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Wii round-up: then and now
The last two days have been nothing but an avalanche of Wii news. We got release dates, territory pricing, and some new features all dropped on our laps. We're full, stuffed to the brim from the delicious smorgasbord of news. We're going to have to undo our belt, if you don't mind...So in all the excitement, has anyone ever checked past Nintendo promises in regard to the Wii to ensure that our beloved gaming company is providing us with truthful, accurate information? One blogger over at Joystiq, our good friend Ludwig, has done just that. The results show that Nintendo, like another gaming company who made a few promises, failed to deliver.Our favorite burn from the article:Then: In March 2006, Satoru Iwata tells CNN all about the USB ports on the Wii and how "practically any storage method can be used" in lieu of SD cards and the 512MB of internal storage. Now: Perrin Kaplan empties her Magnum into that idea, telling Wired News' Joel Johnson that only flash storage will be supported. Iwata's suggestion becomes relegated to something Nintendo "could" explore in the future. This "future" place we keep hearing about sounds fantastic.Head on over and give it a read.
Wii: it's all about the bling, son
A report over at Reuters is quoting Reggie Fils-ass kicker, name takerAime as saying that the Wii "will make a profit on the entire Wii proposition out of the box -- hardware and software." This is good news for Nintendo, who are not adapting the business models of their competition. With Sony and Microsoft, initial units sold are at a loss, so in this manner Nintendo has already managed to win in the next-gen console wars.Now that we have the pricing on the hardware, is this the reason the Wiimote and nunchuk attachment cost a ridiculous amount of money, to ensure profit immediately?[Via Joystiq]
Nintendo stocks: movin' on up, to the east side...
That theme from The Jeffersons came to mind when we first saw what a share in Nintendo stock was costing. Coming in at $26 (a six-year high) a share, high confidence in Nintendo's Wii is the main cause of this hike in price. Meryll Lynch even raised their price of Nintendo stock from $25 to $29 last Friday, stating that anticipation for the Wii was the main driving force behind the decision.A solid showing from the console at May's E3, along with continued support from third-party developers, and a large launch lineup are all contributing factors to Nintendo's pre-launch success. Should they follow through with plans and launch the console for an affordable price, make due on their promise of launch titles, and provide a robust online component through their WiiConnect24 service, there will be little to stop them from regaining the market share they enjoyed over 10 years ago.[Via Joystiq]
Calling all PSPs
Sony and one of its sister-companies, Sony-Ericsson, are hinting at a couple of interesting possibilities for a PSP phone, including the possible addition of VoIP capabilities to our favorite handheld as well as the potential for Sony to introduce some sort of brand-new "Playstation Phone" Frankenstein that would be separate from the PSP all together.In an informative and fun read, GameDaily goes sluething and digs up some interesting evidence that supports the rumors. Here's our favorite nugget-of-fun:"Sony Ericsson's senior vice president of Product and Application Planning, Rikko Sakaguchi, said such a phone may actually be in the works. Sakaguchi cryptically revealed to CNET Asia that the company 'is working on something' related to a PlayStation phone, but that 'the surprise must be kept for the future.'" Without doubt, that quote is cryptic, non-specific and bordering on hearsay. But that's the stuff that fanboys like us live for. Now, go and discuss.[Via GameDaily]
Xbox Live Vision camera reviewed, nudity imminent
Our pals over at Joystiq managed to get their hand on the Xbox Live Vision camera over the weekend, and what with the official launch of the Vision being two weeks away, they weren't expected to see any other gamers video-chatting during their testing. As it turns out, Joystiq's innocent reviewer met another camera user within minutes of booting up Uno, an encounter made doubly-memorable by the bare-assed greeting that the other Vision owner decided to send down the pipe. As well as functioning as a broadcasting platform for rookie streakers, the Vision is capable of mapping player's faces onto in-game characters and EyeToy-like gestural control: titles taking advantage of these features will hit the XBL Marketplace on September 19. Other tidbits that Joystiq noted include: an anthropomorphic design enhanced by the fowards-backwards / left-right custom tilt of the camera, and the complete listing of what's included in the two different camera bundles. Budget buyers will be looking to pick up the $40 package which includes the Vision, a one month XBL Gold membership, the Xbox 360 headset, and free downloads of Uno and a 3D platform game called TotemBall. The $80 bundle gets you a twelve month XBL Gold membership, 200 Microsoft Points, and a free download of Robotron: 2084 on top of everything included in the $40 package. Something tells us that September 19 is going to be a disturbing day for Uno players on Xbox Live.
Lack of HDMI cable in 60GB PS3? Sounds good
We've all heard the news by now. If not, here: Sony isn't shipping high-end PS3's with the HDMI cables. Now, reminiscing back to the days worked in Office Max, we always warned customers buying a printer that they did not come with a USB cable. This is relevant because the ever-intelligent GameStop employee's need to know to enlighten buyers to this issue (if they care about the upgrade from 1080i to 1080p). As this intrepid blogger realized as he purchased a used copy of Grandia III from his local game store, the employee's neglected to put the actual game discs in the case. A major annoyance and a word of warning to shoppers: don't forget the HDMI cable (if you care).Now then -- does this lack of inclusion matter? No. An HDMI cable is indeed an accessory, increasing the ability of the PS3. While some may argue that it should be included because they're already throwing down $600, you must remember that few games will operate at 1080p right at launch. Krazy Kaz Hirai even said, "to my eyes anyway, there's not a discernible difference between what you get between HDMI and other forms of high definition." That's cool. Besides, HDMI support isn't exactly a necessity to everyday gamers (hardcore or not), more of a plus. A fantastic article over at Joystiq talks further about this subject and should be thoroughly studied and reported on back here! We really have to get the people's opinion on the matter, but PS3fanboy says: HDMI cable exclusion isn't that big of a deal.
Gamespot possibly debunks redesigned PSP story
Yesterday, Joystiq reported news about a story in the newest PlayStation Magazine issue about a redesigned PSP in the works. The article said the new PSP would have 8GB of flash memory, be smaller and thinner and would have a built-in camera, but those super sleuths at Gamespot looked deeper into the article and say it isn't true. Gamespot's Rumor Control argues nowhere in the article does it say the new PSP will have the internal memory, but only that Sony purchased the flash memory units. Also, they say a large portion of the article is speculative and includes such terms as "likely" and "if we retooled the PSP."Gamespot's final verdict? Bogus.Whatever the case may be, I think Sony needs to do something to counter Nintendo's DS Lite. Sony is getting slaughtered in Japan, but I'm still not sure if throwing some internal memory, a camera and making the system smaller is really what will make the system any more successful. I would go for the dual analog nubs, though.(Via Gamespot)
Joystiq's own Chris G. sweats it out at the PAX new media panel
Our own Christopher Grant filled in today for an arguably hotter, but sadly absent, Frag Doll in PAX's "new media" panel on blogging, podcasts and other fancy publishing formats on them there Internets. He sat down with Kotaku's Brian Crecente, Julianne Greer from The Escapist, and MC Wilson from the Broadcast Gamer podcast, while Major Nelson moderated, gracefully playing the role of "corporate shill" (we're just playin'). The Web 2.0 buzzwords flew, Google Ad-Words were firmly promoted, NDAs were promptly scoffed, and Chris and Brian managed to leave the stage without resorting to fisticuffs. (Sad, yes.) E3 was a hot topic of debate -- even Major Nelson called it a mystery for Microsoft -- and all the panelists were unsure about the methods of coverage that will be available to them next year. An audience member mentioned that the Consumer Electronics Association (producers of that little Vegas show known as CES) are considering filling the gap, as we mentioned earlier this month, but it was still clear that future gaming shows are quite the mystery other than this weekend's obvious hit: PAX. We hope you can forgive this bit of utter meta vanity -- we'll now return you to your regularly scheduled programming -- but first, Chris would like to thank his Mom and his insatiable hunger for brains for making all of this possible. Oh, and if you'd like to hear the full discussion, Major Nelson should be posting it as a podcast soon, in true new media fashion.
Moe girls try to teach you English [Update 1]
English is a difficult language to learn, which is why the Japanese love making games to help you in your quest to master the language. And as you know, there's no better way to teach someone than through scantilly clad girls, But if the girls of that other English school were a bit too... real for your tastes, worry not! You can have a moe (which means "cute girls") teach you in Moegaku. These chibi anime girls look even younger than the girls of Simple 2500. If you want video proof, you got it!(Fake comments totally ripped off of Joystiq.)[Via QJ][Update 1: The title is Moegaku. Considering how I can read hiragana, that was a stupid, stupid mistake. Also, movie embedded after the cut.] Reader Comments (Page 1) 1. Why don't you just blog about some REAL PSP NEWS. Or should this blog be called Perverted Japanese Porn... Fanboy. Posted at 4:22PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Maxwell 0 stars 2. I'd hit it! Posted at 5:46PM on Aug 26th 2006 by Player1 0 stars
NCAA being recalled
A while back, we reported that NCAA was "busted up." We thought that a patch was going to be released, but EA has decided to replace those faulty discs with new ones. This is one of the more recent recalls that can't be blamed on Sony. Ironic that it only afflicts a Sony handheld...If you have a copy of the game and would like a replacement, send your UMD (without the game box) to: EA Customer Warranty Attn: NCAA PSP 209 Redwood Shores Parkway Redwood City, CA 94065 Make sure you include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number. Your new disc should reach you within 10 days.[Via Joystiq]
New Metal Gear Portable Ops trailer and details
As we promised earlier, a new trailer for the upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops was revealed today at the Games Convention in Germany. As you know, Naked Snake no longer works alone in this mission, which takes place six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. You'll have to choose your allies wisely, and strategically coordinate with them. According to Gamespot, you can even switch control between your four allies by pressing a button. Fans will be giddy to know that the original voice cast is back, including David Hayter who called the script for Portable Ops the best one yet. Also revealed was the downloadable characters feature: you can access different wi-fi points around the world and have characters (either from the story or randomly generated) appear in your game. Wow. How the GPS feature of the game will work hasn't been revealed yet, but let's not forget the game will be appearing at TGS.Once you're done watching the trailer, visit our sister site Joystiq for some more hands-on impressions and a crazy motherload of screenshots.
Extensive look into the PS3 XMB
Joystiq loves stories about the PS3's XMB... and so do we. IGN got their hands on direct-feed footage of the XMB in action, and it shows you how simple everything is on the PS3. You'll notice the return of the homebrew-hating "Network Update" icon, and a list of System Settings that's more than eerily similar. Almost everything is ripped from the PSP, right down to pressing the Right button to continue in menus, and the little clicking noises that are made when selecting an option. If anyone makes fun of your PSP as just a "Portable PlayStation," feel free to tell them that no... it's a portable PlayStation 3.[Via IGN]
360 gets a retro arcade stick
Ludwig over at Joystiq passed this little gem onto us today. Looks like the 360 will be getting an arcade stick after all, courtesy of Mad Catz. While it's obvious that the stick should be perfect for old school favorites like Galaga, certain elements are rather curious. First of all, the controller has both a joystick and a D-pad, suggesting that the stick is in fact analogue. Also, the triggers and shoulder buttons don't appear to be on the face of the controller at all. As such, hopeful Street Fighter purists may still be left without a suitable control. The original item on EB Games has since been yanked from the internet, but we managed to snag a shot of the page, which lists the controller for $69.99 (ouch) with a release date of October 1st. That's a pretty hefty price for a decent game of Pac-Man.
PS3 developers share same XMB as PSP owners
Last E3, we saw how the PS3 would share the same XMB (menu system) as the PSP. You'd be able to look at photos, listen to music, watch videos, surf the internet, and I guess you could play games too. Well, thanks to a video from 1UP, it looks like the final PS3 devkits share the same interface. The menu isn't as fancy as what PS3 players will experience, but I guess it gets the job done.[Via Joystiq]
Xbox 360's HD DVD add-on for games too? Microsoft says no
We're well aware that the HD DVD camp wants to use the upcoming Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on to battle the Playstation 3 as a high definition movie player, but rumors have persisted since the console's launch that it would eventually need the space for HD gaming. Those rumors got a new lease on life today when a trade magazine quoted a Microsoft exec as saying they "haven't determined" if the drive would be used for gaming. Just like earlier rumors of a price drop or that an integrated HD DVD drive was on its way, the Gamerscore blog has posted a denial of the claims. They're sticking to the company line that this drive is designed for playing movies, only, and will not play games on HD DVD. We're not sure if that will help the 360 by avoiding a split userbase or hurt HD DVD by not giving gamers another reason to upgrade, but with a yet-undetermined price and a potentially slower transfer speed than the existing DVD drive this decision is probably for the best.[Via Joystiq]
Fun = DS, not PSP, says EA exec
"Disgruntled" EA executive VP David Gardner recently went on record with MCV, worried about the current performance of the PlayStation Portable. "I don't think Sony can afford to sit back," Gardner told MCV. "I think they still have things they can do with the price and performance of the machine – things that they need to address."Sure, EA's made a lot of money off of the PSP, and their support remains strong. However, it looks like things will change, as the company refocuses its efforts on the DS: "There's no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP. I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun. We must never forget that what we need to focus on is fun and so EA is putting more effort behind DS games – and creative ones that really take advantage of the hardware."[Via Joystiq]
E3 lives! (and there was much rejoicing)
Speaking with my grim enemy bosom compatriot Ken Weeks earlier today, I lamented the death of E3. As Ken said, it was as if someone had canceled Christmas. When I signed up to blog here, Chris G. dangled E3 in front of me like some kind of golden carrot. Over the months I've been blogging, E3 '07 drove me onward, gave me purpose.Then, like a punch to the gut, it hit me out of nowhere. E3 was gone. The first year I would have a chance to go, it was canceled. Perhaps it's fate, I thought. Maybe it means I shouldn't be blogging and should instead learn to enjoy the fake woodgrain of my crappy office desk at my crappy "real" job (don't ask). Enter Joystiq with this news: E3 lives again! Though it will be somewhat smaller and more "intimate" (rowr), it is still definitely "on." It's still going to be in glamorous, smog filled LA, but will lose the circus/trade show feel. All I'm saying is this: Microsoft, when you're hosting those new and improved "intimate" media events, just put my name on the list. I will be there.
Loco Roco comic on Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade is once again featured in Joystiq's Weekly Webcomic Wrapup, and it is good. The happy-go-lucky nature of the Loco Roco has dark consequences, as you'll be able to see in the comic. But be warned, children! There's yucky adult language that might offend you. Tycho does seem to enjoy the game quite a bit, though. In his latest blog entry, he talks about Gamespot's 7.7 review and says "If I didn't know better, I would say they were reviewing games with the wrong organs." He thinks the game deserves much better.Don't forget to vote on Joystiq when you're done laughing.
Joystiq interviews Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Q Entertainment
In our final interview from the Develop Conference, Jen and I had a quick chat with Tetsuya Mizuguchi from Q Entertainment (and Rez fame) about the problems western developers face in trying to tackle the Japanese market, Rez 2 (he regrets never making it) and the issue of games that are critically successful, but don't sell so well (Rez again).Earlier on in your career you worked on titles like Sega Rally, Channel 5 and Rez. These are all very different genres and styles of game. What's inspired you to create such varied styles in your games?I don't care about the genre. Somebody once told me that I'm "hopping genres", but I've never really cared about genres. I always think about the human being, the wants that I think people have. Their basic instinct. So my games speak a universal language, so everybody can feel what is fun.
Sony's Phil Harrison arrogantly denies arrogance
Phil Harrison, big boss of Sony Computer Entertainment, sat down for a short session with Joystiq's Conrad Quilty-Harper and cleared up a couple of the more embarassing quotes from other members of Sony. About Sony's arrogance, he said: "There's always going to be a risk when you are market leader for ten years that we start to lose perspective; and we have to make sure that we don't lose perspective." He then reassures Conrad Sony is not being arrogant, but are always in the spotlight and any quotes will be dissected into whatever spin is being sought.About the statement "Microsoft is copying Sony"? Phil claims the quote was taken out of context, which is kind of hard to do when it was practically verbatim. Even so, as being the leader in the industry for about ten years, not only is it easier to get more hate than praise (if you think bashing President Bush is bad now, imagine how it would spiral out of control in four more years!), but it's also easier for the leader to get an inflated ego. As such, less people may support the PS3, but saying Sony's arrogant? Taken out of context, indeed. Really, this interview with Phil Harrison did not seem to clear much up at all except the people at Sony really believe in what they say. But should we?[via Joystiq]
