Release This: U.S. Sees Darkness, Europe Gets Brain Age Sequel

Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list. It's a huge week for new releases in both the U.S. and Europe. Americans are days away from seeing The Darkness on the Xbox 360 and PS3, while both regions will receive licensed titles based upon the Harry Potter and Transformers franchises. Europe alone will enjoy what could be the week's biggest-selling release, however: the Brain Age sequel More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending June 30th, 2007. Games Released in the United States: The United States is set to see one of its biggest release weeks in recent memory, with a total of 50 titles scheduled to debut in the coming days. IGN's GamerMetrics cites the Xbox 360 version of The Darkness as being the single most anticipated title of the lot, with the game predicted to sell as many as 300,000 copies by the end of July, providing that reviews are favorable. The week is otherwise marked by an abundance of cross-platform ports of games based on licensed properties. It's interesting to note which console's ports are the most anticipated for each licensed release; IGN reports that the Nintendo Wii will host the most awaited versions of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and The Bigs, while the PlayStation 3 is home to the most popular port of Transformers: The Game. Sony's consoles will also see many more of the week's most popular picks. The PlayStation 3 version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas in particular is generating a surprisingly high amount of awareness and purchase intent, considering that the initial Xbox 360 version has been available since November of last year. The PlayStation 3 will additionally receive a port of The Darkness (though the Xbox 360 version edges it out slightly in popularity), while PSP owners will soon enjoy the awaited U.S. version of the RPG remake Final Fantasy: Anniversary Edition. Games Released in Europe: Europe's list this week contains the usual mix of late-release localizations and original content, though this particular batch of region-exclusive releases proves to be especially strong. Of the 34 releases set to see European shores this week, the Brain Age sequel More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? is the most likely to top sales charts in future months, as the original release still leads Nintendo DS software sales at Amazon.co.uk on a near-weekly basis. The UK will additionally receive an exclusive localization of G1 Jockey Wii, and European gamers will enjoy Project Sylpheed and Vampire Rain several weeks before their scheduled U.S. releases. Games Released in Japan: Brain trainers and anime licenses appear to make up the bulk of this week's Japanese releases, though several unique titles stand out. Among this week's offerings, both versions of Tales of Fandom Vol. 2 currently lead in preorder sales at Amazon.co.jp, though Baroque and Kiku! Kaku! Kotoba o Fuyasu! Hajimete no Eigo Training are also pulling in ample presales in the days prior to their release. Casual importers may find little of interest in this week's list outside of the obvious Evangelion and Super Robot Taisen releases, however. Otherwise, Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race may be worth a look for Nintendo fans and for those looking for a unique take on the racing genre -- the U.S. equivalent, DK Bongo Blast, has yet to receive an official release date, and it could be several months before the title appears in translated form. [About IGN GamerMetrics: IGN GamerMetrics is an interactive tool designed to report the real-time behavior and interests of visitors to IGN Entertainment's network of gaming enthusiast web sites. Using data collected from IGN's readers, GamerMetrics shows the levels of consumer awareness, engagement, and purchase intent in every video game title released in the U.S. market.]