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Guitar Hero: On Tour grip works with DS Phat
We have to admit that the first time we saw the elegant, though not particularly guitar-like peripheral Activision had created for the DS' Guitar Hero: On Tour, we were concerned. It wasn't the missing orange button (we're fans of anything getting easier, whether it's fake guitar playing or cutting things), no, we were more worried that owners of the original DS (the DS Phat, on the streets) would be excluded from the fun by their system's girth. But now, Activision has dispelled our fears with the announcement that the Guitar Grip will work with both of the models. Now, Phatties, as for actually being able to see the notes in anything but perfect lighting, we're afraid you're on your own on that one. [Thanks, Kaelora]
Rare Yoshi edition DS Phat tests your love of Nintendo
Sure, you've bought every console since the original NES, monitor forum threads religiously for any Wii bashing, and may even have a Koopa tattoo somewhere on your body, but are you enough of a fanboy to pay $500 for first-generation Nintendo DS emblazoned with a wire-frame cartoon dinosaur? Well apparently eBayer "joedick" is one such individual, whose $480 Buy-It-Now-dollars earned him one of the only 200 "Hot Summer Yoshi" edition DS Phats ever made, which were part of a larger series of six versions available only to Club Nintendo members in 2005. Congratulations, good sir -- just remember not to play with it or anything, or you won't be able to sell it for ten times what you paid a few years down the road.[Via DS Fanboy]
Ten reasons to stick with your Phat
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Ten_reasons_to_stick_with_a_Phat_instead_of_upgrading_to_a_DS_Lite'; Are you still waffling over whether or not you should hug your big ol' original DS goodbye and pick up a DS Lite? We know some of you are still clinging to the old ways, but never fear -- we're here to help! This week, we're going to look at ten reasons to make the switch ... and ten reasons to stick with what you've got. Oh, we never said we'd make the decision easy.Of course, the minute we convince you, Nintendo's apt to completely redesign the hardware all over again! But don't worry -- you'll be armed with a list of reasons to wait on anything new ... at least, until we decide to start convincing you to upgrade again. It's the circle of Nintenfandom; you know you're used to it by now.
eBay alert: DS Phat signed all over
Up for grabs on eBay is a DS Fanboy's dream: a DS signed by not only Shigeru Miyamoto, but also Satoru Iwata and the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet. Why would anyone want to get rid of such a priceless beauty? Turns out, school loans. But all of the money won't be going to school loans, as the seller will be setting aside 25% of the profit to go to Child's Play. At the time we were writing this piece up, the current bid was $330.00. We have a feeling that'll be going much higher before the end of the auction on the 19th.
Ironic? DS Phat browser only available online
Downtrodden DS Phat owners: here comes more ammo for insults from the elitist Lite crowd. It seems that Nintendo doesn't think there are enough of you out there who refused to "upgrade" to redundant systems, and has chosen not to release the Phat-compatible version of the Opera browser (which includes a GBA-cartridge-size memory pack and would thus bulge from a DS Lite) in stores. Not to worry, however-- much like Electroplankton, you'll still be able to buy it from Nintendo's website and from other online retailers. That's fine with us. If we had any interest in talking to people in real life, we'd have less use for a Web browser.(We tease the DS Lite adopters, but really, if you've got a DS, you're cool with us.)[Thanks, zshadow!]
DS Phat browser not available in stores
If you have a DS Phat but not a DS Lite, you probably won't mind the news that the $35 Opera-based DS Web browser hitting June 4 for your system won't be available in stores. You're probably just the sort of rebellious, go-it-alone type that will get what you want by any means necessary, even if that means purchasing online. But you're probably also the sort of mind-bogglingly cheap skinflint that would sooner flush their sister's asthma inhaler down the toilet before spending money on shipping. So we find ourselves at an impasse.Nintendo isn't releasing names of all the online shops that will carry the Phat browser, but did point out that it will be available on its own Web site. We don't know if many Phat owners will be willing to part with the cash, but those who will probably appreciate being able to do so in the privacy of their own home, far from the whispers and quiet giggles of the Lite enthusiasts. Do they not realize that their stares are daggers?
FFXII themed DS Lite revealed for Japan
In conjunction with the April 26 release of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for DS, Square Enix and Nintendo are set to release a special edition of the DS Lite with the FFXII:RW logo and a few main characters emblazoned on the front. Square Enix did a similar promotion for the DS release of Final Fantasy III. Though the extra cost to paint an industrial-strength sticker is probably minimal, it's not like Nintendo needs any help selling the consoles in Japan. A release outside of Japan is very unlikely for the limited edition console, so those desperate for a unit will have to import. However, we have a better suggestion: wait for someone to post a high-resolution image and then make your own sticker to put on that DS Lite (or DS Phat) you're already using.
House rocks the DS
We have yet to see the episode in question where Dr. House rocks the DS above, but we wonder why he didn't choose to go with a DS Lite. Maybe he just enjoys conflict so much that he feels the need to go with the Phat so that upon any inquiries as to why he is not using the sleeker, newer version of the dual-screen handheld, he can begin a rant breaking down the inquisitive individual. Or maybe it's the young lady's and he just wanted to check it out? Regardless of how it came into play, we're glad Nintendo's handheld got some screen time on one of TV's best shows (we all know what the best show is right now).
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 2-8: The PSP beats the DS ... sort of
It looks like the Pokemon weren't enough to keep the DS Lite's sales numbers anywhere near what they were last week. However, this week wasn't kind to any of the hardware as the top five systems each dropped in sales numbers compared to what they were a week earlier.- DS Lite: 124,137 150,252 (54.76%) - PS2: 28,264 3,728 (11.65%) - PSP: 21,050 4,269 (16.86%) - Xbox 360: 2,101 94 (4.28%) - GBA SP: 1,532279 (15.41%) - Game Boy Micro: 1,273 170 (15.41%) - Gamecube: 488 35 (6.70%) - DS Phat: 260 7 (2.77%) - GBA: 12 2 (20.00%) - Xbox: 8 5 (166.67%)The DS Lite still gave the PSP a good spanking, outselling it by more than 100,000. But hey, look on the bright side, the PSP kicked the DS Phat's ass! [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 11 September - 17 September: Tokyo stalker edition
Select and now less popular members of the Joystiq staff traveled to Japan this week in order to cover the annual and frequently spectacular Tokyo Game Show -- at least, that's what you've been led to believe. Though the opportunity to play the latest games and to attend dull press conferences could certainly be considered a pleasant side-effect, the true reason for the team's journey to the East is far more striking. Indeed, the time has finally come to capture and imprison the elusive answer to the question that arises with every single edition of the sales chart. Observe this week ranking according to the number of units sold:- DS Lite: 134,885 21,045 (18.49%)- PS2: 34,189 14,307 (71.96%)- PSP: 26,995 2,146 (7.36%)- GBA SP: 2,330 226 (10.74%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,244 557 (30.93%)- Xbox 360: 928 166 (15.17%)- Gamecube: 630 66 (9.48%)- DS Phat: 478 580 (54.82%)- GBA: 27 14 (107.70%)- Xbox: 7 2 (40.00%)Who bought those Xbox consoles? The truth and subsequent interview, after the break.[Source: Media Create]
Cute post of the day: kitty naps on DS
Few things in this world can bring us instant happiness. Among such things are Cute Overload, Sausages, and the butter shave kit. As such, this snapshot (much respect for the Game Boy printer inclusion) on flickr user Trevor & Angela's account caused our eyes to widen and a deep "awwww" to escape our mouth. It's cute, and yet another good thing to do with that DS Phat now that the Lites are out.
Japanese hardware sale chart - Sept. 4 - 10, the war in percentages
Well, look how the mighty have fallen. The Nintendo DS Lite, which is the PSP's biggest competitor, saw a 50-percent decline in hardware sales last week. Never mind sales numbers ... who cares about those anyway? It's all about percentages, baby.The PSP surged on with a six-percent jump in sales that can most likely be attributed to Tales of Phantasia Full Voice Edition's total domination in the software sales chart.- DS Lite: 113,831 115,108 (50.28%)- PSP: 29,141 1,642 (5.97%)- PS2: 19,882 2,821 (12.43%)- GBA SP: 2,104 647 (23.52%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,801 10 (0.56%)- Xbox 360: 1,094 156 (12.48%)- DS Phat: 1,058 738 (230.63%)- Gamecube: 696 159 (18.60%)- GBA: 13 9 (40.91%)- Xbox: 5 5 (infinite%)- Wii: 0 0 (0%)The PSP needs to keep looking in its rear-view mirror, however, because the DS Phat also saw a big spike in its percentages with a whopping 230-percent increase. But, I expect this to be short lived due to its "teh suck."Also, look at how crappy the Wii is selling. Hah hah, it's being outsold by the original Xbox and hasn't even sold a single unit! Those percentages look pretty bad.(Via Joystiq)
Japanese hardware sales, 4 September - 10 September: completely wiidiculous edition
Shocking reports from Japan indicate that Nintendo's entry into the next-gen console wars (with Xbox 360 and Japan itself being the only combatants thus far) has shown absolutely no progress in the closely monitored sales ranking. - DS Lite: 113,831 115,108 (50.28%)- PSP: 29,141 1,642 (5.97%)- PS2: 19,882 2,821 (12.43%)- GBA SP: 2,104 647 (23.52%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,801 10 (0.56%)- Xbox 360: 1,094 156 (12.48%)- DS Phat: 1,058 738 (230.63%)- Gamecube: 696 159 (18.60%)- GBA: 13 9 (40.91%)- Xbox: 5 5 (infinite%)- Wii: 0 0 (0%)Esteemed analyst, Excelsior Bluffington, pointed out that "the Wii has shown little to no sales growth in the past few weeks. It's even been bested by the Xbox, and people only buy that thing to mess with the charts. Judging by my elaborate series of pie charts and lucid, LSD-induced dreams, it becomes painfully clear that the Wii will only see a marked improvement sometime in December."A local psychoanalyst was quick to refute these claims, however, calling Bluffington a "delusional psychopath." With experts in conflict, we felt it best to enquire directly with Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata. His entirely cryptic response suggested that "Nintendo hasn't launched the system yet, you freaking [sic] imbeciles." A likely story. A likely story indeed. [Source: Media Create]
Nintendo: no love for Phat crack
Reader Kirk Winters has a problem. His DS Phat has succumbed to crack. As we previously reported, those of us who were still clinging to our Phats lost the high ground when they began to suffer the slings and arrows of cracked hinges, but we never thought it would come to this. Nintendo, it seems, is not repairing the Phats for free, as they are with the DS Lite.Ninty, where's the love? We thought we had something special. Kirk was heartbroken when his DS developed the same crack that raised such a stink with the Lites, but when he called Nintendo, he expected to get the same deal. No dice -- they'll haggle, but it's still not going to be a free ride if you end up in the same boat. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. At first, Nintendo planned to charge for Lite repair, so maybe if we raise enough stink, we'll get the same treatment for the Phat. [Thanks for tipping us off, Kirk!]
Japanese hardware sales, 14 August - 20 August: supreme bias edition
Much like a used car purchased from a licentious and overbearing salesman, people often come with their own set of inherent, sometimes unpredictable quirks and predilections. It's part of being human and, in most cases, can be kept under control. Unfortunately, that's not how things regularly work in the realms of video games, internet communication and poorly constructed vehicle metaphors. Some people are driven mad by the desire to travel down the road of their favorite console manufacturer, logic chicanes and reality potholes blissfully ignored in pursuit of victory over those driving in the opposite direction (or in the case of the Wii, avoiding the road entirely and taking to the sky in a Da Vincian flying contraption). This week, we ponder what it would be like if such a person wrote Joystiq's weekly Japanese sales recap.The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 74,495 122,224 (62.13%)- PSP: 41,535 246 (0.60%)- PS2: 26,833 286 (1.08%)- GBA SP: 3,823 772 (25.30%)- Game Boy Micro: 2,266 235 (11.57%)- Xbox 360: 1,493 289 (24.00%)- Gamecube: 922 18 (1.91%)- DS Phat: 712 222 (23.77%)- GBA: 20 3 (13.04%)- Xbox: 7 1 (16.67%)
Japanese hardware sales, 7 August - 13 August: fake comments edition
The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 196,719 33,147 (20.26%)- PSP: 41,289 8,063 (16.34%)- PS2: 26,547 560 (2.15%)- GBA SP: 3,051 267 (9.59%)- Game Boy Micro: 2,031 103 (5.34%)- Xbox 360: 1,204 185 (13.32%)- Gamecube: 940 36 (3.98%)- DS Phat: 934 225 (19.41%)- GBA: 23 11 (32.35%)- Xbox: 6 8 (57.14%)[Source: Media Create]1. first post!!! lol Posted at 10:01PM on Aug 18th 2006 by tention0 STARS2. I see the DS Lite had a pretty notable increase this week, whereas the DS Phat continues its downward spiral. The PSP also took a bit of a dive. I wonder why? Posted at 10:03PM on Aug 18th 2006 by fun_read3 STARS3. Joystiq I don't live in JAPAN! Why do you keep posting these numbers?! Why don't you post American sales, please? Posted at 10:06PM on Aug 18th 2006 by grogme0 STARS4. Grogme, the Japanese sales numbers are tracked much more meticulously than the American ones. These charts become available each week, whereas the NPD only published data once a month. Joystiq usually posts NPD information whenever it becomes available. Posted at 10:11PM on Aug 18th 2006 by heap o' beers8741 STARS5. Wow. <_< People still buy the Xbox? Posted at 10:12PM on Aug 18th 2006 by sixpoundsplusgravity1 STAR6. Gawd, Joystiq is so biased. They put the DS Lite at the top of the list EVERY TIME. Posted at 10:14PM on Aug 18th 2006 by wiicked0 STARS7. Ludwig, I know you like to make your posts "wacky" and "sarcastic" or whatever, but this is *ridiculous*. I'm afraid we're gonna have to let you go. Posted at 10:15PM on Aug 18th 2006 by C. Grant0 STARS
Japanese hardware sales, 31 July - 6 August: heavy meta
Though we may frequently appear to be aloof, apathetic or altogether addicted to awe-inspiring alliteration, the Joystiq crew is actually attentively attuned to the needs of its readers and commenters. We know what you want, and what you want is what we know -- that is to say, we'll teach you how to make an official Joystiq Japanese sales chart post in the comfort of your very own home! Step 1: Create a terrible introductory paragraphThe introductory paragraph helps ease the reader into the wealth of information provided by one of these posts. It functions like a soft mattress placed in-between the reader and the pit of rusty nails that is the weekly onslaught of numbers. Make sure that the introductory paragraph is self-referential, wildly incoherent and not even remotely related to the actual sales numbers. You may introduce a second paragraph if you feel the mattress needs to be thicker, though it's recommended that you implement a silly allegory to maintain interest and "humor."A third paragraph, however, is most certainly not recommended. It will only serve to anger those that are eager to reach the actual information. Step 2: Insert the sales information obtained from Media Create:The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 163,572 13,281 (7.51%)- PSP: 49,352 6,748 (15.84%)- PS2: 25,987 464 (1.75%)- GBA SP: 2,784 555 (24.90%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,928 162 (9.17%)- Xbox 360: 1,389 857 (38.16%)- DS Phat: 1,159 371 (24.25%)- Gamecube: 904 135 (12.99%)- GBA: 34 25 (277.77%)- Xbox: 14 3 (27.27%)Step 3: Create a final paragraph (must be worse than introductory paragraph)In your final paragraph, you may opt to analyze the week's sales trends (the Xbox is always a hilarious topic), possibly referring to coinciding NPD reports or pointing out how the DS Lite outsells everything, in the universe, ever. Alternatively, you may use it as a denouement to any running jokes you regrettably started in Step 1. [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 24 July - 30 July: incredibly incalculable increase
Just as several wily commenters predicted last week, the original Xbox suddenly (and quite mysteriously) experiences a sales increase over its impressive tally of zero this week. The resulting percentage rise is so incredibly gargantuan and intimidating that it simply cannot be comprehended by the human mind, at least not without the aid of divine omnipotence or persistant alcohol poisoning. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 176,853 85,600 (32.62%)- PSP: 42,604 6,666 (18.55%)- PS2: 26,451 4,163 (18.68%)- Xbox 360: 2,246 774 (52.58%)- GBA SP: 2,229 724 (24.52%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,766 356 (25.25%)- DS Phat: 1,530 4,814 (75.88%)- Gamecube: 1,039 37 (3.44%)- Xbox: 11 11 (infinite)- GBA: 9 11 (55.00%)Other points of interest this week include the Xbox 360's flirtation with the fourth position in the charts (and the huge gap between it and the PS2), the DS Phat's return to unpopular status and the vaguely demonic number of new PSP owners. [Source: Media Create]
Japanese hardware sales, 17 July - 23 July: bad comparison week
The most interesting parts of this week's chart reside at the very top and at the very bottom, much like a decapitated body with Lamborghinis for feet. Nintendo's magical, dual-screened device continues to dominate Japan, raking in the cash like a pickpocket with eight magnetic arms. The ranking, according to number of units sold:- DS Lite: 262,453 121,595 (86.32%)- PSP: 35,938 655 (1.86%)- PS2: 22,288 1,639 (6.85%)- DS Phat: 6,344 5,477 (46.33%)- GBA SP: 2,953 334 (12.75%)- Xbox 360: 1,472 367 (33.21%)- Game Boy Micro: 1,410 171 (10.82%)- Gamecube: 1,076 148 (15.95%)- GBA: 20 8 (28.57%)- Xbox: 0 10 (100.00%)It's as clear as Daniel Day-Lewis' acting ability -- while the DS Lite enjoys brisk sales that trump the rest of the chart combined more than three times over, the Xbox finally languishes in the lowest point possible. Its performance in this part of the world may not have been entirely deserved, but it still turned out to be more embarassing than a discus-throwing competition where each disc has been replaced by a custard pie.(Worst. Comparisons. Ever.)[Source: Media Create]
G4TV smashes DS Lite, remaining credibility
In this episode of Attack of the Show, the intrepid G4TV crew tackles that touchy issue of exploding (slight exaggeration) DS Lite hinges. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they handle the topic with all the finesse and class of a walrus falling out a hot air balloon. In fact, the video of an actual walrus plummeting towards the earth would likely hold more value than a guy smashing a DS Lite. Lowest common denominator, here we come. Note: Nintendo has since pledged to repair the affected DS Lites for free. [Thanks Kevin!]
