Archive for October 6th, 2006
Seattle is Top Video Game City, Bitches
Statistical site Sperling’s BestPlaces has, via survey, been able to determine what I already know: Seattle is Numbah One for gaming in the nation. But when our homeless people look like video game characters, this is a big No Duh.
Sperling commissioned the survey based on the number of video game systems owned per household - defined as an Xbox 360, Xbox, Windows based PC, PlayStation 2 or GameCube - as well as the number of games purchased, the number of game rental and the frequency of online gaming via Xbox Live or Windows.
When the end times come and the gamers must rise up against the Insane Jackass Army, headquarters will be at my house. You guys can sleep on the fold-out.
As the smoke of massive cartridge and cd-fueled bonfires sully the weeping sky, we will amass in ranks along the shining halls of Westlake Center. The hardened EB employees there will lean on the shoulders of sympathetic Hot Topic gloomygirls, weary from a long night of outfitting our soldiery with shuriken carved from the CDs of the used sports games bin.
We’ll be forced to pillage Hot Dog on a Stick for rations, dazzling the fearful employees with bright, seductive games of Loco Roco, Nintendogs, and Zuma before drafting them into the rank and file and starting them on more serious pursuits.
Outside, the shambling Jackasses begin to close in.
Seattle Named Number One Gaming City [Gamasutra]
Previously on Kotaku: Link Alive and Well in Seattle
Exclusive: Playboy’s Women of Video Games Picture
What you see before you is a sketch Playboy put together for November’s issue (on stands next week) which features the annual Playboy’s Women of Videogames 2006 spread. The magazine will also feature a look at the state of the video game industry. The six-pages of gaming content include a 2-page foldout, final version of what you see above.
This particular sketch, given to us by Pboy editor Scott Alexander, was used to block the shot before the final renders were done. The image shows eight women from seven games. The cool thing is that all of the art you are looking out, be it pencil or final 3D render, was done by the various game studios. Playboy then melded all of the art into one two-page shot.
This image, showing the different stages of the creative process, is exclusive to Kotaku. No one else has it and no one else is getting it.
And now the run down. From left to right: Sarah Morrison of Tabula Rasa, two of the Femmes Fatale from Scarface (the third from left didn’t make the final cut, her name is Jessica McRae), two women from God of War 2, a very preliminary version of Alicia Claus from Bulletwitch, Dr. Jasmine Lin from Timeshift, and Enrica from Splinter Cell Double Agent.
As a special treat, I got Fleshbot to agree to post the unedited version of the photo on their site a little later on tonight. I’ll update once it’s up.
Sneak Peek Playboy’s Women of Video Games [NSFW, Fleshbot]
Destructoid First-Looks Family Guy
Destructoid got a first look at the upcoming Family Guy game, and seem to approve..
Overall impressions
The game actually look fun and keeps a lot of that strange humor and fast cut away scenes (done with WarioWare-like mini-games) that you’d expect in something coming from the Family Guy.The game comes out Oct. 17 for the PlayStation 2, PSP, and Xbox. If you’re a fan, I think this may actually be a solid game for you and you’ll enjoy it. Although, if you agree with South Park’s stance and can’t stand Family Guy, then you won’t like this game either.
I’ve been impressed with the cel-shading in this. Maybe it’s just that the cartooning style for Family Guy is already well-defined, but this is the most successful use of cel-shading to get a flat, animated look that I’ve seen.
Dtoid First Look; Family Guy [Destructoid]
Sorry Buster, PSP Will Be Full Price All Year Long
Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s John Koller says that there will be no PSP price cuts this year. (Guess that leaves next year?) Instead there will be 110 UMD games release, bringing the grand total to 230 titles. Good news, indeed. Says Koller:
We don’t neccessarily see the need to cut the price… We need to offer broader value and introduce new consumers to what the PSP can do.
Which is? LOL.
We kid, Sony. Koller notes that more will be revealed about how the PSP will interact with the PLAYSTATION 3. And by “more,” we hope that isn’t just as a rearview mirror for driving games.
No Price Cut [Games Industry]
Today in Joystiq: October 6, 2006
Joystiquery
Joystiq poll: Do you replay completed games?
Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty 3
Japanese hardware sales, 25 September - 1 October: fully translated edition
News
Sony says European gamers “don’t mind” delays and later releases
Ubisoft hopes to “beat EA” starting with Wii
Where was Too Human at X06? Dyack explains
Nightfall world premiere sets Guild Wars record
Wii on another holiday hot list
In-game ads adapting
UK government: There is more to life than video games
D&D fans fix Temple of Elemental Evil
Gears of War’s ranked matches smell rank
Oblivion PSP: less tromp, more romp
Crytek revises claim: Crysis could be ported
Culture
PlayStation 3 street cred tatz
This year’s most popular Halloween costume? Pac-Man
The change of video games over the years
Why gamers buy sequels
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The PS3 Cell… In Your Friggin Mobile Phone
The heart of the PLAYSTATION 3? A suped-up Cell processor developed by Toshiba, IBM and Sony. A single chip contains a main processor and eight sub-processors to unleash 200G Flops (floating point operations per second) of power. And now Toshiba plans to put that chip in mobile devices.
At the recent CEATEC show in Japan, the company showed off a more powerful, in development version of the chip with lower power consumption and increased performance. Says Mitsuo Saito, chief fellow at Toshiba’s semiconductor company and one of the key creators of the chip:
Maybe other partners are going onto the very high-end. We are focusing on the low power area. One is for more mobile types of applications such as small games or some mobile phone-like systems.
Sony plans to look into other uses once the PLAYSTATION 3 has been launched. Yippie.
PS3 Cell In Cell Phones [Digital World Tokyo]
The Office Does Call of Duty
First it’s South Park doing World of Warcraft, now The Office is doing Call of Duty. I’m delighted to see the mainstream media “discover” computer games but I won’t rest until Saturday Night Live does Okami.
22+1 Q&A with Crecente
I completely forgot about this, but awhile back I did a 22+1 question and answer dealio for site Tied the Leader.
* Song You Are Currently Listening to: Car Wash, but that’s been running in my head since the 70s.
* Game/System You Are Looking Forward to the Most: Heavenly Sword, Gears of War, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. There really isn’t one that stands out right now.
* Supernatural Power of Choice: Food vision.
* Most Expensive Thing You Ever Stole: A little plastic pony I swiped from a flea market when I was six.
* Favorite Arcade Game: All of the Street Fighters.
* Last Gadget Purchased: Treo 700w though my most idiotic gadget purchase was a Robomower. Want to buy a Robomower, cheap?
* Favorite Holiday: Halloween… or Christmas, I wish there was a Chrisween…um, make that Hallomas.
If you’re interested in me, and who isn’t, hop on over to the link. Man, even though I was laughing when I wrote that last bit, it still comes off as immensely egotystical. Wombats FTW!
And for two extra points, name the movie I quoted at the end of the Q&A.
Brian Crecente [Tied the Leader]
Japanese hardware sales, 25 September - 1 October: fully translated edition
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360
We’ve all been disgustingly selfish. If you can muster the energy, roll your eyes upwards and read the title of this post. It’s the Japanese hardware sales, implying some sort of connection to the great Eastern country that so painstakingly provides us with a continuous supply of numbers, role-playing games and saucer-eyed heroines who transform into magical assassin robots. By presenting these infrequently informative posts exclusively in English, we’ve shown a complete lack of gratitude and an unwillingness to embrace other cultures. Japan, prepare to be hugged.
- DS Lite: 274,389 
134,554 (96.22%)
- PS2: 31,992 
681 (2.08%)
- PSP: 25,319 2,201 (9.52%)
- Xbox 360: 2,195 1,086 (97.93%)
- GBA SP: 1,811334 (15.57%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,103 83 (7.00%)
- Gamecube: 523 240 (31.45%)
- DS Phat: 253 63 (19.94%)
- GBA: 10 10 (50.00%)
- Xbox: 3 5 (62.5%)
[Source: Media Create]
First, our original and entirely non-hilarious English commentary:
It seems we’re having a rather interesting week. While most devices have a nasty run-in with a red arrow, the DS Lite gains a gargantuan boost in sales from the true return of Pokemon and winds up with a number so large, it threatens to envelop all of space and time. Meanwhile, the unappreciated Xbox 360 finally manages to defeat the GBA SP and even manages to show the greatest increase in terms of percentage. A couple of thousand units sold is still pretty paltry compared to the rest of the chart, but it seems that Microsoft’s role-playing blitz at the Tokyo Game Show is having its intended, positive effect. Will Japanese interest continue to rise before the Blue Dragon bundle launches? Time will most certainly be unable to keep that information secret.
On a related note, please accept our humble apologies for failing so spectacularly to post the numbers last week. Our adventures in the Southern hemisphere kept us busier than we expected.
Now, the Japanese translation, courtesy of Babel Fish: 
And then, just to make sure it worked, we’ll translate that back to English through Google Translate:
That passing the week when we are somewhat interesting seems the way. While being the troublesome last spurt of the red arrow in most devices, the DS light/write enormous boost of sale from the true return of Pokemon profit, large number so threatens the fact that everything of the space and the time when it winds is surrounded. At that time, as for Xbox 360 which has not been recognized real value being defeated SP of GBA finally how, doing, how, doing that it shows the largest increase with percent. 23,000 unit which remainder of the diagram which is sold is compared still considerably is paltry, but that seems that brings the affirmative effect in blitz of the Microsoft of Tokyo game show role performance being intended. Before the bundle of the blue dragon launches it continues the Japanese interest to rise? Time the information secret is not maintained certainly. With note of relation, accept our moderate apologies for luxuriously may last week not posting number. Our ventures of southern hemisphere rather than we expecting, us while using maintained.
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What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Filled with self-loathing, I renewed my World of Warcraft subscription and am currently spending most of my time trying to learn the ins-and-outs of my undead warrior, ZuleikaZombi. Without a doubt, in previous experience, I’ve discovered that the most idiot, both breathing tards have tended to play the warrior class, so I wanted to take at least one imbecile out of any further grouping equations. Unfortunately, I’m discovering at level 14 that I have just as little idea how to play one as anyone else: it seems to require a hell of a lot of finesse to keep aggro off of that mage spitting fireballs over your shoulder.
So that’s my weekend, right there. I’m currently doing the endless trawl from Ogrimmar to Thunder Bluff to pick up the rest of the RFC quests, since I know none of the barely-cognisant Serbian grinders loitering outside of the portal will have them. What about you? What will you play this weekend? And remember, anyone can comment: just enter a message, a name and a prospective password, and an intern chained to a desk in New York will approve you if you even marginally exceed our loose standards of literacy.
Clip: Donkey Kong Lego
BitFlicks just brightened my whole weekend. This lovingly crafted bit of bit flick shows Donkey Kong played out in flat lego pieces, with Mario scrambling his little red Lego ass up the tilted steel rafters of level one.
Donkey Kong NES Style [BitFlicks]
Why gamers buy sequels
Filed under: Business
2old2play editorializes about sequels and why gamers keep buying them. Last year, EA released one all-new game among 25 sequels, which saved the company significant development costs on new titles. But the article makes an interesting guess about why gamers support a marketplace of sequels — complicated controls.
Some gamers like adapting skills from the previous generation to the next version of the game, rather than re-learning everything. We often overlook the value in that familiarity; many gamers don’t have time to start over with all-new titles. (We, of course, spend all day playing games.)
We always go back to the chicken-and-egg question of sequels — are publishers producing sequels because gamers buy them, or are gamers buying them because they dominate the release lineup?
[Via digg]
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Bejeweled Lottery Ticket
The Australian Lottery Commission have capitalized on the world’s insane Bejeweled Mania by releasing a themed lottery ticket after the famed PopCap casual game. F for Effort, Lottery Commission. When have you ever seen that layout of gems on a Bejeweled field? Thanks, Matt!
This Day In Gaming, October 6th
1997: Valve/Sierra announce Half-Life will be delayed from release in the holidays of 1997 to sometime 1998. At the time this was a big let-down, but now all I remember was how awesome Half-Life played when it was released. So I guess delaying games is a good thing. And that’s the last time I will ever admit it.
2004: Sony plants its first ad for the PSP in Japanese game magazines. It’s a full page of Quick Response code: a UPC built from squares used by phones to link to product webpages. The funny thing is that the PSP has not been given a price or ship date. Wow, maybe the PSP will have a camera…and a phone!
2004: Eidos Interactive releases Get On Da Mic for PS2 in the US and Europe. Who would have thought there was a market for people who wanted to rap but were too embarrassed to do so in public/outside of their car?
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Crytek revises claim: Crysis could be ported
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters
During Leipzig, Crytek senior game designer Bernd Diemer claimed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were too weak to handle Crysis. Now, slightly down the totem pole, Crytek lead artist Michael Khaimzon is saying he’s confident that Crysis could be ported. “I don’t think there would be any problem to convert anything we work on to the next-gen consoles,” Khaimzon told GamesIndustry.biz, adding, “[but] I don’t know of any official plans to do so” (besides these).
Forget Khaimzon’s wishy-washy “don’t know of any official plans” garble; EA, the publisher, doesn’t want this to be a PC-only franchise. Crysis will wind up on 360 and PS3 (and probably Wii too), in one form or another, within a year. Just look at what’s happened to Far Cry. Ubisoft has pimped the franchise like a mo’fo. Think EA’s gonna miss out on an equally ripe opportunity — and fall to second place? Nah, ain’t gonna happen.
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Dark Messiah Available For Pre-Order on Steam
Those who wish to avoid as much as possible of the inevitable Steam congestion when Dark Messiage of Might and Magic is released later this month should be aware that the game is available for pre-order and pre-load now:
From Valve:
Dark Messiah Might and Magic is now available for pre-order via Steam for just $49.95. Those who pre-order and pre-load the game will have everything they need to start playing the moment it is made available.
Of course, if Dark Messiah’s launch is anything like Half-Life 2’s launch, you’ll still face a few hours of smashing your fist impotently down upon your keyboard as you wait for the files to unlock.
Oblivion PSP: less tromp, more romp
Filed under: Portable, Sony PSP, Action, Adventure, RPGs
OPM’s got the scoop on PSP’s Oblivion. Sounds like Bethesda will strip out the open world, focusing on dungeon romps. Did you really believe they’d do otherwise?
We’ll still get create-a-character and have access to 18 of the 21 skills featured in the original Oblivion, but no word on cross-link features between the PSP version and the PS3 edition. And no word on load times either … … … But the developers do cite Metroid Prime as a source of inspiration. Well then, how about throwin’ in a morph ball ability?
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Multi-Tap: A Week In Comments
They didn’t copy Nintendo again. They didn’t copy Nintendo to begin with. This is for MOVIE PLAYBACK. This is not a WiiStick, it is not meant to be a WiiStick, nor is it meant to knock off a WiiStick. Come on, guys.
So, it isn’t the sleekest thing this side of Kansas. But how many people actually bought a DVD remote for the PS2? And why does it matter how badly it looks? None of you are buying a Playstation 3 anyway, from the sound of your grumblings. If the look of the DVD remote keeps you from buying a next-gen system, then we really are headed for a downfall of the video game industry.
This is why nobody can spend time developing new games - they have to make a sexy remote for it, or you guys won’t watch DVDs on the system and therefore won’t buy the system. Grow up, guys.
So this remote is ‘ugly’ or ‘big’ or ‘large.’ Doesn’t matter. I’m not spending an extra 10-50 bucks on a new remote when I can USE A CONTROLLER or ANOTHER DEVICE I ALREADY HAVE to do the same trick. (See that, Microsoft? I’m not gonna buy a new controller plug-in to watch a damn DVD. Duh.)
You can punch people into space!!!! Hello? Do you need any more incentive to get it?
by Toneman
PS3 Controller’s Name Revealed
It’s always kind of confused me that the controller require a name. The 360’s controller is called…the 360 controller. The Wii’s remote is called…the Wii Remote.
It’s a controller, it doesn’t need a name. I ran a Gamestop for 3 years, not once did anyone come in and ask for a Dual Shock 2. I heard a lot of “paddles”, “remotes”, “pads”, “joysticks” etc.
The name originated with PS1 because it had to have a name to differentiate it from the standard controller, it’s irrelevant now as the SIXAXIS (I love how it’s all caps just like PLAYSTATION 3) is the only official controller.
by skullivan
Uwe Boll Doing BloodRayne Sequel
I wonder if someday, Uwe Boll will publish his memoirs and reflect on his life of making shitty movies and beating up internet nerds as a career.
by kneejash
Sony Says What PS3 Overheating Problem?
Personally the fact the PS3s overheated at TGS doesn’t bother me as I’ve yet to hear an account of how it handles in a real world environment. One that isn’t already hot to begin with and the ps3 not crammed into a tight space with barely any ventilation.
What I’m more concerned with the outright denial from Sony. The PS3s did not all run “flawlessly” as many TGS accounts attest. The utter contempt exhibited by Sony for it’s consumers is horrifying.
Note to Sony: If there’s evidence of a fault all over the web, DON’T DENY IT!!! It only makes you look either stupid or callous. What you should do is explain the fault as rationally as possible. You could have used pre-production models or trade show conditions. The result would have been one of more tolerance by industy followers and a lot less egg on the face. Oh and for God’s sake, swallow you pride over the rumble thing would ya?
by Repsode
Want to comment? Go ahead. We’re less snobby, but still elitist. Type what you wanna say, but do know we *heart* banning. Commenters that add to the dialogue stay. Those that don’t are mocked, banned, mocked again and shown the door. And then mocked.
Clips: Iconic PS3 Tat
It looks like there’s going to be just nine tickets left to the Playstation 3 Premiere Party. PS3 hardcore fan Chris sent us his entry for the contest and he’s gotta win. Some peopole might write sonnets to Sony’s next-gen console or craft effigies made of mashed potatoes and human hair, but Chris got the iconic buttons needled into his skin. Self-mutilation FTW.
Hey!
Playstation Underground is holding a contest and sending 10 lucky winners to the PS3 Premiere Party in Los Angeles. Winners get a PS3…so having neither the finances of resources necessary to secure my own at launch I decided to enter the contest.
I didn’t quite know what to do to show my love for PlayStation…so I decided to get the iconic “Triangle, Circle, X, Square” button logos tattooed along the entire length of the back of my arm!
This 1 min. 30 sec. video documents the experience.
Hang in until the end for the big reveal! I really hope you enjoy it!
Video’s on the jump.
Gears of War’s ranked matches smell rank
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online, Competitive Gaming
Despite being considered a tactical, team-centric game, Gears of War will not allow you choose who you play with in ranked matches. Epic Games programmer Joe Graf confirmed as much on the official forums recently, citing Microsoft certification as the reason. Graf, through a long series of discussion, explains that Microsoft would not allow the game to be shipped unless ranked match-ups were randomized (based on skill level, of course), though non-ranked games will still allow you to play with friends, privatize games, and send/accept invites.
From Graf’s tone, we get the feeling Epic would prefer a more clan-friendly online system, and we’re inclined to agree. Microsoft’s theory, according to Graf, is that randomized ranked matches “prevent collaborative cheating (I kill you ten times, now you me, etc.).” However, this move will breed loner behavior — why should I help a fellow teammate out when I now have less competition against my kill count?
A potential solution would be to reward players who heal their down-but-not-out brethren, thus promoting brotherly love. But might one also abuse this reward if friendly fire is enabled?
Halo 2 is cited by several forum members as having a matchmaking system that promotes teamwork, allowing you to play with a party of people. Halo 2 is an original Xbox title, however, and is therefore not bounded by MS’s new policy. Will Halo 3 follow the same suit as Gears of War?
[Thanks, Sanchinos]
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