Archive for November 4th, 2006
PS3 Solves Rubik’s Cube; Makes It Explode
We’ve all heard about the legendary power of the PS3. But, did you know it has the power of a blindfolded nerd? According to this latest commercial, the PS3 can solve a Rubik’s Cube in mere seconds just like one of those guys that were on all the talk shows in the eighties.
The PS3 goes one step further though and blows the damn thing up, splashing it’s multicolored innards all over the walls. At first glance this looks very similar to the creepy baby doll commercial that came before it, but unfortunately the creepy doll didn’t explode.
Google Maps Configured To Show PS3 Launch Locations
The intrepid adventurers over at PS3 Seeker have used some Google Maps tools to throw together this nifty Google map showing all the locations selling PS3’s at launch. You can see which stores will be opening and selling at midnight on the 17th or you can search by location. You can even see if there are any PS3 auctions available in your location. PS3 Seeker is on the job for you, adding addresses as they find them.
Please note that we are constantly updating our retailer database and are adding new locations on an almost daily basis. If you don’t see a location on the map that you believe should appear there, please tell us about it via the contact form, or check back in a few days.
Finally, Google Maps being used for something more useful than looking at the roof of your own house or checking to see if that strange car is parked in your girlfriend’s driveway. That’s assuming that you actually have a girlfriend.
Google Map PS3 Seeker [PS3seeker.com]
[ via: Google Maps Mania Thanks, Eugene!]
New Oblivion Expansion: Only $10 on Xbox Live
Good news for all you Oblivion fans out there. The new expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, titled Knights of the Nine, will be available in several forms when it’s finally released later this moth.
The content will be included as part of the PlayStation 3 version, while PC users will have to pay $19.99 for the 10-20 hours of new gameplay. Lucky Xbox 360 owners will be able to download it directly from Xbox Live Arcade for a mere 800 Microsoft points. Or in real money, around $10.
With all the attention being paid to microtransactions lately, it’s good to know someone out there is listening.
1982 Intellivision Commercial
Now this is what I call a commercial. No weird baby dolls crying, no nonsensical images that don’t make any sense to my muddled mind. When you see this ad for the awesome Intellivision Game System, you know exactly what you’re getting, even down to the shining sparkle on the ultra modern controller buttons! And I think we can all agree that that football game really puts Madden to shame. All this fancy gadgetry is available for you to purchase at Hills. I love shopping at Hills because I know when I buy that Intellivision, I’m helping to fight our nation’s terrible inflation problem.
Penn. Senator Rick Santorum Goes to the Mat Against Violent Video Games
In a surprising show of hypocrisy in the government, Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s new campaign ad features the upstanding politico in the wrestling ring talking about all his various partnerships with various government bigwigs. He makes reference to his work with Hillary Clinton’s Anti Violent Video Game initiative, yet ten seconds later he’s elbowing some poor wrestler guy right in the face.
Perhaps no one has explained to Mr. Santorum that in some circles, a sharp elbow to the face could be misconstrued as violent. Check out the video on the Senator’s website, cleverly titled Wrestling.
I’m Rick Santorum, and I Approved Elbowing this Guy in the Face During My Anti-Video Game Violence Commercial [GamePolitics]
Twilight Princess Dungeon and Length Details
Let’s face it gamers, no matter what gender or sexual orientation, we all want to know one thing about an upcoming game. How big is it? This intimate question was put to two of Nintendo of America’s game localization guys, Nate Bihldorff and Bill Trinen about the highly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The boys wasted no time in whipping out a whopping 9 dungeons, 70 hours of gameplay and boasted of a Hyrule field five times as big as the map in Ocarina of Time. They also assure us that there are a lot more side quests so that the game doesn’t end up becoming and endless string of dungeons one after the other.
The Zelda franchise has always been known for the size and depth of it’s games and it sounds like this one is more than ready to rise to the occasion.
Mario Invades South Beach
Mario has a penthouse in South Beach! Who knew? He wants to invite all you crazy kids down to his swinging pad for a night of Nintendo you won’t soon forget!
There’ll be Wii’s to try out and lots of really cool hip people just like you! Just head down to the Tides South Beach Hotel Penthouse Suite at 1220 Ocean Drive on Saturday November 11 between 11am and 4pm. It’s gonna be the rockin-est… wait… 11am to 4pm… invite only? What is this, some snobby kids birthday party at the local Chuck E. Cheese? I’ll barely have awakened from my hangover by that time.
Ah well, if anyone thinks they can make it up that early on a Saturday and actually go, let us know.
[via Gamertag Radio Thanks, Godfree!]
No Wireless Guitar for 360
Did you like the news last week that Red Octane would be releasing wireless guitars for the PS2? Did you get so excited that you just presumed it would be the same story for the upcoming 360 version?
eToychest didn’t presume, they took action, and asked Red Octane whether the 360 version would also feature wireless guitars. Their response?
Well, that’s a Microsoft issue. Their wireless technology is proprietary…so they aren’t allowing 3rd party manufacturers to make anything at the moment….so until they allow us to do so, we aren’t able to.
Well…that sucks. It’s not an everlasting no, as it does leave the door ever-so-slightly ajar for a wireless controller sometime in the future. But for now, no dice.
Guitar Hero For The 360…Wired Or No? [eToychest]
Update: Japan Gets Another PS3 Ad, Still Screwed Out of Consoles
More of Sony egging on adult insanity and man crying, here’s a commercial directed at a Japanese market that will be getting reamed royally regarding PS3 shipments. If this ads seems short, just check Japan’s console numbers. How fitting!
Wii Component Cables Online Only (Pause) Not!
Remember when we said that Wii component cables would be an online only affair? And that I got a little cranky and stomped around like an infant on Kotaku about it? Well, either we were fed bum info, or Nintendo has decided to throw caution to the wind and sell component cables at brick and mortar stores.
That’s what Nintendo’s Perrin Kaplan, half-woman, half-press release, said to Game Informer recently:
GI: Will component cables be available on day one?
Kaplan: Yes, at retail and online. Best Buy, GameStop, Circuit City, etc… and Nintendo.com.
Hmm. But she also said that Wii would be region free and she was wrong. Plus she answers interview questions like this:
GI: As far as Virtual Console pricing how it breaks down in Europe, Japan, and here, it seems most expensive in the U.S. when you check exchange rates…
Kaplan: Do you drink lattes?GI: Yeah.
Kaplan: How much do you spend on lattes?GI: I spend a lot.
Kaplan: There you go.
Oh, Perrin! What will you come up with next? Let’s hope Mrs. Kaplan is right on this whole retail component cable thing. I need me some 480p on day one!
Countdown to Wii: The Perrin Kaplan Interview [Game Informer]
Wii Component Cables Online Only [Kotaku]
Titan Quest expansion announced, modders interviewed
Filed under: Hacks, PC, Action, Online, RPGs
THQ has announced that a Titan Quest expansion pack will be released before the end of Q1, but there are other options for extending your mythical adventures beyond the game’s core campaign. Aspiring developers have started showcasing their mods at the Titan Quest Vault, and have offered some insight into their creative process through a series of interviews.
German modder Toh Klidan, for example, is the author of Andromeda’s Sacrifice, a retelling of the classic tale of the Aethiopian princess and her savior Perseus (of Clash of the Titans fame). According to Klidan, the Titan Quest tools appear more confusing than they actually are, so we should be seeing more independent campaigns and maps in the near future. There are over 40 available now. Let us know if you’ve tried any of them.
See also: Metareview - Titan Quest
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This Day in Gaming, November 4th
1999: Warner Bros is forced to shut down their phone lines after offering a chance to win free tickets to the Pokemon movie. They were receiving 70,000 calls a minute, which our scientific analysis pegs at “a lot”.
2004: Inc. Magazine announces Alienware as the 131st fastest growing company. They did grow fast - so fast that they are now the biggest PC manufacturer called Dell.
2004: Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for GBA in Japan. Using the magical hat, Link can shrink down to kick microscopic bootie. Ok…maybe not microscopic…more like Honey I Shrunk the Kids without the huge oatmeal pie bootie.
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Japan Gets A PS3 Television Ad
With only 80,000 machines launching here in Japan, I was surprised as hell seeing this on TV. The heavy handed symbolism refers to the PS3’s launch Land of the Rising Sun’s November 11th launch date. Mark you calendars, that’s when the proverbial shit hits the fan.
PS3 Debug Unboxing
I can’t say enough nice things about the Sony press team. Due to my mom’s 60th birthday I am traveling over the next week and wasn’t going to be home to receive my Playstation 3 or, in turn, file my Playstation 3 review coverage. So the team made sure to track my movements and managed to get a PS3 debug out the door and to my mom’s house in Texas on a Saturday.
I’m under embargo for the games and the debug only plays games, so no fancy crossmedia bar or Blu-ray, so for now all I can really show you is this sexy box PS3 stripshow. Hit the jump for the rest of the pics of the 21 pound box and its contents and check back later for a video showing how the cool touch-sensitive power and eject buttons work.
Blizzard Bans Entire Guild For Cheating
After the Overrated guild—their name, not my opinion—decided to install wall hacks to make the raid to Temple of Ahn’Qiraj boss C’Thun a little bit easier, Blizz decided to issue some bans. So they banned the whole guild.
From the WoW forums (Psst! Legendary thread!):
A few minutes ago we went from having a near-raid online to having seven. I didn’t clearly, but only because my raid attendance has been remiss lately. Let me explain.
We are the only US Horde guild that clears Naxx, been like that for a few weeks. People found that the pre-C’thun trash was so painful, that they decided to install some stupid thing that deletes walls or something, and you can just run there after Skeram.
I know, we had it coming, blah blah whatever, we know we deserve it. I actually think it’s hilarious because I was calling them all idiots for doing it. I’m sure they’ll try and get it rescinded because it’s kind of a steep punishment with no recourse or whatever.
Aww. That’s such a shame!
WOW guild banned [Gamespot]
Rumor: Best Buy’s PS3 Playbook
With just about two weeks to go before the launch of the Wii and PS3, someone snuck us what looks to be Best Buy’s official playbook. This 25-page document details all the nitty-gritty on how the super store is going to set up for the sale of both consoles, what to say and what not to say and even how to arrange the store.
I was delighted to learn, while reading through the document, that Best Buy has learned from their mistakes, specifically those made with the launch of the Xbox 360. This time around, you won’t be pushed or cajoled and you might even enjoy the experience, if the Big B is to be believed.
Video game history will be made Nov. 17 (PlayStation 3) and Nov. 19 (Nintendo Wii), when two new console platforms launch for the first time in the same year since 2001 - within 48 hours of each other.
With your application of the “It Selling Strategy” against a backdrop of our core values and Core Philosophies, customers will go home with the end-to-end solutions that are just right for them and (most importantly) be glad they chose Best Buy.
Our learnings from the Xbox 360 launch last year support our belief that nothing is more important than the quality of the customer’s experience. From past launches, we learned that the average customer who purchases a console system from Best Buy comes back six times a year over a three-year period to buy games and peripherals. If you press the customer on Nov. 17 to buy your end-to-end solution, it may be the last time you ever see that customer. Don’t take the risk.
Instead, talk to the customer and find out what kind of gamer (hard core, family or value) he or she is. Ask questions and listen for the answers. The journey to the end-to-end solution is more than a checklist. It’s you and your customer talking about how and what they like to play, where and with whom. It’s you unlocking the secret of what makes your customer unique and sending them home with what they want.
There’s a ton more info in this box and to make things more digestible I’ve broken down the info into multiple posts:
Best Buy’s PS3 and Wii Mazes
Official Best Buy Employee Wii/PS3 Buying Policy
What Best Buy Can’t Do with the Wii/PS3
PS3 Launch Day Game List
The Wii Launch Day Game List
Best Buy’s Launch Day Logistics
Rumor: Wal-Mart Wii/PS3 launch playbook revealed — midnight launches
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii
A Wal-Mart employee sent Joystiq what they say is the Wal-Mart playbook for the Wii and PS3 launch. Saying they received the info from the “Wal-Mart Wire” and even printed out the information to send us proof. Sadly, the tipsters email address didn’t work when we went to double check the info; however, after NeoGaf’s Wal-Mart ad find, we’ll run with what we’ve got, but emphasize that it is still a rumor.
Wii:
- Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt
- Price is $249.24 (75 cents cheaper and matches NeoGaf poster price)
- 11/16, Wii product will arrive direct to Wal-Mart stores. Same day, the accessories for Wii will be set out
- 11/18, at 10PM, tickets will be passed out for midnight sales
- Start selling Wii on 11/19 at 12:01AM
- Our tipster said he had 50 Wii tickets, but the actual amount of units arriving is unknown.
PS3:
- Software and accessories are not street dated, stores can put those out upon receipt
- 11/9, PS3 peripherals will start shipping to stores
- 11/11, PS3 interactives (kiosks) will be in final install stages at stores
- 11/14, PS3 software will start to ship
- 11/16, PS3 arrives in stores
- At 10PM or earlier on 11/18 [sic] (we are guessing he meant to write 11/16) employees will pass out tickets for midnight sales. There are 50 tickets for PS3, but actual units arriving is unknown.
[Thanks Wal-Mart employee, now send us your proper email address]
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Rumor: Best Buy’s Launch Day Logisitics
Only 18 Best Buy stores in the country will be opening at midnight, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to leave you hanging out in the dark if you’re at another store until the 8 a.m. (for PS3) or 9 a.m. (for Wii) opening. Here’s the plan for those stores not opening at midnight.
Line Management
The mission is to create a safe environment for customers to wait when the line begins to form, as well as
a fair and orderly process for distributing tickets. Give customers waiting in line a clear set of expectations
about how many units will be available on launch day and when tickets will be handed out.
Communicate early and often
From the front of the line to the very end, all customers need to know how many units will be available on
launch day so they can decide for themselves whether or not to remain in line. As the line forms and
grows, be sure to pass along the best, most accurate information you have.
Launch Day Logistics
The mission is to create a quick and orderly process for redeeming tickets, present elements of the endto-
end solution and allow your customers to make the choices that are right for them.
Personal shopper model or assembly line model?
While both of these models were used successfully with last year’s Xbox 360 launch, feedback collected
from the field recently suggests that the personal shopper approach works best when you don’t have very
many units. In the assembly line model, the customer goes from station to station and interacts with
several employees, each tasked with presenting a component of the end-to-end solution.
When and how to hand out tickets?
Hand out tickets for the number of many units you have 60 minutes before you open the doors. Starting at
the front of the line, hand one ticket to each person in line. Since there are separate tickets for the two
different PS3 SKUs, ask each customer which one he or she wants.
What do we do when you run out of tickets and have more people in line?
Like in past launches, you’ll run out of tickets before you run out of customers. There’s a launch day offer
for customers who waited in line and didn’t get a PS3 but still want a high-definition gaming solution.
• Three days only - Buy an Xbox 360 Pro System and two Xbox 360 software titles ($49 or more), and
get a third Xbox 360 software title (of equal or lesser value) free.
• Value Package ID 37280.
• Offer valid Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19.
Best Practices
The following are some best practices from previous platform launches that help to maximize the comfort
and safety of the customers standing in line.
Connect with Property Management well in advance to allow for these considerations and actions to be
taken. Use the Ask the Facility.Bus form on Employee Toolkit. Click Forms, Inventory and then
Equipment Repairs/Maintenance.
• Keep the lights on all night. Whether your store is a midnight sale location or not, there’s no telling
what day and what time the line will begin forming. But surely customers will line up hours before the
doors open. Work with your store’s Property Management to keep exterior lights on after regular store
hours so customers won’t be sitting in total darkness.
• Contact local law enforcement by Nov. 10 to inform them of the upcoming launches and the lines of
customers we anticipate will form hours, or perhaps days, prior. Inform them that the lights will be on
all night to illuminate the area where the customers will be standing and request that officers on patrol
in the area pass through the area every couple of hours that night.
• Portable restrooms are a great idea for stores holding midnight opening events or stores expecting
a line of customers for 12 to 24 hours or more. Portable restrooms in the parking lot often require
landlord approval, so connect with your store’s Property Management Team if you wish to provide
this for your customers.
Rumor: The Wii Launch Day Games
And here’s Best Buy’s list of expected Wii games and when they should hit the store:
Wii-Avatar: The Last Airbender 8130667 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Call of Duty 3 8030329 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Cars 7918266 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2 8147427 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Excite Truck 7917463 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy 8131078 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Gt Pro Series 8140665 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Happy Feet 8147524 E $49.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Madden NFL ‘07 7917169 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Marvel Ultimate Alliance 7917427 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Metal Slug Anthology 7918239 T $39.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Monster 4×4: World Circuit 8140745 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Open Season 8141496 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Rampage Total Destruction 8131032 E10+ $29.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Rapala Trophies 8130907 E $39.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Rayman Raving Rabbids 7917481 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Red Steel 7849876 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Splinter Cell Double Agent 8141263 M $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Spongebob: Creature From The Krusty Krab 7918328 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz 7917515 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-The Barnyard 8130603 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess 7917132 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam 7918186 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Trauma Center 7918195 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-World Series of Poker TOC 8138142 T $39.99 Nov. 15
Hit the jump for the accessory list.
Launch kit (Best Buy exclusive)
SKU 8012786, $34.99
Wii launch kit includes a large organizer stand, two Wii remote gloves and wrist straps, Wii baseball cap,
a one-year (12-issue) subscription to GamePro Magazine Level 2 and a trial subscription to GameFly.
Memory cards
512MB memory card SKU 8012839, $39.99
1GB memory card SKU 8012848, $59.99
2GB memory card SKU 8004964, $99.99
Wii comes with 512MB in flash memory out of the box, but additional memory enables the user to store
game progress and download Virtual Console games (see below). Your customer gets more memory
the buck with higher capacity cards.
Wii Points Card
SKU 8054428, $22.99
Wii owners also will return to their youth with 30 classic games available for download to play on Wii’s
Virtual Console. These include games for the NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and
TurboGrafx16 consoles. Players redeem Wii Points in the Wii Shop Channel and download their games.
And that’s not to mention the entire library of more than 530 Nintendo GameCube games that can be
played on the Wii console from day one, because Wii is directly backward compatible.
Nintendo is making the greatest video game archive in history available for download to its Virtual
Console. NES games start at 500 Wii Points, Super NES games start at 800 Wii Points and Nintendo 64
games start at 1,000 Wii Points. Sega Genesis games start at 800 Wii Points and TurboGrafx16 games
start at 600 Wii Points.
Wii Points can be redeemed to download Virtual Console games. Games downloaded from the
Virtual Console library will be stored on Wii’s built-in 512MB flash memory and additional downloads may
be stored on SD cards. If the internal memory is filled, Virtual Console games can be deleted to create
more room. Should the player want to play those deleted games at a later date, they can be downloaded
again at no additional cost.
Controllers and remotes
Nintendo brand Wii Wireless remote, SKU 8054464, $39.99
Nintendo brand Wii Nunchuk controller, SKU 8054482, $19.99
Nintendo brand Wii classic controller, SKU 8054507, $19.99
The classic controller blends elements from Nintendo’s NES, Super NES and N64 controllers to allow for
seamless play control over the titles that span the Virtual Console library.
S video cables (Better)
React brand SKU 8009004, $17.99
This is the only Wii S/AV cable Best Buy will carry for launch.
Component video cables (Best)
React brand SKU 8008988, $24.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985727, $59.99
Wii storage and protection kit
SKU 8012937, $49.99
Includes home organizer stand and 512MB memory card.
Wii controller gloves two-pack
SKU 8012768, $18.99
Allows customers to add comfort and customization to their new Wii remote.
Rumor: The PS3 Launch Day Game List
Sony won’t tell us, mostly because they don’t want to make any promises that aren’t 100 percent confirmed, but here’s the list of what Playstation 3 games will be available at Best Buy and when:
PS3-Call of Duty 3 7917043 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Full Auto 2 7917365 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Genji 8136297 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Madden NFL ‘07 7916945 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-NBA 2K7 8136322 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-NHL 2K7 8137143 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Resistance: Fall of Man 7917025 M $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘07 8136304 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Tony Hawk’s Project 8 7917114 T $59.99 Nov. 14
P3-Need for Speed: Carbon 7917061 $59.99 Nov. 21
Hit the jump for the list of Blu-ray movies and accessories that will be available for the PS3.
Wireless controller
Sony SKU 8150029, $49.99
The PS3 Sixaxis is a controller that is nearly identical to that of the predecessor’s DualShock. The Sixaxis
features finer analog sensitivity, more trigger-like R2 and L2 buttons and a USB mini-B port for charging
the internal battery and use for wired play. There are four numbered LED indicators, as well, to identify
and distinguish multiple wireless controllers. The PlayStation 3 supports up to seven simultaneous
controllers over Bluetooth. The Sixaxis is named for its ability to detect motion in the full six degrees.
Unlike the previous DualShock however, this new controller has no vibration feature.
Wireless controller charger cable
Pelican charger cable, SKU 8032256, $9.99
The charger cable is great to help the player finish his or her game when the wireless controller is running
out of juice. PS3 comes with one charger cable, so this is a great idea for customers who buy a second
wireless controller.
Memory card adaptor
Sony brand SKU 8150065, $14.99
The PlayStation 3 memory card adaptor is a device that allows data to be transferred to and from the
PlayStation and PlayStation 2 memory cards to the PlayStation 3’s hard dive. The device is a cable that
connects to the PS3’s USB port on one end, and features a legacy PlayStation 2 memory card port on the
other end. It’s a great attachment to the 20 GB PS3, which doesn’t have a built-in flash card reader.
Component video cables (Better)
React brand SKU 8008951, $24.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985709, $79.99
HDMI cables (Best)
React brand SKU 8003322, $59.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985736, $99.99 ($10 off coupon in launch brochure)
Blu-ray Movies
Aeon Flux Collectors Edition (SKU 8004232)
BlackHawk Down (SKU 7898304)
Click (SKU 8019912)
Fifth Element (SKU 7808633)
Four Brothers (SKU 8004241)
Glory Road (SKU 7983827)
Italian Job Spec (SKU 8004223)
Little Man (SKU 8053599)
Mission Impossible 3 (SKU 8004036)
Monster House (SKU 8024595)
Omen 666 (SKU 8053688)
Sahara (2005) (SKU 8107327)
16 Blocks (SKU 8120188)
Syriana (SKU 8120197)
Underworld: Evolution (SKU 7808722)
