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Terrestrial HDTV programs coming to eight cities in China before Olympics
No doubt about it, the Olympics are spurning interest in HDTV programming in the Far East, and it looks like a handful of cities won't have to wait until summer to start enjoying the spoils of being this year's Olympic host. Apparently, a senior Chinese official has announced that "terrestrial high definition television (HDTV) programs will be broadcast in eight cities on the China Content Broadcasting Network in 2008 before the Olympic games commences in August." For those curious about specifics, citizens of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be able to catch HD programs on China Central Television (CCTV) in the not-too-distant future. So, how's about that flat-panel demand over there?[Image courtesy of BusinessWeek]
AT&T offers exclusive Olympic footage via U-verse VOD
Just over a month after we saw Verizon ink an exclusive deal to offer VOD viewing of a certain program, along comes its arch rival (one of the many, actually) pulling a similar stunt. Announced this week, AT&T will be the lone home for catching "exclusive episodes and behind-the-scenes footage of US Olympic Team hopefuls as they train for and compete in various sports." Rightfully dubbed AT&T Team USA On Demand, the new category of VOD content will "showcase episodes of USA Gymnastics Behind the Team," which will reportedly cover American athletes as they gear up for the summer games in Beijing. Unfortunately, we don't see this being available in high-definition, but it's surely a perk for U-verse subscribers who happen to be Olympic junkies on the side.
World to blame: Mario & Sonic Olympics sells 5 million units
The first pairing of two icons, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, sold five million units worldwide on the DS and Wii. GameDaily reports the joint Sega/Nintendo published title -- which met to less-than-stellar reviews -- reached the milestone in a little over three months, beating Sega's own expectations. Simon Jeffery, Sega of America's prez. and COO stated in a release that the game is "clearly resonating with the growing audience of casual gamers that want an engaging and accessible gaming experience."Jeffery goes on to say that the Olympics are still four months away, so he expects M&S at the OG to be sellin' with the quickness for a while. Also, in an amazing moment of restraint for an executive, Jefferey says he doesn't want to "dilute" the idea of Mario and Sonic teaming up by throwing them together all the time, he doesn't think it would be "the right thing to do." And which territory is to blame for this game selling well? Turns out the sales have "been pretty even, almost remarkably so" globally. Time to confess and repent, who bought this mini-game cash-in?
Game tournament to be "Welcome Event" at Beijing Olympics
Fans eager to get competitive gaming recognized as a real sport got a boost recently when the Global Gaming League announced they will be organizing a video gaming "Welcome Event" for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. "The Digital Games" will include World Cup-style national tournaments leading up to an international finals competition in Shanghai, where Olympic soccer matches will be held.While video games are recognized as an official sport by the Chinese government, the tournament falls quite a bit short of being an official, medal-worthy event at the 2008 games. Still, it's an important first step to that eventual goal, and one that GGL CEO Ted Owen thinks will be popular in its own right. "We believe the crowds we'll get will be far larger than for the Olympic games themselves," he said. That's a little hard to believe, considering 3 million attendees overall are expected for the real games. If the GGL is lucky, maybe they'll be more popular than racewalking ...Read - Announcement on GGLRead - Article on CNN/Fortune
Promotional Consideration: Return of the reused assets
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.Revisiting last week's theme of recycled assets, we're taking a look at the familiar artwork seen in a recent print ad for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Unlike the Flower, Sun, and Rain commercial which repurposed an old promotional music video to great effect, this one's a forgetful piece, the video game equivalent of a comic book cover with a generic superhero-team action shot.%Gallery-4700%
HDTV sales to surge in China, not due to Beijing Olympics
Couple the fact that the standard of living in China is set to rise substantially in the coming years with the perpetually dropping prices of flat-panel HDTVs, and it seems quite easy to see how some analysts are predicting huge HDTV sales in said nation this year. According to research firm DisplaySearch, LCD shipments to China are set to jump 70-percent this year to nearly 15 million units while plasma sales nearly double to over 1 million. Interestingly, the looming Beijing Olympics aren't being pinpointed as the main driver, or even a passenger, to be honest. For starters, the Chinese government canceled May Day holidays this year, "a major shopping season," and Lehman Brothers' James Kim even went so far as to note that the "Olympics can help sales, but it won't change the market fundamentals." If only they knew how fantastic the long-jump looked in 1080i...
Mario and Sonic at the embarrassing confession
It could be because this latest trailer starts with the hammer-throw/BUUUUUUHHHHH footage from the Japanese commercial, or because we've spent too much time acting over-the-top enthusiastic about this minigame collection, but we found after watching this that we really want to play Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Is that weird? It's not that we're so surprised to be interested in a game, it's just that we thought we were over the minigame thing by now. And, well, it does instill a bit of nostalgia to care about a Sonic game.But there's no denying it -- that vault event (the one in which the player draws shapes to make Peach flip) just looks fun. And it's just drawing shapes with the stylus! Well done, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. You got us a little.
Prosthetic-limbed runner disqualified from Olympics
Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter, has been denied a shot at the Olympics... for being too fast. The runner -- who uses carbon-fiber, prosthetic feet -- was reviewed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (or IAAF), a review which found the combination of man and machine to be too much for its purely human competitors. According to the IAAF report, the "mechanical advantage of the blade in relation to the healthy ankle joint of an able bodied athlete is higher than 30-percent." Additionally, Pistorius uses 25-percent less energy than average runners due to the artificial limbs, therefore giving him an unfair advantage on the track... or so they say. Oscar is expected to appeal the decision, saying a lack of variables explored by the single scientific study calls for deeper investigation into the matter. Our suggestion? Prosthetic legs for all![Via Medgadget]
Win a medal in 'buying Mario and Sonic'
Well, not so much "win" as "receive for free." And by "medal" we mean "pin with the game's logo on it." But other than that, this pin is just like an Olympic medal. Athletes win medals for excellent performance in Olympic events, and you can get this pin for going to GameStop and spending thirty-five dollars! It's the true Olympic experience.This is the perfect accessory to let other DS fans know that "Yes, I'm the one who bought the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games." Or, more likely, the perfect eBay fodder to recoup some of the cost of the game.
Sega, Eurocom tapped for 08 Olympics game
Get those button mashing fingers ready, the latest title based on the Olympic Games is in the works. Sega, who won the rights to the 2008 Olympics way back in 2005, will be publishing the official game based on the real games to be held in Beijing this year. Creatively titled Beijing 2008: the Official Video Game of the Olympic Games, the game is being developed by Eurocom, who are best known (if you can call it that) for the recent game based on Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End. It's worth noting that they also developed the Athens 2004 Olympics game as well (or maybe it isn't). Thirty-five events will be recreated for the game along with recreations of many of the real world venues. Strangely, the game apparently offers a simplified control scheme that's easier for casual players to come to grips with. We're not exactly sure how you simplify things like mashing buttons and twirling sticks. Finally, call us crazy, but we're guessing the game will arrive in time for the Olympic Games later this year.
Mario and Sonic at the Rubbing Olympics
We're going to be let down by any and all Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games advertising that doesn't feature bellowing from now on, but that doesn't mean we don't want to see more footage of the game. This latest trailer features some fencing and ping-pong, but also provides us with a good look at the "Dream Race" event, which is basically Mario Kart without karts. More than anything, Sega's bizarre fixation on "rubbing" is on display here. Having already created two games built around the idea of rubbing (so much so that "rub" appears in the titles of both in Europe), Sega is using the term to describe the screen-digging back-and-forth technique used in most of these games. We don't mind -- our screen works hard and deserves the occasional massage.
Mario & Sonic is AWESOME
We thought we weren't that into the DS version of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. But Nintendo has fully convinced us that the game is amazing and worth our time, using some innovative marketing. The first commercial here both influences our reaction to the game and mirrors our reaction to the commercial itself.First, we just watched, from the perspective of a player, as he tries the hammer throw the first time. The controls are easy to figure out, and he's swinging at a pretty good speed almost immediately. Then he releases the hammer and AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GO HAMMER! We love this game now. We want to buy the yelling-at-stuff sports game when it comes out on the 22nd. We'll be first in line to yell at all the retail employees.[Via GoNintendo]
Lenovo rolls out Olympic-themed USB drive
Lenovo long ago revealed its Olympic-themed laptops, but it looks like the company isn't done with the technology tie-ins just yet, as it's now trotted out a similarly-branded USB flash drive to go along with the laptops (or your own). As you can see, the thumb drive should at least match the laptop quite nicely, but there unfortunately doesn't seem to be any word as to what capacities will be available, or any other details for that matter. We're pretty sure you can expect them to roll out sometime before the Olympics get underway this summer, however, with 'em likely to demand a bit of a premium over other, non-Olympic drives.
Australia / India Twenty20 match to be aired in 1080i
In what's believed to be an Australian first, the Twenty20 matchup between Australia and India is slated to be aired in 1080i. The event, which will occur on February 1, 2008 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, will be shot and broadcast in high-definition on Australia's Nine Network. The announcement is coming in the midst of competition between Seven, Nine and Ten to ramp up HD offerings, as Ten is already planning to broadcast every single 2008 AFL (Australian Football League) contest in HD while Seven aims to show the Beijing Olympics in 1080i. Meanwhile, we Americans will be gearing up for Super Bowl XLII.
China's CCTV begins OTA HDTV broadcasts tomorrow
China promised OTA HDTV in 2008, and they're not waiting to deliver it. Starting January 1, China's Central Television HD station moves from digital cable-only to the airwaves in Beijing, and progressing to the rest of the country over the next few years. Viewers may need a new set-top box to receive CCTV's DMB-T signals, and it will be broadcast on all public antennas and cable systems. Between the Olympics, CH-DVD, and cheap HDM players 2008 will be a year of many interesting developments for high definition in China.
Event demonstrations in Mario & Sonic at the Olympics
IGN has dished out four new trailers for Sega's upcoming romp starring both Nintendo and Sega's most recognizable characters. It's also the first game to have both Sonic and Mario in it, although it might not be the one you're waiting for. So, check out the freestyle swimming above and head past the break for three more trailers from the other included challenges in Mario & Sonic at the Olympics. %Gallery-4700%
Mario & Sonic filmed at the Olympics
A hot new trailer has hit the bench, cooling itself down next to the Gatorade after competing. It's stopped just long enough for us to get a good look at it. Inside, it presents some of the 16 different events and how you'll have to destroy your touch screen to ensure victory. Also, there are 16 different playable characters, but that doesn't make much difference considering Mario can apparently keep up with Sonic in a foot race.%Gallery-4700%
Mario & Sonic at the Olympics for all to see
With the DS receiving its version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympics during Q1 next year, we find ourselves growing more anxious as to how the portable version will differentiate itself from its console version. Actually, we're just wondering if it'll be good, since the Wii version wasn't received with accolades and some kind of parade. In fact, it was just the opposite.But, we're optimists. So, we're perfectly fine with believing the game will be incredible up until we have it in our hands and find out the truth for ourselves. Heck, we've done it enough times with other games, that's for sure.Head past the break for some more screens.
China's TD-SCDMA deployment may be ready in time for Olympics
While most of the world plods along with WCDMA and EV-DO based networks to serve up 3G, China likes to do things its own way -- largely to avoid licensing fees -- by cookin' up TD-SCDMA. TD-SCDMA isn't commercial yet, which explains why the overwhelming majority of handsets targeted at the billion-strong Chinese market continue to this day to top out with 2G data. Unfortunately, launch dates have been pushed back time and time again; a full-scale launch isn't expected in 2007 at this point, though China Mobile reports that it's on target to complete networks in eight cities by year's end. That is good news, since it means that there's still hope for China to be able to showcase its shiny, new, royalty-unburdened technology by the time the Summer Olympics roll into Beijing next summer. ZTE and other domestic manufacturers (and some foreign ones, too) seem at the ready to deliver equipment into consumers' hands, so it's up to the carriers to get those towers up and running on the double. In other words: if you work for China Mobile, we think you have better things to be doing right now, don't you?[Via mocoNews]
Mario & Sonic sprints to DS on Jan. 22
If you intentionally ignored overlooked last week's Wii release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Sega hopes to entice you with the DS version instead. The handheld mascot showdown has been assigned a release date of January 22nd, placing it in the sea of calm following this holiday's storm of intergalactic mega-epics. By next year, you might actually care whether or not a portly plumber can best a hedgehog in a test of physical endurance. The press release notes that the DS version of Mario & Sonic boasts single- and multi-card multiplayer, as well as exclusive Olympic events not seen in the console variant. These include platform diving, cycling and "Dream Shooting (Skeet)," no doubt an event tasking players with murdering the star of TV's "Jericho" before time runs out.[Image: Fanboys Online]
