Gamers Outlook

Granny Gamers

2007-03-24T18:28:00.000-04:00

It was reported on FoxNews today that many retirement homes are experimenting with providing entertainment for their guests in he form of Wiis. In initial market testing, they were a huge success, especially with the Wii Sports games (particularly tennis and bowling). What's more? Kids may be a little more motivated to visit Grandma and Grandpa if they know they can challenge them in a video game.

Man Dies After Gaming Session

2007-03-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Caught wind of some news about an obese 26-year old man in Beijing, China who aparently died after a marathon online gaming session. This guy was 330 pounds, and the full report seems to indicate the "problem" being the gaming itself... granted he spent the majority of seven days straight during break from school, but come on. My man was 330 pounds! It couldn't possible be how FAT he was that killed him. Nope. Prayers and best wishes none the less.

Mario Snow Art

2007-02-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

It was snowing and these kids were smokin tweeds. Enough said.

Virtual Console 2/12/07

2007-02-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

Three more classic titles, all from Nintendo's own NES console, are now available in the growing list of games on the Wii's Virtual Console. All three titles are 500 Wii points apiece. Here's what was released today:

Kirby's Adventure
Ice Climber
Kid Icarus

Though I can't imagine Kirby's Adventure and Ice Climber (well maybe the latter) might enthrall gamers into a frenzy, Kid Icarus is a game I've personally looked forward to seeing in the Virtual Console for some time. It's always good to revisit a classic.

Wanna Look Really Cool?

2007-02-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Wear this hat. Not only is it super badass in the style department, but you'll be the envy of all who stand in your presence. You can get it HERE, only from the land of the rising sun. If any of you do get this, please post some pics of yourself toting this bad boy on your head.

Mariosoft

2007-02-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

Could it be?

No, it's a photoshop, but cool nonetheless.

If you spend enough $$$...

2007-02-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

A few days ago it was reported that Lost Planet cost 40 million dollars to produce. Not a big deal because a lot of "next-gen" games have been costing upwards of 20+ million lately, and also beacause Lost Planet is a high profile game featuring a famous asian actor as the main protagonist.

Forbes has reported today that this amount actually breaks out to 20 million in game development and another 20 million in advertising. Wow, I am blown away by these numbers, spending 20 million on advertising will get you a lot of ad space and I've only seen a few commercials for the game. [Albeit I don't really watch that much television]. So, how has the spending worked out for Capcom? As of Mid-January, Capcom has shipped 1 million units of the game. At $60 a pop, they've raked in 60 million, I'd say it was a success. Will this usher in a new era of gaming advertising? How much will be spent advertising games like Halo 3 or MGS4? I say, way to go Capcom for realizing that in this era of over saturation, new franchises need to be exposed in order to gain success.

Do We Enjoy Games More When We Have Less of Them?

2007-02-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

Think back when you were younger, and you probably did not have the amount of videogames that you have right now. Did you enjoy and get more out of your games back then? I honestly believe that I got more out of my games when I was younger than I do now that I have all of the games I want.

Today, I can purchase any game that I want, play them in surround sound and in high definition. Yet, I seem to turn off games a lot quicker if I get frustrated or get to a part that I don't particularly like. When I was a kid playing NES, I would have to borrow games in order to play something different. When I was actually lucky enough to get another game I cherished it for a long long time and beat it many times over, enjoying every single time that I did so. In a world of achievements and online play, it seems like people have taken that for granted, including myself.

I wish that this wasn't the case but I can't really help it. If I get to a frustrating part in a game like Lost Planet, I can very easily turn off my 360 and turn on my PS3 and start playing Resistance. If the same thing happens I can jump online or switch to my Wii. I may never go back to Lost Planet or Resistance again because of the last major reason why we don't enjoy our games as much. There are simply too many of them.

Every week many games are released for all systems, and with Gamefly and/or a local gamestore just around every corner, there is nothing stopping you from trying most of them out. I believe that people play more games nowadays but don't get into them as much as they did when there weren't as many available. I am on the 4 game plan with Gamefly and I can't tell you how many times I've opened a game, thrown it into one of my systems and played it for literally 5 minutes before I realize it sucks and put it back in the envelope to go back. Why do I do this? Because I know I have a large line of games that are ready to be shipped to my house and I want to play them all [let alone the stack of games that I've been meaning to play for half a year now].

Sometimes I wish I only had 1 system and a few games for the system. Especially since it seems like I cannot focus on any online games anymore because I play too many. During my SOCOM or Counterstrike days, those were the only games I would play every day routinely because I strived to be great at them. The quantity of games that are out now force you to miss out on too many good games just to stay good at one, and I am not sure that I am willing to make that sacrifice.

The last game that I put down all other games for was World of Warcraft. But the only reason why it was able to do so is because it was so addicting. Perhaps it was the leveling up, but I felt compelled to play and keep up with all of my friends. Maybe if future games incorporate the fanatical leveling race, I might be able to stick it out and stay enthralled in it.

I guess it isn't all my fault, most games today don't have the charm or gameplay to hold my attention like they used to. Very little is "new" these days and we live in a world of sequels and upgrades. Look at some of the hottest games coming this year: Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Devil May Cry 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, Halo 3, GRAW 2...see what I mean? I am looking forward to and will purchase all of the games listed, but when will the novelty wear off? I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't finish half of the games mentioned just because of the shear number that are coming out.

I conclude with a challenge, stick it out. If you get to a frustrating or difficult part of a game, keep going and you WILL feel a sense of accomplishment that games were meant to produce. I have recently been pushing myself through most of the games that I play or at least keeping them and going back to them after a short amount of time. The reward is fulfilling and I encourage you all to do the same.

Is the Wii being Gamecube'd?

2007-02-03T23:51:00.000-05:00

Nintendo's Wii is sitting firm atop a pedestal of greatness at the moment. Killer sales through the launch, an undoubted victory over Sony and the grasp of both hardcore and casual gamers alike have the Wii looking very good right now. But how long will the Wii greatness last?

If you look at this year and the future releases scheduled for the system, it doesn't look so good. Of course Nintendo will be releasing a few games, but only 3 of them are the AAA Nintendo titles that we have all grown to love, and they are all sequels. Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 and Super Smash Bros Brawl. Everything else is hit or miss and most of them are ports [From last gen systems]. While we know that the ports will be different when moving to Wii due to the controls, that doesn't necessarily mean a good thing.

The only game people are playing on the Wii regularly right now, and the overall reason for the Wii's gigantic success is Wii Sports. Wii Play is going to be coming in a couple weeks and will carry the momentum for a few months but what is next? Where is Wii Sports 2? Where are all of the "Casual" games that will draw in the grandparents and non-gamers? It's not going to be Mario, Metroid or Smash Bros. In the past, these games catered to casual gamers but after many iterations of each, they have become quite complicated. I know my Grandma can not play a game in "3d" or anything with more than 2 buttons.

Let's go over the negative similarities between the Cube and the Wii:

-Both have no online play or any sort of plan to include online play [Pokemon doesn't count and neither does Phantasy Star]
-Both don't play DVD's [I don't see this as a big issue]
-They are not and never were the leader in graphics and technology
-They both have the exact same 1st party support [Mario, Metroid, Smash Bros, Mario Party]
-They both have useless features
----Gamecube: GBA to Cube connectivity and a handle
----Wii: News and Weather Channels
-Both are on the cheap end of their current generations when it comes to price

When it comes down to it, software is the life source of any videogame system. One of the major reasons why the Playstation was such a giant success is because Sony secured exclusives and helped create and usher in original content on a regular basis. They have gotten away from that and now they are struggling as well. In terms of 3rd party support, Nintendo is weak as it stands right now. I am hoping their will be a lot of surprise announcements in the near future to help generate more excitement, because I feel that the high that Nintendo is on right now is going to be short lived.

I worry about the novelty of their new console and the serious lack of games that are on the horizon. [most of the AAA Nintendo titles don't even have concrete release dates]. Will the Wii prevail from it's unconventional approach or will it be Gamecube'd into a sea of mediocrity?

Conan plays Serena Williams @ Wii Tennis

2007-02-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

Check out this clip [courtesy of gamevideos.com] of Conan playing Serena on his show. Place your bets!

PS3 Woes

2007-02-01T09:46:00.001-05:00

I just got PS3 and had to return it days later because the unit was defective, all games freeze at the menu. Have to send it back to the manufacturer for replacement. It's the $600 system too... go figure. That's all I have to say about that... Gaaawsh!! Friggin' Idiot!!

Virtual Console Monday Continues

2007-01-30T19:13:00.000-05:00

Though I'm technically a day late in posting what many of you Wii owners probably already know, Nintendo has released four more titles into the backlog canon of classic gaming titles. After much speculation and debate over which game would follow Super Mario 64, the only Nintendo 64 title made available for purchase, the big N has made available Mario Kart 64 as the second N64 title in the Virtual Console, along with three other classics.

Here's a breakdown of what was released yesterday:

Mario Kart 64 - Nintendo - 1000 Points
Bonanza Bros. - Sega - 800 Points
Contra III - SNES - 800 Points
Comix Zone - Sega - 800 Points

Nintendo at least seems to be trying to appease gamers still pining for more N64 titles. Let's hope the release process speeds up for future games.

Lazy Wii Guy

2007-01-29T23:11:00.001-05:00

Do you play with your Wii like this guy does? I do, but only after a long hard day at work.

New God of War 2 Trailer

2007-01-29T19:02:00.000-05:00

A new God of War 2 trailer has come out today and it is next-gen-shattering good. This game is one of my most anticipated releases of 2007 and the official release date is March 13th. Check it out below.

Great Read: Worst Endings Ever

2007-01-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

I found a very entertaining article over at Digg.com about the worse game endings ever and thought everyone should read it. The author clearly knows his shit and explains in detail and gives a great case for each of his picks. Some are uninspired, some are obvious and others are disappointing [see pic]. I agree with every one of them except the pick for Diablo. I thought that game ended great and was a surprising twist. Please comment on your thoughts.

Read it Here

The Wii News Channel is Now Available

2007-01-27T00:08:00.000-05:00

Today, Nintendo launched the News Channel for the Wii a day earlier then promised. The channel is free and takes about 5 minutes to download. I've taken it for a spin and have found to be pretty useless to tell you the truth. When you go into the channel it will give you a menu of news broken down by category [Local, World, Sports, Tech, etc.] After you choose one it will take you to a message board style page with all of the news articles. If a picture is provided with the news article there will be a thumbnail of it next to the headline. You can also browse the news via "slideshow" which is kind of odd. the news and pics will appear on screen, and then a couple of seconds later a new story will appear. All of the news is taken from the AP wire and is actually pretty up to date unlike the weather channel.

A globe is to the right of the articles showing you the location of the news that you are reading. You can click on the globe and browse the news by location as well. This channel is a novelty that will wear off very quickly. I wish Nintendo would spend more time on the Virtual Console first party games and actual ONLINE play instead of releasing things like this. But, since it IS free I can't really complain too much. Happy Reading!

Crackdown Impressions

2007-01-25T00:19:00.000-05:00

As reported earlier, Crackdown is going to be coming with a free Halo 3 beta invite, I predicted that this game would now sell over 1 million copies. Tuesday, a robust demo was made available free via Xbox live and I dove into it for a couple of hours tonight.

This game redefines "freedom" in a sandbox game. Sure GTA gives you freedom, but it ultimately steers you in the direction of the story. Crackdown, on the other hand lets you do whatever the hell you want right from the get go. You start out at the agency headquarters where you can get a car and get used to the controls. After the boring stuff you are off in your police cruiser. You drive down a long tunnel Batman style and jump out at the end. You are now in the city [honestly, I don't even know what the city is called]. Immediately you are being shot at from all directions. Cops have a certain icon over their heads and gang members have a different icon. The object is to basically kill all of the gang members [it gets interesting with compounds and bosses]. Your character can take a LOT of damage, and you get a regenerating health/shield system, the exact system Halo created. This city in real life would not be livable because there are shootouts on literally every corner of the streets. There are even shootouts on a majority of the rooftops and alleys as well.

You will see a lot of Agency Police working next to you and to my surprise they actually do something. Unlike games like Resistance: Fall of Man where the AI doesn't do a damn thing but get you killed, these police take down quite a few gang members. But if you accidentally kill a pedestrian or cop, they will come after you, which can get annoying very quickly.

The best part of this game is the leveling system. Depending on how you kill gang members [beat downs, shooting, grenades, etc] effects how you level up. I went around kicking the crap out of everyone in melee hand to hand combat and my strength leveled up quickly. With increased strength you can pick up cars and other objects as well as send foes flying with a single kick. If you use explosives, your grenades and explosive devices create a larger and more spectacular explosion. If you run everyone over, your driving skill increases and agency cars morph into badass supercars depending on your level [car gets lower, tires get larger and you can also get machine guns added to the car]. Shooting everyone increases your accuracy and allows you to target victims a lot quicker and easier. [while locked on to a target you can pick if you want to shoot them in the head, chest, arms or legs]. The last attribute which you can level up is agility, this effects your speed and jumping height. To me this is the most fun. There are agility orbs located on most of the rooftops and hard to get to places. After collecting a few you will level up and by the time you reach full capacity you can jump 35+ feet in a single bound. It is very satisfying jumping from building to building and treating the city like a gigantic obstacle course.

The story is weak and the way they tell it makes me skip all of the short cutscenes but I still love the fact that you can level up and you really do feel like the ultimate badass playing this game. Look for a full review when the game drops February 9th.

Wii Are Also in Business

2007-01-22T03:13:00.000-05:00

Along with Tom, I too have joined the club of Wii owners. I was finally able to get one last Tuesday at the GameCrazy that I work at, and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm not going to go into much detail as I will be writing a full Zelda: Twilight Princess review here in the next week, pending I can beat it; however, I am VERY happy with my Wii purchase.

I picked up the Wii, Zelda, component cables, and a classic controller. Unfortunately, I'm without a wireless connection in my house or nearby so I can't get online and scope out the Virtual Console and try out the trendy classic controller; however, I did order a USB to Ethernet adaptor online which should arrive next week and I'll be in business.

Though this is the first time I've actually owned and had a Wii in my own room, it's not the first time I've played one. I've spent countless [drunk] hours with Wii Sports and a little bit of time with Zelda prior to owning my own copies, so I knew what I was in for.

Let's just get this out there: Zelda is freakin' amazing! As I said before, I'm going to be writing a full review here soon so I won't go into the details, but I am having a second blast. Taking it slowly as I do all games, I'm on the second temple right now and just having a blast. And with the Wii controller, nothing gets old and the controls feel VERY fluid and perfectly fused with the Wii system (unlike GameSpot saying the controls feel tacked on).

Games don't seem to be as fun as they were when I was a kid playing Goldeneye and Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64... but Zelda: TP takes me right back to my favorite times as I kid.

One more thing here before I wrap this up and get back to beating this temple before I go to bed, I got the component cables for the Wii. Now, I don't own an HDTV, and I'd heard mixed reviews about the component cables, but in my opinion, I think they DO make a difference. On my TV they made the picture sharper and less blurry than my roommate's Wii running on an HDTV without component cables. But I have also heard that it depends on the TV, so you'll just have to find out on your own.

The Wii is worth it. Right now it's not a console that I see myself playing everyday or to replace my Xbox 360, but it is worth it just for the price, controller, unique gameplay, first party Nintendo games, and the Virtual Console.

GameStop/EB Games Restocks Stores with PS3's

2007-01-19T13:12:00.000-05:00

In a somewhat surprising newsletter sent to gamers who've subscribed to it, GameStop/EB Games announced that all of their retail outlets have been restocked with PS3's. These consoles aren't being held for pre-orders (I believe the last shipment of pre-ordered consoles arrive next week). A quick availability check around the city of Chicago revealed only one out of eighteen stores had sold out their stock, with most stores reporting a stock of at least four consoles.

What makes this revelation even sweeter is the fact that for a limited time, gamers can still trade in their PS2 system and receive $100 off a new PS3. In order to qualify, you must also trade in a second Sony brand PS2 controller as well as an 8 MB memory card in addition to everything packaged with the original PS2.

Those interested in partaking in the deal should hurry as this offer surely won't last more than a couple weeks. As always, be sure to call your local store to double check that PS3's are actually in stock.

Wii Are In Business

2007-01-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

Finally! My household has a Nintendo Wii. It only took 10 weeks to finally get one, but it's under control now. I did not get to spend a whole lot of time with this little bugger, only about an hour's time. In that hour I quickly realized what all the hype was about -- yet, that all the media's concerns with the unit seemed shockingly true as well.

My very first impression was, "Shit, that's tiny!" Then, I got my hands on the Wii-mote and it all began. I'll admit it takes some getting used to, but the more you play with it the more you realized just how great it really is. I quickly tested my hands (and body!) by cruising through Wii Sports, which I must say is great for what it is. My girlfriend said the graphics sucked on Wii. Suck on this. While trying to explain that it's not to be known as a graphical powerhouse, I realized I was wasting my time and decided to keep playing Wii Sports. Tennis... fun, Baseball... fun, Bowling... eeeh, they were all pretty good really. I was pleased, and tired at the same time. I under estimated the physical aspect of this type of gaming. Good stuff really.

After playing Wii Sports I took a shot at the new Zelda game -- frickin' sweet, let me tell you. My impressions here were in line with every other Zelda game I've put my hands on in the last eight years -- just loved it. The controls again took getting used to, but are considerably familiar and easy to be accustomed to. Graphics - meh, in line with what my girlfriend was saying earlier while playing Wii Sports, less than impressive, but not horrible. It's a step up from GameCube, and a whole hell of a lot of fun to play. More on that as I actually get some time with it.

Speaking of time, good to note Wii is a great console for EVERYONE. I would say yesterday may have been the first time in the last, well, ever that I can recall being in one room with all three of my brothers (10, 15, and 24) and all having a good time together. The age gap separates the family sometimes, but having Wii and being able to enjoy it's offerings as a group was really key. Nintendo hit something very special with this one, and I think that's true for all.

The Results Are In!

2007-01-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

The NPD Group has just released their results for the best selling games of 2006, some of which suprised the hell out of me. Accompanying that list is a tally of the best selling games of December, no doubt a giant month for software sales during the holiday season. Let's start with the December results:

1. Gears of War - Xbox 360 (Microsoft)
2. Guitar Hero 2 Bundle- PS2 (Activision)
3. Madden NFL 07 - PS2 (Electronic Arts)
4. Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess - GCN (Nintendo)
5. Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Wii (Nintendo)
6. WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007 - PS2 (THQ)
7. New Super Mario Bros. - NDS (Nintendo)
8. Call of Duty 3 - Xbox 360 (Activision)
9. Yoshi's Island 2 - NDS (Nintendo)
10. Call of Duty 3 - PS2 (Activision)

Frankly, Gears of War was destined to have one of the top spots, but for me, the real shocker here is the fact that Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess actually managed to move more discs on the GameCube rather than the Wii. Perhaps it's not that big of a stretch considering Wii shortages are still present even today (which probably also explains the lack of any PS3 games). However, it's nice to see Nintendo's DS competing with the big dogs as they land two games in the top ten (versus zero from Sony's PSP).

Now then, here are the top ten sellers for 2006:

1. Madden NFL 07 - PS2 (Electronic Arts)
2. New Super Mario Bros. - NDS (Nintendo)
3. Gears of War - Xbox 360 (Microsoft)
4. Kingdom Hearts II - PS2 (Square Enix)
5. Guitar Hero 2 Bundle- PS2 (Activision)
6. Final Fantasy XII - PS2 (Square Enix)
7. Brain Age: Train Your Brain - NDS (Nintendo)
8. Madden NFL 07 - Xbox 360 (Electronic Arts)
9. Tom Clancy's GRAW - Xbox 360 (UbiSoft)
10. NCAA Football 07 - PS2 (Electronic Arts)

Again, big props to Nintendo for having the second best selling game of 2006...and for a handheld at that! Proof that Mario hasn't outlived it's usefulness in the gaming community. Also making a big splash this year was the aforementioned Gears of War and Guitar Hero II. Both titles were released on November 7 in the U.S. and barely had two months to generate sales. Yet, both were strong enough to secure the number 3 and 5 spots, respectively. Though I half expected Rainbow Six: Las Vegas up there (especially in place of Tom Clancy's GRAW).

Overall there was a lot less noise from the Xbox 360 which seemed to take a backseat to PS2 games during the year. I expect the Wii and PS3 will begin to take some of the attention away during '07 as Nintendo begins to roll out more first part mascot games and as the PS3 simply begins to roll out more consoles with games people actually want to play.

Bill Gates: Nintendo is the Greatest Competition

2007-01-11T11:31:00.000-05:00

At the Computer Entertainment Show, Microsoft Founder, Chairman, and Cheif Computernerd Bill Gates had the following to say to TV Tokyo:

"The strength of Nintendo on the portable space has been very impressive and surprised a lot of people... and the strength of the Wii... and we see Nintendo as the toughest competition." (If that quote doesn't read correctly to you either, don't blame me, I'm just the messenger).

While Nintendo has been selling very well in both the handheld and console markets this season, the real meaning behind this quote could be a shot at Sony (though not quite as dramatic as those between Rosie O'Donnel and Donald Trump).

Nintendo, MS, and Sony all Sued

2007-01-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

A company called Fenner Investments is taking on the big three in court. The company alleges that each of these broke a patent, infringing on intellectual property. The issue comes down to the analog joystick on the contollers, which returns a digital signal to the system. This company filed for the patent in 1998 and was granted the rights three years later.

Something tells me the combined lawyers of MS, Sony, and Nintendo might be a wee bit more costly than those of "Fenner Investments"...

2007: The Year of the Discriminating Gamer

2007-01-09T22:14:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone’s Christmas was great and your New Year has kicked off to a good start. Mine turned out to be exceptionally satisfying and exhausting for more reasons that I thought apparent at the time. But with the New Year also brings along with it New Year deals from local retailers looking to unload merchandise at slightly cheaper prices than from the year before.

This fact led me to EB Games (where else, right?) where for a short time they offered double for what they usually give for those looking to trade in their original Xbox consoles. Frankly, my Xbox hadn’t been used in quite some time (made quite apparent by the amount of dust collected) and I wasn’t sure if another deal like this would ever show itself (regularly, EB Games/GameStop gives about $40 for Xbox consoles). So throwing away all better judgment I decided to plunge myself into the realm of Microsoft’s 360 machine, wondering if I was over saturating my media library with superfluous entertainment. What I’ve experienced in the days afterward has been something of a gaming anomaly.

I quickly realized that if I was going to drop serious money on a console, why not go all out? It already came with a free game (Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter) so I decided to pick up another, Gears of War. Gears of War led me to pick up an Xbox Live membership just to see what the online aspect was all about (the ‘Pro’ set does come with a headset, after all) and my likeness for the first person shooter produced the thought that I might not be so letdown from spending so much. Well…yes and no.

Let’s get the negative out of the way. The first time I put Gears of War in the 360 the game acted up. I was unable to start a new game in any of the modes available and doing so only led me to a loading screen that immediately jumped back to the story select screen. Inspecting the disc for any damage, I saw noticeable circular scratches that I’m quite sure I didn’t etch on the surface. Nonetheless, I felt supremely let down. A new Xbox console and already a game had malfunctioned. Nintendo and Sony had never let me down in such a way and already an hour into Microsoft's console I had experienced problems.

I tried searching message boards in an attempt to secure a solution to the problem. I quickly found other Gears of War gamers, who might not have experienced the exact same problem, but had definitely had worse things happen to their 360 consoles (the dreaded three-light syndrome seemed to pop up the most). Most who had problems contacted Microsoft directly and were met with a startling lack of response from the big M. Some were told that Microsoft was aware of the problem but could offer no short-term solutions, which inevitably led to plenty of pissed-off gamers clutching broken 360’s. I was afraid the same would surely happen to me and was already expecting the worst.

However, my problems were beginning to fade. Having saw many gamers determine a correlation between Gears of Wars malfunctioning and the Xbox Gamertag ID, I decided to sign out and see if the problem continued. It did not and I was soon enjoying Gears of War, well, about as much as I could before noticing that I could not save if I was not logged in with an ID. Yet, the next day, when I signed in and tried GoW again, the problem seemed to vanish. After the initial debacle I’ve had zero problems as I was able to create a new game and soon was playing one of the best FPS titles I had ever laid eyes on.

Despite the small setback in software, my reception of the 360 has been monstrously high. I never thought I’d ‘sell out’ to Microsoft but the 360 didn’t have to run long to win me over. The user interface is one of the friendliest aspects of the machine, with options galore to fine tune everything from the custom look of the background to playing music through an iPod…even while playing a game itself, it’s still possible to select music. Looking at all of the options available to the console itself, it certainly had me wondering if the Wii or the PS3 had any chance to keep up in the three console race for control of the market share.

I’ve tried looking at the problem objectively. Though I haven’t had the chance to play anything for the PS3, from what I’ve heard, despite free online gaming, the juggernaut of consoles has had enough setbacks to change many gamer's minds. Reports and opinions from dissatisfied gamers have seen some consoles being returned to various retailers (no doubt scratching their heads as to why). Of the user complaints I browsed, I always saw a mentioning of the lack of resources the PS3 have in comparison to the 360 (and though it probably wouldn't be fair to throw the PS2 in with this comparioson, truth be told, I've never liked the boot up screen the PS2 utilized). Should Sony see success in the coming years it might have to do with changing the user menus and trying to keep up with Microsoft’s easy-to-grasp interface.

Nintendo’s Wii, on the other hand, has an interesting quandary of its own. Having created the notion of ‘remote based gaming’, Nintendo is definitely looking at the industry as a whole and trying to change the way gamers (and developers) see and experience the titles they play. Call of Duty 3 showed tremendous promise with its ‘point and shoot’ tactics and I have a feeling Nintendo can build on CoD’s success with even more FPS titles (hopefully with much improved graphics), each fleshed out with a sense of individuality. The Wii-mote has so much promise that I’m sure Nintendo is more than up to the challenge.

Yet for all the joys that the Wii is sure to bring, I’m still not left with the same sense of awe I had with the 360 and can’t help but wonder if Nintendo is on the right path or merely creating old traps for itself. The television channel menu system has its perks but I still feel as if they’re more than a few steps behind Microsoft in terms of building a rounded console. Things like the free online browser and the Weather and News channels help to boost interest, but for me the deal breaker was getting to relive old titles through the Virtual Console. Having dealt with both the Virtual Console and the Marketplace, at the moment, I feel more inclined to buy old classic games on the 360 rather than the Wii. Surely, Nintendo will expand it’s library to include the kind of classics everyone grew up with in the ’80’s and early 90’s, but then here’s the problem: a good example can be made of Street Fighter II, which can be purchased on both the 360 and the Wii (the 360 has the ‘Hyper Fighting’ Edition while the Wii has the original SFII). However, Microsoft allows online gaming with some of the downloadable titles and have leaderboards that track every gamer who's played. Specifically for SFII, you can challenge others and be ranked accordingly. On the Wii you’re stuck to playing with another friend in the room and at which you won’t be ranked versus anyone (speaking of which, where does Nintendo’s online plans figure in Wii development?). So considering all of that, which version would you buy?

Though I'm positive the respective backlog of classic games will take a seat to latest and greatest, the deciding factor for a number of gamers (besides shortage of product) is price. Will you shell out a significant amount of cash for extra perks or spend half that for a genuine innovative gaming experience? Only now are we beginning to see the effects of the ‘HD Age’, at which Microsoft clearly welcomed with open arms and at which Nintendo has held at arms length. Having bought a new LCD TV (again with the help of the after New Year's deals) I can appreciate all the graphical perks a set of component cable (nicely included with the console, I might add) can afford. I’m still waiting to buy component cables for my Wii, but having played it on a HD set with just regular cables, the difference in graphical output is strangely depressing. I’ve never noticed the difference more. As more families begin to upgrade their entertainment centers, so too should the brands that produce such equipment. Not that graphics make the game entirely, but if you saw the difference in visuals I’m seeing now, you might feel more inclined to pick up a 360 as well.

Anyway, if it seems like I’m falling all over this machine it’s because I am. I’m too impressed with how Microsoft’s 360 has been built. However, not every family has the means to stay on top of three different systems, all of which have their own console specific games that claim to be 'must-own' titles. At the rate the industry is going now, most gamers have already chosen sides with their next-gen systems and things might only get worse because of price discrimination. Fortunately, Nintendo and Microsoft both have moderately priced consoles that will at least attempt to match every dollar spent in regards to entertainment experienced. Unfortunately, I now have a copy of Jet Set Radio from the original Xbox, currently functioning as a paperweight due to the somewhat limited backward compatibility. How many years will it be until it shows up in the Marketplace?

Crackdown: The next 1 million seller

2007-01-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

Most of the general public has never heard of Crackdown, but recently it has been announced that a Halo 3 beta invite will be included with every copy. Since the hype for Halo 3 is so incredibly huge, I can guarantee you that this game will sell well over 1 million copies. I just hope people take the time to enjoy this game because it is getting very positive press from a lot of sites. Xboxyde.com has a great write up for it here. Basically, the game is a GTA clone with a twist [don't they all have a twist?]. You are a "good guy" but you have super powers that allow you to perform great feats such as superhuman strength, leaping from buildings, etc. You can get experience and level your character up through different attributes. The game has a comic book feel to it that some people may not like, and the whole world looks over stylized. Multiplayer will consist of online co-op, but no deathmatch or team based online multiplay has been announced. Official release date is Feb 20th, 2007.

Super Mario Bros. Super Show Vol. 2

2007-01-02T23:11:00.000-05:00

Remember those Nintendo-themed cartoons that were around years ago? The Legend of Zelda, Captain N: The Game Master, and, of course, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. I watched them all as a child, so when Super Mario Bros. Super Show Volume 2 was shown to me at Circuit City while shopping for Christmas gifts, I had to get it.

The DVD set consists of four discs, each having its own slim case. Each of the cases has a different main character displayed on it, starting with Mario and Luigi and ending with Princess and King Koopa (a.k.a. Bowser). The inside of each case contain a few sketches of the respective character on the outside of the case.

Enough about the packaging though, I didn't get this for the way it looks on the outside anyways. The discs contain six episodes each, plus a "bonus" episode, for a total of 28 episodes. There are bonus features on the discs as well, but I found them to be pretty lame. It seemed like they had some extra space to kill and just threw a few random things in to complete it.

For anyone that never saw the show, it consisted of a cartoon sandwiched in between a couple of live-action segments with Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells as Mario and Luigi, respectively. Please be aware that the dialog in both parts of the show is rather poorly done. Honestly, it's so bad that it's funny, and that's actually why I got this. Childhood memories, and laughably bad dialog. Oh, and the people they chose to do the voice-acting really didn't help either. You'll probably also want to skip the show's intro after the first time, too. A poor quality Mario Bros. rap just doesn't do it for me.

Despite the negatives of this set, though, I think it still warrants a purchase for gamers. I was able to pick it up for $19.99 at Circuit City, and I believe all Target stores started selling both volumes today for $19.99 as well. It's about 10 hours of content according to the box, so the low price is a steal if you like it and only a small loss if you end up hating it.

"Do the Mario! Swing your arms from side to side. Come on, it's time to go. Do the Mario!"

...Okay I'm done.

Waiting Until The Last Minute...

2006-12-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

Why must parents and other family members shopping for children wait until the last couple days before Christmas to try and get the gift the child wants the most? Particularly when it's the same gift that every other child out there wants? And if that wasn't bad enough, why do they get annoyed and angry when a store is sold out of it?

I've seen way too many examples of this this week. Whether it's a game system, a particular game, an MP3 player, or a camera, too many people just don't seem to understand how a store could possibly be sold out of the item they want at this point in the holiday season. The people that have a firm grasp on reality don't almost throw a temper tantrum when they are told "No, we're sold out of the Wii and we don't know for sure when we'll have more." Of course, you can substitute that for PS3 or even the DS Lite at this point. The latter has become surprisingly difficult to find as well.

Anyone that is working retail can most likely attest to this, but with today and tomorrow being the final two shopping days until Christmas the attitudes are only bound to get worse. People will be frantically trying to find what they want and probably causing even more problems for the people working at any given store. So, for anybody on the receiving end of anger or rudeness from a customer, try not to get too upset about it and remember it's almost over.

Zune Porn

2006-12-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

According to Fox News, a Chicago couple who purchased their 12 year old daughter a Zune for Christmas were in for a little surprise when she opened it.

The mother told Fox News that on the Zune when they first turned it on, there was a little more than demo music on there. "It was a homosexual orgy that they had video taped for an hour and 44 minutes."

The couple said that the Zune packaging was tampered with and did not contain a charger, and after purchasing it from Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart is now investigating the Zune porn and will be giving them a $25 gift card + refund.

"What do you tell a 12-year-old child that you have five men having sex with each other? That's not a conversation that I want to have," Martin said.

You tell them that she's 12 and knows that orgies exist, and so do homosexuals. It happens. Move along. And to think that when thinking about a picture for this article I considered putting a gay couple on the Zune... damn that would have been gay on my part. Ugh.

Nintendo Wii: Elebits

2006-12-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

Elebits has quietly hit store shelves and it seems as if there is no hype around this game. Personally, I had no idea what this game was about until it came in the mail today via Gamefly. I have a feeling that most people don't know the premise of this game so let me break it down for you.

This game is a first person shooter of sorts. You move your body around with the Nunchuk and you move the camera and aim with the Wiimote, it all controls very nicely and I hope that future FPS's on the system are as precise and easy to control as Elebits. You are in control of a capture gun that shoots out a beam of electricity. This beam allows you to move objects [think Half Life 2 Gravity Gun style] and if you shoot an Elebit with it they fly into the gun and add Watts to your meter. The levels are just a room or a couple of rooms linked with doors and the object is to get a certain amount of watts in your meter before the timer runs out. Sounds pretty stupid doesn't it? Well, it's not, allow me to elaborate.

Elebits has some resemblance with Katamari Damacy. If you have never played it here is what I mean. As your watts build up your gun gets more powerful and can pick up heavier objects. You can actually pick up things and whip them across the room, Elebits like to hide in things so now you can see where this game gets fun. Once you capture all of the visible Elebits, your gun usually powers up and you start to destroy the room to find the hidden ones. Once you are done with a level it looks like the Tasmanian Devil came through. Also, once you gain enough power you can turn things on in the room such as a PC, TV, lights, vacuums, RC cars, etc. Once these objects are turned on, Elebits fly out because they are attracted to electricity and you can then shoot them and capture them.

One other great feature of this game is the edit mode. Once you complete a level it is open for editing. In edit mode you are placed in that level without any of the objects or Elebits in it. You can then create a brand new room and place any object and hide Elebits inside your level anyway that you . It is pretty deep and you can actually turn tables upside down and stick them to the ceiling/walls. After you complete you perfect level, you can send it to a friend with the game and they can play your edited level.

The bottom line is if you have a Wii you should have Elebits in your library. This game was created especially for the Wii and it is flowing with innovation and charm.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Forecast Channel Also Available on Wii

2006-12-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

Technically this was released Wednesday but it deserves its own entry as well. The Forecast Channel, one of two previously unavailable channels from the Wii menu, is now ready to be updated as I'm sure most Wii users have become aware of. A small system update is needed to allow the channel to begin functioning but once completed weather forecasts are readily available from anywhere on the globe. Gamers can now check the UV Index for their hometown or even access a 5-Day forecast, all of which is supported by Weathernews.

Wii-thdrawal & Holiday Panic

2006-12-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise to anyone that Wii is sold out. Personally, my humble abode is still Wii-less. I haven't managed to snag one yet, and the hopes are slim through the New Year. I had enough trouble getting a hold of a DS Lite for my little brother for Christmas, surprisingly unavailable as well, despite NOT being something that's very new. I grabbed it on EBay for about $200 with the expedited shipping. Not terrible considering.

I attempted to get Wii on EBay as well, but realized that $500 to have it now would be retarded. My older brother has actually been struggling more so to get his hands on the Wii console, waiting in lines, and striking out every time. The last report I've received from him is that he waited on an 80-person line at EB Games to discover that they only had 7 consoles available. The frustration grew and he started kicking things in the store, yelling at people. He's 25. This Wii-thdrawal is taking its toll on folks it seems. See, I told him to pre-order back in September, why no one ever listens to me I have no idea.

I've got my 360 and my PSP, and I'm going to be happy with that. You won't catch me waiting in lines for no reason. That's all for now. The search continues...

Opera Trial Browser Released For Wii

2006-12-22T03:39:00.000-05:00

Seeing as I'm adding this post from my Wii, you can now download the trial version of the Opera browser from the Wii Shop Channel in the United States. It was previously made available in Europe, Australia, and Japan before being released here. What are you waiting for? Get moving on the download!

Upcoming VC Games For Christmas Day

2006-12-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

We now have an official listing of what games will be available on the Virtual Console for the Wii's first Christmas. Starting off on the NES, we have the original Super Mario Bros. for the usual $5 USD. Moving on, we have Street Fighter II and Super Castlevania IV bolstering the line-up for $8 each, along with Toejam and Earl from the Genesis and the TurboGrafx-16 version of R-Type.

Not a bad set of games there, I may even download a few of those. R-Type selling for $8 though reaffirms that some of the games for a particular system may cost more than others since the other TG-16 games so far had all cost $6. I would probably get Super Mario Bros. and Super Castlevania IV out of this batch. I haven't played any of the Castlevania games besides a couple of the GBA iterations. Do these look good to anyone else?

Valve Signs Deal with IGA for In-Game Advertising

2006-12-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

IGA Worldwide announced that they have signed a deal with Valve for an undisclosed amount of cash to put advertising in one of the most if not THE most popular online shooter of today, Counterstrike.

Are gaming ads really that bad? If you belong to any message board it is no doubt up in arms about this because most gamers enjoy bitching as their full time job. I love how we can all bitch about ads in games but on 90% of the gaming websites out there, you can barely navigate a site due to the fact that it is plastered with ads. Banners, flash ads, annoying ads with sound, click through's, you name it and the gaming sites have it. Yet the gamers can navigate their way through these sites without a peep. As soon as ads in an actual game are announced it's the 2nd coming of Jesus himself. [Which will probably be sooner than the next coming of Duke Nukem]

If Valve had any self respect, they'd limit the ads to the soda machines, PC's and other items that won't distract from the gameplay. I guess I'd be pretty pissed if a billboard for GMC popped up on one of the walls in Dust, but I'd also be surprised that Valve would let that happen.

Virtual Console 12/18/06

2006-12-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

This week's update of Nintendo's Virtual Console selection held much promise given the fact that Nintendo has yet to release some of its more favorable classic games. Hopefully, Sega's offering of an old mascot can persuade gamers to make a purchase. Here's the rundown of titles for the week:

Military Madness - TurboGrafx 16 - 600 Points
Space Harrier II - Genesis - 800 Points
Tennis - NES - 500 Points
Sonic The Hedgehog - 800 Points

One more Monday of virtual titles until the new year. One last chance for Nintendo to get it right.

Wiicall

2006-12-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

As you've probably heard, there have been problems with the Nintendo Wii wriststrap. People have reported throwing the controller across the room breaking windows, TVs, etc as a result of the faulty wrist strap. This has caused Nintendo to offer a recall on the wrist straps. 3.2 million units will be affected. The new wrist strap will be twice as thick. Gamers can get their strap replaced at a Nintendo service center.

This will be costly for Nintendo, but not acting could be costlier. Perhaps more testing before launch could've avoided this problem. So next time, Nintendo, feel free to hook us up with some new systems, we'll test them out for you and let you know if there's an issue.

Another Twist in the PS3 Shooting Case

2006-12-14T22:34:00.000-05:00

What was originally going to be a small update to the ongoing story concerning the PS3 thief who was killed by police during a raid of his house has now revealed yet another surprise twist. Earlier this week Christopher Long was indicted on second degree murder charges when he fatally shot Payton Strickland after it was reported that Peyton beat up another person for his PS3 console.

However, the foreman on the jury that originally indicted Long realized that he had checked the wrong box on the paperwork. The jury originally voted not guilty while accidentally checking the guilty box. Only after hearing about it second hand did the foreman speak up, which resulted in the charges against Long being immediately dropped.

A 12-year veteran of the sheriff's office, Long was fired after the incident, though he claimed that he heard gunshots inside the house. None of the other officers on the scene could back that claim, however.

Speaking on behalf of his client, Long's lawyer seemed to give the foreman the benefit of the doubt, saying it was a common mistake "in the world of forms." Conversely, Payton's parents were plenty outraged and are now seeking out ways to refile the case against Long.

PS3 > Xbox 360

2006-12-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

...sales wise in Japan, that is. Sony's Playstation 3 has flown off the shelves in the land of the rising sun with 190,000 units being moved in November, which tops the 180,000 Xbox 360's that have been sold in over a year since Microsoft released it to Japanese gamers.

That is all.

Virtual Console 12/11/06

2006-12-11T19:52:00.000-05:00

Ah, another Monday, another update to Nintendo's list of Virtual Console titles available for download on the Wii. Here are the updated titles for the week:

Alien Crush - TurboGrafx 16 - 600 Points
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - Sega Genesis - 800 Points
Gunstar Heroes - Sega Genesis - 800 Points
Ice Hockey - NES - 500 Points

Only two Monday's left until the end of the year. I certainly hope Nintendo gives priority to a seemingly lack of Nintendo 64 titles (or at the very least, an old Zelda classic).

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Pre-Order Bonus

2006-12-11T18:44:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Castlevania franchise, Konami offered a bonus to those who pre-ordered Portrait of Ruin, the second DS installment of the now 20 year old series.

Included in the cardboard box (which comes complete with a faux wax seal) are a soundtrack CD that spans most of the core Castlevania games as well as some of the now more obscure Game Boy titles. Castlevania has always been noted for its excellent compositions, and it's a treat to be able to hear some of these songs as they were originally played in their respective games. Interestingly enough, some of the tracks are labeled as coming from an incorrect game. Bloody Tears, for example, is listed as being a cut from the original NES game, when it is actually from Simon's Quest.

Also included is an art book featuring cover and character art for again, most of more popular games in the series. A combination Portrait of Ruin poster / Castlevania timeline rounds out the printed bonuses, though this is also interesting for its inclusion of games that are generally considered non-canon. Lastly, the package also includes a Castlevania branded, extending DS stylus and a double DS pak carrying case.

All in all, this is one of the better pre-order bonuses out there and is a must-have for long time Castlevania fans. While it's likely too late to get through online stores, plenty of them have cropped up on eBay.

Nintendo Addresses Wii-mote Strap Debacle

2006-12-08T18:59:00.000-05:00

As the number of Nintendo Wii's being sold continually rise by the day, so too are the number of complaints associated with gamers angry over the thin string connecting the Wii-mote's strap to the wrist. Sweaty palms and forceful throws of the Wii-mote have snapped several straps, sending the peripheral flying across rooms. Although some have luckily managed to collect their flung Wii-motes unscathed, a good number have not.

One story in particular that has been circulating the net showed the aftermath from a man playing bowling in Wii Sports who saw his Wii-mote fly straight into his projection screen tv, implanting a noticeably large crack dead center in the screen.

Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, has promised to look in to the growing number of complaints from cross gamers. Though not admitting any problem with the design of the controller, Mr. Iwata said that he had not anticipated the excitement of gamers who tend to put an incredibly amount of force toward actions on screen.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo of America's president Stephen Totilo conveyed similar sentiments and suggested that if gamers perhaps took the numerous warnings to use the Wii-mote seriously there might not be so many complaints. Both cited instances of people improperly using the remote by not connecting the strap to the wrist, while a buildup of sweat in the palms have led to many Wii-motes slipping out of the hand during game play.

Though I can certainly imagine many people ignoring the warnings Nintendo displays for proper Wii-mote usage, it's also hard to deny the thin strap as a rather flimsy string. With any luck, however, the new year should bring third party developers to introduce new peripheral brands that address this very problem (hopefully for a lower price as well).

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

2006-12-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

The Monkey Ball franchise has faced mostly prominent success since debuting as an arcade game in Japan in 2001 (which was also ported over to the GameCube a month later). With its easy-to-navigate interface and light controls, Super Monkey Ball easily established itself as the new Marble Madness (or even Chu Chu Rocket) for next-generation consoles. A sequel was soon released, boasting an increased number of levels, mini-games and options to enhance game play. A sequel to the sequel eventually found its way to store shelves, Super Monkey Ball Adventure, which was received by critics and gamers alike rather coldly. The core storyline did absolutely nothing but hinder the game play and eventually found its way into bargain bins as a dud. After crossing consoles and even spawning handheld versions, Banana Blitz, the latest in the Monkey Ball series, aims to bring gamers back to the core basics of this highly addictive title, but can it survive the controls of the Wii-mote?

With Banana Blitz, the Sega team returns to what it does best: creating mind boggling puzzles sure to catch the ire of any gamer that advances far enough. The setup of levels is somewhat similar to the dreadful SMB: Adventure title. That is, instead of listing each puzzle by difficulty, it lists them by the standard locations found in most titles: Forest stage, Fire stage etc. There are about 10 locations to explore in all, each holding at least 8 different puzzles, a couple bonus rounds and a boss battle. The boss battles are mostly isolated from any other part of the game. Since there’s no generic storyline this time around, the bosses don’t seem to have much purpose. Though they’re not challenging, either.

Just like the previous SMB games, Banana Blitz lets gamers control the ground, rather than the ball itself. As usual, the first few levels are nothing but introductory examples of how to survive the world of Monkey Ball, only now are they more necessary than ever since playing with the Wii-mote is mandatory. Is playing with the Wii’s control schematic harder than with a standard controller? It most definitely is and it will take more than a few rounds to become familiar with SMB before you start searching for hidden paths in various levels. That being said, the learning curve certainly is not an impossible feat to master, rather, it’s just going to take practice before one is comfortable enough. Holding the Wii-mote flat against your palm as you aim towards the screen, the slightest turn in any direction affects the stability of the ground of which your monkey ball is traveling. In my opinion, though, I’d say the sensitivity of the controls are somewhat similar to playing with a regular controller. So while it may appear to be overwhelming, a little practice will go a long way.

One welcome feature never seen in any of the series’ previous installments is the much appreciated jump button. Sega has integrated this addition by designing certain levels to be completed only by successful utilization of jumping, rather than recycle old levels that wouldn’t require it. It lends itself to the game play in different ways, allowing gamers to find new routes where they wouldn’t expect to see one. To jump, either flick the Wii-mote up or press the A button.

Also new to Banana Blitz are the inclusion of two playable characters on top of the original four monkeys. YanYan and Doctor lend their help in collecting bananas and have specific character abilities that differ substantially from the other characters. For example, while Ai Ai is equally average in every aspect of control and movement, the Doctor has better acceleration while executing a jump that’s every bit as slow as how GonGon jumps. Conversely, while YanYan has the best jump out of all the monkeys, the rest of her stats remain below average.

In the past, the mini-games of SMB have always been a staple of the series. Though far from perfect, mini-games like Monkey Target or Monkey Soccer never failed to entertain gamers willing to indulge in multiplayer action. This time around, Sega has packed 50 mini-games to keep gamers busy. The downside to this is that most of these games lack any depth whatsoever and appear to be thrown in just to say ‘hey, we’ve got 50 mini-games’. Combing through the list, I was more than surprised to see a few of my favorite mini-games from past titles absent (where’s Monkey Pool or Soccer?!). I certainly applaud Sega for trying to go above and beyond the call of duty in supplying such a plethora of extras but I’m somewhat irked at what they did leave out, leaving behind a number of Mario Party-like games. Though there’s bound to be something for everyone.

On the technical side, like past installments, Banana Blitz’ graphics are strikingly similar in appearance and don’t really add much new. It comes off as a smooth and polished game, similar to how Wii Sports looks in its simplicity, but with a heightened sense of flair (notice the particle effects mixed in with confetti after completing each level). Then again, I suppose no one really buys Monkey Ball for the graphics.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz probably has enough features and good qualities to sustain its $50 price tag. Gamers who excelled at previous SMB titles might be surprised at the level of difficulty for Banana Blitz. Again, I’m not saying it’s impossible, but the degree of difficulty facing the later levels border on insanity (almost similar to achieving every gold medal on Blast Corps for the N64). Good luck!

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Virtual Console Monday

2006-12-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone who has a Nintendo Wii no doubt knows what the Virtual Console is and have probably dropped a few bucks just to play an old classic of the 80's and 90's. This past Monday saw the release of a few more selections that will grow to about 30 titles by year's end. Here's what was released:

Victory Run - Turbografx 16 - 600 Points
Ristar - Sega - 800 Points
Donkey Kong Jr. - NES - 500 Points
Columns - Sega - 800 Points

Every Monday until January will bring more classic titles to your Wii for about $5 to $10 a game. Unfortunately, there are no release dates set in stone after the new year, but the moment it's revealed we'll be sure to post the news as it becomes available.

Wii Sports Review

2006-12-04T19:46:00.000-05:00

Legions of gaming fans were happy to see Nintendo returning to its old ways when finding Wii Sports packaged in with their newly acquired Wii console. Not only is the sports title a great introduction in using the Wii-mote, but is also a somewhat addictive title to boot. Though simplistic in design and execution, does Wii Sports have what it takes to become a flagship Nintendo game? Yes and no.

Almost seen as a throwback to the days when Nintendo marketed its’ Power Pad back in the 80’s, what immediately sets Wii Sports apart from any other game on the planet is its functionality. This is definitely not a game that can be played sitting down (well, it can, but it really defeats the purpose). The five sports included are all made to mimic actions made as if playing the game on a baseball field or bowling alley. If nothing else, Nintendo should receive points for trying to get gamers off of the couch.

The games themselves are all merely shallow recreations of what the sport should be played like. Though I use the word ‘shallow’, it should be noted that this was Nintendo’s design all along, creating a game that gamers old and new can quickly become accustomed too and also casting light on what games could be like further down the line. For example, in Baseball, you swing your Wii-mote like a bat and pitch when on defense. In Tennis, you control the swing of the racket instead of the player itself. It’s somewhat of a hassle to older gamers looking for more realism, but it’s also fun when gathering a group to face each other.

Areas like graphics and sound are almost pointless to grade in a title such as this one, as Wii Sports is more of a tutorial in Wii-gaming than anything else. The graphics are bright and simple, just like the Mii characters, without a lot of detail. It’s clearly not on the same level of something that you might find on the PS3 or Xbox platform, but it’s not atrocious looking, either.

Completion of each sport allows either the accumulation or the retraction of points assigned to your Mii character for a total skill level. As you progress through any given sport, the computer opponents also rise in said skill level, usually around 100 points higher than your own. If you should make it past 1000 points, your character is deemed a Pro and given such status. It’s a nice incentive for old gamers to latch on to who quickly become familiar with playing Wii Sports.

Here’s a quick rundown of what gamers can expect from each title:

Boxing:

What could’ve been the best title out of the five is nearly the worst thanks to unfocused controls. Using the Wii-mote in one hand and the Nunchuk attachment in the other, players jab and uppercut their way to victory through three rounds or a knockout (whichever comes first). You can manipulate your boxer from right to left to dodge punches, but returning those blows don’t always register on screen. It’s hard to position exactly where you want to throw a punch and most often I usually resort to throwing a barrage of punches and hoping one of them lands. Even when holding up my guard evenly always translates on screen with one of the boxer’s arms lower than the other. After the initial thrill of boxing wears off, you probably won’t touch this game for a while.

Golf:

Golf poses similar problems that are found in Boxing, though for different reasons. At the start you can select a preset amount of holes you would like to play through or swing your way through a nine-hole game. Players can control the direction and speed of their swing, mimicking a full golf swing by holding the Wii-mote like a golf club. Unfortunately, getting the correct speed for your swing does not exactly translate well on screen. If you swing too hard, the speed meter climbs into the red, affecting the ball by radically changing courses. Though avoidable, it happens far too often and it becomes frustrating if you keep overreaching your swing. If you can practice enough to be successful, however, more power to you.

Baseball

The control of Baseball isn’t so much a problem in Wii Sports. Players hold the Wii-mote like a bat and swing away. Had the rest of the game not been reduced to simply swinging and pitching, which is pretty much the only thing you can do in a full nine-inning game, baseball might come off better. During the game even if you make a hit, it’s an automatic out if any basemen or the pitcher get to it. If you hit it into the outfield, you may get a single or a double, but I’ve yet to see a triple (or a hit a homerun, for that matter). Offensively, you don’t get to control runners since that’s determined by how far the ball reaches into the outfield. Defensively, you’re limited to pitching…that’s it. The kind of pitch thrown depends on whatever button you’re pushing, not by how the Wii-mote interacts with the game. It borders on bland, but a couple of the mini games try to make up for it.

Tennis

One of the more addictive of the sports games is Tennis. Though you never control the player on screen (the Mii’s automatically move towards wherever the ball is being hit to), you do control the racket and how early or late you swing will have a direct impact on where the ball travels to on the other side. It took me more than a few games to become familiar with the setup but after a while I was beginning to build up my score to a level where the computer opponents increased in difficulty. Serving at a precise time can also garner a power serve, similar to Mario Tennis. My only problem with Tennis stems a few missed swings that occur every once in a while. A minor complaint, though.

Bowling

Probably my favorite out of the five offerings, bowling comes very close to having the least flaws coupled with an experience that best simulates the sport being copied on screen. Bowling with the Wii-mote is precisely how one would bowl at an alley…minus the ball and shoes that have been worn by thousands of other bowlers who just might have foot fungus. Though you don’t have to mimic every aspect of how you’re throwing the ball, I’ve already noticed that I began to take 1-2 small steps toward the T.V. before releasing the B button. With the Wii-mote in hand, the B button is pressed to advance the player closer to the lane while bowling with whichever hand preference you have. Also, you can put a spin on the ball to create a unique bowling experience. Despite my acclaim for bowling, I've begun to notice that whenever I try to bowl straight down the lane, it always ends up curving left, despite however straight I try to keep the Wii-mote, though I suspect left handed bowlers might have the same complaint in reverse. However, it’s not an issue that completely hinders the game itself, still making it more fun than a couple of the other sport offerings.

In addition to the five main games each sport comes equipped with three mini-games to help foster practice. The mini games range from helpful to annoying. For example, those who want to hone their golf skills might try the putting challenge or work on controlling the speed of the club. The same can be done for baseball as you learn to control the swing and where the ball will be hit. Boxing, I found to be mostly pointless as training with the bag doesn’t really help you or your character and since the controls are already dubious to begin with, it might be the sport to avoid altogether (unless you’re not having the same problems I had). Once again, bowling comes through with the best challenges with one mini-game in particular that has about 10 stages in which the number of bowling pins increases after each stage. The final level has over 90 pins to knock down and it’s kind of enjoyable to map out the physics of trying to knock down every single pin.

One other feature that shows a similarity to Nintendo DS titles like Brain Age is the Fitness Test. Once a day the fitness test is available for every Mii character created and is comprised of three different mini-games that grades in areas like stamina. A fitness age is then comprised based on your results, with age 20 being the best you can hope to receive. Though it’s certainly a welcome feature, I have to seriously doubt the accuracy of what they’re testing, because some of the results seem suspect to error of the game and not the player. However, I could just be bitter for getting ranked at age 40 the first time I tried it.

Rating Wii Sports effectively is a hard task considering the two markets it’s going after. Old gamers might become quickly bored with the lack of depth between each game, despite the inclusion of mini-games that help train where practice is needed. For new gamers, old and young, Wii Sports is the perfect title to become familiar with the Wii-mote and the system in general. Hopefully, future sports titles can draw on the strengths this title has to offer, while providing enough features to sustain the interest of hardcore sports fans. However, as it’s being packaged with the system for free, it’s hard to complain despite the present flaws.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

Dying over a PS3?

2006-12-04T19:34:00.000-05:00

Recent stories have been on various news programs reporting a teen was killed by police after stealing a PS3. The teen reportedly stole a PS3 from another teen who waited in line for 3 days. The police approached the house with a warrant, and he was shot and killed (along with his dog). He was unarmed, but a PS3 controller may have been in his hand at the time.

...And no, this is not a joke, turn on your TV to the nightly news for more details.

PS3 Pain = PSP Gain

2006-11-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

According to Sony Computer Entertainment America, as the PS3 shortage is taking its toll on needy gamers, it certainly is not taking its toll on Sony's sales in other areas. Taking a look at reports of the top five retailers in North America, a week-by-week analysis shows a rise in PS2 hardware sales of more than 115 percent over the Thanksgiving period. Sales for PSP units, meanwhile, went up a whopping 280 percent! First party PSP software sales also rose 168 percent over the same period. Sony's other gaming gadgets seem to be holding gamers over. It's either that, or misinformed parents are scooping up the wrong crap for their kids. More PS3 units are on the way, fear not, you may get your hands on one yet.

Namco Must Sell Buttloads of PS3 Games

2006-11-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

According to Namco Bandai's President, Takeo Takasu, the company must sell over 500,000 units of its PS3 titles before it begins to make a profit. The price of developing graphics alone for PS3 games costs the puiblisher one billion yen, which is more than DOUBE that of titles for Nintendo's Wii, according to Bloomberg.

With the release of Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam for PS3 selling 22,000 copies each respectivley on its weekend debut, the company has quite a distance to go before hitting that profit margin. Hot damn! It's going to be tough to sell that many copies without there even being that many consoles in the market. Ouch.

Still Wi-Less?

2006-11-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

If you haven't stopped by an EB Games on Friday or a Best Buy this morning, fear not, there's still hope for you yet. Best Buy has announced steady shipments of Wii consoles available each and every Sunday through the winter holidays.

This morning my effort to secure a Wii (after a baffling experience at EB Games on Friday) did not go in vain. Once again, lines were long as people began arriving as early as 7pm (albeit, waiting in their cars through the somewhat unseasonably warm weather). At 7am a disheveled line of over 40 gathered, hoping to get their mitts on a console. Opening at 10am, over 40 tickets guaranteeing Wii's were handed out (with around 30 more people being told to go home and try again next week). Congrats to everyone who braved another cold night!

Countdown to Black Friday

2006-11-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving usually means spending time with family, eating large quantities of food and trying to remember the usual historic connotations that have become lost in our society. It also means one day left until Black Friday, one of the most notorious (and in recent years, violent) shopping day's of the year. As probably guessed by the sudden influx of television advertisements, most retail chains will be opening several hours earlier to accommodate needy shoppers looking to garner the best deals for the lowest price. And if any gamers out there have yet to purchase a next-gen system, Black Friday might be the only shot doing so.

Though not advertised in any print or other media sources, rumors have been pouring in as to the amount of PS3's or Wii's that could possible be available on Friday morning. Those still looking might want to start planning ahead as consoles are most likely guaranteed to be short supply, and with gamers all over still trying to secure a system for the weekend, lines are probably going to start forming.

Currently, Best Buy is rumored to have around 12 Wii's per store (no word on PS3's, but it might not be a bad idea to check...depending on how badly you really want one). EB Games/GameStop will be opening at 7am and having called several locations they all seem to be anticipating crowds, having disclosed that Wii's will be available. Also, Target is downplaying rumors of incoming shipments (depending on who you ask) but a Target store close to me thinks they'll have more sometime during the weekend. Whatever the case, make sure you hit store early. Personally, I've never shopped on Black Friday, but if it's anything like what I've been hearing, it'll be brutal.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Gamers Outlook!

Numbers Don't Lie

2006-11-21T19:45:00.000-05:00

According to Nexgenwars.com, a site updated frequently that is dedicated to keeping track of sales figures between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo's next-generation consoles and how much of the market share they have, Nintendo's Wii has gained a significant lead over Sony's PS3. Specifically, the site lists 716,127 consoles sold compared to Sony which has sold about 269,455. Microsoft, having launched their console last year dominates with over 7,000,000 consoles sold and controls the market share.

Though many nay-sayers question the validity of these numbers (even a disclaimer below says the numbers are estimates based on data they've researched), it's quite possible that with only 500,000 PS3's in the world and around a million Wii's, all of which being sold out, Nintendo might gain it's once lost title of top of the video game ladder, should their production hold up, unlike Sony which has had many troubles in making PS3's. Conversely, though, if all the PS3's and Wii's have been sold out everywhere, how come Sony's number isn't closer to 500,000?

Wii-Day

2006-11-19T13:09:00.000-05:00

If you haven't noticed, Nintendo's new console flew off the shelves at a slightly less velocity than PS3's were sold a few days ago. Many retail outlets around Chicago, IL have turned empty (I can definitely attest to that firsthand), though there weren't any lines by the times stores closed last night. Some stores opened up a few hours earlier to accommodate needy gamers, some lining up outside of Best Buy to get Wii-tickets passed out at around 8am this morning.

Gamers like myself who are Wii-less do have other options. The latest rumor-mill suggests that more Wii's will be flying into stores soon, possibly this Friday (Best Buy is rumored to have something like 200 consoles at some stores). Also, many copies of Zelda and other highly anticipated games are at least well stocked despite EB Games refusing to hand out any more pre-order tickets (I'd definitely say they're probably well stocked). In any case, good luck!

It's Just A PS3...

2006-11-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

The battle to be the first to own a PS3 was sure daunting at times this week. Customers who made the commitment braved seasonably cold weather, with harsh winds and rain affecting line dwellers across the nation. With new technology, a substantially higher price tag and only 400,000 consoles in the U.S., the joy of owning a PS3 turned downright ugly for many gamers around the country. Robberies, shootings, stabbings and unfortunate police measures have all been witnessed within the first 18 hours of the PS3's release. Really, people...was it worth it?

For gamers in Putnam, Connecticut, a robbery situation almost turned deadly when two armed teenagers approached a line outside of a Wal-Mart, demanding cash. One customer who tried to resist was shot twice - once in the chest and in the arm. The two teens ran immediately afterward, though reportedly not succeeding in robbing a single cent. The injured customer is now in stable condition.

Elsewhere in Connecticut, five men surrounded, robbed and beat a customer walking out of a store with a PS3. As they drove off with the console, one of the guys was pushed out of the vehicle, a 17 year old, and left to take the blame for multiple crimes.

In Pennsylvania, a teenager was robbed of his system when an older man approached his car, tapping on his window with a handgun. No arrests as of yet.

Police outside of a Target store in Virginia were forced to use talcum powder balls to subdue a crowd of about 350 customers waiting for their chance to buy a system. Speaking of which, I hear the Targets around Chicago only received 4-5 consoles for each store.

Finally, in Englewood, OH, two men in ski masks barge into a GameStop after closing, wielding guns and demanding all PS3's that were in stock. They made away with all five consoles.

Of course there's bound to be more commotion around the U.S. and perhaps even Japan, which is still cooling from the release fuss they endured during the week. But is any of this senseless violence to other gamers like ourselves really worth the trouble? And for what...a quick buck on Ebay that will probably be gone by year's end. By Christmas Sony hopes to have pushed out another 500,000 or so consoles (possibly another million by end of the fiscal year) giving many gamers at least another chance to own something that will soon be plentiful in stock if gamers just give it enough time. Hopefully, the next batch of consoles that are sold are done so without any lives being threatened.

PS3 is Out!

2006-11-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this, you're probably not getting one. As you know, PS3 is official hitting store shelves. Chaos is everywhere.

Good luck folks!

Chaos at Camp-out Line in NYC

2006-11-16T14:40:00.000-05:00

FoxNews is reporting that outside of a Sony store in New York City, there are over 400 people in line for 200 systems, some of them entering the line as early as Monday. To make matters worse, someone who was the 260th in line is now in the top 40, due to the old trick of cutting in line. The store did not give tickets corresponding to place in line. As if this weren't chaotic enough, they're expecting heavy storms and cold temperatures. Tarps are already prepared. Needless to say, there will be some very unhappy, wet, cold customers who will go home without a system.

Maybe we can get site owner Tom to hop in his car and report on this in person? Don't count on it. More updates as launch approaches and occurs.

PS3 Incompatibility with Previous Games

2006-11-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

As has been suggested earlier, the PS3 may not function correctly with some games designed for PS1 or PS2. Well today, CNN Headline News (yes, on TV) reported that there were indeed games that would have this issue. It was not quantified on their broadcast. The issue they cited was that many games will display incorrect graphics or make improper sounds.

What's really important here is that the mainstream media is reporting this glitch, and as a result even those boring people who don't read websites such as this one will be made aware of this fault. Something tells me it still won't hold back demand anywhere near enough for sales to be hurt in the earliest stages, but it will most likely frustrate some gamers.

Update: FoxNews is now also reporting the story, adding that 200 of the library of approximately 8000 may suffer this flaw.

Wii with DVD

2006-11-13T23:28:00.000-05:00

It has recently been announced that a DVD version of the Wii will be available in Japan within a year. There is no word whether this version will come other regions as well. This version will cost more, but it has not been suggested by how much, and as of now, there are no other known differences. Further, if you were hoping you could just get a firmware upgrade, this does not seem to be possible, you would have to buy a completely new system.

To me, it doesn't make much sense, and I certainly would not wait nor purchase another Wii just for DVD compatability.

Xbox 360: Wireless Headset

2006-11-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

The Xbox 360 wireless headset, makes sense right? You've got that fancy wireless controller so why be tethered to it and look like a complete moron when you can go cool. I never understood the design of the 360 wired headset, it has taken a step backwards in terms of design. The orignal Xbox headset was sporting the now popular behind the head look and was somewhat concealing, the new one has my fiance asking me if she can get fries with her #2 combo meal.

Starting off with design, this headset is a sexy beast. It is up there with the Plantronics and Motorola bluetooth headsets for cell phones in terms of looks. On the outside it has a chrome power button, 2 volume buttons [+ and -] and a short "arm" to talk into. On the inside of the arm there are 4 lights, they correspond to whatever controller you are using. There is also a small sync button on the inside of the arm similar to the one on the console and controller. The piece doesn't actually go in your ear, but it sits over it and a gray rubber "C" fits around your ear to hold it in place. The headset comes in 2 sizes of the "c" depending on the size of your ear. The default works fine for me.

Connecting to the system is a breeze, the first time you use it you have to press the sync button in conjunction with the system. It'll then sync up and light up the first light, indicating you are good to go. Every other time after that you just have to power up the system, and then the headset and it'll auto sync for you.

I've been reading a lot of reports that the sound quality and range have been piss poor and that many have had complaints from other users that a loud buzzing noise was coming from their mic. For me, the sound quality is a lot better than the wired headset, my friends all agreed. The range is very limited though, I couldn't walk more than 10-12 ft. without it cutting out. When you walk back it goes back on but it is kind of disheartening. Now, if I have to run to the bathroom I could miss out some important conversation.

I did experience the buzzing noise everyone is reporting and my friend said it sounded like I was standing next to a microwave. I simply turned off the headset and then turned it back on again and the noise went away. Hopefully Microsoft can fix this issue. MS is claiming an 8 hour battery life but I just charge it every night [charger is included and plugs into the wall, not your system] so I haven't had a problem with it.

Is this headset worth $60 USD? For me, it is, but if you are on a tight budget I would save the money and buy a game instead. The wired headset works just fine but the wireless is just a little more convenient.

Final Score: 7 out of 10

Xbox 360: Gears of War

2006-11-09T21:38:00.000-05:00

You all know that Gears of War is the shit, you've seen all of the reviews and probably a lot of gameplay movies. I'd like to go into further detail on why it is so good and touch on a few of the shortcomings of the game as well.

First off, I've already beaten Gears. I received the game on Tuesday and played it through the entire campaign via Xbox Live co-op. It took us 6 hours and 15 minutes on the casual setting. You may think that this is very short [it is], but I've since begun playing again on the hardcore difficulty and I can tell you the AI is a lot smarter, and they are actually greater in numbers as well. The integration of the co-op is the best that has ever been done in a game. In case you don't know, you can seamlessly join or disconnect from a co-op game and it doesn't disrupt the game. There are 2 main protagonists in the game, Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago. When you play single player, you control Fenix, and Dom is your sidekick. Invite a friend and after about 10 seconds of loading he is controlling Dom instantly. If your friend needs to leave he can just disconnect and the AI takes back control of Dom.

A couple of original ideas within the game is the ability to revive your fallen comrades and the reloading minigame. If one of your teammates gets "killed", they won't actually die right away unless they are finished off. [curb stomp, chainsawed or shot some more]. A little icon will pop up on screen and point in the direction of your fallen friend. You then just press "x" on them and they will be back to new. The reloading minigame is brilliant. To reload you press the right button, a small cursor will then sweep across a power meter icon in the upper right hand of the screen [think hot shots golf power meter]. There will be a highlighted sweet spot and you have to press the right button again once it is in that spot to get a perfect reload. If you manage to do this you get a power boost for few seconds and a lightning fast reload. If you miss it by a little you get a regular fast reload and if you miss terribly your gun will jam and you'll be unable to shoot for about 3-5 secs. I've actually died from a bad reload, and my friend on co-op has died because I've had a bad reload and he was rushed. It takes a little time getting used to it because each gun has a different sweet spot, and the sweet spot is larger if you expel more bullets. So you get penalized for reloading when you've only used a few bullets.

Graphics in this game are sick. You've played nothing that looks even close to this game. There are some later stages that will make you put your controller down just to stare at what is going on around you, it's that good. The effects are astounding, your bullets will chip off concrete, splinter wood, and cause a gooey blood squirting slaughterhouse of insanity. If you chainsaw an enemy the blood splatters all over the screen and it looks real. Most people, including myself will say that graphics do not make a game, but damn, it sure doesn't hurt when it looks this good.

The campaign is fast and full of non-stop action, but the story is weak. If you haven't read anything outside the game or do not have the collector's edition, you will have no idea who the locusts are and why they are so pissed at you [even after you beat it]. There is no back story, no beginning cut scene and very little within the game that actually touches on the overall world. The plot surrounds very small events that you take part in and it would have been nice to get a grand look at things.

Mulitplayer is intense in the fact that there are a lot of standoffs. By this, I mean that you and your buds will be behind cover while the other team is doing the same. Both are shooting at each other and you are both trying to figure out the best position to flank. Often, the battle ends melee style with chainsaws revving and blood all over the place. Getting into a multiplayer game, however, is very very difficult. I actually could not connect to any of the hosts while trying to join ranked and non-ranked games. I had moderate success hosting my own game but the lobbies are terrible and once you finish the designated number of rounds, the game kicks you back to the main menu. Also, there is no way to play a ranked game with a friend, they wanted to curtail cheating, but they also curtailed fun in doing so.

Gears is a must buy if you own a 360. Even if you aren't a fan of shooters you owe it to yourself to experience what is Gears of War.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

GameStop Offers Details For Wii Bundle

2006-11-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

This past Tuesday, GameStop made public that it would soon offer pre-orders for Nintendo’s Wii console. Though no specifics on price or what the package consisted of was made available to the public, it was mentioned that whatever deal they were offering would be priced no higher than $700. Today, GameStop has released those details…and the news isn’t pretty.

Here’s what gamers can expect to see should they decide to purchase a Wii bundle online:

Nintendo Wii Console (includes 1 remote controller, 1 nunchuck, cables, sensor bar, console stand, and Wii Sports game)
Wii Memory SD 1GB
Additional Wii Remote Controller
6 Games:
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Red Steel
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Madden NFL 2007
12 Month Product Replacement Plan
Game Informer Gift Subscription

The bundle will sell for exactly $694.88 plus tax and handling, keeping in line with GameStop’s earlier promises not to exceed the $700 price tag. Though the price may certainly scare off some, expect to put up a fight with others around the country trying to secure themselves a console come the 19th. Good luck!

Last Chance For Wii Pre-Order

2006-11-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

Still haven't secured a pre-order ticket for one of the most anticipated next-gen consoles (well they're all anticipated heavily, but I guess that was obvious)? Well GameStop/EB Games is giving gamers one last chance. In their most recent newsletter GameStop announced that this Thursday evening (no specific time mentioned) they would be selling pre-orders for Nintendo's Wii console. The catch? Without being too specific as to what's included, GameStop made it sound as if they were only offering Wii bundles, possibly priced no higher than $699.99. Here's an excerpt from the newsletter:

"This Thursday evening (CST), November 9, your opportunity to get in on the excitement arrives when the Wii Bundle becomes available for purchase online at GameStop.com. You'll get the best games, accessories and more in one convenient package delivered right to your door - all for under $699 plus tax and handling."

Will this Thursday find gamers upset over having to purchase expensive accessories and unwanted games for a $250 console? I would love to think that wouldn't be the case, but if memory serves me correctly, EB Games only offered GameCube console bundles through its' online pre-ordering event. Then again, it's either this or taking your chances in a line outside the store. Either way, good luck!

70Gig Hard Drive for 360?

2006-11-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the photo below, snapped yesterday from the floor of an XBox Live event. If my eyes do not deceive me, that looks like a 70Gig Hard Drive. Microsoft hasn't officially let the cat out of the bagel, but it looks official enough. Could be something specifically created for the event, though it seems to be a standard 360. Could be the real deal Holyfield. We'll see.

Best Buy PS3 Pre-Order A No-Go

2006-11-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

A few days ago a small rumor emerged with details concerning retail outlet Best Buy taking online pre-orders for Sony's PS3 console. Somehow a link was leaked and many eager customers flocked online hoping to get in an order before the inevitable sell-out. However, in a letter issued by Best Buy today, it was made clear that they had never intended for such a form to be made available to customers and subsequently all orders were cancelled. No word yet on how the PS3 order form was made available in the first place.

In addition to the letter of apology, Best Buy generously gave $10 gift cards to all those who made the effort in vain. Though I'm sure there's bound to be thousands of gamers pissed off by the sudden revelation, with the ever-rising popularity in identity theft crimes I imagine it could have been worse had the wrong people thought of it. In any case there are now less than two weeks until the big debut arrives. Good luck to those who plan on waiting in lines overnight.

Xbox 360: Rainbow Six Vegas

2006-11-02T04:42:00.000-05:00

Today for Xbox 360 owners, the demo for one of the most anticipated games on the console hit the Xbox Live Marketplace for download (along with yesterday's first Xbox Live Update). I've been eagerly anticipating this game since its development, and let me tell you, it straight up fucking rocks.

I was immediately taken aback by this game in every single way. Now this IS a demo, so there are things that just aren't up to par, such as some framerate issues here and there, slowdown, some control bugs, as well as some graphical problems, but Ubisoft has stated that this is JUST in the demo and this is the same demo shown on the E3 floor this year. In other words, Rainbow Six Vegas is due out November 20th, and these bugs will be fixed.

Anyway, time to get into the game itself. The short demo puts you straight into the action of a terrorist-seized casino in Las Vegas known as Dante's. Funny thing about the casino, it's not quite built yet. You'll descend 5 floors down through all sorts of construction mess and cells of terrorists to clear out. Sounds easy? Can be. But not always.

Rainbow Six Vegas is about planning. I've played through the demo about eight times now, and each time I discovered something new, or a different way to just kill ONE guy so he ultimately doesn't get to a spot that puts my guys in a crunch giving access to another guy to shoot my men who can lead to... blah blah blah, a mouthful, but you see where this is going? The game will reward you based on your planning and execution. Running into a firefight even on normal, you will die. It's not a matter of what your Halo 2 multiplayer level is, you will still die trying to do what you do in Halo in Rainbow Six Vegas.

You command a team of two other men who you can point and tell them to do things, nothing new here. As I said earlier, planning is key, but I did notice that for once, when I put my men in a situation where they SHOULD win, they really did win for once. I was kind of amazed to see AI that actually works. One of the coolest features I saw was when you are breaching a door. You can line your men up to breach, then you can go up to the door and with your snake cam (small camera letting you see inside the room) you can look inside. This may sound like Splinter Cell, but BRAND NEW to series and to any other game (comment on me if I'm wrong), but by pressing the Select button, you can select the enemies you want your men to shoot first based on priority.

For example, if you have a hostage situation, you want to make the guy with the gun to the hostage priority one, followed by the guy closest to you, and then the guy furthest away priority three. This plays an integral role in strategy, and you'll see just after doing it ONE time how much fun it can be. I've re-done several parts of the mission where I died or my men got shot, and through this planning, I have been able to beat this parts in merely seconds without any damage on my end. Also, you are able to select how you'd like your men to breach the door via mine, smoke, grenade, flashbang, or just guns blazin'.

Aside from some minor technical issues, this demo proves that Rainbow Six Vegas IS going to be a game to own this Christmas. Everyone's hyping up Gears of War, as they should be, it's gonna be fuckin' sick baby! But, don't overlook Rainbow Six Vegas. The game has a solid crouch and cover system putting you in the third person perspective, amazing graphics, great AI, awesome effects, and it takes place in the Sin City itself. I can't wait for this one, and my $5 is already waiting on it. Definitely check this one out.

Halo 3 Times 3

2006-11-02T04:34:00.000-05:00

Halo 3 became even more official today as the top gaming retailers such as EB Games, GameStop, Game Crazy, etc. all started taking pre-orders on three different versions of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Yes, that's right, THREE different versions!

The first is obviously the regular Halo 3 retailing at $59.99, followed by a Collector's Edition at $69.99 with no information available. Finally, the third, basically the super-dooper-Halo-nerd-omg-version is the Halo 3 Legendary Edition for $99.99. This version will come packed with a Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI Helmet replica and according to EB Games

Behind-the-scenes at Bungie Studios with new insights into the Halo Universe and the making of Halo 3.
A special hi-res collection of all cinematics from Halo 1 and Halo 2 with director commentary from the Bungie Team bonus.
Community content from Red vs. Blue, This Spartan Life and Exclusive Gamer Tiles & a Theme.
Each unit will be serialized for added individuality and collectability

The date for all three is scheduled for November 1, 2007. Which one will you get?

Wii Launch Info

2006-11-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

Nintendo recently confirmed that there will be 32 titles available at launch, along with 30 more classic games from previous systems. Slightly contrary to assumptions, it will not exactly be a straight up charge for each classic game. Instead, you can buy 2000 points for $20 (online or in stores). These points are then use towards purchasing classic games. Below is a chart displaying the console that the game was previously released on, and the correspoding minimum cost in points.

NES 500 Points
SNES 800 Points
N64 1,000 Points
Genesis 800 Points
TurboGrafx16 600 Points

Halo Film Postponed

2006-10-31T18:06:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month it was reported that two financial backers for the Halo film, Universal Studios and 20th Century, backed out after unsuccessfully trying to renegotiate terms for the film. It had also been leaked that costs for the film skyrocketed, leaving producers to wonder what kind of profit could be made if the film performed poorly.

"At this time Microsoft, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have mutually agreed to postpone making a feature film based on the Halo video game," Microsoft said in a statement earlier today. "While it will undoubtedly take a little longer for Halo to reach the big screen, we are confident that the final feature film will be well worth the wait," said the company.

The wildly popular Xbox game, headed by Oscar award winner Peter Jackson and his "Lord of the Rings" team, was supposed to hit U.S. theaters sometime around the summer of 2008. Will the film ever get the proper green light? I certainly would not look forward to it happening in the next 5-6 years. If Halo is still popular in that time, maybe the film counterpart can get another shot.

Final Fantasy XII Becomes A Reality

2006-10-31T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today, October 31st, Square-Enix continues its long spanning sequels (that aren't really sequels) of sagas with Final Fantasy XII for the PS2. The much anticipated FFXII comes almost three years afterFinal Fantasy XI, the bewildering online-only that is now also on consoles (Xbox 360, PS2). At the start of the game, players are treated to a somewhat lengthy opening describing the history between two nations: Dalmasca and the Archadian Empire from which certain characters derive. Judging from the opening sequence of events it definitely looks like Square is trying to convey a much darker tone in its use of storytelling.

A special Collector's Edition of Square-Enix title can be picked up at mostGamestop/EB Games locations for $59.99 (call beforehand to confirm, though). The set comes inside of a nice looking tin case, which houses two discs. The first is FFXII and the second is a bonus disc containing four features: Interviews, Art Gallery, History of Final Fantasy Featurettes and U.S. and Japanese Trailers.

Nintendo Also Happy These Days

2006-10-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

Concluding my financial observations for the day, Nintendo's profits are up 48%. That's all I'm going to tell you about.

Hooray for Nintendo.

Sony Not So Hot

2006-10-27T10:38:00.000-04:00

Sony takes a 94% plunge in profits for the most recent quarter. Sony blames this recent misfortune on its global recall of potentially faulty PC batteries, and developing the PS3. For Sony's gaming division, a total loss of 43.5 billion yen from July to the end of September. That's gotta hurt.

Microsoft Doing Big Things

2006-10-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

Let's cut the crap. Microsoft reported revenue of $10.81 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2007, ending September 30th. Revenue for MS's Entertainment and Devices Division grew 70% over the prior year, driven mainly by Xbox 360 consoles, software, and peripherals, as well as the Xbox Live service - which I might add, has passed the 4-million member mark. Kudos.

Another Chance for Wii Reservation

2006-10-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Didn't wake up early enough to get in the line at GameStop for Wii reservations? Here's another chance. On October 29, Toys R Us will offer reservations for a $50 deposit. Again, expect orders to sell out rapidly, and because it is happening on a weekend, more people will have the freedom to get there early. Good luck!

Logitech to Sell 'Chill Steam' Controller for PS3

2006-10-25T22:21:00.000-04:00

Are you a gamer with a serious perspiration problem? So much that you in fact have dropped your controller due to sweaty palms? Then the Logitech Company has a solution for you. On December 7, nearly a month after the PS3's release, Logitech will debut what is known as the 'Chill Steam' controller. The PS3 peripheral will debut in Japan for about 4,400 yen (almost $40) which is actually a good deal considering Sony's official controller for the PS3 is slated to sell for 5,000 yen.

Features for the new Chill Steam controller include a fan to cool one's hands during game play. The cooling fan has three settings: Off, Low and Hi. Logitech also boasts easier maneuvering with lighter buttons complemented with soft grips. Come December the Chill Steam will also sell in two color varieties, silver and black.

Nice License Plate

2006-10-24T11:21:00.000-04:00

Friday night I was getting some groceries for the weekend and to make a long story short, as I was leaving the Kroger parking lot here in Columbus, OH, I spotted an interesting license plate. This dude is definitely a gamer.

I guess there's no stereotype for a gamer anymore, so I guess there also wouldn't be a stereotype for "the gamer's car." But in this case, Acura MDX and Xbox 360 make a great combination. And in Ohio! Gotta love it baby.

What? I Will Smack You

2006-10-23T09:19:00.000-04:00

I was playing Ridge Racer on my new Xbox 360 just yesterday with my younger brother (who has my old PS2, and is 13, mind you). This is the first time that I let him get his grubby, potato chip and grease filled little hands on my 360, so of course I asked the all time greatest question: "What do you think about the graphics? Is this the same as PS2 or what?" He responds, "Yeah, it's the same". Um, what?! I will smack you. I guess the mind of a minor doesn't pick up these... major differences. I guess Ridge Racer wasn't the best of games to ask this question to.

Sony in Legal Trouble with MS?

2006-10-21T02:56:00.000-04:00

Sony recently published this comparison chart (right) between the pricing of PS3, 360, and Wii. The problem is that many of the things listed as "requires users to buy" aren't actually required. In addition, the price would be significantly lower if the 360 premium system were used instead of the core with these additions. There are rumors that Microsoft may be taking legal action against Sony for this misleading-at-best information.

They also had a "factual discrepency" with the Wii as well. Onlince access is actually free for the Wii for more than just the first six months. The browser is free for six months, and after requires payment, but online access for gaming is free.

Sony Responds to Controller Concerns

2006-10-20T12:17:00.000-04:00

Updating a recently posted story, Sony has replied to calm fears that a new controller purchase would be required each time a lithium battery dies.

A representative told GamesIndustry.biz, "This is a purely speculative story and is largely untrue. The latest generation of Lithium Polymer batteries hardly suffer any memory effect at all, so it'll be many years before there's any degradation in terms of battery performance."

But many gamers plan on playing for "many years", right? "When and if this happens, then of course we will be providing a service to exchange these items."

So Sony recognizes the issue, and is downplaying the likelihood of it occuring, however, they didn't necessairly say the exchange service would be entirely free...

And Now for Some Obvious News: Crysis is Beautiful

2006-10-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

Take a look at these new comparison screens straight from this Crysis website. This game will be worth upgrading your computer for.

Crysis was recently delayed until Q1 of 2007. It looks as though this game will be well worth the wait.

Even more suckiness for the SIXAXIS

2006-10-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

News from a Japanese tech site today reveal 2 more sucky things about Sony's new SIXAXIS controller. I've run the website through the Google translator page and came up with these excerpts:

With PS3, the wireless controller by Bluetooth connection bundled is done usually. However, when starting in the substance recognition (the pairing) because it can point the wireless controller, it is necessary to connect the substance and the wireless controller with the USB cable. After the cable junction when the controller central play station button is pushed, recognition job is started, if the controller which is recognized does not drop power source that way available. However, when once power source was dropped, for the second time recognition job with USB connection becomes necessary. 　Power source of the controller has built in the lithium ion being full electric battery, charge does by way of USB. As for charge approximately 2.5 hours being necessary possible, at the time of full charge work of maximum of 30 hours is. If even with when the electric battery becomes the sky, you connect to PS3 with USB, you can play directly. Furthermore, as for the electric battery because you cannot remove, when the electric battery consumes, it replaces the controller, or it means to put out to repair.

I've taken the liberty to bold the especially good parts of the article about the controller. The two main points being that you need to reconnect the wireless controller every time you turn the power back on to the PS3, and once the internal lithium ion battery dies, you have to replace the controller or send it out for repair. Good going Sony.

New Details emerge on "Mii"

2006-10-17T23:41:00.000-04:00

New details have emerged from an interview in Reuters with George Harrison [Nintendo's senior vice president of marketing] on the "Mii" system for Nintendo's Wii. Below are the key points that he makes.

When Wii owners first turn on their new consoles, they will find their characters in "Mii Plaza," a virtual waiting room where the Miis wander around, bumping into one another.

They can then use the Wii remote, or "Wiimote," to drop Miis into a game or email.

Up to 100 Mii characters can exist in the Mii Channel at a time. In addition, up to 10 of them can be saved on Wiimote and carried to a friend's house.

Miis dropped into a game, such as the "Wii Sports" title shipping with the Wii at launch, will replace generic characters in games, whether they are the star of the show or part of a crowd.

Messages from parents to children can be delivered by the adult's Mii-doppelganger.

Nintendo expects the Mii Channel to bridge the generation gap between gamers of all ages.

"A younger player can create a caricature of their parents, and it might entice them to play (a game)," said George Harrison, Nintendo's senior vice president of marketing.

Harrison says that right now, he only knows two games that will be Mii compatible; the aforementioned "Wii Sports" and "WarioWare," which is due in January.

He expects third-party video game publishers to make Mii creation tools available and expects more Mii-compatible titles by the middle of next year.

Read the full article Here.

Rockstar's 'Bully' Hits Store Shelves

2006-10-17T19:50:00.000-04:00

The time has finally come for the debut of one of the last great PS2 games before the next console arrives. Rockstar Games, infamous for their Grand Theft Auto franchise releases 'Bully' today, having been pushed back nearly 6 months or so. For those who have not yet caught on to the hype surrounding this game, Bully was essentially known before its release as Grand Theft Auto for the schoolyard set. Some protested over the would-be violent nature of such a game, though most were eager to just get their hands on a copy. Having just played through only 10 minutes (basically the opening scenes) I can assure anyone out there that Bully is a definite must-have.

EB Games is also selling a collector's edition of the title. Bully CE: comes in a much larger locker replica case. Also packaged are the first volume of the Bully comic and an authentic dodge ball, with the logo on front. Go buy now!

Rainbow Six: Vegas makes you look hotter!

2006-10-14T16:33:00.000-04:00

This screen proves it! Just look at how this ugly woman is transformed into a less ugly woman using the Xbox live vision camera. It is pretty cool how this game does put your face on the character. It also allows full customization on armor, clothing, headgear and weaponry. I wonder if I can take a picture of my dog and put it in the game? Hmmmm...

GamingFM: Free Streaming Videogame Music

2006-10-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

I've been listening and contributing to GamingFM .com for over a year now and it seems like not many people are aware this site exists. GamingFM allows you to stream music for FREE from Winamp or any mp3 player that plays .pls files. Yes, I said FREE. They have 4 different "stations" available to stream. Classic, Modern Console, PC and Complete. Complete is a mix of all of the stations while classic plays mostly 16bit era and before music. Modern console and pc explain themselves. They have 24k and 128k streams in case you are at work and can't clog the network. They also allow you to request songs, and they have real time "what's playing now" on each channel. If you register with them you can create a personalized page which allows you to put your most liked music on one page so you can request it faster. Tune in and you too can be the nerdiest person at work!

PC: Company of Heroes [Multiplayer]

2006-10-14T15:09:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start this review off by first stating that there are 2 general aspects to a real time strategy game. The first, and most important being the actual gameplay and the second is the online multiplayer interface. While this has great prowess in the gameplay category, it falls short in the latter.

For me, RTS's are all about the multiplayer, so this review will not cover the singleplayer campaign in anyway. Relic Entertainment [Creators of the Warhammer 40k RTS's] knows what they are doing in terms of gameplay. They have expanded Dawn of War's resource system and brought it into Company of Heroes in a way that makes great sense and adds alot of intensity to the game. In most RTS games the player must collect items so that they may build up an army. Most of the famous RTS games that did this in the past include Warcraft, Starcraft, the entire Command and Conquer series, etc. Relic strays from this and has changed it into a capture system. There are multiple "points" around each map that you must capture. Once captured, that point starts to bring in resources. In Company of Heroes, there are 3 resources [Fuel, Manpower and Ammunition]. The real benefit of this resource system is that you have to constantly be on the offensive to try and gain points but also allocate forces to help defend points you have already captured. You will lose every time if you try to just fortify your base and wait for the enemy to come to you. It becomes a chess match of map control because they have also added the feature that your captured points must be connected to keep the supply chain moving, this was a brilliant move which adds even more strategy.

One downfall is that there are only 2 factions to choose from, Axis and Allies. Axis are the Germans and Allies are the United States. They mirror each other pretty closely [Both have snipers, mg crews, infantry, etc] so the variety somewhat limited. They managed to differentiate them by adding "doctrines" that each side can choose from. Doctrines allow you to focus your efforts into one main area of your forces. There are 3 to choose from on each side and examples include Infantry, Terror and Armor. Infantry will allow your infantry to produce faster and also build defenses out in the field. Armor will reduce tank production times and allow repairs on the fly amongst other things. You gain experience by killing enemy forces, capturing buildings, etc. and this experience allows you to upgrade the choices within that doctrine. On the battlefield, the AI is brilliant. Troops are created in groups and will move from cover to cover by themselves. Cover in this game is a very big part of the strategy and a squad in the open will get obliterated by one that is guarded by cover. The same goes for vehicles, tanks will get ripped up if they are hit in the rear as opposed to taking shots from straight on. This creates a more realistic feel and really immerses the player. All environmental items [buildings, trees, barrels] are fully destructible. Even better is that a fallen church tower can act as a great cover spot after it hits the ground. This means that no two battles are ever the same.

The biggest downfall of the game is the online multiplayer interface. It is very hard to connect to games and multiple different error messages are always popping up. You can browse lobbies but the filters are very weak so you have to sort through alot of full games and password protected games. If you try to play a ranked game it's even worse. The whole player matching system is seriously flawed and works less than half of the time.

Still, even with the seriously flawed online lobby I find myself going back to this game religiously because the gameplay is just too good. The competition is great and battles are very intense, if you own a PC and are a fan of ww2 or of the RTS genre, this game is a must have. It really stands out in the crowd of RTS games coming out this year as the one to have.

Final Score: 9 out of 10

Wii-less?

2006-10-13T18:36:00.000-04:00

As quickly as pre-orders for Sony's costly new PS3 console vanished within minutes of EB Games/Gamestop opening on Wednesday, so have pre-orders for Nintendo's Wii console disappeared as well. The popular retail outlet opened its doors around the country at 10 am only to find lines of console-hungry fans eager to put $50 down towards what could soon be known as the best selling of the next generation consoles. Minutes later the pre-orders became extinct and some fans who had been waiting for hours were turned away. Though earlier reports claimed stores had roughly around 50 Wii units to reserve, most EB Games (at least on the North side of Chicago, IL) only had about 30 to hand out before turning customers away. How discouraging.

There is a small silver lining, however, as EB Games/Gamestop does plan to use a separate pre-ordering system for people who wish to reserve their Wii units online. Stay tuned to find out exactly when online Wii pre-ordering becomes available.

Sony: 360, Wii Overpriced!

2006-10-13T13:58:00.000-04:00

No, that is not a typo. A Sony executive by the name of Michael Ephraim told an Australian newspaper that he felt both Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox360 are both overpriced. This coming despite the fact that the PS3 costs well more than either of the two consoles he is criticizing. He believes PS3 will dominate this Christmas, and that Wii may do fine in the long term, but not in the Christmas season. As we've been reporting, there will be twice as many Wii's available this Christmas season as PS3's. His justification for calling the Wii overpriced, was that it virtually required multiple costly accessories.

So is the PS3 overpriced, as most gamers believe, or are Wii and 360 overpriced? To borrow a line from FoxNews, "We report, you decide".

Help us Help you

2006-10-13T12:42:00.000-04:00

Nintendo is releasing a new development tool which will make it easier for developers to make games for the Nintendo Wii, taking advantage of its unique controller. It's called LiveMove, and developers can train the controller by moving it.

Genyo Takeda, senior MD and general manager of the Integrated Research & Development Division at Nintendo comments, "When Nintendo's development teams saw LiveMove, we instantly recognized how it would greatly increase our ability to explore and experiment with new concepts and make our lives easier. This revolutionary tool liberates the imaginations of game creators."

“We are more than happy to share this collaborative LiveMove tool with independent Wii software developers all over the world. From a cowboy's lasso to a samurai's sword or a chef's cooking utensils, we just can't wait to play developers new, 'unexpected' applications."

We already know that developers are intrigued with the Wii and the possibilities, and now it will be easier for them to develop. Sounds like good news for Nintendo, developers, and of course, gamers.

DS Responsible for Industry Growth

2006-10-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

According to the NPD Group, the video game industry saw 11% growth this past year, roughly 9.5% of which can be attributed to the Nintendo DS. These numbers would argue that Nintendo's strategy to expand the market from mostly male kids and teens to the female gender and adults may be working. Nintendo has released "the brain games" as well as other non-traditional games like Nintendogs, which bring in new gamers. These types of games, coupled with Nintendo's big guns, such as Mario (New Super Mario Bros DS) have lead to a successful year for the company.

Nintendo's own numbers suggest that many of the customers purchasing "Touch Generations" games include the over-25 and female demographics.

Reggie of NOA commented on the statistics, "Numbers dramatically show the value of reaching out to the masses with products that are compelling and comfortable. And this perfectly sets the stage for our breakthrough Wii console, which appeals to both core players and current non-players with an intuitive control system and a price everyone can afford."

We will soon see if Nintendo's competitors try to attack this newly forming demographic as well, but you can be sure that Nintendo will continue to make sure that these people will find games they will enjoy on both the DS and the Wii. Maybe Nintendo will go from being the system of kiddie games to the system of granny games? Um, Maybe not.

Update: Wii Pre-orders this Week: Confrimed

2006-10-12T14:09:00.000-04:00

GameStop will indeed be offering pre-orders for the Nintendo Wii tomorrow (Friday the...13th). You can reserve your console with a $50 reservation deposit.

ACT QUICKLY, as they anticipate pre-orders will be filled within minutes!

4 million Wii's should ship to stores by the end of this year, roughly doubling the forecast of PS3s, so even if you don't pre-order, you might still be able to grab one before Christmas.

The Birth of an Xbox Gamer

2006-10-12T09:39:00.000-04:00

For as long as I can remember, I've been against Xbox. Years ago I was all about Nintendo, and when I say all about Nintendo, I mean just that. Mario is the man! Hoooo-ray!! Everyone else sucks. Microsoft is just trying to take our money away. They don't care about gaming. Boo!

Well... I've grown up since then, folks. It has been quite some time since the original Xbox hit the market. It has been a long, long time since I was a Nintendo fanboy (yes, I'll admit it). Don't get me wrong, I'm still all for Nintendo... but my eyes are now open to the wonders of Microsoft. I'm still not a fan of Sony, for your information. Actually, fuck Sony. I didn't like PSone, I didn't like PS2, and I'm not going to like PS3. In fact, I hated the dual shock, as weird as that sounds... but that's besides the point.

Yesterday, I was reborn an Xbox gamer, and here's how it happened.

I was on my way to go food shopping yesterday with my girlfriend, but first, we made a stop at the local Best Buy to pick up some DVD's. The seed was already planted in my head before I even got there, folks. Walking up and down the isles like a kid in a candy store, my simple trip to Best Buy turned into a $600 extravaganza, just like that. I absolutely NEEDED to scoop up an Xbox 360 (premium system of course), several games, and an additional wireless controller, completely on impulse. I'm not sure what happened. I went in there for DVD's, and came out with all of this shit.

Overlooking the dollars and cents, and ignoring the fact that it was raining as hard as when Noah's Ark took voyage, when I finally made it home after food shopping, it was like I was 10-years old and Christmas all over again. I swear, they must put something inside those console boxes, folks. When you open up a brand new console box, it's this WOOSH of plastic freshness, it almost gets you high. I was thrilled to be holding an Xbox 360. I was thrilled to be setting up the system in my room. I was thrilled to be experiencing Xbox 360 for the first time. Like I've said previously, kiosks never seem to work around me. All this time 360 has been out and I've been missing it.

I wound up playing Dead or Alive 4, Tomb Raider, and Ridge Racer. They're not the craziest of titles, but let me tell you, my first impressions of Xbox 360 are good ones. I can't even lie, I squeezed in all three "trial plays" (as I will call them for now) of my new games within an hour. I had to check them all out, and unfortunately, I had to go to sleep. I work in the morning, and didn't want to have that "I've just played Xbox 360 all night" look on my face bright and early.

A long story short, I now have Xbox 360, and fucking love it. Expect tons of content from me regarding my experiences as a new Microsoft gamer. It has taken over my mind, and you'll get a piece of it for certain. More as my addiction blooms.

Why I didn't own an Xbox 360 before, I just don't know.

Wii Sensor Issues - Rumor Squashed!

2006-10-11T09:47:00.000-04:00

I didn't even bother to mention the potential Wii "sensor" issues that were fluttering around the world the last few days, I'm sure most of you have heard. If not, reports were ripping around stating the Wii-mote would not work in direct sunlight, and that we would all have to stash our Wii's in dark rooms to play effectively, and so forth. Some big guns, like IGN and 1Up, spazzed out and needed to find out if this was true. They probably couldn't eat or sleep otherwise.

According to an official Nintendo spokesman, "Our testing thus far shows no great risk of light interference when playing a game that relies on the pointer and sensor bar."

Mmmmhmmmm... case closed. Or is it...? Dun dun duuuuun.

Wii Pre-Orders This Week?

2006-10-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

GameStop may be offering Wii pre-orders as early as Friday this week. This is of course not 100% confirmed, but keep your eyes and ears open. These inklings come from GameStop employees, for what it's worth. Apparently, each store is to have about 50 Wii units, compared to the 8-16 units for PS3. Go here to have GameStop send you an email when pre-orders for Wii are officially open, like hunting season. Hoo-rah.

PS3 Pre-Order Frenzy

2006-10-11T09:15:00.000-04:00

GameStop pre-orders have come and gone for PS3, both versions sold out within minutes. I only wish I had a few lined up, by re-selling them online you can make triple your money. They're already up for grabs at $1700+ on Ebay. It's like Tickle-Me-Elmo all over again.

Guitar Hero 2's Official Tracklisting

2006-10-10T14:53:00.000-04:00

1. Opening Licks
Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
Danzig - Mother
Cheap Trick - Surrender
Wolfmother - Woman
Spinal Tap - Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight

2. Amp-Warmers
Kiss - Strutter
Nirvana - Heart-Shaped Box
Police - Message in a Bottle
Van Halen - You Really Got Me
Kansas - Carry on Wayward Son

3. String-Snappers
Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench
Alice in Chains - Them Bones
Iggy Pop and the Stooges - Search and Destroy
Pretenders - Tattooed Love Boys
Black Sabbath - War Pigs

4. Thrash and Burn
Warrant - Cherry Pie
Butthole Surfers - Who Was in My Room Last Night
Mathew Sweet - Girlfriend
Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knockin'
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

5. Return of the Shred
Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name Of
Primus - John the Fisherman
Sword - FreyaThin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
Aerosmith - Last Child

6. Relentless Riffs
Heart - Crazy on You
Stone Temple Pilots - Tripping on a Hole in a Paper Heart
Stray Cats - Rock This Town
Allman Brothers - Jessica
Jane's Addiction - Stop

7. Furious Fretwork
Anthrax - Madhouse
Living End - Carry Me Home
Lamb of God - Laid to Rest
Reverend Horton Heat - Psychobilly Freakout
Rush - YYZ

8. Face-Melters
Avenged Sevenfold - Beast and the Harlot
Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
Dick Dale - MisirlouMegadeth - Hangar 18
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird

The PS2 version hits stores November 7 and the Xbox 360 version is due out sometime Spring 2007. Thanks to IGN.com for the tracklisting info.

Say Goodbye to Your Paycheck

2006-10-10T14:09:00.000-04:00

Retail outlets in the U.S. such as Best Buy and EB Games have now begun taking pre-order requests for games and other peripherals for the latests next-generation gaming systems: PS3 and Nintendo's Wii. Individual sections for the next generation consoles are all up, indicating new release dates (Smash Bros. by the end of the year!) and best sellers (I suppose 'best pre-orders' would be a more accurate term). Although, pre-ordering the consoles themselves are still not ready (as indicated by the email signup still present for each system), more than 88 titles and other items for Nintendo's Wii and the PS3 are ready to pre-order.

Interestingly enough there are already price discrepancies between retailers. For example, at least two popular Nintendo franchises (Super Smash Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy) are set to sell at a somewhat high $59.99, according to www.ebgames. However, retail giant Best Buy lists both of these titles at a mere $49.99. Will EB Games be the only retailer limited to such high pricing? More to come in the future as it unfolds.

XBox Live Goodies - Play PSU Free!

2006-10-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

If you have an XBox Live Gold account, you are eligible to download the beta version of Phantasy Star Universe and play online through October 18th. This download will only be available on October 11th and 12th, so act fast - this is a wonderful opportunity for Phantasy Star fans. In playing the Beta version you will be able to choose between familiar races and create your own customer character, meet up with up to 6 of your buddies, and play through any of three planet missions: Parum, Neudaiz, and Moatoob. Oh, joyous day! Get at it folks, and keep in mind this is Sega's BETA version... expect some bugs and glitches. The official/full version is slated for release October 24th. If you can't wait, download it suckas.

Microsoft Receives 'Design of the Year' Honor

2006-10-09T19:38:00.000-04:00

Last year Microsoft Corp. and Design Phase Inc.
collaborated to design an advertising kiosk for
its newest next generation console, the Xbox 360.
The display was set up in various retail outlets
around the globe and even walked off with top
honors at Design of the Times 2005, a contest
judging the very best in designer displays for
retailers. Now history has repeated itself as
Microsoft and Design Phase have come away
with the same honors for Design of the Times
2006...for the same kiosk console, no less.

The contest was held during the In-Store Marketing
Expo (formerly) the P.O.P Show (Point of Purchase) in
Chicago during the last week in September at McCormick Place. More than 250 entries from over 100 companies competed for Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes. Judging for the contest was based on style and overall function, favoring displays that would predictably catch the eye of consumers without imposing too much.

Also made in association with Design Phase featuring the Xbox 360 two other displays: a 360 Endcap made exclusively for Best Buy stores, which received a Gold rating and the 'Xbox 360 Glorifiers' display (received a silver rating). The Xbox 360 Kiosk program (shown above) was awarded Gold and also won two Platinum Awards, one of which was Design of the Year.

Nintendo and Sony were both notable absences this year (at least from a gamers' perspective) despite each just being a little over a month away from debuting next generation consoles. Nintendo of America did work with Wetzel Brothers Inc. in making three displays showcasing game art for DS and Gamecube game. The display for Donkey Kong Country 3 got a less-than-stellar Bronze rating, while a Nintendogs Deluxe display and an Odama Counter Unit both got Silver acknowledgements.

Japanese Developers: High Expectations for Wii

2006-10-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

According to IGN, Famitsu has released the results of a recent survey taken by 58 "hands-on" (rather than top level managment) developers for 19 Japanese game companies. Ready for some numbers crunching?

Expectations:
For each system, developers could choose whether they had extremely high expectations, high expectations, or weren't expecting much. For viewing convenience I will break it down categorically by ratings, rather than system (which is how it was asked).

Extremely High:
PS3: 48%
Xbox360:13%
Wii: 63%

High:
PS3: 32%
Xbox360: 40%
Wii: 36%

Not Expecting Much:
PS3: 18%
Xbox360: 45%
Wii: 1%

Console for which you want to develop most:
Ps3: 32%
Xbox360: 5%
Wii: 63%

Console which you want most:
PS3: 42%
Xbox360: 9%
Wii: 49%

Who will win the "console wars"?
In head to head competition, the Japanese developers chose the following console to have the most success:

PS3: 37%
Xbox360: 3%
Wii: 60%

The most anticipated PS3 game was Metal Gear Solid 4, Blue Dragon being the most anticipated for Xb0x360, while the Wii's game generating the most anticipation was Zelda. No big surprises here.

Developers favorite feature about the PS3 was the graphic capability, online capability for the Xbox360, and the controller (or wiimote) for the Wii.

For those of you who don't do well with numbers, Microsoft got rocked, while Wii came out on top, with PS3 in the middle, but closer to the top than bottom. I would break down these numbers to tell you which are statistically significant, but I just took my stats test and hour ago and I have no desire to do any more of that crap. So much for Steve Ballmer's "Developers Developers Developers" rant from a few years back, as Microsoft is thus far not pleasing Japanese developers. However, it is important to keep in mind that US developers will not necessairly respond in the same way their Japanese counterparts did.

PSP Price Cut & More

2006-10-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

A price cut for PSP. Now there is an idea that could only make gamers happy with Sony. Why in the world would Sony want to make anyone happy? There's no surprise in bringing this news to you today, considering the incredible losses Sony is enduring with their notebook batteries catching fire, and anticipated losses with PS3 hardware. Are you ready for the shocker? Okay... here it comes... Sony has confirmed that they will NOT be cutting the price for PSP in North America through the end of 2006. Wow! Can you believe it? I can, it's Sony. Though I suppose it only makes sense, considering how much their slated to LOSE this year in profits. Personally, I could care less. I already own my PSP.

A product manager for Sony had this to say, "We don't necessarily see the need to cut the price. We need to offer broader value and introduce new consumers to what the PSP can do."

Huh? What a fab business model. Someone should pop that guy in the head. What you need is a cheaper handheld with more games, ass. Since it's launch in Fall 2005, only 5.5 million PSP's have been sold in the US. This could be due in part to a weak video game library, which Sony anticipates adding 110 titles to by the end of 2006, doubling their total game library. Exciting!! Here's the hard truth; I have one friend with a PSP, and it's because he stole it from Dave & Busters. Not many people want to spend that much for a handheld - it's that simple.

I think Sony needs to pay more attention to Nintendo DS if they want to survive in the handheld market, anyway. Nintendo of America's President Reggie Fils-Aime tells USA Today, "Nintendo DS in Japan outsells all of our competitors by a factor of five to one. We are so far in advance of our handheld competitors that they're not even on the map. That's all based on a market expansion strategy, and that's what we're looking to do with home consoles." Sony, are you going to let Reggie talk shit like that? Ouch. Nintendo's coming back swinging, folks.One of Sony's ideas to boost PSP sales is to "soon reveal how the PSP will integrate with the upcoming PS3 console". Quite honestly, if you don't already have a PSP, and there is no price cut, I can't see a whole lot of gamers spending $1000+ to grab the combined package, and play with how they integrate. Watch out for video games to be blamed for armed robbery and store break-in's (and not just school shootings) come November. Sony needs to start hiring some people from the middle-class, beacuse these high-end loosers are missing the boat.

Sony, I can't afford you anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, back to playing Mob Wars.

9 Million Wiis by January!?!

2006-10-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

Last week, we reported that 1 million Wiis wil be available in the North American continent for purchase at launch. Now there are rumors (and somewhat loose ones at this point, so take this with a grain of salt) that there are alread TWO million units produced, and that there could be seven to nine million produced by the end of 2006. As all gaming fans know, there is typically a shortage (sometimes a massive one) in the weeks and months after a console launch, however if these numbers are accurate, Nintendo is doing its best to drastically reduce any potential shortage. But even at these possible numbers, don't expect a surplus. As reported a couple of minutes ago, the Wii is likely to be one of the top-selling toys.

Nintendo always strives to differentiate itself from its competitors (although it doesn't necessairly aknowledge them as such), and by making extensive efforts to meet demand in the launch timeframe, they are embracing a cutting edge strategy. Stay tuned: as we get updated and/or confirmed numbers, or if game stores begin offering more pre-orders we'll let you know.

Wii on the Hot List for Christmas

2006-10-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

The popular "Toy Wishes Magazine" listed the Nintendo Wii as one of the "Hot Dozen" toys for the upcoming holiday season. Wii joins the likes of the new Tickle Me Elmo, legos, and Monopoly on the magazine's top twelve list. PS3, Xbox 360, and the DS are all missed the cut. The PS3 and 360 likely were left off due to attracting older audiances, while the DS has been available for some time now, though all three will undoubtedly sell like hotcakes. Though this is obviously not shocking news that the Wii will be a big seller, it is notable that it is receiving recognition and hype from non-videogame-based media.