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New games this week (or not so new games this week)
A new week, and not so new games. There are a whopping four titles out on only three platforms. Hopefully you've hoarded your recent spoils for use during this mini-drought. There's no reason you shouldn't have with the tons of new games we've seen over the last several weeks.Xbox 360:- Rapala Tournament Fishing!PlayStation Portable:- Bubble Bobble Evolution PC:- Alexey's Dwice- Paws & Claws Pet School(Nope, there's no "continue reading" this week. That's it. Now get outta here!)
The Joystiq Holiday Gift Guide: for gamers
If you're used to waiting until the last minute to do your holiday shopping because you're way too busy gathering every tag in Gears of War, then this is for you. Hit the pause button, drop the controller, take this gamer gift guide with you, fight the massing crowds, snatch up some of these recommendations, fight the massing crowds (again) and beat the level boss: a line long enough to stretch from the register to eternity. Just when you think you've beaten everything and are on your way back home the Final boss strikes. Gift wrapping.
Sony jumping into video downloads with PSP?
It really wouldn't be the shock of the century, since Sony's been rumored to be at least be working on PSP music downloads for a while now, but Financial Times is reporting that Sony now has some sort of PSP video download service in the works, and they pretty certain about it. The best news -- if this rumor pans out, that is -- is that Sony is apparently doing this thing in conjunction with other services such as Amazon's Unbox, Movielink and CinemaNow, instead of taking its usual proprietary path. The not-so-best news is that Sony purportedly won't be releasing a fancy new memory-enhanced PSP with the service, but instead hopes consumers will spring for a new 4GB+ Memory Stick to store the video. With supposed room for 10 flicks and accessibility for all current PSP users, it might not be the worst move ever for Sony, but that doesn't mean an 8GB flash-based PSP still wouldn't be the hawterness. Supposedly we should be expecting these new downloading abilities to emerge in Q1 2007, and no, iTunes isn't invited.[Via I4U]
Raffle: PSP and Neuros Recorder 2 bundle winners chosen
We've chosen three random winners for our Neuros Recorder 2 and PSP bundle raffle using random.org. Donation #279 wins the grand prize, while #356 and #685 each win a Neuros Recorder2 unit! We'd like to thank everyone for donating nearly $800 to this raffle and especially thank Neuros for the generous gifts. If you're upset you didn't score one for yourself, Amazon is selling the Neuros Recorder2 for $99.99, 23% off its list price ... and it ships for free!If you've been hesitant to enter one of our raffles, or confused by the process, check out the comments on this one for an example of how it's done. A reminder for everyone -- especially those donating more than $1 (which was almost everyone!) -- make sure you leave one comment for every dollar donated and make sure you activate your comments. When you leave a comment, you'll get an email confirmation. Your comment will not appear on the site until you activate it through that confirmation.
Square Enix (almost) bares all at Jump Festa
1UP has again braved the bands of manga-fiending young'ns to investigate the happenings at this year's Jump Festa jumpoff. While all major Japanese publishers (and Microsoft) were present, Square Enix was reppin' in full force, offering playable versions of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP), and Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (both for DS). Trailers for additional titles were also on display (see embedded videos below). In a private theater, Square Enix previewed more new footage from its upcoming 2007 lineup, including a glimpse at Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3). The montage concluded with a brief flash of an armored man, grimacing as he stood on what appeared to be a battlefield. The teaser shot was followed by the words: "And something new coming in 2007."
Japanese hardware sales, 4 Dec - 10 Dec: dearly departed edition
It's all fun and games until someone has all their limbs mangled and dies a horrible death. Oh, perhaps you were expecting a different ending to that familiar phrase? Toughies. We hate to break it to you but life is full of surprises and the worst one comes at the end. We've all seen the grievious bodily harm done by the Nintendo Wii and yet, most of us fail to comprehend the gravity of the situation. This is serious business.In a laughable attempt to be witty, many writers have resorted to calling these injuries (often caused by Wiimotes rapidly hurtling through the air), "wiinjuries." Cute, but oh so oblivious to the pain that is reality. In the real world, people die. And you know what? There's no funny way to put "Wii" into "fatality." It's time to clamp down on this mockery and remember those that have been lost to the most dangerous console in existence. Remember ... after the break.- DS Lite: 309,630 132,729 (75.03%)- Wii: 85,439 264,919 (75.61%)- PS3: 50,171 18,735 (59.6%) - Xbox 360: 35,343 31,290 (772.02%) - PS2: 30,460 7,345 (31.78%) - PSP: 28,930 5,013 (20.96%) - GBA SP: 1,896324 (20.61%) - Game Boy Micro: 1,555 303 (24.20%) - Gamecube: 569 252 (30.69%) - DS Phat: 167 27 (19.29%) - GBA: 17 5 (22.73%) - Xbox: 6 5 (45.45%)[Source: Media Create]See also: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts
Heavenly Star: From Lumines II to iTunes
Q Entertainment recently announced that Heavenly Star, an original song from the recently released Lumines II, is now available on the iTunes Music Store in the U.S. and Japan. What's more, five remixes of the song will be coming to Apple's download service soon, and the song and video will be available as part of the "Heavenly Star Pack" for the Xbox 360's Lumines Live in January. Because, really, who doesn't enjoy paying more for content that should have been in the original game. Cheap gamers who want to sample the Miziguchi-produced song and video without paying can check it out below. Hopefully this announcement will open the floodgates and lead to a wide variety of original game music being made legally available through simple download instead of expensive import. We'd personally love to see some OSTs for Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy and DDR, thrown up on iTunes. Until then, I guess there's always OCRemix. What game soundtracks would you like made available on iTunes?[Via GameSetWatch]
Lampooning Sony's fake PSP site
In this day and age when you screw up you pay for it online in the form of bad press, blog posts, hate mail, never-ending commentary (read: this post), a tarnished image and sometimes even replica sites calling you out when applicable. All I Want For Xmas Is a PS3 does just that making fun of the old marketers pretending to be puberty plagued consumers that ran the fake and now infamous PSP blog that is no more. We're confident others will quickly follow suit ... Yep. This just in: Both the 360 and Wii spoof sites are live.But unfortunately for Sony and Zipatoni, their sheepish feeling and current depreciated brands are sure to outlast said fleeting sites. And yes, there is such a thing as bad publicity. Ask Michael Jackson. Now let's leave this misadventure behind and hope the companies in question focus on what they do (or don't do) best in their newly discovered transparent world.[Thanks, AoE; Image credit]
Metal Slug Anthology with a 'twist'
Metal Slug Anthology ships for Wii today, combining the series' seven arcade installments into one, and twisting them out with some quirky control schemes.More standardized versions of Anthology will arrive on PSP and PlayStation 2 in the coming weeks, but the Wii offering is the most tempting. Sure it's gimmicky, but it provides a series of unorthodox challenges (mastering each control setting), undoubtedly luring seasoned vets to invest a few more quarters into the franchise -- as if these games weren't hard enough already.
November NPD: revised data reveals current install bases
Earlier this month, a whole slew of numbers escaped from the NPD's inadequate holding facilities and viciously assaulted gamers with all sorts of sales tallies and percentages. Having discovered an error in their historical data, the analytical group has seen fit to unleash the numbers again, though an important one is now somewhat smaller and thus, less dangerous. It was previously reported that year-to-date sales had risen 25% in November, when in fact, they had only risen by 16% (putting the industry at $8.76 billion). Please calm yourselves, we're as crushed by this dramatic reversal as you are. Far more intriguing, however, is the now rectified install base data for consoles in the US. Be sure to use this information the next time you have a prolonged, ultimately pointless argument on the sleazy gaming forum of your choice: PS2: 35.8 million GBA: 34.3 million DS: 7.6 million PSP: 5.7 million Xbox 360: 3.4 million Wii: 476 thousand PS3: 197 thousand The full report on GameDaily BIZ also notes that Microsoft sold 42 thousand HD-DVD drives for the 360 -- that's only 1.24% of the total install base.
Giving the gift of games, some guidelines
An article published by Tampa Bay Newspapers reminds us that not all gift-givers are equipped with the proper knowledge to fulfill your holiday gaming wish lists.Here are some helpful pointers to pass along: "Games can be played on a personal computer and some require a special video game console ... games must be played on the console for which it was designed – no mix and match" [Technically you could buy him the PS2 version of Madden for his new PlayStation 3, but we wouldn't recommend that] "Be sure to check the box for requirements before making a purchase" [Know how much RAM his computer has?] "Games also are rated just as the movies" [Well, not "just as," but yes, games are rated; important to keep in mind especially when shopping for youngsters] "New gaming machines are being released just in time for the season ... Word on the street, if you want one for Christmas, is buy sooner than later" [Actually, streets say it's already too late] "The official release date for Microsoft XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii was mid-November" [Yeah, but 360 launched in mid-November 2005... ] "Games tend to get nicknames so it might be helpful to know what game a person is referring to" [Hint: 'WoW' = World of Warcraft] "Some [FPS] games are quite realistic and not for the squeamish" [Some aren't realistic and not for the squeamish] "If someone on your gift list has requested a specific game title – don't make a substitution and watch out for games that sound alike" [Gears of War! Not God of War.] "When in doubt, try a gift card" [Cash is cool too] "Parents should be cautioned that video games can be highly addictive" [Scratch this one]
Boston transit system bans M rated game ads
The MBTA, Boston's public transit system authority, has decided to ban advertising in the system for all M and AO rated video games. According to The Boston Herald the transportation authority believed that if "X-rated movies" are banned from advertising, so should M and AO rated games. We're a little tired of trying to explain what The Boston Herald means in Boston. Let's leave it at they helped hype Susan Linn's Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood who said, "We are thrilled that the MBTA has been so responsive to community concerns ... The children of Boston can now ride the MBTA without being targets for advertising that glorifies violence." Meanwhile the MBTA continues to promote alcoholism with entire train cars full of Tanqueray and Bud Light advertisements. Obviously MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas finds video games a much greater concern to the community than alcoholism.
Final Fantasy Tactics rehashed for PSP
You saw this coming from a mile away: another port, er, 'remake' for PSP. While DS gets Dragon Quest IX, PSP gets Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou. But don't be fooled by all the "Shishi Sensou" nonsense, this is merely an update of the original PlayStation game. New cutscenes and gameplay tweaks (e.g., additional job classes) don't have us convinced. Why not simply offer a downloadable port as part of the PlayStation Store initiative -- and then deliver a true Tactics sequel on PSP? Heck, GBA got one (with a second on the way)... If it wasn't for Crisis Core, we'd have assumed Square Enix was picking handheld favorites. Wait, are they?
Sony talks spring cleaning, major PS3 firmware update in the works
During his appearance at a meet-and-greet for semi-official Sony blog ThreeSpeech, Phil Harrison allegedly confirmed a major PlayStation 3 firmware update would be rolled out in March to coincide with the console's launch in Europe (should the delay rumor prove false). According to an unidentified attendee, Harrison outlined some of the features to be included in the update, expanding on SCEE VP of Technology Paul Holman's hint that the update would focus on improving PS3's capabilities as a media center: Multi-tasking; includes voice/video-chat while browsing XMB Auto-resume for downloads from PlayStation Store PSP Remote Play upgrade (access PS3 media via WiFi connection) New animations during audio playback Enhanced photo album functionality Additional XMB display options While still vague, these features definitely focus on PS3's non-gaming abilities. Anything you'd like to see added to the list?[Via 1UP]
Sony's holiday marketing campaign sniffed out
Whatever flavor of eggnog Sony's marketing gurus are sipping, we'd like a few cartons sent to Engadget HQ. While the PlayStation 3 ads were, um, interesting to say the least, and though the Bravia commercials are somewhat understandable, trying to rip an Apple mainstay isn't likely to catch fire (in a good way). But beyond all that, Sony's PSP advertisements have bordered on zany and offensive for some time, with everything building up to the "all i want for xmas is a psp" campaign. While we noticed something was a tad off kilter with the childishly-worded site, all it took was a few hundred detectives to spoil the company's fun. Unfortunately for Sony, the firm was busted in an attempt to construct an undercover website urging folks to urge their parents to pick up a PSP this December. This most certainly isn't the first time this year that the firm has started a "quasi-official" weblog, but trying to fool all those eagle-eyed readers out there didn't quite work out as planned. Nevertheless, the site remains up to provide "nothing but the facts on the PSP" from here on out, but that just makes you wonder what all the other propaganda before this was.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony owns up to deceptive marketing blog
Sony owned up to its deceptive marketing and pitiful attempts in feigning a consumer fansite promoting the PSP today. But only after removing several posts that contained hundreds of critical "we're on to you" comments. The statement from the site reads:"Busted. Nailed. Snagged. As many of you have figured out (maybe our speech was a little too funky fresh???), Peter isn't a real hip-hop maven and this site was actually developed by Sony. Guess we were trying to be just a little too clever. From this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP. Sony Computer Entertainment America"Funky fresh? Confusing cleverness with deceit? You're still not getting it. Regardless, kudos for admitting to the mistake, but an apology to your customers while leaving up critical comments would have been better. Also, just know your products got a little less "cool" in the process. Think of it as consumer restitution.[Thanks to all who sent this in]
Fake blog admits it was "too funky fresh"
It looks like the now-infamous Sony blog, "all i want for christmas is a psp," is going to keep it real. Shockingly, the blog writer "isn't a real hip-hop maven." The apology states that the blog will now be used to give "nothing but the facts" on the PSP, but we're sorry, Sony. No way you're going to compete with us!
Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet
Warning: video is NSFW Joystiq attended Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards last week, and here's the video to prove it. We literally had to shove our way into our designated spot at the press line and jockey for position with other outlets like Hustler and The Greater Cuyahoga News-Press. Once we were set, we asked the hard-hitting questions that have been on gamers' minds for some time. Some highlights: Joe Rogan literally going insane on camera talking about virtual reality Mark Ecko talking about Britney Spears' underwear allergy Samuel L. Jackson not popping us in the face One word of warning, the video isn't safe for work by a long shot. Joe Rogan uses some very colorful language near the end that has to be seen to be believed ... then again, maybe not. It is Joe Rogan after all. The 2006 Video Game Awards air tonight on Spike TV. Tune in if you want to see Sam Jackson drop some F-bombs, Stewie Griffin insult Sam, and Sarah Silverman insult every gamer in the world. The best thing about it is the Burning Crusade opening cinematic that premieres during the show. That and the skits about the motion-capture guy. Nothing is funnier than jokes about balls, right? Alternatively, you could also go back and start beating Gears of War on insane. The night is yours!
Square Enix establishes Ivalice Alliance
Easily mistaken for a vicious brand of shampoo and very often catapulted into turmoil by wars and magical beasts, the fictional kingdom of Ivalice has been the setting for a handful of Square Enix titles, almost all of them well-received by critics and fans alike. Just recently, Final Fantasy XII followed the adventures of some Ivaliceans Ivalicians free-spirited (and pointy-eared, in one case) residents of Ivalice. It follows then that Square Enix has announced an "Ivalice Alliance," a set of stories all taking place on the same stage. Though you're already familiar with Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (slated for the DS), you may not have heard of the other two games revealed in the latest issue of Japan's Shonen Jump. The pages first mention Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War, a PSP remake of the original PSOne Tactics game. Some new cutscenes and a slight graphical upgrade are likely to be included, though we certainly wouldn't mind a better localization as well -- that's assuming the game makes it stateside. Secondly, there's (deep breath) Final Fantasy Tactics A2: The Sealed Black Book. According to the translation note on Jeux France, it hasn't yet been specified whether it'll wind up on the DS or, as the horrific machine translation puts it, the "Game Servant Boy Advance." The latter choice, of course, will result in the game working on both platforms. Snap to it, servant boy! Another magazine, Gamelabo, reportedly mentions that Square Enix also has two more unannounced Xbox 360 games in the pipeline.
Raffle: A PSP and Neuros Recorder 2 bundle [update 1]
[Update: We've chosen three random winners using random.org. Donation #279 wins the grand prize, while #356 and #685 each win a Neuros Recorder2 unit! We'd like to thank everyone for donating nearly $800 for this raffle and especially thank Neuros for the generous gifts. If you're upset you didn't score one for yourself, Amazon is selling the Neuros Recorder2 for $99.99, 23% off its list price ... and it ships for free!]The nice folks at Neuros have donated not only three Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 models to give away, but a PSP to go along for one lucky winner. What's a Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2? It's a "mini digital VCR" that will record PSP-compatible video from your television directly to a Memory Stick. To further sweeten that pot, we'll add a couple of PSP games to that grand prize.Grand prize (valued at $400): One Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 [$130] One PSP handheld [$200] Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony (courtesy of 2K games) [$40] Power Stone Collection (courtesy of Capcom) [$30] Two runners-up One Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 [$130] The rules: each dollar in donations purchased using this link earns you one comment. Think of each comment as a raffle ticket. In three days(midnight EST this Friday), we'll choose our winners using random.org and verify their donation. More on the rules here.Buy Neuros/PSP bundle raffle tickets
