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New Buzz! games coming in March
If we had one complaint about family fun generator Buzz!, it's that it just had too many questions that nobody could answer. We couldn't stand the questions about basketball and football (like anybody knows the difference!), questions about science (like anyone needs to know that!), and history (stop living in the past, people!) ... or basically anything that wasn't movies. Luckily, March 11 will bring us a brand new edition of the PS2 trivia game made for people with out specific areas of interest, Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz. Also coming that day is a kids title called Buzz! Jr: Robo Jam, which sounds like a by-product of the robots eating old people's medicine for fuel.
Buzz! coming to Europe this spring for PS3, PSP
Sony Europe today announced (via EuroGamer) that PlayStation 3 and PSP version of Buzz! Quiz TV will be released the same time this spring (barring any unforeseeable legal issues, at least). The PS3 version was revealed last August at the Leipzig Games Convention, then having a less vague March 2008 release date. The PSP version sports single-handheld multiplayer via passing the PSP around and two standard multiplayer modes (no mention of Infrastructure online play). The PS3 version reportedly sports online, "sofa vs. sofa" multiplayer.%Gallery-15140%
Buzz! brings game show trivia on the go
That cheeky game show host is finally coming to PSP. The insanely popular PS2 trivia game is going to Sony's handheld, with a slew of enhancements ideal for the portable gamer. The most notable addition: Game Sharing, which allows you to play multiplayer against three other PSP owners with just one copy of the game. The game is currently announced for a UK release, but we're certain that the recent US release of the PS2 version of the game will make this a more international affair.Key Features: Three new multiplayer modes, all requiring either just one PSP or one copy of the game to enjoy: Pass Around, Game Share and Quiz Host Bigger and better single player mode than ever before, with 15 quiz challenges to test your knowledge to its limits Six all-new single and multiplayer round types specially created for PSP Over 5000 unique questions alongside over 1000 licensed picture and video assets Eight question categories: Music, TV, Science, Celebrities, Nature, Sport, Movies and General Knowledge %Gallery-15139%
Sony gets Buzz-y dealing with trademark dispute
California-based Buzztime Entertainment filed suit against Sony Computer Entertainment Europe last week alleging Sony's line of Buzz! games violates several of its own trademarks. Buzztime was established in 1985 and makes various electronic trivia games for mobile phones, cable systems, and can be found in bars and restaurants. Gamespot reports that while Buzztime does not have a trademark on the word "buzz," it does have a trademark on various games with the word "buzz" in it. SCEE is filing trademarks for "Buzz!" and two other versions of the word without the exclamation mark. Buzztime is accusing SCEE of "malicious, fraudulent, knowing, willful, and deliberate" violations, and has expressed desire for a recall and destruction of all infringing products. The company also requests actual and punitive damages, legal fees and that the US Patent and Trademark Office not register SCEE's pending application. If Buzztime stands a chance at winning, we wonder if it would be cheaper for Sony to just buy Buzztime outright instead of paying the damages?
A video where Buzz Aldrin doesn't punch someone
You know, maybe we shouldn't make light of an incident where someone accused a national hero of faking one of the United States' most historic events, but we can't help it. If we remember Buzz Aldrin for one thing, it's punching someone in the face. Oh, and his moon landing thing.Anyway, the above video comes from the meeting between Buzz and Mario we talked about a few days ago. So, if you, like us, were left kind of confused about the whole thing, then check out the video above.
Buzz! makes beeline for North American PS2
Alright, so the connection between Buzz! and bees is no more than a tenuous one meant to serve the purposes of a trite headline, but in our defense, it's entirely possible that Sony's quiz game may ask you a question about bees at some point. This seems especially likely in the one called "Junior Jungle Party" -- what is a garden if not a junior jungle? After selling 18 gazillion copies in Europe (smart people live there!), Sony Computer Entertainment America has finally seen fit to bring the Buzz! franchise to North American PlayStation 2 owners, h@rdc0rez and casual alike, for the holidays. The series emulates a trivia-based game show, complete with creepy host and obnoxious huge-red-button-controller. If we're to believe David Amor, boss of developer Relentless Software, Buzz! is the perfect game to enjoy with those friend things we've heard so much about. "The Americans are ready for Buzz," he declares. "I think it's that time. Buzz! is real immediate social gameplay. It's perfect for inviting a group of friends around, whether they're into games or not." Look for Buzz! The Mega Quiz and Buzz! Junior Jungle Party on store shelves tomorrow. Read -- AnnouncementRead -- America's Ready to Buzz! (Next-Generation)
LGC07: Buzz! Quiz TV for PS3 coming to Europe in March
Sony is bringing its popular (in Europe, at least) quiz series Buzz! to the PlayStation 3 with Buzz! Quiz TV, set for release in March 2008. The game sports 5,000 questions over five channels: Music, Movies and TV, Sports, Knowledge and The Lifestyle Channel. And, of course, high-definition graphics.Downloadable Quiz packs will also be released via the PlayStation Store. According to the press release, "Many will be specific to individual countries or even towns – just imagine playing a quiz on your local football team, for example." You can also create your own quizzes and upload them online via MyBuzz community site for others to play and rate.Online multiplayer is done "Sofa vs. Sofa," according to Sony. Up to four couches can take each other on to see who knows the most trivia -- any higher than four and it screws up the online Feng Shui.Buzz! Quiz TV is due out in March for Europe. No word yet on a release in other territories.
Buzz! developers relocate - hiring for upcoming PS3 projects
Relentless Software, the developers behind the multi-million selling Buzz! games, have moved into a new, bigger office in Brighton, south England. Despite being big sellers in their home territory, the only Buzz! title that made it out of Europe was Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party. So chances are many of you non-Europeans have yet to experience the series. For those who don't know, the games try to emulate a TV game-show. Complete with buzzer controllers (see attached image) and smooth voiced announcers. They're great fun, especially when in a party context.It looks like we could soon be seeing more games from Relentless as they are celebrating their new development office by hiring in some fresh blood for upcoming PS2 and PS3 projects. More party games on the PS3 can only be a good thing, in my opinion. We'll keep you posted on any developments.[Via PS3Forums]
iPhone provides grassroots inspiration
MSN Money has a fascinating report on the reaction to Apple's unveiling of the iPhone at January's Macworld. If any event could be said to trigger a groundswell of grassroots reporting, it was the iPhone. In fact, the iPhone certainly set new records in that regard with a huge response of rich media--podcasts, photos, videos, hands-on reports and more. According to the MSN article, the iPhone was mentioned by more blogs for the next 10 days than either McDonald's or George W. Bush. Wikipedia had an iPhone entry within minutes of Jobs' keynote speech. Nifty article, well worth a read.
Sony brings Buzz! to UK classrooms
Though the headline might fool you into thinking trenchcoat-wearing Sony goons will soon be infiltrating schools and selling children some sort of designer drug, it actually refers to the hugely popular series of quiz games on PS2. It's rather simple -- the game asks a question and you consequently slam your hand or forehead into a giant red button (part of the special Buzz! peripheral) before answering. Being based upon the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, the game seems like an ideal fit for a classroom brimming with kids. Buzz!: The School's Quiz will derive its over 5,000 questions from the UK's Key Stage 2 National Curriculum, and will include cooperative play modes. It's pleasing to see that some still see the value in video games as educational tools. You know, beyond the ones that teach us how to kill each other.
iPod owners report whining sound emanating from 2G nanos
In a thread over at the Apple Discussions forums, dozens of iPod owners are reporting high-pitching whining and / or buzzing sounds emanating from their 2nd Generation iPod nanos. Many of the owners cite that their units are fully functional despite the whining, although the volume of the unwanted sound varies between each report; for example, russgra states that the whining sound was the first thing he noticed after picking up his 8GB nano, although Energie claims that he wouldn't have noticed had he not seen the problem popping up in forums. There doesn't seem to be any correlation to any particular model within the range either, with 2, 4, and 8GB owners all reporting the annoyance -- notably, none of the reports notice any sound on their previous generation nanos, leading some to suggest that it's caused by a new or upgraded component such as the backlight or battery. In the interests of investigating the problem ourselves, we commandeered a nearby 2GB nano -- although we could hear a faint whining sound once pressed to our ear (which oddly changed tone after we shook it), we found the whine to be inaudible unless we practically lodged it in our ear. Could it be that this encounter is simply a reverberation of the post-Consumermas hangovers, or is this scenario a repeat of the whining problems with the MacBook? If the latter case is true, then it's worth noting that Apple was relatively quick to fix the problem and silence the buzz, along with the vocal minority of people who had brought the issue to the attention of everyone else.[Thanks, David B.]
Study: Wii winning the online buzz battle
Ah, buzz, that unquantifiable aura of cool that can make or break a product launch. Wait, did I just say unquantifiable? I'm sorry, it's apparently highly quantifiable, as proven by a New Media Strategies report that finds online opinions of the Wii to be much more favorable than those of the PS3.According to a MediaLife interview with New Media Strategies VP Sam Huxley, the Arlington, Va., market research firm "monitored 10,000 online conversations," and found a surprisingly hostile reaction to Sony's well-hyped system. Conversations about the PS3 broke 27 percent positive and 38 percent negative, according to the report, while Wii conversations were scored 49 percent positive and only 18 percent negative (the remaining conversations were rated "neutral").Huxley cites availability and pricing issues as being responsible for most of the negative reaction to the PS3, and says the system was also hurt by not launching with any familiar franchises. In contrast, Huxley said the Wii received a lot of positive buzz for its new control method and Zelda, though some faulted the system for being hard to get used to. Despite the all the PS3 negativity, though, "the volume of discussion on PS3 is about double of that of Wii," Huxley said.The study's methodology is not discussed in the interview, and there is likely some subjectivity in the evaluation of the online conversations. It should also be noted that internet chatter is not necessarily indicative of opinions for the public at large. Still, it seems that all-important buzz balance might be tilting in Nintendo's favor at this early phase in the console wars.Previously: USA Today on favorable Wii buzz, early holiday winners
Woz and Buzz to take Hydrogen Hummer to South Pole
Before we dive into the actual story, lets just take a minute to sit back and appreciate just how fantastically bizarre that title is....Ok then! Mac daddy Steve Wozniak has announced that in December 2007, he and Moon man Buzz Aldrin (second person ever to set foot on the Moon) will participate in an expedition to the South Pole in which the intrepid explorers will be conveyed by Hydrogen fuel cell powered H1 Hummers. The Apple co-founder revealed his plans at Stanford University's AlwaysOn conference. The modern day eco-friendly adventure will be filmed using 3D cameras for use in an upcoming James Cameron film. According to Woz, the team has received significant input from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which runs three of its buses on fuel cells. [via Cult of Mac]
