Archive for July 8th, 2007
Take Me Out To The Ball Game: Nintendo Tests Fan Network
Nothing quite says a day at the ballpark like Nintendo! The DS Lite is being tested at the Seattle Mariners‘ Safeco Field in a program called the Nintendo Fan Network. For US $5 per game, fans can use software that allows them to watch a live TV feed, pull up stats, order food and play trivia games on their DSes. Five bucks a game? Yikes! Says Nintendo corporate affairs manager J.C. Smith:
For us it’s really just the initial stage. We didn’t want to push it hard until we were sure the services were working. We’re now to that point where we’re like, ‘Let’s push it out further.’ It has been a process.
Currently, there are only two download stations — however, the system isn’t even mentioned on the Mariners’ site. Odd because, you know, Nintendo owns the Mariners and all! But like Smith said, they’re not at the push hard stage.
Interactive Mariners [Yahoo]
We’re Slashing Prices: Sony Confirms PS3 Price-Cut, 80GB Bundle
This news? Hot. So hot it couldn’t wait another couple of days. David “Don’t Call Me Davey” Karraker has confirmed that starting today, the 60GB model of the PS3 will drop to $499. Excellent, if not entirely unexpected, news. Better still is a second announcement: that North America will be getting their hands on the 80GB model of the PS3 (to help with Sony’s plans for HD movie downloads), which will be bundled with MotorStorm, and will cost $599 (though won’t be available until August). Keep in mind this news is for North America ONLY, so everywhere else, sit tight. No…tighter. If you want, kill some time by reading the AP press release after the click.
Sony Corp. announced a revised PlayStation 3 console Monday with a
bigger hard drive for storing downloaded content such as video games
and high-definition movies.
The new $599 PS3 increases the system’s storage capacity from 60 to 80
gigabytes and also includes a retail copy of the online racing title
“MotorStorm,” a company spokesman said.
Starting Monday, the current 60 gigabyte model will cost $499 _ a $100
price drop.
The larger capacity machine won’t be available in the United States
and Canada until August.
It plays into the company’s upcoming strategy of eventually offering
downloaded high-definition movies, video games, movie trailers and
demos, Sony spokesman David Karraker said.
Karraker said further details on high-def movies for download would be
released at a later date.
The announcement comes two days before the E3 Media & Business Summit
in Santa Monica, Calif., where dozens of industry heavyweights
including Sony rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. are expected to
show off their latest games and related products.
In April, Microsoft began selling a version of its Xbox 360 with a
120-gigabyte hard drive and a souped up high-definition video
connection. Called Xbox 360 Elite, the black-colored system sells for
$479.99.
Xbox gamers who already own the $399.99 20-gigabyte model can buy a
snap-on 120-gigabyte hard drive for $179.99.
Karraker said Sony would use the E3 show to focus on two areas: ways
to increase the number of consumers who own PS3s and other products
such as the PlayStation Portable handheld system, and expanding the
system’s library of available games.
He said Sony would be releasing 100 new video games during the current
fiscal year, including 15 titles that are exclusive to the PS3 such as
the hack-and-slash action title “Heavenly Sword.”
[Thanks Greg!]
Screen Update: Hot Pixel
There are some hot pixels in these screens!
Screen Update: Bourne Conspiracy
Jason Bourne gets more action in these screens.
Screen Update: FIFA Soccer 08
It’s pitch-dark on the pitch in these screens.
Screen Update: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
Check out the first screens!
Preview: Rock Band
Forget Guitar Hero. Rock Band takes virtual music to a whole new level.
Preview: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
Spider-Man joins forces with his greatest enemies in a romp and stomp adventure across the globe in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe.
News: EA boss calls video games “boring”
EA’s John Riccitiello, head the world’s largest video game publisher, said that video games are “boring” and too complicated suggesting that game makers need to focus more on fresh ideas.
News: Sony confirms PS3 price cut to $499, announces new model
Sony dropped the price of the current PS3 from $599 to $499 on Monday and unveiled a new, 80GB model bundled with a game for release this August.
Wii: ‘Analyzing the Analysts’: Thoughts on the Wii
Games * Design * Art * Culture has some thoughts up on remarks by analysts and their real world validity. Not being prone to getting out scratch pads of paper and theorizing on topics I am ill-equipped to deal with, I’m not sure if the analysis of the analysis is valid, but it’s a reminder that quoting experts is fun, but not always an accurate prediction of what is to come. In this case, the topic is an analyst “saying publishers will flock to the Wii because of ‘favorable economics‘”; the argument here is that it’s not ‘favorable economics,’ but sheer numbers of users that will determine the success of the Wii over the long term.
… The real thing publishers look at when deciding what to develop for is simply user base plus tie ratio–that is, how many boxes each manufacturer ships, and how many titles the average user buys for that box. This, and not a putative cost advantage for Wii over other platforms, is what’s working in Wii’s favor at the moment–it’s selling better than its competitors …. I expect there will be a flood of third-party games for Wii, that the advantage PS 2 and Xbox had over GameCube in this regard will not be true for the current generation: the tie ratios will look much more similar.
It’s a short but interesting look at the potential costs and factors going into developing a game and a successful console overall.
Xbox 360: One Take On the 360 Red Ring of Death
Australian site SquareHouse has a short and sweet summation of “what killed the Xbox 360,” at least in terms of current ring-around-the-rosey, red ring of death warranty debacle: crappy planning and some cost-cutting measures to try and undermine the competition that led to the current problems and potential PR disaster (what’s that old saying? ‘Quality doesn’t cost, it pays’?). Microsoft sees the silver lining, in that they’re owning up to problems, perhaps bolstering their image (imagine that, a company taking responsibility for problems with their product!).
One Asian manufacturer that SmartHouse spoke to on Friday said “Microsoft have known of this problem for a long time. They are trying to blame component manufacturers but it was a combination of bad design and them (Microsoft) wanting everything cheap. This is what caused the problem along with them wanting to beat Sony to market. A lot of manufacturers were pushed to deliver components without much testing of the components working together inside the console”.
Microsoft has said little about the causes of the hardware woes. It relies on two contract manufacturers to make the Xbox 360–Flextronics International (FLEX) and Celestica (CLS)–both of which make the finished product at plants in southern China. But Bach indicated the issue had nothing to do with the recent spate of tainted or defective Chinese imports.
I’m relieved to know the 360 in the living room isn’t in danger of poisoning me any time soon, except perhaps with dangerous levels of cuteness from Viva Piñata.
Why The Xbox 360 Failed [SmartHouse]
Money Money Money: Don’t Put Your Money In Video Game Stocks Quite Yet
For the gamers who also have an eye on their portfolio, investing in gaming-related stocks is probably not the best gamble right now. Long term prognosis is good, but CNN Money reports on an analyst’s thoughts on ‘interactive entertainment’ industry right now, and it’s probably not the best option to beef up your portfolio. An exception is for some companies like EA, but in case you needed to be told, don’t put any money in Take-Two.
The broker started coverage of the video-game sector with a neutral rating. In a report, analyst Eric Handler noted that the market is growing, with new gamers attracted by “interesting hardware choices” that are driving “greater creativity” among video-game publishers.
However, he added that slower sales of new consoles than expected and ” overextended” company valuations will limit upside in the group for the near term.
Financial stuff makes my head spin; I guess it’s a good thing I’m going into a field where I’ll be broke for the rest of my life, thus not having to worry about it.
Video-game Stocks Have Limited Upside For Now, Lehman Say [CNN Money]
We’re Coming For Your Children: Mainstream Media Discovers Griefers!
From GamePolitics comes a Reuters article that will probably make you foam at the mouth, both for its lovely ‘how did it take you people this long to notice?’ quality, as well as the rather unfair characterization of the industry by an ‘expert.’ Dr. Sally Black expounds on griefers as well as her personal opinions on gaming, which span from ‘games are addictive’ to ‘the industry is going after your children with advertising,’ including nice comparisons to the tobacco and alcohol industries.
“… Right now these marketers are going straight after the young ones to try to get them addicted at an early age, and it’s like a parent trying to fight tobacco and alcohol. It’s very difficult,” she said.
There’s actually some interesting discussion over at GamePolitics once you get past the frothing and foaming at the mouth.
A new type of cyberbully hits online gaming world [Reuters via GamePolitics]
History Is Cool!: This Day in Gaming, July 8th
2002: Nintendo announces Game Boy Advance Latias/Latios editions. They are special versions released to commemorate (read: promote) the new Pokemon movie. Because nothing says commemorate like ugly purple and pink GBAs.
2003: Playmore Corporation changes their name to SNK Playmore Corporation. We know you don’t care, but it might be on the quiz. Do you care now? Good. Because we were just making that quiz stuff up. We would never do that to you. OK, we would, but it would involve large heads of industry “giants.”
Everyone Hates Litterbugs: Mario and Goomba Helping Out With the Trash
In Norway, at least. Reader Kim V. sent these images along, saying: “I was having a bbq yesterday at Vigelandsparken in Norway when I came across these two when throwing stuff away afterwards. Good to know that Mario and Goomba are watching over all the garbage. The image with Goomba says “Waste”, and the one with Mario says “Grill box - Used one time grills only”.
Rumor: Rumble Sixaxis In Developer’s Hands?
We’ve gotten in several tips involving this developer diary posted a few days ago on IGN, showing the folks at Free Radical polishing up the Haze demo that was shown at the Ubisoft gamers day back in late May. At the beginning of this lengthy, relatively entertaining video we see Haze being demoed to the press using a standard Sixaxis, while at around the ten minute mark we are shown two separate developers testing the game and the controller they are using is mysteriously blurred out. Could it be that Free Radical already has their hands on the rumble ready PS3 controller?
I really doubt it. This video was shot in mid-May for one. Nothing stays quiet for that long in the industry, especially during the lead-in to E3, when you can almost imagine developers hopping up and down in their chairs like excited children with a secret they desperately want to tell.
Secondly…come on guys, it’s just a blur. It could really mean anything. Maybe there is a stipulation about dev kit controllers not being shown, or they use special equipment during the development process that they’d rather not have people see. Hell, perhaps they have an odd habit of writing “FUCK” in big letters on all of their development tools and needed to make the vid kid safe.
Or it could very well be a less-than artfully hidden rumble Sixaxis, though as I said I have serious doubts. The main thing to take away from this flurry of speculation is that PS3 owners would really like their rumble back plz. THX!
Get Your Bets In Now: MMO Operators Could Break Laws In the UK?
Not if they have the appropriate license come September, but with a gambling law getting its final update at that time, MMOs that have competitions or offer prizes may be classified as ‘online gambling’ and subject to the same laws and penalties as more traditional forms. With all the chatter in the US and elsewhere about where MMOs fit into the overall scheme of online gambling (or not), it will be interesting to see how companies start to navigate the water. In the US, for example, ‘games of skill’ are - for the most part - exempt from gambling regulations; this is not the case with the new UK law.
… MMO operators can avoid any potential penalties by obtaining an operators’ licence from the Gambling Commission.
“This is not a simple task, but it is also not overtly complex. The key is to satisfy the Commission that you have in place an operation that satisfies the requirements and key objectives of the new law.”
These include commitments to ensuring fair and open gambling, the protection of children and other vulnerable persons and the prevention of links between gambling and crime.
I just have a hard time equating any MMO competition with playing poker or betting on the ponies.
MMO operators at risk of breaking law from September [GamesIndustry.biz via PlayNoEvil]
Clips: Call of Duty 4 E3 Trailer
Just in case you missed the premiere of Call of Duty 4’s new E3 trailer on Game Head Friday night/Saturday morning. Here’s your chance to catch it. Man, I still can’t get over how incredibly hot this game looks. It just blows me away every time I see it.
Article Dissection: Selling The World Series of Slackers
This morning I caught an AP story posted over at the Miami Herald about the World Series of Video Games which includes a chat with WSVG commissioner Matt Ringel about how they plan to make the WSVG a more commercially viable event. I’m a gamer myself and I have a hard time imagining what would make me want to actually sit down and watch other people play video games on my television without the ability to snag the controller from their hands with a hearty, “You’re doing it wrong,” so it’s interesting to see how they plan on brining in the everyday viewer into the fold. Can he do it without turning the whole event into a circus?
The only thing the Guitar Hero II finals seemed to lack was Ryan Seacrest. Contestants stood onstage, with a three-judge panel to their left, while dozens of people watched, some of them even approaching the stage and rocking out during the better performances.
Probably not.
Seems to me that the only way the World Series of Video Games could become a “TV-ready venture” is to to generate some fake entertainment. Like having three judges tear into Guitar Hero players, for instance, or bringing in gamers that don’t quite fit the mold of the general public’s perception.
Tall with blond spiked hair, the 23-year-old Christensen from Stockholm, Sweden, hardly looks like one of the best video game players in the world. His muscled build gives a hint of his former life as a junior hockey player. His English is flawless. His clothes are clean and, even more, they’re stylish.
A clean, stylish gamer? No way! The article is filled with the same sort of subtle digs against gamers that are the main reason see gaming as a hobby for losers. From the beginning of the article the byline sets the tone: “Organizer insists that most of the contestants in the World Series of Video Games actually have lives.” to the very end of the piece, while giving some background info on Christensen AP writer Will Graves, no doubt thinking himself amazingly witty, decided to place the sentence, “Oh, and he has a girlfriend” on its own line for impact. *rubs his throbbing temples*
So basically the writer of the article entitled “Event aims to break gamers’ slacker image” spends a good amount of time bolstering that same image while Matt Ringel lays out plans to make video gaming into a respected event that will bring gaming into the mainstream (read: make lots of cash) by aping American Idol. I say the only way professional gaming will gain nationwide appeal in America is if the players start adopting colorful costumes and spend the pre-match interviews spitting into microphones with Randy Savage-like fury. They can even have their girlfriends in skimpy outfits cheering them on from the sidelines…you know, if they have them.
Event aims to break gamers’ slacker image [AP News via the Miami Herald]
