Archive for September 6th, 2006
Today in Joystiq: September 6, 2006
Today in PS3
European launch of PlayStation 3 delayed until March 2007
North American, Japanese PS3 launch limited to 500,000 units
Are you ready to break-up with Sony?
Sony’s fumble gives Microsoft, Nintendo a share of PS3’s holiday pie
Sony: 1mln to 1.2mln PS3s for North America in ‘06
As PAL waits, potential customers fire back
News
Free indie games “magazine” launches
Current best selling PC games: Keyboard and mouse FTW!
New PSP hack gets downgrader, e-Loader
SCEA fills months-vacant top PR slot. Salut!
Captain Obvious: UMD price drop brings huge sales
First PS3 Ridge Racer 7 screens surface
How to make a GTA trailer
Devil May Cry 4 information leaked a tad early
Uwe “I make crappy game movies” Boll silences his first critic
WoW players set up memorial service for croc hunter
Nintendo of Korea gets seal of (dis)approval
Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Playstation-based cell phone?
Culture
Stupidly obvious online safety and parenting tips from NCsoft
German Honda ad apes Tetris, Simpsons
Nintendo’s (sometimes sordid) past now available on Google news archives
Designing a DS Lite case: arts & crafts with a purpose
Nintendo patents high scores, wet water
From gaming teen to virtual entrepreneur: how to cover college tuition
Stand-alone AI card: is it viable?
MS State marching band plays video game music during halftime show
Slate author: Madden taught me football
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Slate author: Madden taught me football
I was a late bloomer when it came to knowing the rules of football. I learned the basics (four downs, touchdown is six points, etc.) from NFL Blitz when I was 15; a few years back I started to understand positions and audibles when I came to college and started watching our football team and going to the games.
For Slate author Felix Gillette, the intricacies of football were made clear via Madden 2007. In this interesting narrative, Gillette examines how more minor details in televised football have become understandable as a result of a few Madden sessions.
As Gillette concludes, “in the years to come, people who grew up learning about football via Xbox will expect broadcasters to give them more complex information.” Has video games provided a means by which one can learn complex rules in an entertaining environment? How might this process be applicable for, say, quantum mechanics?
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Nintendo of Korea gets seal of (dis)approval
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Business
File this under “too despairing to be fiction.” 4 color rebellion has been investigating Nintendo of Korea, which was supposed to launch in July to show a bigger drive into the South Korean market. Currently, Nintendo is distributed through Daiwon, who “does a notoriously terrible job of handling Nintendo.”
Unfortunately, it seems Nintendo’s foray into South Korea has been less than stellar. As 4cr explains in a first-hand account, Nintendo of Korea is more of a red herring, and all distribution is still run by the infamous Daiwon.
The entire account is disgusting, with one Daiwon representative, who “spoke like an uneducated thug,” displaying open animosity about the company. “Did you see Nintendo written on this building?!,” he exclaimed, “we don’t ****** care about that ****!” The account indicates Nintendo either does not care about the Korea, or has decided not to put effort into infiltrating the market. With the worldwide Wii launch fast approaching, Iwata et al. need to re-examine its focus on penetrating new regions.
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WoW players set up memorial service for croc hunter
With many still lamenting the unfortunate death of Steve Irwin, the man who struck fear into the hearts of elusive crocodiles everywhere, several World of Warcraft players have decided that it would be a marvelous idea to have an in-game memorial service. User Bubbrubb asserts in a WoW forum post that he’s deeply upset about the Australian’s passing and that a dignified gathering on the computerized coastal area, Zoram Strand, would be a fitting way of saying goodbye. “I would like to spell out CRIKEY with players as a tribute to his wonderous catch phrase, and then we can dance and swim in the ocean to celebrate his life instead of mourning his death.”
The World of Warcraft has been host to similar events in the past, providing a common virtual ground for those hoping to express their grief with others. Of course, it also provides an outlet for those hoping to barge in on funerals and completely wreck the proceedings with little fear for real repercussion or reprisal. Let’s hope there’s a magical security detail for this one.
[Via CVG]
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As PAL waits, potential customers fire back
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Online, Simulations, E3, Video, Business
Well, it certainly didn’t take long for the Sony backlash in PAL-land to hit its stride. There is already a site up called, “This is Waiting,” which plays on the PlayStation 3’s European slogan, “This is Living.” There’s a great collection of photoshops and video remixes which perfectly reflect the anger many in the region feel toward Sony.
We’ll highlight our favorites in case you’re too lazy to check out all the content that is constantly being updated on the site.
Video:
Sony’s E3 Press Conference
Killzone aftermath
More photos after the break. By the way, if you’ve got your own great photoshop or video remix, feel free to share it with us.
[Thanks, Scott Cole]
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Uwe “I make crappy game movies” Boll silences his first critic
Filed under: Culture, Action, Fighting
Uwe Boll (the man responsible for making a mockery of video game movies — all three of his video game movies appear on IMDB’s Bottom 100 list) finally managed to silence one of his critics yesterday. He didn’t do it by making a movie worth squat, but by applying his fists to the mouth of Carlos Palencia Jimenez-Arguello, webmaster of Cine Cutre.
Despite his inability to satisfy film critics (or perhaps because of it) Boll’s no idiot. First, he knows how to box. Second, he’s selected a bunch of pudgy web geeks (not unlike yours truly) to face him in the ring. Of course he’s going to win.
At least Boll’s good at something.
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Devil May Cry 4 information leaked a tad early
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Adventure, Fighting, TGS, Business
Considering there is a countdown about to run out at the official Web site, we expected to get more information on the PlayStation 3’s standout title Devil May Cry 4 relatively soon. But, thanks to the power of the Internet and Japanese magazines, we can get the goods just a wee bit earlier. According to a rough translation of Famitsu, this is what you’re gonna get with DMC 4:
- The game takes place after DMC 1, but before DMC 2.
- You play as a new lead character by the name of Nero.
- Nero has devilish right arm. He can draw enemies toward himself and then throw them.
- The combo system has as base the one from DMC3 and they are revising/reworking details according to the fans’ comment-remarks.
- Nero’s sword has a bar. The sword has some kind of a driving force in it. It’s a new way/element to enjoy the sword handling.
- At the Tokyo Game Show there will be real-time footage.
You can view the magazine scans of the article and photos here:
It’s nice to know there will be “real-time footage” at TGS, but how about some real-time gameplay on the show floor? That’d certainly be a nice way to extend the olive branch to disheartened Sony fans — especially when you break the news to your Japanese base about getting the short end of the stick come launch day.
[Thanks, Gerard Flannory]
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This Day in Gaming, September 6th
2001: Xbox pre-orders sell out at Toys R Us. Check this quote from Toys’ VP of corporate communications regarding selling consoles in bundles: “We have historically noticed that consumers prefer to buy consoles this way.” She then added: “You know what I mean - people like to spend more on stuff than they have to. It’s part of the fun!”
2001: Sega releases Shenmue II for Dreamcast in Japan. Microsoft later bought rights to the game and locked Shenmue up forever after an Xbox release. And it’s scary in there next to Longhorn betas.
2005: Microsoft releases its first ever laser gaming mouse. If you can’t add a laser to a shark, add it to a mouse and you’re still pretty freakin’ evil. And yes, we know it’s a slow day if we are talking about mice. Maybe if you did anything with your life we would have more content. Yeah, didn’t think of it that way, did you?
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Win a 3-Foot Inflatable LocoRoco
VH1 is having kind of a cool LocoRoco contest. The Loco for LocoRoco contest is giving out a copy of the game, a 3-foot inflatable LocoRoco, a t-shirt and six LocoRoco charms.
To enter you just need to send in a pic of a LocoRoco in “our world (riding the train, in a diner, etc.).” You can use any method to compose your picture, but the end result has to be a jpeg that’s no larger than 250 Kb.
Think of all of the bizarre things you could do with that giant LocoRoco. Hit the site for all of the details on entering.
Loco for LocoRoco [VH1 Gamebreak]
Sony: 1mln to 1.2mln PS3s for North America in ‘06
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
Earlier today Sony dropped the bomb that they’d be delaying the PS3 launch in Europe (you guys didn’t really think you’d get it at the same time as North America, did you?) and halving worldwide shipments for 2006 from 4 million to 2 million. So just how many of those 2 million are coming to North America? A Sony spokesperson told MTV News that instead of focusing on those day-one numbers, we should be looking at the 1 million to 1.2 million units available by the end of this year.
Now, we know the armchair analysts (and even some real ones) are getting all doom and gloom about the PS3’s holiday prospects in light of today’s announcements, but let’s throw some context at the mess and see if we can’t make this lump of coal shine. The Sony spokesperson was quick to point out the similarities between the PS3’s impending launch and the now dominant PS2’s launch back in 2000, which also shipped with a fraction of what was expected.
Keep reading for a fancy chart!
| CONSOLE |  |
 |
 |
 |
| Initial sales | 514,000 in 2 weeks | 500,000 first shipment | 326K first 9 days | 400K first shipment |
| 1st holiday sales | 1.5mln by ‘00 | 1.46mln by ‘01 |
900K by ‘06 | 1mln-1.2mln by ‘07 |
| Current sales | 4mln in NA and 10mln world by 03/01 |
43mln in NA and 106mln world as of 07/06 |
22mln in NA now and 10mln+ world by ‘07 (est.) |
Indeed, if one were to look at several recent North American console launches, you’d see a particular pattern. In 2000 when the Dreamcast sold 514,000 consoles in two weeks, it was record-breaking and worthy of press releases proclaiming the feat. Just one year later when the PS2 launched, those same numbers were indicative of a shortage.
What we’re saying is that, basically, these numbers don’t mean anything. Despite what appears to be gross incompetence to much of the gaming press and the hardcore industry watchers (that’s you guys), the mainstream gamer is blissfully unaware of reductions in shipping estimates. To him, it will appear that the PS3 is the hottest thing this holiday — just like the Xbox 360 appeared to be last year and the PlayStation 2 back in ‘00 — and may have no problem waiting for the demand and/or price to go down. People are still buying PS2s today, remember? Just a reality check before the hype consumes us all.
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No 1080p For PS3 Games
Hey, this is a banner day for PS3 fans, isn’t it!
According to Sony, the official US PlayStation 3 site’s caveat that the HDMI connection is required for 1080p signals in Blu-ray movies is fallout from uncertainty over the Image Constraint Token - a next-generation anti-piracy measure.
Sony has made an issue of pointing out that 1080p, which the Xbox 360 is incapable of, is the Holy Grail of “full HD”. As it stands now, the only game that is running in 1080p, said Fargher, is Gran Turismo HD - a tech demo crafted by Polyphony to showcase what the system is capable of.
This is in line with our earlier report, where a development source told Kikizo that, “even with [final hardware] in mind, reaching good frame rates at 1080p with next-gen graphics is almost impossible. Instead many developers, ourselves included, are reworking so they run at 720p. “
In other words, movies will play at 1080p. Games won’t, and maybe never will. Not that this is really new, but it’s always distressing to have the obvious reiterated officially.
No 1080p PS3 Games Yet, Says Sony [Kikizo]
Is That An Atari 2600 Keychain In Your Pocket Or Are You Happy To See Me?
My keychain is a piece of string. Seriously. So when I heard there were Atari keychains, man, did I get excited. But, when I heard they were enormous and cost 15 bucks, my excitement quickly dissipated. Well, what did I expect, these aren’t normal keychains, but are plug ‘n’ play keychains. The guys at game site lowdown411 bought a couple of these (so we don’t have to) and here’s what they had to say:
There is also an advertisement on the front of the box taunting ‘Authentic keychain size gaming unit!’ I guess this means, ‘Freaking huge keychain that will be impossible to put in your pocket…’
I’m still trying to figure out why these are keychains. Who wants to walk around with joystick in their pants all day, looking like Florian?
More Here [lowdown 411]
Pay for PGR3 Uno Cards
I still have pretty mixed feelings about the Xbox 360’s downloadable content. On the one hand it’s a brilliant way to give aging games substantive updates without having to release an entirely new game. And sure, a quality update or meaty content addition should cost gamers money.
But things like the Oblivion horse armor highlight how easy it is to abuse this system. The most recent example? How about a new pack of Uno cards? Seriously, why are they charging for a pack of Uno cards that have pictures of cars from Project Gotham Racing 3 on them? Granted, it’s only 100 points, but it should be free, or at least part of a set of packs.
Nickel and dime, nickel and dime.
NASCAR 07
Rev up your motors, folk. Here comes the cheats for the win!
NASCAR 07
Rev up your motors, folk. Here comes the cheats for the win!
NASCAR 07
Rev up your motors, folk. Here comes the cheats for the win!
Mass Effect Coming in 2007
Stinky nemesis site IGN is reporting that Mass Effect, the curiously titled action RPG or the Xbox 360, now has a release window: Q1, 2007. We like this quote from IGN.
When we first saw Bioware’s Mass Effect in Amsterdam in fall 2005, IGN asked when the game was due. The folks at Bioware said, “winter,” without saying a date. When pressed, they said “winter 2006″ and winked. Unless you’re a complete noob, winking and referring to winter means in the next year.
It does? I thought winter, followed by a specific year, generally meant “it will be released in this season in the stated year.” But those wily IGNites apparently understand the wink to be the universal indicator of a lie.
Mass Effect Is Officially 2007 [IGN]
Wii Strap-On Steering Wheel?
The Wii-mote not only opens doors for endless types of new gameplay, but also a steady stream of Wii-mote peripherals. For example, this quote that comes via Go Nintendo:
Ubisoft’s Japan-developed GT Pro Series—which may or may not be a Wii launch title, depending on where you get your information from—will come with an attachment of some sort that will make it a ‘must-have’. We’re guessing a clip-on steering wheel. Developed by the people behind the GT Advance series, the game will include over 80 licensed vehicles.
To decide if I like this totally unannounced and speculative product, I actually just moved my hands about as if I were using a Wii-type steering wheel. My two cents? I like.
More Here [Go Nintendo]
Sony Hires Head Flak
It’s been about three months since SCEA Head PR Cheese Molly Smith fled from the Playstation 3 launch.
Last night Sony announced that they’ve finally gotten around to hiring a replacement for the Senior Director of Corporate Communications. Dave Karraker comes from Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine, where he was the veep of corporate communications.
His only gaming experience, it seems, comes from his time, long ago, as a fledgling flak for third party PR companies Rogers & Cowan and Access Communications where he worked with such clients as Sega, 3DO, 3Dfx Interactive and Microsoft.
So they went with a guy who’s last job was all about convincing people to drink lots of Kahlua and Beefeater? Wow, just wow. Hit the jump for the full press release, if that’s your sort of thing.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Appoints Corporate Communications Leader
Videogame and Consumer Products Veteran to Direct Public Relations for
PlayStation(R) Brand, Including November Launch of PLAYSTATION(R)3
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment
America, Inc. today announced the appointment of Dave Karraker to the post of
Senior Director of Corporate Communications. Filling an existing position,
Karraker will oversee all North American public relations for Sony Computer
Entertainment America’s successful PlayStation(R) brand. He will report to
Peter Dille, Senior Vice President of Marketing, effectively immediately.
Karraker will manage the Sony Computer Entertainment America
communications team responsible for PlayStation products in the North America,
including the original PS one(TM) game console, PlayStation(R) 2 computer
entertainment system, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R) Portable) system and all
first-party PlayStation software. He will also supervise public relations for
the launch of the ground-breaking Sony PLAYSTATION(R)3, which will be
available in the North America on November 17, 2006.
Before joining the Sony Computer Entertainment America team, Karraker was
North American Vice President of Corporate Communications for Allied Domecq
Spirits and Wine, managing communications for such well-known brands as
Stolichnaya(R), Maker’s Mark(R), Kahlua(R), Beefeater(R) and Courvoisier(R).
Prior to Allied Domecq, Karraker was Director of Marketing Communications for
Kmart Corporation, where he oversaw media relations for the discount
retailer’s marketing efforts; proprietary brands, such as Martha Stewart
Everyday(R) and Joe Boxer(R); store network and e-commerce division.
Karraker’s videogame and consumer electronics experience includes work
with public relations firms Access Communications in San Francisco and Rogers
& Cowan in Los Angeles, where his clients included Sega of America, Microsoft,
3DO, Virgin Interactive, Crystal Dynamics, U.S. Gold, ASC Games, 3Dfx
Interactive and Knowledge Adventure. Before joining the public relations
field, Karraker was a broadcast journalist for the CBS affiliate in Santa
Barbara, California and the NBC affiliate in Reno, Nevada.
“Dave has the ideal blend of videogame, large consumer brand and retail
experience to help us meet our goals with the PlayStation brand,” said Peter
Dille, senior vice president of marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment
America. “SCEA’s communications team will play a key role in the successful
launch of the PLAYSTATION 3, focusing on driving not only consumer demand, but
also retailer excitement and synergies across the Sony family of companies.
Dave has a proven track record for managing responsive, two-way communications
between all stakeholders and audiences for the companies he has represented,
which will be a critical component of our marketing program for all
PlayStation products.”
Karraker holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from California
State University - Northridge. He will be based at the Sony Computer
Entertainment America corporate headquarters in Foster City, California.
Player Critique of Half-Life 2: Episode One
While looking over Waxy.org’s video review of the commentary system from Half-Life 2: Episode One — which, I have to say, I appreciate a hell of a lot more than actually playing with it on — I was whisked over to this fascinating 47:06 long critique of Episode One by just some random British player with a fine arts degree. It’s not pretentious, but nor is it boring — the commentary isn’t laboriously brilliant, but it is extremely fun to listen to. It’s full of spoilers, so if you haven’t played Episode One, stay well clear, but there’s worse ways to kill an hour this afternoon.
