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Shane Kim: First console to 100 million wins
Microsoft's Shane Kim now sees the end to the console war as a new magic number: first system to 100 million units sold wins, he tells Wired. That's an increase of 90 million over the 10 million mark Microsoft used to promote as the bellwether of victory. Kim believes consumers are still deciding what system to choose and that this console generation is different from the others. (Yeah, it's the first time Microsoft actually has a chance.)Kim explains that Sony won the last couple generations, but Nintendo is clearly in first place this time around; however, he wonders if Nintendo can keep that momentum going up to 100 million (at Nintendo's rate of supply, it could take decades). He even questions it there'll be a clear-cut winner this generation. Finally, Kim assures that the Microsoft hardware guys are still working on reducing the cost of Xbox 360, in order to hit that "mass market" price point.
Miyamoto: 'America has always been better at creating unique products'
WiiWare's up and running now in North America and not a single one of those games comes from the big N itself. Speaking to Wired, Shigeru Miyamoto, head of Nintendo's game development division, says the company wanted to foster indie games, which are more prolific in the US than Japan, with Wiiware. In fact, Miyamoto says, "I think America has always been better at creating unique products."Excuse us one moment while we crack open a Bud and beat our chests ... OK, back. Miyamoto explains that US indie developers have managed to acquire the skills and hardware needed to "let their own personality and their own kind of unique interests really flourish." Asked if he would ever consider getting involved in making a small-scale game again, the Nintendo guru responded that it might be "fun" to do.
Edward Castronova reveals lessons learned from Arden
As you may recall, Edward Castronova, professor at Indiana University and researcher of virtual world economics, had been developing a Shakespeare-based MMO, only to close it down because, in his words, 'It's no fun. We failed to design a gripping experience.'In the current issue of Wired, Castronova offers his '5 tips for making games that don't suck', based on his experience. To summarize:
How to future proof your HD DVD collection
The good news for HD DVD fans is that although Toshiba isn't going to continue to manufacture HD DVD players, the ones already out there are sure to last a long time. But eventually a day will come when it just becomes impossible to keep your player working, and luckily since it's possible to rip HD DVD movies, you can convert them to Blu-ray. The Wired Wiki has a page up with the basics, but it's certainly not for the faint of heart and it's not step by step. It does include just about all the information you need to get started though, which is made up with three steps; rip, convert and burn. A dual format burner will be a must for this project as well as a fast machine and some software (not all free). This sounds like fun to us, but considering it looks like a lot of work, we'd rather just wait 'til the movie was released on Blu-ray and spend our time working on writing more posts.[Via TVSnob.com]
Nick Neg flashback: Why HDTV will never catch on
As a celebration of the magazine turning 15 years old this month, Fimoculous uncovered this little gem from back in Wired's heyday, the very first issue: "High-definition television is clearly irrelevant." That's Nicholas Negroponte, of OLPC fame, making some bold predictions from his inaugural column in the back page of Wired. Sure, his thoughts on user control of when and what we watch really hit home with the YouTube generation, but his lack of interest in resolution seems a bit silly if you've stepped inside a Best Buy at any point this decade. That said, it's certainly worth a quick read before you run to the attic and dive into your archives. [Via Fimoculous]
Dwell On It: The pitch
Based on a true story. Next week, back to the storyline.
Is this Apple's ultraportable?
Wired's Gadget Lab blog has posted a mockup of the rumored MacBook Air. They based their mockups on what inside sources had to tell them. The big points are that this thing is supposedly very, very thin and lacks both an optical drive and an Ethernet port. I can see omitting networking ports and an optical drive if there is a docking station involved, but I would be hard pressed to buy any computer that didn't have a dedicated networking port.What say you, does this look like something out of Cupertino or something out of the Macworld addled brain of a Photoshop guru with a little too much time on their hands?
Wired offers up Macworld predictions
One of my favorite things about Macworld is the fact that everyone suddenly feels the need to share their predictions about what Apple will be introducing this time (we at TUAW are not immune to this, and have already shared our predictions. How wrong will I turn out to be? Only time will tell). Wired has listed a few software developments they are thinking will happen at Macworld: Leopard 10.5.2 will be released with new features iPhone 1.1.3 firmware released No updates to iLife/iWork New iTunes with movie rentals The article goes on to talk about Office 2008 (available Jan. 15th), MacHeist, and Core Animation. Check it out, if only to stoke the Macworld fire that is burning in your heart.
Harmonix's top tips for fledgling Rock Band drummers
Have you found it difficult to transition to the higher difficulty drum tours on Rock Band? Nursing blistered palms after your fifteenth attempt of "Won't Get Fooled Again"? Do your calves throb after putting them through the bass pedal gauntlet known as "Maps"? Don't fret -- Harmonix recently descended from their throne of rock to help guide your feeble attempts to be the next Keith Moon (though none of their helpful tips include "destroy every drum set you ever play on, then overdose at the age of 31.")In a recent article for Wired, the Rock Band developers shared some valuable advice for the percussionist-in-training, including how to properly use the bass pedal, and, of course, a detailed explanation of the mighty paradiddle. We've been paradiddling all night, and we must say, our hands are getting awfully tired. Perhaps the creamy embrace of Rock Jam will expedite our fevered training.[via Evil Avatar]
2 Aion character classes video
NCsoft's upcoming MMO Aion sure looks nice, doesn't it? Wired has posted a mini-preview of two of its character classes, the Assassin and Sorcerer. There's nothing revolutionary about these videos, but it's amazing how the right soundtrack can add so much to a simple video. Try watching them for the first time without sound enabled, and see if they're still interesting.Aion is scheduled to be released this year on an unannounced date.
CES keynote to demo cool new tech despite ridiculous name
Monday's CES keynote will see Intel CEO Paul Otellini's presentation on what he's calling 'Third Life' -- a furthering of the concepts behind what has made Second Life so popular. The technology behind the keynote -- a virtual performance of 'Walkin' on the Sun' by actual Smash Mouth members -- will showcase the latest improvements in motion capture, streaming media, and multicore processors.I'm glad Intel is taking such an interest in the future of online social environments, but Smash Mouth? Hey, I enjoyed that earworm as much as anyone when it debuted ... in 1997. Can we move on, please? And 'Third Life'? Does this mean we can expect next year's presentation to be called 'Fourth Life'? Will we see a 'Three-point-Five-point-Two Life' between now and then? Stick with hardware, Intel, and let Chiat-Day handle the promotional stuff.[Update: Sister site Engadget has a liveblog of the keynote]
Wrath of the 1337 King: seriously, wtf?
This Wired article put me onto a 'mockumentary' site advertising something called 'Wrath of the 1337 King', 'a movie about ATHENE best Paladin in the world' [sic]. Watching the trailer [NSFW language] the first time yields a mix of bemusement and humor. Watching it a second time makes me wonder if it's a complete bit of flummery from the top down: Is ATHENE for real, and he's just unaware that this documentary is being made to ridicule him, or is ATHENE an actor? Honestly, I could make the case either way. It's well-known that World of Warcraft has the ability to make fools of otherwise rational beings, and the YouTube phenomenon has caused many such fools to seek the light regardless of, or perhaps because of the potential scorn this may bring upon them. And thanks to Borat, odd, vaguely Slavic accents are in!Is it still fun to watch clueless people be exposed to outrageous behavior? Does the fact that ATHENE is a Paladin add to the joke? Did it need to be a movie, or is the trailer enough? My favorite line from the trailer: 'Flash Heal: Kaboom kaboom kaboom kaboom!' More bits from ATHENE here and here.
Hype and backlash cycle "missing the point" with regards to Second Life
Keen followers of Second Life Insider, before we became Massively, will know we have, at various stages charted the reporting of Second Life in the media, as the media follows its own hype and backlash cycle. Now, MediaShift is reporting something we've been saying all along, although in their own way: the media cycle has missed the reality of the situation, virtual world and real world.The whole article is well worth a read, as it contrasts various styles of (real world) reportage on Second Life, from Hamlet Linden as was, to Reuters, to Wired to CNN, and even has Wired's editor saying that both their hype and their over-the-top backlash were mistakes. The conclusion? A not very startling - it's better to, in the current terminology, embed your reporters or use local information than not, and particularly don't only listen to other journalists - but the steps along the way are well worth a read. They might be especially worth a read if you have to defend your engagement in Second Life to people that have only seen the backlash.[Original lead via SLEd list]
Rock Band store accessories and the drum bag
Harmonix's Rock Band store is mostly full of unnecessary merchandise, but there are a few things that might help in protecting your $170 "music platform." As the drum set taking up a square meter of real estate in the living room grows into an eyesore, the one handy thing the store has is the Rock Band drum bag.The $50 drum bag is an easy storage solution when "company" comes over. Nobody likes the first question out of a new visitor during the holidays when they see the drum kit to be, "What the hell is that thing?!" There are also guitar and drum stick sleeves, plus new drum sticks and stickers in the store that are neat, but the drum bag does feel like an obvious solution to something that will be an issue in time. Disassembling the kit and putting it into a Bloomingdales Big Brown Bag just seems wrong. But if someone finds other DIY storage solutions we're all ears.%Gallery-10750%
Comparing Rock Band to Guitar Hero in difficulty
Games Radar has put together a little piece comparing the difficulty of Guitar Hero to Rock Band. Their basic conclusion is that "Guitar Hero III hard = Guitar Hero II expert" and "Rock Band Expert = Guitar Hero II hard." They say that Guitar Hero is tough to jump into and Rock Band may be too easy at the medium level for seasoned vets.Having had significant time with Rock Band on a visit to Harmonix on Tuesday, we can say that when comparing the guitar portion of the game, Rock Band on hard feels close to Guitar Hero II on medium -- except you do have to deal with that pesky orange button, so in essence it feels the same. That doesn't mean that there isn't a challenge in there for the average player, it's just a point of reference for jumping in. Now that's just the guitar, we're not even talking about the beasts of drumming and singing, nor the extreme joy the social interaction of the game provides.
Going kamikaze in Halo 3
Despite the many improvements to its predecessor's multiplayer mode, Bungie's Halo 3 is still not friendly to the newcomers. Wired's Clive Thompson is one of those players who don't have enough time or willpower to end up anywhere but last place in online matches. He's found a way to cope, however: suicide bombing. Specifically, Thompson (in-game) runs straight at his assailant so that with his last breath he can lob a sticky grenade with deadly precision, so that his opponent dies with him. This leads to an interesting, however shallow (a point Thompson himself makes), observation on the psychology behind playing a game with the intent of throwing yourself into suicidal positions. "The best players have dozens of free hours a week to hone their talents, and I don't have that luxury," he said. "This changes the relative meaning of death for the two of us. For me, dying will not penalize me in the way it penalizes them, because I have almost no chance of improving my state. I might as well take people down with me." Those at Joystiq who can't own at Halo 3 have found a very different approach to feeling better about our gaming skills: we play as the medic in Team Fortress 2 and let everyone else rack up the kills while we rack up the assist points. [Image via 1UP]
Wired lists 15 dumbest Apple Predictions of all times
A great post over at Wired confirms what everyone alerady knows, Apple rumors are often groundless and pessimistic. Wired lists the 15 worst Apple-related predictions that failed to be realized, from iMac failures to a Sony takeover prediction, to Apple TV's MIA "extra" features. I have a quibble with one prediction, the ultra portable flash-based Apple PC as called out by Benjamin Reitzes in June 2006. I'd argue (although I don't know if I'd take this one to the mat) that this flash-based computer already exists: it's called the iPhone.
Consumer check: Make sure Wal-Mart's Guitar Hero 3 bundle is one you want
As many prepare to rock with Guitar Hero III today, we've received a few tips about consumers accidentally getting wired Xbox 360 controllers at Wal-Mart instead of the much ballyhooed wireless guitars. According to Wal-Mart's website, they are currently carrying several bundles of Guitar Hero III -- including ones with a wired x-plorer guitar for Xbox 360 (pictured) and SG controller for PS2. Target also has a similar bundle currently. The only reason we haven't started our voodoo to punish Activision and Red Octane for this trickery is that there actually is a price adjustment for these bundles. The Xbox 360 bundle and PS2 wired bundles are both $10 less than their wireless counterparts.The basic thing to do in this situation is to make sure you go to the store and read the box. If they don't have the one you want, it's your right as a free consumer to go shopping someplace else. We've been informed that some Wal-Marts only have one version of the bundle -- it may not be fair, but all we can do is let you know to check the box before you buy. Oh, but if they are selling the wired bundles for the same price as the wireless ones, then we'll call our voodoo priestess and start the incantations.[Thanks Nick and everyone else who sent this in]
Rock Band FAQ: Part 1
MTV's Multiplayer blog has posted answers to frequently asked questions regarding the corporate fustercluck (MTV/EA/Harmonix) published rhythm game Rock Band. We could bother to put the question and the answer, but if y'all can't figure out what the original question was you can hit up Multiplayer: No other hardware combinations have been announced yet beyond the standard (guitar, drum, mic) bundle. And yes, the bass guitar is just a second guitar controller which you probably have lying around ... ... because Harmonix will keep an "open platform philosophy" and games will be compatible with third-party controllers "that conform to the various platform controller standards." If you're short on guitars but want to play head to head, the online play will be both cooperative and competitive. The Xbox 360 gee-tar will come with a USB hub (remember the guitar in the bundle is wired). A Wii version has not been announced ... yet. Now, we don't have insta-access to Rock Band like MTV's Multiplayer blog, but we can try to get some questions answered too -- we're scrappy like that. So if you have some lingering Rock Band questions (and there are plenty good ones still left), leave 'em in the comments and we'll try to get some answers. And automatic name calling to the people who ask questions already answered by bullet points above.
Confirmed: Rock Band $170 on Nov. 23 for Xbox and PS3; PS2 version coming Dec. 10 at $160
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/CONFIRMED_Rock_Band_170_on_Nov_23_for_Xbox_and_PS3'; It's official folks, Rock Band will be $170 for Xbox 360 and PS3 and release Nov. 23. A Friday ... wait, Black Friday? Yes, more on that in a second. The PS2 version will release Dec. 10 for $160. Our spidey sense started tingling that something was up when we received info that Amazon was listing Rock Band for $169 -- a $30 reduction from the $199 they've had listed for months. Turns out that they received the official price today. The bundle includes the game (reg. $60, $50 on PS2), the guitar (reg. $60, but wired on Xbox 360, wireless is separate and $80), the wired drums (reg. $80), and wired microphone (reg. $30).Now the big question: What were the powers that be thinking with November 23rd? Nov. 23rd is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the high holy "oh my gawd we're going to get trampled when the stores open" day of the year. Can you imagine what it's going to be like trying to pick up your game at retail on that day? Don't know about the rest of you, but if there were ever a time to get your game by mail -- this would be that time![Thanks to all those that sent info in]
