Archive for December 3rd, 2006
Wii: Women. PS3: Creepy Dudes.
Here’s a comparison from Japanese TV between the types of consumers purchasing consoles. PS3? For men. Fugly men. The Wii, that one’s for the ladies. Sure, while the PS3 launch was exciting, the Wii one was, well, kinda dull. Dull, but better looking!
Wii Customers More Attractive Than PS3 Customers [Dark Diamond, Thanks Jorge!]
The Penny Arcade DS Lite shirt
So the Penny Arcade guys are good for more than just great comics and hilariously witty social commentary, they make awesome t-shirt designs too. This one is called “The Lite Brigade’ and should definitely go on any DS lite lovers holiday gift list. These tees are only available on the ThinkGeek website and in addition to the smokin’ front graphic, it has the Penny Arcade logo emblazoned on the back. You can bet I won’t be waiting to see if I’m getting one of these for Christmas as I’m already ordering it as soon as I finish writing this post…
The Lite Brigade T Shirt [ThinkGeek]
[via Aeropause]
Halo 3 reminder: commercial and public beta today [update 1]
Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters
As Bungie announced in the lame strategically timed early-morning web update, Master Chief will appear in a Halo 3 commercial during tonight’s Monday Night Football. Today also signals the registration frenzy to try to score a slot in the Halo 3 public beta (a.k.a Pimps at Sea); check the Halo 3 site for details. (The site wasn’t yet updated when this post went live, but we expect a “many will enter, few will win” scenario.)
The 60-second commercial will air on ESPN sometime between 5:50 and 6:20PM PST in North America. The rest of the world can download the commercial at Xbox.com beginning at 9:00PM PST (04.00 GMT). The ad is a mix of live and computer-animated footage, but it won’t include any in-game shots. Only North American gamers are currently eligible for the Halo 3 beta. [Update: Direct from Bungie: "Don't panic. The Halo 3 Beta will be available in the US, Europe and elsewhere in the world." Thanks, Matt and azesino!]
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Eliza The Secret Second Life Sumo
If you’ve always wanted to know what Eliza looks like, now is your chance. She’s cleverly located somewhere in this photo, but it’s up to you to figure out which one she is. It’s just like Where’s Waldo!
It seems that Miss Gauger recently attended an online Sumo Wrestling match in Second Life where she intended to be a spectator and ended up being a participator. Unfortunately, her opponent , a “filthy goblin”, was on old pro at this sort of thing and quickly bested her. But as always, Eliza got the last word.
Congratulations and banzai, filthy goblin. May the honor won this day rain down on your descendants like the cleansing urine of the variegated snow baboon.
Ah, Eliza, I miss you more than words can say…
I Hate It There: Pixel Sumo in Pictures [Game|Life]
Atari E.T. Commercial
I don’t think I need to go into any details on just how horrible the Atari 2600 E.T. game was. It’s been written about in every game publication and listed on every list of every “Worst Games” list ever written. It even has it’s own landfill urban legend. So, I won’t bore you with the story, I’ll just let you watch this commercial and remember how foul it really was for yourself.
Follow Up: Man, Xbox Survive Nasty Crash
You may have read a few weeks back about the Xbox forum poster who was involved in a horrible hit and run accident where not only did his truck get totaled, but his Xbox 360 took a beating as well. Miraculously, although the 360 looked thrashed, it actually still worked!
Well, it seems the folks on the Xbox forums took pity on the guy and he got (rather ironically) a free copy of Need For Speed Carbon directly from EA. Not only that but he received a missive directly from Major Nelson himself informing him that his sad 360 would be replaced.
Hopefully, they won’t make him pay for the shipping.
Re: My Xbox 360 Survived a rollover accident, and being ran over. [Xbox Forums | Thanks, David]
Fan Made Wii Commercial: Somebody Give This Guy A Job!
Fan made creations always range from the sublime to the ridiculous. This one definitely falls into the former category. This was made for the “Win a Wii” contest put on by Xataka.com and is based on the PS3 SIXAXIS ad with the eggs and the ravens. Bravo, ciclopez, we hope you won!
Today’s hottest game video: Wii in Japan
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii, Video
Today’s most-watched YouTube game video shows Japanese news coverage of the Wii launch, including a brief interview with Wiimote Guy. Non-Japanese speakers may like seeing some of the shots of the lines, people swinging Wii controllers around, and New Year’s-like countdowns to Wii sales; other than that, the video relies on voice-over and man-on-the-street interviews.
See the video after the break.
Continue reading Today’s hottest game video: Wii in Japan
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The Joystiq Weekend: December 2 - 3, 2006
Joystiquery
Japanese Wii enjoys painless birth; stores across Japan sell out
No Wavebird Wii navigation (Wii annoyance #010)
Power-hungry Wiimotes (Wii annoyance #009)
The Ultimate Wii/PS3 giveaway list
Today’s hottest game video: PSP ‘dual-analog’ mod
Today’s hottest game video: Final Fantasy VII trailer
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: Subliminal Edition
News
TiVo promo goes “behind the scenes” of Wii ad
GamePro Family attempts ESRB v2.0
Feds tracking AMD/ATI, Nvidia in antitrust probe
Nintendo promises four VC games every Monday
EA Montreal boss calls development cost “crazy”
Sid Meier keeping eye on Civilization for consoles
E3’s PS3 Motor Storm presentation vs. reality
Circuit City false or stupid advertising — you decide
North Carolina deputy kills suspected PS3 thief and his dog
Rumors & Speculation
Duke Nukem … Finally?
Culture
Keeping track of virtual world history
The age of avatar representation
Gamer fashion goes too far
Adventure gaming to Wii: “Help me!”
Gears of War 2: Electric Boogaloo
Marcus Fenix is Bender, Bender is Marcus Fenix
Sequels Sega needs to make
Impressive PS3 ad spoof promoting Wii
Father’s Mario obsession becomes toddler’s reality
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Master Chief’s Best Day Ever
After that last story I was trying to figure out how to lighten the mood a bit when I found this in my email box. I have to say, I don’t think anything else could have quite fit the bill as well as this. The image is taken from a YTMND piece cleverly titled “Halo 3 Ending Leaked”, but at the risk of getting reamed for a misleading article title, I opted for something a little less inflammatory. I would say more about the image, but i think it speaks for itself. Now, let’s all sing along …”It’s the best day ever…”
Halo 3 Ending Leaked [YTMND Thanks, Rob]
Suspected PS3 Thief Killed By Sherrif’s Deputy
Just when you thought the whole PS3 launch ugliness was behind us, comes this terrible piece of news from North Carolina.
Friday evening, a New Hanover County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed 18 y.o. Peyton Strickland in the door of Strickland’s home. Strickland was suspected in the Nov.17th armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student for his PS3 and some games. There are not a lot of details in the case yet, but what is known is that officers arrived at the door to serve Strickland a search warrant in connection with the robbery case. Strickland answered the door and a loud fight ensued ending with not only the death of the young man, but his German shepherd, Blaze, as well. Strickland’s roommate (pictured right), who was home at the time, said the man was unarmed when he answered the door.
A full investigation has already been launched by the New Hanover County District Attorney, Ben David who says he has made this his top priority and will show no favoritism towards the deputy.
“No one’s above the law. If there’s any criminal conduct that can be established, I’m not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant.”
I’m still completely floored by the senseless deaths and violence surrounding something that is supposed to be an entertainment. How many more lives will the great PS3 gods require before they will finally be appeased?
Deputy kills teen while serving warrant [Wilmington Star | Photo by Paul Stephen]
[via YouNewb]
A Little Secret Zelda Cross Stitch
Just because Eliza and Florian are gone does not mean that we have abandoned our love for a good crafts. Much like them I love to sit down with a nice cup of Earl Grey tea and peruse the internet looking for grandma style video game crafts to amuse myself. Well, I needed to look no further than my email this morning for this little piece of Zelda inspired handy work.
I made this for my brother as a xmas present. He always liked the good moblins that gave you money when we played Legend of Zelda as kids. NES sprites work well as cross stitch. They’re surprisingly time-consuming to make though. I’ve spent several days worth of free time stitching this guy. I think it’s worth it, however.
Oh yeah, did I mention a guy made this? Way to go, man! Don’t let those old fashioned social moire’s keep you from enjoying your crafts! Cross Stitch: It’s not just for old ladies anymore!
The Legend of Zelda, the cross stitch [Sorrytown, USA]
Father’s Mario obsession becomes toddler’s reality
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Retro, Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure, Fashion
A 30-year old man is molding his two year old into Mario, transforming his son’s sleeping quarters into the Mushroom Kingdom and getting the boy started on Super Mario Bros. — “He usually just jumps up and down and presses pause a lot,” observes dad. Determined to see the toddler succeed, the father recently completed a series of Photoshopped screen shots, imagining the Mario-boy in some “stellar Mario scenes.” Next on the agenda: getting the kid on an all-mushroom diet.
Sure it’s seemingly harmless, but should a man let his Mario fixation define a young child’s impressionable mind? What happens when the boy discovers there is no Princess Peach?
[Thanks Jason! Keep us updated.]
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This Day in Gaming, December 3rd
1994: Sony releases the Playstation console in Japan. The system is a massive success, being the first console to sell over 100 million units. And more importantly, it’s a ton of fun to play. Of course, Sony had originally attempted to work with Nintendo on the SNES CD, but after the deal fell through, Sony decided to make a console of their own. Remember when just a little while ago this decision seemed like the biggest mistake Nintendo could have ever made? I guess times change. Regardless…
What are your fondest Playstation memories, dear Kotakuites?
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Clips: My Son Masters the 360 Wireless Wheel
I’ve posted videos of my son playing race games using the Wii Remote and the Sixaxis so I thought it was only fair to post one of him playing Project Gotham Racing 3 using the Xbox 360 Wireless Wheel. Tristan says this is his favorite controller. Of course he said the other two were his favorites too at the time.
North Carolina deputy kills suspected PS3 thief and his dog
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3
A New Hanover County sheriff’s deputy Friday night shot and killed a man suspected in an armed robbery of two PlayStation 3 consoles. Peyton Strickland, 18, was killed inside his rented home while unarmed, claimed one of his roommates. Authorities were serving a warrant for Strickland’s arrest in connection with his suspected involvement in the theft of two PS3s from a University of North Carolina Wilmington student on November 17. A deputy also shot and killed Strickland’s German shepherd outside the home.
Investigators are currently reviewing the conduct of all officers involved in the tragic incident. “No one’s above the law. If there’s any criminal conduct that can be established, I’m not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant,” vowed District Attorney Ben David.
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Geeks List Top 5 Games As Art
The kids over at the Weekly Geek have put together an interesting little piece about games as art. We all know that games are art no matter what Roger Ebert has to say about. (What the hell does he know from art, anyway? He made Beyond the Valley of the Dolls for corn’s sake.)
But, there’s no doubt that some games go beyond the typical to create a truly unique gaming experience that is based in part by the outstanding look of the game. Two of the best examples that I can think of in recent memory would be Shadow of the Colossus and Okami. Colossus’ almost minimal approach and limited color pallette are in sharp contrast to Okami’s painterly look and broad spectrum of colors, yet, each of these games are made great by the overall feeling one gets when viewing their visuals.
Frodo, The Geek and Caspian all weigh in with their separate lists in the article. I agree with most of their choices, but I also think that limiting it to five makes it a bit difficult to choose. What would be on your list for the Top 5 Games as Art?
Top Five List: Top Five Games As Art
Impressive PS3 ad spoof promoting Wii
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Business
Taking aim at the PS3 ad promoting the motion sensitivity of the SIXAXIS controller, this very impressive spoof not only makes fun, but actually ends up being a better advertisement. It’s about time we started seeing fan-made videos using two random Asian businessmen to promote the PS3 like in the Wii ads … oh wait, Sony already tried that.
[Via Digital Battle]
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Clips: Face Capture in Rainbow Six Vegas
Mostly I made this video to test my new video capture set up, but I also wanted to show people how Rainbow Six Vegas uses the Live Camera to insert your real face onto your multiplayer character.
It’s pretty damn cool, though it automatically gave me a crewcut. It would have been nice if the game allowed you to pick between a few generic hairstyles after capturing your face. Oh, well.
Home Made Wii Arcade Style Controller
Some industrious gamer with a lot of time and some ingenuity has created his own arcade style controller for the Wii. Not satisfied with using his old Gamecube controller and unable to track down the elusive “Classic Controller”, this guy decided to go for the full on arcade experience for his Gamecube and Virtual Console games. His website says it plugs into the Gamecube controller ports on the top (as shown) and he’s used it to play Fire Emblem, Capcom vs Snk 2 and Ikaruga for Gamecube as well as Wario Ware and Solomon’s Key for the Virtual Console.
Well done, if not a little minimalistic for my taste. But hey, it matches the Wii and I’m all about matching accessories.
Wii Joystick [Welcome to Wonderland Thanks, pheonixsquirrel]
