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| 'GTA IV' and 'Mario' will have a lock on video-game sales
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| Wednesday, April 30, 2008 |
'GTA IV' and 'Mario' will have a lock on video-game sales
By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
With the arrival in stores this week of long-awaited titles Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii, the already hot video game industry is headed for the stratosphere.
For 24 months in a row, sales of video-game systems and software have grown over the previous year. That performance led to record sales of $18 billion last year, up from $12.5 billion in 2006, according to market tracking firm The NPD Group.
Industry observers were prepared for a breather after the strong 2007 holiday season, but sales continue to rocket. "With continued demand for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, big-ticket items, and the (Nintendo) Wii not in stock … we saw some big numbers in February and March," says Edward Williams, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets.
Sales rose 34% in February ($1.3 billion) and 57% in March ($1.7 billion) over the previous year and April is likely to keep growing with potential blockbusters such as GTA IV, out Tuesday, and Mario Kart, released Sunday.
The controversial GTA IV, even as it draws complaints from parent activist groups for its violent themes, also draws dollar comparisons with box-office smashes such as Spider-Man 3 ($337 million in the USA) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($309 million). Williams estimates GTA IV should surpass $200 million in U.S. sales in its first week.
And Nintendo's Mario Kart "is definitely going to give us a good start to the week," says Bob McKenzie of the GameStop chain.
While it's uncommon for two such popular games to hit stores within days of each other, the Mature-rated GTA IV and the family-friendly Mario represent a "classic example of counterprogramming," NPD's Anita Frazier says. "I expect April to be a record sales month."
With Nintendo's healthful Wii Fit due May 19 and Metal Gear Solid in June for the Sony PS3, Williams says, "you are going to have some pretty strong numbers through the first half of the year."
Reasons behind the hot streak:
•More people playing games. An NPD survey earlier this year found the highest percentage yet (72%) of consumers playing video games, including more women and people older than the typical player. "The intimidation factor has been taken away with the Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero," says Best Buy's Jill Hamburger. "We're seeing multiple generations come together to experience video games."
•A wider variety of games. Two years ago, analysts wondered whether the market was big enough for Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. So far, it has been, as game designers try to play to different demographics on the three systems.
Last month's top-selling game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, targeted families and Nintendo devotees, while Devil May Cry 4 and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 aimed at hard-core gamers. In development are more cooking games, such as Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine, and new music games, including Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The handheld Nintendo DS and Sony PSP continue to sell well, too.
•More people staying home. With fuel and food prices rising, families may opt for video games rather than other leisure pursuits. "In this economy, you might not take that elaborate spring vacation," Hamburger says. "Gaming becomes a nice alternative in terms of creating a family entertainment experience right at home."
Says Williams: "When that happens, the video game industry benefits. It's cheap entertainment."
With other games due this summer. such as SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals Confrontation and movie tie-ins Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk (plus Too Human, Fable 2 and Fallout 3 soon after), Jeremy Dunham of game and entertainment site IGN.com says that he doesn't see "video games slowing down at all."
A video-game player since he was 3, Dunham, now 31, says that to see video games evolve from "an underground movement to complete mainstream acceptance … is very, very impressive. The fact that video games are broadening their reach just in the way they get into your home has a lot to do with it."
Source: USATodayLabels: Grand Theft Auto 4, Mario, Mario Kart, Nintendo, Wii |
posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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| Mario Kart Wii Review
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| Tuesday, April 22, 2008 |
Mario Kart Wii Review
By Stuart Andrews
19th Apr 2008
With each new iteration of Mario Kart, Nintendo faces an uphill struggle. The original was one of the best-loved games of the 16-bit era. Easy to pick up, satisfyingly deep and sporting a fiercely competitive two-player mode, it defined the kart racing style that a hundred other games would rip off. The problem is that Mario Kart was so definitive that Nintendo itself has never quite managed to make a follow-up that could satisfy the game's most ardent fans. Mario Kart 64 gave us 3D courses and four-player action, but the fans grumbled about the handling and the track design. Despite being a perfectly fine Kart racer, Mario Kart: Double Dash! on the GameCube fared even worse, mainly because the fans objected to the game's two riders per kart dynamic, the wider tracks and the merciless behaviour of the AI competition.
Oddly, only the handheld versions have escaped derision. Of all the Mario Kart sequels - Mario Kart Super Circuit on the GBA played closest to the SNES original. Meanwhile, Mario Kart DS offered a superb combination of all the previous Mario Kart styles and threw in an excellent online game as well.
With Mario Kart Wii, you can see Nintendo trying to keep two camps of people happy. On the one hand, the new Wii Wheel, the integration of the Wii's user-created Mii characters and an initially generous difficulty level are clearly designed to bring the more casual audience that has adopted the Wii on board. Judging by the game's huge sales and the fact that, at the time of writing, it's practically impossible to buy it shows that this has been a success. On the other hand, this is a game that desperately wants to please the old Mario Kart fanbase. It's packed with tracks from previous Mario Karts, has all the familiar faces (arranged as always into three different weight classes) and allows you to use the Nunchuk controller or a GameCube joypad if you would rather have a more traditional Mario Kart feel. On these terms, however, it's only a partial success. A lot of people are disappointed or annoyed by Mario Kart Wii, and their reasons aren't totally ridiculous.
The divisions appear straight out of the box. Considering the fact that it's really only a circular lump of moulded plastic that encloses a Wii remote, the Wii Wheel is a lovely bit of kit, instantly making the Mario Kart experience that little bit more accessible and that little bit more fun. Yet at the same time there's no doubt that the motion sensitive controls aren't as tight or as immediately responsive as the analogue sticks used to be. Nintendo has got around this in two ways. First, the tracks - even those adapted from previous Mario Karts - are wider and the corners slightly more forgiving than they used to be. Secondly, you can just switch to one of the controllers mentioned before, in which case it feels much like it did in the good old days. However, you're still sitting on the same, wider tracks.
Nintendo has further alienated the ultra-hardcore by messing with the drift and boost mechanics. You can set drift to automatic, making corners easier but losing you the boost you get when coming out of a drift, or you can set it to manual, in which case you jump and then drift like you used to, but the boost is now relative to the length and direction of your drift, not built then used by 'snaking' left and right before releasing the trigger. People who hated all the snaking business are quite happy about this, but those who've spent years working on their drifts and boosts are not so delighted. For them, a substantial part of the skill has gone.
For me and for the greater part of the audience, I suspect it's a non issue. Playing with the wheel is more fun than playing with the stick, the new boost mechanics suit the wheel, and Nintendo has now thrown in a two new ways to get extra speed. First, stunts. Hit a ramp, jerk the wheel or remote, and your character goes into a cool stunt move, picking up a speed boost when he or she lands. Secondly, the game now features motorbikes, and these motorbikes can wheelie. Jerk up on the remote on a decent straight, and your front wheel soars aloft. You move faster, but be wary: get hit by a missile or another player and you're even more toast than normal
Even if you've played Mario Kart before, it will take you a while to get used to all this. On the plus side, at least many of the courses will be familiar. Mario Kart Wii has the cream of the crop of past Mario Kart courses along with a reasonable selection of new ones, with the tracks arranged into eight different cups. Four of these are initially locked and must be unlocked - along with additional playable characters - by getting a podium position in the available cups. Apart from the widening, tracks are surprisingly faithful to their original incarnations. The ghost swamp and beach courses from the SNES and GBA Mario Karts remain flat, and the textures and architecture have been updated rather than replaced. Tracks like the Mario circuit, Moo Mo Farm and DK Jungle tracks will be instantly familiar from their N64 versions, while a scattering of the Mario Sunshine themed courses from Double Dash! have made it through to Mario Kart Wii.
The downside of this approach is that few of the remade courses have an awful lot of wow factor, but to make up for it the new ones - mostly collected in the latter cups - are superb. Koopa Cape has some terrifying drops and some brilliant river and underwater sections, while the lava-filled Grumble Volcano is the sort of course that punishes rash racing lines or dozy play. Maple Treeway, with its narrow, twisting branch tracks, is one of the most fiendish Mario Kart courses I've ever played. Coconut Mall, meanwhile, makes the best use of your systems's selection of Miis. While other tracks feature them as spectators, the Mall has them as obstacles, reversing cars in the car park that are guaranteed to get into your kart's way. It's the sort of nice touch that distinguishes the best Nintendo games.
Now, unless you're really hot under the collar about the changes to the handling and the boost model, I think you'll find Mario Kart Wii a hugely entertaining single-player game. As always, the action is divided into three classes, 50CC, 100CC and 150CC, with the 100CC now restricted to motorbikes only. Old hands will find the 50CC class pretty easy going, which is fine as its designated a beginner's class. The 100CC class also lacks challenge early on, but picks up in the later cups as the courses grow more challenging and it gets harder to push ahead of the chasing pack.
With 12 karts or bikes on track at any time, there's a lot of carnage in the new Mario Kart, and new weapons like the Bullet Bill, where you become the eponymous bullet and smash your way along the track for a short period, up the ante quite considerably. By the time you get to the 150CC class this can make the going very hard indeed, and while you can get the occasional win by hitting first pace early on and hoping that the racers in the pack fight among themselves, the usual Mario Kart habits - rubber banding the racers so that slower karts can catch up and dishing out less powerful weapons while you're in front - make the majority of races a real struggle. This is exactly as it should be, and it's this - plus the constant attraction of finding the perfect racing line and the best place to pull off stunts and boosts - that gives the game some of its long-term appeal.
Some, but not all, because the real pull of Mario Kart has always been playing with friends. Time trials and two to four player races will keep your household busy for some time, even if there will be grumbles about the fact that the eight to ten racers who complete the line-up can give unlucky human players such a pounding that not all of the Wii remote throwing will be accidental. And if it's one thing to know that your partner or flatmate has just beaten your course record, it's another thing to see it represented by their grinning Mii standing ahead of yours on a visual display; an insult only racing and beating their saved ghost will allay.
However, Mario Kart Wii follows Mario Kart DS by taking the competition online too. As always, hooking up via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service is a breeze, and the game soon finds up to eleven other racers - on your continent or worldwide as you choose - to race against. Oddly, there's something more personal and infinitely more charming about a race against strangers when its preceded by the sight of their waving Miis, and you won't miss the grumping and trash-talk of Forza 2 or PGR4 on Xbox Live one bit. The racing itself is hilarious, and while I've had the odd dropped game or sudden disconnection, it has mostly been impressively lag-free.
Yet Nintendo hasn't stopped with just a multiplayer option. You can access a new Mario Kart channel, either within the game or installed to your Wii's main Channels page, then instantly look to see whether your track times are being beaten, what your friends are up to and whether anyone is looking for a game. You can see where your achievements rank against other players, join competitions, or even download random Time Trial ghosts to tackle. It's all beautifully done, and just leaves you hoping that Nintendo can offer similar options in future games. What's more, completing a specific championship in the single-player mode allows you to play online and offline with your own Mii. Cleverly, the game assigns a weight class based on your Mii's own physique.
Yet Nintendo hasn't stopped with just a multiplayer option. You can access a new Mario Kart channel, either within the game or installed to your Wii's main Channels page, then instantly look to see whether your track times are being beaten, what your friends are up to and whether anyone is looking for a game. You can see where your achievements rank against other players, join competitions, or even download random Time Trial ghosts to tackle. It's all beautifully done, and just leaves you hoping that Nintendo can offer similar options in future games. What's more, completing a specific championship in the single-player mode allows you to play online and offline with your own Mii. Cleverly, the game assigns a weight class based on your Mii's own physique.
For me, it's the online mode that pushes a very, very good game up to greatness. I know some hardcore fans will have other grumbles - like the fact that the classic Battle mode is now a team-based shadow of its former glory - but for me this hardly impacts. Nor does it really matter that the graphics aren't what you might call amazing; Double Dash! was arguably a bigger leap forward visually, and there are only a few courses where the scenery or the enhanced lighting engine really shines. What matters to me is whether the wheel works, the online option works, and whether the game is hugely addictive and massively entertaining. On all these counts my answer is an unqualified 'yes'. Hardcore Mario Kart players are free to disagree and moan, and can dock one to three points off my score as they wish. The rest of us can just get on and enjoy what is still the finest kart racing game known to man.
Verdict
The new Mario Kart will please the Wii's casual audience better than Nintendo's hardcore fanbase, but relax, enjoy the new features and the nostalgia factor, and it's still an exemplary racing game.
Source: TrustedReviewsLabels: Mario Kart, Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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| Xbox 360 firmware update preps console for added features
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| Sunday, April 20, 2008 |
Xbox 360 firmware update preps console for added features
By Mark Raby
Friday, April 18, 2008 11:36
Redmond (WA) - Microsoft today released a firmware upgrade for the Xbox 360, but it doesn't actually make any noticeable changes to the system. Instead, it makes the 360 ready for some new features that will come out in the near future.
With the Xbox 360, Microsoft has essentially made it a policy to release one big firmware update during each season.
Today's update is an initial preparation for the pending "spring update."
"This update contains code to 'prepare for future growth of the service,'" wrote Xbox Live spokesperson Larry Hryb. "In other words no new features."
The last Xbox 360 update was related directly to the console's HD DVD add-on, and was released earlier this month. It caught some by surprise because Microsoft officially disowned the add-on several weeks ago.
Regarding the spring update, Hryb wrote, "At this point we have nothing to announce."
Source: TGDailyLabels: HD-DVD, Microsoft, xbox 360 |
| posted by Perimbean @ Sunday, April 20, 2008
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| Microsoft Teases Sony For PS3 GTA IV Install Time
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| Saturday, April 19, 2008 |
Microsoft Teases Sony For PS3 GTA IV Install Time
Submitted by Chris Riggs on Fri, 2008-04-18 16:56.
Microsoft has decided to have a little fun at Sony's expense in regards the five minute install time for GTA IV on PS3.
The company's PR decided to send out a list of things a person could do while waiting the five minutes for the PS3 Grand Theft Auto IV installation to finish.
· Steal your first dozen or so cars and test out the improved vehicle handling?
· Check out the cool features on your mobile phone?
· Rack up a 5 Star Wanted Rating?
· Have a blast of your first MP game on Xbox LIVE?
· Ditch the tracksuit chic and buy some new clothes?
· Unlock your first GTA IV Achievement and boost your Gamerscore?
· Or just start downloading a film from Xbox LIVE Video Store to watch later – check out the latest batch of arrivals this weekend!
It's rumored that the Xbox 360 version will have the option for installation as opposed to it being mandatory.
Either way, five minutes is nothing compared to the approximately 20 mins it takes for Devil May Cry 4, so we're not going to sweat it.
Source: S-TimesLabels: Microsoft, PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Saturday, April 19, 2008
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| Erotic Game/Movie For PSP In Japan
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Erotic Game/Movie For PSP In Japan
Sony typically won't allow adult-oriented games on their platforms, even though a few titles will often skirt close to the edge. However, this one steps over that line into full-on erotica, but because it's technically classified as a UMD, it locates that loophole and can arrive as an interactive virtual experience for the PSP in Japan.
It's called Bokudake No Kajitsu, developed by Jin Products and falling under the category of eroges ("gameplay animates in erotic fashion"). You must find love for three women: Rin, 19 years old, Hitomi, 25 years old, and Chizuru, 20 years old. However, these three ladies will be competing for the affections of only one man, so it appears to be a good old-fashioned cat fight premise...with plenty of anime nakedness worked in. As we just said, Sony wouldn't normally allow this "game" to appear on the PSP, but as it's described as using "system chapter and interactive menus," it can be classified as a UMD. If you're interested in giving this one a try - and you live in Japan - you can obtain more information by visiting the game/movie's official website. Just remember, this wouldn't hold an "M" rating if it had to go through the ESRB as a game; it would quickly get slapped with the "AO" ("Adults Only") rating.
So this is an interesting little loophole. How many more of these will we see? You know, "games" that aren't really games but the user can interact with them in a certain way, like Bokudake No Kajitsu, here? Leave it up to Japan to find a way to produce their much-sought-after anime erotica for the PSP, although we seriously doubt this will ever make its way to the US
Source: PSXExtremeLabels: Bokudake No Kajitsu, psp, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Saturday, April 19, 2008
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| Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board
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| Thursday, April 17, 2008 |
Nintendo Wii Fit Balance Board
Miyamoto and co. are about to get aerobic on your ass…
From the cheesy ads and the mocking YouTube parodies, you could be forgiven for thinking that Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Balance Board would be overly-worthy, not very entertaining, or just plain silly.
But, of course, it’s made by Nintendo, a company which is fast becoming a master of turning mundane of tasks into fun activities (accompanied by vast amounts of profit).
The Wii Fit pack contains the software, the balance board and four AA batteries. Set-up is dead simple: load the Wii Fit disc, sync the board with your Wii (as you do with Wiimotes, switch the board on and you’re good to go).
Body Mass Index
When you first use Wii Fit, it works out your body mass index (BMI) and then suggests what your ideal BMI should be based on your weight and height. This becomes your new target BMI, giving you something to aim for over the course of your Wii Fitting, with various graphs enabling you to follow your progress.
This portion can also be stored as a Wii channel so you can perform daily measurements without constantly having to load the Wii Fit disc.
Wii Fit’s activities are split between Aerobic Exercise, Muscle Conditioning, Yoga Poses and Balance Games. The Balance Board is neatly integrated in that it monitors your stance during yoga, for example, and measures reps during exercises. You could perform most of the training without it, but it wouldn’t be quite as engaging.
But naturally it’s with the games that Wii Fit really shines. Mastering a ski slalom with your feet is way harder than it sounds, and provides a challenge the whole family can enjoy. It also levels the playing field: teen joypad junkies are just as likely to be rubbish as Mum or Dad who’ve never touched a videogame before. (And if the old man’s a keen footballer, he’ll probably have better balance and control than his rotund rug rats.)
Ski jump
The Balance Board is used ingeniously, too. Alongside the obvious balance-related games – steer the ball across the wobbly platform, walk a tightrope – there’s a ski jump game. You have to crouch as the skier starts his descent, then stand up sharply at take-off. By maintaining your balance, you remain airborne for a greater distance. It’s bizarre, you look an idiot doing it, but it’s totally effective and maddeningly addictive.
Ultimately, how much you get out of Wii Fit depends on how much you’re willing to put in. Some people get utterly addicted to Brain Training, for example, while others tire of the repetition after a week or so. And this is supposed to be exercise, remember.
Certainly a family playing Wii Fit together will have more fun competing for a lower BMI rating and higher game scores than the solus player simply going through each workout.
But the short answer is: it works, it’s fun and after building up a real sweat jogging round a virtual park, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t help to make you fitter and slimmer – assuming you don’t celebrate every session with a bar of Cadbury’s finest.
Footnote:
In all honesty, the score is of little real relevance because you either already want Wii Fit – in which case you’ve pre-ordered – or you’ve no real interest. Which is fine, because on launch day there won’t be any stock anyway.
Despite going up against GTA IV, Wii Fit is pretty much already sold out. At the time of writing, of 17 major retailers only four were still taking pre-orders; the rest were out of stock. And analysts expect stock to be in short supply through till 2009. The Nintendo Wii: license to print money.
Source: TechRadarLabels: Nintendo, Wii, Wii Fit |
| posted by Perimbean @ Thursday, April 17, 2008
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| Super Swing Golf for Nintendo Wii Unveiled by Rising Star Games
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| Sunday, April 13, 2008 |
Super Swing Golf for Nintendo Wii Unveiled by Rising Star Games
Posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008
The Nintendo Wii is becoming a haven for game developers who make golf games. A few months ago, Capcom had announced We Love Golf for Nintendo’s next generation console. Now Rising Star Games has sent word about a party game called Super Swing Golf for the Nintendo Wii.
Super Swing Golf lets gamers take actual golf swings on 14 unique “18 hole” fantasy golf courses. In includes a multiplayer Party mode featuring games like ‘Darts’ and ‘Longest Drive’. What’s interesting is that the courses consist of an extensive collection of themes and challenges with environments as miscellaneous as a scorching desert, a tropical island and even on ice.
Gamers can play in multiplayer tournaments with up to four players or choose multiplayer mini games in Super Swing Golf. The game also has a single player mode and gamers can select from eight wild characters each with anecdotal skills with woods and irons. There is even a training mode in the game and all the controls are via the Wiimote.
Super Swing Golf for the Nintendo Wii is expected to be out on June 27, 2008. The golfing simulation will come with a price tag of £39.99. The game seems quirky but features like unlocking of new club sets, items, costumes and characters would surely add to the fun.
Source: GameGuruLabels: Capcom, Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Sunday, April 13, 2008
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| New Nintendo DS Announcement at E3?
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New Nintendo DS Announcement at E3?
Posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Rumors about a new Nintendo DS have been going around for quite some time and Nintendo’s history of continually reissuing its hardware has fueled even more speculations. Now, a report on the financial news service Bloomberg Japan indicates that a new Nintendo DS could be unveiled at E3 2008.
Hirokazu Hamamura, who is the president of Japanese magazine publisher Enterbrain, said that he believes a new model of the DS will be shown by Nintendo at this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit. Enterbrain is the parent company of Famitsu. However, it is still uncertain whether Hamamura made a prediction or whether he has any kind of information on which he made the statements. As the norm is, Nintendo Japan said that they did not have anything to announce, while Nintendo of America representatives were not available for comment.
There are also speculations as to whether it will be an update of the DS Lite or whether they are coming out with Nintendo DS 2. Nintendo does keep on coming out with new iterations of the DS, but they are usually the handhelds that have different color combination. A few weeks ago, they had introduced a Cobalt Black Nintendo DS.
Source: GameGuruLabels: DS, Nintendo, Nintendo DS |
| posted by Perimbean @ Sunday, April 13, 2008
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| Xbox 360 sales fall further in Japan
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| Saturday, April 12, 2008 |
Xbox 360 sales fall further in Japan
Published: April 11, 2008 8:59 AM PDT
by Marcus Lai
Sales for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 fell further in Japan as consumers flock to rival video game hardware in the territory.
Media Create Co. on Fri. reported that the Xbox 360 sold 1,452 units between Mar. 31 and Apr. 6. By comparison, the hardware sold 1,547 units the week prior and 1,744 units two weeks ago.
Additionally, the hardware was unable to rank any software titles in the top 50 sales.
Two 360 game titles that ranked in the top 50 last week, including Dark Sector and Armored Core for Answer, dropped from the charts.
The Xbox 360 ranked last in overall hardware sales, placing well below all other handheld and console offerings in the region.
The Xbox 360 sold 254,600 units in Feb. U.S. sales according to NPD Group Inc.
Microsoft in Feb. warned that the Xbox 360 was in short supply at U.S. retail and could hinder market share for the next two months
Source: PunchJumpLabels: Microsoft, xbox 360 |
| posted by Perimbean @ Saturday, April 12, 2008
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| Wii having fun yet?
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| Friday, April 11, 2008 |
Wii having fun yet?
By Joe Killian
FRIDAY, APR. 11, 2008 3:00 AM
HIGH POINT — In the old days, unwinding after a day at the High Point Market meant late night poker games in smoky hotel rooms or painting the town red at bars and strip clubs whose signs still read "Welcome Furniture Market!"
But the times and the industry have changed. Need proof? Head over to the Commerce and Design Building's Wii Relax and Play Lounge — a large, open, seventh-floor space where weary marketgoers can rest on plush leather sofas, grab some mints and bottled water, and, if they're brave, rock out with Guitar Hero on Nintendo Wii.
"It's not something I ever expected to see at the market," Fred Dougleman, a 43-year-old buyer from Nebraska, said after a rousing game of Wii table tennis. "But I have to admit, this is a really good way to blow off some steam after a long day where everything is business."
The Wii lounge, in its second year at C&D's showroom, is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and has become an oasis where marketgoers can come when they need to relax and regroup.
"When my mother used to bring me to market, I remember there weren't places like this," said Tiffany Tucker, one of the C&D staffers in the lounge. "It used to be that you'd grab some Chick-fil-A and try to find any place in all the loud hustle and bustle where you could sit down
and try to get your head together. Now, almost every building is offering someplace like this."
Well, not exactly like this.
The Wii lounge is a cool, glass-walled area that offers many of the accoutrements of other showroom rest spots — free Wi-Fi Internet access, refreshments and comfortable couches. But the games — from cards and chess to those two Nintendo Wiis with their huge, slick flat screens — seem to be the real draw.
"Sometimes you don't necessarily need to go somewhere and take a nap," said Debra Cummings, 38, a buyer from Minnesota. "You need some sort of interaction and some sort of brain activity that isn't business. You need to just get away from the 24-hour number crunch that goes on for the whole week. I think a game room is perfect for that."
Cummings said she has two sons at home who don't have a Nintendo Wii. But after a few frames of bowling on the Wii she thinks she may have to get them one — and insist that they share with mom and dad.
"There are a lot of different types of people who come in and play," said Patty Marsh, another C&D staffer who greets marketgoers at the lounge. "You do get some people who have them at home, and they're excited to play here, but you also get some people who are just trying it for the first time, and they're excited."
Rob Calhoun, a buyer from Virginia, said he'd seen his grandkids play the Wii, but this week was the first time he tried it himself.
"I think it's funny because before there were video games you would go out and play pool, you would play poker, with guys you worked with or at a market like this," he said. "And here, with these games, you can play video pool and video poker on the Wii. I think it's great. And I don't lose any money, either."
Source: News-RecordLabels: Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Friday, April 11, 2008
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| Sony PS3 Firmware 2.30 Details and Playstation Store Video
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Sony PS3 Firmware 2.30 Details and Playstation Store Video
Posted on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:05:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr
We already reported yesterday that the next Sony PS3 firmware 2.30 update will feature DTS-HD. The offical Sony Playstation Blog has now published a video walkthrough featuring the redesigned Playstation Store that will be launched with the new PS3 firmware.
The new Playstation store looks pretty nice and will launch mid-April along with the new Sony PS3 firmware 2.30
See the video of the upcoming Playstation Store below. Sony is really putting a lot of value for Sony fans into the Playstation Blog. It gets better and better. Sony has definitely understood how to adopt a corporate blog.
Source: I4ULabels: DTS-HD, PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Friday, April 11, 2008
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| Nintendo to Re-Launch GameCube Controller
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| Thursday, April 10, 2008 |
Nintendo to Re-Launch GameCube Controller
White special edition coming…to Japan.
by Perimbean
April 9, 2008 - Nintendo of Japan has announced the (re)release of the classic wired GameCube controller, now molded from Wii-like white plastic. Priced at 2,000-yen (~$20), the controllers will arrive in Japanese retail outlets this month.
Source: NintendoLabels: GameCube, Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Thursday, April 10, 2008
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| Xbox 360 Dead in Oz?
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| Wednesday, April 9, 2008 |
Xbox 360 Dead in Oz?
The 360 continues to spiral downhill according to Australia’s major retailers.
April 07, 2008 - 10 major Australian retailers who together run over 2000 stores across the country have stated in a survey undertaken that the 360 just cannot keep up with the Wii and Playstation 3.
The survey carried out by SmartHouse and ChannelNews revealed the PS3 is doing well because of the built in Blu ray drive while the Nintendo Wii appealed to women and children due to its unique motion sensors and interactivity. Consumers just don't see the 360 as value for compared to the Wii and Playstaton 3 when contrasted in price, features and game play according to survey results.
"Both the Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii appeal to women and families and with Sony now winning the HD format war we can also sell the PS3 as a Blu ray player. This will allow us to also sell Blu ray content" claimed one of the retailers involved in the study.
Recent GFK reports show that both the Playstation 2 and 3 are outselling the 360 in Australia with Nintendo's Wii in the current lead.
A Melbourne based retail company stated "The Xbox 360 is dead. We are stocking it because of our relationship with Microsoft however all our energy and marketing is going into the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii unless Microsoft come up with something new or additional marketing dollars. Halo 3 was big on the Xbox but that was about it. They have tried discounting and value add offers and even that is not working. We are even thinking of dumping the console all together".
A leading European gaming publication that seems to bare a close relationship with Microsoft mentioned plans for a new Xbox in development which contains a Blu ray drive. Not however being directly sourced from Microsoft, this development is not confirmed.
The future of the Xbox 360 in Australia is still uncertain but one thing is for sure, it is looking quite bleak.
Source: Aussie-NintendoLabels: Microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, PS3, Wii, xbox 360 |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 09, 2008
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| Never Grow Up With Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii
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| Monday, April 7, 2008 |
Never Grow Up With Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii
BY KEVIN CIOK
PUBLISHED APRIL 7, 2008
On a purely conceptual level, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii is something that everybody should hate. Ten years ago, somewhere in a high-rise office building wallpapered with money in Kyoto, Nintendo executives came up with the absolutely diabolical idea of putting every single franchise mascot character they had come up with into one big pot and stirring. This resulted in the party favorite platformer-fighter hybrid we have today.
So just when you think you’ve “grown up,” completely escaped the grip of your childhood favorites, and moved on to more serious fighting games like Virtua Fighter and Soul Calibur, Nintendo pulls you back in with their deceptively cute, innocent idea. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with seeing Metroid’s Samus kick the crap out of Mario’s Princess Peach, is there? It’s like a prepubescent dream come true, and like a predatory bird swooping down on unsuspecting mice, Nintendo is a hawk that preys on man-children.
Patronizing and shamelessly nostalgic, Super Smash Bros. is a game that you can’t pull yourself away from, despite any initial objections you may have. Now with Brawl, Smash Bros. is deeper than ever and has more blatant fan service than you can possibly digest in one sitting—and damn, if it isn’t the most enjoyable romp through your embarrassing younger years you can possibly get for $50.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the third iteration in the series that started off on the Nintendo 64. Smash Bros., which was massively successful in Japan, was not planned for release in America until one innocent-minded journalist suggested to Nintendo’s American branch that America was in fact full of Nintendo man-children who still slept in footy pajamas with images of Princess Peach all over them—much like Star Wars man-children have pajamas with Princess Leia in her gold bikini. Smash Bros., which is somewhere near sextuple platinum, proved once and for all that on the inside, everybody is a Nintendo kid.
The concept is so appealing that you really can’t fault Nintendo for pressing its own license to print money—throw in every single Nintendo character you can possibly imagine—including, for the first time ever, non-Nintendo mascots like Konami’s Solid Snake and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog—and put them on a 2-D plane. Everyone from toddlers to grannies can understand how to play—it consists primarily of players whacking the crap out of each other. It’s sort of like playing with action figures, except the action figures are all treasured icons from video games that your parents used to play before they were stuck raising you.
Everybody loves Smash Bros. because the fan service is layered on so incredibly thick—there are levels shaped like the stages from Donkey Kong, and ones that scroll like the original Super Mario Bros. Even my Mom, who hasn’t touched a game since 1993, couldn’t help put poke her head in and see why the hell Donkey Kong was taking on Luigi.
Sure, there’s the technical nitty-gritty to discuss—the graphics have marginally improved since the GameCube iteration, the music has all been rearranged by an all-star list of Japanese composers that you neither know nor care about, and there’s finally an online mode so that you can go on the web and battle other man-children without them having to leave the comfort of their parents’ basements.
There’s also an embarrassing adventure mode called the Subspace Emissary which was written by the same guy who wrote the story for Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts, two complex stories layered with emotion and drama. Replace all of that with Nintendo characters and remove all dialogue. Yeah, it’s pretty throwaway.
In the end, though, nobody cares—and Nintendo knows this. Smash Bros. isn’t about a narrative onscreen, it’s about the narrative in your head—Peach hates Zelda because she’s jealous and wants Link badly. Luigi is beating on Mario because he’s been relegated to second fiddle for years. Sonic has been in so many bad games that he needs to take revenge on better characters. Whatever the case, if you picked up Smash Bros., it’s probably not because you are interested in competitive tournament play or because you know that Yasunori Mitsuda rearranged the World Theme 2 from Pikmin 2. It’s all true, of course, but you’ve got better things to worry about—like settling the age old dispute between Pikachu and Squirtle. Nope, I don’t want to grow up either.
Source: Columbia InspectatorLabels: Nintendo, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Monday, April 07, 2008
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| NINTENDO SURVEY ASKS ABOUT BRAWL SEQUEL
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NINTENDO SURVEY ASKS ABOUT BRAWL SEQUEL
A hint of another Smash Bros. game on the horizon? Maybe, maybe not.
By Steve Watts, 04/03/2008
We know that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is part of, and perhaps the culmination of, one of Nintendo's most popular franchises. But while Smash games have previously come once per console generation, the strong sales of Brawl must look tempting to the company for cranking out a sequel sooner rather than later.
A new survey from Nintendo suggests that it may be doing just that. GoNintendo reports that a recent survey asks, "Assuming a reasonable price, how likely are you to purchase a sequel to Super Smash Bros. Brawl or ask for it as a gift?" The message is pretty straightforward, but don't go saving up your pennies just yet. An identical poll was passed around for Metroid Prime 3, and another asking about retiring the Game Boy brand. These polls give glimpses to what Nintendo is considering, but so far we haven't really seen announcements coming as a direct result of either.
So, 1UP readers, would you buy a Brawl sequel?
Source: 1UPLabels: Game Boy, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros Brawl |
| posted by Perimbean @ Monday, April 07, 2008
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| Hudson Entertainment's DECA SPORTS(TM) Goes Gold Exclusive for Wii(TM) at $29.99 SRP
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Hudson Entertainment's DECA SPORTS(TM) Goes Gold Exclusive for Wii(TM) at $29.99 SRP
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Apr 03, 2008
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for HUDSON SOFT, today announced the ten-sport compilation DECA SPORTS has gone to gold master. Published by Hudson and distributed in North America by Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., DECA SPORTS is scheduled to release on May 13, 2008 for an SRP of $29.99.
Exclusive for Wii, DECA SPORTS pulls players off the couch and up on their feet for hours of entertainment playing ten complete sporting events. There is something for everyone, as DECA SPORTS offers sports activities such as Soccer, Beach Volleyball, Supercross, Kart Racing, Basketball and Snowboard Cross, and unique events not typical in most sports games such as Badminton, Figure Skating, Curling and Archery. The game is designed with pick-up-and-play intuitive controls for the Wii Remote and in three sports, the Nunchuk. DECA SPORTS also includes advanced controls for power spikes, curls, and mid air tricks for the gamer!
All ten sports support both single player and multiplayer modes. Up to 4 players can compete on one system and in several events, co-op on the same team. Single player modes include Open Match, Tournament, Deca Challenge and Deca League. And, what would a competition be without awards? The Locker Room feature allows players to keep track of their medals and trophies.
The wide range of events and modes make DECA SPORTS the perfect game for players and sports fans of all ages. DECA SPORTS has been rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB.
For the latest package front, screenshots and artwork visit: http://www.clevercomm.com/DecaAssets/
For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit http://www.hudsonent.com/.
About Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
Hudson Entertainment is the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson Entertainment focuses on four key businesses: Console games, digital download content, mobile games, and music. Hudson introduced best-selling videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, and Super Adventure Island. Hudson's mobile division is a leading supplier of games and personalized content. Through numerous partnerships with record labels, Hudson has become a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content. For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonent.com.
SOURCE: Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
Source: Fox BusinessLabels: Hudson Entertainment, Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Monday, April 07, 2008
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| Arcade classic Gauntlet confirmed for DS
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Arcade classic Gauntlet confirmed for DS
Games by Andrew Macarthy on April 6th
Gauntlet, first released an Arcade title by Atari Games in 1985, is a videogaming classic; a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler in which players lead their character through room after perilous room filled with enemies, treasure and potions. After a numerous ports over the years and following a classification by the Australian government, today we officially learn that the series is heading to the Nintendo DS. We’ve got game details and screenshots below.
Developed by Backbone Entertainment, Gauntlet for the Nintendo DS will feature the same brand of cooperative gameplay that made the original Arcade title such a smash hit back in the day. Players choose from one of four characters, each a different class and displaying their own strengths and weaknesses. They’ll then be challenged to traverse through 40 new maps, fending off 32 sorts of enemy.
IGN reports that up to four players will be able to play through Gauntlet co-operatively, either via local wireless or, brilliantly, anyone around the world via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. What’s more, Backbone has also implemented voice support, so you’ll be able to chat to your fellow gamers as you progress. Other game modes (which also support more than one player) include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Treasure Horde.
As you’ll notice from the first screenshots, Gauntlet will run over both of the Nintendo DS screens, with gameplay complimented by an orchestral soundtrack and the world’s favourite videogaming announcer.
Source: NintendicLabels: DS, Nintendo |
| posted by Perimbean @ Monday, April 07, 2008
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| Nintendo: Mario Kart treats for those loyal to the Wii Wheel
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Nintendo: Mario Kart treats for those loyal to the Wii Wheel
by Andrew Macarthy on April 6th, 2008
While Nintendo’s decision to invent the Wii Wheel for use with Mario Kart Wii will have fulfilled its “welcome the casual gamer with open arms” quota for the first quarter of 2008, there has been more than a little dissatisfaction amongst core gamers, adamant that they’ll ditch the steering wheel accessory in favour of the Classic or GameCube controller. However, in online match-ups at least, Nintendo explains that those who stay faithful to the Wii Wheel will gain incentives for their dedication…
In the latest in the series of “Iwata Asks” articles on its official website, the president of Nintendo speaks to Kenichiro Ashida, Hideki Konno and Shigeru Miyamoto, three employees who played important parts in the making of Mario Kart Wii. In amongst much talk about the franchise’s history and development of its latest title, talk turns to how the firm has decided to approach getting all gamers hooked on the Wii Wheel.
While playing Mario Kart Wii online, those players who use a Wii Wheel will have its icon displayed for all to see. The point of this, Konno and Miyamoto explain, is that mastering the new peripheral over the traditional controller will earn them a whole load of bragging rights:
Konno:… we came up with a way of addressing that [the issue that the presumed controller of choice for those wanting to achieve the very best lap times would not be the Wii Wheel]. We provided an incentive for using the Wii Wheel. When you battle someone you don’t know, and in the rankings as well, a Wii Wheel icon appears to the right of your nickname on the screen.
Miyamoto: When someone using the GameCube controller gets passed by someone with the Wii Wheel icon, they’re really chagrined. But just like with the Mii Contest Channel for contests, where the number of parts for faces are limited, it’s more fun when there are restraints. When you can get a great time using the wheel, you’ve got a lot of bragging rights.
What’s more, after using the Wii Wheel for an unspecified period of time, Konno explains that “you get a little treat… The wheel icon is white at first, but it changes to gold. We call it the Golden Wheel.”
Will any of the above encourage you to become a Wii Wheel master, or are you going to plump for the Classic Controller right from the off? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: NintendicLabels: Mario Kart, Nintendo, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Monday, April 07, 2008
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| Sony ships PS3 DualShock 3 controller
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| Friday, April 4, 2008 |
Sony ships PS3 DualShock 3 controller
by Peter Cohen, Macworld.com
Apr 3, 2008 3:55 am
The Dualshock 3 looks and operates identically to the Sixaxis game controller Sony ships with the PlayStation 3, but includes “rumble” capabilities, a feature that’s been missing from the Sixaxis controller since Sony first released the PS3. The controller can shake and vibrate in coordination with what’s happening in the game.
The controller works both with new and old games alike. Games that support rumble (or will support rumble following an update) include:
- Formula One Championship Edition
- MotorStorm
- PAIN
- High Velocity Bowling
- MLB 08: The Show
- Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
- Resistance: Fall of Man
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
- Go! Sports Ski
- Folklore
- Heavenly Sword
- Warhawk
- Super Stardust HD
- Snakeball
- Toy Home
- PSOne Emulation
- Piyotama
- PixelJunk Monsters
- Blast Factor
- Condemned 2: Bloodshot
- Lost: Via Domus
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2
- Burnout Paradise
- Dynasty Warriors 6
- Devil May Cry 4
- DragonBall Z Burst Limit
- Turok
Sony excised rumble features from the Sixaxis controller when it first released the PlayStation 3, a decision that upset some gamers who were accustomed to the DualShock controllers included with previous PlayStation models. Sony’s decision was made in the wake of ongoing litigation with Immersion Corp., a haptics manufacturer that claimed that Sony infringed their patents.
Sony and Immersion finally settled in March, 2007, paving the way for the new DualShock 3 controller. Sony announced plans in February to release the DualShock 3 in North America in April.
Source: MacworldLabels: PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Friday, April 04, 2008
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| FRONT MAN PS3 GUITAR HERO III GUITAR SHIPS
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FRONT MAN PS3 GUITAR HERO III GUITAR SHIPS
Posted: 4/2/2008
Nyko Technologies, a premier peripherals manufacturer, today announced that it has shipped its Front Man Wireless Guitar for PLAYSTATION 3 to retailers nationwide. The new Front Man Guitar provides a high quality, real guitar feel and is fully compatible with Guitar Hero III and Rock Band.
The Front Man Guitar for PS3 features wireless technology up to 25 feet and up to 80 hours of continuous game play. Other Front Man features include:
- Effects pedal to wirelessly switch between Rock Band and Guitar Hero III
- Unique directional pad design simplifies menu navigation
- Built-in tilt sensor and responsive whammy bar
- Bi-directional strum bar
- Durable and responsive fret buttons
- Interchangeable pick guards for a customized look
“The tremendous popularity of these two games that have become a pop culture phenomenon presented us with the opportunity to enhance the quality of the playing experience while eliminating the need for multiple guitars,” said Chris Arbogast, Marketing Director at Nyko Technologies. “We addressed the needs of the fanbase with the Front Man Guitar for the PS3 without losing sight of delivering quality products for the ultimate rock out session.”
Nyko’s Front Man Guitar for the PS3 is now available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99.
Source: Game IndustryLabels: Guitar Hero III, Nyko Technologies, PlayStation 3 |
| posted by Perimbean @ Friday, April 04, 2008
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| PS3 BD-Live Blu-ray Impressions With Walk Hard
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PS3 BD-Live Blu-ray Impressions With Walk Hard
April 03, 2008
Sony Computer Entertainment rolled out Blu-ray Profile 2.0 to Playstation 3 consoles via the latest firmware update late last week in a swift move to finalize Blu-ray’s features. Downloading and installing the update gave PS3 the immediate means to view BD-Live content, i.e. access online content through select BD-Live enable Blu-ray titles. The only catch: no BD-Live enabled titles had hit the street.
Thanks to our friends at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, I now possess a pre-release copy of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story on Blu-ray. Walk Hard is one of two April 8 Blu-ray titles that will feature BD-Live access, the other being The 6th Day. You’d never know Walk Hard was BD-Live enabled by looking at it as there’s no mention of the technology on the front or back cover art. But I knew what the disc was packing and was eager to see if the final product was worth the hype.
Accessing BD-Live on Walk Hard is as simple as selecting special features from disc one’s main menu, then selecting BD-Live. Doing so turns the screen black momentarily, then brings up a red loading bar that ironically is eaten by blu(e) as the BD-Live menu is accessed. Either this analogy of Blu-ray eating HD DVD is a freaky coincidence or someone on the development team has a twisted sense of humor.
Total load time for the BD-Live menu to appear is roughly 4 minutes on my high-speed DSL connection. Subsequent visits cut that time down to under 1 minute give or take a few seconds. That’s still an eternity to wait for a menu in this age of "gotta have it now" home entertainment, much less the content behind it.
The BD-Live menu includes only Sony Pictures content, headlined by a trio of Derek Stone (Bill Hader) featurettes, Royal Jelly, Mulatto, and Midget Man, where he fills the shoes of a "Coxologist" and breaks down the three Dewey songs. Other available downloads include six Blu-ray trailers in standard or high-def: Untraceable, Dragon Wars, First Sunday, Resident Evil Extinction, Men in Black (not yet announced, but will be *very* soon), and Gattaca, along with three theatrical trailers
Source: The ManRoomLabels: BD-Live, Blu-ray, PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Friday, April 04, 2008
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| Apple tops list of most successful brands
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| Wednesday, April 2, 2008 |
Apple tops list of most successful brands
Microsoft could do with a makeover, says survey
Written by Guy Dixon
vnunet.com, 01 Apr 2008
Apple has scooped six out of 10 awards in an international poll of online marketers to identify brands that have the greatest impact on their lives.
The survey, carried out by Brandchannel.com, asked readers to vote on categories including 'which brands they would most like to be associated with', 'which brands they were most inspired by' and 'which brands were most in need of a remake'.
The results make poor reading for Microsoft. Apple claimed the number one spot in the first two of these categories, and Microsoft had the dubious distinction of winning the third.
Respondents also placed Microsoft at number one when asked 'which brand they would most like to argue with'.
When surveyed on the 'brand they could not live without', respondents again gave Apple the top spot, trailed by Google in fourth place.
"Apple has clearly captured hearts and minds by leading across most categories. Others, such as the USA nation brand, which ranks highly as most in need of a rebrand, requires help according to our readers," said Brandchannel.com editor Jim Thompson.
Apple also triumphed in the categories of 'favourite dinner guest brand' and the 'brand most likely to make an impact on history if sent back in time 100 years'.
Source: Vnunet.comLabels: Apple, Microsoft |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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| Blu-ray Adoption Rising Fast, Thanks to PS3
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Blu-ray Adoption Rising Fast, Thanks to PS3
March 31, 2008
With the confusion of Blu-ray Disc's format war with HD DVD now gone, 29.4 million homes worldwide will adopt Blu-ray by the end of 2008, new research claims.
Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles are driving the adoption of Blu-ray and will continue to do so through 2009, when stand-alone players finally become the dominant form factor, according to research released last week by the Strategy Analytics connected Home Devices service.
PC vendors such as Dell are already trying to grab their slice of the Blu-ray pie. Dell last week said it is offering an Inspiron 1525 notebook with an optional Blu-ray drive for under $900.
Blu-ray device sales in 2008 are predicted to hit 18.8 million units, including 4 million stand-alone players, 13 million game consoles and nearly 2 million PCs, the research shows.
This year, 10 percent of U.S. households are predicted to own at least one Blu-ray device, a figure that is expected to jump to 20 percent in 2009 and 44 percent by 2012, according to the research. That's up from 4 percent of U.S. households in 2007.
More than 132 million homes worldwide are expected to own at least one Blu-ray device by 2012.
Posted by Jennifer Hagendorf Follett at 2:17 PM
Source: The Channel WireLabels: Blu-ray, PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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| PS3 Exploit Found, World Told "Hello"
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PS3 Exploit Found, World Told "Hello"
Posted by Brian Leahy - Monday, March 31, 2008 10:29 AM
The PSP is well known for it's hackability and it looks like the PS3 is no different. Established PSP hacker, Dragula96, has found an exploit in the newest PS3 firmware (2.20) and has already created a "Hello World!" proof of concept application.
This could open the doors to all sorts of homebrew on the PS3 like emulators and community games. More discussion and a video after the break.
Not that we condone running illegal programs, but this could be a huge bonus for the PS3. PSP hacking is incredibly versatile and greatly increases the value of the portable for many people.
Running emulators through the PS3 with the ease of PSP hacking would be awesome.
Let's unofficially hope a nice scene develops.
Source: G4TVLabels: PlayStation 3, PS3, psp, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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| A Whole New PlayStation Store for PS3
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A Whole New PlayStation Store for PS3
Monday, March 31, 2008 1:52 PM PT Posted by Matt Peckham
What do you get when you smarten up a clunky browser-like interface and drag access to all its goodies down local-like? Try the new PlayStation Store interface, coming sometime in April, localized and optimized to make browsing for content less of an eye-squinting, d-pad tapping fiasco.
If you've used Sony's PlayStation Store much, you know it's more or less like using a gamepad to navigate a browser. You've probably at one time or another lost the cursor while tapping around, groaned waiting for half the screen to refresh after a screen change, and generally felt like you'd traded the snappy confines of the PS3's native interface for something tacked on and klutzy.
Sony's PlayStation Store 2.0, coming soon to a PS3 near you.
As you can see from the screenshot above, the new PlayStation Store looks like it's part of the PS3's native interface, probably because it will be, and while you'll still access it via the XMB (XrossMediaBar) you won't be whisked off to somewhere else, but instead zip around in an ostensibly-as-snappy menu schema that breaks things down a bit more the way Microsoft and Nintendo already do. There's no shame in pointing that last bit out. It's not who gets it right first, after all -- just ask Blizzard.
The only downside? Per Sony:
To enable enhancements to be made to the store, no additional downloadable content will be posted prior to the revamp, starting April 3.
Existing content will remain available, of course, and PlayStation Store updates should be back on track middle-April, with the addition of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
Source: PCWorldLabels: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Network, Sony |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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| WII FOR WOMEN: DID IT WORK?
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WII FOR WOMEN: DID IT WORK?
We crashed Best Buy's party to see how Nintendo went over with female gamers.
By Kris Pigna, 03/31/2008
In a sea of display TVs looping the same promotional scenes from Finding Nemo, The Rock, and Pirates of the Caribbean, two plasmas in particular are serving a higher purpose -- Nintendo's purpose. Set up back-to-back, one dedicated to Wii Sports and the other interchangeable between Cooking Mama and Carnival Games, this was the epicenter of the Wii for Women event at the Best Buy store in Boca Raton, FL. But we wondered: how many women would it actually convert to the Wii?
Consider Aisha, mother and quintessential Lapsed Gamer -- i.e. the perfect target. She's played games from the "old Nintendo" up to the original PlayStation (Twisted Metal was her favorite), but then, as it tends to, adulthood got in the way. "I just don't have the time, and I have a two-year-old in the house. So it's kind of hard," she said. "My husband has a PlayStation 3, but I don't touch it. I just watch him play it."
So what did she think about the Wii? "It was pretty good, I really liked it," she said, after having played a few rounds of Wii Sports. "My brother works here, and he told me about the event. I decided to come because I never actually played with the Wii, only seen it and heard about it. I liked the whole physical part about it, getting some exercise -- I definitely would like to buy one." Seems Nintendo owes Aisha's brother a thanks for their latest convert.
Then there was Maria, another recent addition to Nintendo's fold, who was at the event with her friend Roma. "I played it with my niece, and it was fun," Maria said. "So I told my parents and all my family to get me gift cards and I bought the Wii over the holidays." Unlike Aisha, though, Maria had no prior gaming experience. "It's my first time owning a gaming console. I liked that you actually get up and move around and do stuff, instead of sitting there with the controller." But Roma, meanwhile, wasn't quite impressed enough after her hands-on time with tennis and golf in Wii Sports. "No, I won't be buying one," she said. "I'll just go to her house and play it."
Nor was Trish enthused enough. She spent at least 10 minutes with Carnival Games, appearing to have a good time while her husband lobbed various questions at a nearby sales clerk ("I actually think the Wii has better graphics than the PS3 and Xbox 360," remarked the blue-shirted employee -- no one ever said retail was an honest job). But appearances can be deceiving, as Trish wasn't a successful quarry. "I think it's more for the teenager and middle school kids than the moms," she said. "It didn't appeal to me. Not at all." Wii Fit piqued her interest after the attending Nintendo rep informed her about it, but only enough to "come see it" when it releases.
Not every battle's a victory. But then it wasn't all battles, either, as there was a healthy showing of Nintendo die-hards as well. "I love Nintendo," said Karen, who didn't seem too far removed from the teenager and middle-school-kids crowd that Trish mentioned. "I've been playing Nintendo since I was a little kid. I find other systems just aren't as fun. They're more violent. I like to play games for the adventure and the fun and to just chill with friends." Karen's already a Wii owner, naturally. Her favorite games? "Guitar Hero, that's definitely a big one. I don't like the kind of music on it that much, but it's definitely fun to play." Maybe Boogie would be more to her liking? "I didn't play Boogie," she said. "I don't dance." At least she's not the only one.
So in total, that's three in the flock, two flying free. But five out of the nearly 100 people who attended the event throughout the day isn't exactly the best representative sample, and for what it's worth, the Best Buy management was happy with the outcome. "The event was to get women more aware of the games and stuff that are available for the Wii, that's geared more toward the female gender than the male gender," said Best Buy marketing manager Charles Atwell. "It was a huge success. We had a lot of people that came, that wanted to demo the Wii and of course purchase the Wii too."
According to store associates, Best Buy received a stock of around 45-50 Wiis, which sold through in an hour and a half (an eternity in Desperate-Wii-Seeker time). A few lucky folks also got some swag from raffles held every half-hour, with the grand prize winner getting a Wii of his own. He was ushered away by the store management before we could have a chance to speak with him, but we did get a chance to congratulate the winner of a Garmin Nuvi GPS unit: Aisha.
"This is great! I never win anything," she said. Make that two thank-you's owed to her brother.
Source: 1UpLabels: Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Wii |
| posted by Perimbean @ Wednesday, April 02, 2008
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| Blu-ray backed PS3 80GB sales increase
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| Tuesday, April 1, 2008 |
Blu-ray backed PS3 80GB sales increase
Published: March 29, 2008 9:05 AM PDT
by Marcus Lai
Sales for Sony Corp.'s 80GB Playstation 3 SKU increased this week as the device remained in high demand at retailer Amazon.com.
On Fri. evening, the 80GB PS3 held a 154 percent increase in sales to rank as the No. 63 product in the Video Games division.
Earlier in the week, the 60GB PS3 SKU held increased demand via third-party sellers. The product was discontinued in July 2007.
The $499 80GB has remained in and out of stock at Amazon following Sony's Blu-ray format victory over Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD.
Toshiba in Feb. said that it would exit the HD DVD business after Netflix Inc., Best Buy Co. Inc., and Wal-Mart stores said each would back Blu-ray.
Strategy Analytics, Inc. this week predicted that the PS3 will drive the Blu-ray market until 2009, after which stand-alone players will further growth into homes.
Post Blu-ray win, retailers have begun offering promotional incentives to drive adoption of the format.
Best Buy Co. Inc. this week began offering select Blu-ray disc titles for $19.99.
Amazon this month began offering up to 47% off hot Blu-ray disc titles in the latest promotion for the high-definition format.
The retailer has discounted more than 100 Blu-ray titles, including I Am Legend at $18.99, Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series at $66.95, Twister at $19.95, and Goodfellas at $19.95.
Source: PunchJumpLabels: Amazon, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, PlayStation 3, Sony, Toshiba |
| posted by Perimbean @ Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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| PES 2008 on Wii better than Xbox 360, PS3 versions
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PES 2008 on Wii better than Xbox 360, PS3 versions
by Tracy Erickson | 03/29/2008 | 2:41:23 PM PST
Superior online multiplayer pushes Wii version of soccer sim past its high-def competitors.
Citing improved gameplay and better reviews, the lead designer of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has proclaimed the Wii version superior to its Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 counterparts. European Project Lead Jon Murphy stated in an interview with Next Generation on Friday that Konami's commitment to fine-tuning the 2008 game was critical in making the Wii version a success.
The game formerly known as Winning Eleven has apparently goaled on Wii, earning an aggregate score of 86 on Metacritic, which easily tops the 78 earned by the Xbox 360 version and 74 on PlayStation 3. Performance problems plagued the next-gen versions of the game, which have been fixed in the delayed Wii release. As Murphy claimed, "PES 2008 for Wii isn't just a good football game, it is an ambitious one - and the team's efforts have paid off enormously."
With so many multi-platform gamers struggling to determine whether the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 version of a game is better, PES 2008 is a radical departure from a trend in which Wii games are seen as inferior. Murphy contends that the game isn't just better on Wii because it fixes the problems found on the other two consoles though, going as far to assert online superiority. "The Wii version offers the best online experience to date. Online play is the logical next step to extend the competitive nature of the game and will be vital in the progression of the series."
Online play has been a point of criticism for many Wii games, marking PES 2008 as only the second title on the console to receive any praise for the quality of its online multiplayer. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which experienced a number of server troubles following its release in early March, was the first.
Source: GameProLabels: Microsoft, Nintendo, PES 2008, PlayStation 3, PS3, Sony, Wii, xbox 360 |
| posted by Perimbean @ Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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