Archive for February 8th, 2007
Kotaku Magu: Tretton Offers To Buy Unsold PS3s For $1,200
Get ready to put your money where your mouth is, Jack Tretton. Just listen to the generous offer Sony Computer Entertainment of America’s honcho makes in game mag EGM:
If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that’s been on shelves for more than five minutes, I’ll give you 1,200 bucks for it.
Oh boy! Back in January (when this EGM interview was done), we found about twenty plus PS3s sitting on shelves. That means Tretton owes us something like US $24,000. PAY UP.
Thanks Jess for the tip!
“Manhunt Murder” Media Circus Warms Up
Just under two years ago, Stefan Pakeerah was viciously beaten by a claw hammer and stabbed to death by 17 year-old Warren LeBlanc. After it was purported that LeBlanc was a big fan of Manhunt, both Pakeerah’s parents and the British tabloids focused their blame upon the game, which led to it being pulled off British, Australian and New Zealand shelves.
Which was complete rubbish.
As Rockstar have stated, “the Judge, defence, prosecution and Leicester police all emphasised that Manhunt played no part in the case”. That’s a fairly conclusive body of opinion, which doesn’t even touch upon the wider sentiment amongst gamers that this was just another poorly-advised media beat-up and an easy way to avoid the real motives for the crime.
So, case closed? It was, until we got news this week that Manhunt 2 was on its way. Leicester East MP Keith Vaz (where the boys were from) has felt the need to pipe up, saying “It is contempt for those who are trying very hard to ensure something is done to control the violent nature of these games”. Political opportunism ftw.
Patrick Pakeerah, Stefan’s father, has also commented, saying
I’m very disappointed. This is rubbing salt into the wounds in the month we will be marking the anniversary of Stefan’s death. I’m very surprised they are doing this after all that has happened and all the publicity.
“Institutions” like The Sun must be licking their lips. Rockstar may have got in first, but this is going to get messy.
Murder victim’s parents condemn Manhunt sequel [MCVUK]
What’s It Like Working With Jacko? Ask Miz.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the man behind Rez and Lumines, talks with The Guardian’s Alek Krotoski. Miz, like usual, is a good interview with much to say about music, clubbing and those evil Lumines Live micro-transactions. And he offers this back story on working with The King of Pop:
We were in the middle of production of Space Channel 5, in 1998 or 1999. I got a call from the US from my partner (the exec producer of Space Channel 5), and he said, “Oh, Michael wants to act in Space Channel 5.” I said, “Who’s Michael?” “Who is Michael Jackson?,” he said. “The Michael Jackson, the real Michael Jackson!”
My partner had shown him the 60-70% complete version, when it was almost at the end of the game. We had one month to finalise. But Michael wanted to do something so we suggested that if he was OK with it, we could programme the people in the game do the Michael Jackson dance when taken over by the aliens He said yeah. We initially had five aliens who danced. One of them became Michael Jackson.
And one of them is still is, Miz.
Working With Jacko [Gamesblog]
Microsoft’s Academic Love Boat
Microsoft are about to kick off their second Academic Days Conference on Game Development, which this year is going to run from February 22-25. It sounds very serious, but is in fact going to be held…on a cruise ship. The Disney Wonder Cruise Ship, to be exact. Which is…not so serious.
As a cover, there are going to be papers discussed on topics like “Combining games with theatre to create an interdisciplinary learning experience for Computer Science”, “Using XNA-GSE game segments to Engage Students in Advanced Computer Science Education” and “Designing Shape-shifting Collaborative Laboratory Spaces to Facilitate Game-Design Education”, but come on.
The kicker is the conference’s official site, which spends 4x as much page space telling attendees about the “whimsical additions [that] are planned for the Mickey Pool”, or how with “incredible ocean vistas and warm tropical breezes, the new treatment suites provide guests with a romantic getaway into a tranquil oasis without ever leaving the ship” instead of the, you know…actual conference.
Now, I’m not accusing either Microsoft or the attendees of anything; all I’m saying is, if this is the kind of stuff you get to look forward to as a gaming academic, I’m in the wrong business.
Microsoft Academic Days Announces Top Papers [Gamasutra]
Nancy Drew Turns Up DS Clues
Later this year, Nancy Drew will be hitting the Nintendo DS. Gorilla Systems will be bringing Nancy Drew: Secret of Olde World Park to the handheld. The plot centers around a missing theme park owner.
Nintendo’s portable has been fueling a mystery game resistance of late, and it’s nice to see Nancy Drew doing her bit. Those Hardy Boys can’t be too far behind.
Nancy Drew DS Coming [Gay Gamer]
ScrewAttack’s 10 “Coolest” Characters
Debatable, yes, but entertaining nonetheless.
As a side note, you may have noticed that despite the above being a ScrewAttack clip, it’s hosted on GameTrailers. That’s because MTV have done a little deal with the ScrewAttack team, whereby The Angry Video Game Nerd, The Video Game Vault and ScrewAttack’s Top Ten will all now premiere on GameTrailers for seven days, then appear on both GT and SA.
ScrewAttack selling out? Meh, I don’t see anything to get your knickers in a twist over. It’s GameTrailers. They host videos. It’s what they do. Can’t remember the last time I saw GT peddling some kind of editorial agenda.
GameShadow Gives Props, Gongs To Innovative Games
What, you haven’t heard about them? Granted, they’re not exactly the biggest, but awards that are based solely on innovation in gaming, allow bedroom-coded games to go head-to-head with studio titles and that are held by an obscure company that patches games for a living are always worth a look-in, especially when *SPOILERS* Psychonauts manages to win something.
The winners?
Best Game: Loco Roco
Best New Character: Phoenix Wright
Innovative Gameplay: Brain Training
Innovative Visual Effects: Shadow of the Colossus
Imaginative Use of In-Game Audio: Electroplankton
Best Narrative: Psychonauts
Best Casual Game: Tropix
Jaw Dropping Demo: Wild Earth
Best Machinima Movie: PANICS:
Most Innovative Mobile Game: Stranded
ATi CrossFire™ People’s Choice: Thing Thing 3
Haven’t heard of half those games? Then they’re probably downloadable, and either free or cheap, so you could do worse things than go check them out.
GameShadow Innovation in Games Awards [GameShadow, via GameSetWatch]
Cat With Sonic Head
Or Sonic with cat body? YOU DECIDE. Exciting post conclusion after the jump!
Perhaps the greatest cat thing I’ve seen all day. Perhaps.
Sonic Hat Cat [UK:R]
HMV Buckles, Folds, Cans PS3 Bundle Scam
Less than a week after announcing the rort, British retailer HMV has withdrawn their PS3/PSP bundle extortion attempt.
Now that we’ve been able to confirm our level of PS3 stock with Sony, we’re in a position to revise our original online offer. We will therefore be writing imminently to all the customers who have indicated that they wish to make the dual purchase to advise them that they can now pre-order the PS3 console by itself, if they prefer.
Oh, “now that you’ve been able to confirm” your levels of PS3 stock? You had them confirmed when you limited the original scam to 5000 preorders, but nice try. Let’s just go right ahead and presume that the PR damage has already been done.
HMV pulls £625 PS3 bundle [CVG]
Day Note: TECH
From: Crecente
To: Ashcraft
Subject: Ugh
Today was painful. Our images were bonkers all day, it looks like every time we posted a large picture it knocked the back-end of the site offline and we had to have tech reboot it for us. I blame porn, our World of Whorecraft story really juiced our traffic. Speaking of porn, Mia Rose sent me a nice email thanking me for the story. Apparently she’s huge into Halo 2 and is counting the days until the sequel hits. She even gave me her gamertag… which I won’t post here. 
While you were sleeping:
Mike is ROCKING hardcore DICE, seriously you have to read all of his stuff. Some major new coming outta there.
Fahey Loves the Def Jam and mocks my ability to spell names right.
Gamespot is going to marry the Lost mobile game
Stop the Music, TV journalism is Ass
We had dinner tonight and my wife has gotten into the habit of lighting candles. Afterwards, Tristan was trying to blow them out with little success and after much noisy attempts looked at me and asked if he could spit on them…remind me to never let him blow on my food.
FBI raid brings down illegal Lineage II service
Filed under: Culture, Hacks, PC, Online, RPGs, MMO, Business
The FBI’s cyber squad has unsealed details of a California man’s bid to host an illegal emulation of NCsoft’s Lineage II MMORPG. The scheme was simple enough: obtain a copy of the game’s stolen source code, rent some servers to host the game, undercut NCsoft’s subscription fee — and watch the money pile up. Blinded by greed, hoisted up by his arrogance, the man would let NCsoft hate (all the way from South Korea). They ain’t gon’ do nothin’ ’bout it…
When the man failed to shutdown his fraudulent site following a stern request, NCsoft turned to its Austin, Texas offices (didn’t know about those, did ya?), which quickly contacted the FBI. Last November, agents raided the man’s home and thereafter put an end to the crooked enterprise. The accused now faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
[Thanks, Froren]
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Today’s Mario-est video: World of Warcraft Super Mario Theme
Filed under: Culture, PC, Retro, Action, Adventure, RPGs, Video, MMO
World of Warcraft meets Super Mario Bros. in a big way in this video. Frankly, we’re surprised it’s taken someone this long to do this. But here it is in the flesh, and it ain’t looking too bad! The editing is top notch, and that underwater level is done really well. People with mad skillz like this will one day take over the world, and we’ll be bowing down to these video editing overlords. Mark our words.
Given that the video comes to us from The Last Boss, it’s a bit ironic that the only weak moment is the boss fight at the end of the lava level. Did he just use really bad breath on him FTW?
[Thanks, Tom]
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Today in Joystiq: February 8, 2007
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360
Joystiquery
Def Jam: Icon demo ain’t whats hot on the streets, playa
Japanese release day highlights: 02.08.07
Joystiq hands-on: Pirates of the Caribbean Online
Off the Grid reviews Pink Godzilla Dev Kit
Today’s アイドルマスタ-iest video: The Idolmaster
News
Pirates Online event recap: Sword-fighting
Xbox Live Arcade GM quits, joins PopCap
Guitar Hero rocks on Wii, maybe DS too
DC-area Madden pros heading to Hawaii
Shivering Isles adds 250 Gamerscore points to Oblivion
PSP firmware goes to 3.11, little urge to follow
Microsoft, MSN game devs to share in-game ad revenue
Bond-inspired spy MMO next from SOE, codenamed “Vista”
Sony exec breaks out big ideas in inaugural D.I.C.E. keynote
The Playstation ducks return in Super Rub’a'Dub
Square Enix confirms new MMO for Xbox 360 & Vista, maybe PS3
VR game helps addicts quit smoking
New York looking to clamp down on walk-and-play gamers
Buena Vista Games renamed Disney Interactive Studios
Sony Pictures producing Metal Gear Solid movie
Sony: ‘Killzone won’t be [at] GDC at all’
Lowenstein chastises ‘cut-and-run’ developers
Ubisoft to open CGI film studio in Quebec, partially funded by Canada
Perplex City: Receda Cube unearthed, Season 2 planned
Toyota selling new Scions for $1 in Second Life
Super Mario Bros. theme as played by a beatbox flutist
Culture
Holy crap: Minesweeper Expert in 38 seconds
Unlicensed, unreleased, un-bad NES game unearthed
Wil Wheaton on the death of the arcade
Super Mario Bros. theme as played by a beatbox flutist
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Super Mario Bros. theme as played by a beatbox flutist
So long as video games exist, let there be nostalgia-inducing remixes of the Super Mario Bros theme; preferably good ones like the above. Listen in as Greg Patillo covers the venerable classic in beatbox flutist form. Just don’t forget to breathe.
[Thanks to Jack for unearthing this one.]
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Toyota selling new Scions for $1 in Second Life
Filed under: Mac, PC, Online, MMO, Business
Toyota held simultaneous launches of two new Scion models today. One at the Chicago Auto Show, the other in Second Life. Both the redesigned Scion xB and brand-new xD are being offered for 300 Linden dollars ($1 USD) for use in the virtual world; a nominal fee toward becoming one of Toyota’s virtual “trendsetter” promoters. The cars are being sold at kiosks in Toyota’s ‘Scion City’ district of Second Life, where the automaker hopes to also sell unused real estate to young entrepreneurs. The idea is to grow Scion City into a bustling promotional “cultural” mecca.
Last year, Toyota invaded Whyville, a virtual playground for tweens. Scions were peddled to under-agers, with the hope of infecting their lustful minds with the brand name; the payoff coming when the young’ns came of age. Toyota sold about 173,000 Scions in 2006 and is expected to challenge General Motors as the top global automobile seller this year.
[Thanks, Matt]
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Ubisoft to open CGI film studio in Quebec, partially funded by Canada
Filed under: Culture, Business
Word from the Canadian newswire is that Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot is preparing to announce a major “growth plan for the company” tomorrow. According to Québécois newspaper La Presse, Guillemot will unveil plans for a new computer-animation studio in Quebec, which would initially produce “short films for the general public.”
Ubisoft’s new CGI studio would be made possible, in part, by an ongoing government grant that is providing the company with roughly C$454 million (approximately $383.9 million USD) over time, in order to create 1,000 new jobs in Quebec. Supposedly tomorrow’s announcement will see Canada labor minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn and Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay present Ubisoft Montreal with a portion of the grant worth C$8 million (approx. $6.8 million USD).
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Perplex City: Receda Cube unearthed, Season 2 planned
Amateur archaeologist Andy Darley has discovered the Receda Cube, ending the first season of alternate reality game Perplex City and earning a hefty $200,000 reward (before taxes). Darley was joined by more than 50,000 other registered players, spread throughout 92 countries, on the two-year hunt. The cube was unearthed in Wakerley Great Wood, England, about 110 miles north of London.
Perplex City’s first season was “played” using a deck of cards (collectible in packs) that featured various types of puzzles, from simple trivia to optical illusions; to an answer masked with heat-sensitive ink. Solutions often pointed players to further clues posted on websites, written in books, recorded in voicemails, and held by real-world individuals. Creator Mind Candy has confirmed that plans for a second season are underway.
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Lowenstein chastises ‘cut-and-run’ developers
Filed under: Culture, Business
In his final speech as head of the ESA, Doug Lowenstein told those attending his D.I.C.E. keynote that he was proud of the ESA and ESRB but saddened by the developer’s unwillingness to stand up for their work.
Describing them as “cut and run developers,” Lowenstein lamented about game makers who create controversial content and then refuse to defend it. “If you want to be controversial, that’s great,” Lowenstein remarks, “but then don’t duck and cover when the shit hits the fan. Stand up and defend what you make.” Lowenstein also blasted what he called a “Greek chorus” of those criticizing the ESA but not offering any suggestions or solutions.
Other targets in Lowenstein’s crosshairs include those who didn’t take the time to join the Video Game Voters Network (”You go to a website, click a few keystrokes and that’s it. No one has bothered to take the time to do that, and it makes me sick.”) and the gaming press for a lack of maturity and professionalism relative to the film and music industry press.
Lowenstein has always been open, albeit a bit careful, with his words, so it’s certainly interesting to see him let loose before leaving the industry. He has always been effective and lobbying and has a heap of accomplishments; imagine how things might have been different, for better and worse, if this Fire and Brimstone Lowenstein had been running the ESA.
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Sony: ‘Killzone won’t be [at] GDC at all’
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, GDC
And like a rifle butt to the ocular cavity, the spark of hope in our eyes was handily extinguished with SCEA Manager, Ryan Bowling telling IGN, “No, Killzone won’t be [at] GDC at all.” Really? The game was a no-show at both E3 and TGS last year; in fact, the only thing we’ve heard (besides rumors) following the title’s infamous E3 2005 debut is that it’s the “biggest multimedia project in Dutch history.” So, if that rumored Killzone 2 demo won’t be making an appearance at GDC after all, and E3 is gone, when will it crawl out of the foxhole it’s been hiding in for the last two years? Says Bowling, “The time for that game is coming and we’ll have new information about it in the future, but not at GDC.”
[Thanks, Nav]
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Sony Pictures producing Metal Gear Solid movie
Shortly after delivering his convergence keynote at this year’s D.I.C.E. summit, the vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed to Gamespot that Sony’s film studio would be responsible for dragging Metal Gear Solid into the cinema. “We’re working with the Metal Gear guys,” says Yair Landau. “It’s a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie telling. But the question is, ‘How do you translate Snake’s experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?’”
Lead Metal Gear guy, Hideo Kojima, announced the film at last year’s E3, though barely any details have surfaced since then. Apart from crushing the hopes of Dr. Boll, Kojima and co. have said nothing with respect to casting, directing or script. A safe assumption sees Solid Snake strangling inept soldiers and battling at least one psychopath with a penchant for babbling about the philosophical hangups of dropping nuclear bombs … on the rainforest. The real trick will be to provide a film more entertaining than the infamous Metal Gear Awesome (embedded after the break for old time’s sake).
Landau also hinted at an Everquest movie from Sony Pictures, but declined to name the supposedly esteemed producer attached to it. If it winds up being an epic tale of elven mana dealers and over-the-top dragon chases, we’ll know it was Jerry Bruckheimer.
Continue reading Sony Pictures producing Metal Gear Solid movie
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