Midway owner: Company's cash gone by June

When private equity investor Mark Thomas purchased controlling interest in Midway Games from Sumner Redstone's National Amusements last November, he also acquired the game publisher's debts to its parent company. Now that Midway has gone bankrupt, Thomas wants to ensure he's among the first creditors in line for repayment if the publisher is liquidated.

Even Midway's owner is selling a pessimistic view of the company.

As initially spotted by GamePolitics, Thomas (through his Acquisition Holdings Subsidiary company) filed a pre-hearing statement with the bankruptcy court late last month. In arguing for adequate protection on AHS's secured debt, the company also offered a number of insights into the publisher's precarious position. The AHS filing stated that at the rate Midway is burning cash, its reserves will be depleted by late June. Making matters worse, the publisher has no new major releases planned to arrive by then, so there's no expected influx of cash on the way.

Furthermore, AHS says that Midway has overstated the value of its assets, such that the total value of the company is not worth more than the amount of AHS's secured debt, some $30 million.

"While Midway did obtain a 2008 appraisal which purports to show substantial value for Midway's assets, an examination of that appraisal shows that it was based on unrealistic and unreasonable assumptions," AHS claims. "In any event, bids actually received by Midway for its assets show that that the appraisal is unreliable."

The filing indicates that Midway has received acquisition bids from a number of companies, with the highest bidder topping out at $30 million. The names of all bidders in the process were redacted from the transcript obtained by GameSpot.

Another point of note in the filing is that Thomas originally offered $1 million for Redstone's shares of Midway on November 20. However, after deciding that the risks involved with the company were higher than he'd originally considered, he revised the offer to $100,000 on November 24. The deal was eventually finalized on November 26.

Big in Japan Mar. 30-Apr. 5: PS3 continues strong sales run

Earlier this week, Japanese media tracker and Famitsu publisher Enterbrain reported that, for the first time since the two consoles launched in late 2006, one-month sales for Sony's PlayStation 3 had trumped those for Nintendo's Wii. For the five-week period ended March 29, the PS3 sold 146,948 units, according to Enterbrain, compared to the Wii's 99,335 units. Heading into April, the wind appears to still be at Sony's back.

For the week of March 30-April 5, Media Create reports that the PS3 sold 20,400 units in Japan, nearly 5,000 more than the Wii's 15,500 total. Both systems built on their lead over Microsoft's Xbox 360, which turned in 7,800 units for the week. Handhelds once again perched atop Media Create's monthly accounting, with the DSi and DS Lite combining to sell 62,400 units and the PSP logging sales of 48,100.

Software turned in a lackluster performance during the week, due to no new releases tempting Japanese gamers. Reprising its performance at the top of the charts, Namco Bandai's Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna Portable for the PSP led software with 34,000 units. That figure just outpaced Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!!, which sold an additional 33,000 units on the DS. Also for Nintendo's portable, Konami's Pro Yakyuu Famista DS 2009 debuted at number three with 27,000 units sold.

Titles for Sony's systems took the next four slots, with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on the PSP selling 24,000 units, followed by Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2009 for the PlayStation 2 shifting 16,000 copies. Musou Orochi Z on the PS3 and Disgaea 2 for the PSP both sold 15,000 units during the week. Rounding out the week's chart, Super Robot Taisen K for the DS and Winning Post World both sold 13,000 units, while Wii Fit returned to the top 10, selling 12,000 copies.

Week of March 30-April 5, 2009
Software:
1) Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna Portable (PSP) - 34,000
2) Mario & Luigi RPG 3!!! (DS) - 33,000
3) Pro Yakyuu Famista DS 2009 (DS) - 27,000
4) Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP) - 24,000
5) Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2009 (PS2) - 16,000
6) Musou Orochi Z (PS3) - 15,000
7) Disgaea 2 (PSP) - 15,000
8) Super Robot Taisen K (DS) - 13,000
9) Winning Post World (PS3) - 13,000
10) Wii Fit (Wii) - 12,000

Hardware:
DSi - 53,700
PSP - 48,100
PS3 - 20,400
Wii - 15,500
DS Lite - 8,700
Xbox 360 - 7,800
PS2 - 5,400

Assassin's Creed 2 details leaked?

What we heard: On Monday, Ubisoft set the gears of the Assassin's Creed 2 hype machine in motion, launching a teaser site for the sequel to 2007's well-received multiplatform action adventure. Visitors to the site are greeted with a brief Flash clip panning through the journal of famed Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci. The short teaser ends with word that a full review of Assassin's Creed 2 is expected to arrive with the upcoming issue of Game Informer magazine, which is owned by retailer GameStop.

On its Web site today, Game Informer confirmed that Assassin's Creed 2 will indeed be the cover story of its upcoming issue. The site also noted in a brief blurb that the title will be set in "Renaissance-era Venice" and will follow the travails of new protagonist Ezio, a young Italian noble. For more on its "world exclusive," the blurb teases, gamers will have to spring for the May issue of the mag...

...or wait until the Internet gets its collective hands on it a week early. Yesterday, a poster on Ubisoft's official forums offered a detailed accounting of purported Assassin's Creed 2 information that will be included in the May issue of Game Informer. (Before the post was deleted by a Ubisoft forums administrator, a GameFAQs user secured a copy of the original message.)

The post offers a litany of alleged details on Assassin's Creed 2. According to the original message, the game will offer a number of famous Venetian locales, including da Vinci's workshop, Saint Mark's Basilica, The Grand Canal, The Little Canal, and the Rialto Bridge. Players will also supposedly be afforded trips through the Tuscan countryside, circa 1476. A number of historical figures will also reportedly be present, including Niccolo Machiavelli, Caterina Sofrza, and Lorenzo de Medici, the latter of which is said to be the subject of an assassination attempt.

Ezio--full name Ezio Auditore de Firenze--will apparently have a number of weapons to choose from, including "an axe, a hammer, a mace, a spear, two different sword types, a [halberd], and two smaller blades." Each weapon is said to have a special move associated with it, and Ezio will be able to disarm opponents and use their fumbled weaponry against them.

Continuing with the Venice theme, swimming will reportedly be an option in the game. And, as speculated following Ubisoft's official teaser, the leaked details claim that Ezio will be able to take to the skies using da Vinci's flying machine. The report also states that a day-and-night cycle has been added to the game.

Moving on to specific gameplay details, the Game Informer reveal will also reportedly say that Assassin's Creed will sport 16 mission types, a dramatic increase over the original's four. Two mission types supposedly not included, however, will be eavesdropping and pickpocketing. A number of new enemy types are said to have been added, including archers, "as well as elite enemies, dagger wielders, 'Brutish' armored troops with heavy armor and two-handed swords and axes, and an intelligent halberd enemy will probe hiding places with their weapons if they think you're nearby."

The post goes on to state that Assassin's Creed 2 will also include a number of holdover mechanics from the original, including tower climbing and horseback riding, and assassinations can now reportedly be performed while Ezio is concealed in a stack of hay. Hidden objects will also return, though the report indicates that players will gain in-game benefits by hunting them down this time around.

The official story: "I can confirm that the information in the upcoming Game Informer magazine is factually correct," a word-mincing Ubisoft representative told GameSpot.

Bogus or not bogus?: Looking not bogus. However, it's impossible to say with certainty whether the forum poster was accurate in his details until Game Informer hits newsstands next week.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits takes stage June 16

Following its reveal during a postearnings conference call in February, Activision made official Guitar Hero: Modern Hits last month. The game--later renamed Guitar Hero: Smash Hits--offers 48 master tracks previously released for Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. However, more than just a compilation of previously released songs, Smash Hits reworks the tunes to accommodate the vocal and drum parts introduced with Guitar Hero World Tour last year.

Today, Activision attached a date to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Wii editions of the game, saying they will ship out on June 16. The news comes by way of Smash Hits' latest trailer, which also offers a glimpse at a handful of the songs that will be available for play.

As was first seen in Guitar Hero World Tour, Smash Hits will include the Music Studio song-creation and sharing mode. The rhythm game will also include offline and online play modes for both single- and multiplayer rocking. Eight new venues will be packed into the game, including concert halls set in the Amazon, polar ice caps, and the Grand Canyon.

A complete list of thus-far-announced playable tracks is listed below, as well as the most recent trailer. For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.

Guitar Hero
"Killer Queen" - Queen
"I Love Rock 'n Roll" - Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
"Bark at the Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne

Guitar Hero II
"Them Bones" - Alice in Chains
"Killing in the Name" - Rage Against The Machine
"Message in a Bottle" - The Police
"Carry on Wayward Son" - Kansas
"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
"I Wanna Rock" - Twisted Sister
"Nothin but a Good Time" - Poison

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Barracuda" - Heart
"Through the Fire and Flames" - DragonForce

Killzone 2 ships 600,000 in NA, first DLC due April

illzone 2 is one of Sony's highest-profile exclusives, so its strong debut last month came as no real surprise. According to industry stat-trackers the NPD Group, Guerrilla Games' long-in-the-making sci-fi shooter sold 323,000 units in the US in just 48 hours following its February 27 release on the PlayStation 3. With NPD expected to release its sales estimates for March next week, Sony has independently confirmed that Killzone 2 has continued to sell well.

Speaking to Game Daily, Sony Computer Entertainment of America vice president of product marketing Scott Steinberg said this week that Killzone 2 sales have "exceeded our expectations," having surpassed the 500,000 unit mark. [UPDATE] GameSpot has since confirmed with Sony that Killzone 2's most-recent sell-through total--meaning copies of the game sold to retailers--stands at 600,000 units in North America only.

"Killzone 2 has been the fastest SCEA PS3 title to break the 500,000 unit mark and it's also the highest selling SCEA PS3 title for the first 30 days out of launch," Steinberg told Game Daily. "So far, we are extremely happy with the results."

To keep that 500,000-strong army interested in the title, Guerrilla Games has also detailed the first batch of downloadable content for the shooter. Speaking to Game Trailers last night, Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst revealed that the first DLC pack, titled Steel and Titanium, will contain two multiplayer maps. Pricing information was not detailed, but Hulst did confirm that the pack will be available "toward the end of April."

The first map is set aboard the ISA tech cruiser New Sun, and Hulst noted that gameplay will focus on vertically oriented firefights. "You've got multiple decks, so you'll be shot at from walkways upstairs as well as downstairs," he said. The second map takes place aboard two high-speed Helghast freight trains, with gamers tasked with navigating the precarious routes between the two speeding bullets.

"These are two fan favorite settings from single-player that we're bringing over," commented Hulst on the upcoming maps. "However, going forward, you're going to get some proper new features as well." As for those future releases, Hulst teased that the next DLC pack will revive a number of maps from the original Killzone, released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.

Bend It Like Juninho

Jakarta - Siapa pesepakbola yang paling jawara dalam urusan tendangan bebas? Dengan segala hormat kepada David Beckham dan Alessandro del Piero, Juninho Pernambucano bisa dibilang kampiunnya.

Free kick, tendangan bebas, vrije schop, freistoss, coup franc, tiro libre. Terserah Anda mau menyebutnya apa. Inilah salah satu cara terbaik dan terindah untuk mencetak sebuah gol.

Juninho mempertunjukkannya dalam laga perdelapanfinal Liga Champions, Rabu (25/2/2009) dinihari WIB tadi. Dari sisi kiri, tendangan bebas gelandang Olympique Lyon itu meluncur mulus masuk ke gawang Barcelona.

Ini bukan kali pertama Juninho menjebol gawang Barca dengan sepakan bebasnya. November 2007, di fase grup Liga Champions tahun 2007/2008, Juninho juga mencetak gol dengan cara yang sama ke gawang tim Spanyol itu.

Victor Valdes, kiper Barcelona, bukannya tidak belajar dari kesalahannya lebih dari 14 bulan silam itu. Tetapi sepakan bebas memang sudah jadi spesialisasi sekaligus trademark dari Juninho.

Menurut data yang dilansir FIFA, gol ke gawang Valdes dinihari tadi adalah gol ke-43 Juninho bagi Lyon yang dicetak melalui prosedur tendangan bebas. Ini sekaligus gol free-kick ke-17 dia di Liga Champions.

Berbeda dengan tendangan bebas Beckham atau Del Piero yang bergaya melengkung, pemain 34 tahun itu punya cara sendiri yang kerap disebut 'knuckleball'. Juninho menyepak bola dengan knuckle alias punggung jari kakinya. Efek yang ditimbulkan adalah bola tidak terlalu berputar, tetapi memiliki pergerakan yang tidak terduga sehingga sulit diamankan oleh penjaga gawang.

Jarak jangkauan tendangan bebas ala Juninho ini sangat bervariasi. Bisa dari jarak 17 meter atau sedikit di luar kotak penalti, hingga ke jarak 48 meter alias nyaris setengah panjang lapangan sepakbola.

Cara menendang pemain Brasil ini menginspirasi pemain-pemain lain untuk menirunya. Cristiano Ronaldo dan Andrea Pirlo barangkali cukup sukses mengimitasi cara serupa, tetapi tetap saja tak ada yang lebih konsisten untuk mencetak gol dengan tendangan bebas seperti Juninho.

Meski reputasi Juninho kalah tenar karena ia 'hanya' membela Lyon yang berada di Prancis, tetap saja, setiap lawan Lyon yang melakukan pelanggaran tentu akan cemas karena ada di sana ada kampiun tendangan bebas, Juninho.

Bila tendangan bebas Beckham dulu menginspirasi film berjudul Bend It Like Beckham, mungkin perlu dipikirkan untuk membuat film serupa bertajuk Bend It Like Juninho.

Mourinho: Pemain Muda Seperti Melon

Milan - Kenapa ada pemain muda yang bisa melejit lebih cepat, lebih lambat, atau malah tak pernah besar sama sekali. Menurut Jose Mourinho, itu karena pemain muda seperti buah melon.

Mourinho memberi asosiasi demikian saat menjelaskan perkembangan integrasi pemain-pemain muda Inter di skuad senior, di mana ia adalah pelatih kepala klub kota Milan tersebut.

Sejak dia bergabung dengan Nerazzurri pada musim panas lalu, baru satu pemain dari level Primavera yang bisa menembus barisan utama. Dia adalah bek sayap kiri Davide Santon, yang baru berusia 18 tahun.

"Kita akan melihatnya. Ini selalu merupakan sebuah risiko," ujar Mourinho seperti tertuang dalam situs resmi Inter.

"Saya tidak tahu apakah di Italia mereka mengatakan hal yang sama. Tapi di Portugal, disebutkan bahwa melon itu bisa sangat cantik. Namun, hanya dengan membuka dan memakannya kita baru bisa mengetahuinya."

Pria berusia 46 tahun itu menambahkan, seorang pemain muda bisa melangkah ke jenjang yang lebih tinggi bergantung pada banyak faktor.

"Ini sebuah proses evolusi, bergantung apakah kesempatan datang lebih cepat atau lambat. Untuk Santon, dia muncul setelah kekalahan kami dari Atalanta, karena waktu itu saya ingin memberi intensif negatif pada tim ini, supaya mereka lebih berhati-hati dalam bermain."

"Dari hari itu selanjutnya, hidup Santon berubah. Di skuad muda kami ada tiga atau empat pemain berkualitas. Akankah mereka naik derajat? Bergantung pada banyak hal," papar mantan pelatih FC Porto dan Chelsea itu.
( a2s / krs )

April Mop, Bjork Jadi Vokalis Led Zeppelin

Bjork, Led Zeppelin (situs resmi)

Jakarta - Semangat jahil di tanggal 1 April ternyata juga menghampiri penyanyi asal Islandia, Bjork. Ia mengaku menggantikan Robert Plant jadi vokalis Led Zeppelin.

Hal tersebut diakui Bjork lewat situs pribadinya. Ia bahkan memasang fotonya bersama para personel band rock asal Inggris tersebut.

"Bjork telah menerima tawaran sebagai vokalis untuk band legendaris Led Zeppelin," tulisnya dalam bjork.com dikutip detikhot, Kamis (2/4/2009).

Iseng Bjork ditulisnya untuk merayakan hari April Mop alias April Fool's. Ia juga menuliskan bahwa bersama Led Zeppelin akan segera jalan tur pada Juni mendatang. Dalam situs Bjork juga meminta penggemarnya untuk mengklik sebuah link agar mengetahui info tersebut lebih lanjut.

Namun apa yang didapat. Link tersebut hanya lembaran putih bertuliskan "Bjork and Zed Leppelin? nah! April fools! :)". Hahaha...
(yla/yla)

Chivu Ditunggu Pulang ke Roma

Andi Abdullah Sururi - detiksport

Cristian Chivu (Reuters)

Roma - Boleh jadi tak berapa lama lagi ada seorang anak Olimpico kembali dari perantauannya. Dua tahun yang biasa-biasa saja bersama Inter Milan, Cristian Chivu dilaporkan bakal pulang ke AS Roma.

Adalah harian Corriere dello Sport yang membuat spekulasi tersebut, terkait karir Chivu di Inter yang sering terhambat karena cedera. Musim ini misalnya, ia baru tampil 13 kali di Seri A, atau setengah dari yang bisa ia lakukan.

Di musim lalu, setelah dibeli 18 juta euro dari Roma, bintang internasional Rumania ini juga cukup sering absen. Sedikitnya ia kehilangan 10 laga di kompetisi domestik.

Penampilan Chivu bersama Nerazzurri juga relatif tidak terlalu menonjol, setidaknya jika dibandingkan dengan ketika ia membela Giallorossi. Di Inter ia menghadapi kompetisi interen, baik di posisi bek tengah maupun bek sayap kiri.

Meski tidak jelek-jelek amat, tapi kabarnya hati Chivu terlanjur tertancap bersama Roma. Bersama Philippe Mexes, pelatih Luciano Spalletti pernah menyebutnya sebagai "salah satu yang tertangguh di Eropa".

Menurut Corriere dello Sport, Spalletti tertarik untuk mengasuh lagi Chivu. Cepat atau lambat, pemain berusia 28 tahun itu diharapkan bisa kembali ke ibukota Italia itu, terlebih jika pihak Roma serius ingin merekrutnya lagi, meskipun kontraknya di Inter baru habis tiga tahun mendatang.

( a2s / roz )