Archive for November 6th, 2006
Joystiq impressions: Lord of the Rings Online
Turbine’s upcoming Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar will usher gamers into a massively multiplayer online version of Tolkien’s fantasy universe. I got to play some of the still-beta game at a recent media event; the title’s setting and story will be its main selling point, otherwise it resembles other MMOs — not to say that’s a bad thing.
It takes a little work to learn an MMO, and Turbine said the company isn’t trying to change Lord of the Rings just to be different. Instead, game controls and quest system felt like other titles, and I was killing defenseless forest creatures right away. Lord of the Rings also looked like other MMOs; what I saw didn’t set any new standards, but it matched competitors. I was told that game art and other assets were still being updated for the Spring, 2007 launch.
Lord of the Rings Online’s story-driven approach and setting should be unique. The game is based on the original three books and The Hobbit, not the recent movie properties. So while the game looks similar to the movies — hobbit houses have round doors and passages, and Gandalf looks like Ian McKellen — Turbine says that’s because the game matches the original, detailed prose.
When we met at the event, Jeff Anderson, CEO of Turbine was excited about the connection to Middle-earth. He said, “We want to be there at the cool moments … and want people to feel that the world is alive.” He described how the books chart Frodo’s goal to destroy the ring and how his quest is assisted by other events; Anderson said that the game’s story will put players in the position of clearing the way for Frodo, “inferring that you, the player are helping on the side.”
Every new player will begin the story at the original starting time and then will follow the in-game quests tangential to the complete ring story. So in a year, a high-level player will have progressed further through the narrative than someone just joining the game. An old player will, however, be able take a new player on a more advanced quest.
Turbine is developing the game to match the story in even more ways than plot; if you get too close to profoundly bad objects or characters, they say your screen perspective will gradually tighten into tunnel vision, matching the dread and powerlessness conveyed in the books. Because of these kinds of techniques, I have high hopes that Lord of the Rings Online will be a strong reflection of the Tolkien world, but it might also be a creative MMO underneath that wrapper. I didn’t have time to do much more than kill some giant spiders and run a few errand quests, but I left the event looking forward to playing more.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Kaz Hirai’s Son Cannot Get a PS3 (Neither Can Mine)
Just because your father likes to make an ass out of himself at E3 press conferences does not mean he can get you a PLAYSTATION 3. A PlayStation 2? That, he can swing. But, forget about that new Sony console, sonny.
The company plans to launch 400,000 consoles this month in North America and have an additional 600,000 by December 2006. By next year, Sony aims to have a cool 2 million machines out by the end of next year. Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Kaz Hirai says there will be “some shortages” and asks for “everyone’s patience.” And to show what a company man he is, Kaz won’t even let his 12 year-old son have a PS3 yet:
He talks a good game about PLAYSTATION 3 when he’s at school, but he hasn’t touched one and he hasn’t seen one. That’s only fair for everybody.
Just give the squirt a panini maker for the time being, Kaz.
Kaz’s House Is PS3-less [VGB]
Get out the vote against anti-game politicos
Ah, midterm election day — the one day every two years where a politically energized electorate wakes up and says, “There an election today? Crap… who should I vote for?” For those such registered voters out there in Joystiq-land, we’ve arranged a quick list of some of the more outspoken opponents of video games up for re-election in various statewide races, as well as their chances of winning based on recent polls (Don’t like what you see? Get out and vote!). This list is not meant to be exhaustive, and we urge you to look into the positions of all your local officials before you vote today.
California:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is probably the only nationally prominent politician who has actually starred in a video game: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Last year, under pressure from the state’s Democratic legislature, Schwarzenegger signed bill AB1179, banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. That pressure came in part from Treasurer Phil Angelides, Schwarzenegger’s Democratic challenger for governor, so it looks like Californians will have a Governor who backs these sorts of laws no matter what happens today.
Prediction: Schwarzenegger to win easily. State Senator Leland Yee, the bill’s vocal sponsor, looks like he will also win re-election easily.
Connecticut:
Senator Joe Lieberman has been an outspoken opponent of video game violence since the 1992 Senate hearings on the subject. More recently, he joined with Hillary Clinton to back the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which has yet to come to a vote. After coming within a few hundred votes of the vice presidency in 2000, Lieberman was handed a stunning primary defeat to challenger Ned Lamont months ago. Despite this, Lieberman is still running for senator as an independent and doing surprisingly well in the polls.
Prediction: Lieberman wins in a squeaker.
Illinois:
Governor Rod Blagojevich made headlines in gamer circles in 2005, when he pushed through and then signed the Safe Games Illinois act, banning minors in the state from renting or buying violent games. The law was overturned on constitutional grounds in December ‘05, leading opponents to charge that the governor was only looking for some electoral “razzle dazzle” from a law he knew had no chance of making it through the courts. To add insult to injury, the courts ruled that the state had to pay half a million dollars to reimburse the video game industry for court costs. Now there’s a good use of taxpayer dollars.
Prediction: Blagojevich pulls it out by a small margin.
Michigan:
After commissioning and releasing a study showing that minors could easily obtain violent video games, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed law SB416, which was quickly struck down by the federal courts. Granholm also sent letters to retailers urging them not to sell the controversial 25 to Life and her office has pledged to “continue our efforts to protect kids from violent video games by working with retailers.”
Prediction: Another squeaker, but Granholm pulls it out.
New York:
Senator Hillary Clinton is one of the leading national voices in “protecting” children from video game violence, introducing the Family Entertainment Protection Act and demanding an FTC investigation of Rockstar after the Hot Coffee scandal. Clinton is widely believed to be gearing up for a presidential run in 2008, and some see her efforts against video games as an effort to appeal to the “values voters” that many in the media consider the key voting block in recent elections. Clinton is poised to win big in this highly Democratic state, but the margin will likely be seen as a predictor of her nationwide political potential in two years.
Prediction: Clinton wins in a walk.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
PlayStation 3 Camper Needed! Easy Money!
You gotta love Craigslist. So many uses! I’ve exploited it to sell furniture. Others have used it to scam hundreds with false promises of anonymous, attachment-free, rough sex. Some are looking to hire gullible line-sitters with no grasp on the concept of capitalism.
To wit:
SONY PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 CAMPER WANTED PAID IN CASH - $200
IF SOMEONE IS WILLING TO CAMP OUT FOR ME IN FRONT OF A STORE IN ORDER FOR ME TO BUY THE NEW PS3 I WILL PAY THEM BECAUSE I HAVE SCHOOL I DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE THERE, I WOULD BE BACK ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT 10PM, OR YOU YOU CAN WAIT TILL THE FOLLOWING MORNING FOR AN EXTRA 50 BUCKS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW, YOU CHOOSE THE STORE, I BUY THE SPOT FROM YOU, THANKS!! CALL ME ANYTIME!!
Okay, doofus, no one is going to do this. Besides, any gamer worth their salt would just drop OUT of school already.
SONY PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 CAMPER WANTED PAID IN CASH - $200
Microsoft Bring Hi-Def TV Shows, Movies To 360
Didn’t I tell you that all Microsoft rumors are true? Well, they are! Microsoft, the company that just can’t keep a secret, is definitely getting into the TV and movie digital distribution biz, with your “chill” white Xbox 360 the Trojan Horse that’s going to bring that content into your living room.
What kind of content? Let’s call it… questionable. Sure, you have your South Park, Robot Chicken and Chapelle’s Show, even The Matrix. But those titles represent the arguable zenith of quality. The rest of the line-up consists of digital brainrot like Breaking Bonaduce, Batman Forever, and Pimp My Ride. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve watched my share of Pimp My Ride, but there is no way in hell I’ll be paying for the privelege of hearing that handsome young man Xzibit crack wise about shitty cars.
The service will sputter onto Live on November 22nd, and admittedly could turn into something worthwhile, but for now, my enthusiasm to pay for TV shows is at an all time low. Maybe when Microsoft secures the rights to What’s Happening!! I’ll reevaluate my opinion. Until then, NO SALE!
Movies and TV on your Xbox
Microsoft Corp. November 6 announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of over 1,000 hours of hit TV shows and movies to Xbox 360™ gamers in the U.S. by the end of the year. Furthermore, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and high-definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution over the Internet directly to the consumer.
Beginning Nov. 22, on its first anniversary, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console in history to provide high-definition TV shows and movies directly to gamers in their living rooms. Xbox 360 gamers will have access to the full-length TV shows as downloads to own and movies to rent via download from the Xbox Live® network, the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content. This announcement also brings with it several additional “firsts”:
* For the first time, consumers will get an integrated gaming and entertainment experience on a gaming console that includes downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies. This new full-length content adds to the ever-expanding number of choices gamers have on their Xbox 360, whether they want to play games or play a movie on a disc or as a download in high definition or standard definition.
* For the first time CBS will deliver high-definition download-to-own TV shows including “CSI,” “Jericho,” “Numb3rs” and remastered “Star Trek” episodes; gamers can buy them and watch them repeatedly.
* For the first time on any platform, NASCAR.COM will deliver download-to-own condensed versions of select NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races from “Race Rewind.”
* For the first time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will make 50 of its most intense fights available for download as well as select episodes from the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.
“This groundbreaking announcement is a win for everyone,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It connects our partners with one of the most coveted audiences in entertainment today, and provides even greater value to our Xbox Live community, allowing them to enjoy the games and entertainment they want, when they want it.”
The initial lineup of TV shows available for download to own and feature films available for download to rent will include a growing catalog of popular hits. Examples of content that will be available on the network by the end of year include the following:
* “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” from Adult Swim
* “CSI,” “Survivor” and “Star Trek” from CBS
* Emmy and Peabody award-winning “South Park” and “Chappelle’s Show” from COMEDY CENTRAL
* “The Real World” and “Pimp My Ride” from MTV
* “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” from Nickelodeon
* “Skyland” and “The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival” from Nicktoons Network
* “M:i:III,” Nacho Libre” and “Jackass: The Movie” from Paramount Pictures
* “Carpocalypse” and “Raising the Roofs” from Spike TV
* “Race Rewind” provided by NASCAR.COM
* Select episodes of the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and the “UFC: All Access” shows from the UFC
* “Breaking Bonaduce” and “Hogan Knows Best” from VH1
* “The Matrix,” “Superman Returns” and “Batman Forever” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Xbox 360 gamers can access Xbox Live Marketplace with a free Xbox Live Silver membership and a broadband connection. More information about the content available on Xbox Live Marketplace can be found at http://www.xbox.com/marketplaceentertainment.
Best Buy Cancels My PS3 Pre-order
The new weekend boy posted about it last night, Best Buy cancelling their PlayStation 3 pre-orders that is, but I said, “No. Just post it as a rumor until we get official confirmation from Best Buy.” He begrudingly complied. But I was really just in denial. Deep down, I knew it was too good to be true. I was one of the next-gen desperate, hoping that the company would honor my pre-order.
But then I got this in the mail this afternoon:
Thank you for your recent visit to BestBuy.com. Unfortunately, your pre-order for the PlayStation 3 gaming system will be cancelled. Our system was not intended to take pre-orders on the PlayStation 3 gaming system. BestBuy.com will not be taking pre-orders for this item. Your pre-order will be cancelled and you will not be charged. If you used a Gift Card for this order and no longer have it, please call us toll free at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) and we will send you a replacement. If you have any questions concerning our policies, please review the “Conditions of Use” which are found at www.BestBuy.com.
Oh, how the tears flowed! Why must I be made to suffer? Hast thou forsaken me, Lord of Consoles? I guess it’s back to camping out. The full, heartbreaking cancellation e-mail after the jump.
Dear Best Buy Customer,
Thank you for your recent visit to BestBuy.com. Unfortunately, your pre-order for the PlayStation 3 gaming system will be cancelled. Our system was not intended to take pre-orders on the PlayStation 3 gaming system. BestBuy.com will not be taking pre-orders for this item. Your pre-order will be cancelled and you will not be charged. If you used a Gift Card for this order and no longer have it, please call us toll free at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) and we will send you a replacement. If you have any questions concerning our policies, please review the “Conditions of Use” which are found at www.BestBuy.com.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Because you are a valued customer, we would like to offer you a $10 Digital Coupon* toward a future purchase at www.BestBuy.com. Your coupon code is:
[SOMENUMBERSANDLETTERSHERE]
Digital Coupons are easily redeemed when you shop online. Simply enter the 17-digit code listed above during checkout. We apply them to your purchases, up to the total purchase amount. The Digital Coupon must be used prior to the expiration date: 11:59 p.m. (CT), February 5, 2007. This offer is limited to one per customer, excludes gift cards, and is nontransferable. Please review full details below.
We look forward to your next visit to one of our stores or to www.BestBuy.com. Please do not hesitate to contact us toll free at 1-888 BEST BUY with additional questions.
Thank you for your loyalty,
The Customer Care Team
Joystiq Impressions: Multiplatform games on Sixaxis
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Driving, Sports
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Need for Speed: Carbon, and Tony Hawk’s Project 8 are being littered across every current console in addition to the next-gen systems. (Wii gets Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam instead of Project 8, however.) While you can now buy these games for the fad-lacking, buttons-and-thumbstick systems, the titles are being tuned for Wii and PS3 motion-sensitive controls. At the Sony Gamer’s Day last month, we saw how the three games use the Sixaxis controller.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Need for Speed: Carbon will add the simplest motion controls, augmenting the traditional game design. In the playable parts of Marvel — which felt a lot like the old X-Men arcade game in a good way — controller movements charged superpowers or interacted with the level. I thought this use of the motion control was passable but didn’t add too much to the game. The game rep said that these and other techniques would be more integrated into the game in later levels.
Need for Speed: Carbon didn’t have any motion controls on display, but it looked and felt good, racing down a mountain at night with my headlights pointing the way. I grew skeptical of its motion controls, however, while talking with one of its developers.
The motion-sensing option in Carbon — which can be turned on or off — will create a a way to steer even more. When you’re driving with the thumbstick — which is always used — but need to corner slightly tighter, a twitch of the controller will turn the car even more. I can’t figure out why someone would play with this activated instead of having the thumbstick mapped to the car’s full range of motion. Maybe it will just be fun to twist the controller for a tighter turn. But this motion-sensing implementation reduces the range of the thumbstick control in order to add it back to the motion-tracking side.
Of the three, Tony Hawk’s Project 8 will best integrate motion-control. This method of play will also be optional — you can opt to play with only the buttons and thumbstick — but Project 8 seems to give new ways to play the game without sabotaging old techniques.
Project 8 will let players steer with Sixaxis movements, but the game demo was most interesting when tilting the controller for tricks. The Neversoft developer, who had clearly spent a lot of time playing the game, used the controller to balance and lean on the skateboard during tricks. When jumping, he flicked the controller to kickflip and rotate the skateboard in any direction. These controls looked like they’ll add more depth to the title, although I’m sure they’ll take some practice.
Project 8 struck the best balance of the three, giving something new with the motion tracking without sacrificing established control schemes. We expect a lot of gimmicky Sixaxis — and Wii — games, but sifting through those initial releases may yield deeper, new ways to play.
See also:
Joystiq hands-on: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Wimote vs. Sixaxis, Round 1: Downhill Jam vs. Project 8
Wii impressions: Tony Hawk Donwhill Jam
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
E3 Attendance in Game Companies’ Hands
GameSpot spoke to Entertainment Software Association president Doug Lowenstien, who further dashed the hopes of young gamers everywhere of ever attending the E3 in whatever form. In previous years the ESA controlled who was invited to attend the expo, their policy some years seeming to include only people who breathed, most of the time. Now control slips into the hands of the game companies themselves.
“[The] ESA does not control invites,” Lowenstein said. According to Lowenstein, his organization will be provided names from ESA members and use that as the basis for generating a list of invitees.
“[T]he point is for attendees to be the people participants want to see in one-on-one meetings…[but] that is not for me to say or influence.”
Basically this all means that in order to get into the smaller, quieter E3 next year, the software and hardware companies will have to want you there, effectively reducing obnoxious ‘I got into E3′ posts on gaming forums by up to 75%. If you aren’t a respected member of the gaming press, you only have seven months left to sleep with Cliffy B. I call firsties.
Game companies controlling E3 invites [GameSpot]
Ashcraft’s Wife On Japanese TV, Talking Wii
Two minutes, 38 seconds in. She’s wearing purple. Saying that it’s fun for adults, too. Blink and you’ll miss her.
Square-Enix Ships 1.5 Million Final Fantasies
Released just last week, the latest entry in the increasingly erroneously named Final Fantasy series has reached franchise record-breaking 1.5 million copies shipped to retail outlets throughout North America, according to a press-release issued by RPG masters Square-Enix today. Impressive numbers indeed, though keep in mind this doesn’t reflect the actual number sold, which judging by the stack they still have on hand at my local Gamestop is substantially less.
Still the demand for the title is quite high, despite the pseudo-realtime combat revamp the twelfth entry has undergone. Even the most vocal of detractors (that would be me) cannot seem to resist the siren song of a freshly pressed Final Fantasy game. The game has turned out to be kind of relaxing, really. Once you get everything setup correctly you almost don’t even have to actually play it, leaving you completely free to write about video game shipping numbers. And here we are.
Square-Enix Ships 1.5M Copies of FFXII [1UP.com]
PS3 NBA 07 In-House Impressions
NBA 07 with its super high framerate and 1080p output, happens to be the slowest Playstation 3 game to actually start, at least from what I’ve seen.
But once you get into the game it runs silky smooth. I didn’t notice any stutters, hang-ups or graphic glitches. The high-res, sweaty graphics are slick and smooth and lead to a bit of fun gameplay, but in the end I’m not sure if a basketball game is the best title on which to push the graphics envelope
The gameplay is solid, but nothing remarkable. People who have played with the franchise, or any basketball video game should be able to pick-up the game and get into the rhythm of things pretty quickly.
For the most part the controls are fairly straightforward. The game does incorporate a handful of uses of the Sixaxis motion sensing, but these don’t seem to respond very well, which is strange sense every other game that uses them does quite well.
In the end I gave up trying to title, shake, and jar the controller back-and-forth and side-to-side in lieu of just using the thumbstick to execute the same moves
I found with NBA 07, much like with the 360’s launch sport’s titles, that the only thing next-gen about the game was the graphics. Which is fine, but you’d think that developers could find better uses for all that horsepower besides making people look really wet.
If you’re a basketball fan or a sports fan, this will probably satisfy your itch nicely, otherwise I’d give it a pass.
Feature: Big Day Out At Nintendo World
It started with a: “There’s a foreigner! Let’s talk to him.”
A man in a khaki jumpsuit motions for me to come over. He’s flanked by a camera man and a sound guy. He’s waving at me and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
“Come here.”
Nagoya. Home of the Toyota Motor Company, and where everyone drives either a Toyota or a Toyota. It’s 8:30 am or thereabouts. In front of some convention hall down by the port. Already been up for five hours to make the necessary road trip. And I’m not alone. I’m in a line with a couple hundred Nintendo DSes and assorted people holding them. And everyone else is bitching about the chilly weather.
The drive from Osaka to Nagoya is a straight shot down the Meishin Expressway, plus a series of tolls that puts the 2 and a half hour trip over $100 easy. Still, we’re up at half past three, out the door by four. Still dark. Neither wife, nor kid sleep in the car. Son talks incessantly about the Wii, calling amusingly and incorrectly “Nintendo no Wii” in Japanese. Try to explain to him that it’s just the “Nintendo Wii,” but his mind is made up. It needs the possessive “no.”
Somewhere in Shiga Prefecture, the sun starts to burn off the morning mist that lingers in the mountains. The leaves are just on the cusp of turning, and it’s feels like it could either be fall or early spring when things are still fuzzy and not quite yet defined.
Confession: I have yet to play the Wii. Two years ago at TGS, I held a Wii-mote prototype. Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was heavy, and there was an LED light. And at this year’s E3, while most of the gaming press got up close and personal with the Wii, I saw a lot of the press room.
“Do you speak Japanese?” the jumpsuit guy asks in English.
“Yes,” I reply.
He switches and starts with a “Let’s talk about the Wii.”
“You mean ‘us’.”
Wow. Corny. Even in Japanese. Strike that, especially in Japanese.
“What are you looking forward to today?” Jumpsuit asks.
“The Wii.”
“What about the Wii?”
“It’s different from other consoles.”
“But, abroad PC gaming is more popular,” Jumpsuit offers.
“Like in Korea and China?”
“No, America.”
Yeah? Missed that memo. Thanks for the heads up, dude.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I counter. “I’d say the opposite. That console gaming is more popular.”
“In America, the 360 is very popular.” he continues.
Where is this going?
“That’s true.”
“And, of course, American games are very different.”
Now, this gentleman is wearing a jumpsuit. A slightly ridiculous one at that. My assumption: He must be a comedian. Not a newscaster. Comedians wear dumb clothes. Newscasters, suits. And he’s not a very good comedian, I gather, because he’s not making jokes. He’s dead serious.
“First-Person-Shooters are more popular, sure.”
Okay, Ashcraft, you’re being way too polite.
“The 360 isn’t so popular in Japan,” points out Jumpsuit. His breath smells of coffee.
Uh, alright.
“No, it isn’t.”
Still playing nice.
“Are you going to buy a Wii?” he inquires.
No, I’m not, because I am a PC gaming American, right?
“Yep. And a PS3.”
“And a PS3?” He seemed startled. Confused even. “But there aren’t many of those. Is that your girlfriend?”
“It’s my wife. And this is my son.” My kid’s been standing next to me the entire time. Kid looks at Jumpsuit and shakes his head.
“Oh.”
The line pushes forward. It’s a few minutes after nine, and my kid has his face pressed up against the glass. We’re in the entry way. There’s a sign that says no photography and no food. Wii Staff (people in Wii jackets) pass out handbooks. And a handbook and tote bag later, we’re in.
While the Wii was in full force, “Nintendo” is remarkably absent. The letters w-i-i dominate and permeate through the entire hall. Everywhere you look, there they are, w-i-i. That’s the draw. And Nintendo World 2006’s goal is simple: Wii. The layout is straightforward with playable kiosks with lines. And space! Even when full, there was also a line that was short and a demo that could be quickly played. The main area is all Wii Sports. Moving right, there are games you’d think would be popular and are: Dragon Quest, Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy. Within minutes, the wait for Twilight Princess clocks in at three hours. And by 11 o’clock, the line will be closed for the day as the wait time would spill over into way after the event closes.
The press are all wearing red armbands that read “PRESS.” I’m not. There’s an information counter, where I could register and get one, but I’ve elected not to. Making myself prey for TV interviews. Two tall foreigners pin their PRESS badges one. One is holding a large digital camera and has sunglasses pushed up in his blonde hair. The other one is wearing glasses and holding a notepad.
Any news that breaks, these guys will get it up in a jiff. There has been rumors that there was a new Super Smash Brothers‘ character, then rumors that that rumor was incorrect—a mistranslation. Not new characters, but new footage of old characters! All has been long forgotten and such is the internet.
Moving through the crowd, traffic is light. The place is hopping, but its a controlled hopping. This is what E3 should be. It’s about the games, the system and not a circus. There are booth companions, but they are precisely that—companions, as in they help you play the game and wipe off the Wii-mote when you’re not. They’re not even especially cute, but tastefully plain in an unassuming way. And all wearing different white shoes. All personal artifacts from home, most likely.
There’s a complete lack of video game-ness. Everything is white and slick. There aren’t even people in Nintendo cosplay.
That’s when I see Katamari. Again. She’s pushing a cart of stuff through the throng and moving in a blur. See, there’s this girl in Osaka. She goes to all the game shows and events, dressed as Katamari. And here she is, hundreds of kilometers away in Nagoya, dressed as Link. With a tiny Katamari doll.
My wife wants to play Wii Sports. Tennis. We line up, wait the allotted time and we’re ushered to a kiosk.
“Is the child going to play?” the booth companion asks.
“No. He’s gonna watch.”
“He can’t stand in the play area.”
“And why?”
The booth companion shoots her hand up! And looks around for help. Light Blue Wii Staff Jackets pass, and she desperately tries to get their attention.
“Excuse me,” I say, flagging one down.
Quick recap of the situation, the Light Blue Wii Jacket nods quickly and impatiently. There’s an earpiece in his ear. “He can stand there. Just watch the kid, okay?” he says and darts off, scribbling on a clipboard. My first Wii hands-on hasn’t even started and already a bad taste in my mouth. Swell.
We start. My wife picks it up super quick. I’m slower (surprise, huh?), but get it. And we’re playing. And it’s tennis. And it’s fun.
“How was that?” a woman appears. She also has a camera crew, but isn’t wearing a stupid jumpsuit. Rather, smart, business type threads.
“Good.” I say.
Camera in my face.
“For the whole family, right?”
“Not really. We only had two controllers.”
Jeez, somebody’s bitchy.
“What did you think?” she asks my wife.
“It was fun. For adults, too.” my wife adds.
Thatta girl!
We’re in another line. Third party titles. My kid wants to play a driving game. The lines for the third party games are super short, and I’m able to get quick hands-on with a smattering of titles. In all fairness, it’s hard to write substantial impressions that stretch beyond “cool” or “meh.” It’s a bit like reviewing a movie trailer or a book jacket. Though, the one thing I did take away is that brain games or study type games don’t translate well to the Wii. At all.
There’s a contest out front. A hundred Wiis are being given away, and my wife is convinced we’re gonna win. Heading towards the exit, we pass Jumpsuit, standing in line to check out the Virtual Console, and Katamari, posing next to the Twilight Princess display. The foreign camera guys have their backs to the rolling camera. That news reporter has long left.
Outside. There’s a bulletin board and a Light Blue Jacket calling out winner numbers that appear on the sheet stuffed in our three tote bags. A guy in a White Wii Staff jacket checks his sheet to see if he gets a freebie to take home. The jacket is nice. A console, nicer.
All three of our numbers come up short and we stuff the sheets and ourselves in the car. It’s a long way back to Osaka, and my wife talks incessantly about the Wii right up until we get to Gifu prefecture, where dusk sends her into a deep slumber. Over Gershwin piped through the stereo, I can hear the faint sound of her breathing.
Today’s hottest game video: PS3 son
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Video
Kotaku created today’s most watched YouTube game video. Brian Crecente stuck his five-year-old son, Tristan, in front of the PS3’s upcoming Ridge Racer, dropped a Sixaxis controller into his hands, and pushed record. What follows is almost as precious as the recordings of a kid’s first steps. (Reports are unconfirmed that Crecente had to erase that bipedal milestone to capture this moment.)
What does the young gamer thing of the controller? He doesn’t quite say, never breaking his gamer’s haze to give an interview; he’s most concerned with ridges and racing, probably in that order. See the video after the break.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The Joystiq Weekend: November 4 - 6, 2006
Joystiquery
Today’s hottest game video: PS3 web browser in action
Metapreview - Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: PSP Fanboy edition
Wii-osk in action at Gamestop
Games shipping this week
News
EA thinks PS3 year-end shipment numbers exaggerated
Arcadia gaming festival Montreal
Titan Quest expansion announced, modders interviewed
Microsoft not allowing Red Octane to produce wireless guitar
6 Circuit City stores with PS3 midnight launch and 100 units
Want a Wii on launch day? Here’s how.
Wii virtual console details
Downloadable Zelda content — in the future
Journalist’s kid gets a PS3, Sony boss’s kid doesn’t
Contra storms XBLA, original titles to follow this holiday, Atari classics in ‘07
Ohio bar game caught in legal battle
THQ profits up, gamers have cause to celebrate
Rubik’s Cube PS3 commercial doesn’t make babies cry
Wii component cables are retail-bound
France vies to give artful tax break for game industry
Shaiya, Guild Wars most anticipated in China
Forget Best Buy, head to Sears for the PS3 launch
Blizzard launches Warcraft encyclopedia
Mother 3 to stay lost in translation
Monotone: Square-Enix colors the mobile kingdom
Sony’s Marketing SVP Peter Dille gets grille-d
Take-Two in trouble with NASDAQ
Fitness gaming moves beyond DDR
Child’s Play 2006 commences
NBA 07 load times take FOREVER on the PS3
HD movies, TV shows coming to Xbox Live
Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Wal-Mart Wii/PS3 launch playbook revealed — midnight launches
Rumor: On Target Wii numbers
Gears of War sequel, already?
Culture
Wii pages roundup
Legend of Zelda video retrospective (part 4)
The Official Nintendo World handbook in all its glory
PS3s final eBay price
Game systems get graded
Grand Theft Mario, care of Robot Chicken
Comparing Wii and PS3 link love on the social web
New console launches and celebrity name dropping
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
NBA 07 load times take FOREVER on the PS3
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Sports
Think of the extreme opposite of quick, accelerated, brisk, fast, hasty, and speedy, and that’s what you apparently get with Sony’s NBA 07 load times for the PS3. Though the video never attempts to start an actual game, the would-be wait appears to be hella-long and flagrantly contrary to how the PS3 cell processor is being pitched as faster. And while this may only be the initial download of content to speed up future game loads, we doubt it given past loading times. The wait for next-gen indefinitely continues…
UPDATE: Fixed EA mistake. Whoops!
[Thanks, aldo; via Kotaku]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Sixaxis Control Response
After posting that video Saturday of Tristan playing Ridge Racer with the SixAxis I realized I probably created my questions than answers. But the thing is I can’t talk about the game yet. I can, however, talk about the controls in general.
Of the four games I have, three of them use the SixAxis motion sensing in some way. With the exception of NBA 07, all of them use it well. The control’s response time seems amazing. I haven’t noticed a single bit of slow down and for the two games that use it well, the Sixaxis doesn’t just give you a new way to play a game, it makes that game more fun to play.
From what I remember of the Wii Remote’s motion sensing, they two seem very much on par. The problems I’ve had with the Wii controls have always been those directly relating to the sensor bar, something that I believe is going to be a unique problem to the Wii.
HD movies, TV shows coming to Xbox Live
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
On November 22, the anniversary of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft will be offering high-definition television shows and movies for download. The offerings span a large demographic, from CBS and Nascar to Adult Swim and MTV (yes, “Pimp My Ride” will be included). Movies include, Nacho Libre, Superman Returns, and the original Jackass: The Movie. The TV shows will be download to own, while the movies will only be rentals.
The move is impressive, though we can’t help but worry about the disk space — our tiny 20 GB HDD is not going to hold that much. The press release talks a lot about downloading, but what about streaming? Can we watch part of the program while we download it? And, most important of all, how much will these cost? We’ll kidnap our trusted sources and let you know what we get out of them. You can view the current list of upcoming titles here.
Microsoft is bringing HD-quality movies to the 360 without requiring the purchase of the external HD DVD drive. Will Sony follow suit or keep all HD cinema / television bound for Blu-ray?
[Thanks to every single person who sent this in!]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Take-Two Takes Four
So first Sega walks away with the Iron Man rights, now Take-Two Interactive has procured the rights to publish games based off of the upcoming Fantastic Four sequel, subtitled The Rise of the Silver Surfer. The games will be released next year to coincide with the release of the film. No word yet on what consoles, but considering recent release trends for movie tie-ins, I’m gonna go ahead and bet on all of them.
Activision’s handling of the FF was pretty piss-poor, releasing what seemed to me like an unfinished game on the general public, and Acclaim’s Fantastic Four for the PS1 is widely considered to be one of the worst games of all time. Sue, Reed, Johnny and Ben’s powers are just so different that no developer yet has come up with anything truly unique and massive enough to do the team justice. Third time’s the charm? It’s all on you, Take-Two.
Is it me, or is Activision hemorrhaging comic licenses lately?
Take-Two picks up rights to Fantastic 4 sequel [Gamespot]
New console launches and celebrity name dropping
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360
In addition to announcing retail availability of component cables for Wii, Nintendo VP of Marketing and Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan also did a little celebrity name dropping in a recent interview with CVG. When asked what the exec thought of Wii’s launch prospects, Kaplan had this to say: “We have people calling here to make sure they can get it, you know, P. Diddy, Uma Thurman, people that just have got to get their hands on [Wii]…”
While this isn’t the first time celebrity pimping has been used to drum up publicity to pitch new consoles, it makes us wonder how effective the strategy actually is. Don’t get us wrong, citing the famous that already garner “free” publicity is an excellent way to get the word out, but how many units does celebrity name dropping move in reality? I guess enough to have the trend continue.
Oh, and Perrin - not trying to hate - it’s just Diddy now (as of August 2005). Jaboy!
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
PS3 Road Trip: El Paso
When Sony mailed me the Playstation 3 in Texas, in the middle of a road trip, I figured when else would I have an opportunity to cart around a $600 yet-to-be-released console all over the place and take pictures? So I made the best of the situation. Think of this as the geeky version of the garden gnome. Yes, I’m a dork.
The PS3 tickles the ivories.
The PS3 taking in the sun, by the pool.
The PS3 preps for a little air time over El Paso.
The PS3 safely cradled for the drive to Las Vegas.
