Release This: Battlestations: Sonic Frenzy

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. An eclectic batch of new releases await gamers in all regions this week. Heavy-hitters like Battlestations: Midway and Rogue Galaxy will see U.S. shores, while Europe receives intriguing exclusives like New Zealand Story Revolution and Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja. Meanwhile, shooter fans worldwide will soon enjoy Last Hope, one of the Sega Dreamcast's final releases. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending February 3, 2007. Games Released in the United States:

This week will bring a decent selection of awaited titles to the United States, chief among them being the Xbox 360's Battlestations: Midway, which ranks as GamerMetrics's most anticipated new release. RPG fans are also generating high levels of demand for the Level 5-developed Rogue Galaxy, while many others are looking forward to releases like Fuzion Frenzy 2 and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Interestingly, GamerMetrics reports that its users show a high amount of awareness for the PS3 port of Sonic the Hedgehog while simultaneously exhibiting "extremely low purchase intent." The PS3's relatively small worldwide user base -- coupled with a largely negative critical reception that followed the release of the Xbox 360 version in November -- is likely to blame for this abnormality, though Sonic the Hedgehog continues to be a popular title regardless. It remains to be seen whether the franchise's current reputation will interfere with purchase intent for the upcoming Nintendo Wii title Sonic and the Secret Rings. Games Released in Europe:

While the last month saw only a small trickle of new releases, Europe strikes back this week with a release lineup larger than the United States' and Japan's lists combined. This week's offerings also include several exclusive titles; Little Britain: The Video Game, New Zealand Story Revolution, Pawly Pets: My Pet Hotel, and Pawly Pets: My Vet Practice are not currently scheduled for release in any other region, while Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja is a UK-specific localization of the Japanese PSP title Shinobido Homura. There is currently some debate as to whether Earache Extreme Metal Racing will see release outside of Europe this week. Some sources say that the title will debut in the United States at the beginning of February, while others give release dates ranging from May to November. This week's European release is all but certain, despite the game's uncertain fate elsewhere, however. Games Released in Japan:

After last week's onslaught of numerous anticipated titles, Japan settles down with a comparatively tame set of releases this week. One of the more interesting cases among these is the Sega Dreamcast port of Last Hope, which will see international release at the end of January. Though not an officially licensed product, Last Hope has gathered enough attention and demand from hardcore shooter fans to drive several importers to accept preorders for the title in the months leading up to its release. [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.]