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Sega taking Phantasy Star Online offline in Japan
We know what you're thinking, "Xbox version shutting down in Japan? Well, that dude's gotta be pissed." Yup, on January 31, 2008 Sega's risking a global backlash and terminating Xbox Live services for the onetime Dreamcast title in Japan. The good news for the rest of the world's Phantasy Star Online community is that no similar announcements have been made outside of Japan. We don't know about you guys, but we don't want to be around once the legions of MMO-addicted GameCubers catch wind of a cancellation on that platform. [Via Massively]
Mario Kart, street cred, and Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection
Over a week now since its release and I still can't put down Mario Kart DS. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure has been getting good vibes overall (GR composite is 92%), including a whopping 10/10 review from Slashdot. Is this the kind of street cred Nintendo needs to shed its kiddy image and make the Revolution a success, or does it even matter? Kiddy or not, Mario Kart DS is a blast to play. On top of that, in only a few minutes, with no wires or connection fees, you can duke it out with up to four players from anywhere in the world. Slashdot writes: "The ease and fluidity with which you can be racing other gamers from the comfort of your cozy WAP is enough to make even the most jaded technology aficionado pause." It's that easy. Granted, this is only one of two currently playable games on the free network, so Nintendo has their work cut out for them (think Phantasy Star Online for the GameCube). But with Nintendo's Wi-Fi adoption rate of 45%, signs point to this easily becoming Nintendo's version of Xbox Live during the next-generation. Sure they've had their mishaps in that past, but the company is looking less and less niche by the minute.
