[Every week, Gamasutra sister weblog GamerBytes' editor Ryan Langley passes along the top console digital download news tidbits from the past 7 days, including brand new game announcements and scoops through the world of Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and WiiWare.] For digital console downloads, this was a slow week for all concerned. But it's to be expected - we're right at the beginning of December. GamerBytes' pick of the week would be Banjo Kazooie ...

Talking to Gamasutra as part of an in-depth interview, Sony's Patapon creator Hiroyuki Kotani has been discussing how his background as a teacher helped him realize that, for students and gamers, if you "praise them rather than scolding them", they'll have more fun. Explaining the genesis of the unique, critically acclaimed Patapon rhythm strategy series for PlayStation Portable as the game's sequel debuts in Japan, Kotani, who also designed games such as XI/Devil Dice and ...

Microsoft says that this November saw the biggest European sales month for Xbox 360 since its 2005 launch, outselling Sony's PlayStation 3 across the territory while making significant gains in Span, France, and Italy. "November was a very significant milestone for Xbox -- we sold the most consoles ever in our history in Europe, and are outselling PlayStation 3 week-on-week across Europe," says Xbox EMEA regional vice president Chris Lewis, referring to data from market ...

A "severe skills shortage" could challenge the UK's position in the global games biz, says a new report from the country's National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, warning that the UK could fall to fifth place in the world by 2009. The UK games development sector was ranked third in the world in 2007, but NESTA's report warns it could be overtaken by Korea, Canada and China in 2009 if it can't retain ...

UK trade body ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) urges parents in the region to check PEGI (Pan European Game Information) age ratings and content descriptors on game packaging to make informed choices when purchasing video games for younger children as Christmas gifts. Major game publishers provide PEGI ratings for their games sold in the UK and mainland Europe to indicate which titles are suitable for which age groups, a measure designed to protect ...

[Yesterday, Gamasutra spoke to the ESA and the PC Gaming Alliance about just how complex video game piracy really is, and how a combination of enforcement and education can form a solid foundation to fight it. Completing our two-part special on piracy, we look at countermeasures against PC piracy, from Mass Effect to Titan Quest and beyond, with the PC Gaming Alliance's Christian Svensson explaining: "We don't make money by making your lives difficult."] Developing ...

Tecmo's best known asset is Team Ninja. This development team, formerly headed by the iconoclastic Tomonobu Itagaki, is respected for its attention to detail, fast-action gameplay, and technical expertise. And while Team Tachyon has less renown, it has provided Tecmo with a solid basis for its business: it pioneered the Fatal Frame survival horror franchise, for example. But while these two internal teams make up the company's highest-profile content, there's another business unit within the ...

Garry's Mod, the fan-created sandbox editor for Valve's Source engine, has sold 312,541 units since it went on sale two years ago through Steam. UK-based lead developer Garry Newman divulged the figure by way of his blog. First released in 2005 as a free mod, Newman updated and re-released Garry's Mod through Steam in 2006 for $9.99. At the time, he publicly revealed certain terms of the publishing agreement, which saw an even revenue split ...

[In this personal piece, designer Brice Morrison examines Mega Man 9's anachronistic design to see how it provides an exhilarating experience uncommon with today's games, and how its pacing of positive feedback can be applied to the difficulty curves of real life.] Though it's been out for a few months, I only recently downloaded Capcom's Mega Man 9, an anomaly among other recent game releases. It is the latest offering in the classic Mega Man ...

Activision yesterday revealed a number of titles it plans to publish in 2009, with new entries in major in-house franchises Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and Tony Hawk, among others. The announcements came during an in-game ad 'upfront' event conducted by Microsoft-owned in-game advertising firm Massive Inc., as reported by consumer blog MTV Multiplayer. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was said to be coming in fall 2009. No details on the game were given, ...