Archive for November, 2006
An Update Is Available For This Post
For various reasons I got up very early this morning, and decided to poke around on the PlayStation 3 for a little bit. Download a trailer or something. I power up the system and drat, system update. Ah well, I get that started and switch over to my Wii, figuring I would take Ecco the Dolphin out for a spin. I head for the Shop Channel, and there it is again. System update. With a sigh I get that going. No problem. I downloaded a show on my 360 the other day, I’ll just go watch that. Let’s just say I am glad the 360 controller is sturdier than my wall. It’s a system update hat trick!
One of the reasons I loved console gaming was the plug and play aspect. No installing, no updates. Just plug in the cart, boot up the cd, and you’re in. That has all changed now, as every next gen system now has some sort of update feature we have to suffer through before we can play. This is the future of console gaming?
It’s not just the systems either. Now the games themselves are getting patched on the fly, something you normally wouldn’t see happening outside of PC gaming. While trying to play Call of Duty 3 on the PS3 the other day I had to download a 4 part patch before I could even get to the point where it told me I couldn’t connect to a multiplayer match. I doubt anyone who owns a 360 hasn’t seen the whole “An update is required to play this game” message pop up at least once.
On the plus side, system and game updates do allow for enhanced functionality, bonus content, and new features to be added. Unfortunately, as any PC gamer will attest, it also allows for lazy programming, poor QA testing, and rushed software. On last gen consoles, with the possible exception of the Xbox, when you released a game that was it. You had to make damn sure your title worked perfectly or suffer the fate of Enter the Matrix or Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. Now you can send games out with large flaws, secure in the knowledge that salvation is just a patch away. Some see this as a good thing, but I would much rather have a fully functioning game from the get go.
For years, PC gamers and console gamers have fought over which is the superior gaming platform. Now the lines between the two are blurring more and more each day. 360 core owners have already experienced the need for hardware upgrades, with certain games requiring the hard drive to play, effectively removing the comfort of being able to buy a game and know for sure you can run it. Now the patch issue is moot, since they occur regularly across all three next gen systems. Soon the only thing console gamers will have to hold onto is their couch, which is where I am heading right now to see if my system updates are done.
Perhaps, Japan’s Cheapest Famicom Emulator
They call it FAMI-COMFORT. A straight up Famicom emulator found in Akihabara by the Gizmodo Japan guys for a mere 999 yen (US $8.60) before sales tax. I’m sure somewhere in this country there is even cheaper, but with the Virtual Console alive and kicking are things like emulators now obsolete?
FAMI-COMFORT [Giz Japan]
Halo 3 Beta Details Announced
Along with new details on the upcoming Halo 3 ad set to hit television next week, Microsoft announced new details for the upcoming public beta for the game.
Starting Dec. 4, gamers in North America (sorry the rest of the world) can visit the Halo 3 site and register for a chance to be a part of the public beta test.
The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, scheduled for spring 2007, will give gamers a chance to playtest the game (duh) and perhaps influence its development. OK, here’s the deal, everyone who makes the list needs to demand more pirates in the game. Let’s get this done.
To register hit the link on Dec. 4, and then once it’s back up submit your app.
Live-Action Halo 3 Commercial Hits Next Week
Microsoft just announced that a new minute-long spot for Halo 3 will be airing on Dec. 4 on ESPN Monday Night Football and Xbox.com in Europe.
The commercial will “offer viewers an exclusive look at the iconic Halo universe and provide telling, new hints as to what Bungie Studios has in store for the highly regarded game.”
More interestingly, the commercial, which airs between 5:50 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. PST on ESPN and 8 p.m. PST on Xbox.com, will include a mix of live action and computer generated animation. That’s right, live-action Halo baby.
Once it airs, the commercial, created by the McCann Worldgroup in San Francisco, will hit Xbox Live Marketplace.
Microsoft also announced details for the Halo 3 public beta program set to kick-off this coming spring. Hit the jump for the full release.
Exclusive Halo 3 Trailer Makes Broadcast Debut Viewers to See Master Chief Like He’s Never Been Seen Before
Fans worldwide can experience a thrilling look at the most anticipated game of 2007 with a special 60-second
Halo 3
trailer; Microsoft announces first chance for North American gamers to participate in the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta by entering at Halo3.com.
Humanity is about to experience another exciting look at the world of
Halo 3,
one of the most anticipated entertainment launches for 2007. Airing in North America, Monday, Dec. 4 on ESPN
s Monday Night Football and Xbox.com in Europe, the new 60-second
Halo 3
trailer will offer viewers an exclusive look at the iconic
Halo
universe and provide telling, new hints as to what Bungie Studios has in store for the highly regarded game, which is published by Microsoft Game Studios and exclusive to Xbox 360.
Fans can tune in to ESPN on Monday, Dec. 4 between 5:50 and 6:20 p.m. PST to catch this stunning new look at
Halo 3.
Additionally, the ad will be aired that same evening on Xbox.com at 8 p.m. PST /04.00 GMT/05.00 CET (Tuesday, Dec. 5).
The ad, created by McCann Worldgroup San Francisco, includes a mixture of live action and computer generated animation, will air one time only and will then be made available online worldwide through Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox.com.
Halo is a pop culture phenomenon! The Halo franchise has changed the face of interactive entertainment and it’s only fitting that we take an innovative approach to how we market and advertise the brand,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “This invites a new audience with a rich back story, and continues to galvanize gamers around the world for the launch of Halo 3 in 2007.
In conjunction with the ad, Microsoft today unveiled further details and an official call to entry for the
Halo 3
beta program. Beginning Monday, Dec. 4, by visiting http://www.halo3.com, gamers in North America will be able to register for the opportunity to be one of the select members to join the unprecedented
Halo 3
public beta program, scheduled to kick off in spring 2007. Today
s announcement confirms the first path of entry for gamers to participate in the beta program and be among the first to experience the most anticipated game of 2007.
The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of
Halo 3,
is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on Xbox 360. This beta also represents an opportunity for gamers to participate in the development of
Halo 3.
Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further refine and hone the end result of
Halo 3.
Unveiled earlier this year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles,
Halo 3
represents the third chapter in the
Halo
trilogy, an international award-winning action series that grew into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.7 million units worldwide, which equals nearly $700 million in sales, and logging in excess of 800 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox Live.
Classic Controller Adapters for the Wii
RetroZone doles out the classic controller lovin with a pair of adapters that allow you to use authentic old-school Nintendo game pads with your Wii virtual console games. The adapters will come in two flavors, original NES and SNES. and will plug into the GameCube ports on top of your Wii.
One of my main problems with playing VC NES games with the Wiimote or cube controller is all those extra buttons, just sitting there like man nipples, serving absolutely no purpose whatsoever. I’ve got a bag in my closet containing no less that 5 original NES pads, just waiting to be called back into action. I’m hoping for an experience so authentic I’ll want to blow into my Wii slot.
Yeah, that sounded really wrong.
The adapters are available for preorder, with the NES model shipping in January and the SNES following soon after. They also carry modded controllers and adapters for PC use, for those of you into the Nintendo ‘homebrew’ scene.
NES and SNES Controller Adapters for Nintendo Wii [RetroZone - Thanks Marc!]
The Overlooked PSP Game
It’s a crapshoot, really. Some cool games get English localization. Some bad ones get it. Other never do, staying forever out of most Westerner’s hands. While tiny percentage of really neat titles already with loads of English never get a US/Euro release.
Take DJ MAX. It’s a Korean rhythm game (think DDR for the PSP and the PC) that appears to have been produced with the outside world in mind with the menu almost entirely in English, but the game has yet to achieve beyond import status. The video above is on the easiest setting — 4 button mode. It goes up to 8 button plus analog. It seemed poised to ride in Lumines‘ wake, but sadly, never did.
The game’s company, Pentavision, just announced DJ MAX 2 for the PSP and, at the moment, Korea. Publishers, are you listening?
DJ MAX 2 Announced [Ruliweb, Thanks Torokun!]
Wii Component Cables Back in Stock
Quite a few reader wrote to let us know that Nintendo has resumed shipments of the Wii Component Video Cable.
I still have trouble noticing a difference in the image when using the cable, but apparently I’m the only one. The cables sell for a nickel under $30, so it’s probably worth the plunge if you have the cash.
Wii Component Cables [Nintendo Store]
Future Blows Its Cash On Booze, Women
The death rattle of the print media is becoming clearly audible.
Officials from UK based magazine publisher Future Publishing have announced the company’s preliminary results for the financial year ended September 30th, in which the company reported pre-tax losses of
49.0 million ($95.6m).
Last year Future made a
12.5 million ($24.4m) profit so this…this hurts. Future publish the official Xbox mag in both the US and Britain, the official Sony & Nintendo mags in the UK, serious-but-awesome industry site Next-Gen and, most important of all, Edge magazine, the doyen of games journalism.
These mags have been dying a slow death for a few years now, so that in itself isn’t exactly breaking news. Be a crying shame if Edge and Next-Gen get caught up in all of this business, though (again, in the case of Next-Gen). The world wouldn’t be the same without them.
Future Publishing Sees Losses Of $96m [Gamasutra]
Save To Your Wii-mote, Battle It Out Pokemon Style
Details for Pokémon Battle Revolution have been aired over at Dengeki Online. Here’s the skinny:
- Free Battle
Duke it out in a a Coliseum battle. Players can save data to their Wii-mote and then upload it to the software on a completely different Wii. Almost cool enough to make me not loathe Pokémon, but not quite.
- WiFi Battle
Fight with players across with Japan. Well, players whose friend codes you know.
Oh, also you can color coordinate outfits for your trainer. Should you be into that sorta thing.
Pokémon Fight Details [Dengeki Online]
1080p Fix Hits 360
Major Nelson reports today that a new Live update has hit that will fix 1080p issues with the Xbox 360.
Specifically, the download will improve support for HD video output over VGA, improve plug and play performance for wired headsets and tweaks the recently played games list.
The update is, fortunately, an international one.
The 1080p Fix [Major Nelson]
Goldeneye Source Returns To Feast On The Living
Goldeneye + Source. It’s a delicious combination. The mod team behind said project started off ambitiously enough, but have been deathly silent for months now, leading most to presume that they’d either been shut down or had just given up. Well, mostly the latter.
But no! Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, they shall return in time for a new, second download for Christmas. Apparently their silence was due to a whole number of techy things going decidedly pear-shaped, forums crashing and whatnot.
It looks very nice indeed, but there’s just something…missing. Probably the fact you’re not going to be able to get drunk and play with three other people in the same room on the same screen. Yeah, that’ll be it.
Microsoft Still Gunning For 10 Million
Targets, gotta love ‘em. Microsoft said it planned to sell ten million Xbox 360s by the end of the year, but will they? Says the company’s Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell:
We’re very happy going into the holiday season. We still feel very good about the 10 million target.
You’re happy? I’m happy. Egg nog, presents, drunk relatives, everyone is happy — it’s the holidays! Microsoft also announced that it plans to sell another five million consoles by mid-2007. Bang, bang.
Microsoft Sets New Numbers [Next-Gen]
Namco: PS3 Games Must Sell 500k for Profit
A Playstation 3 title has to sell at least half a million copies to make a profit, the president of Namco told Bloomberg.
President Takeo Takasu went on to say that graphics for PS3 games cost about 1 billion yen to create, or more than double what it costs to create graphics for Wii titles.
“We have to sell at least 500,000 copies per title worldwide to make a profit on PlayStation 3 games,” said Takasu. He said titles for the new Sony console are “selling well.”
The story goes on to quote a bunch of analysts saying that game developers might be hesitant to start making games for a console that is so expensive to develop for if it is having shipment issues.
Namco Bandai’s Takasu Says PS3 Game Titles Must Sell 500,000
Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — Namco Bandai Holdings Inc., Japan’s second-biggest maker of video-game software, must sell at least half a million copies of a game for Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 console to make money on the title, said President Takeo Takasu.
Graphics for the high-definition games cost about 1 billion yen ($8.6 million) to create, more than double that for Nintendo Co.’s Wii titles, Takasu said in a Tokyo interview Nov. 28.
“We have to sell at least 500,000 copies per title worldwide to make a profit on PlayStation 3 games,” said Takasu. He said titles for the new Sony console are “selling well.”
Shortages of the PlayStation 3 may also make it more difficult for software makers to sell enough games. Tokyo-based Sony halved shipment targets for the console this year and delayed the European release amid a dearth for some parts. The company may have missed its goal of shipping 400,000 consoles in the U.S. earlier this month, according to analysts including Jeetil Patel at Deutsche Bank Securities in San Francisco.
“Game makers may hesitate to make games for a console if its shipment is being delayed,” said Yuuki Sakurai, who helps manage $6.02 billion at Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Tokyo. “Some game makers may wait until a console becomes popular because of increasing production costs.”
Tokyo-based Namco Bandai expects games for the consoles introduced this month by Sony and Nintendo and a year ago by Microsoft Corp. to account for 10 percent of software sales, or 3.15 million units, this fiscal year ending March 31, Takasu said. The company sold about 26,000 titles for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 last year, when it was introduced.
Namco Bandai developed two titles, the “Ridge Racer” car racing series and the latest “Gundam” shooting game, for Sony’s PlayStation 3’s Japan debut on Nov. 11, and will introduce four titles for Nintendo’s Wii this weekend. The Wii offers a motion- sensor controller without high-definition graphics.
Shares of Namco Bandai fell 0.3 percent to 1,734 yen as of 1 p.m. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
PS3, Wii eBay Figures Unveiled
We all had a laugh at the extremes some morons went to while trying to score a PS3 over eBay. It’s fairly safe to say that if one thing was synonymous with the console’s launch, it was the dodgy/hilarious auctions aimed at capitalising on the stupid and/or rich.
We were so busy laughing at the PS3 the Wii went completely unnoticed. In the weeks leading up to Black Friday (and the weekend itself), the PS3 shifted 28,233 units over eBay (including shipped pre-orders bought beforehand). The Wii? 29,451. Again, that’s including pre-orders, but i’ll be damned if that’s not a higher number than the PS3.
Yeah, it’s a much smaller percentage of the total launch allocation, and the sales generated nowhere near as much of a profit (the averages were around $180 per Wii vs $400-800 per PS3), but what the Wii’s sellers lacked in profitability, its customers made up for in stupidity.
They’re not that rare. They’re not that expensive. If you felt the need to pay $427 for a Wii (which was the average price), do yourself a favour. Think a little harder. They retail for $250.
eBay Moves 27,000 Wii Consoles, 15,000 PS3s In First Week [eToychest]
Japan Gets Wii Late, Consoled With VC List
Mark my words, this Saturday, blood in the streets. That, and grown man crying. Hell, women crying too. This Saturday, the Wii launches in Japan. What am I picking up? Wii Sports (no, it’s not bundled here) and nothing else. Why should I? Nintendo is putting a ton of sweet titles on the Virtual Console. The company has disclosed all the games that will hit this year. The Land of the Rising Sun will see, count ‘em, 20 more games than the US before year’s end. Envy after the jump.
•Famicom (NES) cost 500 points (500 yen) each. For those who like math, 100 yen equals US 86 cents. Titles below hit launch day (Dec 2) unless otherwise noted.
- Ice Hockey (Nintendo)
- Urban Champion (Nintendo)
- Legend of Kage (Taito) - Dec 19
- Gradius (Konami)
- Go-moku Narabe (Nintendo)
- Soccer (Nintendo)
- Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
- Xevious (Bandai Namco)
- Legend of Zelda (Nintendo)
- Solomon’s Key (Tecmo)
- Tennis (Nintendo)
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo)
- Donkey Kong Jr. (Nintendo)
- Ninja Jajamaru-kun (Jaleco) - Dec 19
- Pinball (Nintendo)
- Baseball (Nintendo)
- Mario Bros. (Nintendo) -Dec 12
- Wario’s Woods (Nintendo) - Dec 12
•Super Famicom (SNES) titles go for 800 points, unless noted. Likewise, available this Saturday or later in the month.
- F-Zero (Nintendo)
- R-Type III (Irem) - Dec 26
- Super Castlevania IV (Konami)
- Contra III (Konami) - Dec 19
- Sim City (Nintendo): 900 pts, Dec 26
- Street Fighter II (Capcom)
- Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo) - Dec 12
- Super Mario World (Nintendo)
- Zelda: Link to the Past (Nintendo): 900 pts
- Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo (Nintendo) 900 pts, Dec 26
- Mario Super Picross (Nintendo) - Dec 19
•Nintendo 64 (1000 points or 1000 yen).
- Super Mario 64 (Nintendo)
•Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) - 600 points or 600 yen
- Ecco The Dolphin (Sega)
- Gunstar Heroes (Sega)
- Golden Axe (Sega)
- Columns (Sega)
- Shadow Dancer (Sega)
- Altered Beast (Sega)
- Space Harrier II (Sega)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega)
- Toejam and Earl (Sega)
- Puyo Puyo (Sega)
- Ristar (Sega)
•PC Engine (TG-16, 600 points)
- Bonk’s Adventure (Hudson)
- Necromancer (Hudson)
- Super Star Soldier (Hudson)
- New Adventure Island (Hudson)
- Dungeon Explorer (Hudson)
- Victory Run (Hudson)
- Bomberman ‘94 (Hudson)
- R-Type I (Hudson) Dec 13
- Nectaris (Hudson) Dec 20
VC Games List [Nintendo via Game|Life, Thanks Bunky!]
Microsoft’s updated 1080p update still needs work
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360
Just before the Tokyo Game Show, when Microsoft first announced support for 1080p, we were impressed with the sheer audacity of the addition! For all of Sony’s technological one-upmanship, Microsoft had deftly removed one of the PlayStation 3’s brightest tail-feathers in a single software download. Well, at least it seemed that way until a little over a month later when the update was available and Microsoft’s implementation left a lot to be desired. Of course, they promised a patch to correct some issues in the update, notably the incompatibility of 1080p-over-component on televisions that supported the format. That second patch has finally arrived and, as promised, solves some of those issues. For example, the above image shows a Sony XBR3 television finally displaying 1080p content over component. So, for those users who only needed that fixed, you’re on your way.
Still, despite the update’s promise of “improved support for HD video output over VGA, including 1080p resolution” this blogger still encounters a significant (and certainly abnormal) amount of screen tearing while using the VGA connection, not to mention the pale, washed-out colors that have become emblematic of the 360’s VGA implementation. But we’re not the only ones with problems. A quick perusal of the AVS Forums thread shows some another anomalies that don’t instill much confidence in Microsoft’s upgraded upgrade.
We have a feeling that Microsoft will continue to tweak this feature until it works as expected; however, after two attempts we’re left underwhelmed and Microsoft’s magic hat trick is looking more and more like smoke and mirrors.
Read — Major Nelson’s Dashboard update announcement
Read — AVS Forums on “improved” 1080p support
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Child’s Play Expansion Pack
You may not know this, but Child’s Play is no longer confined to the 50 “United States”. Small, charitable seedlings, no doubt filled with a pioneering spirit, have taken root in Canada, the UK, Australia and…Egypt. Yeah, Egypt.
The Australian wing, run by Daniel Mons and James Pinnell, has been getting some press in Brisbane recently, and they’ve managed to get not only a local Queensland hospital on-board, but Australia’s biggest children’s hospital, Royal Randwick in Sydney, as well. The other international hospitals participating are in Liverpool, Toronto, Vancouver, Nova Scotia and Cairo.
So if you’re feeling charitable and would like to make a difference a little closer to home, hit up the Child’s Play site for an index of participating hospitals.
Empire at War coming to the Mac
Filed under: Mac, Online, Strategy
The Mac version of Star Wars: Empire at War won’t be ready for Santa’s sleigh, but Aspyr Media reports they’ve entered the testing phase, and the Petroglyph strategy port should be available in February. MacBook and Mini owners with integrated graphics won’t have to worry about the game’s performance. According to lead programmer Brad Oliver, Aspyr’s goal is to make sure Empire plays well on all Macs. That is, until the expansion pack is ported and Tyber Zann assumes control of your hard disk.
See also:
- Holiday 2006 best bets for Mac gamers
- KotOR franchise to continue, says LucasArts
- Star Wars PC collection ships
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Heroes Gone, So No More Heroes, K?
Upcoming Wii game Heroes has been retitled to No More Heroes. The irony is divine. The game was developed by Suda 51, who also brought us the stylized Killer 7 and sounds intriguing. The plot? You’re geeky Travis Touchdown, who wins a Light Saber-type weapon called a Beam Katana and kicks off a new career as a professional killer. It takes place in a fictional city in the Western United States. There’s a French chick. It’s a sandbox-type game. And the game’s hero wears otaku-type shirts which were created by Okama, the character designer behind TV hit Densha Otoko’s opening scene (above). Cool t-shirts and Light Sabers, can Suda 51 read minds or what?!
Another Rad Grasshopper Game [VGB]
Gaming-ready PCs could hit 90 million in 2007
Filed under: PC
Forget the other guys, gaming PCs could be sitting pretty at around 90 million units by the end of 2007. According to IDC, an analyst group, Windows Vista is expected to obtain this mad install-base; the bulk of the installations are expected to be in home computers.
IDC expects out of those 90 million units that 67% will be Vista Basic and 30% will be Vista Premium (both private consumer versions). Vista requires the PC to have a semi-competent graphics processor, able to push DX9, just to function properly. This could mean the PC gaming market will enjoy more potential customers, especially among more graphically intense programs.
Since each Vista PC will have a DX9 capable card sitting in it, we can now understand the logic behind Microsoft’s Games for Windows push. This could easily cut into the console market; people buy PCs for functions that consoles cannot perform (word processing, etc). If the PC can play games right out of the box, why buy the console — where games now cost upwards of $20 more on average — when the PC they buy at Best Buy does the job?
[Via FiringSquad]
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