When we last spoke to The Sims' studio head, Rod Humble, he was applauding the franchise's retail success. Now the exec has another, albeit more personal reason to celebrate, having climbed up another rung on the corporate ladder, laying claim to the role of The Sims' brand's executive VP. The move follows the recent hiring of Jeff Green, who left the world of game journalism last month to throw his body on the gears of EA's expansion factory as well.

Humble replaces former lead, Nancy Smith, who EA notes will handle "special" The Sims-related projects before eventually moving into a new as-yet-undefined role in the months ahead. We offer congratulations, and suggest he celebrate his new position by locking co-workers in the bathroom or pushing them in the corporate pool before deftly removing any means of escape.

Some interesting statistics about Electronic Arts' recently launched FIFA09 in the U.K. (via Chart Track):

• It is currently beating the sales rate of FIFA08 -- itself a bestselling UK game last year -- by 37.5%.
• It debuted at the top of the PlayStation 2, PS3, PSP and Xbox 360 charts.
• Of those sales, 42% were on Xbox 360, making it the 3rd fastest selling game on Microsoft's format (behind GTA IV and Halo 3), while 40% were on PS3 where it is the 2nd fastest selling game (behind GTA IV). 11% go to PS2, 3% to PSP and the rest for PC, Wii and DS.

Just goes to show you that no matter the culture or continent, EA owns football. See the full top 10 list of All Formats software sales after the break.

Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming:

Bungie audio director Marty O'Donnell recently made some controversial remarks regarding used game sales. To quote, "It seems to me that the folks who create and publish a game shouldn't stop receiving income from further sales." Of course, this seems laughable to all of us who have bought and sold used games for years. It's my property, I can do what I want with it, right? This doesn't have any place in the industry, does it?

Legally, perhaps not. According to the first sale doctrine in copyright law, copyright holders are expected "to obtain all financial benefit for the article or product embodying the intellectual property at the time of the sale, and prohibits placing limitations on purchased items." This basically means that, once you purchase an item, the intellectual property cannot prevent you from doing whatever you want with the item so long as you don't violate copyright (by, say, copying it and then selling it -- otherwise known as pirating).

The new Nintendo Points cards will force you to pick a platform when it's redeemed. Siliconera reports that the House of Mario currency will not go into one main Nintendo piggy bank for the user, but will need to be redeemed for either DSWare or WiiWare titles.

Another way of putting it is that consumers won't be able to transfer points between the Wii and DSi after activating the cards. It's a shame really, we certainly expected a more 21st-century solution (i.e. an all-purpose Nintendo account) from the company which brought us the brilliant 16-digit friend code system.

[Via WiiFanboy]

We had previously learned that a Kratos SackBoy would be available with a GameStop pre-order, but what we didn't know was all the extras that would also be included with the reservation. The GameStop website and a new commercial (found after the break) reveal the pre-order will also include Minotaur and Medusa costumes, along with stickers and level pack.

The details on getting the redemption code vary between online and in-store reservation, with online codes being sent out a week before the game ships and store codes available at time of reservation -- while supplies last (call ahead). No word yet if the Heavenly Sword Best Buy exclusive Nariko SackGirl will come with levels, extra characters and a dose of a "twing-twang."

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

THQ's "internal problems" popped up again as Exec. VP of Worldwide Studios Jack Sorensen has quit the company. Sorensen's role will now be played by three different executives promoted from within the company. The company's president, Brian Farrell, believes this will make "a more efficient management structure."

THQ has been on a bad road lately, pinning many of its hopes and blockbuster dreams this year on a few titles like Saints Row 2. The company laid off 200 employees in May and has been having negative financial reports for a year. If Atari can turn it around, there's hope for THQ.

We'll spare the "too human" jokes and get right to it: Silicon Knights laid off 26 employees today as the studio reshuffled its size in preparation for "several new and exciting" projects. Before the "temporary" cutback, the company totaled just over 180 employees.

"These 26 individuals are hard-working and valued team members that we hope to bring back as we ramp up on our future projects," head knight Denis Dyack said in a statement. The layoffs are consistent with typical development cycles in the industry, but do come at a time when global markets are wavering. Silicon Knights has not yet named any of the individuals affected by today's downsizing, but a tipster suggests the group includes "a few long-tenured ones."

Read the full statement from Silicon Knights after the break.

[Thanks Bob!]

Let me begin by apologizing for the hasty nature of the announcement of my being chosen as the running mate for the honorable Weekly Webcomic Wrapup. What my fine, fellow feature lacks in clarity and eloquence, he more than makes up for with sheer enthusiasm. Perhaps this is why he, with wisdom acquired during his three years of publication, chose me as his running mate -- to balance his passion with my own levelheadedness. In that respect, I am more than glad to play the Abbot to his Costello, the Brain to his Pinky, and the Linnell to his Flansburgh.

With that bit of business out of the way, I'd like to talk to you about why you should support a WWW/JHS ticket for the office of King and Queen Vice-King of the Internets. As you know, the Internets is a big place that requires a great deal of regulation from its executive officers. While the current administration has adopted a laissez-faire approach to their prestigious post, our leadership would provide a much needed repaving of the information superhighway -- for starters, all domain names will be required to end with ".fun". Not only will it simplify the Internets navigation process, but it may just bring a smile to the face of the typical, hard-hearted Internets user.

Our other major platforms include:

• Stronger punitive measures against the proliferation of Rick Astley songs
• Energy conservation through the deactivation of the Internets at 11 p.m. every night
  
• Free candy for supporters

So, when Election Day rolls around, won't you consider the benefits of a Weekly Webcomic Wrapup/Japanese Hardware Sales administration? Our change will be swift, our policies fair, and our candy delicious.

- DS Lite: 57,847 3,395 (5.54%)
- Wii: 26,314 3,607 (12.06%)
- PSP: 25,671 3,003 (10.47%)
- Xbox 360: 11,291 2,486 (18.04%)
- PS2: 9,848 2,128 (27.56%)
- PS3: 8,275 119 (1.46%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: www.archives.fun

While there's been a fair amount of excitement and buzz over the recently announced, camera-equipped upgrade to Nintendo's best-selling handheld, it seems that the big N doesn't want American gamers to neglect the DSi's older, lensless sibling. In a recent interview with Game|Life, Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo's VP of sales and marketing (and world-renowned snowboarding expert), explained that the DS Lite has "huge, untapped potential" in the U.S. -- potential that the company hopes to tap before replacing the Lite with the new shutterbugish model.

Dunaway explained Nintendo's hopes to bring America's DS Lite sales to a level the company has come accustomed to in Japan, where one in every two households owns the handheld. While the DSi isn't due out in America until "well into 2009", Nintendo hopes to bolster Lite sales by allowing the two versions to "coexist for some period of time". Hey, as long as the DS Lite doesn't go all Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son, we're cool with it.

Despite revealing a new DS iteration -- the first since February 2006 -- Nintendo's shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 3.7 percent to 39,500 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Bloomberg notes that the stock has dropped 41 percent overall n 2008, compared to the past two years where it doubled in each of those. Comparatively, Sony's stock has dropped 51 percent this year.

While much can be attributed to the global economy at the moment, equity researcher Yoku Ihara said the DSi reveal "didn't exceed investors' expectations ... the stock market was so bearish that the news didn't hlep the shares gain." In other news, the console maker is still paying people to pay other people to count its ridiculous amounts of money.

Nintendo gave us more to digest in the last 24 hours than it did during all of E3 2008. So here's what we've got:

• Club Nintendo North America - 2008.
• Wii Speak Channel - Nov 16, 2008. Mic costs $30.
• DSi (Third gen DS) - Nov. 1 in Japan, "well into 2009" for the rest of the globe.
• Loading from SD cards for Wii - Update in Spring 2009.
• Pikmin "Play for Wii" - Dec. 25 in Japan, TBA for everyone else.
• Numerous "Play for Wii" titles (remakes of Gamecube titles with waggle for Wii) - Unnannounced dates.
• Sin & Punishment 2 (Wii) - 2009.
• New Punch-Out!!! (Wii) - 2009.
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS) - 2009.
• Mario & Luigi RPG (DS)- 2009.
• Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (DS)- Nov. 10, 2008.
• Personal Trainer: Cooking (DS) - Nov. 24, 2008.

We're live in San Francisco at Nintendo's press event – sure, they're going to go over last night's Nintendo announcements like the DSi, Play for Wii, and Punch-Out but maybe ... just maybe there's something else in store.

12:14PM: Reggie has taken the podium. He's announced the DSi as a "third trier" platform and is talking about its built-in NVRAM. He's talking about the DSi Shop, the first two titles to be offered are "re-tooled" versions of Brain Age 1 and 2. The DSi features onboard image editing software that can be used to composite photos taken by both cameras in real time. Music player will support AAC format and allow pitch / speed manipulation. Various audio effects can be applied in real time.

12:20PM: Opera browser runs faster than previous DS browser, Wi-Fi is "faster." Reggie just announced that the DSi will not see release until "well into calendar year 2009" citing strong U.S. sales of current DS hardware. He's talking about Wii storage now; confirming that SD card will be used for additional storage, saying that transferring between internal NVRAM and SD card will be dramatically faster.

12:24PM: Reggie says that significantly more Wii systems will be shipped into retail this holiday season versus last year. He can't say how many, and anticipated the question of will it be enough? "Ask me in January." Har. Har. Cammie is at the podium now to talk about software. Take note, folks: She's smiling! Punch-Out!! is on-screen. Cammie calls it a "re-introduction" of the classic title. Video is rolling! Little Mac is showing off in toon-shaded glory. King Hippo and Glass Joe plus a female boxer appeared in the video. Looks like it plays just like the original titles ... but what's that? Cammie says that Punch-Out!! is fully motion-controlled.

Take-Two Interactive announced this morning that it's staying solo. The board met with "various interested parties" over the last five months and decided it was in the best interest of the stockholders to continue building the company independently.

Despite Take-Two's recent stock slump following the EA buyout saga, the company's chairman, Strauss Zelnick, believes it remains competitive in the industry and will maximize value for stockholders. CEO Ben Feder says the company has 15 "wholly owned brands" with sales of over a million units, no debt and an "undrawn $140 million" to play with. Yeah, let's see if that cash gets spent on keeping GTA's Houser brothers.

Much like the Haloz before it, Gears of War 2 will receive a special edition Zune 120. The glossy black media player has the Gears logo laser-etched on the back and comes with 244 pieces of GoW bric-a-brac -- all for $280. The unit is available to pre-order now at Walmart.com and Amazon.com, and will ship on November 7. Same day as the game ... fancy that! No word yet if the military will get its own (sexier) version of the Gears Zune like they did with Halo 3.

[Via X3F]

Memphis is a beautiful city with no real crime, which is why it's so shocking to hear what a sting operation against local GameStop stores turned up. Eight GameStop employees have plead guilty to buying "stolen" video games from undercover police officers. The video game pawn shop retail chain has agreed to suspend "cash-for-trade" (???) transactions in Shelby and DeSoto County, Mississippi, until February 2009.

The defendants, none of whom have previous criminal convictions, will serve a year of probation, which can result in their record being cleared. Not to say the company's suspension of trade-ins is pure kabuki, but next to eBay, GameStop has always been an awesome place to unload stolen games -- just don't bring 16,000 copies of Brothers in Arms in at one time.

[Thanks, Chuck]