Download Emulator and Rom Game Free

The Xbox 720 concept Xbox console

2009-12-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Xbox Xbox 720 is the concept of a special design to best meet the needs of the next game with special events. Design is identical in all respects other consoles before the problem discussion among several designers. But when. It is the children that "yes" and is due to the identification and the ability to work. the author is trying to make a full and rich as a consequence of the secret metal bar spacecraft Xbox greenish water snake with beautiful light. at the top.

PSP Mini’s May Be Heading to UMD

2009-09-22T08:03:00.001-07:00

Earlier today Sony had a statement to make regarding the PSP minis that will come with the new PSP Go.

If you don’t know what the PSP Minis are, they are mini games, much like you’d find in the iPhone App Store.

Sony announced today that the “most successful minis” will be heading over to the Playstation 3 and UMD for the PSP. Zeno Colaco, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe head of developer relations stated, “The most successful Mini titles will probably transition to UMD,” he continues, “I think that a package of multiple Minis games on a single UMD is a real possibility at a later stage, where even a studio or publisher will put a collection of their own games on a single disc. We’d be open to that.”

A reported later asked about whether the Minis would also be heading over to the Playstaion 3, Colaco answered, “I do think there’s a possibility that Minis could find themselves on other consoles down the line.”

PSP Mini’s May Be Heading to UMD

2009-09-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Top-10 Video Game Console Accessories

2009-05-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Video Game Consoles have evolved greatly over the years from the early days of 8-Bit to the modern era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) incentive and resource hungry games; Gaming has become a big part of our daily lives. The gamers’ demographics have changed too - from adolescent to teenager to adults, and also a variety of gaming consoles and accessories out there to satisfy each of our personal gaming needs. The main consoles in the market now are the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, and it seems us gamers are still not satisfied.

1) PlayStation 3 Wireless Sixaxis Controller

A wireless gaming experience! Could we ask for anything more? This toy provides you just that freedom. The Wireless SixAxis Controller has a range of 30 feet, with analog controls providing 360 degrees of smooth movement and a D-Pad for precise control. The SixAxis Wireless Controller for PS3 employs a high-precision, motion sensitive, six axis system, which detects natural hand movements for intuitive real-time interactive play.

With the adoption of Bluetooth wireless technology, the SixAxis Wireless Controller allows up to 7 players to play at the same time, without attaching any other external devices. In addition, by simply inserting a USB cable into the Wireless Controller, users can seamlessly switch from wireless to wired connection and automatically charge its battery while the controller is in use. When fully charged, the Wireless Controller’s battery life lasts up to 30 hours.

2) Blu-Ray Disc Remote for PS3:

This Blu-Ray Bluetooth controller will let you play your favorite Blu-Ray discs on your PS3 box and wirelessly control them. It is sleek and elegantly designed, so there is high style in this remote control. It also sports a one touch menu access button for easy access.

3) PlayStation 3 Eye:

PlayStation Eye lets you communicate with your dear ones straight from your console. It has a built-in Microphone 4 array that allows you to communicate with up to 6 people. The VGA-resolution images run at 60 frames per second, while a smaller QVGA image runs even faster at 120 frames per second. The microphone also works seamlessly to focus on human speech and cancel out background noise.

4) Charge Base for PS3

If you are using a few of PlayStation 3 game controllers, you may be familiar with the pain caused when needing to charge two controllers one after another. With Charge Base for PlayStation 3, you can conveniently and quickly store and charge two PlayStation 3 controllers simultaneously.

Utilizing its unique USB Charge Adapters, the Charge Base 2 allows for incredibly easy charging of both SixAxis and Dual Shock 3 controllers. All required is a simple attachment of a small and lightweight adapter to the Mini USB port on the controller, and then placing the controller into the charging port.

5) G-Pak organizer Case:

The G-Pak organizer case organizes and safely stores your PS3, two game pads, 16 game discs, 4 memory cards, game manuals and all your links and cables. Fold down back door for all of your cable hook ups, customized vents for adequate cooling of the system, and the reinforced side walls and padded inner lining provide a protected and secure spot for the game console.

6) Evolution Gaming Seat:

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340204488819219970" />
Get the ultimate realistic racing experience with this amazing Racing Simulator; an ergonomic race chair for real life race stimulation. Made of high quality and non-flammable materials, it is multi-adjustable for age 8 and upwards. This racing chair also works with the Xbox, PC, PS1, PS2 and Nintendo GameCube.

7) Wireless Keyboard for PS3 Controller:

This wireless keyboard is a great addition to the wireless gaming we long and thrive for. The QWERTY wireless keyboard attached itself to a PS3 controller (dual shock or Sixaxis), to assist with the typing, taunting and messaging needs that may arise during gameplay.

8) MC2 Racing Wheel for Xbox 360:

This is the most realistic racing wheel available for the Xbox 360. Feel the driving power as you wrap your hands around the rubber-grip wheel, extend the retractable leg support, drop your foot onto the pedal and hang on for sheer excitement. Don’t forget the vibration feedback, which adds a sense of realism to this system.

With ten analog action buttons, you can take the MC2 to Talladega, Le Mans and a no-holds-barred desert rally, all in the same afternoon. This is Officially licensed for the Xbox 360 console.

9) Wii Charging Station:

Nyko’s Charge Station for the Nintendo Wii is a great way to save money on batteries. This dock features twin rechargeable battery packs for the Wii Remote — just connect the Wii Remotes and let them sit until you’re ready to play.

Wii Charging Station lets you charge two Wiimotes at once and includes 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries. These batteries are exclusively designed for the Wii Remote, with each providing up to 25 hours of play time and may be recharged in the charging dock.

10) Wii Remote Controller :

The Wii Remote Controller makes gaming accessible to people of all ages and all abilities. Nintendo fused the familiarity of a remote control with the sophistication of motion-sensing technology thus creating a multi-functional device limited only by the imagination.

The wireless, freehand Wii Remote doesn’t only make games easier to play, but it makes them a lot more fun than ever before. The Wii Remote frees you from cords and excessive, complicated buttons without sacrificing game play.

PLAYSTATION 4

2009-05-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Playstation 4 aka PS4
The launching of the playstation 4 is inevitable. The playstation has become less of a gaming console and more of an entertainment system. The blue ray disc reading capability integrated in the playstation 3 further demonstrates what playstation has to offer to consumers of entertainment, in other words, what playstation has to offer to everybody. Our guess here at PS4Online.net is that the playstation 4 will require a great amount of online interactivity. We hope to provide all of you playstation lovers and ps4 gamers the latest news regarding the playstation 4.

For all you playstation gamers who enjoyed the PSX, PS2, and the PS3, you have nothing to worry about. It have already been rumors circulating that the Playstation 4 will show its head in or around the year 2010. Even though the Playstation 4 release date won't be announced anytime soon, it still must be exciting for all you diehard playstation fans. Each generation of the playstation has outdone its predecessor by far and seeing how powerful the Playstation 3 is, it must get the fans adrenaline pumping.

The Playstation 3 has already surprised many of the people who have contributed to its development. It has exceeded everybodies expectations and our guess is, that it will continue to do so up to the very moment the Playstation 4 is released and blows everybody off their feet.

As stated in the articles below as well as in the news section, the Playstation 4 release date is as of now 2010. There is no definite date yet or any word that they have started on it, but as they did when the Ps2 was released, it is possible that they started working on the Playstation 4 (PS4) as soon as the Ps3 as released.

Xbox 720

2009-05-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

While Sony already admitted to be thinking about the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo are no doubt developing a Wii 2… In an interview with the head of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business division, Peter Moore, EGM magazine asked him when their next video game console would come out, and also asked if they’d drop support for the Xbox 360 like they did with the original Xbox. He said that they were going to support it “as long as it sold.” Possibly because they saw the Xbox sell well into 2007 despite not producing the console after October 2005.

He said the production team from the Xbox 360 is working on the next Xbox 720 [our pet name], and their looking into what kind of CPUs will be available on the market in 2011-2012. That would put the Xbox 360 at a lifespan of 6 or 7 years, a far cry from the Xbox’s 4 years. After spending $1.26 billion in losses launching the Xbox 360, they’ll want to get the most out of the system by lengthening its lifespan. As the longer you get into the cycle, the more profit you can make due to stopping being a loss leader, analysts always remark.

On June 13th, 2008, Robbie Bach — the President of Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft — mentioned the next Xbox by saying: “Our view is we will be selling Xbox 360 for a long time. We are always working on new technologies. We have people working on those. People ask me how many people I have working on the next generation. On the one hand, it’s everybody. On the other, it’s nobody. People are continuously working on new technology.

We started thinking about the next generation before we shipped the Xbox 360. It doesn’t start with a date. It starts way upstream with silicon development. From that comes a series of data points. You start making early technology choices. It’s an evolving thing. Stuff doesn’t become concrete until you get inside a window of when you have to ship, more than 18 months or so out.”

PSP + 2009 = WIN

2009-04-22T01:38:00.000-07:00

Its that time again. As we all regain consciousness from our holiday shenanigans, and New Year Hoopla, we gear up for the new anticipated releases “coming soon” to our favorite consoles. Like waves on the beach, our minds wash in the memories of our favorite games of yester-year and starts up, in it’s incredible way, letting us hope and dream that this new batch will surely satisfy without question.

But, certainly, some waves are bigger than others.

The PSP has, as of late, been going through a quality game drought. Sure we’ve had the highlights like Crisis Core and Chains Of Olympus, but besides those two and few other games of 2008, the PSP was not really done justice. [cue Inspirational orchestral music - Ed] However, I believe that the drought is over. I believe that the PSP has its best year ahead of it. I believe that this wave will knock you on your ass.

Lets begin with a few titles for our RPG lovers out there. First off, we got Dissidia, coming stateside after an enormous debut week of half a million sales in Japan. It’s a brawler from the world of Final Fantasy, including combatants from the original all the way through to 11. It’s sure to give you an extreme retro fix.

Along with that mega-hit, we have Star Ocean: Second Evolution, Phantasy Star Portable, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, & the 1000-life epic Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

If you’re more of a rhythm demon than a loot grinder, the PSP still has you covered. DJ Max Fever promises to be one horribly addictive, pretty difficult, bum-shaking good time which is all I need to hear. Also coming is the hotly anticipated Patapon 2, in true “How-can-that-fit-on-a-UMD” fashion. The sequel will include over a reported 80 different levels, which is twice as many as the first! If you thought that the original satisfied, take that into consideration, along with the fact that it will include nearly 500 items on that tiny disk. If thats not enough to have you already chanting “Pata-pata-pata-pon”, It will even come with 4 player co-op that can be played even in…….

WII Jog pedometer Gadgets

2009-04-19T23:30:00.001-07:00

This is latest conceptual gadgets are showing best and unique services from another gadgets product and acesserious. And this JOG is the ground contravention add-on manages for the WII that detect inferior body movement and bring a complete latest dimension to your living room gaming knowledge. WII jog pedometer gadgets let you control your game nature group by WII Jog gadgets on the spot and this easily plug it in and clip it to your belt and you are ready to start playing your games in a new, exciting and active way.

In the 80s it was the non plus ultra of the sport and I think this is best technology that we are talking about the pedometer and a mechanical and electronic products after first, which was used to count the number of steps made during the race, so as to record the performance session after session. Now back to accompany one of the console video gaming more advanced at the time: the Nintendo WII.

WII Jog is an accessory to be connected to the WII jog pedometer gadgets and allows you to move the characters running in place. Large 15 x 15 x 4 cm, could be the perfect companion in calories to lose sight of the summer. At the time the stocks are over, but it can be bought at the site of the Firebox at a price of 24.95 pounds, equivalent to about € 28.

Nintendo Wii as it might look in 2010

2009-04-03T01:18:00.001-07:00

Technology pundits speculate that mind control is the future of gaming. They envision that the movements of computer game characters will be controlled not with joysticks but with non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) which monitor the brain's electrical activity and transmit the signals to the games console.

Although scientists are concerned about the non-therapeutic use of BCIs, such devices are already commercially available; last year, Emotiv Systems demonstrated its Project Epoch EEG cap, and began marketing it to games developers such as Sega and Nintendo.

In anticipation of the time when gamers can put their joysticks down for good, gadget website T3 has produced this artist's impression of the Nintendo Wii as it might look in 2010.

huge vintage video game console auction

2009-02-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

If you’ve always wanted to build up a huge collection of vintage console games, now is you chance to do it in one fell swoop. Some guy over in Hamburg, Germany has decided to sell off his collection of over ninety classic (and not so classic) video game consoles on eBay.

The massive auction includes such classic consoles as the original Intellivision, NEC Turbo Grafx 16, Nintendo NES and SNES. It also features some vintage stinkers like the Nintendo Virtual Boy, the Odyssey 200 and number of crummy Pong clones. A couple of real rarities, such as the Game Axe portable Nintendo clone and the Sega Nomad round out the pack.

Just about the only thing missing is my personal fave, the Vectrex. A number of games are also included in the massive sale. If you look closely, you’ll also see some real treats like the original Samba De Amigo maraca controllers for the Sega Dreamcast. Starting price for the auction is 3000 Euro (appx. $3941 USD.)

Personally, I prefer the simplicity of emulators such as MESS. They take up a lot less space and don’t cost four grand.

Wii Sports Resort Review

2009-01-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

Wii Sports Resort is a sports game which will be released for the Wii video game console, a sequel to Wii Sports (simply THE most popular Wii game and really where the Wii made it’s mark) and is set for a global release sometime in 2009.

From the famous Wiki:

The game is part of an ongoing series of games sometimes referred to as the Wii Series. Wii Sports Resort will be the first title to be compatible with Wii MotionPlus.[1] The game will come bundled with the MotionPlus device and an extended Wii Remote Jacket, both of which will also be sold separately. From what has been seen so far, the game is set in a beach resort.

Games which have been announced to be included (with apparently more to come) are: Frisbee (Disc Dog), Jet Skiing (Power Cruising) and Kendo (Sword Play).[2] However, it has been indicated that there will be at least 10 games included in the final product.[3]

You can buy Wii Sports Resort here
when it’s released.

Analyst: Wii Still Scarce 'Til 2009

2008-12-11T10:12:00.001-08:00

Sure, it may be difficult to find a Wii on store shelves now, but just wait until 2009. Things should calm down by then, with supply catching up to demand. Wait. 2009? With a NINE? That's when IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon told Home Media Magazine he expects Nintendo to fulfill demand in a recent report on Q1 videogame sales.

With PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware demand "stagnant" and Wii supply still lean, Pidgeon pegs Wii, DS, PSP, PS2 and PC software sales to fill in the holes.

We know that Wiis are hard to come by—e-mails hinting at new Sunday stock are still common and very excited in their tone—but if Nintendo doesn't meet hardware demand by 2009, something's seriously wrong. Michael McWhertor

52.1 million Wiis sold by 2009, predicts analyst

2008-12-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Of course they could just have got that figure from a random number generator, or perhaps they only employ the most capable of fortune-tellers, but somehow London-based media analyst Screen Digest reckons on Nintendo shifting 52.1 million Wiis around the world by 2009. Which is almost one Wii for every person in the UK, if you want to think about it like that.

Interestingly, the people from the future at Screen Digest think 42.3 million PS3s will have been sold by 2009, while Microsoft will only have managed to sell 30.4 million Xbox 360s by that point. In other words, according to Screen Digest’s visionaries, “Wii FTW” — and Microsoft had better beware of a Sony comeback. That sounds like quite a plausible forecast, actually.

But more importantly, which format do you think will be leading the way in 2009? Place your bets… now. (In the comments section.)

Final Fantasy XIII only 13 percent complete, 2009-2010 release date likely?

2008-12-07T09:29:00.001-08:00

Over eight months ago we reported that Final Fantasy XIII was estimated to be 3% complete. This week Square Enix said at the Tokyo PlayStation Premiere press conference that the PS3-exclusive RPG sequel is currently 13% complete.

Meanwhile the PS3 spin-off, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, only jumped from 1% completion last year to 1.3% this year.

At this rate it’ll take them six years to finish FFXIII, of course development isn’t that slow, so an expected late 2008 release in Japan would suggests a 2009 release worldwide. All guesses of course, but the above screenshot from the trailer last year is all you’re going to see for a while. IGN is hopeful to see more from both games at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2007.

Update: Now that a Final Fantasy XIII demo won’t be out in Japan until March 2009, the game will likely not see a release date worldwide until the 2009-2010 period.

Sony Unveils Their PS3 Controller Wireless Keypad

2008-12-05T10:57:00.001-08:00

Yesterday at the Leipzig games convention, Sony introduced a wireless keypad for their PS3 controller. I don’t know yet how practical this system is...

To use it, just attach it to the top of your Playstation 3 controller. Available in eight languages, the keypad also features a touchpad mode for mouse input.

No further information, including price, but Sony’s new keypad should be available in November.

GTA Wii in 2009?

2008-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

MTV Multiplayer recently had an interview with NOA President Reggie Fils-Amie, in which Reggie stated himself that he would love GTA on Wii, and it’s all up to Rockstar whether it happens or not. More info after the break.

Attention animal-loving gamers: Sim Animals coming soon to Nintendo DS & Wii

2008-12-03T10:15:00.001-08:00

UK magazine NGamer has revealed the first details of an ultra secret project from Electronic Arts. Following the massive success of The Sims 2: Pets and the MySims titles, the company is set to bring Sim Animals to both the Nintendo DS and Wii systems sometime during 2009.

At the moment no screenshots can be revealed, but NGamer was given the chance to see the early project in action. Sim Animals is set for a 2009 release on both Wii and Nintendo DS and is much more than the standard virtual pet game with some sort of Sims touch” formula the team was obviously expecting. As they continue with, …”it’s a woodland ecosystem ‘god game’ where Disney-style characterisation meets the teeth and claws of the Discovery Channel.”

Players are represented in the world by a disembodied hand that they can use to move the landscape around with, pick up plants and animals, as well as interact with everything around them whilst the creatures of the forest continue to go about their daily rituals. EA’s is aiming to task gamers with the challenge of building a certain level of happiness by cleaning up polluted areas and helping all of the animals prosper. There are also several other factors that need to be considered, such as food chains. Therefore, if you are egging on the rabbits then you would have to ensure the plants they especially like are tended to in the best possible way, watering them regularly and scattering seeds to help grow more plants. Whilst doing all of this, though, it should be remembered that rabbits are also quite tasty treats for the likes of foxes and bears, meaning players will need to make some direct intervention at times. In these cases the fighting animals will become cartoon-esque dust clouds (similar to the fighting in Freshly Picked Tingle’s Rosey Rupeeland) until players part them and drop each animal off far away from each other.

In the demo version shown off, NGamer was given the chance to see how to interact with bears by bringing the floating hand close to the bear itself and watching as it either runs off extremely petrified or, if it has much more bravado, decides to try and maul to on-screen hand icon! After a little patient probing, leaving trails of berries for the bear, the animal began to trust them and eventually started to accept being hand-fed or even tickled on its under-belly. If scared, though, since it was indeed a wild animal, it would revert to its natural instincts, with the same being true for if it saw a yummy rabbit!

Each living creature’s needs and requirements must be fulfilled if the gamer is to drive the ecosystem in a positive direction and total happiness. Moving things to better locations or helping animals find food o even encouraging them to set up family groups will all be beneficial in the long-run, and there is even the option to name animals’s offspring at times, as well as watch as favourite animals may well come visit you as you progress deeper into the forest.

With twenty-five animal species and fifty plant types being made available in the final build of the game, as well as rare seeds that can be planted to cause a variety of mysterious effects to happen, there is something for everyone and it looks like EA is definitely putting a lot of effort into this new Nintendo exclusive. Finally, up to four players can work in the forest on the same screen, with animals recalling how they have been treated by specific gamers, even if they bring their own Wii Remotes from home to play on someone else’s game.

Stick around for more details on this potentially very exciting game…

thank you from www.kittymowmow.com

Dual Touchscreen Nintendo DS in 2009?

2008-12-03T10:14:00.001-08:00

My former Kotaku colleague Brian 'LOL' Ashcraft has plied mysterious "sources" in Japan with sake, reducing them to salaryman-style drunkenness. Plucked from their chaotic drunken ramblings? Some details about the next iteration of the Nintendo DS.
According to Ashcraft, several industry sources outside of Nintendo claim that a new DS is being prepared... one with a top-mounted touch screen. The screens will also be slightly bigger.

It's plausible. The DS is still early in its lifestyle: exciting games are still coming out for the platform. A top-mounted touch screen would allow for new types of games to be developed while maintaining library backwards compatibility without a built-in emulator.

I think the part of me that is struggling with this rumor is I simply don't know what a top touch screen would add: the bottom touch screen is used meaningfully seldom enough as it is. On the other hand, Nintendo has a way of making seemingly useless gimmicks into system-defining backbones that make me feel foolish for my skepticism.

Either way, we've got a lot of time to speculate: Nintendo won't even announce these babies until 2009. Providing they aren't just unicorns.

‘Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii

2008-11-28T08:40:00.001-08:00

Press Release
Majesco Entertainment and Interactive Game Group Announce ‘Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009′ for Wii(TM)

June 12, 2008
Introducing the First Game to Integrate a Celebrity Fitness Trainer with the Wii(TM) system and the Ground-Breaking Wii Balance Board(TM)

Shed the extra weight while having fun! Majesco Entertainment Company (Nasdaq: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, is partnering with celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels, the strength trainer and life coach on the popular television series “The Biggest Loser,” and Interactive Game Group to deliver the first Wii(TM) game that combines a celebrity fitness trainer and the motion-based Wii system and Wii Balance Board(TM) accessory — Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009. Integrating a tiered fitness regimen, expert advice and exercise techniques from the charismatic Jillian Michaels, the game delivers a focused workout that will help players reach their own personal fitness goals.

“Wii and the Wii Balance Board have added a credible and effective new option for players looking to get in shape in a fun and entertaining way,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. “Jillian Michaels’ expertise in the fitness world coupled with the innovative Wii Balance Board lets us deliver a compelling game that will change the way America approaches home fitness.”

“As a huge gamer myself with younger siblings and godchildren, I recognize the importance of staying current with how people digest their media and information,” said Jillian Michaels. “I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionizing the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today. I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Interactive Game Group and Majesco to bring a family-oriented fitness video game to the market.”

Frederic Chesnais, founder of Interactive Game Group (I2G), added, “This project is exactly why I created I2G — to bring talented people together and facilitate the creation and distribution of highly-innovative interactive entertainment.”

In Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 players become new recruits in Jillian’s boot camp where they enroll in a unique training program composed of challenging fitness tests and an ever-changing series of workouts. Players choose their workout from four types — Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb — and set the intensity to light, medium or hard for a duration between 10 and 60 minutes. By completing exciting Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board motion-based challenges that range from crossing monkeybars to climbing ladders and rowing, players can also unlock lifestyle and fitness video tips from Jillian. Players can even track their progress based on calories burned and workout intensity. In addition, a Competitive Party Mode lets two players race against each other through entertaining individual challenges or through the entire Physical Training course to earn the winning time.

Developed by 3G Studios, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii(TM) is expected to release this holiday season. For additional information about Majesco’s exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.

PSP phone for Christmas 2009?

2008-11-28T08:32:00.001-08:00

Sony is currently working on a PSP-branded phone for the Christmas season of 2009, Japanese and Korean sources are again claiming.

The company is using the PSP as its model for the phone and intends to incorporate many of its key features into the new device.

Analysts speaking to Marketing Week also claimed that it would be "relatively easy" to convert as it already incorporates Wi-Fi.

The move would put Sony's relationship with Ericsson in jeopardy, but insiders are reporting that the relationship is already "frosty" at best. Probably because Ericsson bosses keep reading all these reports online about Sony making a PlayStation phone.

According to (yet another) insider, internal conversations have already confirmed that Sony would "never give its PlayStation branding" to the Sony Ericsson joint venture.

It's hardly confirmation, but it sounds more than just a rumour. Enough for us to consider not joining the iPhone cult, anyway.

Courtesy of CVG.

Video Game

2008-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Buying Guide Video Game
It started with a game where a ball (square) was refuted from one side to other by two little traits. After more than 20 years, the graphic realism became so amazing that it is not unusual to see some people confusing a video game match to a real one! The battle between Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft has divided the market and the video game fans have wasted billions of dollars every year searching for the best way to have fun. Check here some information that will definitely help you to choose the best video game to take home.

Which is the best video game?
In this category you cannot define the “best” and the “worst” one. Even if technologists analyze the processor capacity and speed, the screen resolution and another important things, what is really important is if you can have fun with that equipment. Anyway we can say video games follow the defaults determined by the 3 biggest manufacturers: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. These 3 companies use to release their models always on the same season and people call it “generation”. The new video games generation divides the market in the best three models: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii.

What is best in each video game: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii?
Now there are two categories: one is has PS3 and Xbox 360. Both have the highest resolution graphics and Bluray and HD-DVD players. The second one has Nintendo Wii with the new move sensitive control but with very simple graphics. The choice depends on the taste of each player. In Brazil, Playstation’s “fashion” still seduces a lot of players who are loyal to the mark but the truth is that PS3 was a complete disaster in the whole world due to its several months late release and the not convincing Bluray technology. The Xbox 360 had a big advantage in this battle because he was the first to be released. The quantity available is so much larger than PS3 and the price is more interesting too. Another positive thing is that the Xbox bought in Brazil has Microsoft guarantee. But Nintendo Wii, which price suggested by the Japanese company is US$ 250, still suffers with the big taxes in American market and so it costs around US$ 400 (reference price). This high price is because the offer is not able to meet the demand. So the possibility of playing tennis, bowling, golf and many others games just with the joystick movement has conquered a lot of users of all ages and the equipment has been sold just like water! And these were the definition of the best of each one to make your choice easy.

Is it worth to have a high definition DVD player in the video game?
There is a very positive and negative thing about it. First of all we haven’t find a good Bluray and Hd-DVD offer yet! Even in video rental! That means you will have wasted money in a kind of technology you will not enjoy that much. Still, if you don’t have a high resolution TV, a Bluray or HD-DVD player won’t make any difference. Second, as a positive thing, a DVD player with Bluray or HD-DVD technology costs about R$ 4.000 and the Xbox 360 (with optional drive) or PS3 costs about R$ 3.500. It means you will have the last generation video game and a high definition DVD player for R$ 500 less.

Why does the Xbox 360 have a separated sold fan?
If you use to play your video game for two or three hours and then you turn it off to do something else, then you don’t need this fan. Microsoft has developed this optional cooler because they noticed some cases of burn in the appliance’s reader due to a overheating. As every toy is more used in the first days after the purchase, check the possibility of buying this fan that your video game will be good and so your pocket. Is it worth to buy the old models which are still available? Sure. If you are thinking of PS2, Xbox and Game Cube, all of them can give you great moments of fun and for a very good price! Unlike the new generation of video games, PS2 is the best of them because of its large quantity of available games and it also works as a DVD player.

Retrieved from "http://en.wiki2buy.com/wiki/Video_Game"

Japanese Card Game Looks Awesome

2008-11-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Not totally sure how it works or if we'll ever see it anywhere but Japan, but damn does this thing look like Magic on acid. It's a video game released by Taito at a recent arcade game show in the land of the rising sun. Apparently the touchscreen is interactive, and responds to the cards you place via RFID recognition. If anyone has any more information, or can make better sense of the translated page, feel free to add. All I know is I need one. I haven't had a good game of Magic in a long time. Mostly because I don't have any friends. That, and my freaking dog eats the cards when he loses. Poor sport.

A few more after the jump.

Basic controller setup & alternatives

2008-11-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Most all platform game controllers have the same button/stick layout. Usually there are 4 directional control buttons on the left side of the controller. On the right half one most often find 4 action buttons. In the center there are 2 buttons of more general nature usually used for in-game menu access and starting/pausing the game. Furthermore 2-4 shoulder-mounted buttons are common. In addition some controllers have small, analog joysticks. The described setup is common for most game console controllers available.

I was therefore rather surprised to see the relatively new learning game console for children called V.Smile. The first thing I noticed about it was that the controller seemed to be inverted. In most of the image material I found the directional controls were on the right and the action buttons on the left. This is an invesion of the common setup described above. I was rather puzzled by the reasoning behind this inversion. Why would one want to teach kids to control games using an inverted version of the common setup? Was it because most kids are right-handed that the directional controls were placed on the right?

On closer inspection however it turned out that the controller is actually constructed so that the directional and action controls can be changed or flipped physically in order to support both left- and right-handed children. To me this immediately sounds like an exellent idea. In most console games it is possible to reconfigure the controller buttons and thereby invert the controller through the software. Nevertheless I consider a physical inversion to be slightly more intuitive and user-friendly. However in order for it to work most console game controllers would have to undergo serious design changes.

Wii Baby / Blue Vii Sport Game Console/ Remote Controller +18 Games-Free Shipping

2008-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Details
This machine is called a Vii, it is made in China.
It is very similar to the Wii.
This Vii comes with Vii sports.
The Vii is designed for children, or if you don’t like the Wii console then this is the choice for you.

Specification:
Signal output :TV OUT
Support the NTSC / PAL format
Game Console working with the AC Voltage: CD/5.2 V INPUT/ Current:100 mA
Remoto controller working with the AC Voltage: 2*AA alkaline batteries / Current:25 mA
Console size:190 x 150 x 48 mm
Remote controller size:140 x 35 x 34 mm
There are 11 games in the unit,the screen are beautiful and sounds are living,the different feelings,handle is simply,graphics are fresh ,contents are richness,sport and body are combined perfectly.
Weight:900g
The structure and components of the controller:
RF wireless function combines the body and TV screen.CPU apperceive the information and feedback to JOYPAD .Differenct sounds and joy pad has vibration function:
3 axes G-SENSOR to feel the track and the force of the sport;
RF 2.4G Wireless transmitter/receiver,assign the frequency automatically,avoid 2.4G RF disturb one another.
RF transfers real time ,transfer the data of the MEMORY library,by the deal with of the MCU,the graphics and sounds are not delayed;
The wireless joy pad can control the screen of the TV,it can product the vibration and 10 different sounds:
2*AA alkaline batteries can work more than 25 hours continuous the joy pad has SLEEP function.(it maybe exist the error used by the different brand of battery.) .
If no press any key or the motor doesn't shake ,after 15 minutes the unit will auto-power off.
Remark:if don't plug the cartridge into the slot or plug in it wrong,there is no screen displays on the TV or display the TV or display abnormality,please plug in the cartridge again.
Function introduction:
Host unit:
Power switch:press this to turn the power on and off.
Reset switch:press this to reset your unit.
Wireless joy pad
Power switch:Power on the joy pad ,or awaken the joy pad when it enters the sleep mode.
2.4G RF: 2 Funtions
Force to connect: When use the unit first time,you must force to connect, or during using it ,when the joy pad to connect the host unit.
Connect method:After install the batteries in the joy pad,press 2.4G RF key,then open the host unit.the LED on the joy pad and the host unit are flashing,please wait it for about 3-4 seconds,when the LED are lighting,it shows they are connected.
Force to cut: When the joy pad and the host unit are connect press this key ,then the joy pad and the host unit are off,the LED are flash.if the joy pad is mot to connect to another unit,aftr 15 seconds they are connect automatically.So don't press this key during play the game.

iWish - portable game console

2008-11-06T09:16:00.001-08:00

Check out this fantastic looking portable game console concept by Mat Brady combining a Sony PSP, Apple iPhone and full qwerty keyboard. Shame it probably won’t go into production as this would be one sweet gadget.

VG Pocket Max Video Game Console

2008-11-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

VG Pocket Max Video Game Console

Compare Prices
Date Published: 2/21/08

Handheld gaming technology has improved to the point where new consoles can enter the market with a unique design, a large list of games, and a good price right off the bat. That's the niche that Performance Designed Products (formerly Pelican Accessories) is hoping to fill with their VG Pocket Max video game console.

It's not a GameBoy or a PSP, but the VG Pocket Max doesn't have to be. With its low selling price and 75 games pre-installed, this video game console isn't trying to take over the handheld gaming market, but it might appeal to casual gamers who will play while waiting at the bus station or during a flight.

Many of those games share a similar feel, and many use similar background music, but it remains an impressive collection. Perhaps what is most impressive on this console is the 2.5-inch full color TFT screen. It's not as sharp as a PSP screen, but it holds its own against GameBoy Advance graphics, with good resolution and quick refresh -- even in the 3D games. (One caveat: the screen can get scratched quite easily, so you might consider a protective screen cover if you'll be carrying this video game console in your pocket.)

The games themselves bring back memories of original NES or Commodore 64. They're better than what you'd find on the Atari 2600 and Intellivision retro machines, but not as polished as Super Nintendo. The top-down racing games especially feel the same, but there's still plenty of variety. Action games such as Jump and Penguin Island feel like old arcade titles, and there's an ample collection of forward scrolling-shooters like Earth's Starfighter and Starcraft Attack where you blast everything that comes at you while trying to avoid incoming fire.

Included with this video game console is an AV connector to hook up to your television and play on the big screen. You can't have both screens at once, but the games hold up well with a full-screen image.

The VG Pocket Max is a great diversion for older gamers and all the games are appropriate for younger games, making it a quality video game console rated E for Everyone.

Pros: Good collection of games, sharp screen, can play on TV
Cons: Screen can get scratched

Nintendo DS

2008-11-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Nintendo DS is the most recent handheld system developed by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 and was the first handheld system to feature dual screens. In improved edition called the DS Lite was released in 2006. The term "Lite" refers to it having brighter screens, smaller size and lower weight, it still has the same features as the original.

Specs:
Two backlit 3-inch TFT color LCDs with 256x192 pixel resolution
Lower screen is a touch screen
Color: Capable of displaying 260,000 colors
Wireless Communication: IEEE 802.11 and Nintendo's proprietary format
Multiple users can play multiplayer games using just one DS game card
Controls: Touch screen, embedded microphone for voice recognition, A/B/X/Y face buttons, plus control pad, L/R shoulder buttons, Start and Select buttons
Input/Output: Ports for both Nintendo DS game cards and Game Boy Advance Game packs, terminals for stereo headphones and microphone
Other Features: Embedded PictoChat software that allows up to 16 users to chat at once; embedded real-time clock; date, time and alarm; touch-screen calibration
CPUs: One ARM9 and one ARM7
Sound: Stereo speakers providing virtual surround sound, depending on the software
Battery: Lithium ion battery delivering six to 10 hours of play on a four-hour charge, depending on use; power-saving sleep mode; AC adapter
Languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Italian
Available colors: various, depending on region

Gamepark XGP, XGP Mini Portable Game Consoles Announced

2008-08-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

The XGP (Extreme Game Player), which looks like a slightly bent PSP, sports a largish 4" TFT LCD bundled with 64 megs of RAM, as well as 64MB of user-storage. Of course, 64MB never did much for anyone, so you have the option to expand it using the provided SD memory slot. Interesting features include integrated DMB-TV receiver, and of course, Wi-Fi.

Remember GP2X? You know, that open-source game console in a market filled with the Nintendo DSs and Sony PSPs. Gamepark, have announced a couple off new consoles called the XGP and XGP Mini.

On the other hand, XGP Mini sports a 2.2" screen, and 32MB of RAM. SD card is supported here as well, but the DMB receiver and Wi-Fi connectivity have been stripped off.

The XGP will carry a price tag of US $300, while the Mini should be available for $150.

One Station Handheld Game Console

2008-08-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

Detailed Product Description

-- Play 8bit or 16bit games.

-- 2.5 inches high quality LCD and built-in sound.

--4 colors available: Ocean Blue, Army Green, Rose Pink and Fantastic Blue.

-- A/V Out :
The user-friendly multimedia platform support Play-On-TV function. Plug it on TV for clearer and wider images.

-- Digital Crystal 2.5 Inch Panel :
The crystal like panel sized at diagonal 2.5 inch is adapting the most advanced Low-Temperature Poly Silicon technology, providing use the user with 960 x 240 high-resolution color images. The viewing angles range support 150 (80+70).

-- Multiplatform Supporting :
The Crystal LTPS Panel is an excellent viewer. Through this you may play tons of games on different platforms, to get some education. With coming soon cartridges, you may convert it as your MP3/MP4 player, the digital TV, the photo view or even a neat digital camera.

-- Slim and Portable Design :
Simple but streamlined product design will make your hands stuck on it. Feature weight only 75 grams. Strict manufacturing procedure guarantees higher reliability and safety.

-- Game cartridges available. (all legal and copyrighted)

fc mobile game console plays original nes carts

2008-06-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

I’ve seen plenty of Nintendo NES clone systems in my travels, but this is the first time I’ve seen a mass-produced portable that can play the actual cartridges from the classic 8-bit gaming system.

The FC Mobile portable console plays original game carts from the NES wherever you go. The compact console lets you play on either the built-in 2.4-inch LCD screen, or on your television via an included AV cable. The system runs on three AA batteries, and can play audio through its internal stereo speakers, or via a headphone jack.

Despite the Famicom reference in its name (FC Mobile - get it?), from everything I can find out, the console plays North American NES games, not Japanese Famicom cartridges.

Ready to get your retro game on? Two versions of the system (one in black/silver and another in red/white) have recently started to pop up over on eBay for around $40 to $50 bucks (games sold separately).

Game Consoles - March 2008 NPD Sales Figure Analysis

2008-06-03T00:24:00.001-07:00

The March 2008 NPD game console sales figures for the US has been released. It’s another month where all sides claim victory, and I guess it’s hard not to when the overall market has increased by a huge margin over the same time last year. I did predict last month that the Xbox 360 will out-sell the PS3, but barely, so was I right or was I wrong? You can read last month’s analysis here. The figures are from NPD, a marketing research firm that releases games console sale data every month.

The figures for US sales in March are below, ranked in order of number of sales:

Wii: 721,000 (Total: 8.8 million)
DS: 698,600 (Total: 19.2 million)
PSP: 297,100 (Total: 11.3 million)
Xbox 360: 262,000 (Total: 9.9 million)
PS3: 257,000 (Total: 4 million)
PS2: 216,000 (Total: 42 million)

A couple of surprises this month. First, just look at those Wii sales figures! Amazing! You would think the “hype” surrounding the Wii would end by now, after two holiday sales periods where it was the “must-have” item, but it just continues to grow stronger where this month, it out-sells both the 360 and PS3 combined! The other surprise was that, despite expert predictions, the Xbox 360 did in fact reverse the last two month’s trend and out-sell the PS3, albeit by the width of a hair. Could Microsoft’s excuse about stock problems actually be correct?

The PS3 came fifth this month, with only the PS2 behind it, which must be somewhat disappointing for Sony. Sony will say that compared to this time last year, the PS3 is doing much better compared to the 360, and that’s true: the 360’s next-gen market share has dropped from 51% to just 43% since September last year, with the PS3 gaining from 14% to 18%. But these stats are a bit of a lie (aren’t they all), since the Xbox 360’s market share had to drop considering it was the first next-gen console on the market and with 100% of the market share at the beginning, the only way was down. What is worrying for the PS3 is that while the 360 had a period which it totally dominated the next-gen market (first when it was the only console available, and then for the PS3’s fragile first few months), the PS3 has not had a comparable period. Despite the technical superiority that the PS3 has over the 360, the sheer number of 360’s on the market plus the much more mature Xbox Live multiplayer service means that the Microsoft now has a solid footing in the gaming arena which is something they didn’t have with the original Xbox. Quantity has a quality of its own, as someone once said, and that’s what the 360 earned by having an earlier release date. On a side note, looking into popular culture, how many times have you spotted someone playing the 360 on TV or in movies? South Park, Disturbia, Transformers are just some of the recent shows/movies I’ve watched where the 360 was featured. I’m sure that helps to sell consoles as well, despite all the bad press over the RRoD problems.

And Microsoft raised a point about “ecosystems” last month, where they said console performance should not just be based on hardware sales figures, but also on software and community. In this respect, Microsoft has a very healthy “ecosystem”, but it doesn’t mean the other companies do not. Nintendo is building something very strong with the Wii/DS combination, and Sony with the PS3/PS2/PSP combination. If anything, Microsoft needs a portable game console to compete directly with Nintendo and Sony to fully take advantage of their better online gaming system.

But Microsoft are right in that while hardware sales haven’t been great compared to either the Wii or the PS3, it’s the software sales that’s really driving the Xbox brand at the moment. Here’s the top 10 sales chart for games:

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo) - 2,700,000
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Xbox 360, Ubisoft) - 752,300
Army of Two (Xbox 360, EA) - 606,100
Wii Play (Wii, Nintendo) - 409,800
God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP, SCEA) - 340,500
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP, Square Enix) - 301,600
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii, Activision) – 264,100
Major League Baseball 2K8 (Xbox 360, 2K Sports) - 237,100
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, Activision) - 237,000
Army of Two (PS3, EA) - 224,900
Another good surprise for Nintendo, as Super Smash Bros. Brawl outsold everything by miles - one of the criticisms of the Wii is that it doesn’t have good games that sell in great number, but I think this myth has been dispelled this month. Other than that, the 360 has 4 of the top 10, and all of them are multi-platform games that are available on the PS3. The PSP did well this month too with two titles in the top 10, but the PS3 is still struggling with only one title, and at the bottom too.

Last month, I predicted the 360 would out-sell the PS3 by a small margin, based on nothing but a gut feeling. I was right (well even a broken clock is right 730 times a year). I also said last month that the 360 will do very well in April due to GTA IV, if not in hardware sales, then in software sales, and I’m sticking with this prediction. What’s really interesting is to see if the Wii will continue to have another good month, or will it suffer from not being on the GTA IV bandwagon? But then there’s Mario Kart, so you never know.

iRiver's G10: more deets on the WiBro'in game console

2008-05-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

We finally got a pic and a few more specs on iRiver's G10 WiBro game console we told you about a few months back. If our Babelrean is any good, then it appears like iRiver's "PSP killer" will sport an 800 x 480 pixel 260k color display, pack in 4 or 8GB of storage, and run Windows CE 5.0. Looks like it'll be on display at CES so we'll be sure to track this one down for ya. Another pic after the break.

Update: According to our friend Jason, that WiBro connection will not only be used for online gaming and game downloads, but also provide access to a new iRiver music and movie service allowing subscribers to purchase content, store it in provided webspace, and then stream it to their G10.

[Thanks, James]

cool boy game console: call the copyright cops

2008-05-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

The latest gadget to crawl out from the seamy underbelly of the Chinese gaming underground. Not to be confused with the GameBoy, the Cool Boy is a portable game system that plays a variety of old school 8-bit and 16-bit console titles.

From what I can tell, the Cool Boy is one of those systems that plays emulated NES and SEGA console games, and the only way to get them is through questionable packages like this 120-in-1 cartridge that clearly includes copyrighted works from major game studios like EA, Nintendo and Disney.

The cartridge claims to include all sorts of classics like Donkey Kong, Galaga, Tetris, Xevious and Lode Runner among others, but I strongly suspect that the games are either knock-offs or illegal bootlegs. The portable system includes a 2.4″ LCD screen (480×240 resolution), and can even output to a TV using its built-in AV port.

Still, the system is only about $36, and the 120 game cartridge around $8 bucks. So you’re not taking too much of a risk if the whole thing craps out in a month. If you’re willing to take a gamble, you can grab both the Cool Boy system and 120-in-1 game cartridge from importer DealExtreme.

Change the color of your Wii without opening it

2008-05-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Wii Dazzle Colorful from GT Coupe is a translucent plastic shell that snaps over the exterior of your Wii, adding a layer of color over the standard white case.

In addition to the colored plastic shell, the kit includes a vertical stand with a built-in fan and blue LED illumination.

The shells are made in several different colors and retails for approximately for $30. DealExtreme currently has the pink available. Other colors should follow shortly.

The console protector is made of import raw material,prevent scraping and protect the console completely.
Multicolor for choice,taking your console more interspersion.
Customize output design,easy to use for AV power ,game pad,memory card etc.
Flip-open design,easy to use.
Using together with blue-light stand,not only retain Wii design,but also cooling for Wii console.
Including a slap-up, colorful and soft cleaning cloth.

A Console for Pre-Pubescent Players

2008-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Mattel, the folks behind Nintendo's Power Glove and the Intellivision game console of yore, is back in the gaming saddle. The company is releasing a new game console called the Hyper Scan, which aimed at the "tween" (between 8 and 12 years old) market. Apparently, this bracket isn't quite ready for real hardware and needs training consoles. Um, okay. Sure.

The 32-bit system is CD based and merges paper card games with scanning technology. The discs go in the left side, while the cards are scanned over the red light on the right side. Players scan cards during play to update characters or save data. The system combines rewritable intellicards tech with "the fast-paced, button-mashing action of video games." It's about time! Because what's button-mashing with out writable cards? Nothing!

The game machine is packaged with an X-Men fighter and six game cards. The console boasts two controller ports, but includes only one joypad. Cough up that lunch money for an extra game cards and controller, kiddos. (Come this October, the Hyper Scan ships for US $70.) Me, I love the Hyper Scan. It's so bad! Brian Ashcraft

Nintendo's Wii game console debuts in Japan

2008-05-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

TOKYO (AFP) — Thousands of video-game fans waited all night for the Japanese debut of Nintendo's next-generation Wii, brightening the company's hopes of wresting market share from troubled Sony's PlayStation. On a quest to regain its former industry dominance, the video game pioneer stocked retailers with about 400,000 units of the new console, which flew off the shelves as people rushed to buy after queuing overnight.

The Wii, priced at 25,000 yen (217 dollars), comes with an innovative remote control, whose motion sensors enable it to be used like a sword, tennis racket or car steering-wheel. "Sony spends a lot of money for good graphics. But it's always Nintendo that comes up with new ideas," said Kentaro Watanabe, a 19-year-old university student who demonstrated his keenness by coming dressed as a remote control and said he had been determined to wait all night. "I made this (costume) by myself yesterday. ...

Nintendo lands punches on Sony in battle of the games consoles

2008-05-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Nintendo confirmed its resurrection from an also-ran in the games console market to a serious challenger to the mantle long held by Sony, as it said sales were outpacing even the most optimistic forecasts.

Shipments of its Wii console - famous for its motion sensitive, remote control "wand" which allows players to play sports-like tennis or mime sword-fighting - topped its target of 6 million by the end of March, and is believed to be outselling Sony's new Play- Station 3 by two to one. Sales of its handheld console, the Nintendo DS, also surged.

Nintendo had told analysts to expect a record net profit of 120bn yen for the year to 31 March. Yesterday it said this would be significantly higher. Sales totalled 966bn yen in the year ended 31 March, up from its previous forecast of 900bn yen, and compared with a consensus estimate by industry analysts of 929bn yen.

"Merchandise does not move in the January-March quarter - that is the norm in this industry," the Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said. "But ours somehow did."

The Kyoto-based company is marketing both the DS and the Wii as simpleto-use, with intuitive games, and is aiming to attract customers who may never have got into gaming before. The Wii's revolutionary "wand" - plus its lower price and its slightly earlier launch last autumn - has allowed Nintendo to steal a march on Sony in the battle for supremacy in next-generation consoles. Its success surprised industry observers, who expected the main rivalry to be between the PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox.

"It is clear the Wii is the initial winner in the console battle, but nobody knows how long things stay that way," said Koichi Ogawa, chief portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments. "I would like to wait and see what kind of strategy - pricing strategy in particular - Sony will take in its effort to catch up."

The PS3 is on sale for twice the price of the Wii. Sony says it makes a loss on every console, and only expects to recoup its investment through games sales over the long run. That limits its scope to compete with the Wii, but the firm has shown its willingness to press Nintendo on price in other segments of the market. Last week, Sony cut the price of its PlayStation Portable hand-held console in the US to better challenge the DS.

Nintendo's DS opens like a book and offers games starring the company's traditional characters, such as Super Mario, as well as brain teaser-type games. It was launched in 2004 and has recently been revi-talised with a new lightweight look. Eight of the 10 best- selling game titles in Japan were meant for the DS in the past business year, including New Super Mario Bros, according to video game magazine publisher Enterbrain.

Copyright 2007 Independent Newspapers UK Limited. All rights owned or operated by The Independent.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Nintendo Dominates Hardware and Software Sales in the U.S.

2008-04-24T06:22:00.001-07:00

It appears as though this whole shortage issue is gone for Nintendo. They posted very impressive sales numbers for their hardware and software in March and trounced both Sony and Microsoft in these areas. Let's just put it this way, Nintendo sold 58% of all hardware sales in the US between their DS, Gameboy, and Wii systems.

Not only that, but the sales numbers overall indicate that the supposed recession that the news wants you to be so interested in is not effecting gaming. Growth is good and people are buying and making more games than ever. waht waht?

Pop the break for fancy charts and bad news for M$ fanboys and girls.

TALE OF THE TAPE

chart borrowed from arstechnica

Consoles Sold in the US in March
Wii - 721,000
DS - 698,000
PSP - 297,000
360 - 262,000
PS3 - 257,000

Software Top Four
1. Super Smash Bros.: Brawl - 2,700,000
2. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - 752,300
3. Army of Two (for the 360) - 606,100
4. Wii Play - 409,800

For some perspective, consider that Nintendo sold a copy of Super Smash Bros. to 31% of its US installed base in one month. That's incredible.

It was not a strong month for Sony as far as software sales but their response to the numbers is that a "waterfall of blockbusters" coming up should reverse that trend. Among them are Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, and SOCOM:Confrontation, and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. We're also assuming a nice boost from GTA IV.

While it was a bad month for Sony, Microsoft seems to be worse off without any huge exclusives coming up. Additionally, their hardware numbers are handicapped by the fact that they have no handhelds to sell, while Sony and Nintendo obviously do. Unleash the fanboys!

arstechnica.com: Gaming appearing recession proof as Wii, DS dominate sales

Wii Fit date confirmed and priced at $89.99

2008-04-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

This news may be a little bit old for some, but just in case you hadn’t heard the Wii Fit game from Nintendo which is bundled with the Wii Fit Balance Board has gotten an official release date and now an official price. $89.99 will be the price tag associated with Wii Fit on its May 19 US launch date. This price includes both the game and the board bundled together.

In the short time since the announcement, pre-orders for the Wii Fit on Amazon has moved up into the number one position with an 885,500 percent increase in just a day, not to mention all the accessories. Needless to say, it looks like this is going to be another hot item for Nintendo this year.

Want to know what your $89.99 purchase of Wii Fit is going to secure you in the box art department? Now you know! Featuring a frighteningly monolithic Wii Balance Board about to crush an unsuspecting Wii Fit yoga fan and a Touch! Generations badge—Wii Fit is the third Wii title to do so—it's certainly more vibrant than its Japanese counterpart. The back is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational feel-good product photo fest.

Look how handsome everyone is, after just a few moments with Wii Fit. Where can I score some of that sterile Wii Fit brand workout gear, Nintendo? I want a total Wii Fit lifestyle too!

Huh?: Screens from Fifa 2008 for the Wii

2008-04-24T06:11:00.001-07:00

When I first saw these screens, labeled “Fifa 2008,” I thought it was a joke. These couldn’t possibly be from the same sports series known for its attention to detail and realism. Then I realized these were from series of mini-games for the Wii version. Suddenly, it started to make a lot more sense. Apparently in this version, in addition to the regular game, you’ll be able to play several mini-games with your friends using your Mii counterparts. Also, you apparently get a Mii version of a grinning Ronaldinho.

Nintendo Wii- the Best Gaming Console

2008-04-24T06:09:00.001-07:00

The gaming consoles are changing the dimension of the electronic gaming mechanism. Various latest model of gaming consoles are available in the market these days with multi function features. The games that are played in these consoles are very interactive in nature. They also enable the players to develop their tactful skills and knowledge.

The Nintendo Wii is an electronic gaming device that comes to enthrall the game lovers with its various innovative features. The unique feature of this gaming console is its Virtual Console Channels. This exciting feature would easily enable the users to download their favorite games from the channels of Wii shop. This gadget is also armed with a striking feature called Disk channel. This amazing feature would help the gamers to load their preferred games from the compact disks (CDs).

The Wi-Fi controllers of this gaming console come to the game lovers with various striking specialties that would surely enthrall them a lot. As the gamers can easily download their favorite games it would enable them to explore and enjoy the latest available games. These exciting features have made this gadget an exceptional gaming console and the device is sure to surpass all the gaming systems. The most astounding feature of this gaming console is that the users can download not only games but every other downloadable item also. The users can even download their favorite music tracks, TV shows etc on this gaming console.

The wireless controllers would enable the gamers to play and operate their favorite games at ease. The Wii remote option of this device has the capability to detect its orientation from three various dimensions. The amazing feature of this gaming device is its Wii Connect 24 that would allow you to receive the messages from the internet when the system is in stand by mode.

The motion sensitive feature of this gaming system is very interesting as it enables the users to use exciting effects in their favorite games like swing, slash etc. This gaming console is portable and is very light weight. The 512 embedded memory of this system would enable the gamers to save their downloaded games. However, the users can further extend the storage capacity of this gaming gadget by using an additional memory card. There are various exciting games that can be played in this gaming console by more than one player at a time. The multiple players option would enable the gamers to develop its adventurous aspects.

This gaming device is perhaps the most advanced as it enables the users to remain online constantly with its unique Wii Connect 24 Service. This exciting feature also has the ability to automatically download the system updates. The default channels that come equipped with this Wii are a news channel, a photo channel, and weather forecast channel etc. The Photo Channel that comes incorporated with this gaming device would further enable the users to view and edit the images.

The amazing graphics and animations of the Nintendo Wii Games come to enthrall the game lovers a lot. The overall sound and animation feature of this gaming console is extra ordinary. The Photo Channel option would further enable the users to enhance their creativity and editing skills. The basic image editor would enable the users to edit and crop up the images. The image options and the background music would enable the users to add extra punches to the image clips. As such, the users can easily engage themselves with it in their leisure time by editing and displaying the enhanced images.

The game lovers can easily access the online shopping stores to avail the information regarding these latest games consoles. They can even compare their prices to avail the gaming console at affordable rates. The most interesting thing that would enthrall the users a lot are the exciting and the adventurous games that can be played in this gaming device. Further, the Wii game site would enable you to access the latest games such as Super Mario, Legends of Zelda etc.

Nintendo Wii Consoles - Tips for Shopping Online

2008-04-24T06:08:00.001-07:00

Nintendo Wii Consoles can be acquired through your choice of auctions on the web. Our document will investigate the benefits of shopping for and buying your Nintendo Wii Console through an Internet auction marketplace. It will also give you the itemized instructions that you can follow to avoid wasting money on Nintendo Wii Consoles.

What Would Cause Me To Obtain Nintendo Wii Console On a Web Auction?

You must first recognize that you ought to take into account the possibility of purchasing your Nintendo Wii Console via an Internet auction marketplace. To begin with, auctions let you choose when you want to shop, and allow you to shop for items that can be obtained from anywhere on earth instead of just the ones that are close to home.

Crowds - they don't exist. Even though there are more than 200 million of your neighbors shopping online, none of them will ever get in your way. In fact, the shopping experience is a positive factor why the number of online shoppers continues to grow. Once you understand the skills needed to accomplish your objective, shopping online can be an uplifting occurrence that will leave you feeling like you accomplished something.

How Hard Is It To Get Outstanding Bargains For Nintendo Wii Consoles?

In the last 30 days, 168118 people, similar to you in many ways, wanted to know the same thing. A place to begin is on your favorite search engine. You want to search for exactly what it is you are looking for, which in this case is a Nintendo Wii Console. Finding the right item is all about using the right keywords. Keywords you provide will limit the mass of information to the data that is meaningful to you.

Describe the item as close as you can. Use a minimum of three words as past experience has highlighted that this will increase the odds to get your results rapidly.

Search Terms - More Is Good

Search functions normally begin by reading the information in the description of all auctions within the selected category. It is critical to be aware of the fact that someone offering to sell Nintendo Wii Consoles has the option to describe the item anyway they want. As the seller lists their auction, they might not use the same terms that you will use to find the items you desire.

You can correct the issue by highlighting your wishes in quotes. This assures that the terms you are searching for will appear together in any results that are returned to you. When you use quotation marks, you request the output to leave out the unnecessary entries that don't meet your exact criteria.

Going A Step Further

You can restrict the results even more by detailing other factors, such as manufacturer, model, styles, colors and so on. It is best to include as much information as possible in your search. Using this technique can save you a lot of browsing time.

You should also note that search engines tend to treat words like 'or', 'and', and 'the' as part of the phrases to search for. Punctuation matters as well. If punctuation is a literal portion of your search data, make sure your search phrase has kept it.

What Price Can I Expect To Pay For My Nintendo Wii Console?

During the past 30 days, there was an average of 372 sellers of Nintendo Wii Consoles transacting auctions on an average day. Prices ranged from between $0.01 and $678.99 with the average start price being $87.59. The most common starting price for Nintendo Wii Consoles was $0.99. Ending prices ranged between $0.01 and $1,009.00, with an average ending price of $307.29. This means that when you find Nintendo Wii Consoles offered for $300.00 or less, you have found a good deal.

Is There A Difference On What Day It Sells?

When trying to discover a great price for Nintendo Wii Consoles, knowing the best day of the week to shop can reduce your costs when purchasing. The price of Nintendo Wii Consoles can change from day to day. Below you will find the daily purchasing information for Nintendo Wii Consoles pertaining to the previous 30 days.

Sunday showed median sales of $11.64 with a success rate of 0.00%.

Monday showed median sales of $6,935.00 with a success rate of 314.43%.

Tuesday showed median sales of $3,633.00 with a success rate of 305.67%.

Wednesday showed median sales of $1,020.00 with a success rate of 303.23%.

Thursday showed median sales of $1,403.00 with a success rate of 297.73%.

Friday showed median sales of $211.00 with a success rate of 316.41%.

Saturday showed median sales of $2,179.00 with a success rate of 13,745.00%.

Looking at the above numbers shows that the best day for you to consider buying a Nintendo Wii Console is going to be a listings. The time of day will make a difference also. The optimal time to purchase is revenue. This is when the expected cost to you for Nintendo Wii Consoles is near the bottom. The average sale price between revenue and listings was $50.00.

You Must Follow Through

It is vital that you find and then review the feedback rating of all persons that have caught your interest. When it comes to feedback, you should expect the best. You are taking care to observe how happy the former customers have been with their buying experience and the products they purchased.

Anything less than 97% is a flag that there may be a reason to avoid the vendor. This is similar to an efficiency rating for appliances. Those that operate at 97% would likely be highly acceptable. The same situation applies to Internet auction services too.

Nintendo and Playstation Consoles

2008-04-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

The new WII Nintendo video game is the newest console released from a series of five . The WII is to be pronounced like a pronoun “we” and should stand for the idea that the game approaches interesting themes for children and the entire family. Nintendo Console is the successor of the Nintendo GameCube and stands for the seventh generation of level game consoles. The basic characteristic of the Consoles is the wireless controller in form of a WII remote meant to allow the user to point certain objects by a handheld device and to permit access to three dimensional motion and rotations.

Nintendo Console is able to receive Internet data with a decreased energy consume due to the new technology of WIIConnect24 feature. The actual name of the Nintendo Console was “revolution” but the manufacturers finally preferred”wii” as it is a generally accepted term for two persons playing side-by side. The new Console is available since 2001 and in 2006 it has won its first prizes as a world recognized success game.

The musical background of the Nintendo Console is inspired by the Yoshida Brothers song “kodo” and all TV commercials for the game are based on a strategy showing parents and grandparents playing together with their children. The idea is targeted on having more and more persons of all ages interested in playing video games. The Wii Nintendo Console is the smallest of its type and can be placed either horizontally or vertically. However, the Nintendo Console producers have been criticized for the low power of the hardware as well as for the inaccurate Wii Remote.

The concurrent video games technology of the Nintendo is the Sony production Playstation Console, a miniature lightweight compact portable video Console. The one-pack new version of Playstation is manufactured to supply the user with the exact same clarity, power and game play of the older Playstation, in a 32-bit processor. The internal volume was reduced by 75%, the overall weight decreased and the product width is currently 7.5cm. The new Playstation Console is equipped with an Ethernet modem and port, meant to easy the dial-up connections, and is easy to carry with you anywhere due to its hardcover book similarity.

The new generation Playstation console was released in 2004 and its redesign was meant by Sony to maintain the lead over other types of Consoles made by rivals Nintendo and Microsoft. The Playstation Console is designed to meet the demands of both experienced players and new video game players. In spite of its reduced volume, the Console still keeps the 300 MHz processor to assure the same clarity and graphics clients of Sony Playstations are used to. The standard controller is also designed to meet all of the players demands.

Due to the LCD and the car adaptor, you can take your new Playstation Console with you anywhere. It also plays CD-s so you needn’t worry about not having enough play variants.

Both Nintendo and Playstation Consoles are designed for anyone who wants to take advantage of the relaxing and enjoying new technologies in video games. The decision between the two must be made by everyone personal and according to the needs.

For more information about Nintendo Wii Console or about Playstation Console please check this website http://uk.shop25.eu/

Nintendo Wii Leads Next-Gen Console Sales

2008-04-22T06:27:00.001-07:00

New figures from market research firm NPD show Nintendo's Wii has dominated console sales during the period next-gen system have been available.

Remember a year ago—or maybe six months ago—when most industry-watchers were expecting the next-generation video game console wars to center on Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360? New sales figures from market research firm NPD covering the period from November 2006 to February 2007 show the Nintendo Wii significantly outselling both its more-powerful (and more-expensive!) competitors.

According to NPD, the Nintendo Wii sold 1.86 million units from November 2006 through February 2007; in comparison, Sony sold 1.1 million PlayStation 3 consoles and Microsoft managed to move 1 million Xbox 360s.

Analysts attribute the Wii's success to pricing—the system sells for significantly less than either Microsoft's or Sony's offerings—and also to the console's innovative, interactive controls and friendly interface, which are credited with attracting customers who might not otherwise consider purchase of a video game system.

So far, industry-watchers don't find the Wii's lack of online multiplayer games a significant shortfall to adoption, although Nintendo plans to bring out its first online-capable title, Pokémon Battle Revolution, at the end of June.

PlayStation2 shipments top 50 million

2008-04-06T13:02:00.001-07:00

Sony announced on Thursday that worldwide shipments of its PlayStation2 video game console have surpassed 50 million units, broadening the electronics giant's lead over rivals Microsoft and Nintendo.

Sony said that since the console was introduced in Japan in March 2000, it has shipped 21.5 million units to North America, 16 million to Europe and 12.5 million in Japan.

Nintendo has projected that worldwide sales of its GameCube console will hit 16 million by 30 March, the end of its current fiscal year. Microsoft projects sales of 9 million to 11 million Xbox consoles by the end of its current fiscal year on 30 June. Both rival consoles arrived on the market a full year after PlayStation2.

Sony said PS2 sales have steadily accelerated. Thanks to a successful holiday shopping season, it took the company only three months to ship another 10 million units, after hitting the 40 million mark last October and 30 million in May.

Meanwhile, Microsoft on Thursday launched its Xbox Live service in Japan. The company began selling a £37 Xbox Live starter kit that includes several games, a voice communicator and a one-year subscription to the service, which allows Xbox gamers to compete against each other via a high-speed Internet connection.

Microsoft is betting on Xbox Live to distinguish its game console. The service had an unexpectedly strong launch in North America, but Japan has been by far the weakest territory for the Xbox. The latest rankings from Japanese researcher Dengeki show cumulative Xbox sales of only 312,000 units and only one Xbox title among the 40 top-selling games in Japan.

Kingdom Hearts III´ exclusive to Wii?

2008-04-04T23:53:00.001-07:00

´Kingdom Hearts III´ will be exclusive to Wii, according to N4G forum user Astro, who is citing the March issue of Nintendo Power. In his post, he sums up the alleged article:

- Kingdom hearts 3 Wii exclusive, developed and published by square-enix.
- Tetsuya Nomura is the game director.
- Yoko Shimomura composer.
- Direct sequel to KH3, but also will reveal interesting things about chains of memories.
- Sora main character, a new misterious girls is also one of the main characters
- combat system vastly improved, every attack looks "sick", uses Wii-Remote in a very intuitive way
- Best looking Wii game, uses normal mapping far more than Konami's dewey's adventure, the animations are incredible and the art directon is a little less "kiddie"
- Winter 2008 release.

There are no scans of the article and there are no other reports concerning the particular magazine issue. For the moment, the story is as credible as the original poster. Although he joined in November, he has started only two threads on N4G, the first one being about ´God of War´ for PlayStation3.

His recent comments betray him as both a spammer and blatant anti-Sony fanboy, though. This greatly damages his credibility, for sure.

Since October, Nintendo Power is published by Future US, who I am currently trying to contact. Rest assured that I will update the story within the next few hours.

EA Thinks PS3 and 360 to Tie in 2008 North American Sales, Activision Disagrees

2008-04-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by Chris on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 6:22 pm under Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Activision, Sony, Game Platforms, Game Consoles, Microsoft, Game Companies
Tagged: Activision, ea, electronic arts, Microsoft, Playstation 3, PS3, Sony and Xbox 360

Fanboys and analysts aren’t the only ones that like to project videogame console sales; publishers do, too. EA, for instance, recently predicted that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 would be in a virtual tie in North American sales, with each selling somewhere between 4.5 and 5.5 million consoles. (Meanwhile, over in Europe, EA thinks the PS3 will sell 5-6 million compared with the 360’s 1.5-2.5 million.)

Activision has now chimed in with its projections for the home consoles’ sales in North America. The numbers aren’t as favorable for Sony as EA’s were, as the publisher believes the PlayStation 3 will sell 3-4 million to the 360’s 4 to 5 million. There’s no indication of what they believe the consoles will do overseas, but it seems likely that they would favor the PS3.

Personally, I think EA is a bit closer than Activision, but both console’s success will heavily rely on their ability to deliver new exclusive games. Otherwise, they might not see the major boost they’ve no doubt got their fingers crossed for.

There’s no way to tell which numbers are right, though. We’ll just have to wait and see, but at the very least, these will be fun to come back to next year to see which publisher had more accurate numbers.

via Daily Tech / image via Sony Defense Force

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 Preview

2008-04-04T01:35:00.000-07:00

It's not surprising how quickly Capcom is releasing a sequel to Japan's best selling PSP game...

Selling over a half million units, Monster Hunter Portable (known as Monster Hunter Freedom in the Western world) turned into a surprise hit on the PSP in Japan - its sales significantly outpaced the earlier PS2 Monster Hunter games. It comes as no surprise, then, that Capcom, being a company never shy to release a sequel (or 10), quickly commissioned a PSP sequel.

Monster Hunter Portable 2 ended up receiving a staggering number of preorders from Japanese retailers, yet still exceeded expectations when it was released this past February. It would go on to become the first PSP game to sell one million copies in Japan, and is still holding steady on Japanese charts, over six months later.

The series has not enjoyed the same level of success here in America - so much so that Capcom passed on localizing the PS2's Monster Hunter 2 and Monster Hunter G. Nevertheless, the company is releasing Monster Hunter Portable 2 as Monster Hunter Freedom 2 this week here in the states. Despite lacking mass market popularity, there is a group of hardcore Monster Hunter fans who are almost guaranteed to buy the sequel.

The best way to categorize Monster Hunter is as a mixture of adventuring, hacking and slashing, and RPG elements. When one hears the term "RPG," one probably assumes there will be level ups and lots of level grinding. Monster Hunter doesn't have character levels - the combat all takes place in realtime. The basic flow of the game is to take on quests and complete them. Completing quests and beating enemies gives you loot, and loot will slowly lead to more powerful items. Certain rare items will bestow significant stat upgrades.

Using only brute force will get you nowhere in Monster Hunter, since the game requires a lot of patience, skill, and careful observation to complete quests. New weapons can be created from the parts of creatures you hunted. Weaponry has an attack rating, sharpness level, and sometimes a defense bonus. Weapons can also contain elemental magic - some typical, some not: fire, water, poison, stun, thunder, sleep, dragon etc. Monster Hunter fans are especially fond of the fact that every equipped weapon has its own unique design, and is actually viewable on your character.

Since so many publishers are fond of porting PS2 titles to the PSP, one might assume Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is a port of Monster Hunter 2 on PS2. The game is actually closer to being a port of Monster Hunter G, although there are differences.

Refinements and improvements made to Monster Hunter 2 on PS2 are carried over to Monster Hunter Freedom 2. If you played the original game, you can upload the data save in the sequel to gain some items and some gold. Character stats are not transferrable, however. Still, it's better than nothing.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is loaded with content - over 350 quests to perform, over 700 different weapons, and over 1,400 pieces of armor all crammed onto one UMD. The amount of content should make the game twice as long as its predecessor. To increase longevity, Capcom is adding support for downloadable quests, as well.

Loading times are a big issue to those who played Monster Hunter Freedom. Although loading is common in PSP games, MHF's load times were especially cumbersome. This time around, the loading problem is said to be solved by loading the next area in the background, so a transition into the next area should be minimal. Unfortunately, using the background loading option will deplete the battery faster. Shortening the loading is said to be optional, so if you prefer fast loading, or if you prefer a longer lasting battery, you have a choice.

Taking on quests with a group of other people is usually the most enjoyable feature in a Monster Hunter game. MHF2 contains Ad-Hoc (local) multiplayer. Each player needs a PSP and a copy of the game in order to play multiplayer together. There is no infrastructure multi-player unfortunately, which the prequel also lacked. Talk has been going around about Capcom having a survey if people would buy Monster Hunter on PSP if it had infrastructure multiplayer. It's really unfortunate if you wanted to play a friend who lives a distance away. Finding another PSP owner with the same game can be difficult.

MHF 2 releases this week, up against some stiff competition. Here's to hoping the game can rise above the noise, allowing Western gamers catch Monster Hunter madness this holiday season like their Japanese counterparts.

Upcoming Mario Games.Times are good for Mario! New Super Mario Bros

2008-04-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

You probably heard this game before, if not, you live under a rock. BUt anyway, this game is the next installment to the Sumer Smash Bros. Series. It take Nintendo's finest characters and puts them into a head-to-head combat which focuses more on ring outs than knock outs.

I, for one, LOVED the origional Super Mario Baseball, so this should be even better! From what i know, you will be able to use the wiimote to pitch and swing at the ball. There are many confermed characters, too.

Mario Kart - Wii Will have alot of new and interesting things! Some of these are new characters, such as Boo and Pac-man! Another neat new feature is characters now have motorcycles as well ans their normal karts!

PS4 not till 2010, PS3 may get keyboard and mouse

2008-04-03T09:44:00.001-07:00

Sony VP of Technology, Paul Holman, just let us know that â€œa PS4 will be launched by Sony but not until at least 2010.â€� Until that time, â€œSony will introduce a series of firmware upgrades that will give the PS3 more media centre capability while allowing for the introduction of third party applications and hardware â€™such as interactive controllersâ€™ similar to the Nintendo Wii he said.â€�

Remember when we posted about the Playstation 4 being possibly ’sans disc’? Well that hasnb’t been confirmed, but the PS3 may get a mouse and keyboard to go with it in the future. As Holman also stated, “in the future the PS3 could come with a keyboard and mouse that will allow for easier access to the internet as well as the use of new media centre and third party applications.”

Smarthouse via TechEBlog

Guitar Hero To Nintendo DS in 2008, More GHIII Deets

2008-04-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

It's been rumored for a while, but Red Octane made it official with GameSpot UK today -- the Guitar Hero series will hit the Nintendo DS in 2008.

There's no word, of course, on how the rock music gameplay will translated to the portable. I'm not sure that Activision even knows, yet. The closest thing we have is this fan-made mockup from GoNintendo (right).

The interview also spilled some interesting details about Guitar Hero III, coming for PS2, PS3, Wii, and 360 this year. All the guitar controllers will be wireless, and the games will sport online gameplay and downloadable content. (No word on whether that's restricted to 360 and PS3 only.)

Looks like our dreams of a wireless Guitar Hero II controller on 360 are to be shot down. They'll save that to get us to buy GHIII.

Guitar Hero III will add online multiplayer, wireless [GameSpot]

Super Smash Bros. delayed in Europe AGAIN

2008-04-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

Nintendo has today released an updated release schedule for European Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii software. As expected, the likes of Mario Kart Wii, Battalion Wars 2, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barboros’ Treasure, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict and Ace Attorney Apollo Justice all feature. Fantastic stuff, but, and this is a big but… where’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl? We’ve got the official word inside.
Nintendo Wii

PDC World Championship Darts 2008 (Oxygen Games) - 11th January 2008
Wii Chess (Nintendo) - 18th January 2008
Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure (Capcom / Nintendo) - 18th January 2008
Donkey Kong Jet Race (Nintendo) 25th January 2008
Hamster Heroes (Data Design Interactive) - January 2008
Kawasaki Jet Ski (Data Design Interactive) - January 2008
Kidz Sports: International Football (Data Design Interactive) - January 2008
Urban Extreme (Data Design Interactive) - January 2008
NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (SEGA) - January 2008
Ghost Squad (SEGA) - January 2008
Last Ninja (System 3) - January 2008
Battalion Wars 2 (Nintendo) - 15th February 2008
No More Heroes (Rising Star Games) - 29th February 2008
Call For Heroes: Pompolic Wars (Data Design Interactive) - February 2008
EARACHE Extreme Metal Racing (Data Design Interactive) - February 2008
Bleach (SEGA) - February 2008
Kawasaki Snow Mobiles (Data Design Interactive) - February 2008
London Taxi: Rush Hour (Data Design Interactive) - February 2008
Pool Party (SouthPeak Games) - February 2008
Destroy All Humans 3: Big Willy Unleashed (THQ) - February 2008
Spongebob: Atlantis Squarepantis (THQ) - February 2008
ATV Thunder Ridge Riders & Monster Trucks (ZOO Digital Publishing) - 7th March 2008
The Wizard of Oz (ZOO Digital Publishing) - 7th March 2008
Naruto Wii (tentative title) (TOMY/Nintendo) - 28th March 2008
Bomberman Land Wii (Rising Star Games) - March 2008
SEGA Superstars Tennis (SEGA) - March 2008
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (SEGA) - March 2008
MX vs ATV Untamed (THQ) - March 2008
Harvest Moon Magical Melody - (Rising Star Games/ Nintendo) Q1/Q2 2008
Worms: A Space Oddity - (THQ) Q1 2008
PES 2008 (Konami) - Q1 2008
Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - Q2 2008
Dancing stage HOTTEST PARTY (Konami) - Spring 2008
Iron Man (SEGA) - Spring 2008
Nintendo DS

Game Name / Publisher Release Date

Advance Wars: Dark Conflict (Nintendo) - 25th January 2008
Betty Boop (ZOO Digital Publishing) - 25th January 2008
Garfield Gets Real (ZOO Digital Publishing) - 1st February 2008
Professor Kageyama’s Maths Training - (tentative title) (Nintendo) - 8th February 2008
NARUTO NINJA Destiny (TOMY/Nintendo) - 15th February 2008
8Ball Allstars (Oxygen Games) - 15th February 2008
Powershot Pinball Constructor (Oxygen Games) - 15th February 2008
Harvest Fishing (Rising Star Games) - 15th February 2008
Bleach (SEGA) - February 2008
Spongebob: Atlantis Squarepantis (THQ) - February 2008
Command and Destroy (ZOO Digital Publishing) - 7th March 2008
Magic Taizen (tentative title) (Nintendo) - 14th March 2008
Ace Attorney Apollo Justice (Capcom/Nintendo) - March 2008
Bomberman Land Touch 2 (Rising Star Games) - March 2008
Dungeon Explorer (Rising Star Games) - March 2008
SEGA Superstars Tennis (SEGA) - March 2008
MX vs ATV Untamed (THQ) - March 2008
DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker (Square Enix) - Q1 2008
Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings (Square Enix) - 15th February 2008
Crayola: Treasure Adventures (Ignition) - Q1 2008
George Of The Jungle (Ignition) - Q1 2008
Teenage Zombies (Ignition) - Q1 2008
Iron Man (SEGA) - Q1 2008
Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (Empire Interactive) - Q1 2008
Code Lyoco 2 (Game Factory/K.E. Media) - Q1 2008
Zoo Hospital (Majesco/Eidos) - Q1 2008
Nancy Drew (Majesco/Eidos) - Q1 2008
Holly Hobbie (Majesco/Eidos) - Q1 2008
Fish Tycoon (Majesco/Eidos) - Q1 2008
Hannah Montana – Music Jam - (Disney Interactive Studios) Spring 2008

So, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, perhaps Nintendo’s most anticipated title of 2008 is missing. CVG has been on the case and the official word from Nintendo is this: Super Smash Bros. Brawl is currently not planned for a release in Q1 or Q2 next year.”

In true Nintendo fashion, this means that the beat-em-up won’t hit shelves until at least July 2008. First it was confirmed for before Christmas 2007, then delayed until shortly after, and now this.

Oh, Nintendo! You’re killin’ us here. Of course, the title is already confirmed for release in Japan and North America on January 24 2008 and February 10 2008 respectively.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.

Electronic Arts: Nintendo Will Dominate 2008 and PS3 Will Clobber Xbox 360

2008-04-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Electronic Arts, the world's largest video game publisher, released estimates of 2008 console sales, saying it believes Wii will win out in '08. Perhaps most surprising, however, is that EA believes PS3 will whoop Xbox 360 worldwide.

Digital Journal -- Published in a supplement (opens in PDF) to its financial report, Electronic Arts (EA) believes 2008 could be the year for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3.

Internal estimates show EA is betting Wii will reign supreme, while Xbox 360 will slip to last place worldwide. EA estimates Xbox 360 and PS3 will tie in North American sales, but PS3 will likely clobber Microsoft's machine in Europe.

According to the report, EA estimates Sony will ship between 4.5 and 5.5 million PS3s in North America, and five to six million in Europe. The grand total: 9.5 to 11.5 million PS3s sold in 2008.

For Xbox 360, EA predicts Microsoft will sell 4.5 to 5.5 million units in North America and 1.5 to 2.5 million units in Europe. The grand total: six to eight million Xbox 360s sold in 2008.

For Wii, EA estimates Nintendo will ship 5.5 to 6.5 million units in North America and 6.5 to 7.5 million units in Europe: The grand total: 12 to 14 million Wiis sold in 2008.

EA does not include sales for Japan in its estimates, but the gaming industry largely expects PS3 to outsell 360 by a big margin in that country in 2008

In 2007, NPD Group numbers showed the PS3 was in third place in console sales in the U.S. behind both Wii and Xbox 360. But if EA's numbers hold true, Sony could see a needed bumper crop this year.

EA also predicted numbers in the handheld gaming market, where it sees Nintendo's DS cleaning up against the PlayStation Portable.

As outlined, EA's total combined predicted sales for '08 are:

Nintendo Wii: 12-14 million
PlayStation 3: 9.5-11.5 million
Xbox 360: 6-8 million
PlayStation 2: 3.9-4.9 million

Nintendo DS: 14-16 million
PlayStation Portable: 6-8 million

Nintendo Wii Overtakes Other Consoles to Become Most Searched for Toy

2008-04-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Wii went on sale in the UK yesterday and reportedly sold 50,000 units in 12 hours! We noticed on Hitwise that searches for the Nintendo Wii overtook searches for all other gaming consoles and even overtook the perennial favourite, iPod, to become the most searched for toy in the lead up to Christmas.

Share of UK internet searches for "nintendo wii" surged up 147% last week. The term "nintendo wii" was among the top 100 search terms based on volume of UK internet searches last week and ranked as the fourth highest volume product search term, after "premium bonds", "car insurance" and "broadband".

Two weeks ago, searches for the console overtook searches for "nintendo ds", the second most searched for games console. Last week, searches for the Wii overtook those for the iPod for the first time, with searches for "nintendo wii" 125% higher than searches for "ipod".

Whilst last week was one of the busiest weeks for Christmas shopping online. Visits to the Hitwise Retail Index (an index of 100 of the top retailers based on visits) were up 5.4% year on year and up 4% over the previous week. In spite of this, searches for many popular gaming consoles declined. Our search data shows that whilst searches for "nintendo wii" surged up last week, searches for "xbox 360", "psp", "ps3" and "playstation 3" all declined slightly.

Wii Zapper Gets UK Release

2008-04-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

Back in July, I covered the US launch of the pretty cool Wii Zapper, a gun-like holder for the Wii Remote and nunchucks, and the good news is that it’s on its way over here in time for Christmas.

Nintendo has officially announced that the Wii Zapper, which will retail for around £20, will come bundled with Link's Crossbow Training - a 12-rated shooter-lite – and launch in Europe on December 7th.

The Zapper makes aiming and shooting in games a whole lot easier than with the Wiimote and it’s already compatible with a number of games, including Medal of Honour, Metroid Prime 3, Call of Duty and the new Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

If you need something to combat the Christmas twee overdose, then check out a video of the Wii Zapper taking out the Resident Evil zombie trash after the jump.-Martin Lynch

Wii Power Glove!

2008-04-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

With the news that the Wii sold out completely on its first day of UK release, all those unlucky enough to be stuck at the back of the queue can only wait for restocking and bide their time looking at entertaining hacks like this one. Yes, friends and sorcerers, this is a Wii Power Glove, a 21st Century update of the coveted 1989 peripheral. Enterprising Japanese hackers custom made this fashionable open-fingertip glove with built in Wii controller and finger triggers; make sure you check out the video of it in action, after the cut:

There’s a port at the rear of the glove for you to plug the numchuck in, the battery compartment is accessed on the underside, and the A and B buttons are controlled by pressing the thumb and middle-fingers together. They’re treating this as a prototype, and already have plans for the next version - including different, more flexible materials for the glove, and relocating the Bluetooth chip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS_87WoJ0j8

Nintendo Exceeds Wii Production Expectations

2008-04-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

While gamers vaguely murmur that a PS3 North American delay might, indeed, be imminent, Nintendo, at least, seems to know how to mass produce a console. While Sony managed to overestimate the number of consoles they'd get out this year, Nintendo actually looks to overproduce the number of Wiis they'll be able to get produced by December 31st by almost 100%.

Via Joystiq:

Briefing.com reports (subscription only) that, according to UBS, 2 million Wii consoles were completed in Q3 (July-September) to support Nintendo's upcoming Q406 global console launch, beginning November 19th in North America. In addition, "at least 7 mln and potentially as high as 9 mln more units are in the build plan for 4Q06." The report continues, "this production ramp handily exeeds [sic] a publicly announced tgt for 6 mln units to ship by yearend"; however, Nintendo had previously announced plans to ship 6 million units by the end of their fiscal year (ending March 31, 2007) and only 4 million by the end of the calendar year. The language appears to indicate the possibility of building, if not shipping, as many as 11 million Wii consoles by the end of the calendar year.

PS3 vs Xbox 360

2008-04-03T00:19:00.000-07:00

While the Nintendo Wii is off and running in a different direction (quite successfully), the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are left in a shootout for honor... and exclusive games. A few months ago, we began to notice a shift in the tides after Microsoft unloaded a volley of its biggest exclusive games: games like Halo 3, Mass Effect, and BioShock.

But now it's 2008, and Sony's poised to win the year with a huge list of compelling PlayStation 3 exclusives. Curious to see how the fight will pan out, we formulated a list of exclusive titles for the PS3 and Xbox 360 coming in 2008 and 2009. With Wikipedia and our own notes as sources, we've constructed the definitive release calendar comparison.

But first, a few ground rules. This list will not include multiplatform games, sports titles, or downloadable software; we're focused on exclusive retail games. That means Grand Theft Auto IV is not a factor on this list, so go read about it here.

The Games
Xbox 360:

1. Ninja Gaiden 2
2. Left 4 Dead
3. Too Human
4. Gears of War 2 (SYSTEM SELLER)
5. Fable 2 (SYSTEM SELLER)
6. Halo Wars
7. Splinter Cell Conviction
8. Alan Wake
9. Banjo Kazooie
10. Halo Chronicles

PS3:

1. Gran Turismo 5 (SYSTEM SELLER)
2. Haze
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (SYSTEM SELLER)
4. Metal Gear Online
5. Singstar
6. LittleBigPlanet
7. Resistance 2 (SYSTEM SELLER)
8. Killzone 2
9. Motorstorm 2
10. SOCOM Confrontation
11. InFamous
12. The Agency
13. Final Fantasy XIII (SYSTEM SELLER)
14. God of War III (SYSTEM SELLER)
15. Tekken 6
16. Twisted Metal

Sony: PS3 holiday sales total 1.2 million

2008-04-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

TOKYO - Sony Corp. said Monday that PlayStation 3 game machine sales totaled 1.2 million in North America during the key holiday season, boosting the strength of the company's Blu-ray video format because the PlayStation 3 also works as a Blu-ray player.

PS3 sales are closely watched because competition is intense among the video game consoles — pitting Sony against Nintendo Co., maker of the Wii, and Microsoft Corp., maker of Xbox 360.

Competition is also fierce between the video formats Blu-ray and HD DVD, which was developed by Toshiba Corp. Although both deliver better image quality than the DVDs more common today, one is expected to emerge the winner.

Nintendo Wii @ Your Library?

2008-04-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

Looking to reach Digital Natives of all ages? We librarians have an ally in the upcoming Nintendo Wii.

Many libraries have achieved great success by piloting video game programs. (See "Building a Community Around Gaming" on the YALSA blog for just a few success stories.) Offering video games attracts hard-to-reach children and teens who might not otherwise visit your library. We (and Wii) can provide them with a safe, comfortable and neutral social space in which to gather.

Though other video game console options exist, the Nintendo Wii gives you the biggest bang for your buck. It's backward-compatible with all Nintendo Gamecube titles and controllers, so cheap, well-loved games are plentful. The innovative new controller (the Wii Remote) is easy for anyone to use since it's motion sensitive. It even comes bundled with "Wii Sports", so you can play it right out of the box.

How much money did you drop buying a computer and software for your children's department? Probably more than the $250 you'd spend picking up a Nintendo Wii for your library. That's well-worth the "wow" factor you'll earn from every kid that discovers your library has the latest, greatest next-generation video game console.

To reach those unreachable Digital Natives, the Nintendo Wii is just what the librarian ordered. Who's wii-th me?

Sony's Newest PS3 to Allow Downloads

2008-04-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

The next update of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 console, slated late this month, will include features that let users download games, video and ring tones.

The Sony Playstation 3 console and its new controller is shown in this picture afterthe Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2006 E3 media event...
The Sony Playstation 3 console and its new controller is shown in this picture afterthe Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2006 E3 media event at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif., Monday, May 8, 2006. The The new controller, which looks similar to the one for the older PlayStation 2 but adds motion sensors to detect six degrees of movement.There will be two versions: one sporting a 20 gigabyte hard drive for $499 and another with a 60 gigabyte drive for $100 more. Officials said they would have 4 million units ready by the end of 2006 and another 6 million by March 31, 2007.
(Kevork Djansezian/ AP Photo)Sony said Thursday the system update will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live capability, to the PS3. It will also let users copy photos and music playlists on to their handheld PlayStation Portable, use the PSP as a remote control for playing music on the PS3 and stream linked video files from the Web.

This will make the PS3 the first Blu-ray player with access to Internet content and downloads. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which owns the Panasonic brand, also plans to ship a BD-Live player this spring.

With the updates, Sony wants to build the gaming console's status as an entertainment hub.

The downloadable content will range from bonus movie scenes and trailers to "interactive movie-based games."

"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard, more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything the format offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing, in a statement.

The free update also adds a "resume play" feature that enables users to restart Blu-ray discs and DVDs at the point where they stopped even if they take the disk out of the drive. According to Sony's PlayStation blog, the update is slated for the "next few days."

Sony is planning to release a stand-alone Blu-ray player this summer that will feature an Ethernet port to download bonus materials. It won't be BD-Live capable — meaning users won't be able to access Web content — until a subsequent software update.

In this respect, Blu-ray players are playing catch up to the recently defunct HD DVD systems, which always had Internet capabilities.

The BDP-S350 player will cost about $400; a second player, shipping later this year, will cost about $500 and be able to download Web content.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed