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Party with TUAW at WWDC
Monday, June 11 is going to be a big day. Oh sure, Jobs and Co. are going to lay some heavy fun stuff on us in the morning. And that afternoon the blogosphere will implode, and Engadget will liveblog the whole thing. But the night will host the very first second official TUAW meetup.What better place to mull the latest iPhone announcements, or chuckle over the Finders-of-yon than San Francisco's own House of Shields? I hear tell Merlin Mann has made an appearance at the venerable watering hole, so who knows what other Mac masters might appear? *(Please note, I've no idea if Merlin will even be on the West Coast next week.) Anyway, House of Shields is about five minutes from the Moscone, so we're hoping no one is troubled by travel issues. You can see an invite of sorts over here on Upcoming. Since the place is pretty much a bar, I'm thinking you'll have to be 21 to attend, sorry folks (consolation prize info coming tomorrow). The party starts at 8pm, and we've got a few drink tickets for the imbibing. Giveaways start at 10pm. We hunt Zunes for sport at midnight.
Party Timer clock tells you how rockin' your rave actually is
Make no mistake, adorning your party with gadgetry that not only amps up the atmosphere but simultaneously exalts your geekness is no new trend, but the Party Timer clock / informative display takes ubiquitous party monitoring to a new dimension. The LED-packed device sports a fairly attractive enclosure and simply displays the time whenever work has got you down, but if any of the internal ambient noise sensors start recognizing sustained levels of increasing sound, it can switch into its own zoot suit and give your guests the skinny. While in Party Mode, the clock morphs into an informative display that shows No Party when there's no sustained noise above ten decibels, but for eight additional ranges, the device flips through Romantic Party (11 to 20 db), Talking Party (21 to 50 db), Lite Party (52 to 70 db), Music Party (71 to 90 db), Dance Party (91 to 100 db), Club Party (101 to 120 db), Mega Party (a dangerous 121 to 160 db), and if you're still alive to notice, Atom Party shows up when things get pegged above 161 db. Click on through for a few closeups of this rave must-have.[Via Gearlog]
Wii Warm Up: NMS excitement
Fresh from the Nintendo Media Summit, we've quite a few impressions of games coming out in the immediate future. Among them: Mario Party 8 Super Mario Strikers: Charged Big Brain Academy Pokemon Battle Revolution The Bigs Boogie My Word Coach Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 We're most jazzed for Strikers, especially after reading such effulgent impressions from Penny Arcade. But which game shown at NMS excited you the most? If you were stuck on an island and could only have one game ... you know, assuming you had a Wii and a couple Wiimotes, and a nice TV ... maybe some nunchuks, oh, and the sensor bar, and I guess you'd need a standard 120 W outlet somewhere in the sand ... and a decent supply of food and water, or you wouldn't spend your time playing the Wii ... you know what, never mind.
Halo-wood Party: The Devil Wears Combat Boots
The Master Chief is a busy cyborg. Between saving humanity from The Flood, fighting Brutes, blowing up Halos, being pampered by Microsoft, penning his memoirs and having coffee with Cortana, he just didn't have time to learn the names of the celebrities who attended his Hollywood party last night. Can you help him?Below is a gallery of all the folks that showed up to get down with the Master Chief. Keep a count of the people you can name from this list and help the Master Chief. Require some assistance? We're not much help. Aisha Tyler (former Talk Soup hostess, lover of our "friend" Ross, deceased friend of Ghost Whisperer) is the goddess in the white dress, but you'll have to figure out the rest on your own. Napoleon Dynamite is in there along with The Human Torch. Some of these people should really have name tags.%Gallery-3177%
Mythbusters: Pee on the PS2 edition
It's the stuff great urban legends are made of: A drunk University of Wyoming student supposedly knocked himself out and earned a trip to the hospital after urinating on a still-plugged-in PS2 at an off-campus party. The story got pushed by Fark on Monday and is slowly making its way into the mainstream media, getting a mention yesterday on Fox News Live.We're a bit incredulous. First of all, it's arguable whether or not the physics of the story would even work. The popular Discovery TV show Mythbusters determined that it's nearly impossible to get shocked by peeing on the supercharged third rail of a train track because the urine stream isn't consistent enough to carry a charge. Even if the drunken party-goer somehow did get close enough for a solid stream, we find it hard to believe that the measly power output of a PS2 would knock someone out for a full ten seconds.The original report itself doesn't exactly inspire confidence, either -- Fun Tech Talk is not exactly a well-known and respected source for news. While the post reads like an AP brief, there's no link to any outside sources or mention of who originally reported the story. There are some journalistic inconsistencies too -- the party supposedly happened late Saturday night, but the dateline says it was written that same Saturday.The final nail in the coffin? None of the three students mentioned in the piece turn up on the University of Wyoming's online student directory.While we'd like to believe in the poetic justice for anyone stupid enough to pee on a game system, we've got to nip this one in the bud. As the Mythbusters themselves might say, this one is busted.
Would you like to read impressions of the DS Style series?
Game|Life's Chris Kohler got a chance to "play" with the DS Style collection at the Square Enix Party, and came away with positive impressions of the title we're most interested in: the classical music program which he translates as Would you like to listen to classical music on the Nintendo DS? The program sounds pretty interesting: it contains 100 pieces of music, a shuffle feature, and information and images related to each piece. It also gives users information about buying the music on CD. Kohler's impressions of the other titles weren't as positive, but it didn't sound like there was anything wrong with them. He just couldn't summon up the excitement for looking at maps.
An actual Mario Party
So, tomorrow is Mother's Day. Now, before you go off and attempt to make reservations for some swanky brunch (which you're already two weeks too late doing), we've got some ammo to use against the lady that never really appreciates your Xbox gamerscore. Today was apparently some little boy's birthday and his parental unit(s) threw him a Mario-themed party with piranha plant centerpieces and coin boxes (with chocolate gold coins inside!) as party favors. Was your mom ever that cool?So, if your mom never threw you a Mario-themed birthday party, you can always throw this in her face and say she'll get brunch when you get the party you always wanted. Not on your birthday, mind you. You want it now! You go Veruca, tell that woman who birthed you who's boss![Via The Tanooki]%Gallery-3095%
The real Mario Party
There's a party going on tomorrow and the Tanooki got a sneak preview of the decor. It's a full-on Super Mario themed bash, complete with all the stuff you'd expect to find in a Mario game. This fantastic Chain Chomp piñata is just waiting to be smashed, hopefully by a jumping kid in a Mario costume. Seriously, if there's an invite going free, we'd love it.Head past the break for the giant Pirahna Plants and chocolate coins!
'The big three' ARE coming in 2007 (to Japan)
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo confirmed that they do in fact plan to release Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl by the end of this year, as well as pretty much every Nintendo game announced for the Wii. This corroborates an IGN report to the same effect, and is also totally, totally rad. Here's the full list of Nintendo's planned 2007 releases. Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race is slated for June 28, and the rest are all "2007": Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race Wii Health Pack Disaster: Day of Crisis Mario Party 8 Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Wii Music Super Mario Galaxy Super Smash Bros. Brawl Battalion Wars II Forever Blue Mario Strikers Charged Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Keep checking with us for news of the inevitable delays of about half of these. Seriously, that's a lot of first-party Nintendo games for just half a year or so. Aw, we just made ourselves sad with our own skepticism. Still, if half of this stuff does get released in Japan this year, it'll be great news and do a pretty good job of ending any drought that may or may not be happening.Update: fixed some italics and formatting.
Pokemon launch event at Nintendo World Store
New York City Pokemon fans: Nintendo wants to catch you all! If you are near the Nintendo World Store on April 22 and want your purchase of one of the first copies of Pokemon Diamond or Pearl to be a big deal, why not pick up your copy there and check out their launch party?Nintendo promises that their event will bring attendees "live stage events, a Pokemon scavenger hunt, contests, and cool prizes like exclusive premiums, Pokemon Nintendo DS Lite units, Pokemon gear, and even tickets to some great summer sporting events!" Pokemon Nintendo DS Lite units, huh? Better go early to beat the eBay vultures. You know, so you can get your own to sell on eBay.
The Square Enix party lineup
It's the party that every Final Fantasy nerd (myself included) wants to go to: the Square Enix Party, happening later in May. With the exception of one mystery "never before seen" Final Fantasy game, Square has announced their list of games available on the showfloor:PlayableFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Lion's WarCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VIIVideo-OnlyFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy IIDoes anyone else find it strange that, although Crisis Core is playable, two ports of NES games are not? Will these titles not be optimized enough by then? Regardless, getting play time with the PSP prequel to Final Fantasy VII seems like PSP Fanboy's dream come true. Anyone want to give me a plane ticket?[Via Wired]
Square Enix party details make us want to buy a ticket to Tokyo
IGN has some of the details for the upcoming Square Enix party in Japan, which could result in overload for Final Fantasy fanboys and fangirls in attendance. The tip of the iceberg includes: Dragon Quest Monster Joker (DS, playable) Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wing (DS, playable) Final Fantasy Tactics (PSP, playable) Itadaki Street DS (DS, playable) Dragon Quest Swords (Wii, playable) It's a Wonderful World (DS, playable) Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII (PSP, playable) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (DS, playable) Final Fantasy XI (PS2, X360, Windows, playable) Final Fantasy (PSP, video) Final Fantasy II (PSP, video) Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road (Arcade, video) Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete (Blu-Ray, video) Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Mobile, video) Partygoers will also be able to play a slew of mobile game demos, and will be going home with exclusive Square Enix goodies, some of which can be seen here. Give us the slime from Dragon Quest, and we might be able to pretend like we experienced all this first-hand.
New Tamagotchi Party On screens
If any Wii games have been lacking in vibrant color, it's because Tamagotchi: Party On! took all the color from a year's worth of games. Seriously, this game more than cancels out Sadness in mood and, especially, in color saturation. In these screens, we can see what looks like a game board-- we would guess it connects the minigames, in the style of another well-known minigame collection.This is, at least in terms of visuals, the most charming minigame collection we've seen since Incredible Crisis. Will it be as much fun? At least minigames have the potential to be more interesting with unique control schemes like the Wiimote provides. Check out some screens after the break!
Tamagotchi Party On! gameplay videos
Why didn't anyone tell us that Tamagotchi: Party On! was so adorable? We could have been staring dreamily at it since the Japanese Wii launch. What a missed opportunity.Party On! is a minigame collection about trying to become the president of Tamagotchi Planet, and is full of edgy political satire cute competitive games that involve shaking hands, opening kind-of-unsettling animated doors, and directing traffic, from what we see so far. We love the appearance of this game, which recalls Parappa the Rapper without actually being flat. Speaking of Parappa, the Tamagotchi DS games were developed by Parappa creators Nana-On-Sha, but this one seems to be the work of an internal Namco Bandai team. If we ever hear confirmation that Nana-On-Sha is developing for the Wii, you will hear about it immediately. We will interrupt your regularly scheduled websites. Enjoy some videos after the break![Via GoNintendo]
EA hosts SSX party at Ice Hotel
To celebrate the release of SSX Blur, EA held an event at Quebec's Ice Hotel, which is a hotel made of ice. A hotel, where people sleep, where the walls are made of ice. Journalists got a chance to play the new game and see new demos of Army of Two and a mysterious new property that is, unfortunately, under embargo. Junkie XL, who is responsible for Blur's soundtrack, provided a performance, presumably using non-ice-based instruments. The crowd was also treated to drinks at the ice bar (a bar made of ice), and, of course, warm chicken soup, which no doubt helped everyone keep warm. Ice, as you may have heard, is cold, and the event took place in a building made entirely of ice.We don't know whether to be jealous of the people who were invited to this unusual locale, or happy that we spent the day in an environment habitable by humans. Luckily Blur is out in stores and we can enjoy it in our nice, temperate homes.[Via QJ.net]
Wii party tips from college finance site
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Wii_party_tips_from_who_else_college_finance_company'; We may be Wii experts, but we aren't exactly party experts. We hear a lot about the Wii being great in social settings, but since it doesn't come preloaded with friends, we e-hermits remain alone in our (separate) caves.Lucky for you, then, that some real party people are willing to help you plan your shindig: NextPath, a newsletter about student loans, has compiled a list of helpful household hints for your next college Wii party. Who would know more about partying than a corporation that finances student loans? Besides anyone else.The list of suggestions, which was probably generated by a computer and then focus-tested on other, younger computers with Mountain Dew logos on them, includes among its 15 essentials things, stuff like Icy Hot, headbands, Ace bandages and eye protection. That makes their ideal event sound a lot more like the kind of party we'd plan, and not the kind of party that someone who is successful at making friends would even deign to attend (guys wearing #8 "Ankle Support" are certain to be a big hit with #2 "Ladies.")We wonder if this kind of mainstream coverage of the Wii is indicative of a real cultural phenomenon, or if Nintendo marketing just helped finance a few student loans.[Via NeoGAF]
Mizuguchi launches in style
While the rest of the world has had the ability to enjoy Mizuguchi's Lumines II, Japan only recently got access to the puzzler. Unlike America and Europe, where the game was published by Buena Vista Games, this Q Entertainment effort is self-published in Japan, marking it as a huge milestone for the once-smalltime developer.To celebrate the launch of Lumines II, Mizuguchi held a massive party in Air, a famous hot spot, a few blocks south of Shibuya station. Famitsu was on hand, offering tournaments, and the alcohol flowed freely. Check out IGN to see more pics and details from a night of puzzle-inspired debauchery.See also:PSP Fanboy review: Lumines II
Gamecock: former 'G.O.D.' heads launch indie-friendly publisher
Former Gathering of Developers executives Mike Wilson and Harry Miller are buck-buck-bucking the trend of safe bets (major licenses and sequels), founding an "independent, artist-driven" game publishing company dubbed Gamecock Media Group. "At least they're not infringing on my trademark: Gamepecker," approved Joystiq's Chris Grant. The Gamecock brand is symbolic of Wilson and Miller's "keep it fun" attitude, explained a rep from the 'cock pen,' adding that "Gamecock will just be a little name on the back [of the box]." This is an effort to spotlight independent developers and offer these studios the necessary freedom and financial incentives to contribute original content to the industry. "[Things] are getting stale. We aim to change that," vowed Wilson. Gamecock has announced the following five titles, which it plans to publish during the next few years, spanning PC, consoles, and handhelds: Fury (Auran) - PvP MMO game for PC; scheduled for release during 2007 holiday season Insecticide (Crackpot Entertainment) - film noir action-adventure game set in a decaying world run by bugs; available for the 2007 holiday season on handheld (TBA) and PC Mushroom Men (Red Fly Studios) - set in an incredibly detailed, stylized world where mushrooms have taken on human-like features and are now embroiled in a civil war; slated for a spring 2008 release on a "next-gen" console and handheld (both TBA) Hail to the Chimp (Wideload Games) - impossible-to-classify party game based on politics in the animal kingdom; scheduled for release in spring 2008 for "next-gen" consoles (TBA) Hero (Firefly Studios) - a brutal, but comical romp through the "real" world of medieval dungeons; coming to a "next-gen" console (TBA) and PC in spring 2009 %Gallery-1590%
NFL oks Super Bowl viewing in churches, as long as no one pays
Whilst many may be aware of the strong reputation that churches hold for repeatedly pulling off successful annual gatherings, a recent letter sent by the NFL to the Fall Creek Baptist Church suggests that this particular organization isn't quite so clued in. The letter, which caused the church in question to cancel a planned "Super Bowl Party" sparked a litany of other cancellations by churches scared of attracting the wrath of the league. The NFL has subsequently attempted to rectify the situation it got itself into -- some would argue the sports equivalent of "cancelling Christmas" -- by stating that their original claim was that churches could display the game, as long as they didn't charge for entry, or display the game on anything other than "a television of the type commonly used at home": in the case of the kitted out Fall Creek Baptist Church, they were hoping to broadcast the game on a TV measuring more than a divine 55-inches diagonally. Unfortunately for the groups that arranged and then subsequently cancelled their parties, it's a little too late to re-advertise. Fortunately, God's omnipresence comes in handy for these sort of screw-ups, so the solution for watching the game at home with the ultimate authority is as simple as leaving a space on the couch. Whether or not he digs your set is an entirely different matter, and one that's entirely down to thickness of your wallet.[Via Tom's Hardware]
NFL shuts down church's Super Bowl Bash, ratings to blame
C'mon folks, everyone and their grandmother will likely be watching the Super Bowl this coming Sunday (even across the pond), and even if you have no interest in the Colts, Bears, or large men in awkward suits, someone in your family probably feels otherwise. Nevertheless, the NFL showcased its mighty power (and terrible decision making) by condemning Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash," saying that advertising a fee-based party that utilized "license-protected words" was against regulations. Furthermore, ditching the door charge and the taboo language wasn't good enough to solve the problem, as "the law" limits Super Bowl (wait, can we say that now?) party TVs to a quantity of one, and that single set must not be over 55-inches. Needless to say, we don't doubt that good few of you fine, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens will be catching the big game with a couple of your friends on your 60-inch plasma (or 100-inch projection screen), but we'd highly recommend building an underground bunker between now and Sunday to make sure your plans are safe. Of course, bars and other eateries are somehow exempt from this bogus rule, and as expected, all the grumbling stems from Nielsen's obvious inability to estimate just how many folks are watching a single tube on this advertisers' dream night, but ratings drops or not, we wouldn't mess with Touchdown Jesus.
