Dan Choi
Articles by Dan Choi
Stringer: The Xbox 360 is an "obsession"
Well, you know what they say about what to do when you have nothing nice to say ... erm, say that the competing gaming platform (in this case, the 360) is an "obsession"?That's exactly what Sony CEO Howard Stringer had to offer in an interview with Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal recently. While sharing how The Da Vinci Code from Sony beat up on "X-Men 3" (aka The Last Stand) over in Europe, he seemed to mistakenly throw in "Xbox 3" in the stead of Fox's great summer blockbuster hope. Following Mossberg's correction, Stringer is reported to have retorted, laughing, "There's an obsession!"We don't know if he's referring to the media's obsession with the corporate gaming rivalry, his own obsession with the console that would dethrone the PlayStation, or some combination of the two (irony really doesn't help here), but he does seem to at least outwardly admire Bill Gates' salesmanship (as well as his hypocrisy in delaying Windows Vista while lambasting the PS3 delay). Of course, a lot of supposed compliments could go both ways, so we've provided a few handy links below to check out what other "nice" things hardware execs have had to say about their competitors lately. We're sure it's all in good fun.[Thanks, JC & SickNic; also via GameDaily BIZ]See also: Nice words -- "Thanks," "flattered," and "flattering." Not-so-nice words -- "Plagiarism," "no need for PC," "not mainstream for most games," and "same old experiences with new graphics."
Offer for one free year of EGM ends today
"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.[Via Joystiq]
"I Hate You, E3," declares Escapist writer
Okay, so maybe not hate completely.The eye-catching title of an essay from the latest installment of The Escapist puts the emphasis on the negative aspect of the love-hate relationship many industry vets have with E3, but there's surprisingly a lot of love for the trade show here, even if you don't subscribe to the hardened "I hate E3 because I love it" theory of convention devotion.While the Joystiq staff hasn't been to quite as many E3s as the founder of the International Game Journalists Association (IGJA), we can certainly empathize with the world-weariness that might accumulate after years of weeklong death- press-marches and working in overcrowded, sensory-overloaded spaces. We just hope our love of the game(s) will stay with us as it has for Mr. Thomas, whether we're watching from home or working the show floor in person in post-apocalyptic L.A. The parties will be sure to be awesome.See also: Joystiq at E3 2006 mega-site The Escapist's big E3 issue this week, with references within to Joystiq's Paris Hilton story and some E3 party pics orig. from Joystiq The Game of Journalism -- the IGJA's official web site
3 Final Fantasy XIII games; 2 just for PS3
Final Fantasy XII won't be out for the PS2 in the States until October, but we now have a glimpse of Final Fantasy XIII thanks to Square Enix's pre-E3 press event -- and this installment in the series won't be coming alone.Like the different titles in the Compilation of FFVII collection of games and movies, the initially announced installments in the FFXIII universe will span multiple platforms which, in this case, include both the PS3 and sufficiently advanced mobile handsets. Not much is known about the mobile-bound Final Fantasy Agito XIII, but the subtitle-less version of FFXIII will concern a gun-and-sword-toting heroine in a futuristic world, while Final Fantasy Versus XIII will focus on "a spiky-haired character," "extreme action elements," and a primary theme of "bonding" (whatever that means). Anybody ready to "resist the world"?The multiple titles might explain the earlier rumor reported in March that FFXIII was "practically close to being finished" (maybe only one of these games was nearing completion). Whatever the case may be, we're just happy that more than one not-so-Final-Fantasy will be hitting the next PlayStation in relatively rapid succession. RPG feasting: on the way.[Via Joystiq]
Yuji Naka confirmed to be leaving Sega to form Prope
Back in March, we heard rumblings that Sega stalwart Yuji Naka was planning to leave Sega to start his own studio. Today, that rumor's been confirmed. According to Next Generation, Naka's new company is called Prope, which means "'beside' and 'near' future." Prope's web site (not linked on Next Gen) apparently explains that the name was chosen "in the hopes of bringing game entertainment much closer to users, establishing closer ties between users and us, and creating near future entertainment." We're just happy that Naka is retaining some ties to his old corporate home thanks to a 10% contribution on Sega's part to prop up the emerging new independent studio (a concept which Sega seems to support with its developers). Unfortunately, as the firm "will commit to new IP," you shouldn't expect updates of Sega classic franchises from the old hand anytime soon. It will also be interesting to see who's guiding the new Sonic games as well. Prope will open for business on June 1st. [Thanks, Sense; via 8-bit Ninja] See also: Rumor: Yuji Naka set to leave Sega NiGHTS Into Dreams, onto Revolution? Next-gen Sonic to be "re-invented" for PS3 and Xbox 360
Engineering the DS Lite: 2 Nintendo hardware vets speak
Ever wonder what decisions go into a hardware redesign? Thanks to the latest edition of Nintendo's Japanese online mag, we finally get a portable peek into the DS Lite.Two Nintendo engineers who worked on the cuter DS sibling reveal how they pulled off the svelte new look while maintaining things like usability, battery life, and cost.Who knew that the new stylus was made "longer and wider to accommodate older users" (the Brain Age demographic who'd taken such a shine to the now shinier little system)? Durable, reliable hardware: it's what Nintendo does best. Let's hope they continue that trend with the Lite, as well as whatever other slicker iterations of the handheld that we're tempted to purchase -- or repurchase -- in the future.[Thanks, Princess Zelda; also via DS Fanboy]See also: Nintendo DS proven toilet-safe Playstation 2 goes silver (redux)
PS3 could debut in Europe for 500 euros, says SCEE exec
La PlayStation Trois! French gamers must be familiar with that combination by now, and if a certain Sony executive gets his way, the PS3 could be appearing in Europe for as low as 500 euros this fall.Apparently George Fornay (president of Sony Computer Entertainment France and vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) confirmed to Generation Europe 1, in French, that the PS3 could be priced around the 500 euro mark, most likely between 499 euros and 599 euros. For the unfiltered French audio, try the Play button near the middle of Europe 1's podcast page here.Such an estimated figure may include Europe's Value Added Tax (VAT), so the final price range in the States might well be lower than the current U.S. currency equivalent of roughly $600-$725 for those many euros. Of course, who's to say whether Mr. Fornay was simply speculating on a local podcast or whether he actually exhibited loose lips before the French press?[Thanks, Fan; also via Joystiq]
Lair off-screen trailer looked good at GDC
Stills and screenshots can only do so much to convey how good a game looks. Here's an off-screen video presentation of Lair recorded from GDC, showing off the Factor 5 game in action (or, should we say, motion).You might recognize some of the animation from videos seen elsewhere, but it was nice to catch the newer footage of a dragon wireframe model meticulously rendered with layers of musculature and skin, too.If that's not enough for ya, you can always just listen in to the audio, which features a young lady from Washington asking questions of a developer with the hope of getting hired. Consider this a lesson in networking.[Via GameBrink]
Phil Harrison's media Q&A video from GDC
Can't get enough Phil Harrison in your life? Check out this video from the media Q&A following his GDC keynote for 20 minutes of Phil-y love (and maybe a few furtive glances from Kaz Hirai sitting in the background).We just love how Phil "swerve[d] a couple of the questions" regarding the hard drive and other hardware-related issues, but we also like how he managed to clarify those questions regarding "content offerings" that will be charged at a "premium," though he did say that there were "no plans to charge for [multiplayer gaming] at the moment."But, yeah, Mr. Harrison wasn't as combative in his answers as some media outlets portrayed him, which is another great step for platform executives who tend to make rather grandiose statements and fiery claims. If you want to see as well as hear the Phil handle all comers, this is one of your best chances yet. We'd love to hear it all clearly in English at E3, too.[Thanks, Fan; video courtesy of Jean-Baptiste Su of Citizen Valley]
Rumor: Final Fantasy XIII PS3 exclusive at E3
According to 1UP, the May issue of EGM contains a rumor that Final Fantasy XIII will be showing up at next month's E3 for "a brief teaser video and confirmation from [Square Enix] that the RPG will be a PS3 exclusive." RPG fans, rejoice!What's a little shocking is that FFXIII would be unveiled before FFXII is even released outside Japan, but "rumblings" have apparently also been picked up that "Final Fantasy XIII is practically close to being finished" already. With all the delays to XII, it's certainly more than possible that a second team working on XIII's already got something to show by now.It wasn't exactly surprising that FFXIII would show up as a PS3 exclusive--despite certain misquotes to the contrary--but you know that a new Final Fantasy is just what the next PlayStation needs (judging by how previews of FFX elevated the PS2's platform profile). Hopefully this little tidbit isn't EGM's way of stretching its April Fools' coverage to another issue (and another month).[Thanks, Spatlase Disexia]
GameTap now $9.95/month; GameTap TV announced
PC subscription gaming service GameTap has dropped its monthly fee from $14.95 to $9.95 and announced a GameTap TV expansion that will offer "a new broadband video streaming network" for games- and non-games-related programming.The GameTap TV feature will include separate channels dedicated to music videos, network game previews, GT TV-exclusive content, and "even an animation channel set to go live this spring that will feature an original series of animated shorts."We don't know where Space Ghost fits into all these broadband network plans, but we're sure that it can't be good. The cost-cutting measure by the TBS-owned venture are important in light of all the digital-download announcements made by the big console manufacturers recently, but it's hard to tell whether the $5 drop in monthly fees will greatly increase the number of current PC subscribers. Anyone gonna jump in on this?See also: What is GameTap? [Official page where the inset image was found] GameTap to offer previews, trailers GameTap: Turner's games-on-demand site is live
Star Wars Galaxies coming to PS3, say Amazon and Buy.com
If this product page for a Star Wars Galaxies strategy guide from Buy.com (and Amazon.com) are to be believed, then one could reasonably deduce that the troubled MMO will be making its way to the PS3 sometime soon. The evidence? First, that parenthetical platform designation of "Console" for the strat guide. As Galaxies was cancelled for the PS2 a long, long time ago, and there would be no reason to order up a guide for a non-existing game, it would stand to reason that Sony's main MMO not named EverQuest would be seeing some action on the next generation system. And next, that pre-order release date of 4/30/2006. There's a chance that means Prima and the major e-tailers you see here forgot to update their product pages to reflect the delayed PS3 launch (from spring to early November of this year). Either that or they're actually referencing the cancelled PS2 version with a random future date to avoid any responsibility for the thing. Sometimes you just gotta read between the lines. [Thanks, David A.]
HDMI issues at GDC? Or simply no cable?
The PS3 dev kits on display at GDC apparently skipped the HDMI connection for some of their demos, casting doubt on how far along Sony's come with its hardware and digital standards compliance.During GDC, Sony brought along a few PS3 demo units to show off audio and video, which TG Daily spied from a distance. As you can see above, the PS3 graphics demo unit used a standard AV Multi-Out connector while the "two HDMI ports right below the AV Multi-Out port were unused." TGD apparently offered to lend Sony officials an HDMI cable of their own to connect to the system, but they were turned down.Of course, there's also a conflicting pic which Chris Grant took for us on Joystiq Central that seems to show that very HDMI connection being used, probably with another unit. (Scroll down to the second pic here to see it.) So what's the real story? Was Sony lacking enough updated HDMI 1.3 hardware and/or 1.3-compatible TVs to show off the HD goods, or were they simply short on cables? Maybe their budget was a bit tight for GDC (what with Phil's focused keynote and abundance of GDC sessions from Sony), so hopefully we'll see everything hooked up nice and tidy for E3.[Thanks, Michael, Racky, pheen, and DocEvil; via TechSpot and CD Freaks]
RedOctane CEO: More music games coming
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, RedOctane CEO Kelly Sumner revealed that the company's "got other products in development" in the music genre.The former Take Two Interactive Europe CEO's statement that he "can't tell you what [these other products] are and when they're coming" would lead us to believe he's not talking about the Guitar Hero sequels (sorta like song expansion packs) already announced.A rhythm line-up to rival Konami's Bemani brand, perhaps? This blogger would love something to take advantage of the RedOctane drum peripherals created for Namco's Taiko Drum Master, and it wouldn't be too hard for Harmonix to work up a karaoke game considering their work on Karaoke Revolution (unless licensing prevents it). Whatever the case, fans of music gaming would love to see what Sumner's got up his sleeve.[Thanks, murph]See also: Guitar Hero readies for European tour A whole range of Guitar Heroes to be available A postmortem on Accordion Hero (with a little info on Guitar Hero, too) RedOctane Guitar Hero Specialty Store [where'd the cherry SG go?!]
Rumor: Call of Duty joining the Revolution
A GotNext "spy pirate" has learned that Call of Duty will be making a stop on the Nintendo Revolution.If it's true that the unnamed next-gen iteration of the series will be "a launch or 'launch window' title," then CoD should be the first third-party FPS to use the Revmote.Exakt Entertainment will reportedly handle the Revolution edition for Nintendo, which would make sense as they ported Call of Duty: Finest Hour for the GameCube. Rumors of launch titles should be fallin' aplenty in the weeks leading up to E3, so keep your eyes and ears open, people. Also beware of premature April Fools' Day pranks. ("Spy pirate"?)[Thanks, Freddy Q; via 1UP]See also: Next Call of Duty leaked: Modern Warfare tackles terrorists Leaked: Call of Duty 2 for the Mac Call of Duty 2 multiplayer finally patched Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty 2 (Xbox 360)
Crysis direct-feed GDC trailer: it's hot
Folks expecting a prettier version of Far Cry with CryTek's new Cry Engine 2 can now gape in awe at what's possible with Crysis, the company's next-gen shooter for EA. No more off-screen video recordings for us!If nothing's changed about the FPS gameplay presented, we can look forward to some of the most realistically rendered in-game foliage ever, as well as a buggy boss who will most likely make another appearance at E3. Who wouldn't want to get Lost in that kind of tropical environment?[Thanks, Phil and alvin; smaller HD versions in WMV and QT over here]See also: Crysis for EA: good for Crytek? Behold: CryTek's Crysis Windows Vista delayed until 2007... taking Halo 2 with it? Rumor: game based on TV's Lost this fall for consoles
Rumor: game based on TV's Lost this fall for consoles
EGM's April 2006 issue sports a short entry under its monthly Rumor Mill section telling readers to expect a Lost video game this fall for unspecified consoles.The Q also claims that the playable adaptation will "even feature an online multiplayer mode called something like 'Passengers versus The Others.'" Predicting possible genres is sketchy at this point, but one could imagine modes such as Capture the Hatch, Pregnant Woman Rescue, and Team Freak-out popping up like a season or two's stranded passenger hallucinations. (Then again, maybe not...)
God of War's Jaffe inspired by Britney vs. Christina
Sure you knew that God of War was inspired by Clash of the Titans and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but did you know that Christina Aguilera influenced its development as well?In an interview conducted by Lorne Lanning for a session at GDC last week, David Jaffe revealed that thinking of (the workplace tension between him and) his lead programmer during a Christina Aguilera song about Britney Spears helped him get the game to work.So identifying with the arguably lesser end of the Christina-Britney rivalry helped Kratos make it out of development hell? Sounds like a surefire way to create a hit game! We also take it then that the song in question wasn't "Genie in a Bottle," 'cause that would've made for one interesting unlockable costume for our marked man. Cameo in the sequel, perhaps?[Britney 'n' Christina pic found via an old BBC MTV VMA story found here]See also: David Jaffe, blogger extraordinaire, WRU?!? God of War 2 GDC video leaked online Budget power from the Gods, under the hood
How to score a 2nd-shipment DS Lite in Japan: wait & run
Nintendo's dual-screened portable is in high demand over in Japan right now, and this video goes to show what lengths must be taken to obtain the redesigned DS in its Lite form overseas.Granted, it might be as easy (as presented here) as hanging out less than an hour before a Saturday morning store opening, but there's a lot more running involved after the doors open than might be first imagined.360 launch veterans are well aware of how many frigid hours might be required to get a taste of the next generation this fall (sans pre-orders), but how would you deal if the only unit left in stock were pink--if pink's not the way you swing? We eagerly await the day(s) when we can pre-order the next gen and be done with this retail-rushing nonsense.[Thanks, InfectedZero]See also: Official Yamato Damacy page w/a few more video formats you can use DS lite import pricing meets supply and demand Nintendo DS Lite second look [with lots of comparisons to the old DS]
Xbox retail confidence sags; PS2 powers on
An executive VP with Vivendi Europe feels that retail confidence in the original Xbox is flagging with MS needing to work with publishers "to help generate some impetus."With Microsoft's primary and first-party focus squarely set on the next generation, the 360's predecessor may be feeling some neglect since saves aren't transferable and exclusive titles are elusive.The Vivendi VP also noted that the PS2 still has a lot of life left in it, which we're inclined to believe with all the triple-A games still to come to the West, including Kingdom Hearts II, Okami, Final Fantasy XII, and God of War 2. You gotta love the PS3's 100% backward compatibility (or 99.9% BC, give or take a couple of titles). Emulation profiles can only do so much.[Via Evil Avatar]