Archive for May, 2007
Thumbs Up: Behold The Duck Hunt Sweater
We’re pretty current on our Duck Hunt coverage, but I was horribly dismayed to find that we’d been beaten to the punch on this fabulous, hand-crafted, oversized Duck Hunt sweater. Craftster contributor “Quacker Jacks”, pictured, put this NES-inspired piece together in just a little over a month of power knitting, posting the fruit of her labors it on the Craftster forums way back in February. Man, she looks like a party! Those curtains, however, have got to go.
Duck Hunt Sweater [Craftster]
Dlc Done Right: Killzone: Liberation Gets PSP DLC TLC
The PlayStation Portable got a taste of some fresh downloadable content today with the release of a new chapter for Guerilla’s Killzone: Liberation along with a new online play infrastructure mode. The update is now available at YourPSP.com and Killzone.com free of charge.
So, what’s that fifth chapter all about? I’ll let Guerilla explain.
Squad sergeant Rico is missing - you must discover the truth of his fate over four high-tension missions consisting of over two hours of brand-new gameplay with new terrain to explore, new vehicles to control and swarms of Helghast to eliminate. Chapter 5 also comes with two brand new multiplayer maps for both Ad Hoc and Infrastructure Mode: Prison and Construction Site.
While the original Killzone didn’t quite live up to expectations with the PLAYSTATION 3 sequel setting the bar even higher, the PSP tactical shooter sequel was pretty well received. This is a nice little bonus for an already good game.
NEW: Chapter 5 + Infrastructure Mode Available [Killzone.com]
News: Did Bungie update the Halo 3 beta?
Recent reports have come in, revealing the presence of a “glitch” that allows Halo 3’s beta testers the usage of a treasure trove of previously unavailable vehicles and weapons.
News: Halo 3 EXPLOSION
The word is out. The Internets are abuzz with Halo 3.
News: Capcom reveals their HD Street Fighter sprites
To prepare our eyes for the HD remake of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Capcom has shown off an example of what the newly drawn sprites will look like.
News: WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Halo 3 GamePro Cover to be Unveiled Saturday
GamePro’s July 2007 issue is smattered with loads o exclusive f Halo 3 content you’ve never seen before….even on those cruddy-looking scans on the ‘net.
Preview: Timeshift
Could Timeshift’s numerous delays pay off in the end? We’re betting on yes. Take a look at how it’s coming along.
News: id Software announces a new game engine
Now that the heavy lifting for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is mostly out of the way, id has announced a new engine that will bring back the old “John Carmack magick”.
Feature: This Persistent Life #4
We talk to Jagex’s Andrew Gower about the phenomenally successful browser MMO RuneScape.
News: PSP upgrades to system software version 3.50
In order to adapt to the PS3’s recent improvements to Remote Play, Sony has now updated the PSP’s firmware as well, which greatly increases the range of inter-console connectivity to a worldwide scale.
If You Watch One Screen, You Watch Them All: BBC Simulcasts in Second Life
This Friday the BBC 2 will be broadcasting, for the first time ever, a full-length program that will air simultaneously on television as well as in Second Life. The show, “The Money Programme”, is the BBC’s flagship business affairs program that focuses on how big business affects everyones’ everyday life.
This week’s show will focus on, what else, the emergence of the virtual economy. Some of the topics include the growth of virtual worlds, the issues involving gold-farming, and a look into virtual crime. One of the show’s guests will be Philip Rosedale, the creator of Second Life.
As far as when it airs, both real and fake people can watch it this Friday, June 1 at 7:00 pm GMT, but the fake people have to watch it at the Rivers Run Red Cinema in Second Life. Hopefully in SL, they won’t play the commercials too.
BBC to make first Second Life broadcast [Games Industry Biz]
Break Yourself: Rumor: Mod Proof Wiis in Japan
Looks like after you upset Nintendo Europe with all that mod-chip talk, it went crying to mommy and told on you. Unhappy modders on the forum, Hacken.cc have recently found out that the newer version of the Japanese NTSC/J Wiis have had the three pins removed that enable mod chips to be attached. There has been no news of the US versions having the pins clipped, but of course, it’s still so difficult to get a Wii, how would anyone really know for sure.
Obviously it’s in the rumor bin because it’s from a forum where only one user has experienced this “problem”. If it is true, all that you can do is make a trip down to Home Depot to buy some fancy soldering irons and find some one with some very tiny, steady hands.
Nintendo Shipping Mod-Proof Wiis in Japan
Big Lizard In My Backyard: Gallery: Godzilla Unleashed on the Wii
One game. Twenty-three enormous creatures from one of the most beloved monster movie franchise of all time. Eight new screen shots that bring to mind the Dreamcast Godzilla title from years gone by. Not the most dazzlingly attractive Godzilla title I had hoped for, but I’m sure once I get my hands on it this fall and start tearing things up graphics will be the farthest thing from my mind. I hope.
Gone But Not Forgotten: The Used Video Game Industry
According to an article in The Ledger, the “mom and pop shops” that sell video games have to rely heavily on second-hand sales in order to keep up with their chain-store competitors. By focusing on the used games side of the business, retailers can control the pricing of their inventory, whereas with new games, the price is fixed and a retailer may only make $10 or less for one title. With the used games, buying low and selling high has allowed a lot of these stores to stay open.
(D)espite his near-exclusive emphasis on used games, Dionne said he still amounts to a small fish in Polk, where even rental chains like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery deal in secondhand sales.
“For me to be here after three years, I think that’s a pretty tremendous feat,” he said.
Big unhappy face on this one. I hate seeing the local shops struggling to stay in business when the big chains start moving into the neighborhood. Usually the smaller shops are friendly and don’t have weird kids in them after school breaks out. I hate that. They always smell like sweaty fries.
Used Video Games Keep Some Retailers Afloat [The Ledger]
War On The Pusher Man: NY Game Bill 2: This Time They’re Felons
Nothing quite mucks up the political process like more politics. The New York video game bill I wrote about last week that seemed destined to pass is now likely to be replaced with a new, Democratic bill that pretty much covers the same ground with a few, significant differences. Most notable among these is a provision that would make it a felony to sell a minor games that include “depraved violence.”
While the definition of depraved violence is quite specific (rape, dismemberment, torture, mutilation) and the penalty only a Class E felony - the least severe in the state - nobody wants to end up with a felony record because they sold Mortal Kombat to a fourteen year old.
The bill also calls for game consoles to contain parental controls, which is nice because then they can take credit for making sure consoles that already have them…have them. Thank goodness.
I think that there is a pretty god chance this one will make it into law, though with a severability clause attached that allows for bits to be removed without canceling out the whole thing, I’m not sure what form it will take. There’s a chance it could end up the same bill as last week, only with Democratic sponsorship instead of Republican, which would of course just be a whacky coincidence.
ANOTHER N.Y. Game Bill - Democratic Proposal Could Turn Retailers into Felons [GamePolitics.com]
Night Note: PS3 Is A Picture Viewer, Too
To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
Subject: School Visit
Today we spent an hour and a half at Mini Bash’s school. We were worried he’d be running amuck like he does at home, but the kid was actually paying attention and doing what the teacher said. The entire time. Amazing! Saw the kid he called “Ghost,” who was running amuck. Also saw the girl who hated on his thermos. She seemed nice enough and even said hello to me. (Probably secretly hates my guts, though!)
When we got back home, Mrs. Bashcraft took the SD card out of the camera and immediately started viewing them on the PS3. I, yes I, had never viewed pics on the PS3 — which was actually really cool! My question: How did she know it was possible to view pics on the PS3? Her answer: The PS3 has a SD card slot.
What you missed during the night
20 Menthol Kools: New Riddick Screens: Familiar
Hrm. So I got a bit excited at the news of a this-gen remake of the Xbox’s super-rad Riddick game. I presumed the graphics would be getting an overhaul. Not that they necessarily needed one; after all, Riddick was probably the best-looking Xbox game of the lot. It’s just, if they weren’t going to give it a serious spit-n-polish, why bother?
Below, some early screens from the game. I promise they’re from the new Riddick, not the old one, even though it’s very, very hard to spot the difference. Let’s just hope these are very raw, very early shots. Come on, let’s hope. Form a circle and hold hands. Boy, girl, boy, girl if you can.
[pics via Jeux France]
Sspplliisshh: New Phantom Hourglass Screens: Oh God Yes
Anyone for Celda? You damn well better be. Just take a look at these new screens! It’s looking more and more like Wind Waker, only a little grainier. And more portable. With easier sailing.
I haven’t bought a DS game in 2007. For real. I think I’m subconsciously saving myself for this. You know. Because I want it to be special.
[pics via Official Nintendo Mag UK]
Zzzz: PS3 Lifestyle Pics Are Quite Dull
Regardless if Sony’s ads usually pissed you off or not, they were always slick, professional and polished. These new aren’t. At all. What’s more, they won’t even piss anyone off — Not even in their blandness! Not only is the lighting rotten, the shots look horribly posed with models looking off into empty space and not even putting their thumbs on the controller. There’s lots of pointing, too. Do you point at lot when you game? I don’t.
Poor Sony. They do something arty, they catch hell. They do something innocuous and bland, they catch hell. Let’s backtrack to the nonsensical stuff — At least it always looked cool! And after seeing these, we’re more than willing to give the edginess a second chance.
She Chooses You: The Pikachu Japanese Schoolgirl
Chronicle Books sent along a copy of Japan Schoolgirl Inferno for me to peruse. Really enjoyed the book and do recommend picking it up. Besides covering gaming, I’m been writing about Japanese schoolgirls for something like the past three years for Wired Mag, contributing to its “Japanese Schoolgirl Watch.” Anyone who’s lived in Japan for an extended period of time will tell you that the styles, tastes and even make-up of teenage girls are always changing. A few years back, girls started wearing Pooh Bear, Hamtaro, and Pikachu costumes in public. Called “Kigurumin” (”ethnic mascot” in Japanese), the trend died out by 2004 when gals realized there were better things to wear than Pikachu costumes. Thank gawd!
