It's kind hard being the Bill Gates company these days.
Gates' Microsoft is repairing millions of faulty Xbox 360s barely two years after recalling more than 14 million Xbox units due to potential fire hazard concerns with the power cords.
Now this.
A Warsaw, Ill, family is suing the technology giant, claiming that a bad Xbox 360 sparked a catastrophic fire at their home, which killed their infant son.
According to Information Week, Microsoft is asking the suit be dismissed, saying that misuse or abuse led to the blaze.
The family filed the suit in December, claiming the wiring that connected the Xbox 360 to an electrical outlet became so hot that it started the blaze. The lawsuit asks for unspecified damages.
The suit is being heard in U.S. District Court in Central Illinois and names Microsoft, Wal-Mart (where the unit was purchased) and an unnamed power supply maker as co-defendants.
Should be interesting to see where this goes.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Videogames setting $ales records
Don't know someone who games?
You're in a serious minority.
Total videogame hardware sales were up in June to $398.6 million, according to the NPD Group, which tracks game statistics. That was better than 34 percent from the same period a year ago. Portable gaming hardware dipped six percent from 2006 to -- and let's all feel sorry for them together -- $130.6 million in sales in June.
All told, in 2007, the video game industry has had $2.3 billion in hardware sales – well ahead of the $1.37 billion sold last year.
I think the mainstream media is still behind the times when it comes to gaming. Men are playing. Women, in larger numbers of playing. The coveted 25-to-54 audience is playing. Hollywood gets it. Seems about every fifth movie these days is made from a game or has a game tie-in.
And as I look to the future, I think gaming is only going to get bigger.
You're in a serious minority.
Total videogame hardware sales were up in June to $398.6 million, according to the NPD Group, which tracks game statistics. That was better than 34 percent from the same period a year ago. Portable gaming hardware dipped six percent from 2006 to -- and let's all feel sorry for them together -- $130.6 million in sales in June.
All told, in 2007, the video game industry has had $2.3 billion in hardware sales – well ahead of the $1.37 billion sold last year.
I think the mainstream media is still behind the times when it comes to gaming. Men are playing. Women, in larger numbers of playing. The coveted 25-to-54 audience is playing. Hollywood gets it. Seems about every fifth movie these days is made from a game or has a game tie-in.
And as I look to the future, I think gaming is only going to get bigger.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The I-Phone killer? and Chris Paul covers 2K8 hoops
The iPhone is expensive and the plans to use it are even more expensive. And for those of you who don't want to pay what the (albeit very cool) iPhone costs, you may want to try Yahoo! Go 2.0
It's a free downloadable software service available for specific Internet-ready phones. Users can search the mobile web, share photos, utilize GPS maps, read breaking news, get weather and financial updates.
Check it out and please report back what you think.
-- Speaking of cellphones, I found a pretty cool and inexpensive toy you may want to pick up. The SideWinder Charger is a 2.5 ounce cellphone charger that actually allows a person to manually charge their mobile phone with a handcrank. The SideWinder retails for $24.95 ($29.95 CAD) and can be purchased online at www.istdesigns.com or in selected stores.
Chris Paul coverboy for NBA 2K8
Former Wake Forest All-American Chris Paul, a starting point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, will be on the cover of NBA 2K8.
“It’s a great honor,” Paul said. "I’m a big time video gamer and it’s a dream come true to be on the cover and represent the next NBA 2K game, NBA 2K8.”
NBA 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
NASCAR '08 To Get Original Country/Rock Soundtrack
Electronic Arts will pack NASCAR '08, due out July 26, with a mix of country and rock on its soundtrack. Mulit-platinum country duos Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich trade paint with hard rock’s Velvet Revolver and Airbourne to represent the fast and dangerous sounds of the total NASCAR experience.
“NASCAR 08 puts gamers behind the wheel with a soundtrack that puts the pedal to the floor,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA. “Today’s NASCAR has 75 million of the most brand-loyal fans in all of sports, and any music mix must be a real reflection of true NASCAR culture. It’s more than country. It’s bigger than rock. This soundtrack is 100% cars ‘n’ guitars adrenaline that will blow gamers’ doors off.”
News N Notes
-- This Wednesday, EA’s “Wing Commander Arena and Konami’s Super Contra debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
-- Kuma Games and Spike TV are developing a title based on Spike TV's new action-drama limited series The Kill Point. Beginning Sunday, July 22 with the premiere of the series, Kuma will release action-packed gameisodes that allow television viewers to jump into "The Kill Point's" bank robbery gone wrong plotline - playing as a police officer or bank robber in a high intensity hostage crisis. Kuma's gameisodes are now available for free download at www.SpikeTV.com
-- Sony has redesigned www.station.com, which will host more than twenty free games, a new look and improved functionality. The newly revamped site will host free trials of the majority of SOE’s MMOs; casual games such as PopCap’s Bejeweled 2, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune; and mobile games such as Q*Bert, Snoop Dogg Cruisin’, and the recently released God of War: Betrayal. I
It's a free downloadable software service available for specific Internet-ready phones. Users can search the mobile web, share photos, utilize GPS maps, read breaking news, get weather and financial updates.
Check it out and please report back what you think.
-- Speaking of cellphones, I found a pretty cool and inexpensive toy you may want to pick up. The SideWinder Charger is a 2.5 ounce cellphone charger that actually allows a person to manually charge their mobile phone with a handcrank. The SideWinder retails for $24.95 ($29.95 CAD) and can be purchased online at www.istdesigns.com or in selected stores.
Chris Paul coverboy for NBA 2K8
Former Wake Forest All-American Chris Paul, a starting point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, will be on the cover of NBA 2K8.
“It’s a great honor,” Paul said. "I’m a big time video gamer and it’s a dream come true to be on the cover and represent the next NBA 2K game, NBA 2K8.”
NBA 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
NASCAR '08 To Get Original Country/Rock Soundtrack
Electronic Arts will pack NASCAR '08, due out July 26, with a mix of country and rock on its soundtrack. Mulit-platinum country duos Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich trade paint with hard rock’s Velvet Revolver and Airbourne to represent the fast and dangerous sounds of the total NASCAR experience.
“NASCAR 08 puts gamers behind the wheel with a soundtrack that puts the pedal to the floor,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA. “Today’s NASCAR has 75 million of the most brand-loyal fans in all of sports, and any music mix must be a real reflection of true NASCAR culture. It’s more than country. It’s bigger than rock. This soundtrack is 100% cars ‘n’ guitars adrenaline that will blow gamers’ doors off.”
News N Notes
-- This Wednesday, EA’s “Wing Commander Arena and Konami’s Super Contra debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
-- Kuma Games and Spike TV are developing a title based on Spike TV's new action-drama limited series The Kill Point. Beginning Sunday, July 22 with the premiere of the series, Kuma will release action-packed gameisodes that allow television viewers to jump into "The Kill Point's" bank robbery gone wrong plotline - playing as a police officer or bank robber in a high intensity hostage crisis. Kuma's gameisodes are now available for free download at www.SpikeTV.com
-- Sony has redesigned www.station.com, which will host more than twenty free games, a new look and improved functionality. The newly revamped site will host free trials of the majority of SOE’s MMOs; casual games such as PopCap’s Bejeweled 2, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune; and mobile games such as Q*Bert, Snoop Dogg Cruisin’, and the recently released God of War: Betrayal. I
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Is your Xbox 360 failing?
According to several published reports, gamers are having a hard time with some XBox 360 units.
Tech Digest reports that a survey of retailers shows as many as 30 percent of all 360s sold are being returned for repair. Microsoft claims the 360 is well within the industry fail rate of three to five percent.
Last year, Game Daily Biz quoted an insider from Electronic Arts saying the failure rate was 10 times higher than Microsoft was quoting. The source claimed that of the 300 consoles EA had received, 30 to 50 percent of them had failed.
In February 2005, Microsoft recalled power cords on 14.1 million Xbox consoles worldwide, following reports of injuries due to defective electrical components that could cause fire hazards.
Today, gamers are still saying the heat generated by the unit -- especially when certain games trigger all three CPUs for use at the same time -- is melting chip connectors, and when they send the unit back to Microsoft for repair, when it's out of warranty, the repair charges are into the three digits.
There's a website dedicated to discussing failed 360s and it's full of consumers upset at paying as much as $140 to repair a unit that costs $399.
Are any of you suffering from defective 360s or seen the three red blinking lights around your green power light? Wanted to hear some stories out there.
Tech Digest reports that a survey of retailers shows as many as 30 percent of all 360s sold are being returned for repair. Microsoft claims the 360 is well within the industry fail rate of three to five percent.
Last year, Game Daily Biz quoted an insider from Electronic Arts saying the failure rate was 10 times higher than Microsoft was quoting. The source claimed that of the 300 consoles EA had received, 30 to 50 percent of them had failed.
In February 2005, Microsoft recalled power cords on 14.1 million Xbox consoles worldwide, following reports of injuries due to defective electrical components that could cause fire hazards.
Today, gamers are still saying the heat generated by the unit -- especially when certain games trigger all three CPUs for use at the same time -- is melting chip connectors, and when they send the unit back to Microsoft for repair, when it's out of warranty, the repair charges are into the three digits.
There's a website dedicated to discussing failed 360s and it's full of consumers upset at paying as much as $140 to repair a unit that costs $399.
Are any of you suffering from defective 360s or seen the three red blinking lights around your green power light? Wanted to hear some stories out there.
Friday, June 22, 2007
What's A'Diva Ti? Well, they sound great
Me? I'm not much of an audio nut anymore. Used to be. I had to have the latest and greatest speakers and receivers, and I'm sure my salesman, Lonnie Clark of Audio/Video on Independence (now Tweeter and not on Indy anymore) probably loved me for it. I'm sure I helped send his daughter to school.
Now I'm a video nut. I love to go to Best Buy and Tweeter and Circuit City to look at all the flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs (another discussion for another day), so when I got a set of Anthony Gallo speakers, I didn't have high expectations. I mean, I didn't know who Anthony Gallo was.
So of course, I google him and turns out the line of speakers he makes is quite well thought of. The A'Diva Ti 5-speaker system I was given to test has received rave reviews from a lot of fancy audiophile magazines.
Me? I think they're going to way too expensive to tell you all about. At just under $2,000, they're not exactly the $500 system you can get at Best Buy, but you can easily spend more than that on one set of speakers at Best Buy's fantastic Magnolia store in Concord, and at least to my ears, you still won't have a speaker set as grand as this. These are speakers you can grow old with.
Out of the box, you get five space-age looking speakers and a killer subwoofer. The silver round speakers, which kind of look like a giant eyeball, can be placed in-wall, in-ceiling or using more traditional methods, including placing them on stands which are included.
The 10-inch subwoofer has a 250-watt amp and will literally shake your walls. You can run the speakers through the amp or through an outboard receiver, the way I tried them. After letting them warm up for 50 hours, per Gallo's suggestion, I noticed the speakers sounding better than they did out of the box, and I was blown away out of the box.
They shined on video surround mode, making "Batman Begins" sound better than in my area multiplex. They handled DVD Audio and Super Audio CD, delivering quality I didn't think my receiver and DVD player were capable of outputting (I can only imagine these speakers paired with a dynamic receiver and DVD).
I let a friend, Winfred Cross, try the speakers. He writes about audio equipment for several online and print publications and I consider him about as much an expert in the field as you'll find in Charlotte.
He says, "These can handle anything you give them. Bass can be set with no boost or 3db or 6db increases. My neighbors appreciated the flat setting best.
You can find more expensive systems that sound better or you can put together your own, maybe for the same price. But why bother? Anthony Gallo Acoustics has done all the work to provide a system of outstanding clarity and quality. This is a no brainer."
These are available online at roundsound.com -- with a 30-day free in-home trial -- or at two Gastonia dealers, The Audio Shop and Alarm Sound.
Now I'm a video nut. I love to go to Best Buy and Tweeter and Circuit City to look at all the flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs (another discussion for another day), so when I got a set of Anthony Gallo speakers, I didn't have high expectations. I mean, I didn't know who Anthony Gallo was.
So of course, I google him and turns out the line of speakers he makes is quite well thought of. The A'Diva Ti 5-speaker system I was given to test has received rave reviews from a lot of fancy audiophile magazines.
Me? I think they're going to way too expensive to tell you all about. At just under $2,000, they're not exactly the $500 system you can get at Best Buy, but you can easily spend more than that on one set of speakers at Best Buy's fantastic Magnolia store in Concord, and at least to my ears, you still won't have a speaker set as grand as this. These are speakers you can grow old with.
Out of the box, you get five space-age looking speakers and a killer subwoofer. The silver round speakers, which kind of look like a giant eyeball, can be placed in-wall, in-ceiling or using more traditional methods, including placing them on stands which are included.
The 10-inch subwoofer has a 250-watt amp and will literally shake your walls. You can run the speakers through the amp or through an outboard receiver, the way I tried them. After letting them warm up for 50 hours, per Gallo's suggestion, I noticed the speakers sounding better than they did out of the box, and I was blown away out of the box.
They shined on video surround mode, making "Batman Begins" sound better than in my area multiplex. They handled DVD Audio and Super Audio CD, delivering quality I didn't think my receiver and DVD player were capable of outputting (I can only imagine these speakers paired with a dynamic receiver and DVD).
I let a friend, Winfred Cross, try the speakers. He writes about audio equipment for several online and print publications and I consider him about as much an expert in the field as you'll find in Charlotte.
He says, "These can handle anything you give them. Bass can be set with no boost or 3db or 6db increases. My neighbors appreciated the flat setting best.
You can find more expensive systems that sound better or you can put together your own, maybe for the same price. But why bother? Anthony Gallo Acoustics has done all the work to provide a system of outstanding clarity and quality. This is a no brainer."
These are available online at roundsound.com -- with a 30-day free in-home trial -- or at two Gastonia dealers, The Audio Shop and Alarm Sound.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Blockbuster to support Blu-Ray; have format wars ended?
If you're thinking of buying an next generation DVD player that supports high definition resolution, Blockbuster may've made your decision easier.
The video rental giant announced it will only rent Blu-Ray discs in its 1,450 stores when it expands its high-def offerings next month.
What does this mean?
There are two formats in the high definition DVD market, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. It's very similar to the old VHS vs Beta war we had in the '80s.
In the videogame world, Sony's PlayStation 3, which has struggled in sales because of price, includes a Blu-Ray player inside the box. Recently, many big box stores are offering heavy discounts on Sony TV/PS3 combos, essentially playing up the PS3s ability to be a killer high definition DVD player, which it is.
Microsoft had supported the HD-DVD format with a $199 add-on to its Xbox 360 machines. It'll be interesting to see if the Bill Gates Company adds a new Blu-Ray drive.
Blockbuster has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year but officials said customers were renting Blu-Ray over HD-DVD titles about seven out of 10 times.
Part of that was choice. All major studios except one are releasing films in Blu-Ray format. Several of them, including Walt Disney, are only releasing Blu-Ray.
Universal Studios exclusively supports HD-DVD.
"The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing," Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster, told The Associated Press. "When you walk into a store and see all this product available in Blu-ray and there is less available on HD DVD, I think the consumer gets that."
Smith said Blockbuster will continue to rent HD-DVD titles in the original 250 locations and online.
Most industry analysts are predicting this decision will help Blu-Ray win the format war. With Sony's new Blu-Ray player debuting at $499 and an impending drop in price for PS3 looming -- thanks to lower costs to make Blu-Ray players -- HD-DVD is in some trouble.
The North American HD DVD Promotional Group told the Associated Press that Blockbuster's decision was shortsighted and skewed by the success of films released by Blu-ray studios in the first three months of the year.
"I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president of the group.
The video rental giant announced it will only rent Blu-Ray discs in its 1,450 stores when it expands its high-def offerings next month.
What does this mean?
There are two formats in the high definition DVD market, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. It's very similar to the old VHS vs Beta war we had in the '80s.
In the videogame world, Sony's PlayStation 3, which has struggled in sales because of price, includes a Blu-Ray player inside the box. Recently, many big box stores are offering heavy discounts on Sony TV/PS3 combos, essentially playing up the PS3s ability to be a killer high definition DVD player, which it is.
Microsoft had supported the HD-DVD format with a $199 add-on to its Xbox 360 machines. It'll be interesting to see if the Bill Gates Company adds a new Blu-Ray drive.
Blockbuster has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year but officials said customers were renting Blu-Ray over HD-DVD titles about seven out of 10 times.
Part of that was choice. All major studios except one are releasing films in Blu-Ray format. Several of them, including Walt Disney, are only releasing Blu-Ray.
Universal Studios exclusively supports HD-DVD.
"The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing," Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster, told The Associated Press. "When you walk into a store and see all this product available in Blu-ray and there is less available on HD DVD, I think the consumer gets that."
Smith said Blockbuster will continue to rent HD-DVD titles in the original 250 locations and online.
Most industry analysts are predicting this decision will help Blu-Ray win the format war. With Sony's new Blu-Ray player debuting at $499 and an impending drop in price for PS3 looming -- thanks to lower costs to make Blu-Ray players -- HD-DVD is in some trouble.
The North American HD DVD Promotional Group told the Associated Press that Blockbuster's decision was shortsighted and skewed by the success of films released by Blu-ray studios in the first three months of the year.
"I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president of the group.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Gametap.com launches; game sales up again
If you want to play a huge library of games without a console or software, try GameTap. It's Turner Broadcasting's new online videogame network. It's essentially a mirror of the company's pay-cable channel that has been a wild success.
In 2006, subscribers played more than 20 million games from the GameTap "vault" - more than 54,000 a day.
Now the sister website has been launched, featuring Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Through a "game changing" deal with publisher Eidos, GameTap made the title available to its paying subscribers and for purchase at GameTap.com's new digital retail store on the same date it hit U.S. retail shelves.
"This is the first new deal with a major game publisher that will enable GameTap to feature the hottest games of today and tomorrow for subscription play in the same windows as traditional retail outlets," said Stuart Snyder, GameTap's senior vice president and general manager.
GameTap's library has nearly tripled in size since the network launched in October 2005, and GameTap has added over 500 games as well as more than 600 new content pieces to GameTap TV. Last quarter, subscriptions were up nearly three-fold, and the network has expanded into Canada.
The website version bowed on May 31 and offers more than 30 free games, with new ones being added each month. Launch titles included Metal Slug from SNK Playmore, Taito's Bust-A-Move and Space Invaders, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend from Eidos, as well as Midway titles Joust, Robotron: 2084, and Rampage.
Visitors to the website will get original programming from GameTap TV, which features top music acts and celebrities weighing in on their favorite games, as well as original content like the GameTap Retrospectives series and the all-new Re\Visioned series, animated episodes that have well-known comic book artists and writers reinvent popular game icons.
VIDEOGAME SALES UP AGAIN
After a sluggish April, the NPD Group, which tracks game trends, thinks May is going to be a great month for gaming. It's forecasting game sales to be up 15 to 20 percent in April thanks to titles like Spider-Man 3 and Mario Party 8. It thinks hardware sales will be up too, though the struggling PS3 unit will continue to flounder, it feels, until there is a price cut and the PS3 gets a "better differentiated software lineup, which are more likely 2008 events, in our opinion.
Are you ready for some football?
It's not too far away for game lovers. On July 17, EA Sports releases NCAA 08. Madden come three weeks later on Aug. 14. This year, 2K Sports is back in the game, with All-Pro Football 2K8, also releasing Aug. 14.
You'll remember that before Electronic Arts signed an exclusive agreement with the NFL a few years back, 2K was building serious momentum with its football title, but has not released one since it lost its NFL license.
The new game will use the likenesses of more than 200 retired NFL stars. Since they can't use real stadiums or team names, users will create teams and stadiums and uniforms, down the socks. There's no dynasty mode because there's no team history, but it'll be fun to see if 2K can recapture some of the audience it was building.
News N Notes
-- PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 from D3Publisher of America, Inc. is available now. Players calculate their intelligence by using the PQ scoring system based on the number of moves and the speed with which they complete more than 250 puzzles.
-- Electronic Arts is planning SimCity Societies for Christmas. It allows players to construct not only the cities they desire, but create their cultures, societal behaviors and environments as well.
-- K2, Ltd., the creative minds behind Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, have released Tenchu Z exclusively for the Xbox 360. The title is the first mission-based ninja stealth action game for the Xbox 360, and allows players to hone their stealth skills while slaying enemies to become the ultimate ninja. Patience and strategy, with use of the stealth kill system, is rewarded over a run-and-gun style of hand-to-hand combat.
-- NAMCO BANDAI Games announced today that NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 has shipped. Ninja training and heated combat returns with the highly-anticipated sequel of the popular NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja. In the new game, fans will experience more than 60 challenging missions to complete and the ability to play as one of over 30 popular ninja from the series, including Kakashi, Sasuke, Kisame, Itachi, and Tsunade.
-- Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal will be the cover athlete and spokesman for NHL 08, Electronic Arts hockey sim. Staal, 23, has played four seasons and scored a combined 75 goals over the past 2 seasons, notched 100 points in 2006, and was voted into his first All-Star game in 2007.
-- Electronic Arts today announced a commitment to bring its portfolio of hit games to Mac OS X. The first EA Mac titles slated to ship this summer include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Need for Speed Carbon, Battlefield 2142 and Command &Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. Later this year, EA will ship Madden NFL 08 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 in sync with their worldwide launches
In 2006, subscribers played more than 20 million games from the GameTap "vault" - more than 54,000 a day.
Now the sister website has been launched, featuring Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Through a "game changing" deal with publisher Eidos, GameTap made the title available to its paying subscribers and for purchase at GameTap.com's new digital retail store on the same date it hit U.S. retail shelves.
"This is the first new deal with a major game publisher that will enable GameTap to feature the hottest games of today and tomorrow for subscription play in the same windows as traditional retail outlets," said Stuart Snyder, GameTap's senior vice president and general manager.
GameTap's library has nearly tripled in size since the network launched in October 2005, and GameTap has added over 500 games as well as more than 600 new content pieces to GameTap TV. Last quarter, subscriptions were up nearly three-fold, and the network has expanded into Canada.
The website version bowed on May 31 and offers more than 30 free games, with new ones being added each month. Launch titles included Metal Slug from SNK Playmore, Taito's Bust-A-Move and Space Invaders, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend from Eidos, as well as Midway titles Joust, Robotron: 2084, and Rampage.
Visitors to the website will get original programming from GameTap TV, which features top music acts and celebrities weighing in on their favorite games, as well as original content like the GameTap Retrospectives series and the all-new Re\Visioned series, animated episodes that have well-known comic book artists and writers reinvent popular game icons.
VIDEOGAME SALES UP AGAIN
After a sluggish April, the NPD Group, which tracks game trends, thinks May is going to be a great month for gaming. It's forecasting game sales to be up 15 to 20 percent in April thanks to titles like Spider-Man 3 and Mario Party 8. It thinks hardware sales will be up too, though the struggling PS3 unit will continue to flounder, it feels, until there is a price cut and the PS3 gets a "better differentiated software lineup, which are more likely 2008 events, in our opinion.
Are you ready for some football?
It's not too far away for game lovers. On July 17, EA Sports releases NCAA 08. Madden come three weeks later on Aug. 14. This year, 2K Sports is back in the game, with All-Pro Football 2K8, also releasing Aug. 14.
You'll remember that before Electronic Arts signed an exclusive agreement with the NFL a few years back, 2K was building serious momentum with its football title, but has not released one since it lost its NFL license.
The new game will use the likenesses of more than 200 retired NFL stars. Since they can't use real stadiums or team names, users will create teams and stadiums and uniforms, down the socks. There's no dynasty mode because there's no team history, but it'll be fun to see if 2K can recapture some of the audience it was building.
News N Notes
-- PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 from D3Publisher of America, Inc. is available now. Players calculate their intelligence by using the PQ scoring system based on the number of moves and the speed with which they complete more than 250 puzzles.
-- Electronic Arts is planning SimCity Societies for Christmas. It allows players to construct not only the cities they desire, but create their cultures, societal behaviors and environments as well.
-- K2, Ltd., the creative minds behind Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, have released Tenchu Z exclusively for the Xbox 360. The title is the first mission-based ninja stealth action game for the Xbox 360, and allows players to hone their stealth skills while slaying enemies to become the ultimate ninja. Patience and strategy, with use of the stealth kill system, is rewarded over a run-and-gun style of hand-to-hand combat.
-- NAMCO BANDAI Games announced today that NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2 has shipped. Ninja training and heated combat returns with the highly-anticipated sequel of the popular NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja. In the new game, fans will experience more than 60 challenging missions to complete and the ability to play as one of over 30 popular ninja from the series, including Kakashi, Sasuke, Kisame, Itachi, and Tsunade.
-- Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal will be the cover athlete and spokesman for NHL 08, Electronic Arts hockey sim. Staal, 23, has played four seasons and scored a combined 75 goals over the past 2 seasons, notched 100 points in 2006, and was voted into his first All-Star game in 2007.
-- Electronic Arts today announced a commitment to bring its portfolio of hit games to Mac OS X. The first EA Mac titles slated to ship this summer include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Need for Speed Carbon, Battlefield 2142 and Command &Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. Later this year, EA will ship Madden NFL 08 and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 in sync with their worldwide launches
Friday, June 08, 2007
Poor PlayStation3 sales cost jobs at Sony
A few years back when Sony's PlayStation 2 was ruling the videogame universe, the company was seen as doing little wrong. It's long term dominance wasn't questioned.
Amazing how fast things can change.
Sony's high-priced PlayStation 3 has struggled to catch the PS2 audience and now the company is eliminating jobs because of it.
Sony announced Thursday that it's cutting positions to remain competitive, but didn't release numbers. Published reports said Sony was cutting three percent of its 1,600-person videogame workforce in its Foster City, CA, branch.
The job cuts in the U.S. follow similar cuts in Europe in April.
The PS3 went on sale in November, at the same time as Nintendo's Wii. The Wii, at $250, was more than 50 percent cheaper than the current version of PS3, which sells for $599.
Sony, which doesn't expect to post game business profits until 2009, has shipped 5.5 million PS3 machines in the fiscal year through March 31, fewer than the 6 million the company targeted.
Nintendo shipped 5.84 million Wiis worldwide in the same time frame.
In April, Nintendo sold 360,000 Wiis. Microsoft sold 174,000 Xbox 360s and Sony had just 82,000 PS3s sold in the United states.
In Japan, Wii outsold the PS3 by 5-to-1 in the month of May, when Sony announced a $563 million loss in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, blaming PS3 development costs and lower-than-expected sales.
I have said this many times. The PS3 is the best game unit, but it's priced too high. With Sony recently dropping its Blu-Ray player to $499, down $100 from initial speculation, expect the PS3 to drop as well.
Sony is taking a hit for each PS3 sold. Published reports have that loss at anywhere from $200 to $350 per unit. But when Sony announced the cheaper Blu-Ray DVD player, it said costs to manufacture had dropped. That should mean costs for PS3 development should drop, too, given the PS3 has a built-in Blu-Ray player.
It's not too late, but PS3 needs some quality games that give gamers something they don't get from Wii or 360 and Sony's online experience needs to ramp up to match Microsoft's.
This needs to happen fast. Videogamers are notorious early adopters and once you've spent $1,000 on a system and games, it's hard to try to do it for another system.
The race is on.
Amazing how fast things can change.
Sony's high-priced PlayStation 3 has struggled to catch the PS2 audience and now the company is eliminating jobs because of it.
Sony announced Thursday that it's cutting positions to remain competitive, but didn't release numbers. Published reports said Sony was cutting three percent of its 1,600-person videogame workforce in its Foster City, CA, branch.
The job cuts in the U.S. follow similar cuts in Europe in April.
The PS3 went on sale in November, at the same time as Nintendo's Wii. The Wii, at $250, was more than 50 percent cheaper than the current version of PS3, which sells for $599.
Sony, which doesn't expect to post game business profits until 2009, has shipped 5.5 million PS3 machines in the fiscal year through March 31, fewer than the 6 million the company targeted.
Nintendo shipped 5.84 million Wiis worldwide in the same time frame.
In April, Nintendo sold 360,000 Wiis. Microsoft sold 174,000 Xbox 360s and Sony had just 82,000 PS3s sold in the United states.
In Japan, Wii outsold the PS3 by 5-to-1 in the month of May, when Sony announced a $563 million loss in the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, blaming PS3 development costs and lower-than-expected sales.
I have said this many times. The PS3 is the best game unit, but it's priced too high. With Sony recently dropping its Blu-Ray player to $499, down $100 from initial speculation, expect the PS3 to drop as well.
Sony is taking a hit for each PS3 sold. Published reports have that loss at anywhere from $200 to $350 per unit. But when Sony announced the cheaper Blu-Ray DVD player, it said costs to manufacture had dropped. That should mean costs for PS3 development should drop, too, given the PS3 has a built-in Blu-Ray player.
It's not too late, but PS3 needs some quality games that give gamers something they don't get from Wii or 360 and Sony's online experience needs to ramp up to match Microsoft's.
This needs to happen fast. Videogamers are notorious early adopters and once you've spent $1,000 on a system and games, it's hard to try to do it for another system.
The race is on.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Sony drops Blu-Ray price; Is PS3 next?
I can't say I didn't see this coming.
Sony has dropped the price for its new BDP-S300 Blu-Ray disc player from $599 to $499. That's half of what the first Sony Blu-Ray cost just six months ago.
And I think it means we'll see a cut in PS3 units, which come with a Blu-Ray player built-in, before summer is done.
This is all about competition of course.
Sony is in a Beta vs. VHS war with HD-DVD, another form of next-generation high definition DVD playback, pioneered by Toshiba. HD-DVD players are now selling for less than $300, though the sub-300 model is not capable of producing the highest quality HDTV picture (1080P), like Blu-Ray is.
Sony officially says the Blu-Ray price cut is due to falling production costs and growing demand.
Neither format is selling well right now but Sony can ill afford for Blu Ray to lose as it would stagnate sales of the PS3, which has yet to take off. So far Hollywood studios lean more towards Blu-Ray but I think both formats could thrive.
There are some new combo players that play HD-DVD and Blu-Ray but they're going for $800 or more.
This could be an important battle for consumers to watch with HDTV set prices falling by the month.
Sony has dropped the price for its new BDP-S300 Blu-Ray disc player from $599 to $499. That's half of what the first Sony Blu-Ray cost just six months ago.
And I think it means we'll see a cut in PS3 units, which come with a Blu-Ray player built-in, before summer is done.
This is all about competition of course.
Sony is in a Beta vs. VHS war with HD-DVD, another form of next-generation high definition DVD playback, pioneered by Toshiba. HD-DVD players are now selling for less than $300, though the sub-300 model is not capable of producing the highest quality HDTV picture (1080P), like Blu-Ray is.
Sony officially says the Blu-Ray price cut is due to falling production costs and growing demand.
Neither format is selling well right now but Sony can ill afford for Blu Ray to lose as it would stagnate sales of the PS3, which has yet to take off. So far Hollywood studios lean more towards Blu-Ray but I think both formats could thrive.
There are some new combo players that play HD-DVD and Blu-Ray but they're going for $800 or more.
This could be an important battle for consumers to watch with HDTV set prices falling by the month.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Is PlayStation 3 dead?
Is the PlayStation 3 in trouble?
Well, maybe.
According to industry research group NPD Funworld, console sales were up 56 percent in April, to $239.4 million.
The Nintendo Wii sold 360,000 units. The PS2 sold 194,000 and the Xbox 360 had 174,000 sales.
The PS3? Just 82,000. Worse, there were no PS3 titles on NPD's top 10 software chart.
And here's the bigger problem. Of all the major console and handheld game units in the U.S homes, PS3 is last.
There's PS2 at 38.2 million homes, GameBoy Advance at 35.7 million, GameCube at 11.7 million, Nintendo DS at 10.9 million, PSP at 7.4 million, 360 at 5.4 million, Wii at 2.5 million...and PS3 at 1.3 million.
A low installed base means there's less audience to buy software. I'm sure game makers like Electronic Arts just love that.
These are not good signs for what is, unquestionably, the best videogame console out there.
The problem, of course, is the $599 PS3 costs too much, but I don't think it's dead yet.
There are rumors of a price drop, by as much as $200, though I think a $100 drop is more likely. That'll help.
Last week, Sony introduced an update to the PS3 that will allow it to upscale PS2 games and DVD movies to 1080P resolution for HDTV. What that means is, if you have an HDTV, the PS3 will make your videogames and old DVDs look much better.
For HDTV owners, the PS3 is a bargain. You get games, you get an excellent Blu-Ray DVD player and now you get upconversion for older games and movies. With Blu-Ray players running up to $1,000, I would choose PS3 in a heartbeat. It makes for an excellent HD-DVD solution and can deliver some awe-inspiring graphics for gaming.
Even if you don't have an HDTV, if you're thinking of buying one, the PS3 is, to me, a must-have appliance.
Again, I think the biggest problem with PS3 is price. Once that comes down, Sony will be fine.
Well, maybe.
According to industry research group NPD Funworld, console sales were up 56 percent in April, to $239.4 million.
The Nintendo Wii sold 360,000 units. The PS2 sold 194,000 and the Xbox 360 had 174,000 sales.
The PS3? Just 82,000. Worse, there were no PS3 titles on NPD's top 10 software chart.
And here's the bigger problem. Of all the major console and handheld game units in the U.S homes, PS3 is last.
There's PS2 at 38.2 million homes, GameBoy Advance at 35.7 million, GameCube at 11.7 million, Nintendo DS at 10.9 million, PSP at 7.4 million, 360 at 5.4 million, Wii at 2.5 million...and PS3 at 1.3 million.
A low installed base means there's less audience to buy software. I'm sure game makers like Electronic Arts just love that.
These are not good signs for what is, unquestionably, the best videogame console out there.
The problem, of course, is the $599 PS3 costs too much, but I don't think it's dead yet.
There are rumors of a price drop, by as much as $200, though I think a $100 drop is more likely. That'll help.
Last week, Sony introduced an update to the PS3 that will allow it to upscale PS2 games and DVD movies to 1080P resolution for HDTV. What that means is, if you have an HDTV, the PS3 will make your videogames and old DVDs look much better.
For HDTV owners, the PS3 is a bargain. You get games, you get an excellent Blu-Ray DVD player and now you get upconversion for older games and movies. With Blu-Ray players running up to $1,000, I would choose PS3 in a heartbeat. It makes for an excellent HD-DVD solution and can deliver some awe-inspiring graphics for gaming.
Even if you don't have an HDTV, if you're thinking of buying one, the PS3 is, to me, a must-have appliance.
Again, I think the biggest problem with PS3 is price. Once that comes down, Sony will be fine.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
New Spider Man laptop proves gaming can be good
New Jersey-based KIDdesigns' new Spider-Man laptops are fun for young children, who are often ignored in the all-too violent world of videogaming.
The black laptop costs about $40 and is a really good tool for kids, say, 4 to 6 (the manufacturer recommends 5-8) to learn how to use the computer, to learn how to type and battle Spidey villians at the same time.
The games are easy. You identify letters on the keypad and Spider-Man tells you how good a job you're doing. You find words. You play Hang Man. The laptop teaches math, spelling and vocabulary with eight learning zones and more than 40 games.
I think it's a terrific value and training aid. It'll hold your kids attention just as much as that handheld color thingy and will teach them a little something at the same time.
NEWS N NOTES
-- The National Institute on Media and the Family released the following statement regarding Microsoft’s efforts to inform parents of a hidden partial nudity section in the soon-to-be-released Halo 2 video game for Microsoft Vista:
“The National Institute on Media and the Family commends Microsoft for their leadership and transparency in alerting the public and the Entertainment Software Rating Board of the hidden game content. Thankfully, Microsoft took the leadership role in ordering the ESRB to issue stickers with the correct rating information on the packaging. Microsoft has taken great strides in ensuring that parents have the tools available to make healthier media decisions. From parental controls to game ratings, Microsoft has become a reliable friend for families."
-- SEGA today announced that CRUSH, a new puzzle game created exclusively for the PSP. CRUSH is set within a complex and hypnotic 3D world. Players will use the game’s unique crushing mechanic to “crush” the environment and transform it into a more simplified 2D platformer. Once flattened, players will utilize the 2D space to move to new areas in order to solve otherwise impossible challenges, and unlock secret items that were previously unobtainable in the 3D environment. Players will then “uncrush” the 2D environment and return to the 3D world.
-- Midway Games today announced that Mortal Kombat®: Armageddon™ for Nintendo's Wii™ home video game system has shipped to retail outlets nationwide and is available at a U.S. MSRP of $49.95. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon features a new control scheme, a completely revamped Endurance Mode, and a new kharacter - Female Khameleon.
-- GameTap, the broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting, announced today the latest addition to the GameTap Originals line-up, American McGee’s Grimm.
Fans can expect the same twisted treatment of children’s classics, in addition to a fantastical art style, and groundbreaking gameplay elements. American McGee’s Grimm is a narrative-driven, action-adventure game which immerses the player in a world built around some of the best known tales from the Brothers Grimm, including Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, and Snow White.
-- The 3D racing party game, “Mad Tracks,” will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific Time).
Players can race through 15 challenges consisting of nine mini-games and six different races behind the wheel of one of 12 sleek compact cars. “Mad Tracks,” from Load Inc., features 12 power-ups to keep engines revved up and players in the fast lane ahead of the competition.
-- The PlayStation store is offering a free download of Gran Turimo. Players get access to one track and ten cars with HD graphics.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
More HDTV NFL next season
NFL football fans will be able to get more games in high definition next season. CBS announced this week that it will fair five or six games per week in HDTV. That's up from three last season.
Fox airs up to six games weekly, though both networks can carry as many as eight games per week, so a handful of games still will not be seen in high-definition.
This is a great boon to NFL fans and sports fans and even big box audio/video stores which use HDTV sports feeds to help sell those shiny new LCD and plasma big screen televisions.
It'll be interesting to see how DirecTV will handle the extra hi-def games. It's NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan package last year offered out-of-market games in hi-def, but DirecTV had to shut down some HDTV channels to do it because of bandwidth limitations. The satellite company plans to have new satellites in the air before year's end when it plans to up its current HDTV offerings by more than ten-fold, ultimately arriving at more than 100 stations.
But if they are not ready in time for the start of football season, other channels might not be shown in HDTV on Sundays to allow for the extra HDTV NFL feeds.
Fox airs up to six games weekly, though both networks can carry as many as eight games per week, so a handful of games still will not be seen in high-definition.
This is a great boon to NFL fans and sports fans and even big box audio/video stores which use HDTV sports feeds to help sell those shiny new LCD and plasma big screen televisions.
It'll be interesting to see how DirecTV will handle the extra hi-def games. It's NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan package last year offered out-of-market games in hi-def, but DirecTV had to shut down some HDTV channels to do it because of bandwidth limitations. The satellite company plans to have new satellites in the air before year's end when it plans to up its current HDTV offerings by more than ten-fold, ultimately arriving at more than 100 stations.
But if they are not ready in time for the start of football season, other channels might not be shown in HDTV on Sundays to allow for the extra HDTV NFL feeds.
Super, super fast internet speeds on deck
Mad about how slow your internet connection can be?
Mad, mad speed is in the future.
A group of researchers out of the University of Tokyo broke Internet speed records twice in two days in December.
The researchers got up to 7.67 gigabits per second using standard communication protocols.
The next day, with modified protocols, they got up to 9.08 gigabits per second.
What does all that mumbo-jumbo mean?
You could theoritically one day download a high-def version of "The Matrix" in a few seconds instead of hours.
And get this: the Internet2 consortium, which includes more than 200 U.S. universities, is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 gigabits per second.
What it really means is that you might not ever go to Blockbuster to rent a movie again. By the time, you went and got back, i could've downloaded -- itunes style -- a month's worth of high-def films.
Mad, mad speed is in the future.
A group of researchers out of the University of Tokyo broke Internet speed records twice in two days in December.
The researchers got up to 7.67 gigabits per second using standard communication protocols.
The next day, with modified protocols, they got up to 9.08 gigabits per second.
What does all that mumbo-jumbo mean?
You could theoritically one day download a high-def version of "The Matrix" in a few seconds instead of hours.
And get this: the Internet2 consortium, which includes more than 200 U.S. universities, is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 gigabits per second.
What it really means is that you might not ever go to Blockbuster to rent a movie again. By the time, you went and got back, i could've downloaded -- itunes style -- a month's worth of high-def films.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Let's Dance.....online
If you don't want to go to the club to get your groove on anymore, Acclaim Games will let you Dance! Online, a free-to-play multiplayer game that could have legs -- as well as bring a non-traditional audience to videogaming.
The game will feature master recordings from Warner Music Group Corp.
Atlantic Records recording artist Cupid, with his hit single "Cupid Shuffle," will make a personal virtual appearance in the game. Other artist-related announcements will follow where the artists will create their own avatar and play the game live online and chat with fans.
Players can create their own avatar and use either the keyboard or most PC compatible dance pads to match the beat of the song and to make their character perform choreographed dance steps.
The game features up to six players dancing together and includes a variety of game modes and options. Players will be able to purchase optional items from the game shop to customize their virtual characters with clothing and various accessories.
The game is in Beta testing beginning this week, which means that anyone who registers for an account can immediately play for free. For more information, visit www.acclaim.com.
The game will feature master recordings from Warner Music Group Corp.
Atlantic Records recording artist Cupid, with his hit single "Cupid Shuffle," will make a personal virtual appearance in the game. Other artist-related announcements will follow where the artists will create their own avatar and play the game live online and chat with fans.
Players can create their own avatar and use either the keyboard or most PC compatible dance pads to match the beat of the song and to make their character perform choreographed dance steps.
The game features up to six players dancing together and includes a variety of game modes and options. Players will be able to purchase optional items from the game shop to customize their virtual characters with clothing and various accessories.
The game is in Beta testing beginning this week, which means that anyone who registers for an account can immediately play for free. For more information, visit www.acclaim.com.
NEW TIGER WOODS GAME HAS NEW FEATURE
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 will allow gamers to save their best shots, holes or rounds, and post the content online for other users to compete against. In addition, players can now use Photo Game Face to generate photo-realistic game characters with no artistic skill required, by uploading photos.
The new Tiger game is being produced by EA Tiburon in Orlando, FL, which is best known for the award winning Madden NFL Football series. The new golf game will be available on Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3, Wii, PSP and PC later this year.
The new Tiger game is being produced by EA Tiburon in Orlando, FL, which is best known for the award winning Madden NFL Football series. The new golf game will be available on Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3, Wii, PSP and PC later this year.
News n Notes
-- PLAYSTATION Store is now offering Mortal Kombat II for the PS3. Cost is $4.99. Trailers for the much-anticipated community-based game, LittleBigPlanet, and the hottest movie of the summer, Spider-Man3, are also available.
-- Capcom is working on four new mobile titles: Mega Man II, Street Fighter II, an all music version of their Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Shade IITM, a new massively multiplayer mobile game that allows players to play online across mobile networks. Look for the games starting next month.
-- Capcom is working on four new mobile titles: Mega Man II, Street Fighter II, an all music version of their Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Shade IITM, a new massively multiplayer mobile game that allows players to play online across mobile networks. Look for the games starting next month.
-- There's a new interactive channel on Nintendo Wii. The full version of the Internet Channel powered by Opera is now available for free download across North America.
The full version of the Internet Channel is available as a free download through June 30, after which it will cost 500 Wii Points. Once downloaded, the Internet Channel is free for the lifetime of the system.
The full version of the Internet Channel is available as a free download through June 30, after which it will cost 500 Wii Points. Once downloaded, the Internet Channel is free for the lifetime of the system.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Big gaming competition in Charlotte-area this weekend
The Embassy Suites in Concord is hosting a big videogame competition this weekend where gamers playing Halo2 will help kick off the $1 million 2007 Boost Mobile Major League Gamers Pro Circuit.
New York-based MLG Major League Gaming (MLG) is the largest organized league and international sanctioning body for professional video gaming. MLG's ongoing professional video gaming tournaments have attracted competitors from over 28 countries.
Organizers are expecting thousands of competitors to compete to win a piece of the nearly $80,000 purse for the Charlotte-area rounds. There will be $1 million awarded during the season. Charlotte winners will get a chance to go against professional Major League Gamers, or even become one.
Last year pro circuit tour produced the first ever Major League Gamers who were signed to exclusive six-figure contracts, and started a TV series broadcast to 90 million homes nationwide.
New York-based MLG Major League Gaming (MLG) is the largest organized league and international sanctioning body for professional video gaming. MLG's ongoing professional video gaming tournaments have attracted competitors from over 28 countries.
Organizers are expecting thousands of competitors to compete to win a piece of the nearly $80,000 purse for the Charlotte-area rounds. There will be $1 million awarded during the season. Charlotte winners will get a chance to go against professional Major League Gamers, or even become one.
Last year pro circuit tour produced the first ever Major League Gamers who were signed to exclusive six-figure contracts, and started a TV series broadcast to 90 million homes nationwide.
This weekend's competition begins Friday at 5, Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Embassy Suites in Concord,5400 John Q. Hammons Drive NW, (704) 455-8200
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
No more twin versions of Sony PS3
If you want the new PlayStation 3, there's only one flavor to buy it in.
Sony has discontinued sales of the 20 gigabyte version of the PS3, which sold for $499. Sony officials say demand for that version was too low. That leaves the 60 gig version which sells for $599 and is now showing up in a lot of stores, including the Best Buy near Carolina Place, where I saw a dozen sitting on the floor today.
Sony claims that U.S. consumers were buying the more expensive PS3 at a 9-to-1 rate. The cheaper model didn't have built in Wi-Fi, multiple flash card memory readers and some other features.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Get ready: Halo 3 Beta Debuts May 16
The multiplayer beta for the hotly anticipated Halo 3 debuts on Xbox Live May 16 at 8 a.m. eastern. It'll run through June 6 at 2:59 a.m.
Halo is one of the best-selling videogame series of all time and Halo 3 will let gamers try to save the world using the hero, Master Chief, as he tries to stop a flooding threat and stop the evil invaders from taking over our planet.
Starting May 16, gamers who secured their admission to the multiplayer beta through previous promotions or by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown for Xbox 360 will be able to play online via an Xbox live Gold account.
The beta will include three maps: Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand-new to “Halo 3.”
Gamers will have access to new vehicles and new weapons, like the Spike Grenades.
Halo 3 goes on sale this fall.
News N Notes
-- Midway has released a new Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Wii tutorial video, komplete with commentary from Mortal Kombat Kreator, Ed Boon. All of Mortal Kombat's supernatural super moves and infamous fatalities are performed via the Wii Remote, making it easier than ever to pull off the deadliest of fighting kombinations (Warning: video on website is graphic and intended for older audiences).
-- A new Gears of War title update hit Xbox Live Monday night that includes a new multiplayer mode called Annex. In Annex, gamers seize victory by keeping control over key map locations, or objectives, long enough to collect a winning number of points.
-- Gottaplay Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of online video game rental subscription services, will open its newest distribution center in Pittsburgh, PA on April 20th.
Gottaplay recently launched a new site with vastly expanded capabilities including trading and social networking. This has resulted in a remarkable increase in traffic among those gamers who want to rent, buy, trade, and connect with other gamers who share the same interests.
Gottaplay Interactive, Inc. currently operates distribution centers in Southern California, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, and Colorado. In addition to the Pittsburgh center, Gottaplay will be opening a center in Miami this month.
-- Technosource has releases several Spider Man handheld games to tie with the upcoming Spider Man 3 movie:
Halo is one of the best-selling videogame series of all time and Halo 3 will let gamers try to save the world using the hero, Master Chief, as he tries to stop a flooding threat and stop the evil invaders from taking over our planet.
Starting May 16, gamers who secured their admission to the multiplayer beta through previous promotions or by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown for Xbox 360 will be able to play online via an Xbox live Gold account.
The beta will include three maps: Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand-new to “Halo 3.”
Gamers will have access to new vehicles and new weapons, like the Spike Grenades.
Halo 3 goes on sale this fall.
News N Notes
-- Midway has released a new Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Wii tutorial video, komplete with commentary from Mortal Kombat Kreator, Ed Boon. All of Mortal Kombat's supernatural super moves and infamous fatalities are performed via the Wii Remote, making it easier than ever to pull off the deadliest of fighting kombinations (Warning: video on website is graphic and intended for older audiences).
-- A new Gears of War title update hit Xbox Live Monday night that includes a new multiplayer mode called Annex. In Annex, gamers seize victory by keeping control over key map locations, or objectives, long enough to collect a winning number of points.
-- Gottaplay Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of online video game rental subscription services, will open its newest distribution center in Pittsburgh, PA on April 20th.
Gottaplay recently launched a new site with vastly expanded capabilities including trading and social networking. This has resulted in a remarkable increase in traffic among those gamers who want to rent, buy, trade, and connect with other gamers who share the same interests.
Gottaplay Interactive, Inc. currently operates distribution centers in Southern California, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, and Colorado. In addition to the Pittsburgh center, Gottaplay will be opening a center in Miami this month.
-- Technosource has releases several Spider Man handheld games to tie with the upcoming Spider Man 3 movie:
- Spider-Man 3: 3-D Color V.I.E.W. System – Simply hold these LCD goggles up and see the world through Spider-Man’s eyes while he takes on The Sandman and attempts to save the city.
- Spider-Man 3: LCD Penny Arcade: Bell Tower Brawl – Shaped like a mini arcade game, players just drop a penny into the coin slot, grab the joystick and duel with Venom in the bell tower.
- Spider-Man 3: Battletronics -- Fight as Spider-Man or The Sandman, The Goblin or Venom.
- Spider-Man 3: Vigilante Vengeance -- Players get to experience the ride on The Goblin’s Sky Stick, which features Tilt Sensor Technology bringing all the action right into your hands.
The complete line retails between $5.99 and $24.99 at most toy outlets.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Mario/Sonic together?; DISH add sports hi-def
Mario and Sonic are two of the most popular videogame characters of all time, the Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino of the videogame universe.
The two giants, however, are owned by two different companies. They have never been together in a videogame.
Until now.
SEGA and Nintendo have both lent licenses to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed for the Wii and Nintendo DS, the game will drop for the Christmas rush.
Players will compete in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Other favorite characters scheduled to compete: Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi and Tails.
“Mario and Sonic have been respectful rivals since the early days of video games,” said Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. “In fact, for a long time they have been discussing the possibility of one day competing against each other. Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?”
I don't know who's faster, but I do know one holiday titles that will be leaving store shelves very, very fast.
DISH Launches Regional Sports Networks in HD
DISH satellite TV subscribers are getting seven regional sports networks in high definition.
The seven HD RSNs launched this week include Fox Sports Network Florida (DISH Network Ch. 373), Fox Sports Network Midwest (Ch. 368), Fox Sports Network West (Ch. 367), Fox Sports Network Prime Ticket (Ch. 361), Fox Sports Network Rocky Mountain (Ch. 364), Fox Sports Network South (Ch. 370) and Fox Sports Network Southwest (Ch. 366).
DISH Network will continue to explore carriage of additional HD RSNs throughout the year to enhance local HD programming line-ups. In addition to the seven RSNs announced today, DISH Network will begin offering Sun Sports and SportSouth this spring as well as Altitude this fall.
NY YANKEES USE VIDEOGAME SIM
What is Derek Jeter using to hit the ball better these days? the new ProBatter PX2 pitching simulator from ProBatter Sports. It's another sign of how videogame tech is impacting society in more ways than online gaming.
The Yankees bought three simulators, sending two to their minor league teams.
The ProBatter pitching simulator projects a DVD-quality image of a real pitcher onto an 8x10 foot screen. The hitter watches as the pitcher winds up (or throws from a stretch) -- at the moment of release, an actual ball is fired through a small hole in the screen, delivering virtually any pitch a human being can.
News N Notes
-- Charlotte-based LikeTelevision announced today that its library of on-line video content has reached 10,000 videos.
Movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird," and shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" are all on-line in a well-organized library ready to watch or download.
-- Tor Books has released Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. The book, the publisher says, " takes readers deep into crucial events that unfold during the Halo and Halo 2 timelines, expanding the characters and story of the Halo Universe as fans eagerly await the arrival of Halo 3 later this year."
-- Siber Systems' new RoboForm 6.6 is the most comprehensive protection yet for passwords, log-in information, credit card numbers and other highly private personal information. This new version conveniently and automatically fills out online forms for users & offers a number of new security features including the ability to isolate and protect personal IDs and passwords currently left exposed in the AutoComplete directory of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
-- Congoo's News Circles lets users pick from about 480 predetermined news categories or create their own using keyword searches on a given topic. Building a News Circle literally takes 2 minutes offering the intersection of social media and news sharing. If you want to reach new customers, tell people about your expertise, comment about news in your industry, or do some social networking about a specific topic, News Circles lets you do that without spending lots of time writing and updating a blog.
-- Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com) has launched the Web’s first independent, download-to-own comic book store and will begin selling comic book titles from Top Cow Productions.
The downloadable comic books will be delivered in high-resolution, full-color documents via Adobe Systems Incorporated’s Portable Document Format (PDF), enabling users to download, view and print the comic books on any standard Windows PC.
-- Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite ($479) will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE headset.
The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.
-- Microsoft announced that TV series and movies from A&E Network, ADV Films, National Geographic and TotalVid.com will add to the more than 1,500 hours of downloadable entertainment content already available on Xbox LIVE in the U.S.
Paramount Pictures will offer its feature films for download in high definition. Available titles will include "Braveheart," "Team America: World Police," "World Trade Center" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut."
-- You’re most likely making projections for the 2007 MLB season. Sony PlayStation has done the same by running a complete 2007 MLB simulation using the best selling, longest running and most realistic baseball video game on the market, MLB 07 The Show. To see how we came up with the predictions, we've included a brief paragraph after the predictions.
-- NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Series champion Tony Stewart will appear on the cover of NASCAR 08, scheduled for release this summer. NASCAR 08 is the first title in the NASCAR franchise to be made available on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
The two giants, however, are owned by two different companies. They have never been together in a videogame.
Until now.
SEGA and Nintendo have both lent licenses to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Developed for the Wii and Nintendo DS, the game will drop for the Christmas rush.
Players will compete in events that take place in environments based on the official venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Other favorite characters scheduled to compete: Luigi, Knuckles, Yoshi and Tails.
“Mario and Sonic have been respectful rivals since the early days of video games,” said Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. “In fact, for a long time they have been discussing the possibility of one day competing against each other. Now that they have been given the perfect opportunity to meet at the Olympic Games, we may finally learn who is actually faster, Mario or Sonic?”
I don't know who's faster, but I do know one holiday titles that will be leaving store shelves very, very fast.
DISH Launches Regional Sports Networks in HD
DISH satellite TV subscribers are getting seven regional sports networks in high definition.
The seven HD RSNs launched this week include Fox Sports Network Florida (DISH Network Ch. 373), Fox Sports Network Midwest (Ch. 368), Fox Sports Network West (Ch. 367), Fox Sports Network Prime Ticket (Ch. 361), Fox Sports Network Rocky Mountain (Ch. 364), Fox Sports Network South (Ch. 370) and Fox Sports Network Southwest (Ch. 366).
DISH Network will continue to explore carriage of additional HD RSNs throughout the year to enhance local HD programming line-ups. In addition to the seven RSNs announced today, DISH Network will begin offering Sun Sports and SportSouth this spring as well as Altitude this fall.
NY YANKEES USE VIDEOGAME SIM
What is Derek Jeter using to hit the ball better these days? the new ProBatter PX2 pitching simulator from ProBatter Sports. It's another sign of how videogame tech is impacting society in more ways than online gaming.
The Yankees bought three simulators, sending two to their minor league teams.
The ProBatter pitching simulator projects a DVD-quality image of a real pitcher onto an 8x10 foot screen. The hitter watches as the pitcher winds up (or throws from a stretch) -- at the moment of release, an actual ball is fired through a small hole in the screen, delivering virtually any pitch a human being can.
News N Notes
-- Charlotte-based LikeTelevision announced today that its library of on-line video content has reached 10,000 videos.
Movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird," and shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" are all on-line in a well-organized library ready to watch or download.
-- Tor Books has released Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. The book, the publisher says, " takes readers deep into crucial events that unfold during the Halo and Halo 2 timelines, expanding the characters and story of the Halo Universe as fans eagerly await the arrival of Halo 3 later this year."
-- Siber Systems' new RoboForm 6.6 is the most comprehensive protection yet for passwords, log-in information, credit card numbers and other highly private personal information. This new version conveniently and automatically fills out online forms for users & offers a number of new security features including the ability to isolate and protect personal IDs and passwords currently left exposed in the AutoComplete directory of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
-- Congoo's News Circles lets users pick from about 480 predetermined news categories or create their own using keyword searches on a given topic. Building a News Circle literally takes 2 minutes offering the intersection of social media and news sharing. If you want to reach new customers, tell people about your expertise, comment about news in your industry, or do some social networking about a specific topic, News Circles lets you do that without spending lots of time writing and updating a blog.
-- Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com) has launched the Web’s first independent, download-to-own comic book store and will begin selling comic book titles from Top Cow Productions.
The downloadable comic books will be delivered in high-resolution, full-color documents via Adobe Systems Incorporated’s Portable Document Format (PDF), enabling users to download, view and print the comic books on any standard Windows PC.
-- Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite ($479) will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE headset.
The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.
-- Microsoft announced that TV series and movies from A&E Network, ADV Films, National Geographic and TotalVid.com will add to the more than 1,500 hours of downloadable entertainment content already available on Xbox LIVE in the U.S.
Paramount Pictures will offer its feature films for download in high definition. Available titles will include "Braveheart," "Team America: World Police," "World Trade Center" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut."
-- You’re most likely making projections for the 2007 MLB season. Sony PlayStation has done the same by running a complete 2007 MLB simulation using the best selling, longest running and most realistic baseball video game on the market, MLB 07 The Show. To see how we came up with the predictions, we've included a brief paragraph after the predictions.
-- NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Series champion Tony Stewart will appear on the cover of NASCAR 08, scheduled for release this summer. NASCAR 08 is the first title in the NASCAR franchise to be made available on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Virtual Rock Bands and new "Halo" maps
Videogaming is getting so cool and sophisticated these days. If you're old enough to remember Pong or playing hand-held football games where "players" were represented by a half-inch "line" on the screen, this new wave of technology is amazing.
Now, thanks to Harmonix, who created the Guitar Hero franchise, gamers can play Rock Band, a kind of American Idol for your Xbox. Electronic Arts will handle distribution.
With the new title, you can perform music from the world's biggest rock bands along with friends. You form a virtual group using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals. You can play online as well.
Music publishers like EMI and Warner/Chappell are allowing access to their catalogs of incredible songs for use in Rock Band.
The record labels -- EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Enterprises and Rhino Entertainment -- have agreed to supply master recordings by their artists.
“Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love,” said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. “We are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in ways they never have before.”
Look for Rock Band this holiday season on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Microsoft Drops New Halo2 Maps
Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios have released two new downloadable maps for Halo 2. The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 17.
The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original Halo: Combat Evolved.
The maps are $4.
News N Notes:
-- Ubisoft and Gearbox Software are working on Nintendo DS and Wii versions of their critically acclaimed Brothers In Arms franchise. The games will release later this year.
-- A company called Video Games Live has a touring show that presents an evening of video game music performed by an orchestra.
-- Microsoft has announced plans for a new Xbox 360 (Elite) but also has distribution deals with five video Marketplace partners for its Xbox Live service that will have more than 300 games before the end of the year. The service, Microsoft says, has more than six million members.
Look for titles from Warner Bros. (Sublime, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales), A&E Network (Japanese animation) and National Geographic, among others.
-- Microsoft is sponsoring a Gears Of War contest where the winners get a free trip to Praque. Visit xboxlivetournament.com for details
-- WILL Interactive, in conjunction with the Washington Hospital Center has created a new serious game called Anatomy of Care to train its staff. The simulation game is designed to tackle the human dimension of healthcare, addressing soft issues such as compassion and understanding, and the human connection during a patient’s hospital stay.
Players choose one of five characters to role-play (doctor, nurse, clerical worker, patient transporter and environmental service worker) at a fictional metropolitan hospital. Learners are presented with stressful slice-of-life scenarios in which they must make tough decisions and live out the consequences of their actions.
Successful navigation of the interactive movie requires honest compassion, sensitive interpersonal dealings, and clarity of values. The goal of the simulation training is to improve the behavior of hospital employees. 'Anatomy of Care' allows users to play out difficult situations in the safety of cyberspace before they live them out in real life with real people.
Now, thanks to Harmonix, who created the Guitar Hero franchise, gamers can play Rock Band, a kind of American Idol for your Xbox. Electronic Arts will handle distribution.
With the new title, you can perform music from the world's biggest rock bands along with friends. You form a virtual group using drum, bass/lead guitar and microphone peripherals. You can play online as well.
Music publishers like EMI and Warner/Chappell are allowing access to their catalogs of incredible songs for use in Rock Band.
The record labels -- EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Enterprises and Rhino Entertainment -- have agreed to supply master recordings by their artists.
“Our vision for Rock Band is to completely change the way people interact with and enjoy the music they love,” said Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Program Enterprises. “We are striving to create a groundbreaking new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in ways they never have before.”
Look for Rock Band this holiday season on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Microsoft Drops New Halo2 Maps
Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios have released two new downloadable maps for Halo 2. The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 17.
The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original Halo: Combat Evolved.
The maps are $4.
News N Notes:
-- Ubisoft and Gearbox Software are working on Nintendo DS and Wii versions of their critically acclaimed Brothers In Arms franchise. The games will release later this year.
-- A company called Video Games Live has a touring show that presents an evening of video game music performed by an orchestra.
-- Microsoft has announced plans for a new Xbox 360 (Elite) but also has distribution deals with five video Marketplace partners for its Xbox Live service that will have more than 300 games before the end of the year. The service, Microsoft says, has more than six million members.
Look for titles from Warner Bros. (Sublime, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales), A&E Network (Japanese animation) and National Geographic, among others.
-- Microsoft is sponsoring a Gears Of War contest where the winners get a free trip to Praque. Visit xboxlivetournament.com for details
-- WILL Interactive, in conjunction with the Washington Hospital Center has created a new serious game called Anatomy of Care to train its staff. The simulation game is designed to tackle the human dimension of healthcare, addressing soft issues such as compassion and understanding, and the human connection during a patient’s hospital stay.
Players choose one of five characters to role-play (doctor, nurse, clerical worker, patient transporter and environmental service worker) at a fictional metropolitan hospital. Learners are presented with stressful slice-of-life scenarios in which they must make tough decisions and live out the consequences of their actions.
Successful navigation of the interactive movie requires honest compassion, sensitive interpersonal dealings, and clarity of values. The goal of the simulation training is to improve the behavior of hospital employees. 'Anatomy of Care' allows users to play out difficult situations in the safety of cyberspace before they live them out in real life with real people.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
"Golf Simulator" is awful close to real thing
If you are a golf nut, as am I, there's a unique videogame solution you may want to give a try. Electric-Spin's new Golf Launchpad is really more golf than videogame and it allows you to play some of the world's best courses in your living room, or wherever you've got at least eight to 10 feet of ceiling clearance. You can even play opponents online.
This is a simply ingenious piece of equipment that works with compatible EA Sports Tiger Woods titles on the PC, Mac and PS2. It also works with Links.
What it is, really, is a small mat with a ball attached to an arm -- one of those indoor practice tools you see for sale all the time at Wal-Mart.
You hit the ball and it gyrates in a circle on the arm. Using a USB port, you link the mat up to the game and all of a sudden when you hit the ball on the mat, the ball on the screen reacts.
So instead of using your controller, you use your golf club. If you don't have enough room to swing a driver, you can use a special power meter to allow the sensor to adjust so that an iron swing gives you driver distance.
It adds a serious element of realism to swing real clubs and watch your results on real-life courses. You chip. You drive. You putt. It's almost like getting a good practice session in. Best I can tell, the distances and direction of your shots is pretty accurate and the fun factor is high. I worked up quite a sweat playing 72 holes in one session at Pebble Beach (and I did reach 18 in two shots twice).
This is one of the best games I've tried in a while. At $250, it ain't cheap, but it sure is a whole lot of fun (Grade: A).
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, Wii Version: It's not the near-golf experience that the Golf Launchpad is, but EA Sports Wii version of TW is pretty cool, too. Using the Wii-mote like a golf club, you make golf motions to hit shots.
You've got 18 courses and 35 golfers to play with, including Tiger. But the cool thing, again, is using the motion controller like a golf club (you can add the Nunchuk for a traditional videogame swing; but why?).
The game has all the modes you've come to expect in any TW game, including multiplayer, PGA Season and practice. The 480P widescreen support looks good, too. It's not as sharp as Tiger's game on PS3 or 360, but the controller makes up some of that difference, too.
Honestly, I was waiting on this game when I played golf on the WiiSports game that comes with the unit. I was not disappointed.
Between this and the Launchpad, I may turn in my golf membership (Grade: A-minus)
....OK, just kidding about the membership part.
Virtua Tennis 3: I used to love this title on some of the older game consoles from Sega, which has delivered a new title for Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP. I got to try the 360 and PS3 versions. I always like it when we get both next-next gen versions so we can compare graphics.
PS3 wins here. Players are a little larger, a little sharper and the backgrounds are cleaner. Both versions, though, have excellent graphics, nearly jaw-droppingly realistic representations of players like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams.
This game is pretty easy to play, but advancing is a challenge. The game gets noticeably harder as you move up the ranks. You can create your own player, which is neat, and bring him or her up through the mini-tours, my favorite mode here, or you can pick one of the 20 pros and play some head-to-head matches.
The mini-games were OK and didn't hold my attention long. Xbox live was phenomenal. It still amazes me to see how stunning the game looks and how it maintains its presentation even while playing online. There's even a specatator mode where you can watch other players or watch replays, including close line calls.
The PS3 version supports the "tilt" feature in the controller fully, so not only can your fingers and thumbs affect play, so can titling the controller, which can help reach for balls that are wide or high (Grade: B-plus).
Armored Core 4: Want to fight? Armored Core 4 is all action and it looks as good as the Terminator movies. Seriously.
I couldn't tell much difference between the 360 and PS3 versions, but I can tell you that playing war games online is awful fun.
In this fourth installment of the popular series, which is only for folks, say, 16 and up, the world is hurting because of population growth and food shortages (sounds like Al Gore's movie warnings). People have turned streets into war zones and governments have turned to a sort of martial law to try to restore order.
Some of the arms dealers got awful powerful and formed their own war factions. Six of these corporations decided to remove power from the politicized nations and started a war against them -- and the corporations won using 30 super machines called Armored Core mechs.
Under this new world order, people were colonized and worked for food and life. A rebel group, called the Ravens, emerged, not accepting this slave-like existence. Using your own mechs, you battle the corporations in a never-ending stream of bullets and bombs and destruction. There are nearly 40 missions and online, you can battle with up to eight other mechs. You can even customize your rig.
This is a very intense game with very real-looking consequences. It's dark and grim and delivered to the right audience, it is a very entertaining title. Parents are warned, though, to be careful about letting kids play this one (Grade: B-plus).
This is a simply ingenious piece of equipment that works with compatible EA Sports Tiger Woods titles on the PC, Mac and PS2. It also works with Links.
What it is, really, is a small mat with a ball attached to an arm -- one of those indoor practice tools you see for sale all the time at Wal-Mart.
You hit the ball and it gyrates in a circle on the arm. Using a USB port, you link the mat up to the game and all of a sudden when you hit the ball on the mat, the ball on the screen reacts.
So instead of using your controller, you use your golf club. If you don't have enough room to swing a driver, you can use a special power meter to allow the sensor to adjust so that an iron swing gives you driver distance.
It adds a serious element of realism to swing real clubs and watch your results on real-life courses. You chip. You drive. You putt. It's almost like getting a good practice session in. Best I can tell, the distances and direction of your shots is pretty accurate and the fun factor is high. I worked up quite a sweat playing 72 holes in one session at Pebble Beach (and I did reach 18 in two shots twice).
This is one of the best games I've tried in a while. At $250, it ain't cheap, but it sure is a whole lot of fun (Grade: A).
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, Wii Version: It's not the near-golf experience that the Golf Launchpad is, but EA Sports Wii version of TW is pretty cool, too. Using the Wii-mote like a golf club, you make golf motions to hit shots.
You've got 18 courses and 35 golfers to play with, including Tiger. But the cool thing, again, is using the motion controller like a golf club (you can add the Nunchuk for a traditional videogame swing; but why?).
The game has all the modes you've come to expect in any TW game, including multiplayer, PGA Season and practice. The 480P widescreen support looks good, too. It's not as sharp as Tiger's game on PS3 or 360, but the controller makes up some of that difference, too.
Honestly, I was waiting on this game when I played golf on the WiiSports game that comes with the unit. I was not disappointed.
Between this and the Launchpad, I may turn in my golf membership (Grade: A-minus)
....OK, just kidding about the membership part.
Virtua Tennis 3: I used to love this title on some of the older game consoles from Sega, which has delivered a new title for Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP. I got to try the 360 and PS3 versions. I always like it when we get both next-next gen versions so we can compare graphics.
PS3 wins here. Players are a little larger, a little sharper and the backgrounds are cleaner. Both versions, though, have excellent graphics, nearly jaw-droppingly realistic representations of players like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams.
This game is pretty easy to play, but advancing is a challenge. The game gets noticeably harder as you move up the ranks. You can create your own player, which is neat, and bring him or her up through the mini-tours, my favorite mode here, or you can pick one of the 20 pros and play some head-to-head matches.
The mini-games were OK and didn't hold my attention long. Xbox live was phenomenal. It still amazes me to see how stunning the game looks and how it maintains its presentation even while playing online. There's even a specatator mode where you can watch other players or watch replays, including close line calls.
The PS3 version supports the "tilt" feature in the controller fully, so not only can your fingers and thumbs affect play, so can titling the controller, which can help reach for balls that are wide or high (Grade: B-plus).
Armored Core 4: Want to fight? Armored Core 4 is all action and it looks as good as the Terminator movies. Seriously.
I couldn't tell much difference between the 360 and PS3 versions, but I can tell you that playing war games online is awful fun.
In this fourth installment of the popular series, which is only for folks, say, 16 and up, the world is hurting because of population growth and food shortages (sounds like Al Gore's movie warnings). People have turned streets into war zones and governments have turned to a sort of martial law to try to restore order.
Some of the arms dealers got awful powerful and formed their own war factions. Six of these corporations decided to remove power from the politicized nations and started a war against them -- and the corporations won using 30 super machines called Armored Core mechs.
Under this new world order, people were colonized and worked for food and life. A rebel group, called the Ravens, emerged, not accepting this slave-like existence. Using your own mechs, you battle the corporations in a never-ending stream of bullets and bombs and destruction. There are nearly 40 missions and online, you can battle with up to eight other mechs. You can even customize your rig.
This is a very intense game with very real-looking consequences. It's dark and grim and delivered to the right audience, it is a very entertaining title. Parents are warned, though, to be careful about letting kids play this one (Grade: B-plus).
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