Author Archive
Today in Joystiq: April 13, 2007
Joystiquery
In the Flash: Desktop Tower Defense
Japanese hardware sales, Apr. 2 - Apr. 8: Precedent Evil edition
Today’s most changing video: Wii transform
Vote for console of the year in the ‘06 Engadget Awards
News
Prince of Persia rated by Germans for XBLA
New Manhunt 2 trailer a great way to start the day
Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia demo on XBL
My Opera launches video games sub-site
Famitsu reports Lost Planet coming to PC, rocking DirectX 10
Sega Saturn Panzer Dragoon, Zwei coming to GameTap
Acclaim Games commands you to DANCE! Online
Spider-Man 3 cast lend their voices to the game
Red vs. Blue comes to Xbox Live: first five episodes for $1 each
Culture & Community
Twilight Princess models ripped, enhanced, put in strange poses
Happy Friday the 13th! Destroy Jason … if you can!
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Famitsu reports Lost Planet coming to PC, rocking DirectX 10
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters
According to a Famitsu report released earlier this morning (translation), Capcom and Nvidia are jointly announcing that the platinum-selling Xbox 360 title Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is coming to the PC. Visuals have been improved and the title will utilize DirectX 10 (with resolutions up to 2560×1600). The report cites a June 2007 release in North America and Europe with no date listed for a Japanese release.
We’re left wondering if Lost Planet PC is going to be Vista-exclusive, and if there are similar PC plans for Capcom’s other Xbox 360 “exclusive.”
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Today in Joystiq: April 12, 2007
If you can’t read the caption under the Game Boy Advance, it says, “The second best thing to do in the dark.” Obviously they don’t play flashlight tag. (Unless that is the first best thing to do, then, well … there’s some different priorities there.) Check out the highlights for today:
Joystiquery
Impressions: HP’s Panoply and Pluribus
Impressions: HP’s Misto
Major Nelson talks Guitar Hero downloads, Halo 3
Playing Dirty: Searching for sex in Club Penguin
Today’s most educational video: learn Kanji and sweet dancing
News
Shivering Isles patched for PC, no info on Xbox 360 version
God of War’s IslandofRhodes.org is developer commentary site
Sadness game for Wii is real, no it isn’t, yes it is
GTAIV drops Staten Island; Wu-Tang response unknown
Chart Track tracking down leak (and also charts)
Firaxis to revisit X-COM in Civ IV: Beyond the Sword
Atari reveals Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
US Army sponsoring Global Gaming League for an estimated $2 million
G3 video game charity event involves … shooting
id Software poised for a comeback, says id Software
God of War creator would have left Blu-ray out of PS3
Letterman scores a free DS with Brain Age
FTC report: mixed reviews on industry’s ability to self-regulate
Over 100,000 gamers sign up for Age of Conan beta test
The 20GB PS3 is still alive … in Japan
NCSoft looking for apprentices in game testing
First screens of Sam & Max season finale, ‘Bright Side of the Moon’
NCSoft looking for apprentices in game testing
Great Geiger! Bethesda buys Fallout IP
Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Perfect Dark prequel to get a new sequel
No More Heroes may go online
Culture & Community
Halophiles Only: GameVideos analyzes recent Halo 3 documentary
Gamasutra completes CRPG history series
Video game nerd cred now in convenient badge form
You’ll say WoW: Blizzcon back on for 2007
NES USB controller: don’t make it, buy it
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No More Heroes may go online
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure, Online
Online swordfighting of the most violent proportions on the Wii? Perhaps. Game developer Suda 51 (Killer 7, Contact) has told CVG that he is “very interested in online play” but that its inclusion in the upcoming Wii title No More Heroes is still up in the air.
No More Heroes is about Travis Touchdown, a character inspired by Johnny Knoxville, who wins a beam katana via an internet auction site and joins an assassin’s league by killing the 11th best (named after a Beatles song associated with Charles Manson). Other assassins you must face off in the free-roaming city of Santa Destroy include a Japanese school girl reminiscent of Go-Go from Kill Bill, a superhero assassin named Destroyman and a French-born assassin named after a French softcore porn actress.
Sound crazy enough? We think so. Suda 51 has also said he wants to make the game “as violent, or even more violent than Manhunt 2!“ No More Heroes is being planned for a Summer 2007 release in Japan and late 2007 / early 2008 for North America and Europe. The latest trailer, from GDC 2007, embedded after the break.
Continue reading No More Heroes may go online
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The 20GB PS3 is still alive … in Japan
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Business
Reports of the 20 GB PlayStation 3 SKU’s demise are only partially true — because, as you know, mostly dead is still slightly alive. There is still one very important country where gamers can choose their PS3 stylings: Japan.
Speaking to Famitsu, a Sony Computer Entertainment representative said, “We’re currently not considering changes akin to North America. However we would like to react flexibly with the market.” IGN also sought out some anecdotal evidence by checking a few Tokyo game shops, finding that both the 20 GB and 60 GB were in stock. Interestingly enough, the 60 GB used model is the same price as the 20 GB new model at 49,800 yen.
Interestingly, Sony UK has given a similar company line, telling CVG, “We’ll continue to monitor demand for the 20GB model … which will be factored into any future Euro launch plans.” Of course, the 20GB model has never been in Europe anyways, so the chances of them bringing the second SKU in down the road are slim to none.
[Update: Fixed image.]
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Rumor: Perfect Dark prequel to get a new sequel
Filed under: First Person Shooters
Here’s the no-brainer rumor of the day: Rare will release a sequel to its million-selling shooter Perfect Dark Zero. The Rumor Mole section of the May 2007 issue of Official Xbox Magazine reports that the sequel was revealed “by way of a press release announcing the next novel in the paperback series that also mentions a follow-up to the game.”
We haven’t been able to locate the press release ourselves, but the paperback series is an official tie-in to the series. If a sequel does come to fruition, we wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, we’ve heard it from an official, anonymous, trustworthy source that Rare has been deep in the early development phases (pre-pre-alpha, if you will) just trying to figure out the best numerical nomenclature. Perfect Dark One is off limits, PD Zero Two is pretty meh, PD Negative One (shortened to PDNO or PD-1) could work for yet another prequel, or perhaps they’ll go the Lion King route and make it Perfect Dark Zero (point) Five, or PD.5 for short.
Still, we side with our Fanboy brethren: the Xbox 360 has enough shooters, Rare should focus on meeting their sequel quota with a return to platformer Kameo.
[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
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FTC report: mixed reviews on industry’s ability to self-regulate
Filed under: Online, Business, Politics
The Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. has released a new report praising the games industry for making “significant progress” in decreasing both the sale of mature-rated games to minors and the advertising of mature titles alongside teen-marketed television shows, while criticizing them for failing to maintain similar marketing standards with internet advertising.
Other interesting statistics and observations:
- In the five years between 2001 and 2006, sales of M-rated titles to minors have dropped 36% (from 78% to 42%). No other industry was reported to have such a significant decline and only the sale of R-rated movie ticket to minors is lower (39% in 2006, an increase of 3% over 2003).
- Of the parents surveyed, 87% are aware of the ESRB, 70% utilize it and 75% of those familiar with the content descriptors use them.
- Current ESRB regulations do not allow game publishers to advertise M-rated games on sites where 45% or more of the audience is under 17. The FTC report said that they are “not adequately enforcing even this limited standard.” Our query, which is not adequately explained in the report’s press release, is how the FTC is able to discern the demographic of a website (other than maybe content and grammar usage), and which is it following? Only MySpace and YouTube are specifically cited here. And, to be quite honest, if the FTC were able to effectively discern the demographics found on a site like YouTube, they could sell that data-mining algorithm and make quadrillions in profit.
The FTC report also chastises the ESRB for failing to put content descriptors on the front of the box. Said FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras overall, “Self-regulation, long a critical underpinning of U.S. advertising, is weakened if industry markets products in ways inconsistent with their ratings and parental advisories … This latest FTC report shows improvement, but also indicates that the entertainment industry has more work to do.”
[Via Game Politics]
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Shivering Isles patched for PC, no info on Xbox 360 version
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs
Bethesda has released an official beta patch to fix the guard script bug in the Oblivion expansion Shivering Isles. Unfortunately, the patch is not compatible with copies purchased via direct2drive. At least there’s still makeshift solutions available from the community. Other major issues, including uninstallation problems, have been resolved; patch notes can be found here.
Speaking to Joystiq, Bethesda VP of PR and Marketing Pete Hines told us that there is no information that he can give us on what they’ll be doing on the Xbox 360 and when. It’s not the best response we could hope for, but it’s all we have for now. Stay tuned.
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Today in Joystiq: April 11, 2007
This relic (care of brandon shigeta) is the Pocket Station. Released a month after the Dreamcast and its very similar VMU portable console / memory card, it was a Japan-only product that was intended to “enhance” full PlayStation One titles. Just a reminder that console-portable connectivity was out there long before Nintendo did it. Check out the highlights for today:
Joystiquery
Gene Simmons rocks Times Square with Guitar Hero II
News
Gamestop/EB sells Wii for low price of $549.92
Mortal Kombat II bloodies up the PS3 April 12th
Guitar Hero II song packs now Live, pricey
Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen opens chrono-rift in XBLM
GameStop: Battle is between Wii and PS3, Us: WTF?
GTA IV briefing in Game Informer, multiplayer and more
Does Super Paper Mario have future DS connectivity? No
Uwe Boll responds to 9/11 ‘Postal’ criticism, pats himself on back
Make that Apple TV a gaming emulation station
Ouendan 2 release date, partial song list revealed
Blowing on the DS sucks (or: the huff-and-puff games)
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass hits Japan in June (this June)
Sony considers incentives for commercial PS3 use
Jeepers creepers, Nintendo wants to train your peepers
Greek interview reveals new Wii games: Music, Health Pack
R.I.P. PlayStation 3 20GB is officially no more
Dragon’s Lair may foil your Blu-ray player
Pac-Man VS coming to DS via Namco Museum
Foxconn production: Not enough for Wii, plenty for PS3?
Ninja Gaiden DS out in Autumn, says Itagaki
Halo 2: Desolation and Tombstone map pack photos
Perrin Kaplan expects Wii shortages to ‘last for some time’
Massachusetts tries Jack Thompson’s failed Utah game bill
Wii Opera browser’s final version available
Rumors & Speculation
EGM: “Word is another Halo game is in the works.”
Analysis determines publisher strengths in console war
Culture & Community
It’s fun to Wii at the YMCA
Bartering in Warcraft, trading mounts for mounts
Guinness to legitimize couch potatoes with video game records
Orangutans play video games; apocalypse nears
Guitar controlling Halo — Radicalness: 1, Usefulness: 0
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Does Super Paper Mario have future DS connectivity? No
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii
Before you start speculating as to how your DS Lite will be used in conjunction with the game, allow us to disappoint you. The DS Lite here, found in the kitchen on the first floor of Flipside, is just a recipe database that is upgraded every time you collect one of the 96 recipe cards found in the game. Wii Fanboy reader jeffoverweg also reminds us that Nintendo has been self-referential with its portable devices before: the Game Boy Horror in Luigi’s Mansion, the use of the DS phat and GBA in Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, etc.
If Nintendo were to add DS functionality with Super Paper Mario, there is no way they would have kept it a secret, especially not if it meant they could sell a few more DS units on connectivity alone. For those looking to link up their Nintendo hardware, you’ll just have to wait for Pokemon.
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Today in Joystiq: April 10, 2007
Filed under: Rhythm
Here’s an intriguing approach to edutainment and exergaming, found at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps (photo snapped last year by Flickr user mathowie). The dance pad’s arrows are replaced with DNA nucleotides (shortened to A, T, G and C). The player creates one of 20 amino acids by tapping out the appropriate sequence shown on screen. If you successfully hit all of the nucleotides it would shout out the name of it (e.g. “Cysteine!”). Totally cool for the nerds in us all. Check out the highlights for today:
Joystiquery
Today’s duckiest video: Rockin’ Duck Hunt
Today’s thrashiest video: “Awakening” from Switchfoot
Readers pick best webcomic: the real winner
News
Circuit City: Super Paper Mario guaranteed in-store or $20
Halo 3 beta date confirmed for May 16
Oregon attempts game bill because Timmy broke Mary’s arm
Xbox 360 gets H.264, MPEG-4, PlaysForSure in Spring update
RedOctane site: Guitar Hero 3 coming in Fall ‘07
John Romero: PC is about to make console its bitch
Halo 3 video with X button footage — Is Quisnam Protero Damno!
Casual indie RPG Iron Dukes announced, looking for publisher
Virgin Radio network to cater for PS3, Wii
Nintendo joins US govt’s crusade against piracy in China
New Marvel Ultimate Alliance Content available for 360
EA denies reported investment in The9
DX10 on the cheap: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 and 8500
Interactive fiction writer Emily Short talks about her craft
Kentucky public library to carry video games
Harvard club gets all snooty about games
Data shows Blu-ray leading high-def disc battle
China imposes “anti-addiction” limits on kids’ gaming
Indie gaming site to fund ‘fresh and funky and innovative and exciting’ game projects
Boom Boom Rocket fires onto XBLA this Wednesday
Ubisoft viral site hints at new Tom Clancy game
Culture & Community
Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania … roguelikes?!
Ace Attorney takes on Ace Ventura
Cave Story music inspired by … polka?
Donkey Kong scales college, students search for hammers
Gaze into the Mii-rror Universe
If you shoved a giant TV through a wall … you might be a redneck
Does Mom game? Use the woman to get an Xbox 360 Elite!
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Readers pick best webcomic: the real winner
Filed under: Culture, Online, Polls
Proving that the quality of clever observation can trump the importance of finished, colorful artwork, Scott Johnson’s Extra Life took first place in this week’s webcomic wrapup for understanding the real winner of the so-called “console wars.”
Second place goes to Ctrl+Alt+Del and third place goes to 2P Start. (Yes, Ray and Tim, we also wouldn’t be surprised.) Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomic you stumble upon this week!
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The Joystiq Weekend: April 7 to 9, 2007
Filed under: Culture, Retro, Fashion
This is one of p3ss3ssod’s four Galaga tattoos. In fact, he’s got quite a collection of game-related inkings shown in his album. Check out the highlights for this weekend:
Joystiquery
Japanese hardware sales, Mar. 26 - Apr. 1: No more noir edition
Joystiq hands-on: HP’s mscape
The Political Game: Take Two and the golden parachute
Today’s “looks good on paper” video: Super Paper Mario commercial
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: beware the Easter Cow edition
News
Red Octane says two Xbox guitar models ‘defective’
Gamespot leaks Xbox 360’s new dashboard
Three Speech retracts PS3 BioShock, but not other release dates
Leaked Xbox 360 keyboard controller attachment, Voltron jealous
IM coming to Xbox 360, keyboard accessory this summer
Galaga, BRAVOMAN, and Alex Kidd smash Virtual Console
Special Xbox 360 Elite black HD DVD drive up for auction
EA struggles to meet demand for Wii games
New Gears gametype ‘Annex’ previewed, still no date
Hands-on pics of the Xbox 360 QWERTY keyboard
PSP vs DS game price showdown, it’s a draw
Video Game Decency Act: saving the children, or one-way ticket to tyranny?
Gears of War update, Annex gametype today
New games this week: Super Paper Mario edition
Take 360 Guitar Hero flaw into your own hands
Halo 2 Vista Achievements discovered, viral hilarity ensues
Resident Evil 4 Wii controls detailed, diagramed
Microsoft unleashes 4000-point Marketplace cards
Shiver me timbers! Oblivion expansion has critical bug
Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Phoenix Wright 3 dated, titled for US
ESRB leaks ‘Quake III: Team Arena’ for Xbox 360 (XBLA?)
Culture & Community
Burger King 360 prize comes with steep price: Terror
Gamestop spoils Twilight Princess ending in stores
Microsoft forcing fees? Marketplace Phil. 101 with Epic and Microsoft
‘Sims’ credit card will buy everything but a life
When is it okay to pass little Jimmy the Gears of War?
PS3 Cell chip saves more lives with medical imaging
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Shiver me timbers! Oblivion expansion has critical bug
Filed under: Hacks, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs
A number of reports have shown up on the internet concerning a very critical (i.e. game-ending) bug inherent in the new Oblivion expansion, Shivering Isles. It affects both Xbox 360 and PC owners.
The problem has been determined to derive from six scripts which control the patrolling patterns of certain guards. The scripts, which run even if you are not in the area, exhausts the internal allotment of identification numbers which are assigned to every object in the game (e.g. dropped arrows, weaponry). Once all the space is full, newly created objects disappear from the game world.
The bug will occur if you have Shivering Isles installed, whether or not you even access the content. It will rear its ugly head 50 to 120 hours within gameplay, depending upon your framerate (we’re not sure if this is hours of play after installation of expansion or total play time). The Xbox 360 version, running at 30 frames per second, is expected to hit the bug at 150 hours.
The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages have chronicled the issue and possible solutions. PC users can enjoy user-made patches; Xbox 360 owners have a suggested, although annoying and short-term (and spoiler-laden) fix they can use. We’ve contacted Bethesda for an official statement.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in -- and to those with anecdotal evidence, we're sorry for your loss.]
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Microsoft unleashes 4000-point Marketplace cards
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Online
With the upgrade of the Xbox 360 hard drive comes an upgrade to the retail marketplace card as well. Not content having a 1600-point-per-card cap, Microsoft has created a card worth 4000 points now available online at Circuit City.
The card will retail for $49.99 — since 4000 MS points converts to US $50, that’s like savings of a whole penny! (And additional fees of sales tax and / or shipping, where applicable.) We’re still of the opinion that the most convenient and cost-effective conversion of dollars-to-MS points is a funds purchase via Xbox Live Marketplace itself, we understand the need for these cards as gifts or for youngsters given a (in this case, rather steep) allowance to satiate their online needs.
[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
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PS3 Cell chip saves more lives with medical imaging
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3
The use of the PlayStation 3 in the Folding@home project has proven to be phenomenally successful (even Team Joystiq — thanks, guys!). Now, the Cell chip has served another purpose: 3-dimensional medical imaging.
IBM and Mayo clinic today announced that they have been using the Cell chip for imaging purposes such as cancer detection. According to the press release, the imaging program originally would run on typical processors and that optimized registration of 98 sets of images would take 7 hours typically. However, use of the application on the Cell-equipped IBM BladeCenter QS20 is 8 minutes 36 seconds — approximately fifty times faster.
The PlayStation 3 itself is not being used for the imaging, and for that we say pity. We actually find it interesting watching the proteins fold and inviting our chemistry-oriented buddies over to identify common bonds and laugh at atomic jokes that we don’t get. How about a downloadable application in the vein of this imaging program that both showcases the PS3’s horsepower and shows interested parties how cancer looks inside the body?
The full results of the imaging experiment will be presented at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Symposium April 12 to 15 in Washington, D.C.
[Via The Mercury News]
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Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: beware the Easter Cow edition
Filed under: Culture, Online, Polls
After an insightful episode of South Park that explained the relationship between bunnies, eggs, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we decided to do some of our own research into the history of the seemingly bizarre Easter rituals. After becoming bored with that, we thought about easter eggs in the virtual sense — i.e. those hidden treats found on CDs, DVDs and video games.
Celebrate Easter by telling us your favorite virtual easter eggs; while you’re thinking, check out our picks for the week’s best game-related webcomics. Be sure to vote for your favorite!
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Today in Joystiq: April 6, 2007
Filed under: Retro
This damaged Game Boy has been caught on Flickr a few dozen times already (credit goes to Plaid Ninja for the one above). The inscription explains that its modded casing was the result of a bombed barracks in the Gulf War. And yes, it still works (it can be seen playing Tetris). With reliability like that, it brings tears to our eyes every time we see a red ring or blue screen of death. Check out the highlights for today:
Joystiquery
HP wants to bridge PCs and consoles behind the scenes
Today’s hand-drawn video: Super Smash Bros.
Today’s realistic video: GTA IV trailer in real life
News
Mr. Bean game coming to PlayStation 2
Nintendo sponsors new online Flash game
Sega wants us to Touch Darts
Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II guitar problem and possible common thread
Study: Educational software doesn’t work
Awards to recognize best in game media
Original Transformer voices returning for game
Hey Wii Blaster, meet Joytech’s Sharp Shooter
360’s Guitar Hero II guitar works in Windows, Frets on Fire
For Madden speed, it don’t get bester than Hester
Mo mini, mo problems?
GayGamer visited by the Red Ring of Death
Microsoft wants to control all that you see and hear
Lord of the Rings Online free until April 24
Halo novel now in even cheaper paperback
Rumors & Speculation
USB storage coming to Wii? Not so fast …
Could ‘beats.’ change the way you play PSP?
Rumor: Every Extend Extra Extreme Extricated in August for $10
Culture & Community
Wii developers talk shop
Beta test Tournament.com, gain the need for gaming greed
Kansas schools ban Pokemon. NOT!
Grindhouse’s Rose McGowan loves zombie games
Kit Kat: Your break from recursive MMOs
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Today in Joystiq: April 5, 2007
All this talk of The Neverhood coming back into the limelight had us thinking of other clay-riffic games of lore. Like Clay Fighter 63 1/3. Oh, the comical, not-so-classical fighting games. Thank lampbane for the trip down memory lane; check out the highlights for today:
Joystiquery
Off the Grid reviews RoboRally
Joystiq Podcast 004 - Or IV, if you prefer edition (feat. CheapyD)
Major Nelson teases new Dashboard details on Xbox 360 Fancast
Today’s game over video: The End of the World of Warcraft
News
Wii Blaster incoming
Prominence, a 3D sci-fi adventure game announced
UK retailer drops PlayStation 3 price by £25
New Gears of War gametype detailed, dated, and pulled
Atari project goes beyond Game 3.0
Develop 2007 dated, detailed: July 24 to 26 in Brighton
Boom Boom Rocket blasting XBLA mid-April
Gran Turismo HD 1.2, GTA 4 trailer to hit PS Network today
Atari chief, Bruno Bonnell, says ‘au revoir’
Wii Sports Cuff harnesses Wii Remotes, raises eyebrows
Molyneux becomes French knight, farts in our general direction
Indie MMOG conference to be offered online
Jaffe: fixing scoring gap reason for Calling All Cars delay
Jeff Minter: artist, developer, friend of sheep
Super Rub ‘a’ Dub makes a splash on Europe PS3 Network
A few Halo 3 weapon details, you’ll shoot yer eye out
GameTap reveals Sega Saturn plans with Bug!
Nintendo boosts profit forecast fourth time this fiscal year
Crime and punishment: Thieves make off with Sonic the Hedgehog
Army: Gamers can “take this to the next level” with military service
Sony Style stores done with 20GB model
Logitech blob-jumping advergame actually good
Rumors & Speculation
Analyst: hackers to target online consoles this year
Wii colored controllers and nunchucks finally coming?
‘The Neverhood’ may head to the silver screen
Culture & Community
EB Games lists Super Paper Mario for the Xbox 360 - HA HA LOLZ!
Is Guitar Hero breakin’ the law? Breakin’ the law?
Confessions of … a video game store customer
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