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Console war: How Sony lost exclusives
Newsweek's N'Gai Croal describes the battle of the HD consoles with an emphasis on Microsoft, detailing the company's expectation to sell 10 million Xbox 360s before the PS3 launch. Microsoft revised the goal to 10 million units sold by the end of this year, and Croal isn't sure that'll even happen. The second and third parts of this three-part series consider why 360 software sales haven't yet boosted demands for the hardware and how Microsoft courted many titles away from PS3-exclusive status.Croal says that Sony was too focused on Japanese developers and its national launch of the PS3 that its American and European divisions couldn't get developer negotiation approval from the Japanese mothership. Microsoft maintained contact with Rockstar and others through this Sony silence, scaring up Xbox 360 versions of third-party PlayStation mainstays. Apparently, Ubisoft wanted Assassin's Creed to be a PS3 exclusive but couldn't steal Sony's focus from the initial Japanese launch. (So that's what was going on.)The series of articles reminds us that Microsoft is still the new kid on the console block, but it's fighting to succeed in games. And with the PS3 finally launching, the Sony sleeping giant is waking up, renewing ties with developers.Read:Loot: Dispatches From the Console Wars, Part I Loot: Dispatches From the Console Wars, Part II Loot: Dispatches From the Console Wars, Part III
Game industry on console wars: Wii FTW
Gamasutra's moles are popping out of their holes, reporting on Wii versus PS3 woes. In a series of blurb-sized industry interviews, developers, publishers, reporters, and others state their personal choice between the consoles. While some choose neither -- or the Xbox 360 -- the significant majority are buying Wiis.We wish more of the quotes were attributed; most name-brand developers didn't want to be on-record dissing one of the systems. (Some statements even complain about company arrogance.) But depending on how much you trust Gamasutra -- we give them the benefit of the doubt -- this may be a fair sampling of the whole industry.Does industry support for the Wii, or skepticism of the PS3, mean anything? Maybe. As much as anyone, we like the blockbuster games that are expected on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But we balance those with smaller, quirky games; voices in the industry have also been pushing for gameplay and fun over movie-sized budgets and 80-hour weeks.Sure, the HD consoles have accessible, fun games, especially in the download channels. And the Wii will have epic, AAA titles. But Nintendo is talking big about the Wii being the paramount console for gameplay, and that may speak to the ideals of the industry. If that emphasis speaks to consumers, however, remains to be seen.
Joystiq Video: Buying Zelda (NES) on the Wii's Virtual Console service
After finally getting our Wii connected to the internet (after myriad failed attempts), we immediately jumped into the Wii Shop to download one of the thirty or so games promised around launch. First in the virtual shopping cart: The Legend of Zelda. After a brief download (with Mario waiting screen), we fired up our new Zelda channel and played what appeared to be a pixel perfect replica of the 1986 NES classic. Nice touches: hot pluggable GameCube pad support (we popped in a Wavebird and it just worked) and an embedded instruction manual (just hit the Home button).Available games and prices (remember, 100 Wii points = 100¢ in US currency and ¥100 in Japanese currency, but the conversion isn't so neat for other currencies) : Altered Beast (800 Wii points) Donkey Kong (500 Wii points) F-Zero (800 Wii points) Mario Bros. (500 Wii points) Pinball (500 Wii points) SimCity (800 Wii points) Soccer (500 Wii points) Solomon's Key (500 Wii points) Sonic the Hedgehog (800 Wii points) Super Mario 64 (1000 Wii points) The Legend of Zelda (500 points) Wario's Woods (500 points) A video of the entire Wii Shop experience is embedded after the break.
PS3 launch: Overheard on Resistance
Dude #1: We camped for four days. Bought a couple cots and stayed in sportings goods -- 'til they kicked us out. So we got some tents, barbeque grills -- partied outside. Dude #2: Yeah man, we camped for two days. I love that shit! Dude #1: Ah, that shit is so cool! [Resistance: Fall of Man; unranked deathmatch]
Today's hottest game video: homeless people in line [update 1]
A North Carolina newscast about smart -- or exploitative -- entrepreneurs drew the most views of YouTube's game videos. These gamer-hustlers drove homeless people to local stores and paid them $100 a day to wait for the PS3.These console launches bring out the worst in people, but this situation is more ambiguous. Does everybody win, with homeless people being paid and the organizer scoring an eBay-able PS3? Or are there more ethical questions to consider?Watch the video after the break.[Update 1: Thanks Kozwiz for the spelling fix.]
Violence escalates during PS3 launch [update 9]
Yesterday it was BB guns, today a report from a Putnam, Connecticut PS3 line involves real guns. Early this morning, two armed gunmen approached a line of PlayStation 3 hopefuls gathered outside of the Putnam, Conn., Wal-Mart, demanding money from those in line. "One of the patron's resisted. That patron was shot," police Lt. J. Paul Vance told the AP. There has been word of the victim's condition and the hunt for the two gunmen continues.Elsewhere, in Elk Grove, California, two different gunmen walked into a GameStop yesterday morning and made off with four PS3s. No injuries were reported and the robbers are still at large.Reports of general chaos and disorder in PS3 lines across the country have been pouring in all day. Engadget has collected links to many of them, and we'll update here with any others as we hear about them.[Thanks to everyone who sent both these stories in.] Read - Shot waiting in lineRead - Gunmen Steal PS3s
Today's hottest game video: Today Show Wii
It seems like all of the PS3 fanboys are busy camping for consoles instead of watching YouTube; today's most-played game video again features the Wii. This clip, at a respectable 55,000 views (down from yesterday's record-breaker), shows Al Roker briefly trying to play Wii Tennis.In the unflattering -- to Roker and Nintendo -- clip, the newscaster and visiting expert swing wildly, barely able to serve and return one point. Maybe they'll rehearse next time.See the clip after the break.
CNN's Chris Morris: PS3 is not yet worth it
With all the talk of PS3 shortages, it might be refreshing to hear someone say that picking the console up for launch isn't worth it. CNN's resident gamer Chris Morris reviewed the PlayStation 3 and concluded that, while it "has the potential to be all the PS2 was and more," it just isn't worth it yet. Reasons for his decision include a lackluster launch lineup, a steep price (from the perspective of a game machine, not as a Blu-ray player), and its power is not realized without a 1080p-capable TV screen.In the long term, the PlayStation 3 could succeed in retaining Sony's dominance in the gaming field. But let's play devil's advocate for a minute: beyond bragging rights, how many of you are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars in order to play Resistance and Ridge Racer a few months before everyone else. Have those waiting in line lost that much interest in their current generation consoles?For those bitter about not getting a PS3 tonight, consider this a mantra you can tell yourself for awhile. Morris suggests waiting until the console receives a $100-$200 price drop and some better games, but a drop that steep probably won't come until there's talk of a PlayStation 4.See Also:USA Today suggests waiting on next-gen
Least credible New York paper picks Wii over PS3
America's fifth largest newspaper votes Wii. Rupert Murdoch's oft-criticized sensationalist rag, New York Post, has weighed in on this weekend's launch match-up, going with Wii over PlayStation 3: "[Our] testing of both machines found that the Wii was more entertaining -- at less than half the price."Don't schedule the victory parade just yet, according to a 2004 survey, the Post is considered the least credible major news source in New York. Regardless, with a circulation exceeding 660,000, the endorsement certainly has its benefits.
Nintendo sells out of Wii component cables
It turns out that desire for higher-definition visuals is much higher than Nintendo expected. Those Wii component cables that showed up on Nintendo's official online store have completely sold out. In addition, GameStop's online listing has been pushed back from December 5 to the 15th. If you're impatient, however, you can purportedly still purchase MadCatz's "HD Premium" component cables for $60 as of December 1.Has Nintendo underestimated the expedience at which consumers have adopted HD (or, at least, ED)? A 480p screen isn't a head-turner, but it certainly beats standard definition. Looks like the House that Mario Built might have to add more detail into the plumber's mustache sooner than they expected.
PS3 campers shot outside Kentucky Best Buy
Hardcore just got a lot more hardcore. PlayStation 3 devotees camping outside of a Lexington, Kentucky Best Buy were showered with BB-gun pellets last night in an apparent drive-by shooting. The suspect, who is still at-large, even managed to peg a local news reporter interviewing one of the stationed hopefuls. No serious injuries were reported.As for motive, Engadget opines the shooter was bitter about missing out on a pre-order opportunity. Our guess, an Xbox fanboy soldier giving Sony's fresh recruits a taste of the war to come.
PlayStation 3 Network live, Terms of Service loooooong!
Sony activated PlayStation 3's online network in North America this morning (it's been live in Japan since last week), in anticipation of tomorrow's launch. We'll let you know how it fares once we get through these Terms of Service...[Thanks CheapyD!]
D.C. club will have 1,000 PS3s for $1,200 each on launch day
FierceGameBiz reports that used-technology distributor NovaDataCom is hosting a PlayStation 3 release party at Washington, D.C. club Ultra Bar this Thursday night. Beginning at 12:01 am (Friday morning) 1,000 PS3 units will be available for purchase -- for $1,200 apiece!P.T. Barnum said it best: "There's a [drunken] sucker born every minute..."
Sony admits 200 PS2 games not working on PS3
Sony has confirmed reports that several -- like 200* -- PlayStation 2 games are not functioning properly on PlayStation 3. The company claims most of the backwards compatibility inconsistencies relate to audio glitches, but admits that some games do not run at all. SCE spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka said the issues would be fixed through future patches (likely built into firmware upgrades) distributed online.Microsoft drew a lot of flak when Xbox 360 debuted with a paltry list of compatible Xbox titles (which shrank before it grew), but at least there was an effort to be honest to the consumer. That's not to say Sony was being overtly dishonest by advertising 100% backwards compatibility; if we had to guess, a team wasn't budgeted to test all of PS2's 8,000+ titles. Sure, you could bitch that Sony did a disservice; but let's be real, anyone lucky enough to score a PS3 during launch probably owns PS2 -- problem solved.*200 titles account for less than 2.5% of the PS2 software catalogue.See also: A HUGE backwards compatibility checklist for the PS3[Thanks Marc]
PSA: Use the right cables for your TV [update 1]
As Wired and IGN have discovered, the Wii looks significantly better using component cables with an HDTV versus its bundled composite connection. 480p is a big step up from 480i. Gamers haven't had the same problem with the Xbox 360 or PS3 because it ships with cables that support high-definition signals, but the basic issue is the same.HDTVs look great with HD sources, but when playing analog signals, they look even worse than the analog TVs they replace. That's one of the dirty secrets of the HD upgrade; 480i games and broadcasts look weak. If gaming on a TV with component inputs, those cables are a must; they even make Xbox, PS2, and GameCube titles clearer. (And for fully HD consoles, cables that carry digital signals -- like HDMI -- are best.)Wii buyers with 480p-or-better TVs, be sure to budget those cables into your console purchase.[Update 1: PS3 users with HDTVs, you're going to have the same issue. Somehow we forgot that the component or HDMI cables cost extra. Thanks to all the readers who pointed our the error.]Read: Hil's Blargh! - Composite Cables - The Wii KillerRead: Wii Component Cables![Via Digg]
Japan: PS3 near sell-out, Ridge Racer, Gundam popular
Reuters documents the Japanese PS3 frenzy, saying that the console sold nearly all of its stock -- 88,400 units -- in its first two days. Just over 60 percent moved were the 60GB version, but we expect gamers were just buying whatever was available.But what games do the Japanese players want? Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight and Ridge Racer 7 are the hottest titles, selling about 30,000 each. While other launch titles are picking up the slack, it sounds like Japanese gamers are spending most of their money on the console and not on games.The PS3 already supports video downloads in Japan, so that audience may see it as a rounded entertainment system -- or a Blu-ray player. We're interested in how the number of games sold per-console averages out in different parts of the world.
Mercury News: PS3? Wait and see
Dean Takahashi compares the three-console showdown beginning this week. His overview is mostly recap for us: the Wii is for new -- and unproven -- family gameplay, and the Xbox 360 is for hardcore gamers. The PS3? It's for techies who need the glossiest gadgets.He doesn't find much reason to pick a PS3 over the 360, other than being the cool kid on your block. But he also mentions that his opinion could be swayed if unique games come out for the new system.Do killer apps drive console sales? We can't think of a standout that would justify buying the hardware for any of the three consoles -- maybe Gears of War. Maybe that's why we have mixed feelings about the two launches. But we expect next year's game releases to warm us up to the new hardware.
Console as entertainment hub: This time for sure
Today's San Jose Mercury News covers the PS3 and Wii launch for a broad audience, including the push to make consoles home entertainment hubs. We've heard the promise before, including Media Center Extender for the original Xbox and the PSX DVR that was supposed to ship worldwide. Even the Pippin and Dreamcast browsed the web, but few seemed to care.Are these internet and media features finally converging into single devices? The Wii has the fewest media features, but even that console is far ahead of the previous generations. Will general consumers -- or gamers -- care that they can download movies on a console?
The Japanese PS3 launch: weather report
Gamers queue with umbrellas erect in Akihabara.Some important information remains missing from the avalanche of hyperbolic "PS3 LAUNCH CHAOS!" stories which hit the web on Saturday, following the PS3's (inevitable) Day One sell-out: What was the weather like? Joystiq camped out overnight in Tokyo to get its system, and at dawn all fingers were still present and correct. The frost didn't bite. In fact, at a low of 10 degrees Celsius, Friday night in Tokyo was unseasonably mild. The sun began to colour the sky just past 5.30am on Saturday morning, turning to a pink haze by 6.30am before arriving at a grey cloud conclusion as the first Tokyo game stores opened their doors to all those who wanted a PS3 for breakfast. Dramatically, as the first customer at Shinjuku's Yodobashi Camera made his way to the register, the heavens opened. And from 7.01am until the evening, there was nothing but drizzle in Tokyo. The perfect day for staying inside with a warm PS3.
1UP editors: Wii got punk'd
Even reputed game journalists are not above gullibility. GameVideos.com Director Mark MacDonald sent us word of a prank he played in the 1UP / EGM offices recently where he used pre-recorded footage of Metroid Prime 2 and Auto Modelista, a "replica Wii joystiq [sic]," and a laptop battery posing as a sensor bar to fool more than a few editors that they had gotten a retail Wii unit in early. Dan Hsu caught on quickly, after launching into a mini-tirade about unreturned e-mails to Nintendo. A few others, however, were no so lucky, even sitting down to play the games for many minutes before realizing they were mere marionettes in a sick and twisted mind game. All the embarrassment has been caught on tape, uploaded, and embedded below.
