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Innovation falls flat in UK charts
Despite a pleasant atmosphere of European expectation at the start of February, we're halfway through and the charts look as mundane as ever. The Guardian Gamesblog's Greg took a look at this week's UK charts--notable absentees include Psychonauts and We ♥ Katamari. Ouch.Greg, and blog commenters, ponder the cause of these games' failures--from crazy cartoony packaging to gamers' inability to actually find the titles in shops. It seems most likely that the European release delay is responsible, though; after receiving rave reviews and building up buzz months ago, these titles are all-but-forgotten now.
Apple Store Southampton on the way?
No, not Southampton, Ma. I'm talking about the WestQuay at Southampton in the UK. A quick search for retail positions in the UK on Apple's job search page reveals Southampton in the list of possible locations, though no positions are currently listed. When open, this will be the UK's seventh Apple Store.[Via Macworld UK]
Lara and GTA: British design icons?
When you think of British cultural and design icons, there are some images that automatically spring to mind: red phone boxes, double-decker buses and the London Underground map (which you need a Ph.D in topology to fully understand). However, there are some new faces shortlisted for the "Great British Design Quest", including none other than Tomb Raider and Grand Theft Auto. Interestingly, while other technological designs are deemed aesthetically pleasing--the British-born World Wide Web, and Verdana typeface, among others--no television or film icons have made the shortlist.A vote will tell whether the public considers videogame icons as influential as other great design motifs--but the cultural and international appeal of Lara and GTA may help them wing their way to the top.[via Edge Online]
Latest UK Apple Store opens this weekend
This Saturday, January 28th at 9:00 AM in London, Apple will open its newest Apple Store at Brent Cross. This store is located in the Upper West Mall of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre. You can find complete travel directions here. As usual, the first 1000 visitors will be rewarded with commemorative t-shirts. Visitors can also enter to win the “Grand Opening Sweepstakes,” which will award one winner with an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera and camcorder and an HP inkjet printer.If you're going to attend the opening at Brent Cross, please send us links to your photos and reports! Good luck and have fun.
Sneak preview of *football on Sky TV
The other football. Maybe some of our European friends will be giving HD more respect once their favorite sport is being broadcast in high definition. Last weekend it seems Sky showed a few UK journalists a preview of their high definition broadcasts of soccer, and they came away very impressed.This isn't really surprising, if HDTV has a single killer app, it's sports. Football, futbol or otherwise, once you've seen your favorite players in HD there isn't any going back. [Via HDTV UK]
Nintendo DS makes million milestone in the UK
Despite stock shortages caused by the handheld's popularity--a story we're increasingly familiar with--the Nintendo DS seems to be doing well for itself in the UK. Sales have topped one million since the launch of the DS in March, although that looks less impressive when compared to the 3.5 million sales in Europe overall. In an interesting parallel, World of Warcraft--a single game--has just attained one million customers in Europe. The games are a big factor in the DS's appeal, and its £99 price point is also particularly attractive to consumers. We're still waiting for the release of Animal Crossing: Wild World, which has made a huge splash abroad, but fortunately you can play games from Japan or America on your European DS if you just can't wait those extra few weeks. This, of course, makes us wonder what the delay is.
UK Government: Free iPods for all!
Well, not really. Government officials in the UK are getting serious about combating online fraud and identity issues. There is a proposal for an ID card system, which would store a person's online identity. The cost of the cards would be high, and Patrick Cooper, head of applications and data services at the UK Department of Trade and Industry, has proposed replacing the ID cards with iPod nanos, according to an article on ZD Net UK. From the article:"If you had...an iPod with a digital certificate [it] would also work...My boss would give everyone in the UK an iPod...that would also mean there would be no reason for anyone to steal one because everyone would have one." Sounds like a plan to me!
Philips explains why 1080p.....isn't
In the "oh no you didn't" of the week, Philips has tried to talk their way out of the whole "1080p TV's don't accept a 1080p signal" mess. Our friends across the pond at HDTV UK have the full response but the gist of it is Philips thinks that it is not worth it to put in the chips necessary to receive a 1080p signal, since very few devices can output at that level right now.Did they really think we were going to fall for that? I'm not even going to say that their statement is not true, in that there isn't any 1080p content to watch right now, but what about when there is? I think their stance doesn't hold water one bit for several reasons. They claim including the necessary equipment to process a 1080p signal would increase the cost of the set, I say so what? Anyone buying a 1080p TV is willing to pay a premium, and is paying a premium to have the technology. If current so-called 1080p TV's only cost the same amount as existing 1080i sets, no one would complain. If they think 1080i is good enough HD, could they tell their friends over at Sony to stop calling 1080p the "only true HD"? Speaking of Sony, what about the PS3 coming next year which will be able to output at 1080p, (whether that content will be rendered internally at that resolution is doubtful, but if the PS3 puts it out at 1080p, I want my TV to be able to take it) If it's not a big deal, then why aren't TV manufacturers upfront about the current limitations of the technology. As angry as I am regarding these comments, in fact I commend Philips for even making a statement on the situation and quite frankly I may remember that when it comes time to make my next HDTV purchase. While other manufacturers continue to play hide and go seek with their specs, at least Philips has let us know where they stand and why, whether or not we agree with it.
Mortal Kombat ad deemed irresponsible in the UK
A viral advert for Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks has been banned by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority after the watchdog found it "irresponsible" since it "caused serious distress". The ad appeared on two websites, and despite the owners having no complaints, they were made to pull the ad. The "shocking" content of the advert involved a fight at a board meeting, with one man having his heart ripped out and another being decapitated--both sights that modern gamers are increasingly familiar with, and unlikely to find particularly offensive. With this advertisement being pulled, will the ASA start monitoring other Flash creations on the web? It would keep them very busy if they did, as there are far more shocking animations out there.
