Archive for July, 2006
Japanese hardware sales, 17 July - 23 July: bad comparison week
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
The most interesting parts of this week’s chart reside at the very top and at the very bottom, much like a decapitated body with Lamborghinis for feet. Nintendo’s magical, dual-screened device continues to dominate Japan, raking in the cash like a pickpocket with eight magnetic arms. The ranking, according to number of units sold:
- DS Lite: 262,453 
121,595 (86.32%)
- PSP: 35,938 655 (1.86%)
- PS2: 22,288 
1,639 (6.85%)
- DS Phat: 6,344 5,477 (46.33%)
- GBA SP: 2,953 334 (12.75%)
- Xbox 360: 1,472 367 (33.21%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,410 171 (10.82%)
- Gamecube: 1,076 148 (15.95%)
- GBA: 20 8 (28.57%)
- Xbox: 0 10 (100.00%)
It’s as clear as Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting ability — while the DS Lite enjoys brisk sales that trump the rest of the chart combined more than three times over, the Xbox finally languishes in the lowest point possible. Its performance in this part of the world may not have been entirely deserved, but it still turned out to be more embarassing than a discus-throwing competition where each disc has been replaced by a custard pie.
(Worst. Comparisons. Ever.)
[Source: Media Create]
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Sopranos 360 takes a dirt nap
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Business
The latest next-gen casualty appears to be the 360 version of THQ’s upcoming Sopranos game. Gamespot reports that the HBO mob series will only see a PlayStation 2 release … for now.
According to Wired magazine’s Game|Life blog, the company decided to pull the team off the 360 version and put all focus on the PS2 release. And why would they do that? Apparently, the 360 version wasn’t lookin’ so hot. They paraphrase Game Informer as saying, “The company claimed that the next-gen version didn’t look all that much better than the PlayStation 2 version, so why not focus both teams on one project?”
Game|Life then goes on to point out a good guess by a GAF poster: that perhaps THQ is merely delaying a 360 Sopranos because a holiday launch would have been shaky with teams split in two. Maybe once the PS2 title is released, all focus can return to puttin’ a little polish on that next-gen version. Certainly by that time, the install base for the 360 would have increased, thereby stuffing everyone’s pockets with more money. As Mos Def says, it’s all mathematics.
[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
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Ninety Nine Nights Demo on Live
And just in time for the weekend, another Xbox Live demo hits. Scuttle your deformed, crab-like bodies over to your 360 now to download a demo for Nintety-Nine Nights from the Marketplace. For a change, it’s a pan-ethnic, pan-territory release, meaning it’s available now in all regions.
Business Week all jazzed up for Wii launch
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Competitive Gaming, Business
Over at Business Week Online, there’s a fairly good breakdown of the impending launch showdown between Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3. Based purely on stats and current trends, Business Week predicts the Wii may possibly outshine the PS3 at launch in ways that maybe weren’t foreseen when both consoles were originally announced. As they say, “With sales and profits rising and its share price at a four-and-a-half-year high, few would disagree that these are heady days for Nintendo.”
To back up this rainbow road set up for Nintendo, BW points to the success of the DS vs. the PSP and also the development community’s response to both companies. Some of those key factors noted in the article include:
- Key to the DS’s popularity has been Nintendo’s knack of persuading people who wouldn’t normally look at games to splurge on a DS.
- Analysts add that the DS is also more popular with game designers. That’s because the DS, with its dual screens, touch-screen technology, and voice recognition, offers something different from the PSP, which in many respects is a portable version of the PS2 with games to match.
- And as with the DS, the Wii seems to appeal to gamemakers. In a recent survey, Famitsu, a Japanese game-industry publisher, asked software creators which platforms they would most like to create games for in the future. More respondents plumped for the Wii than any other platform. DS ranked second.
This is not to say Sony won’t outsell the Wii as years pass, but all indications are that the Wii will come out with a bang. Anyone actually think the PS3 launch will be more successful at this point?
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Xbox Turning a Profit (Eventually)
For Microsoft, video games have always been a money pit. Good thing the company has cash coming out the whazoo. In 2005, the company lost US $485 million, and for fiscal year 2006, it was out US $1.26 billion. Not exactly chump change.
According to Msoft, things are going to get better. One day. Entertainment and Devices Division prez. Robbie Bach said the company would be in the red again for fiscal 2007, but is expected to turn a profit in 2008. And if that doesn’t pan out, there’s always 2009, 2010 or 2011.
More Here [GameSpot] Thanks, Jeffrey!
Time to dust off The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo GameCube, Hacks, Action, Adventure, RPGs, Peripherals, Business
If you have a copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker lying around, collecting dust or moths somewhere in the old closet, it may be time to break that baby out. Through the use of Action Replay, some beta levels were discovered in the game — and quite a few at that. And now, through the magic of YouTube, video evidence of said codes exist.
The levels all resemble this Super Monkey Ball infused world where you go around smashing things or picking up objects or just causing whatever mayhem your little Zelda-loving heart desires. Check after the break for all the codes and videos.
[Thanks, bv]
LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER CODES - UNLOCK TEST MAPS
ONLY USE ONE CODE AT ONCE
HTest (Dungeon with pigs)
YRXZ-D9MJ-B0JDY
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
FWA9-GFAZ-VDWEV
1X90-8QQU-REZG3
VrTest (Basic Island)
ZY1N-AGX5-MMCY0
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
3Z3C-ZZVX-C21YN
1X90-8QQU-REZG3
ITest61 (Basic Island with Dragon Boat)
KMRE-XXPH-VEUWH
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
Z6V3-XCB2-AFVUV
GMEE-ZUJH-BUWFM
ITest62 (Snow Chamber)
0PT7-4XB0-ZB8CY
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
Z6V3-XCB2-AFVUV
EED8-FYHH-F4564
ITest63 (Basic Chamber with endless baddies)
TVJK-2Z15-DPJHD
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
Z6V3-XCB2-AFVUV
4Y3T-MAZ9-KW7D4
I_TestM (Basic Textures)
MN9C-MW6B-D7KA5
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
JKU2-JACA-WTBE1
XYVY-4Y6B-9221N
I_TestR (Basic Textures, swingers)
CK20-AEK6-5R4N3
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
JKU2-JACA-WTBE1
56H6-ZHYZ-9HBC8
K_Test2 (Basic Textures, chests)
7JJ2-MDC5-J92ZD
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
5GG6-4KVK-AVB1D
K_Test3 (Basic Textures, Char Interaction test)
236T-Z3BK-RC29V
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
PKT0-K5X5-Z5368
K_Test4 (Basic Textures, Enemy Test)
MBZQ-VJJT-WX6HV
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
4H85-XCHW-7UR1J
K_Test5 (Basic Textures, Gen Test)
AAAC-DU2K-49T65
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
VH57-6NKU-KGYD1
K_Test6 (Basic Textures, Char Test)
5C70-M4PH-EYJH3
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
XBUC-QXB6-Q4EHP
K_Test8 (Basic Textures, Evil Chars)
5GKJ-BG5E-C99XN
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
JHA7-H8M2-J687P
K_Test9 (Basic Textures, Item Test)
WJXU-5DPP-632UG
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
XEBA-9F1Z-6CD4M
K_Testa (Basic Textures, Switch)
DZRG-7N69-FWU0D
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
Q4B0-T9KG-407ZJ
K_Testb (Basic Textures, Roll Call)
C6WR-20N3-CW7JP
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
VXAF-QD6P-06HBG
K_Testc (Basic Textures)
4Y2H-AQZC-RED2R
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
WA9T-M9BA-KVQ77
K_Testd (Basic Textures, Warp)
DGP6-73K1-VTFVZ
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
G81M-KKDM-UET07
K_Teste (Basic Textures, Warp Jugs)
QZRK-HZVX-0V3TM
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
P0Q4-Q62V-X8RDW
CVH8-K6FZ-6NQXH
TEST (Standard Room)
8C25-BF0Y-32KDV
94HP-XPKH-WQXF7
U4X4-FED7-M6NXG
6DUA-3ZM9-JJ01X
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Gears of War Fan Site Kit
Microsoft’s attempting to attach jumpers to the nipples of Gears of War fanbase by releasing a 102mb fan sit kit. It contains the usual things you’d expect, including concept art, wallpapers and other images. The idea is that the hardest of the hardcore will get their fan sites started in preparation for “Emergence Day.”
I’ve never quite understood the optimistic fanaticism that leads a gamer to create a fan site before a game is actually released. Let’s face it: until you actually get a chance to play it, there’s a pretty good chance even the most hyped games are going to suck. Creating a fan site beforehand just ropes you in to the position of having to defend the effort spent on what proved to be a terrible game.
Gear of War Fan Site Kit [Microsoft]
GBA Player’s Choice round two announced
Filed under: Portable
Nintendo has announced its second generation GBA Player’s Choice games for a cool $19 smackers. They include:
- Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past/Four Swords
- Mario Kart Super Circuit
- Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed
An earlier release would’ve been nice a la PSP’s recent Greatest Hits, but Ninty’s gotta milk them mugs with that cult status of theirs.
[Thanks, Karen]
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Wii Going Under the Knife
Thanks to a Famitsu article, there’s been some confusion regarding the forthcoming Wii game Trauma Center: Second Opinion. The title’s developer Atlus pinged us to clear things up in four simple points:
1) Trauma Center: Second Opinion will be a Wii launch title in North America.
2) Trauma Center: Second Opinion is NOT a quick-and-dirty port! It has new graphics and animation; new surgical implements and operation types; a second playable character with new missions; multiple difficulty modes; and a revised control system that takes full advantage of the Wii Remote. It’s a remake (or “Wii-make,” if you prefer) with gobs of added content.
3) The Famitsu article didn’t discuss all of the new gameplay elements in Second Opinion; more will be revealed in the months leading up to launch.
4) As with Under the Knife, the voice acting in Second Opinion is presented in the operation scenes to enhance the drama and punctuate the action–though it should be noted there’s a lot more of it in S.O. than in UtK.
Wii-make? That’s wii-eally funny.
Gearbox Goes Wii
According to an interview Randy Pritchford did with our stinky arch-nemesis, IGN, Gearbox is definitely planning on supporting the Wii.
“Gearbox Software is enthusiastically supporting the Wii,” said company president Randy Pitchford. The company head had no comment on what Wii projects it could be working on, saying only that, “At this time, we don’t have any announcements to make about specific games we may be developing for Wii.”
Still, with Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway making its way to the PC, PS3 and 360, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the title will be Wii-ified. Supporting this theory, a leaked Ubisoft document hit the web a few months back, listing the title for the Wii.
So no news here, really. “We’ll see.” Man, we hate the slow summer months.
Gearbox Backs Wii [IGN]
Stills in real life: Pacman onion rings spotted at truck stop
Joystiq tipster Ryan writes: “I was at a truck stop diner at 2AM a week or so ago, and when I got my order of onion rings, I realized it was just calling for a picture.”
See also:
- Pokemon Pikachu hors d’oeuvres
- Cheesesteaks vs. PlayStation showdown
- Cheesesteaks vs Vlad: Cheesesteaks FTW
[Thanks, Ryan]
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Can The Opera DS Do Porn?
Opera DS has been out long enough that the initial enthusiasm has worn off and we’re starting to get some rather blunt appraisals of what it’s like to actually use:
The verdict? Surfing on DS is just as lousy as it is on PSP.
Ouch! But at least it can do porn. Of course, not well…
it’s hard to imagine anyone over the age of twelve being titillated by naked girls who appear to have been chopped in half by a magician’s trick gone horribly wrong. But then, it’s also difficult to imagine anyone with access to a real computer wanting to surf the web through a slow, clumsy handheld system that takes painful liberties with page rendering and lacks support for half of the Internet’s current standards. But hey, at least there are no pop-ups.
The smut test really sums up the DS Opera experience in a nutshell: why even bother? Sony’s the only one who should really care, frankly. Furtively browsing porn on a tiny screen in public has been one of PSP’s few unique offerings for this console cold war, and Nintendo has just closed the Booby Gap.
If a web browser can’t even do porn correctly, then I’m afraid it merely ranks a 7 on my IGN style ratings scale of 8-10.
A Night at the Opera [1UP]
Microsoft to turn an Xbox profit in 2008?
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, Strategy, Business
Microsoft has a history of bleeding losses in its games division including 2005 fiscal year losses of $485 million and 2006 losses of $1.26 billion. Despite cost reduction attempts, the company still expects to incur losses in the 2007 fiscal year, this according to the entertainment and devices division president, Robbie Bach. The hopefully news, however, is that in fiscal 2008, MS could see some black ink in its games division for the first time ever.
In speaking directly to the amassed losses, Bill Gates said, “I eat pieces of crap like you for breakfast,” after which Steve Ballmer questioned, “You eat billions of dollars in losses for breakfast?”
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GTA San Andreas “SUCKS”
In various cities in North America, Rockstar painted the sides of buildings with Grand Theft Auto promotional murals. The above one was found in in Vancouver and defaced by a displeased gamer, who to his credit refrained from spraying “sux0r” or “sukc.” Now, that’s classy.
More Here [Aeropause]
PSP to TV… But Why Bother?
This looks less like a PSP to Television converter to me and more like a cybernetic implant from The Lawnmower Man, but nevertheless, it seems to fulfill the former function. Designed by Nyko and sold for $80 bucks, you clamp a screen scanner onto your PSP and then beam it into your television through standard video cables.
The only use for such a device is obviously to watch UMDs on your television: you certainly can’t use it to play games (which would be the more interesting application). Of course, why would you want to? The format sucks and DVDs are cheaper. Still, it must be scratching some itch.
PSP to TV [Aeropause]
Mario Galaxy, Wii details predicted in ‘91 by modern day Nostradamus
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii
The December 1991 issue of Nintendo Power was recently unearthed, revealing eerie similarities between lil’ Jimmy Peterford’s “ultimate game system” fantasy and Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii. As it turns out, Peterford nailed the Super Mario Galaxy name and likely came within a few dollars of the actual Wii launch price with the $259.95 figure he offered up. But the connection between Peterford’s seemingly innocent wish and Wii doesn’t end there…
Digg commenter, EvolvedAnt, draws these additional parallels:
Peterford’s prediction: “My fantasy game system would be a complex 512-bit system.”
Wii: “…comes with 512 MB built-in flash memory.”
Peterford: “It could display 27,876,992 colors at one time…”
Wii: “…can display 16.7 million colors.”
Peterford: “…could play any game from any video game system that ever was…”
Wii: “Virtual Console.”
Peterford: “There would be a miniature band inside that knew how to play any song!”
Wii: “Nintendo E3 2006 press conference started with a [virtual] band playing music that plays based off of the Wiimote.” ['Wii Orchestra' tech demo]
Peterford: “You could even buy your own special chip that would allow you to make your own games for it!”
Wii: “Quote from http://wii.nintendo.com/hardware.html: ‘It also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets.’”
Peterford: “The system would come with six 27-button controllers…”
Wii: “If you count every button on the Wiimote, as well as Nunchuk, and include each axis of sensitivity for rotation, x, y, z as well as lateral movement sensitivity, as a separate method of input, you get a number very close to 27 if not on the dot.”
Okay, so some of those parallels are a stretch, but heck, Nostradamus wasn’t all that accurate either. Of course, the other explanation is that Nintendo stole the Wii concept from some kid out of Glen Cove, New York nearly 15 years ago. Alas, we’ll never know…
[via Digg]
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Nintendo: A history of ups and downs
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Portable, Retro, Nintendo Wii, Online, Strategy
AOL Games has compiled a piece that explores the ups and downs of Nintendo’s long history in the game industry. From the article: “In the spirit of love and remembrance, we recap the Big N’s rollercoaster of a resume. Here, you’ll find Nintendo’s finest (and not so fine) contributions to the interactive entertainment biz.”
The article highlights positives like the NES, Game Boy, Wii, killer franchises, and Shigeru Miyamoto, and negatives such as the Virtual Boy, Super Mario Bros. The Movie, GC-GBA connectivity, R.O.B., and The Wizard. We’d replace the yet to be determined success of Wii with the stellar DS, or maybe some other Ninty consoles that come to mind.
But connectivity? Weak sauce.
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Yanks to Get Special Final Fantasy XII Bundle
From Final Fantasy branded PlayStations (cool) to Potion (ick), Japan gets all the FF goods. Thanks to Gamestop/EB Games, that’s going to change. The retailer is offering a special Final Fantasy XII Collector’s Edition for the PS2. The game will be packaged in a metal case and include a DVD that contains:
- Developer Interviews
- Final Fantasy featurette history
- Final Fantasy XII US trailers
- Final Fantasy XII Japan trailers
- Final Fantasy art gallery
Game ships this Halloween in the States. Japan, you can keep the Potion.
More Here [Gamestop] via British Gaming Blog
Battle For Middle-Earth II, Rise of the Witch-King Officially Announced
After some none too subtle hints earlier this week, Electronic Arts has gone ahead and just plain announced the mouthful Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2 expansion, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth 2, The Rise of the Witch King. A new faction, new units, a new single-player campaign and an entirely new setting are the highlight features… standard expansion fare.
The press release is after the jump.
EXPLORE NEW DEPTHS OF MIDDLE-EARTH WITH EA’S THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH II, THE RISE OF THE WITCH-KING*
Award-Winning Game Franchise Announces Expansion Pack
CHERTSEY, UK July 27, 2006 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) officially announced today that they will continue to expand The Lord of the Rings™ universe with The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II, The Rise of the Witch-king *. As the expansion pack to the fan favorite, The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth II™, this Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game will enhance every existing feature and offer players the chance to command the rise of evil in Middle-earth while experiencing the epic battles that took place before those depicted in the New Line Cinema films.
Full of exciting content, including an entirely new faction, completely new single player campaign, and additional units for all six existing factions, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king, allows players to explore the evil side of Middle-earth. The all new single player campaign’s innovative units will help to tell the story of the evil Witch-king’s rise to power, domination of Angmar and invasion of the great kingdom of Arnor, home to Aragorn’s ancestors. To fully experience the evil side of Middle-earth, gamers can now play as the Angmar faction in skirmish, multiplayer, and War of the Ring modes.
“The Lord of Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king” will transport players to a new time and place in Middle-earth while adding strategic depth to the innovative gameplay gamers loved in The Lord of Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II,” said Mike Verdu, Executive Producer at EALA. “Fans will love exploring the evil side of Middle-earth as described in Tolkien’s fiction and brought to life in the visual style of the New Line Cinema films. This game is set to deliver the ultimate RTS Middle-earth experience.”
Experience a whole new depth of strategy and upgraded War of the Ring and Create-A-Hero features. Create-A-Hero’s entirely unique Troll class boasts additional weapons and armor that will allow players to have even more freedom in customizing their game play. War of the Ring, a risk-style meta-game, offers upgraded army persistence, a new siege dynamic on the Living World Map, and unified territories that serve as major control points.
An EA Los Angeles (EALA) game developed exclusively for the PC under the EA™ brand, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, the Rise of the Witch-king includes all new content from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original fiction, and allows the player to delve deeper than ever before engaging in battles that go beyond the award-winning movie trilogy. EALA will bring The Lord of the Rings world to life in accordance with an agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line Cinema films.
The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king requires The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II in order to play and will be available Winter 2006 for the PC. The game is not yet rated by PEGI or USK.
For more information about either title, please visit www.bfme2.ea.com. For information or to find artwork for any EA game, please visit EA’s press site at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press.
Fan-made box art for really bad games
Filed under: Culture
Photoshop contest site Worth1000 is showcasing fan-made box art for really bad video games that never got made, and shouldn’t for that matter. Except for maybe the above. Follow the link for the full list of 78 entries.
[via Boing Boing]
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