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NYTimes names Mass Effect game of the year
A little lesbianism goes a long way as the New York Times names Mass Effect its game of the year for 2007. The NYT bestowed Mass Effect with the honor for its "focus on character development, personal growth and moral tension, all fueled by a graphics system created to evoke emotional empathy." Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was honored for being the shining star on the PS3 and BioShock was named the "best newcomer." There's also digs at Halo 3 and Super Mario Galaxy for being "unambitious representations of the state of the art."Speaking of unambitious, for the second time in less than a month the New York Times copyeditors took a nap (albeit a minor one) on a video game-related story, which is slowly becoming inappropriate in covering an $18 billion-plus industry. There's no telling when reporter Seth Schiesel submitted his copy for this piece, but E3 2008 was already confirmed for the Los Angeles Convention Center last Tuesday, so the article's suggestion that "the solution for [E3] next year can be summed up in one word (or is that two?): Las Vegas" is just about 1,000 New York minutes behind the times.
Blade Runner Blu-ray Complete Edition arriving with botched Workprint disc?
Although we just heard that the five-disc Complete Collector's Edition of Blade Runner was a solid buy for HD DVD aficionados, things aren't going so well for those hoping to enjoy the same experience on Blu-ray. Granted, we're sure the actual image / audio quality is up to snuff on the BD version, but in a mishap similar to that seen with the latest Harry Potter box set, some BD packages are apparently arriving with duplicated discs. More speficially, a growing number of individuals are claiming that their Disc 5 (correctly labeled as the rare Workprint edition) is actually a copy of Disc 1 (the Final Cut iteration). A surefire way to check is to see if your Disc 5 has a Dolby TrueHD track on it -- if so, you've received a mislabeled disc. Of course, considering the general unavailability of the Blu-ray set, simply exchanging these may prove difficult. We'll keep you posted if an official announcement is divulged.[Via Blu-ray]
Disney now replacing faulty Pirates Blu-ray discs
Own a copy of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Blu-ray? Annoyed silly by those pesky framing issues? If so, you're certainly not alone, and it seems that frustrated owners can now phone up Disney in order to request a replacement. Granted, we've known such a program was in the works for some time now, but we're finally seeing widespread reports of current owners being treated to new (and hopefully problem-free) discs gratis. If you're anxious to get a replacement, you can phone up a CSR at 1-800-723-4763 (US) or 1-800-877-2843 (Canada) to get the ball rolling.[Via Blu-ray]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix giving Xbox 360 HD DVD players fits?
It seems a little early to tell if this issue is widespread, but judging from the amount of tips we've received to go along with the growing complaints on the 'net, we're starting to wonder if we do indeed have a problem. Apparently, the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix HD DVD has been problematic when used in the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on, with quirks ranging from lockups to an outright lack of playback. It has been suggested that the non-combo version actually plays fine while the HD DVD / DVD combo iteration presents problems, leaving some to wonder if it's a format issue rather than the title itself. So, what say ye? Anyone experiencing these difficulties? If so, have you found a workaround / solution?[Thanks, Winston E.]Read - AVSForumRead - Amazon complaint
Canon's EOS-1D Mark III autofocus fix makes strides, stops short
Remember that autofocus fix that Canon was supposedly working up? Turns out, the company isn't quite ready to start accepting faulty EOS-1D Mark IIIs just yet, but it is shipping out upgraded versions to new buyers. Rob Galbraith managed to wrap his hands around not one, but three of the new DSLRs in order to substantiate his findings, and what he found was noticeable improvement. In summary, the sub-mirror fix was said to boost the performance of the AF, as it enabled the camera to deliver "about the same number of in-focus frames whether it was warm or cold." Unfortunately, it seems that the solution still left a lot to be desired; Mr. Galbraith noted that it still couldn't match the EOS-1D Mark II N, and implied that there was still room for betterment. 'Course, we're really just scratching the surface on his thorough (and we mean thorough) look at the sub-mirror fix and v1.1.3 firmware, so if this issue has been hounding you, do yourself a favor and check out the read link.[Thanks, Anand]
Format war rages inside Harry Potter box set
We surely hope you didn't expect Warner Bros. to extinguish any of those tempestuous format war fires. Au contraire, the studio is apparently on a mission to fan those very flames, as it has inadvertently included an HD DVD within a five-disc Blu-ray box set. You read right -- a bevy of users across the 'net have received their limited edition package only to find the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire disc to be of the HD DVD variety. 'Course, we did hear that Warner was gunning for 2008 to unleash Total HD, but we definitely didn't see this coming. All joshing aside, users are apparently being asked to send the entire package back and await a totally Blu replacement, but we've all ideas that solution won't make diehard BD fans happy at all.[Via Blu-ray.com Forums, thanks Kiwi616]
Rhapsody users experiencing login issues?
Though not what we'd deem "common," outages extending beyond a few hours have been known to happen to the services we love so dearly, and it seems that some Rhapsody users have become the latest to fall victim to an inexplicable lapse in service. Over at the Real forums, a number of customers have been unable to sign into their accounts for up to two days, and no amount of chicanery has solved the quandary. To make matters even more frightening, many are getting a message that their account simply is nowhere to be found, and customer service doesn't seem to be getting anyone very far. Also curious is the fact that new accounts (as in, ones created while current customers are unable to login) seem to be working just fine, but we here haven't personally experienced any of the login difficulties. What gives? Any of you out there pulling your hair out over this? Got a secret for getting logged in that you'd like to share?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: This in from Real: "Our engineer and support staff became aware of a login issue affecting a small number of users yesterday. They're hard at work to fix the problem for the folks being affected." No ETA for the fix though, and it definitely sounds like more than just a few users, but your mileage may vary.
NYTimes: PS3 is $299, GT5 'best seller,' and Xbox uses Cell chip
Talk about all the news that's fit to copyedit. The New York Times has a hat-trick of errors in a recent technology piece discussing video game options. They manage to make it through the Wii spot on -- but then the real fun comes. First the Old Gray Lady says Gran Turismo 5 is "a hyper-realistic, high-speed journey, [and] is one of the best sellers for [the] Sony console." One little problem, the game isn't out yet. Next up they say the PlayStation 3 is $299, which would be awesome and perhaps the Times has some incredibly privileged info about Sony's holiday strategy, but we're pretty sure the system is going to be starting at $399 for a while. Oh, but they're not done yet. Did you realize the PS3 and Xbox 360 are both powered by the Cell processor? This is being reported by the venerable New York-freakin'-Times, so it must be true, right?[Thanks, Murph]
EA acknowledges Rock Band guitar defect, promises replacements
Although it was but a week ago that we first caught wind of potential Rock Band hardware issues, it seems the problems are more than just a figment of our imagination. We know, living that rock 'n roll lifestyle can certainly cloud your judgment, but if you're certain your axe is experiencing some issues -- particularly with the strum bar -- EA's here to help. The company has affirmed that certain guitars in initial shipments may have left the warehouse with "an imperfection [in] the strum bar," and if you're one of the afflicted, EA is offering a brand new replacement gratis. So go on, hit the link below to get the process started, and while you're waiting to get a shiny new Strat, why not brush up on those drum rolls?[Via Joystiq]Read - EA confirms guitar issuesRead - Replacement website
3G iPod nano not playing nice with Nike+iPod kit?
Word on the street -- or on the Apple discussion boards, rather -- is that quite a few 3G iPod nanos aren't exactly acting as they should when interfacing with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. Users are reporting that after updating to software v1.0.2, mileage is being displayed in kilometers instead of miles, even though the internal voice still quotes the latter. Additionally, recorded information uploaded to the Nike+ website is correctly shown (in miles), while the "Your Last Workout" section in iTunes makes you wonder if you're still living in America. Apple is apparently aware of the issue and is working towards a fix, but for now, it looks like you can turn lemons into lemonade by practicing your distance conversions on-the-run.[Iimage courtesy of jfab, thanks Gerry]
Edgar Bronfman admits to "inadvertently" going to war with music consumers
By now, we're pretty certain you know how Warner Music's head honcho feels about DRM and its necessity in the digital download space, but apparently, the man behind not one, but two CE-Oh Noes has experienced some form of epiphany. MacUser has it that Edgar Bronfman admitted that the music industry "used to fool itself" by thinking that its content was "perfect just exactly as it was" while speaking at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau. He went on to say that it was widely believed that the business would "remain blissfully unaffected even as the world of interactivity, constant connection and file sharing was exploding." He also noted that it essentially went to war "inadvertently" with consumers by "denying them what they wanted and could otherwise find." The conversation was used in part to urge mobile operators to not make the same mistakes again, and while we applaud such a figure for coming forward with a bit of hard truth, it remains to be seen if these sentiments will reverberate further or simply fall on deaf ears.[Via mocoNews]
Making 2.3 install in Vista
Apparently, the new patch has been having some problems under Windows Vista. Based on the description of the symptoms, I imagine this would be the same for other patches, so many of you may know this fix already. But then, some of you may have just upgraded to Vista. Anyway, here's the problem: the patch downloads OK, but the patcher fails to run correctly. According to Growl at Gitr's blog, this is because of permissions; the "normal" user on Vista doesn't have admin permissions, and therefore can't do things like run patchers.Fortunately, Growl has an easy solution. Just right-click the WoW icon and select "Run as administrator" (as depicted); log in and WoW will spawn the patch download, which will inherit its administrator privileges and, in turn, spin off the patcher, also running with admin privileges. Safety is good, Microsoft, but Vista might be a little too safe for its own good. Couldn't we at least have an alert asking us if we wanted to authorize the patcher?
Wii's Guitar Hero III not down with surround sound?
We don't know who thought it'd be smart to mess with the gods of rock, but choosing not to include surround sound support for Guitar Hero III just doesn't sound like an intelligent move. Nevertheless, a assemblage of Wii gamers are reporting that the game is outputting audio in mono, despite the packaging advertising that Dolby Pro Logic II is supported. We've even seen users with Pro Logic II-capable decoders explain that while other Wii titles sound fine, GHIII in particular refuses to cooperate. Supposedly, Activision is busy looking into the problem, but there doesn't seem to be a definitive time frame for when we can expect a fix. So, any of you shredders out there experiencing something similar, or have we only heard one channel, er, side of the story?[Via Joystiq]
NewEgg mistakenly ships out five Eee PCs for the price of one
Apparently, Asus' Eee PC is so small, even NewEgg's atypically quick fulfillment crew couldn't believe that five of these things could fit into a single cardboard shipping box, so they just decided to slap labels on entire cases and let 'em rip. Truth be told, there's no telling how nor why a number of users on the EeeUser.com forums were initially sent five machines for the price of one, but judging by a list of reports and even an accompanying picture, 'tis true. Supposedly, NewEgg caught on to what was happening and began turning shipments around before they were delivered, but rather than getting an apologetic call, credit towards a future purchase and a single overnighted laptop, some customers actually received all five. Granted, we're hearing that those in the latter camp were kind enough to let honesty prevail, but who knows how many lurkers are quietly slipping their newfound Eee PCs onto eBay as we speak. So, the question beckons: did any of you receive a whole lot of unexpected Eee PCs? Do tell.[Via DailyTech]
High-fi fix for malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul
Hey, you -- busy rigging up your malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul using the low-fi method we showed you earlier this week? If you're just getting started, we'd recommend putting the rubber bands back in the package and taking a look at this. Granted, it seems a bit silly that we're figuring out ways to repair instruments, er, controllers that should have been solid right out of the box, but we digress. This entirely more technical (but equally painless) fix involves a Torx driver, a bit of PCB rearranging and a triple check to make sure the wiring within wasn't installed haphazardly to begin with. If done properly, the contacts should have a much better connection once the axe is reassembled, and if you're still left with nonfunctional frets after all of this, you've certainly got our permission to go all Jimi Hendrix / Pete Townshend / etc. on it.[Thanks, Kyle]
Apple posts fix for freezing iMacs
Not a moment too soon, Apple has apparently delivered on its intentions to squash that annoying freezing bug that plagued some of its latest iMacs. Available now for Leopard (iMac Software Update 1.3) and Tiger (iMac Software Update 1.2), the update reportedly "provides important bug fixes and is recommended for 20- and 24-inch iMac models with 2.0, 2.4, or 2.8GHz processors." Unfortunately, we're given absolutely no elaboration beyond that, so for any of you out there still limping by on a freeze-happy machine, why not get your download on and let us know if your troubles do indeed vanish?[Via PCWorld]Read - iMac Software Update 1.3 for LeopardRead - iMac Software Update 1.2 for Tiger
Low-fi fix for malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul
We're not exactly sure if this problem is widespread, but for those currently dealing with malfunctioning frets on the new Guitar Hero III Les Paul, you should certainly give this a once over. An incredibly industrious gamer went out of his way to show us all what a few rubber bands and a 3M Utility Hook can do to solve your Guitar Hero blues, and if you haven't already slammed your axe into the floor, lit it on fire, or ceremoniously bludgeoned your Xbox 360 in frustration, there's hope for you still. This low-fi fix reportedly holds the connector plate in the neck and the pins in the body together more securely, enabling users to resume shredding sans trouble. Granted, this may not cure every single faulty axe out there, but it's certainly worth a try. Go on, roll up your sleeves and hit the read link for an (immensely easy) walkthrough.
18,000 attend E for All; but first, a little panic
Imagine our absolute panic and horror this morning when we checked the news wires to discover that E3 -- yes, the E3 -- was going on this week! No flights scheduled, no hotels booked and we didn't even send Ludwig to the doctor for his dry-wit injection this week -- wait, we didn't even get our invitations to the event! Thankfully, after reading through the first couple paragraphs we discovered that there was just some horrible computer error and there actually is no E3 this week ... we think. They could be hiding it.In related news, IDG World Expo, the organizers of the E for All event, say that 18,000 attended the inaugural show. Maybe they'll be able to up those numbers by getting Sony and Microsoft to attend when they hold E for All again (yup, it's already planned) much earlier next year at the LA Convention Center from Aug. 28 -30. Anybody who actually attended the event want to chime in on how it went?Read: E3 video game trade show in radical downsizingRead: 18,000 Attend E for All
Canon planning fix for EOS-1D Mark III autofocus issue
If you're one of those folks who just refused to fork out thousands of dollars for an EOS-1D Mark III after hearing reports of a seemingly widespread autofocus issue, take heart. Apparently, Canon is fessing up to the problem and is planning a remedy, although a simple firmware update doesn't seem to be it. According to an interview with Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's Director of Media and Customer Relationship, the firm is looking to issue a hardware fix that "adjusts the sub-mirror within the body." The company doesn't seem to think that every one of these beasts are afflicted, and its supposedly gearing up to provide a "simple way for owners to identify if their camera is among those affected." As for dates, US-based owners should be hearing more details about how the process will work by "the end of this month," while buyers that reside elsewhere will likely be informed shortly thereafter. If you're thirsty for more, be sure and hit the read link for the full chat.[Via CNET]
RSS feed has errors, will be fixed soon
Just wanted to thank everyone who has sent in tips about the error messages on our RSS feed (which you can find right here, when it's working, which is most of the time). We are aware the feed is broken, we have forwarded every one of your notes on to our technical guys, and hopefully the error will be fixed soon.And while we're at it, I'll take this opportunity as well to remind everybody about our tips form, ready and willing to receive any news you have for us. If you've heard or seen something big about the World of Warcraft that we haven't posted yet, feel free to drop us a note. Unfortunately, due to the volume of tips coming in, we can't answer everything you send (although we do try to-- some folks have sent technical questions about the game to us, which we try to answer to the best of our ability, as well as on our Ask WoW Insider feature). But we do read each and every note sent through that form, and there's no better way to contact us with tips, feedback, errors like the RSS feed problem, or anything else you'd like to tell us.Thanks for reading and letting us know what you think. We appreciate it!
