balanced like that...)

Anyhow, we have here 13 new pics from College Hoops 2K7 that ranges from in-game shots to Match-ups, Draw, and a whole lot of other boards necessary for your play. Check them out 'cuz game's coming over to your PS3s in five days. That's February 12, for those who have no time-date concept (like this writer here). Go on, what's a little good school rivalry, eh?

For months now, the fourth title in the Elder Scrolls series has been making waves across the market ever since it was released on the 360 and PC. It's been getting nothing but praises, positive reviews, high rankings, awards, and heck!, it even made it to CNN Money's Top 10 games to get for Christmas.

However, with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion PS3 release looming ever-so near now, and one can't help but think of how much impact this will have on the eager market. IGN was able to check out the latest build of the PS3 version and they reported on their hands-on impressions of the game.

Everything seems to be improved pretty much on every sense - graphics, gameplay, and bug fixes - Bethesda really took to the Cell Processor's power to the max. Load times have been made shorter, visual textures now smoother, and calling it a simple port just doesn't cut it anymore. A couple of changes have been made: one of the most stark differences being the option to bypass the...

NextGen informs that Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has stated that cumulative Blu-ray movie unit sales stand at just over 439,000 units in the U.S. HD-DVD sales, on the other hand, are just under 438,000. Moreover, according to the NPD group, Blu-ray currently stands as the number one new DVD format in unit and dollar sales in the U.S.

Although Blu-ray only lead by around 1,000 units, Sony has said that they expect the gap in sales to widen throughout 2007. Sony adds that the company currently lays claim to 40 percent of the Blu-ray player market with the PS3 and the company's US 1,000 BDP-S1 standalone player.

NPD reports that since the November launch of the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, the add-on has sold 92,000 units in North America as of the end of December 2006.

Through a published databook about subscriber growth by platform and region, Research and Markets tapped into the actual global view of how game platforms are performing in areas around the world. And get this folks: they say the that Playstation 3 cannot equal the market impact of its predecessor because of Xbox 360's early lead.

And before you all start ranting again, we'd like to ensure you that R&M does see a positive outlook on the PS3 (in fact, they highlight that the PS3 will have the largest install base by 2010), just not one equal to the Playstation 2. This is due to the delay of the PS3's launch in the PAL region and the early launching of the Xbox 360.

What does this databook contain? Well, there are pricing strategies of all major console manufacturers since 1985 up to 2006. There are also uptakes, or consumption predictions until 2010, for all gaming console units including handhelds. Some of the findings from the databook include that the video...

While Europe and Australia waits for the Playstation 3's arrival on March 23, Randolph Ramsay of GameSpot Australia decided to ask Microsoft Australia's top Xbox exec, David McLean, what he anticipates from the addition of competition.

For McLean, he's pleased with the current progress of the 360 down under. GfK Australia figures mark Xbox AU shares at approximately 145,000 units in the market. He is also satisfied at the current status of the Xbox 360 in its life cycle and that they're notably ahead of the competition.

All the talk about life cycles seemed to have stemmed from the fact that the competitors have claimed that the 360's install base hasn't hit anywhere near the PS2's. McLean justifies the 360's progress based on the point in the life cycle it's situated in now. He has every belief that the momentum of the product puts the 360 "on track."

McLean, just like another Sony exec, acknowledges the Wii's success and respects Nintendo's experience in th...

Okay, you know how it's like to know something that you aren't supposed to know? Like, "hearing" about the questions in your upcoming midterms? It's guilt-inducing, yet at the same time thrilling, right? Well, consider this post as on of those times -- minus the guilt part.

We have here for you the leaked first ever images for Naughty Dog's action-adventure PS3 title in the works, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Now, all you have to do is click on the thumbnails to get a better view of the screenies, and thus see for yourself if this game's got any potential.

So, where did we get this leakage? From PlayFrance who supposedly went through lead environmental artist, Rob Adams' own site. Oh, the wonders of online journals! Anyway, the dam's been spilt, and there's no going back. Expect more news, updates, images, and other whatnots on this game flowing your way more often. We'll be sure to keep you posted.

 
As if having model/player Sharapova in the line-up wasn't enough, Sega's made another announcement to up the ante for their Virtua Tennis 3 title, slated for release on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Xbox Live scene will include Ranked and Friendly modes, with players (both single and double) able to enter either Tournaments or Exhibition matches. And to make things even more interesting, Sega also makes mention of the game's VT:TV Live spectator mode, which allows players on XBL to view high-ranking matches taking place - imagine ESPN gone 360.

Sega will be carrying native 1080p graphics - a first for the Virtua Tennis franchise. The company further announced (to Gamasutra) that the 1080p resolution can also be expected of the PS3 launch, though this port would not be featuring online play in lieu of its SIXAXIS tilt-motion support. According to a Sega spokesman, the move was done in order to ensure both versions of the game carried their own unique features. ...

We can't help but wonder how many actually signed up for the PS3-PSP deal by major retail chain HMV. Because as much as it is a good offer, we can't deny that the price tag is a little too steep for an average consumer. The pre-order consists of the PS3, a 4GB PSP, and two PSP games for a total price of 674.99, or roughly US 1,327.

While the offer is not unique to HMV, the major retail store is currently being criticized by fellow retailers. Choices UK Head of Games Martin Baxter said that their company won't be following the lead of HMV on the pre-order bundle.

When asked why, Baxter was rather direct as he said that Choices would never hold their customers to ransom. Likewise, Stephen Lynn, Virgin Megastores Head of Promotions, agrees that the pre-order bundle is a rip off. Lynn explained,

HMV's deal is up to them at the end of the day, but it's not the sort of thing we'd offer our customers because we're trying to keep things simple on PS3. We would...