Penny Arcade
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Japanese hardware sales, Mar. 12 - Mar. 18: ridiculously rampant racketeering edition
It's not very often that you get accused of being part of an evil conspiracy. It certainly isn't very often that you're given opportunity to use words such as "collusion," "racketeering" or "farcical," especially not in the same sentence! It is thus with great pleasure that we inform you that Joystiq has been implicated in an imagined and entirely farcical collusion that promotes racketeering. The always entertaining and fundamentally unhinged attorney at lawl, Jack Thompson, has deemed it fit to include us (along with the ESA, Penny Arcade, Gamespot, Kotaku and more) in his latest attack on Take Two. Apparently, the publisher has "collaborated and conspired" with us to further their racketeering activities. Of course, we're not even sure what racketeering is. "I'm selling these fine leather rackets," springs to mind, but we're convinced it's more complex than that. Perhaps we've been USING TOO MANY CAPITALIZED WORDS? Should we "turn it down a notch," as the old folks are fond of saying? Either way, please let us know in the comments section -- or else we'll punch you in the face and trash your store, ya hear?- DS Lite: 121,471 12,959 (11.94%)- Wii: 67,070 22,575 (50.74%)- PSP: 43,769 12,406 (22.08%) - PS3: 21,635 10,480 (32.63%) - PS2: 13,321 1,264 (8.67%) - Xbox 360: 2,910 423 (12.69%) - Game Boy Micro: 727 85 (10.47%) - GBA SP: 557 122 (17.97%) - Gamecube: 367 127 (52.92%) - DS Phat: 159 40 (33.61%) - GBA: 9 4 (30.77%)[Sales chart beaten out of: Media Create]See also, or else: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts[This edition inspired by our fellow racketeers, rocketeers and raconteurs, Penny Arcade]
Too Human's Denis Dyack pokes fun at Penny Arcade game
Ever since Too Human got savaged by the press for sporting a decidedly wonky framerate at E3 2006, Silicon Knights frontman, Denis Dyack, has been somewhat frigid towards the issue of unfinished games and the media's ability to influence opinion based on early code. Not too long ago, the first part in the sci-fi action trilogy emerged from a "very cold place," hoping to set things back on track and get people to focus on all the good things that were, perhaps unfairly, overlooked in favor of counting the number of frames per second. The Penny Arcade duo has discussed (some would say dissed) the game several times in the past, most recently posting a comic literally illustrating the dangers of revealing premature products.Dyack has continued the trend by posting his own modified Penny Arcade strip on his IGN blog, taking a jab at the generally unfavorable reaction to Gabe and Tycho's upcoming foray into interactivity. With the greener shoe now on the other end of the turning tables (or something along those lines), it becomes clear that presenting your unfinished game to the public is a tricky business indeed. Perhaps that's too serious a tone to end on considering Dyack's amusing contribution, but it's an interesting dilemma nonetheless.How do you convey the big picture in a cursory glance? When do you show too much and when do you show too little?[Thanks, Adam]
Readers pick best webcomic: Hecker the Traitor
It may have required some background knowledge of 300 and Chris Hecker to understand, but the Joystiq webcomic lovers chose via parliamentary procedure 2P Start's entry as the best webcomic of last week.Second place went to Penny Arcade and third from Scott Johnson's Extra Life. Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 11
PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to MP_ROOT/101ANV01/. Requires firmware 2.00 or above. Do NOT place in "VIDEO" folder. Firmware 2.80 or above do not need to download thumbnails. Penny Arcade Adventures [PC]Download MP4 (3.19MB) | Download THM The following videos are featured after the break: The Invisible, Ratchet & Clank [PS3], God of War II [PS2], The Simpsons Movie
Readers pick best webcomic, how ironic
It takes guts to admit something good about a company who you've lost faith in so long ago. That's just what the Penny Arcade crew tackled in their strip relating to the recent PlayStation 3 announcements, winning best game-related webcomic of the week. Special thanks to Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, who was kind enough to stop for a quick chat at GDC last week. Second place goes to the comic we were most tipped off to, the Perry Bible Fellowship, and third place was claimed by Extra Life. A note about Tip of the Sword. While we thought the MMO joke was funny, we really loved the Halo gag more. Unfortunately, we were of the mindset that we picked that strip last week -- blame it on the jet lag from GDC. Apologies to Auker for not using the comic he submitted. Still, we thought the MMO one was funny.Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
Wii Warm Up: Comics and games
For some crazy reason, the Wii has come up quite a bit in webcomics since the name was officially announced. Part of that is simply due to the fact that gaming is such a popular subject in online comics, and the rest ... well, we think it may have something to do with the name. Just a guess. What are some of your favorite gaming comics? How've you felt about some of the Wii comics so far? Do you have any favorites to share?[Image from Penny Arcade (of course).]
The other side of a disturbed teen's tale
Yesterday we reported on a CNN article that surfaced recently where a teenager cited video games as inspiration for the "sport killing" of a homeless man. The piece riled up Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, whose rant places much of the blame on the parents.In a rare opportunity, the stepmother of one of the children involved in the death wrote a long and compelling letter describing her relation with the perpetrators. The writing presents a powerful, impassioned perspective on raising demonic children. "The kid knows full well that by equating what he's done to a video game," she said, "that he will generate controversy and media coverage." As Gabe points out (and we will affirm), she's right.The news will get out, whether or not the gaming media covers it (a fact Doug Lowenstein fails to understand). Gaming is the new controversial medium -- just look at how much the mainstream media has attached itself to whether or not a Utah killer possessed or played video games of any sort. It's up to the media of all forms to tackle the issue responsibly and put the issue in perspective -- that the kid was demonic and psychotic -- but we expect some outlets will go for the hysterical approach.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Readers pick best webcomic: the $64,800 bounty
True, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton's $1,200 boast has been taken somewhat out of context, but it does make for some excellent satire. Enter Penny Arcade's Tycho and Gabe, whose comic earned the not-dubious-at-all award for best game-related webcomic of the week.Rounding up second and third place are Dueling Analogs and VG Cats, respectively.Congratulations to perennial entry RPG-TV, who is celebrating its one year anniversary. According to the comic's creators there will be guest strips aplenty, starting with Digital Unrest's Chris Simmons' comic. Other guest artists promised include the minds behind Dueling Analogs, Fanboys-Online, Boot_Error "and many more whom I cant mention here without making this sentence long and unwieldy."As mentioned in the comments on Saturday, all those comics were sent to us via the tip line will be included this week. Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!(Note: $64,800 is equivalent to 54 PlayStation 3 sightings.)
Readers pick best webcomic: 95% almost brand new!
Recently profiled artist Steve Napierski (Dueling Analogs) suffers a power outage, pushes his Final Fantasy XII strip to 2:00a.m. tonight, but shuffles together a trio of devious consoles to create the reader's choice best game-related webcomic of the week.Second and third place were claimed by old hats Penny Arcade and Ctrl+Alt Del, respectively. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon (or create) this week!
Readers pick best webcomic and hate Mario Party
I know what at least three of you are saying out there: "how can you hate Mario Party? It's so fun and non-repetitive and I own all seven versions!" Well calm down there, skipper, because not everyone thinks video board games are the greatest thing since non-video board games.Julian's hands-on with Mario Party 8 sent Penny Arcade's Gabe into a frenzy and subsequently became the most popular gaming comic this week. Second place went to Fanboys Online and third place was claimed by Qwantz, even though we mistakenly linked to the picture and not the comic / news page (thanks, karmaghost). Be sure to congratulate Qwantz artist Ryan North, as his comic turned four years old as of February 1st!Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
Ping Pong with Penny Arcade, to the pain!
After feasting upon the flesh of Seattle import vendor Pink Godzilla, the Penny Arcade crew are thirsting for new blood in their quest to destroy all competition in their sick and twisted game of ping pong. No, not Rockstar Table Tennis (though the developer's hand would explain the violence), but actual, honest-to-goodness, physically exerting ping pong. Gabe is making the call to anyone in the games industry who might want to take on the comic crew (and yes, it's more than just Tycho and Gabe). A few rules: Bring seven people, ranked in order of skill Matches will adhere USATT Table Tennis rules, lasting 11 points per game with service rotation every two points. Each match will be best out of five games. Doubles teams are optional "Victory as of right now means street cred and bragging rights," according to Gabe, with the future possibility of a pong league and "some sort of trophy to pass around. Anyone interested should e-mail Gabe (address on the PA page) with the subject line reading "PING PONG CHALLENGE!" Since Joystiq HQ is spread out far and wide over the world, we'll likely not heed the call, but industry types who have no will to live some paddle skills should bring their A-game to Penny Arcade's underground lair. But be warned of Robert Khoo's insatiable thirst for gamer blood, demonstrated in the video embedded after the break.See Also: Joystiq's Weekly Webcomic Wrapup
Arcadians Podcast has Fanboy Guest
Yesterday, 360 Arcadians released their 9th podcast episode, where they discussed the 10 upcoming Arcade titles, Unreal Tournament III, rewarding achievement whores, and some good old fashioned laughing at Sony. Not only is the show informative, they even have a special guest this week that you have heard of: our very own Richard Mitchell! Yes, Rich took time out of his busy schedule to sit down and join in the fun of recording a podcast and not having to edit it. We extend our thanks to Mike, Scott, Ben, and Marcus for welcoming us into the Podosphere.Now all we need is an excuse to get Dustin in an episode with them to complete the cycle. So what do you think of the show? Can Mike Todaro read minds? Should we have a couple of them show up on our own podcast to liven it up a bit?
Readers pick best webcomic: your mom
With silly non-animation and infantile STD humor, With Your Mom dot Com takes the [adult swim] award for best game-related webcomic this week. Second and third place were occupied by Tycho and Gabe, with PVP Online's Penny Arcade joke edging out over Penny Arcade itself. Thanks to everyone who voted this week and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
Penny Arcade on FBI 360 confiscation
Penny Arcade takes on the recent middle school shooting threat in Ohio this week. 360 Fanboy readers will recall that an Ohio middle school student, during a game on Xbox Live, told a California teen that he had plans to bring a gun to school. The California teen's father subsequently contacted the FBI. The middle schooler was later arrested and several items were confiscated from his home, including a pistol and his Xbox 360. Some find the claim that the 360 is "evidence" to be rather dubious, and that is the subject of today's comic. Oh, and in case you're wondering why the man on the right is devouring what appears to be a necktie, it is in fact Fruit by the Foot. Hit the "read" link to check out the comic.[Thanks, JohnHeist. Image credit: Penny-Arcade (obviously)]
Readers pick best webcomic: Fanboy reflections
Wow, you guys really, really like Scott Dewitt's Fanboys Online comic. And so do we. Overwhelmingly, Fanboys was voted the best webcomic this week for their 2006 year in review. Maybe it was the sad truth they admitted: Penny Arcade's Tycho and Gabe have so much good will they could eat babies and still be cool.Second place went to Extra Life and third place was a virtual tie between Digital Unrest and Dueling Analogs. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
Nerdcore Rising throws down with trailer
A documentary showcasing the darlings of white boy hip-hop, Nerdcore Rising takes you along for a ride with the "Godfather of Nerdcore" MC Frontalot on his first national tour. To the uninitiated, nerdcore is what happens when you splice hard rhymes about Dungeons & Dragons with smooth beats and less aggression than what passes for hip-hop today. It could very well be the soundtrack to our culture, and the film aims to set the record straight on the roots of the genre. Making appearances in the trailer are Frontalot himself, MC Chris of Adult Swim fame, and geek gods Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. Take pride in what you do and check out the trailer after the jump![Thanks, Frontalot!]
Elebits renamed for European release
European Wii owners will be hard-pressed to locate a copy of Elebits when it launches in PAL land this Spring, mostly due to the fact that it'll be called Eledees. As in, "LEDs" or possibly "Eledees, can I buy you a drink?" A quick and shamefully shallow internet search reveals that the word "bit" could be considered derogatory British slang, hence prompting Konami to drop it from the game's title. Right below "biscuit arsed", it reads:Bit: Noun. A woman. Abb. of 'bit of fluff' or 'bit of skirt', generally a person viewed sexually. Derog.Well, thank goodness they caught that one. Countless many people would have been left disappointed after learning that Elebits doesn't involve you lifting up skirts with a gravity beam. Expect that game from some other Japanese developer sometime in the future.[Image: Penny Arcade's surprisingly relevant Just for the Elebit.]
Child's Play raises over one million dollars
In the past four years, Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity has raked in the kind of money that can only be visualized as a gargantuan, green pile of bills. This year, however, marks a special milestone -- $1,000,000. That's when people look up, alarms sound and bloggers put down their lassos of lethargy. It's a really big pile, one worthy of a spirited round of applause. To be exact, $1,024,400.31 went towards children who find themselves trapped in deliberately uninteresting hospital hallways. Books, toys, video games and consoles are just some of the items purchased through Amazon wishlists this year. The annual Penny Arcade auction dinner contributed a tidy $210,000, with an appearance in an upcoming comic strip fetching $10,000 at the event.Other items of interest at the dinner auction: A Halo 3 voice-over opportunity called for $9,000. A DS and Wii package signed by Reggie? $3,700. A tour of Penny Arcade HQ sold for $2,700. An Xbox 360 signed by J. Allard went for $1,200. Well done, Penny Arcade, and kudos to the classy human beings who contributed to their efforts. (So, two million next year, right?)
Child's Play profiled by NY Times
The New York Times has a profile of Child's Play today. It's a basic history of the global charity that has raised more than $2 million in an effort to provide video game hardware and software to children hospitalized with severe illnesses. As you may know, Child's Play was founded by an honest duo looking to counteract the mainstream perception of video gamers. We're not violent and antisocial (except for Vlad).It's good to see a globally circulated media outlet focusing on the positive contributions of gamers, instead of spinning another "GTA made me do it" murder soap opera. Good lookin' out, NY Times.[Thanks, Andrew]
Readers pick best webcomic: Gabe the weatherman
It's a much-deserved landslide victory for Penny Arcade, cartooning at the top of their game and, lest we forget, the related anecdote. Coming in second and third in this week's webcomic wrapup were VG Cats' heartfelt goodbye to the GameCube and NekoYasha's Samus satire.Thanks to everyone who voted. Coming up is the last webcomic wrapup of the year. No party hats or cake or anything (we're too cheap), but it's the best time to thank everyone again for submitting gaming webcomic -- we try to incorporate them all, and there have been so many underground favorites that would have slipped under our radar if it wasn't for you. You guys really live up to that "TIME Person of the Year" title.Round up those game-related comics you stumble upon and be sure to let us know.
