Take-Two warned us (and investors ... actually, mostly investors) to expect smaller revenues for the fiscal year that ended October 31, and its fiscal-year results, announced today, hold true to that portent. The company's net revenue for fiscal 2009 was $968.5 million, down from $1.5 billion. Take-Two attributes the loss to the lack of a game as strong as Grand Theft Auto IV.

It wasn't all bad news, however. Net revenue in Q4 was actually up over 2008, from $323.4 million to $343.4 million. Take-Two attributes the success in this period to Borderlands, NBA 2K10, both the downloadable and disc-based releases of the Grand Theft Auto content and, yes, GTA IV, which must have experienced a resurgence when Gay Tony and Episodes from Liberty City were released.

Atlus' Demon's Souls will take pity on the masses this holiday as the game shifts to the "pure white tendency" this holiday. What this means is that "new areas and special NPCs" will exist in Boletaria during that time -- as a bonus, enemies cause less damage and players inflict more. Pure white is not easy to achieve, so this is a great opportunity for players. Atlus does note that adventurers may need to "log in and out a few times before [the] tendency shifts to match the server."

Demon's Souls had a similar event during Halloween, but that was "pure black." There is no shame in using the game's official wiki and, for soul's sake, we recommend using it.

Update: We followed up with Atlus and received a more specific time for the event: "Noon PST to noon PST, 12/21-28." Happy hunting!

Click to vote Haggar ... and enter the galleryCapcom has revealed even more Final Fight fanservice in Super Street Fighter IV, in the form of a new Metro City stage. Yes, that's Street Fighter III's Hugo in the background. Yes, that's a giant statue of Mayor Mike Haggar holding the city's name aloft. Yes, that is awesome.

Other new stages introduced include a busy Korean street, a neighborhood in Dhalsim's native India, a wrecked Shadaloo headquarters, and a watering hole somewhere in Africa occupied by terrifyingly enormous hippos. One thing the stages have in common: a million things going on in the background, while you try to get the joystick motion right for Zangief's spinning piledriver.

So what do you all think about Medal of Honor going Modern Warfare?

Vince Zampella: Eh, good for them!

You're not saying, "Hey, this is our territory."

Vince: Nah.

Since the game shipped a month ago, Infinity Ward has been squashing bugs and reading feedback.

Vince: Absolutely. The benefit of making a game that all of our guys love to play is that all of our guys are playing it, and they're running into the same problems that any other player is, so we want to get that stuff fixed as soon as possible.

Jason West: Yeah, the studio has been shut down for all of December, but these guys are playing the game and they want to come in on their own time to fix it and patch it. Considering that they're all on vacation, the responsiveness of the team has been pretty awesome. [Note: based on the new unlimited ammo glitch, they still have some work to do. Unless there's a Christmas miracle]

Has anything really surprised you with multiplayer?

Vince: Well, yeah .. the Javelin thing, obviously [laughs]. Just the fact that somebody picked that out.

Jason: And the infinite Care Package one is pretty impressive, I mean you have to do this, do that and ...

Vince: I could see you accidentally doing it, but then how do you figure out how to go back and replicate it? That's crazy.

So if there's a Modern Warfare 3, what can you possibly pack in to top the Night Vision Goggles?

Vince: This time we'll have a version that comes with a complete tank.

Jason: Yeah, or a full-sized Ghillie suit would be awesome, too.

Ah, Total Recall references -- does it get any better? Well, five times the XP for five days in Red Faction: Guerrilla is a start. Any of you Quaids out there who jump online for some jetpack-fueled fun will get quintuple XP from today up until Monday, December 21.

And if you've not downloaded the multiplayer DLC pack yet, check out Volition's Twitter feed, @RedFaction. Volition's going to be giving away codes for the DLC to a few lucky followers throughout the event.

As 2009 drawns to a close, it seems that Borderlands is going to be one of the few real original IP success stories of the year. Gearbox's co-optimized first-person shooter has emerged from a pack of licensed games and sequels to sell two million units worldwide, according to Take-Two's most recent financial release.

Take-Two added that the game "has established itself as a key franchise for Take-Two, for which the Company has long-term publishing rights," so it seems as though two million of you will undertake a return trip in the coming years.

PM Studios is bringing yet another retro arcade shooter to PSP via the PlayStation Network in 2010. Gunbird 2 Remix is true to its name and promises "all new 3D/2D hybrid graphics." According to the press release, there will be six different characters to choose from, each with different attacks and storylines, and multiple endings for each.

Gunbird 2 Remix should be available on the PlayStation Store in both America and Europe next February. For a video of the original arcade game, head past the break.

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Detailed a couple months back, SOCOM: Confrontation's DLC pack "Cold Front" arrives later today on the PlayStation Network for the introductory price of $10 ($15 after December 20), though we're just seeing it in action today with a couple of gameplay trailers.

The DLC includes not just five new maps, but snow effects, a new gameplay mode and ... wait, what's this? Fancy new clothes! Nothing says "tactical warfare" like goose down jackets! Get a taste for the DLC, then test your mettle against the urge to get fashionable, just after the break.

[Thanks, Edgar]

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Welcome to Joystiq's "Naughty or Nice" holiday giveaway extravaganza! It's simple: Just follow the instructions below to enter for your chance to win. Ah, but to win what? There's always a catch, isn't there? Each "Naughty or Nice" giveaway features two prizes: a totally sweet bundle of holiday cheer and, um, a lump of coal. Winners are selected randomly, we assure you. Of course, who's to say luck isn't dependent on virtue ... Have you been naughty? Or nice?

Update: The entry period has ended. Winners will be announced shortly.

To enter this giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us if you've been "naughty" or "nice" this year. (Note: Your response will not affect your chance of winning any of the prizes in this giveaway.)
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
• Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day.
  
• This entry period ends at 12:00 pm ET on Tuesday, December 22. We'll randomly select one grand prize winner at that time to receive Tekken 6 Limited Edition Wireless Fight Stick Bundle, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast, and The King of Fighters XII for PlayStation 3, and one King of Fighters figurine [note: actual figurine may differ from one pictured] (Total ARV: $340); and one first prize winner to receive Family Feud: 2010 Edition for Nintendo Wii (ARV: $40) -- please check your emails!
• For a list of complete rules, click here.

Fighting games are currently enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and this grand prize bundle is a nice opportunity to re-introduce yourself to the genre on PS3. Don't discount the Wii's fighting games, though -- our first-prize winner will find Family Feud features some very difficult combinations. Just you try stringing together the top five survey answers to: Name the most popular item people put in their salads.

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What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.

Dear Europe,

We're really sorry you weren't able to get God of War Collection this year. But we wanted to let you know that it's not you, it's us. Yeah, you really wanted it, but we thought you would want EyePet instead! To make up for the delay, we're making you an Ultimate Trilogy Edition of God of War III. Not only will it include a fancy box and a copy of God of War III, but it will also include God of War Collection, so you can have all three games in one garish box. We're also throwing in an art book and postcards, along with a lot of digital extras that America is also receiving. Does this make you feel better, baby?

Love,
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Yesterday's debut trailer for Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days may have been high on style, but it wasn't so big on substance. Thankfully, reader AlexLK12 was able to massage the game's official site and come up with four screenshots that are just a bit more informative.

For instance, just look at the shot above. Why, already we know that the game has both Kane and Lynch in it. Also, there are guns.

Starting today, the US PlayStation Network will be featuring a special sale across its Video Store. The "12 Days of Christmas" sale will discount various titles from the entire library. Highlights include $1 movies, like Street Fighter Alpha and Hellboy, and $1 episodes of UFC classics. For $2, you can download Saw and Silent Hill or movies from "Santa's Naughty Movies." Don't worry, we won't judge you.

Check out the entire 12 day sale schedule after the break.

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It looks like Crispy Gamer's review of GamerDNA -- following the partnership announced back in February, known as the "Try It" period -- has come back and the verdict is: Buy It. Mass High Tech Business News reports that the Cambridge-based GamerDNA has "found a buyer" in NY-based game site, Crispy Gamer, but will "continue to exist as a separate entity." GamerDNA CEO Jon Radoff writes that the social-networking-slash-data-driven gaming site he founded two and a half years ago has "merged" with Crispy Gamer and the serial entrepreneur won't be sticking around long. "I'll help out Chris Heldman (the CEO of Crispy Gamer) for a little bit to make sure things go smoothly -- but I'm an entrepreneur, and I'll start something new in 2010," Radoff says.

This follows last week's news that GameSpot would partner with GamerDNA-competitor Raptr. If that sounds like a partnership that may have forced Radoff's hand in selling the company, we'd be inclined to agree; GamerDNA cut its staff nearly in half back in October, and Radoff writes that "it didn't make sense for us to 'go it alone' in the market any longer." While Crispy Gamer is no GameSpot, Radoff says that the site "has very ambitious plans to build a media company around the gaming market." We're hoping to finally get used to that name by the time those plans come to fruition.

[Via @eliciab35]

Welcome to Joystiq's "Naughty or Nice" holiday giveaway extravaganza! It's simple: Just follow the instructions below to enter for your chance to win. Ah, but to win what? There's always a catch, isn't there? Each "Naughty or Nice" giveaway features two prizes: a totally sweet bundle of holiday cheer and, um, a lump of coal. Winners are selected randomly, we assure you. Of course, who's to say luck isn't dependent on virtue ... Have you been naughty? Or nice?

Update: The entry period has ended. Winners will be announced shortly.

To enter this giveaway:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us if you've been "naughty" or "nice" this year. (Note: Your response will not affect your chance of winning any of the prizes in this giveaway.)
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
• Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day.
  
• This entry period ends at 12:00 pm ET on Tuesday, December 22. We'll randomly select one grand prize winner at that time to receive "Piano Black" PSPgo (Total ARV: $250); and one first prize winner to receive Sega Genesis Firecore Classic Console (ARV: $50) -- please check your emails!
• For a list of complete rules, click here.

Two pint-sized feats of technology: Sony's PSP Go and the Firecore console -- who could have imaged the Genesis squeezed down to such proportions? Marvelous.

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What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.

Yesterday, we learned about the cast swap that would take place in Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition's second downloadable episode, Desperate Escape. However, we had no context in which to put Jill Valentine and Josh Stone in cahoots, nor did we know what they'd be doing while cahooted. Now, thanks to an announcement from Capcom, we know: They'll be escaping. Desperately.

We'll try to share these details without dropping any spoilers: Josh encounters Jill, who has collapsed after that one fight. Together, they have to escape from the Tricell facility, pushing through wave after wave of faux-zombies in the middle of the night. They'll need to do so quickly, as they need to fulfill their important, life-saving duties to Chris and Sheva, who are simultaneously locked in battle with that one guy.

Additionally, Capcom has released some screens of the new episode, which we've posted in the gallery below. Also, the developer revealed two new costumes for Chris and Sheva in the game's Mercenaries Reunion mode: Chris gets "Heavy Metal" duds, while Sheva gets somewhat classier "Business" attire. Check them out in the videos after the jump!

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