Archive for December 1st, 2006
Japanese Wii Launch Roundup!
Poor Ashcraft, our man in Osaka, stayed up all night, presumably keeping himself warm wrapped in a Burberry blanket, waiting for the Wii to launch in Japan. Now resting at home with the family, Wii and copy of Wii Sports in hand, he’s ready for some sleep.
Check out the roundup of our Wii launch coverage on Nintendo’s home turf and ask yourself “Why the HELL didn’t Ashcraft pick up a copy of Wario Ware Smooth Moves?” Oh, right. He’s on allowance.
- Last Minute Info
- And So, It Starts
- “We Only Have a Few Hundred”
- Not Homeless Winos, But Elderly Gamers
- People Come, Sun Sets
- Check Those Aisles
- Upstairs We Go
- Where The Old Dudes Meet
- Waiting In A Parking Garage
- Leaving And Returning
- Almost Home
- The GETs And The GET-NOTS
Japanese Wii enjoys painless birth; stores across Japan sell out
Filed under: Nintendo Wii
We were in Osaka this morning to see the delivery of Nintendo’s Wii to the world’s greatest DS fans. Stores across Japan received a total of 400,000 Wii consoles. In Osaka, Japan’s second city, 2,800 units were allocated to the Umeda branch of Yodobashi Camera alone, while Bic Camera in Nipponbashi received 650 systems. Both locations were sold out within an hour of opening.
Compared with last month’s farcical PS3 launch, there were notably fewer auctioneers-in-the-making at today’s Wii debut. Most people we met were genuinely looking forward to playing games with their new purchase. (There are Wii lots on Yahoo! Auctions, but the going rate is only marginally higher than the retail price: typically Y30,000 (US$260) via auction, compared with Y25,000 (US$217) in stores.)
The Wii’s software tie-in ratio, too, seems to be more encouraging than that of the PlayStation3. Most customers in line at Yodobashi Umeda bought Zelda, while significant numbers also went for Wii Sports and Hajimete no Wii.
Numerous methods of retail were used to launch the Wii, and these varied from store to store. Yodobashi kept its customers camped overnight in a parking lot, distributing numbered tickets to determine the order of entrance, before opening its doors at 7am. Bic Camera also opened at 7am, although most of the 650 people in line there didn’t arrive until the first trains of the morning began to run at around 5am.
Famitsu reports that the Tokyo Ikebukuro branch of Bic Camera sold out if its allocation of 1,200 units, while the Tokyo Yuuraku-cho arm of Bic Camera declared the console “sold out” at 5.41am when the 1,500th person arrived in the queue there.
Sales figures from around the country are still coming in, but we’ll keep you informed of the final stats just as soon as we get them. In the meantime, enjoy our snaps of the Osaka Wii launch experience after the jump.
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JPN Wii Launch: The GETs And The GET-Nots
Everything starts moving fast. Showing my ticket, getting a new ticket, putting the old ticket in a yellow basket, and then being escorted to an empty elevator, getting in an empty elevator, which fills up like that and takes us to the 5th floor, where we are greeted by men in white sweater vests and stretched arms until things slow down.
There’s a TV crew. And two guys in sunglasses. All black. One is yelling at Yodobashi Sweater Vest. I turn, double-take and as the staffer escorting me to the register what’s going on.
His reply: “No pictures.”
I’m in another line. A short one with the register in sight, and I’m pointing to titles and accessories on a menu, which are then placed in a bag and paid for by credit card. Like I said, fast.
Pass the PS3 demo kiosk.
There is one way out. It’s a set of elevators. Which are currently stuck. All the consumers are carrying bags stuff with Wiis and Wii games. All save for the old men pressing their way to the front of the line.
Those guys in sunglasses linger, now sans camera crew and screaming fits. One of them goes over and talks to the group of old men.
There must’ve been a switch. I must’ve missed it.
In an elevator. Hit ground floor. It’s morning. There’s a parking lot across from the exit. A crowd of old men stand. Waiting and not for the Nintendo Wii. It’s 7:30am, and that’s already sold out.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance: PS3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Wii
While Marvel Ultimate Alliance might not be the best title to show off the graphical capabilities of all three systems, it’s still interesting to see how the three current-gen consoles stack up when running the same game. The PlayStation 3 version is noticeably choppier than the other two, maybe a product of the game running at 1080p. If you want a clearer look at the side-by-side-by-side, check out the HD version of the video for maximum nitpickery and flamewar ammunition.
SketchFighter 4000 Alpha Throws Mac Gamers A Bone
So I downloaded this new Mac shareware game… Hey! Where are you going? This game is awesome, stay with me. It’s called SketchFighter 4000 Alpha, controls very much like Asteroids, has great music, fantastic art direction (eraser smudges appear when you destroy something), and even features internet co-op and competitive play. It’s a real class act.
The game is only 19 bucks for the full version (cheap!), with the first two levels free for cheapass gamers. Interested Mac owners should take the demo for a spin. The PC only crowd should either moan about how Macs sucks in the comments or go play one of the thousands of Windows-only games available.
SketchFighter 4000 Alpha [via Daring Fireball]
Today’s hottest game video: PSP ‘dual-analog’ mod
Filed under: Culture, Hacks, Sony PSP
Today’s most-watched YouTube game video shows the result of a slick dual-analog mod for the PSP. Well, sort of …
We can’t tell if the right analog-style stick is inputing variable speeds, or if it’s just mirroring the digital face buttons. (We’re leaning towards digital input through the analog-type stick.) Still, it’s a cool hack, and your right thumb won’t be jealous of the already-mentioned left-stick hack.
See the video after the break.
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Today in Joystiq: December 1, 2006
Joystiquery
Happy Katamari Damacy music day
Japanese hardware sales, 20 Nov - 26 Nov: Krazy Kutaragi addition
Joystiq hands-on: Crackdown (Xbox 360)
Today’s hot video: Wiimote on PC acceleration reading
News
China holds audition for its own Lara Croft
EA trying to win back our hearts?
Next Sam & Max episode hitting Gametap on December 21
Gran Turismo HD goes free as focus shifts to GT5
DIY-erless Wii sensor bar (9V battery edition)
IBM to future game makers: Stay in school
Pimps at Sea players spotted on Xbox Live
Michigan taxpayers owe ESA $182,349, rules judge
Difference between Xbox 360 & PS2 not obvious to Indian reviewer
BBB rates Toys ‘R’ Us “unsatisfactory” amidst reports of Wii bundling shenanigans
Crisis Core trailer emphasizes PSP shortcomings, offers hope
FreeLoader GC doesn’t work in our Wii
Lost Planet grapples for position at consumer mecca
Bringing your notebook doodles to life (finally): SketchFighter
flOw on Dec. 19 for PS3, 2 more titles from USC devs in the works
Rumors & Speculation
Analyst: Sony shakeup means no PS4
Another analyst: Microsoft execs feeling good about Xbox
Culture
Remix Lumines II’s ‘Breezer’ track
Start building your Wii site
How much is an hour of gaming worth?
First footage of Hamster Quest: Wheel of Respite
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flOw on Dec. 19 for PS3, 2 more titles from USC devs in the works
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Online, Rhythm
thatgamecompany’s expansion of flOw onto PlayStation 3 has finally been targeted for release on December 19*. Coinciding with this announcement is word of a three-game deal signed between Sony and the former USC Interactive Media Division students who founded thatgamecompany. Details about the two additional games have not been provided, but Sony has reserved a space for the team at its Santa Monica base.
“This is a watershed moment in the history of the school,” recognized USC Dean Elizabeth M. Daley, “It builds on our tradition of expanding relationships with the professional community, and opens the door for our students and graduates to showcase their creative talents in an incredibly dynamic market.” Guess the gang is sorta like the Bushes and Leinharts of the Interactive Media Division. Go Trojans!
*flOw will be offered as a premium downloadable title on the PlayStation Store.
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Japanese hardware sales, 20 Nov - 26 Nov: Krazy Kutaragi addition
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360
FROM THE DESK OF: Kaz Hirai
ATTN: Ken Kutaragi
To whom it may concern,
Actually, this just concerns you, Ken. After arranging several meetings, internal polls and Aibo races, we’ve determined that your recent performance with regards to the PLAYSTATION 3 has been less than satisfactory. It’s nothing personal, but we feel it’s a fair comment to make given your actions behind the wheel of our Blu-ray vehicle. You’ve hit a concrete barrier, rolled over a cliff and even run over some pedestrians. I’m not really sure where this metaphor’s going (it’s running out of gas, you might say), but the general feeling I’m trying to convey is WRONG. BAD. UNHAPPY.
So, we’re kicking you down a couple of notches in the business. I’m going to need you to write me a full sales report and have it on my desk by tomorrow. We don’t have any tracking infrastructure in place yet, so I’m going to need you to manually count every PLAYSTATION 3 system sold.
FROM THE POORLY LIT WORKSTATION OF: Ken Kutaragi
ATTN: Kaz Hirai
To whom it may concern,
I have intensely calculated the sales numbers you requested:
- DS Lite: 201,378 
72,757 (56.57%)
- PLAYSTATION 3: 32,662 
9,437 (22.42%) (Ken’s note: Only the second smallest percentage decrease! The system is clearly a success!)
- PSP: 30,815 14,125 (84.63%)
- PS2: 26,263 11,195 (74.30%)
- Xbox 360: 7,007 2,957 (73.01%)
- GBA SP: 1,26465 (5.42%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,235 198 (19.09%)
- Gamecube: 576 62 (12.06%)
- DS Phat: 212 30 (16.48%)
- GBA: 27 3 (10.00%)
- Xbox: 0 6 (100.00%)
[Source: Media Create]
See also: Previous Japanese hardware sales charts
Can I have my old job back, now?
Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, 20 Nov - 26 Nov: Krazy Kutaragi addition
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Bringing your notebook doodles to life (finally): SketchFighter
Filed under: Culture, Mac, Retro, Action
We reported a year ago that Ambrosia’s game team was looking for folks to help in the beta development of the retro-looking, paper and ink space shooter SketchFighter, and now it’s finally here. Ambrosia released SketchFighter 4000 Alpha earlier this week, and in a day and age where next-gen consoles are all you’ll read about, this is a great little game with graphics so simple, it’ll surprise you how much fun it is.
It’s literally like the little space battle scenes you doodled on the back of your math homework came to life and sucked you in. You can even game online with a friend or in person, where you get two ships that are tethered together, a bit like the old vector-based Space Wars arcade game.
Head over to Ambrosia and download the demo. In a rare twist of fate, it’s Mac only, sorry folks. This is good enough for a console download port though, so cross your fingers and send Ambrosia some mail, stat.
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Lost Planet grapples for position at consumer mecca
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Business
Capcom is determined to turn Lost Planet into an American blockbuster, forking over enough loot to secure a 60-second advert on the 3,000 sq. ft. HDTV screen in Times Square through the month. There’s no mistaking that this move is part of a push to establish a new franchise rooted in perceived American tastes.
But does all-out-action really resonate with audiences as much as Resident Evil’s intricacies? Is Lost Planet’s seemingly unsophisticated core in danger of appearing generic? Those are risks Capcom is willing to take, perhaps because Lost Planet really does nail the action genre. At least, that’s what the growing trail of money invites us to believe.
[Via Press Release]
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FreeLoader GC doesn’t work in our Wii
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo GameCube, Hacks, Nintendo Wii
Despite a report to the contrary, we can’t get the GameCube FreeLoader to work on a Wii. We’ve tried to use FreeLoader to play GameCube titles from other regions, but the sad, unrecognized-disc screen taunts us over and over.
We’re using FreeLoader 1.06B — alleged to be the right version by internet posters — and a fully updated Wii (2.0U). We’ve tried inserting the disk when the Wii is off, then restarting. We’ve tried cleaning the disc. We’ve tried a special dance and blew in an NES cartridge slot as an offering, but nothing gets our FreeLoader started.
Datel told us that it doesn’t yet have a Wii for testing and couldn’t offer any more help. The company is also waiting for a Wii to determine if it can make a FreeLoader for Wii games.
Readers, have you gotten a GameCube FreeLoader working with a Wii? If so, how?
See also:
Wii not even remotely region-free
NOA’s Reggie Fils-Aime skirts region issues
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Crisis Core trailer emphasizes PSP shortcomings, offers hope
Filed under: Portable, Sony PSP, Action, RPGs
Square Enix’s closed-door TGS trailer for Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core has finally surfaced. For the bulk of this five-minute demonstration, a handful of manicured men (and one woman) ham it up in a whirlwind of staged emotional drama. Are we supposed to want to play a soap opera? (Don’t answer that.)
There are some brief moments of relief, glimpses into the game’s active battle system, which suggest commonalities with Final Fantasy XII. There’s no denying that Crisis Core appears extraordinarily capable; a bittersweet detail. That is, efforts like Crisis Core really highlight the lack of solid support for PSP. Alas, Square Enix’s prequel has been a long time coming — and, for those of us outside of Japan, the wait isn’t getting any shorter.
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Happy Katamari Damacy music day
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Retro
We went to a rock concert the other day. We did not like it very much. Too many people thrashing about and playing noise that did have the joy of the universe flowing through it. We much prefer music that captures the true happiness of the soul.
Therefore, we, the King of all Cosmos, have rolled up a collection of Katamari Damacy music performed by a solo guitarist, a klezmer band, and even a one-man a capella quartet into a fun-sized ball of joy. We hope it will bring some elation to your minuscule-sized soul.
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First footage of Hamster Quest: Wheel of Respite
Filed under: Action, Adventure
Though this alpha footage could easily be misinterpreted as a record of a hamster’s harrowing journey (involving an intricately constructed series of traps, enemies and elevators), the vivid graphics and sweeping orchestral soundtrack make the truth quite apparent. Scheduled for release sometime in 2007, Hamster Quest: Wheel of Respite promises to deliver an epic journey that will engage the senses, challenge the mind and delve into the emotional relationship between a deranged man and his beloved hamster. It says here.
“Hamster Quest is a full-bodied experience,” says Syrian Campbell, the game’s lead and only designer. “It has a heart, because you’ll become emotionally attached to Mr. Hamstar, the main character, as he attempts to defeat the evil mecha guinea pig. It also has a brain, because some of the puzzles will really stump you. Then, there’s the liver and kidneys which, uh, refers to the… other stuff. Which is really cool!”
The official Hamster Quest trailer is embedded for your inevitable viewing pleasure after the break.
[Thanks Kevin!]
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Another analyst: Microsoft execs feeling good about Xbox
Now, some psychoanalysis on Microsoft executives would be quite entertaining (”Tell me about these lucid dreams, Peter.”), especially when compared to the recent observations made by Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets. In his earth-shattering report, Mr. Sebastian describes the folks behind the Xbox brand as “upbeat” given the commercial success of Gears of War, the company’s considerable launch lead against competitors and consistent growth in Europe. Japan, not so much.
The Xbox 360’s 2007 lineup (featuring Space Ring 3) and catalogue of HD shows and movies are also expected to have a positive effect on this year’s holiday sales. Sebastian believes that fleeting Wii and PS3 stock will prove to be Microsoft’s greatest advantage, with desperate parents picking up a 360 and convincing their rotten brats that it was the only console they could find. It’s a likely scenario, but if recent sales in Japan have proven anything, it’s that the PS2 and DS Lite are far more likely (and cheaper) replacements — if indeed a replacement is sought at all. How about a nice fruitcake instead?
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BBB rates Toys ‘R’ Us “unsatisfactory” amidst reports of Wii bundling shenanigans
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Business
The Better Business Bureau is currently challenging Toys ‘R’ Us after the retailer advertised Wii for $249.99, but gave shoppers no choice but to purchase a $450 bundle on Black Friday. The BBB has slapped the toy distributor with an unsatisfactory rating, derived in part from consumer complaints based on the bundling scheme.
A spokeswoman for Toys ‘R’ Us insisted that the Black Friday incident was a misunderstanding and that Wii should have also been available for the advertised price. Try telling that to the mother and son who watched the Niles, Illinois location’s stock sell out as they argued with management. “So, as she’s talking to me, it sold out from under us and they really did not care,” recounted the mother in a Chicago NBC-affiliate report, “It was point blank. You either take it this way or leave it. And that’s what happened.”
[Via Next Generation]
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Difference between Xbox 360 & PS2 not obvious to Indian reviewer
Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
A bleak console review has trickled out of India, where Xbox 360 made its debut just over a month ago. “[After] spending hours with [Xbox 360], the big difference between this machine and those in the market today, particularly, Sony’s PlayStation 2, were not obvious,” writes Raghuveer Malik of Rediff.
In India, HD displays have yet to penetrate the consumer market and Xbox Live is still a pipe dream. Remove what must be considered Xbox 360’s two strongest selling points (HD gaming and Xbox Live) and really, what is the difference between Microsoft’s console and PS2?
Now consider the unattractive price tag, relatively few software options, and lack of “support” from the pirating community; it’s obvious why “[hardly] anyone was trying out the lonely, shop-soiled demo piece.” India’s games market is predicted to explode in the coming years, but Microsoft appears unable to gain any ground over the well-established PlayStation brand.
[Via The Xbox Domain]
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How much is an hour of gaming worth?
Filed under: Action, Adventure, First Person Shooters, Puzzle, RPGs
Gamasutra’s Question of the Week now tackles a subject that, at this point, has been thoroughly abused by debating strangers constantly ramming into it as it strolls to the shop. How important is a video game’s length? It’s a very good question, but a clear answer has yet to emerge or even prove that it exists. The industry’s responses to the issue make for an interesting read, certainly if you’re a gamer juggling a demanding hobby with personal life and midnight crime fighting.
Several commenters point out that a shorter game length better accomodates a busy lifestyle, with the completion of a short adventure proving more satisfying than the abandonment of a longer one halfway through. Predictably, several pundits argue that a $60 game should give you plenty of hours of gameplay and that it’s simply a matter of getting what you’ve paid for. Such an argument has merit in extreme circumstances, but it also points towards some mysterious equation that could be used to calculate your game’s value. Just how much should you pay per hour?
With largely subjective things like gameplay and enjoyment proving difficult to measure in meaningful ways, it’s clear that a game’s value – which stretches beyond cost and length –is very difficult to adhere to a handful of dollars. Is an hour of Psychonauts worth the same as an hour of Devil May Cry? How many anti-meh’s (see: The Algebra of Wows) per hour for each game? The best answer seems to be: length doesn’t matter at all, it simply comes down to how you feel about the game. You’ll know when you’ve gotten your money’s worth, perhaps after spending just 15 minutes with the game.
Fun fact: This blogger gladly paid full price for Space Channel 5, a game that can easily be completed in under 45 minutes.
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Michigan taxpayers owe ESA $182,349, rules judge
Filed under: Culture, Business
US District Court Judge George Caram Steeh has ordered Michigan to pay $182,349 to the Entertainment Software Association for costs incurred during litigation over the state’s now defunct anti-violent game law. In April, the law was ruled unconstitutional.
According to the ESA, more than 1.5 million tax dollars are currently owed to the organization as a result of similar rulings in other states and cities, including: Illinois ($510,000), Washington ($344,000), Indianapolis ($318,000), and St. Louis ($180, 000). ESA president Douglas Lowenstein delivered some harsh words in the wake of the Michigan ruling, suggesting, “States that pass laws regulating video game sales might as well just tell voters they have a new way to throw away their tax dollars on wasteful and pointless political exercises that do nothing to improve the quality of life in the state … What’s worse, the politicians proposing and voting for these laws know this will be the outcome.”
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