The Console Wars

A Monster Year for Game Consoles

2006-01-29T19:16:00.000-05:00

"The Xbox 360 has grabbed an early lead, increasing the pressure on Redmond's rivals to roll out their own redesigns. And what about the new Cell chip?

Until last November, it had been more than four years since American game players had seen a new console. The new Xbox 360 continues to fly off store shelves even after the holidays. And now the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution are on the way. So it looks like 2006 could be the transition to the next generation.

Here's a primer on what to expect from the game industry in 2006:

So when can I get my hands on this new PlayStation 3?
While Sony gives the spring of 2006 as its official launch date, most analysts expect the updated console will hit store shelves in late spring or early summer in Japan, but not until November in the U.S. Sony historically likes staggered launches for game consoles, and its manufacturers are still ramping up their ability to design the advanced new chipset. When it does come out next fall, the PS3 will be just as hard to buy as the Xbox 360 was last Christmas. Citigroup's Elizabeth Osur has predicted that Sony will be able to sell roughly 900,000 PlayStation 3 units in the U.S. in 2006. Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson says he expects about a million consoles to be available for the U.S. launch. That means a supply situation almost as tight as the one shoppers faced with the 360.

What about the Nintendo Revolution?
Nintendo hasn't announced a launch date yet, but last week, President Satoru Iwata told the Japanese press that Nintendo aimed to release its new system in the U.S. before Thanksgiving.

How are these consoles expected to sell once they're introduced?
A report released by Citigroup on Jan. 16 predicts that Xbox 360 will hold its lead and edge out the PlayStation 3 in the U.S. at the peak of the next cycle, selling an estimated 8 million units in 2008 compared with 7.1 million PlayStation 3s in that year (for a grand total of 19.8 million since launch vs. 11 million, respectively). Citigroup expects Nintendo to have sold 3.9 million Revolution systems by 2008. " [more]

Wal-Mart Opens Doors on Revolution, PS3 Sites

2006-01-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart Opens Doors on Revolution, PS3 Sites

"You know a console has to be getting closer to launch when Wal-Mart opens its product page for the item.

The killer of small town America and everything over-priced has officially launched its webpages for the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Revolution. Granted, all either page does so far is give you the specs from last year’s E3, but it’s something." [more]

3000 AD announces two new Xbox 360 titles

2006-01-29T09:07:00.000-05:00

3000 AD announces two new Xbox 360 titles

"Known for its Battlecruiser and Universal Combat series of games, 3000 AD has jumped onto the Xbox 360 bandwagon with the announcement of two new action games.

Yes that's right, 3000 AD has sold out, the developers words not mine, and is hard at work on two titles for the Xbox 360. First up is Hostile Intent - Planetfall, an action game which stays well clear of the complex elements which were the hallmarks of the Battlecruiser and Universal Combat games. According to 3000 AD president Derek Smart we can expect "Improved graphics engines, advanced AI, massive game world and nail biting scenarios."

Smart says massive game worlds, but don't expect the same scale as found in 3000 AD's previous titles. The worlds will, however, be much larger than those traditionally found in console games. Expect scenarios to include "space and planetary excursions; first person and vehicular combat as well as a skill based progress system (e.g. from pilot to commander) through a revised campaign system."

Apparently the idea of the game is to blend the fun factor of games such as Battlefield with high-end technologies including seamless space and planetary combat." [more]

Xtreme Enterprise Reveals Xbox 360 Faceplates

2006-01-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

Xtreme Enterprise Reveals Xbox 360 Faceplates

"If you haven’t heard, your Xbox 360 is fully customizable when it comes to the console or controller. Xtreme Enterprise has revealed their new line of colorful and exciting faceplates for the Xbox 360 console and controller." [more]

Analyst: 360 to maintain lead, PSP to pull ahead

2006-01-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

Analyst: 360 to maintain lead, PSP to pull ahead

"UBS's Mike Wallace thinks Microsoft and Sony will win the next-gen console and handheld wars, predicts 3 percent spike in 2006 software sales.

Citing the start of the next-generation console transition and the lack of a Halo 2 or San Andreas-level blockbuster, many analysts predicted game sales would shrink in 2005. And while US retailers sold $10.5 billion of combined gaming hardware and software--6 percent higher than in 2004--taken alone, software revenue did slide 3 percent, from $6.25 billion to $6.06 billion.

Now, more and more analysts are beginning to predict what 2006 has in store for the game market. The latest expert to join the chorus is Mike Wallace, the lead game analyst at the Wall Street investment firm UBS. "We expect US software sales to grow 3 percent in 2006 (up from a 3 percent sales decline in 2005)," he said in his most recent report. "This is up from our prior view of flat sales in 2006, with the year-over-year increase mainly due to 2005 being weaker than expected."

Wallace believes the increase will be fueled by the debut of the second and third next-generation consoles. "The launch of Sony's PlayStation 3 console later this year, along with the launch of Nintendo's Revolution console, should represent the official start of the new cycle," he said. He also agreed that the PS3 will miss its previously announced spring launch window and will go on sale across the Pacific first. "We think a summer launch [in Japan] is more likely, with the US and Europe launches still expected in Q4," he said." [more]

Clover Studios Interested in Nintendo Revolution

2006-01-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

Clover Studios Interested in Nintendo Revolution

"In a recent interview with Jeux-France, Clover Studio's President Atsushi Inaba discussed the development house's most recent Viewtiful Joe offerings as well as Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution.

What do you think about the Nintendo Revolution? Do you think that a Viewtiful Joe game could work with this console?

Atsushi Inaba: It is clear that we are really interested in the Nintendo Revolution, so we hope to create a game for this console. Now, if the Viewtiful Joe characters and the Viewtiful Joe world fit well wih the specs of this hardware, then we could indeed create a Viewtiful Joe game on Nintendo Revolution. But if it doesn't fit, we will try to make the best game that we can on Nintendo Revolution." [more]

New Nintendo Revolution Game? | NintendoRevolution.Ca -

2006-01-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

New Nintendo Revolution Game?

"Could these be images of possible weapons details for a Nintendo Revolution game?

As of now, there are very, very few games that have been announced for the Nintendo Revolution. The list can basically be counted on one hand, at least the games that have been made official, that is. Most of them are from Nintendo, as expected, but even these games have almost no details provided on what they will be like. In fact, most appear to be simple remakes of current-gen Nintendo games. Not very “revolutionary,” yet, that is." [more]

Microsoft Profits Up 5% On Xbox, Database Sales

2006-01-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

Microsoft Profits Up 5% On Xbox, Database Sales:

"Microsoft posted a 5% gain in profits and the highest quarterly sales in its history, in the midst of a series of high-profile product launches the company is counting on to revive its underperforming stock.

The world's largest software company on Thursday reported that revenue for its second quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 9% to $11.84 billion--a quarterly record for the company, but still short of its forecast of $11.9 billion to $12 billion in sales. Net income rose 5% to $3.65 billion, or 34 cents per share. Sales of Microsoft's new SQL Server 2005 database software and Xbox 360 video game console boosted results. But operating income fell 2% to $4.66 billion, reflecting higher sales, marketing, and development expenses associated with the new product launches.

Shares of Microsoft (Nasdaq--MSFT) rose during after-hours trading following the report. The shares closed regular trading Thursday up 10 cents, or 0.38%, at $26.50. Microsoft shares have underperformed the major stock indices for the past three years. And a 7% rise in the shares' price since the company's last earnings report in October trails an 8% increase in the S&P Information Technology index.

During a conference call with analysts Thursday, Microsoft chief financial officer Chris Liddell called the company's servers and tools division a 'highlight' of the second quarter. Sales of SQL Server increased more than 20%, outpacing the overall database market, and adoption of the new product has been faster than the company expected, he said. The launch of the Xbox console during the quarter also lifted sales. The releases are part of a string of more than a dozen new products Microsoft plans to ship before the end of this year. During the second half of the calendar year, Microsoft plans to release Windows Vista, the next version of its flagship PC operating system, and a new version of its cash-cow Office suite.

But questions remain about the company's ability to capitalize on PC sales growth, meet demand for the Xbox, and build its Internet businesses. Liddell said PC unit sales grew between 11% and 13% during Microsoft's second quarter, and the company expects 12% to 14% growth during the fiscal year which ends in June. The positive estimate follows Intel's report last week of soft PC demand. But faster growth in emerging markets than in the United States, Europe, and Japan, and stronger sales of lower-priced home versions of Windows compared with business versions mean Microsoft has collected less money on the software bundled with each machine. This week, Microsoft said it would release additional source code for its Windows server operating system to comply with an antitrust ruling by the European Union.

Component shortages have constrained Microsoft's ability to deliver enough Xbox consoles to meet demand; the company shipped 2.5 million units to retailers during the quarter, compared with its previous forecast of 2.75 million to 3 million units.

And revenue from Microsoft's MSN division was little changed from a year ago. Microsoft's test versions of new Internet ad-serving software it's developing are having "a dampening effect on revenue from search," said Liddell.

Microsoft is counting on new releases of its Internet products for growth. On Wednesday, Microsoft said it's formed a "live labs" applied research group to speed new Internet technologies to market. The group, headed by Microsoft technical fellow Gary Flake, will prototype and release emerging technologies in areas including multimedia Web searching, machine learning, distributed computing, and data mining, the company said.

Microsoft on Thursday also provided financial guidance for the rest of its fiscal year. For the third quarter ending March 31, Microsoft forecast revenue of $10.9 billion to $11.2 billion, and operating income of $4.5 billion to $4.6 billion. For the fiscal year ending June 30, the company said it would post operating income of $17.9 billion to $18.3 billion, on $44 billion to $44.5 billion in sales." [more]

Xbox 360 Feb' Preview Announced

2006-01-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 Feb' Preview Announced

"Microsoft says more than 1000 Xbox 360's will be demonstrated in retail stores from February 2006, paired up to high-definition Samsung plasma displays.

It couldn't provide an exact preview release date or comprehensive list of participating stores, but said that all the usual major suspects - read Harvey Norman, Electronics Boutique etc - will provide the action, which will have to tide folks over until the official 2 March 2006 release date.

Game titles for the demonstration units will include Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo: Elements of Power, Peter Jackson's King Kong and NBA Live 06.

Punters are "Encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new features of the console, such as the console navigation blades and multimedia functionality". Doubt they'll need to be asked twice." [more]

Comment: Sony's Real War Begins

2006-01-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

Comment: Sony's Real War Begins

"Could Sony be planning to surprise everyone with its PlayStation 3 plans? With the introduction of Blu-ray, and the next generation games market up or grabs, the company is getting ready for the fight of its life. Colin Campbell looks at Sony's big conundrum...

For the most up-to-date game industry news and analysis, join the thousands of game industry professionals who read Next-Gen.Biz every weekday morning.

Image Rumor is that an announcement is due some time in the next eight weeks. Of course, a rumor in the game industry carries about as much value as an Albanian supermarket voucher. Next Generation merely reports the existence of the rumor; we're in no hurry to win Gamespot's dreaded 'Bogus' rating in its excellent Rumor report.

But we will take the opportunity to ponder this puzzler; what the hell is Sony up to? Let's speculate.

First things first

Sony's ultra-high level Destination PlayStation conference is due to take place in Florida at the end of February.

Only senior publishing and retail executives will be invited. Between games of golf and fruity fine wines, they'll be hearing some of Sony's master-plan to shape not just the future of the game industry, but the future of media consumption as a whole." [more]

RR Contest: Nintendo Revolution Dream Game Concept

2006-01-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

RR Contest: Nintendo Revolution Dream Game Concept

"Revolution Report, in conjunction with tech reporting site Philoneist, introduces the Nintendo Revolution Dream Game Concept Competition. We're encouraging our well-informed readers, who know about the next-generation Nintendo controller, to let their creative juices flow and craft a unique game idea along with a cool, innovative control scheme.

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate AND will be included as a guest speaker on the Revolution Report podcast.

Here are the contest details:
Submit a well-written and cogent description of your game idea that takes advantage of in-game 3D movement made possible by Nintendo's Revolution controller. It can feature an existing franchise or have entirely new characters. You may also create mockup peripherals to add to the controller, but need to be explained in detail. You can use franchises that haven't appeared on a Nintendo home system - Halo, Grand Theft Auto, etc. Anything goes, but remember you need to convince other people why your game idea would be more fun to play." [more]

How can I stream media to my Xbox 360 from my Windows XP machine?

2006-01-25T18:57:00.000-05:00

How can I stream media to my Xbox 360 from my Windows XP machine?

"A. The Xbox 360 has Windows Media Extender technology built-in, which means it can read music, pictures, video and even television from your Windows Media Center 2005 PC or music and pictures from a regular XP (Professional Edition or Home Edition) Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later machine.

To stream media from a Windows Media Center 2005 PC to a Xbox 360 you must install the Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005..." [more]

ET: QUAKE WARS 360 VERSION - THE OFFICIAL WORD

2006-01-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

ET: QUAKE WARS 360 VERSION - THE OFFICIAL WORD

"Enemy Territory may well be heading to 360 but Splash Damage won't commit to a version quite yet

After seeing Enemy Territory: Quake Wars just over a week ago, we have to say we're very excited at the prospect of seeing Splash Damage's humans versus Strogg shooter make a big impact on PC this year (catch up with our exclusive interview here).

Of course with the first solid evidence of a classic PC game in the making, rampant speculation in US mags had it that ET: QW would also be heading straight onto the Xbox 360. As we said at the time, we thought it would be a natural fit but we'd be surprised if Splash Damage could say anything right now. Even so we put in a missive to the Damage to see if they'd bite." [more]

Image from the PC version of Quake Wars. For more info: http://www.enemyterritory.com/

Playstation 3 not so hard afterall?

2006-01-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

Playstation 3 not so hard afterall?

"A tester for Guerrilla Games, developers of the next generation Killzone for the Playstation 3 has given a small hint that developing for the console isn't as hard as people make out, atleast compared to the Playstation 2.

'And as for the PS2 vs PS3 development question. I was chatting to Michiel and he was telling me how crazy-easy it was compared to the PS2 and how much quicker things have been going for them. I will take his word on that' Seb Downie - Lead Tester - Guerrilla Games

Of course this really isn't saying much, but its a slow news day so you'll have to forgive." [link]

High resolution Tomb Raider Legend Xbox 360 screenshots

2006-01-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

High resolution Tomb Raider Legend Xbox 360 screenshots

"As Tomb Raider Legend quietly nears its expected April release, Eidos has been mum on new media - especially for the Xbox 360. The long lull makes these 5 new high resolution screenshots featuring our favorite voluptuous female version of Indiana Jones all the more welcome." [more]

Nintendo Revolution and PS3 Both To Launch Thanksgiving

2006-01-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

Nintendo Revolution and PS3 Both To Launch Thanksgiving

"Recent rumors have set both the Nintendo Revolution and the PS3 to launch this Thanksgiving

Could the Nintendo Revolution and the PS3 launch the same time? It’s beginning o to look more and more likely. Both Nintendo and Sony have been less than forthcoming with any real concrete information. Rumors have set release dates anywhere from March to sometime next year. However, the latest rumors have both consoles to launch around American Thanksgiving.

Nintendo is planning on releasing their “revolutionary” new system this fall, near Thanksgiving to be precise. This release date is drawn from new quotes from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata who stated, "We can't disclose the Revolution's release period yet, but we have no plans to miss out on the year-end sales battle. As for North America, we need to release it by Thanksgiving, or otherwise we won't receive support from the retail industry. So the Revolution will be released prior to that period."

In regards to the issue of when the Sony PS3 will launch, Forbes Magazine said: "Sony's last word on this remains spring 2006, but almost nobody believes it — at least not for the North American launch — because of a history of delays for previous products. Thanksgiving looks to be a better bet, at least to Evan Wilson, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities."" [more]

More 3rd Party Support For The Nintendo Revolution | NintendoRevolution.Ca -

2006-01-24T09:08:00.000-05:00

More 3rd Party Support For The Nintendo Revolution

"Last week more publishers announced they would develop games for the Nintendo Revoluton

In what seems to be a growing trend this week, even more publishers are announcing their support for the Nintendo Revolution. Nintendo has to be very pleased to hear each and every announcement due to the widespread speculation that the Revolution would not be receiving much third party support and would have to develop most of the games themselves." [more]

Nintendo's New Year's resolutions

2006-01-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Nintendo's New Year's resolutions

"Sometime later this year, both Sony and Nintendo will release their next-generation video game consoles, the PlayStation 3 and the Revolution, respectively.

The new machines offer the promise of state-of-the-art graphics and could leave their predecessors, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube, in the dust.

But the two consoles will be launched into a video game atmosphere in which software sales are slowing, and many worry that innovation has been forgotten in lieu of a never-ending flow of sequels. And while franchises like Electronic Arts' 'Madden' and Nintendo's 'Super Mario Bros.' are reliable best sellers, some fear that the industry has lost its enthusiasm for creating brand new titles.

Thus, though the November launch of Microsoft's next-generation console, the Xbox 360 was considered a success, and it's still hard to find one of the machines, there's been a notable lack of excitement over any of the Xbox launch titles. And that's because, though there were a couple of brand-new games for the Microsoft console, most of the 18 that were available for launch were sequels.

For its part, though, Nintendo said it plans to bring a new level of innovation to the table with Revolution. And with that in mind, CNET News.com recently caught up with Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo America, and asked him about the company's plans going forward.

Q: We understand you have some New Year's resolutions for Nintendo. Let's start there.

Fils-Aime: Sure. From my perspective, I have five resolutions for the industry heading into 2006. The first is keeping our eyes on the prize. This industry is about entertainment, and in the end, he with the best games wins. So at Nintendo, we're focused on putting the most entertaining products into the marketplace.

The second resolution is keeping the mass in the mass audience. The world is fragmenting all around us, and many companies are making their products too exclusive and expensive for the general consumer.

For example, for American consumers to get into the Xbox 360 franchise, with games and extra contollers, they had to spend more than $700, not including an HD TV, which is really the only way to positively experience 360. We resolve at Nintendo to remain within reach for the vast majority of our consumers.

How?

Fils-Aime: By first creating gaming-centric systems and consoles, whether it's handhelds or home consoles. That will ensure that for gamers, our products are totally focused on their needs versus products that try to integrate music or other things that, frankly, aren't what great gaming experiences are all about.

Since you mentioned pricing, I assume the Revolution will be accessible to gamers for substantially less than $700?

Fils-Aime: That's correct. The next-generation console from Nintendo, code-named Revolution, will cost less than $300. Our third resolution is to stop turning away new players.

This industry has become more and more focused on the niche, and at Nintendo, we've opened our systems to a wide range of consumers. Whether it's consumers older than 35 or female gamers, we've attracted them with "Nintendogs" and "Animal Crossing," so we've resolved to bring as many new consumers into this industry as possible.

And the fourth resolution?

Fils-Aime: It is to turn game development into a democracy of great ideas. Just as the cost of systems seems to be getting out of reach for everyday consumers, the cost of game development is getting out of reach for game publishers. The Revolution will be more affordable for game developers to create for, and that will result in fantastically innovative content." [more]

Comment: PS3 predictions are all shooting in the dark

2006-01-23T17:41:00.000-05:00

Comment: PS3 predictions are all shooting in the dark

"Sony's plans for the launch of PlayStation 3 are likely to be one of the biggest factors defining publisher and developer planning for 2006 - but in the absence of hard facts, it's essential to be wary of uninformed speculation, says Rob Fahey.

We'd like to express our sympathy to anyone reading this who is, as some of you probably are, in the unfortunate situation of having to make business decisions based around the launch of PlayStation 3 later this year. In the wake of Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch, with all its attendant supply problems (which are still afflicting retail even now), deciding how to treat a next-generation console launch from a publisher or developer perspective right now is a game not dissimilar to playing Snakes and Ladders. While blindfolded. In a room full of hyperactive monkeys.

The situation is hindered significantly by the fact that every pundit has a wildly different view on how Sony's PS3 launch is going to pan out. Typically, US analysts - who often favour the Xbox 360 to take a large chunk of the market in the next generation - seem to be downbeat on the prospects for PS3's early days, while Japanese analysts are generally more convinced by Sony's plans. Those in the Blu-Ray camp are convinced that PS3 will be a conquering hero, HD-DVD's supporters talk darkly about the console costing roughly the national GDP of Sweden to purchase and being shipped in numbers that you can count without having to use all your fingers and toes." [more]

New Xbox 360 Dates From Japan

2006-01-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

New Xbox 360 Dates From Japan

"Rumble Roses and the second Japanese RPG.

The Xbox 360 hasn't been performing all that well over in Japan, but perhaps things will turn around as new releases make it out to retail. This past week, we learned of release dates for two of the system's more anticipated titles.

First up, because it's probably a bigger draw for American audiences, is Rumble Roses XX. Konami will release the next generation installment in its all girls wrestling series to Japan on 3/30, 18 and up rating and a 7,329 yen price point in tow. The game features four player Online battles and two player Online play during story mode" [more]

Nintendo: For The Win

2006-01-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Nintendo: For The Win

"Kong returns

Disclaimer: I am not a Nintendo fan. Of all Nintendo systems, I only owned the NES, GBA, and briefly, the SNES. The N64 was a subject of my humor and the GameCube earned immediate contempt for its storage format and the vastly inadequate memory cards it came with (it took 3 or 4 to save a season of Madden with rosters on release). Regular readers of the site will have no doubt read many of my scathing comments about the Revolution controller design.

Consider that in the past year, oil has doubled in price to hit and maintain historic highs. Except for handhelds, game sales have slumped across the board, even in the industry console darling PlayStation 2. The DOW Jones Industrial Average remained flat throughout 2005, with the S&P and NASDAQ barely keeping pace with inflation. At the end of that same year, Microsoft released the most expensive console yet, and one that sold out but is plagued by continuing supply shortages. In Japan, as usual, an American-made (or rather, American-designed) product has flopped. Like countless other American companies, Microsoft has faced a stiff, impenetrable and informal wall of Japanese nationalism which clings stubbornly to a Japanese product. In short, one of the three key markets for the Xbox 360 is denied.

Sony, meanwhile, faces its own problems. Rumors abound of a five hundred dollar PlayStation 3. That’s enough Benjamins to get your hands on a beater car or pay a month’s rent in most American cities not called San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York. It passes that psychological barrier of being half a thousand dollars, and even in these days of raging trade and budget deficits that devalue the dollar, a grand is nothing to sneeze at. There’s a reason that prices like $99.95 are more popular than $100, though that five cents is trivial.

Moreover, gamers are dissatisfied. Though game review scores live in their own little world of the 60-90% range (with everything below being reserved for Daikatana and Mortyr), last year was not a banner year either for game sales or game awards. Nothing blew us away, there was no equivalent of a Grand Theft Auto, a StarCraft, a Quake or even a Call of Duty. Well, there was Call of Duty 2, but it was a sequel, like just about every other major title, and gamers have shown their displeasure with sequels. According to release lists for most major publishers, this coming year will be little different – more sequels!" [more]

Moore's Law: Straight talk on the 360 from Peter Moore and Bill Gates.

2006-01-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

Moore's Law: Straight talk on the 360 from Peter Moore and Bill Gates.

"Peter Moore should be tired. Today, the Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Retail Sales and Marketing for Microsoft's Home and Entertainment Division (translation: He has to make Xbox 360 the No. 1 console in the world) woke up early enough to get in a 6 a.m. workout. So he could make this 8 a.m. interview with us. So he can work a full day afterwards. So he can finish in time to do a 5:00 p.m. photo shoot with us later. So he can wrap that up and work through the night (when it's business hours in Japan). So he can fly out to Tokyo in the morning. Just another 16-hour workday for the guy. But Moore isn't tired. He's brighteyed awake and ready to discuss the Xbox 360's recent problems and future prospects. The man seems to draw from an endless supply of energy whenever he talks to the press, which is good for him, because this interview is no walk in the park....

The Past: Launch Time

EGM: What was your biggest worry leading up to the Xbox 360 launch?

Peter Moore: I think you always worry when you're launching brand-new hardware, something as complex and next generational as this, that software won't be ready in the quantity and quality that you hope for on day one.
But our biggest concern is getting the right launch titles out and meeting the genres that we need to for gamers' tastes. I think that now as I look back on it, we obviously did a phenomenal job, getting 18 titles out on day one, spanning just about every genre. I guess the only slight disappointment is that Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion didn't make it, that we didn't have a [role-playing game]. But there's never really been an RPG at the launch of any major console anyway, and Elder Scrolls is not far behind.

EGM: How did the 360 launch compare to the Dreamcast's, which you worked on, and PS2's?

PM: Well I certainly think the PlayStation 2, even by [Sony's] own admission, didn't have strong games at launch.

I think the Dreamcast had some great games at launch, but it didn't have the ability to sustain itself past the first six months, and of course it didn't have Electronic Arts on the platform at any point during its life cycle. So we're delighted with the quality and the quantity of titles at [Xbox 360's] launch on a global basis." [more]

Revolution Rumours: Sonic, Nintendo's Return

2006-01-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

Revolution Rumours: Sonic, Nintendo's Return

"An original Sonic title destined for Revolution, Nintendo claimed to be back in the "race."

A couple of interesting rumours slash unofficial news have hit the internet, and as such, we're "reporting"...

IGN have published an article in which they claim to have been informed by "sources close to Sega" that a wholly original Sonic the Hedgehog title is in development for the Nintendo Revolution. A separate, more traditional title, is already underway for the other next-generation platforms and up until now there had been no word on a Revolution version. But, although not official, this claim seems very credible and paints a very good picture for the future of Revolution. Hopefully gone will be the lazy, watered down ports for Nintendo's console and replacing them shall be original and exclusive Revolution versions of games.

In another IGN-related report, one of the website's VIP members (apparently these accounts are reserved for industry personell) has said on the IGN message board that they believe "'someone' is back in the race." Presumably, they're referring to Nintendo - here's the full quote:

"I'd love to talk 'in-depth' about next-gen systems too, more specifically PS3 and Revolution but, as you can imagine, we're under embargo to release any details about those systems. Also, I don't want to speak on behalf of Ubisoft as to which system is going to win until they've all launched. Last thing I need is a NOA/SCEA/MS representative calling Ubisoft saying that I was bad talking their system. All I can say is - I think 'someone' is back in the race."" [more]

Godfather Delayed On 360, On Time For Xbox

2006-01-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

Godfather Delayed On 360, On Time For Xbox

"With a title as important as The Godfather, Electronic Arts has to get things right, which is why the company officially delayed the game last year at its annual July Hot Summer Night event. Today, Electronic Arts has again delayed the Xbox 360 and PSP versions, while staying on schedule for an Xbox, PS2, and PC March release.

EA would not explain the full reasoning behind the delay, though it’s clear that the game’s size, scope, and multiple SKUs using vastly different technologies have much to do with it. The Xbox 360 and PSP versions are likely to be delayed to a late summer release, said an EA spokesperson, though he could not confirm an actual month.

The Godfather is EA’s first open-design or urban mayhem-style game, based on the Mario Puzo novel and the 1970s Francis Ford Coppola movie. In it, players create their own Italian-American gangster from the time period who makes his way up the Corleone family chain of command by eliminating rivals gangs in New York and taking over their businesses." [link]

Halo 3 will be a 'super great product'

2006-01-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

Halo 3 will be a 'super great product'

"Microsoft chief Bill Gates has been speaking about Halo 3 for Xbox 360 and believes that it will be a 'super great product'.

Bill also revealed that Bungie will be given all the time it needs to make the intergalactic FPS a killer-app for Xbox 360.

'It's up to the team when it wants to ship Halo 3 and it's going to take its time to make the game a super great product. So even we don't know when it will come out,' he told US website Engadget.

He also took time to discuss the upcoming hardware battle between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and believes Microsoft's experience in the area of online gaming with the original Xbox Live will be key.

'We learned about contests and spectators, and so this is really a second generation of Live for us... it's based on software expertise, so it will be interesting to see what Sony does in that dimension.'

Gates remains bullish about the performance of Xbox 360, despite the present shortages stating that he is certain that Microsoft will have a substantially higher share of the market in this generation than it did in the last." [link]

Taiwan market: Over 10 local firms developing Xbox 360 games

2006-01-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

Taiwan market: Over 10 local firms developing Xbox 360 games

"More than 10 producers of on-line and/or PC games in Taiwan are engaged in the development of Xbox 360 games, according to Microsoft Taiwan. However, many of the offerings won’t be available until after the March 2 launch of the Xbox 360 in the Taiwan market, the companies indicated.

XPEC Entertainment will be first to the market by launching the game “Spectral Force Chronicle,” first in Japan on April 28, according to the company. XPEC is currently the only Taiwanese company offering console games for the Xbox, PlayStation (PS), and Game Cube.

Fun Town will revise its existing “Ma-jiang” game, a traditional Chinese gambling game, for the Xbox 360 with a launch planned for the middle of this year. Softstar Entertainment will shift its PC games to the new game platform with the first one to be on the market at the end of 2006. Soft-World International plans to offer a MMORPG (massively multi-player on-line role-playing game) also at the end of this year. InterServ International is developing a new game specifically for the Xbox 360, with a launch slated for September 2007." [link]

Xbox 360 Marketplace download charts

2006-01-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 Marketplace download charts

"One of the biggest successes of the Xbox 360 has been the revamped LIVE Marketplace where Xbox 360 users can download and play classic arcade games. Now Microsoft have released a top ten of the most popular downloaded Xbox 360 games.

The success of the service serves to show that gamers are quite comfortable with downloading content to their hard drives, even paying up to the near equivalent of premium budget titles for the service.

Most downloadable games cost from 400 to 800 points with the most expensive (and also the number 6 game) coming in at 1200 points. For thos that don’t know, 80 points equals roughly one dollar and you buy points through Live with your credit card, topping up as you need to.

The full top ten, revealed in a statement to IGN, goes something like this:

1. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
2. Gauntlet
3. Smash TV
4. Bejeweled II
5. Zuma
6. Bankshot Billiards 2
7. Outpost Kaloki
8. Mutant Storm Reloaded
9. Joust
10. Wik: Fable of Souls " [more]

Six New PlayStation 3 Games Revealed

2006-01-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

Six New PlayStation 3 Games Revealed

"Sony has updated their Japanese website with six games that are currently in the works for the PlayStation 3. PlayStation.jp has listings for Gran Turismo, Everybody's Golf 4 (Hot Shots Golf), The Eye of Judgment, Genji 2, Angel Rings, and Monster Carnival.

No details on the games were given, nor were any release dates, but for those of you looking for any shred of PS3 news out there, new games being unveiled is big news." [link]

Report: Revolution hitting North America by Thanksgiving

2006-01-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

Report: Revolution hitting North America by Thanksgiving

"Nintendo president Satoru Iwata tells Japanese newspaper the next-gen console will be in US homes for the holidays.

To date, Nintendo has been rather stingy with details about its next-generation console, the Revolution. So far, the Kyoto-based game giant has only unveiled a mock-up of the console and its new controller. It has also vaguely mentioned that several of its popular franchises, such as Super Smash Bros. and Metroid Prime, are going next gen.

Given the lack of information, speculation has mounted that the Revolution may not actually launch until 2007. Today, though, the company's head man debunked all rumors, stating that the console will make it in time for Christmas 2006. He also revealed that America will be getting the console first, so that it will make it in time to stores for Thanksgiving.

In an interview featured in today's edition of Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated, 'We can't disclose the Revolution's release period yet, but we have no plans to miss out on the year-end sales battle. As for North America, we need to release it by Thanksgiving, or otherwise we won't receive support from the retail industry. So the Revolution will be released prior to that period.'" [more]

Pioneer Senior VP: 4-7 Million PlayStation 3 Consoles At Launch

2006-01-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

Pioneer Senior VP: 4-7 Million PlayStation 3 Consoles At Launch

"In an interview posted yesterday at The Digital Bits, but conducted at this year's CES, senior VP of Pioneer Electronics Andy Parsons comments that the company is expecting between 4 and 7 million units at the launch of the PlayStation 3.

He said, 'The PS3 is launching right at the forefront of Blu-ray Disc. If Sony ships the kind of numbers we expect them to this year, that will provide a very rapid growth of players out there hungry for titles. We've been hearing between 4 and 7 million units could ship.'

It's important to take his numbers with a huge grain of salt. For starters, Parsons' comments don't specify whether he's talking about worldwide figures or simply North America. Even if those are indeed worldwide figures, the low-end of his range is still at least 1 million consoles more than the 1 million units per territory estimate currently rumored. Additionally, the interview was conducted a couple of weeks ago, potentially making his vague figures obsolete. Finally, as an exec with Pioneer he's no doubt focused more on production of the Blu-Ray drive itself, while the real factor determining PS3 supply will likely be manufacturing chip yield of the Cell processor." [link]

Sony Reveals Initial PlayStation 3 First-Party Titles

2006-01-19T13:48:00.000-05:00

Sony Reveals Initial PlayStation 3 First-Party Titles

"According to a listing on Sony of Japan's official website, the company has listed six initial titles that it plans to debut for the PlayStation 3 console when it launches later this year.

The specifically listed games are Polyphony Digital's latest Gran Turismo iteration, Genji 2, presumably a sequel to Yoshiki Okamoto's samurai action title for the PlayStation 2, Everybody's Golf 5, the latest in Camelot's popular cartoon golf series, and titles named Monster Carnival, Angel Rings and The Eye Of Judgment. No other information is currently available on the games.

As for exactly when these games will debut, Sony CEO Howard Stringer's CES keynote gave little hint of a specific date for PS3 hardware launch, though he revealed that over four thousand PlayStation 3 development kits have been shipped to game developers.

Disappointingly, no live gameplay of the console was shown at CES, and no specific release date was pinpointed for Sony's next-gen video game system other than 'later this year', perhaps shifting even the console's Japanese debut past the original 'spring' announcement." [link]

Next GTA vs. Halo 3

2006-01-19T13:29:00.000-05:00

Next GTA vs. Halo 3

"As we all know there is definitely a tension between the XBox 360 and the PS3. Some say the 360 is better, some the PS3. What about the games though, we all know that in the end it all comes to the games. Thus far in gaming history only two games manage compete against each other on such a big scale. Yep Halo, and Grand Theft Auto, or GTA as commonly named. May I also remind that both games are exclusives to their systems (at least at the time of their hype).

Starting with Halo for the Xbox, when this game was released for the original X-box it became an instant hit. Seemingly a simple FPS, based in the future captured the hearts of many, mostly for its multiplayer. As years went by Bungie and Microsoft released their sequel Halo 2, and as far as we know it has been the most anticipated and biggest release in gaming history. Now as we enter the next generation of gaming, we expect more. Halo 3 previously announced to be released the same day as the PS3, has been cancelled, so from the look of things the 360 is not going to have anything to counter the release date of PS3. What is to be expected from Halo 3? That is the question that seems to haunt us all. Halo 2 was a great game, but what kept it from being the BEST game was the single-player story mode, that was just too short for a game as anticipated as it was. Another thing that hurt this giant was the cliff-hanging ending. True some players liked it, but most despised being left “hanging” after such great anticipation. Now what really made this game so popular was the multiplayer mode. Joining clans, fighting people from around the world, and much more was what made this game “stick out” of the crowd. As for Halo 3, we expect only two things to be improved over Halo 2 aside from the graphics; one being a longer story mode, and two an ending with a definite result." [more]

Sony Struggles With PS3 Launch

2006-01-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

Sony Struggles With PS3 Launch

"A mid 2007 launch of the PS3 is tipped for Australia as Sony continues to struggle. At the recent CES Expo Sony acted as if they were the most succesful kid on the block instead of being the has been.

At the recent CES event in Las Vegas Sony acted as if they were god in the CE market instead they are a struggling Japanese electronics makers who is wallowing under a mountain of debt. While all other vendors openly welcomed journalists to press events Sony decided to restrict journalists with many being denied access because local subsidaries had not put them on an invitation list.

For those journalists who did get into the Sony press conference the event turned out to be a bhig bore with little in the way of new innovations being announced. Many journalists decided to leave the event instead choosing to attend a CES keynote instead. What Sony did deliver was a lot of maybe's and could be's but not a lot of substance. What Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer didn't say at the recent CES Show about Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console spoke volumes about the key product's timetable, analysts say. He provided no updates about the product's global launch despite the fact that it is critical to Sony's turnaround strategy." [more]

Dead Rising Delayed? [Xbox 360]

2006-01-18T23:58:00.000-05:00

Dead Rising Delayed?

"Though our last report on Dead Rising had the game pinned down with a May 2nd, 2006, release date for the Xbox 360, this morning it appears the game might not make that date. Though unconfirmed by Capcom, a quiet update to Capcom’s release schedule has the game’s release date changed from May 2nd, 2006, to a listing of Summer 2006. As we've said in past stories on the game, Dead Rising follows the story of a photojournalist named Frank West, who finds himself in a town overrun with zombies. Refer to our other stories, as well as Capcom’s website, for more on Dead Rising." [link]

PS3 in March 2007? [Europe]

2006-01-18T22:31:00.000-05:00

PS3 in March 2007?

"Analyst predicts misery for European PlayStation fans, with an estimated March 2007 launch of the PlayStation 3.

The launch of the PlayStation 3 is perhaps the most widely discussed topic in the video game industry and a release date is like gold dust, with everyone clambering for the elusive date. There's still no official word, but analysts have been at it again, predicting the future of our favourite industry.

Evan Wilson of Pacific Crest Securities has made news today after being quoted in Interactive Investor. Wilson predicts that the PlayStation 3 will hit North America in November with approximately 1 million hardware units available to consumers. A spring launch in Japan also seems unlikely, with Wilson predicting that the console will make its retail debut in the summer, with Japan also receiving 1 million units." [more]

Xbox 360 As A Media Center Extender

2006-01-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 As A Media Center Extender

"By now, everyone and their mother know that the Xbox 360 has ushered in the next generation of video games with out-of-this-world graphics and state-of-the-art sound. But Microsoft is out to improve more than just our gaming experiences. The 360 can also be the ultimate source of entertainment when connected to a Windows Media Center PC. You can stream a cornucopia of multimedia from your PC to your 360: videos, pictures, music, live television, recorded television and radio. Add the 360's ability to play DVDs and CDs, and you've got one fully loaded set-top box. Of course, before you sit down to enjoy any sort of digital streaming showcase, you'll have to buy the proper hardware and install the right software to access the content." [more]

Project Gotham Racing 3 Trial Available on Xbox Live [Xbox 360]

2006-01-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

Project Gotham Racing 3 Trial Available on Xbox Live [Xbox 360]

Now on Xbox Live you can download the demo/trial version of Project Gotham Racing 3 for Xbox 360. PGR3 features breath-taking graphics, top notch game play and a plethora of vehicles, over 80 licensed models. This is the most anticipated racer that is soon to be available for the Xbox 360.

"Project Gotham Racing® 3 takes the most popular Xbox® video game racing franchise into the next generation with more of what everyone loves about the franchise—slick driving and hot cars. With a focus on supercars, new depths of community, and all-new customisable gameplay, Project Gotham Racing 3 is the Xbox 360-defining racing game. Fun first, simulation second"

Link: BizarreOnline.net - PGR3

Xbox 360 shortages continue to plague US retailers

2006-01-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 shortages continue to plague US retailers

"GameStop yet to fulfil launch date pre-orders

Despite continued reassurances of a steady retail supply from Microsoft, US retailers continue to suffer shortages, with GameStop yet to fulfil approximately 30 per cent of its launch day pre-orders for the Xbox 360 console.

According to videogames website Gamespot, an internal memo from GameStop informed retail staff that almost 70 per cent of pre-orders for the next-generation console had now been completed. The company expects to complete all remaining pre-orders during February, furthering the disappointment of hundreds of eager games fans who had hoped to receive their console at the time of launch in November, 2005.

According to the source at GameStop, an increasing number of the lower-priced Core System units (shipped with a wired controller and lacking a hard drive) have begun to appear on store shelves for immediate purchase, though the majority of customers appear to be holding out for the more comprehensive package, which includes a number of additional peripherals for USD 399." [more]

The Xbox 360 Numbers In Context

2006-01-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

The Xbox 360 Numbers In Context

"Last time around, in the last six weeks of 2001, Microsoft sold 1.4 million original Xboxes in the U.S. market. This time, it sold 607,000 Xbox 360s in the U.S. On top of that, it sold about 300,000 units in Europe and about 100,000 units in Japan, according to analyst Michael Pachter at Wedbush Morgan. In 2001, production began a few days before Sept. 21, when Microsoft announced the first of its factories began making machines. So, the two factories made on average about 100,000 original Xboxes a week in 2001. This time around, two factories owned by Flextronics and Wistron started production sometime during the fall and managed to ship about 1 million units.

By comparison, the Nintendo DS sold an estimated 1.22 million units in the U.S. during its first holiday season in 2004. The GameCube sold 1.2 million units in its first season in 2001 in the U.S. And the PlayStation 2 sold 1.1 million units in its first season in 2000. The Sega Dreamcast sold 400,000 units in its first 30 days in 1999. In its first four months, it sold 1.8 million units in the U.S. (The Dreamcast's first holiday season was a long once since it started selling on 9-9-99)." [link]

"GTA: Europe" Gossip Emerges

2006-01-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

"GTA: Europe" Gossip Emerges

"First details of the probably top-secret next Grand Theft Auto project for next-gen.

Videogame retailers are still experiencing the relentless sales power of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but already it seems that Rockstar could be working on a sequel.

Only too aware of the importance of the franchise and its significance to its publicly-listed parent company, Take 2, the publisher is said to be wasting no time in putting together a sequel.

According to a report in this morning's edition of trade newspaper MCV, the next Grand Theft Auto will show up on next generation consoles such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2 - something pretty obvious when you consider how much San Andreas is pushing current generation hardware.

In addition, the magazine cites "sources close to the project" in revealing that "the team is looking beyond the US for the setting of the next title, with Europe a strong contender." Again, perhaps slightly obvious, since the game's last outing seemed to cover the entire country - or an entire state, at least." [more]

Analysts: PlayStation 3 Release Date in Question

2006-01-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Analysts: PlayStation 3 Release Date in Question

"AFX News Ltd. reported today that several analysts expect the US launch of the PlayStation 3 to be pushed back to the second half of 2006.

Evan Wilson of Pacific Crest Securities said 'the most likely scenario' is that PS3 will be released in Japan this summer with about 1 million units and in the US in November with 1 million units, followed by a European launch in March 2007. At E3 2005, Sony announced a Spring 2006 release date but didn’t mention a specific territory.

Analysts believe that Sony will face the same problems Microsoft experienced with chip yields for the launch of the Xbox 360. William Drewry of Credit Suisse First Boston wrote that "the decision as to whether to delay the PS3 launch has yet to be made and is dependent on (improving its chip yield)."

Wilson, the analyst from Pacific Crest Securities, expect Sony's launch line-up in the U.S. to be similar to that of the Xbox 360, but 'clearly weaker then the Xbox 360 holiday 2006 line-up.'

"You don't need to come out with 20 games for a Japan launch, whereas in the US you need about 15 to 20 games, plus a few that really stand out," said analyst Schelley Olhava of IDC." [link]

Screw XBox 360, my GameCube does "High-Def"

2006-01-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Screw XBox 360, my GameCube does "High-Def"

"It's not widescreen, but it's in progressive scan on 90% of the Nintendo titles, and a good amount of non-Nintendo titles. Since I only have games actually made by Nintendo, I hopped onto eBay and got one of component video output cables and it looks crystal clear.

All you have to do is load the game up holding down the 'B-button' and it'll ask you if you want to enable 480p. It looks damn good.

This'll only work on older GameCubes (produced before May 2004) with the "Digital AV Out" port on the back. If you don't have it, either grab a used GameCube with it, or wait for Nintendo Revolution to come out." [link]

Hack Allows Xbox 360 Owners to Stream DivX Video in Real-Time

2006-01-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hack Allows Xbox 360 Owners to Stream DivX Video in Real-Time

"Very cool. Casey at Brains-N-Brawn has figured out a way to stream DivX video to the Xbox 360 using Windows Media Endcoder (via HD Beat). This is great news for all us lazy people who would otherwise need a program like Videora Xbox360 Converter to manually transcode each video into Xbox compatible WMV. But there's is one catch, though, you have to be somewhat computer savvy to get this hack up and running. Nonetheless, it's nice to see progress in this area since Microsoft doesn't feel compelled to offer support for competing formats that users want and are currently petitioning for.

Note: mceDivX360 actually tricks Windows Media Encoder to transcode DivX files into Xbox supported WMV on the fly." [link]

Knights of the Old Republic 3 in the Works?

2006-01-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

Knights of the Old Republic 3 in the Works?

"We know BioWare is hard at work on Mass Effect, but what about that other RPG BioWare made that one time, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? Being the fans of rumors that we are, an interested eyebrow was raised at the note over at Gaming Horizon that hinted at development on the third Knights of the Old Republic title is underway with Obsidian at the helm." [link]

Medal of Honor Headed to PS3, 360

2006-01-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

Medal of Honor Headed to PS3, 360

"EA's popular World War II series makes the jump, in all senses of the word, to the next generation. First details.

Some people say only crazy people jump out of perfectly good airplanes. But come the end of 2006 you'll find out for yourself if you have what it takes as a fully armed military parachutist in EA's latest Medal of Honor game.

Appropriately titled Medal of Honor: Airborne, the latest game in the popular World War II-based first-person shooter series casts you as Boyd Travers, a lowly grunt in the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division. As Travers, you'll take part in several of the key battles in the Great War, all of which begin with you being dropped deep behind Nazi lines.

Apart from being the series' foray into the world of the airborne military, Medal of Honor: Airborne also holds the distinction of being the first game in the series made for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360." [more]

US Games Industry Sales: 10.5 Billion

2006-01-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

US Games Industry Sales: 10.5 Billion

"The gaming industry saw its sales rise to some 10.5 billion dollars in 2005.

The NPD group, the firm responsible for calculating sales figures for a myriad of products ranging from interactive entertainment to household goods has recently reported their findings for the year of 2005, and how it relates to the progression of the gaming industry in the United States of America. The company, the leading marketing information provider, found that video games, including software, hardware, and accessories, had a sales total of 10.5 billion dollars in the United States alone.

2005's mark exceeded the previous years sales status by 6 percent and raised the bar higher for the industry as the previous high total tallied in at 10.3 billion in 2002. The analysts attribute the rise in sales to an exceedingly more popular handheld division, which according to the firm, offset the decline in the sales of traditional, console games. Handhelds accounted for 1.4 billion of the industry's total sales in 2005. The previous year saw a considerable, 96 percent rise in portable hardware sold, a 46 percent increase in handheld software generated, and an 88 percent increase in accessories sold, compared to 2004." [more]

Porn Studio Picks PS3 and Blu-Ray

2006-01-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

Porn Studio Picks PS3 and Blu-Ray

"Like it or not, in addition to the PlayStation 2, pornography was one of the reasons that the DVD format became so popular. Now it seems that at least one major player in the adult film industry is hoping to ride the coattails of the PlayStation 3, and is adopting the Blu-Ray format. Xbiz is reporting that Digital Playground has embraced Blu-Ray over rival HD-DVD, in part because of the large user-base the PlayStation 3, which will also utilize the technology, is likely to have.

Digital Playground's co-founder said ''We see PlayStation 3 as the Trojan horse that will lead the way and Blu-ray as the format that will be around longer - and we can do more interesting things with it.' He went on to say that all things considered, the two formats were relatively equal." [link]

Quake Wars to 360? [Xbox 360]

2006-01-17T14:09:00.000-05:00

Quake Wars to 360?

"Also from C&VG is a report taken from Game Informer that Splash Damage's Quake Wars might be ported over to the Xbox 360:

"Well, new reports suggest that PC owners won't be the only ones feeling the Quake Wars, uh, splash damage. According to US magazine Game Informer, there may also be a 360 version of the game in the works. Although the mag says the team are still very PC focussed, it seems they're already thinking about next-gen console versions of the game."" [link]

Dragon Quest Producer Excited About Nintendo Revolution

2006-01-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

Dragon Quest Producer Excited About Nintendo Revolution

"During the European launch event for Dragon Quest VIII held in London yesterday, series Producer Yuji Horii expressed his interest in Nintendo's next-generation console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution. (Note: some quotations altered due to rough translation)

'When I was making manga, I met up with the technology of computer games. I loved the fact that it was interactive, that you do something and you get feedback. I thought that an interactive story where you get feedback and rewards from everything that you do would be interesting,' he said. 'I like the idea of interactivity with the hardware, so there, where you mention the Nintendo controller, it's a new interface, and it's exciting to have that reaction. You do something, and it reacts to you. It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions; it's rewarding.'" [more]

PowerBlock 200: the First Rugged Cell BE Processor-Based Computer

2006-01-17T10:15:00.001-05:00

Press Release:
Mercury Computer Systems Introduces
the First Rugged Cell BE Processor-Based Computer - the PowerBlock 200

Unprecedented Processing Density to Propel Digital Battlefield Applications from the Research Laboratory to Networked Land-Mobile Vehicles

LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRCY) announced the introduction of the PowerBlock(TM) 200 -- the third member of its Cell Broadband Engine(TM) (BE) processor-based family of hardware products, and the first rugged device designed with the Cell BE processor. The PowerBlock 200 product plan was unveiled during an exclusive reception at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, prior to the opening of the Bus & Board Conference at which Mercury is exhibiting and co-presenting the keynote with IBM Corporation. Mercury displayed a mechanical prototype to illustrate the small footprint that will contain the PowerBlock 200's tremendous processing power.

The PowerBlock 200 processing appliance is designed to deliver the raw compute power needed to propel the vision of network-centric warfare from the research laboratory into the field. At 200 GFLOPS, the processing capacity of the PowerBlock 200 rivals that of 12-20 PowerPC(R) processors or 45 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processors -- in a COTS-deployable ATR chassis about the size of a toaster.

The integrated network-centric warfare environment of the 21st century will provide soldiers with the ability to access and control vast arrays of deployed sensors in real time. Delivering on this vision of instantaneous data fusion and interpretive displays of the battlefield requires enormous processing power. Deploying these applications in tanks, armored personnel carriers, and Humvees demands an unprecedented level of processing density in a ruggedized enclosure that can stand up to the harsh environmental conditions of the battlefield.

The PowerBlock 200 processing appliance is designed to deliver the raw compute power needed to propel the vision of network-centric warfare from the research laboratory into the field. At 200 GFLOPS, the processing capacity of the PowerBlock 200 rivals that of 12-20 PowerPC(R) processors or 45 Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processors -- in a COTS-deployable ATR chassis about the size of a toaster. This configuration will enable defense contractors to deploy compute-intensive applications in places and spaces previously unthinkable. For example, the unprecedented processing density offered by the PowerBlock 200 will allow military prime contractors to deliver new levels of performance and capabilities in compute-intensive vehicle electronics (vetronics) applications, with:

-- Dramatically increased situational awareness throughout the fighting force
-- Consolidation of a wide range of sensor processing tasks into a single processing element, which significantly reduces vehicle weight and simplifies logistics
-- Considerably enhanced effectiveness of existing data links through new levels of intelligent data compression
-- Vastly accelerated response to threats detected in complex environments through real-time sensor processing.

The PowerBlock 200 can also enhance other important data-intensive applications such as aided target recognition, tracking, geo-location and mapping, terrain rendering, video processing, image enhancement, feature extraction, communications processing, and more.

"The Cell BE processor was originally designed for the volume home entertainment market, but its architecture of nine heterogeneous on-chip cores is well-suited to the type of distributed, real-time processing that will power tomorrow's digital battlefield," said Craig Lund, Chief Technology Officer, Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. "At 200 GFLOPS, the Cell BE processor is an order-of-magnitude higher in performance than other processors. In defense computing, the availability of the Cell BE processor is an industry milestone akin to the introduction of AltiVec into the PowerPC architecture."

The PowerBlock 200 uses a 1/2 ATR Long Tall chassis designed for military applications in the harshest environments on land, sea, and in the air. It contains a single Cell BE processor and has Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, RS-232 and GPIO front panel interfaces. Other I/O options are available via open-standard mezzanine card expansion sites. The entire chassis will consume less than 400 W and support a self-contained cooling infrastructure that will conduct heat to the chassis walls. Customers interested in deploying the PowerBlock 200 can start migrating applications immediately using Mercury's Cell Technology Evaluation System (CTES), which recently started shipping to customers.

Developers can streamline time to deployment and boost application productivity by leveraging the Mercury MultiCore Plus(TM) Advantage. Multicore chips like the Cell BE processor provide a new level of performance for embedded applications, but increased programming complexity and power consumption create deployment challenges. The MultiCore Plus Advantage is a suite of products and services enabling application developers to harness the full potential of today's revolutionary multicore processors and stay ahead of their competition. Mercury draws upon 20+ years of experience in developing high-performance multicomputers in creating the numeric primitives, middleware, development tools, and enclosure solutions to enable customers to rapidly transform standalone multicore chips into complete system solutions. The Mercury MultiCore Plus Advantage product suite is optimized to take full advantage of the Cell BE processor and its revolutionary architecture. Visit www.mc.com/cell for more information on the Cell BE processor architecture.

The PowerBlock 200 is planned for shipment in the first half of calendar 2007. For more information on the PowerBlock 200, visit Mercury in Booth #14 at the Bus and Board Conference, visit www.mc.com/PowerBlock200, or call 866-627-6951.

About Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRCY) is the leading provider of high-performance embedded, real-time digital signal and image processing computer systems. Mercury's products play a critical role in a wide range of applications, transforming sensor data to information for analysis and interpretation. In military reconnaissance and surveillance platforms the Company's systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signals intelligence data. Mercury's systems are also used in state-of-the-art medical diagnostic imaging devices including MRI, PET, and digital X-ray, and in semiconductor imaging applications including photomask generation and wafer inspection. Mercury provides advanced 3D image processing and visualization software and optimized systems to diverse end markets including life sciences, geosciences, and simulation. The Company also provides radio frequency (RF) products for enhanced communications capabilities in military and commercial applications.

Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Mercury serves customers in North America, Europe and Asia through its direct sales force and a network of subsidiaries and distributors. Visit Mercury on the web at www.mc.com.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the PowerBlock 200. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company's markets, effects of continued geo-political unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology, and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, continued funding of defense programs, the timing of such funding, changes in the U.S. Government's interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses, and achieving anticipated synergies, and difficulties in retaining key customers. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2005. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Contacts:

Eran Strod
Director of Product Marketing,
Defense Business
Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
978-967-1737 / estrod@mc.com

Kathy Donahue
Public Relations Manager
Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.
978-967-1126 / kdonahue@mc.com

Cell Broadband Engine is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. MultiCore Plus, PAS, PowerBlock, and TATL are trademarks of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

SOURCE Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

XBox 360 Controller for PC & MAC!

2006-01-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

XBox 360 Controller for PC & MAC!

It looks like an ambitious hacker has created drives for the Xbox 360 controller to be used on an Apple Macintosh system. The controller supports Apple Force Feedback. The author will be releasing the source as an Open Source project utilizing the GNU Public License.

Links:
XBox 360 Controller technical information
XBox 360 Controller OSX Driver

Free Call of Duty faceplate at Best Buy [Xbox 360]

2006-01-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Free Call of Duty faceplate at Best Buy

"This actually looks like a great deal. And it's from Best Buy no less.

Simply buy Call of Duty 2 this week and you'll get a CoD faceplate instantly. It's a $19.99 value, absolutely free.

Of course, I already bought Call of Duty on launch day, so securing this will likely require making a 'cash donation' to a couple of managers at Best Buy." [link]

Microsoft Now Says Blu-ray Not a Possibility for 360

2006-01-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

Microsoft Now Says Blu-ray Not a Possibility for 360

"Following the news of the external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 and reports that Microsoft would consider Blu-ray if necessary, the company has now flip-flopped on Blu-ray, reaffirming their 100% committment to the HD DVD format.

Last week we reported that Microsoft would leave open the possibility that its next-gen console could one day support Blu-ray if that format ended up winning the war against HD DVD. This was based upon comments made by Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Peter Moore to Japanese website ITmedia during CES.
However, Moore's comments, which made the rounds not long after MS announced plans for an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, were taken out of context, the company insists. To clear up any confusion, MS has issued a statement to the effect that they are 100 percent behind Toshiba's HD DVD format.

"Microsoft firmly stands behind the HD-DVD format as the best choice for our consumers. As we've said before, we're confident that HD-DVD will bring the excitement of high definition movies to the consumer faster and at a greater value. We believe that consumers have signaled what format they want to enjoy high definition DVD and we're going to follow them down that path. The question of whether Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers' needs is a different issue entirely. Xbox 360 is a future-proofed system -- one that allows us to add features as consumers demand them -- as evidenced by our offering of the HD DVD drive as an accessory," reads the official line." [more]

"RS" Possible Name For The Nintendo Revolution?

2006-01-17T09:36:00.000-05:00

"RS" Possible Name For The Nintendo Revolution?

"Google Video reveals possibe hint to Nintendo's next gen console

It’s been a few days since we’ve posted any real juicy Nintendo Revolution rumors or speculations. Well, here’s one that should hold you over for awhile. An image allegedly from Ninteno.co.jp via Google Video appears to be some kind of menu system, perhaps for Nintendo’s Revolution.

At a closer look, the video reads, “Nintendo RS” and is dated December 12th 2005.

The Google video page includes the following description: 'Menu beta that Nintendo gave the companies.' However it is not know who uploaded the video, or, if Nintendo even made it.

If the video is in fact real what could the “RS” stand for? Revolution System perhaps? Or even NRS (Nintendo Revolution System?

Hopefully in the next few months, or even sooner, we will finally know all the secrets Nintendo has been guarding oh so closely." [link]

Link: Nintendo RS Video

UPDATE: Video was found to be a fake.

XBOX 360 SALES FALL BELOW TARGET

2006-01-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

XBOX 360 SALES FALL BELOW TARGET

"Microsoft only shifts 600,000 consoles in the US - another five million to flog before it reaches sales targets

Last week Microsoft admitted that it wouldn't meet its "3 million Xbox 360 unit sales within 90 days of launch" figure. New figures suggest however that the company mightn't meet its revised estimate either.

According to analyst group NPD, Microsoft has managed to sell only 600,000 Xbox 360s in the US since its November launch, a long stretch away from the 5.5 million console sales worldwide the company hopes to shift by the end of the current business year, ending in June.

Industry analysts blame the lacklustre sales on a shortage of console over the Christmas period and, given that 360s are still hard to track down even now that mince pies and eternal turkey sandwiches are nothing but a nauseating memory, a prompt upturn doesn't look imminent. However, Microsoft hopes that its new partnership with manufacturer Celestica will help quench the console drought.

Let's be honest though, you probably couldn't give a monkeys whether Microsoft is going to meet its sales targets though, right? The question on everybody's lips really is WHERE'RE OUR BLOODY XBOX 360S??" [link]

Japanese Artwork of Western Games

2006-01-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

Japanese Artwork of Western Games

"We're all familiar with Japanese box art being changed for Americans, whether they alter the art style completely or replace minimalistic covers with garish Photoshopped collages. Just as interesting is how they taken American or European games and market them in Japan. This is a small comparison gallery of some of the more interesting changes. Most of these images were yanked from Amazon Japan and Lik Sang, so, uh, patronize them, I guess." [link]

Phantom Lapboard coming to PCs

2006-01-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Phantom Lapboard coming to PCs

"Infinium Labs has announced that the Phantom Lapboard is to be released as a PC peripheral later this year.

Infinium Labs' Phantom game service is still to launch, despite claims years ago that it would appear at Christmas 2004, but this hasn't stopped the company from continuing with the system's development. One of the most talked about aspects of the system is its wireless keyboard and mouse combo called the Lapboard.

Infinium Labs has decided that the Lapboard is so good that it will be released as a peripheral for PC users in quarter-two 2006. What makes the Lapboard unique is that the keyboard can be angled upwards to create a surface for the mouse to operate on underneath. The device is also wireless and can operate at a distance of up to 30 feet.

The Phantom game service is still very much something Infinium Labs wants to pursue in the future and Infinium Labs CEO Greg Koler believes the release of the Lapboard is 'the perfect stepping stone and bridges the subsequent launch of the full service further down the line.'

Pricing for the Lapboard is still to be finalised, but assuming it's priced inline with other wireless keyboard and mouse combos it could well become a favourite for armchair PC gamers, especially given the growth of PCs in the living room thanks to high-definition televisions." [link]

Full Auto Demo Coming to Xbox 360 Marketplace

2006-01-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

Full Auto Demo Coming to Xbox 360 Marketplace

"Sega will soon be releasing a one-level demo of its combat-racing game Full Auto via the Live Marketplace on the Xbox 360.

The demo, scheduled to be available January 25, includes the downtown setting last seen at E3 and features two cars. Subscribers to Official Xbox Magazine have been playing the demo for the past few weeks via the magazine's demo disk, but the January 25 release marks the first time the demo will be available free." [link]

Boldly Going Onto Xbox 360???

2006-01-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

Boldly Going Onto Xbox 360???

"Reports in the US suggest that Star Trek is heading for the next-generation in Autumn 2006...

According to the latest issue of US publication Game Informer, Dungeon Siege II developer Mad Doc is currently producing a new trekking title, Star Trek Legacy: A New Frontier. The article reports that the action-strategy title will be released by Bethesda Software (though both companies are yet to officially announce the game) and is set to feature a generation shifting, time-warping storyline that will see gamers control all five of the TV franchise Captains. Along the way (again according to the report), players will face all of the big enemies from across the Star Trek universe including the Klingons, Romulans, and the Borg.

The article also states that the game will be released for Xbox 360 with the possibility of Xbox Live multiplayer functionality, and will be released in the US during September 2006." [link]

Xbox 360 Available Again on Wal-mart and Amazon

2006-01-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 Available Again on Wal-mart and Amazon

"In case you are still interested, Amazon.com and Wal-mart finally have some Xbox 360 bundles in stock.

They still do not sell unbundled Xbox 360 consoles.

The bundles are selling out quickly, but restocking again. Every time I check another bundle is gone or back in stock. So at least there is some movement in the Xbox 360 supply situation.

Currently those bundles are in stock on Wal-mart:
Xbox 360 Customer Choice Bundle with Hard Drive sells for $838.52
Xbox 360 Premium Bundle With Spherex Surround Sound System sells for $998.82.

Amazon.com has spotty availability of this Xbox 360 Premium Bundle:
Xbox 360 Pro Gamer's Bundle with 6 games - Mature

I only listed Xbox 360 Premium bundles, I do not think a Core system is worth it. BensBargains Xbox 360 Tracker works pretty well to find a Xbox 360 in stock.

With the still unknown launch date for the Sony PS3, Microsoft can take their time to get to a normal supply situation. Especially if you own a HDTV it is very tempting to get a Xbox 360." [link]

Microsoft confident in Xbox 360 defeat over Sony PS3

2006-01-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

Microsoft confident in Xbox 360 defeat over Sony PS3

"Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer upped the ante against the Sony PS3 this week during a lengthy interview with Investor's Business Daily.

The loud sound you hear is once again heard from another Microsoft executive, who is committed on winning the Xbox 360 console war against the Sony PS3. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is confident about Microsoft's Xbox 360 strategies against its competitors for the coming year against the Sony PlayStation 3.

Some video gamers at GameSHOUT tell us that it's not surprising that executives of a video game console maker is claiming the bragging rights of their product, afterall, it is about selling product. But other video gamers feel that Microsoft is speaking loud because of worries and concerns of their future Xbox 360 product.

The Xbox 360 is up against two new rivals this year which include the Nintendo Revolution and the Sony PlayStation 3. So far, Microsoft has not been able to win the battle in territories already owned by Nintendo and Sony, which is Japan.

"We knew Japan was going to be tough," said Ballmer, but "I'd still call the launch phenomenal. I think in this generation we can win. I'm not sure we're going to beat Sony in Japan this generation. Maybe. But we're going to beat Sony. We're off to a very good start. We're on track to sell between 4.5 to 5.5 million units by the end of our fiscal year, which is great."

However, the 4.5 to 5.5 million estimate has recently become Microsoft's benchmark of success, after much-reported but unspecified manufacturing difficulties caused the company to abandon its original 90-day target of 2.75 to 3 million consoles shipped." [more]

Tecmo to announce PS3 titles shortly

2006-01-16T13:41:00.001-05:00

Tecmo to announce PS3 titles shortly

"In a short interview in Famitsu PS2 magazine Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda has said that his company will announce PlayStation 3 titles shortly.

The interview, partly translated by IGN, offers very little information on Tecmo's next-gen plans, with president Yoshimi Yasuda claiming that his company 'will announce titles... shortly.' The interview also explains that Tecmo do not want to rush the announcement, making sure it is timed properly.

Tecmo may be best known for its Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden titles, but the company is also responsible for the Project Zero series, the latest of which is due for release in Europe on February 24, 2006, under the Take-Two label. There have been plenty of rumours to suggest that Dead or Alive 4, currently an Xbox 360 exclusive, is making its way to the PlayStation 3, but currently any such reports remain unconfirmed." [link]

Xbox 360 vs. PS 3: A Battle for the Ages, or A One Punch Knockout?

2006-01-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 vs. Playstation 3: A Battle for the Ages, or A One Punch Knockout?

"The release of the PS3 will unleash the most epic battle between competitors in video game history. Like a big title fight, fans are already criticizing one system or the other, and predicting the outcome. Each system has its own advantages, and up until this week I though it was a pretty even battle. The announcement of the possibility of the Blu-Ray drive coming to the 360 delivered a cold punch to Sony’s dream machine. Still, Sony’s device continues to have lots of support, and keeps things pretty even. With both systems running neck to neck, it is probably time for an early analysis of the situation." [more]

Infinium Labs Confirms Greg Koler as New CEO and President

2006-01-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

Press Release:
Infinium Labs Confirms Appointment of Greg Koler as New CEO and President

SEATTLE, Washington, January 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinium Labs has officially named Greg Koler as its CEO and President with board approval for its operations mandate. The appointment was approved by the Board of Directors and is effective immediately.

Koler also assumes the position of interim CFO Officer and board officer having recently served as interim CEO and President as well as heading Infinium Labs in Europe. Koler will run Infinium's overall group business operations from the Seattle headquarters. In this new position, he will also continue in his role as the head of Infinium Labs Inc.

According to board director of Infinium Labs Richard Angelloti, "This is a pivotal year for the Phantom Game Service and this new structure enables the company to streamline its operation and provides a more cohesive focus for launching both the game service and our Phantom Lapboard into market in a proactive and strategic manner. I firmly believe that the current management team has laid the foundations for future growth. Our business operations plan has been revitalized and a more efficient production, sales and distribution platform established to activate our launch program in 2006," said Angelloti.

"I am delighted to be officially joining the extremely talented international management team to lead Infinium Labs. The Phantom Game Service has an unparalleled legacy of boldness, innovation and great opportunities for the online video games market sector. Together we look forward to joining our strengths in engineering and technology with a sales and marketing driven presence to deliver the most advanced online video game service and devices for consumers. I am grateful to the board of directors of Infinium Labs and all our staff for the support and confidence they have shown in me. We have clearly demonstrated in our operational plans that we can achieve significant cross-company efficiencies, and, I believe the entire organization is hungry and ready to go in making this same transition. I know all of us in management are committed to achieving that goal in launching the Phantom Game Service to market this 2006," said Koler.

Greg Koler 49, brings over 15 years experience in the broadband gaming content and interactive TV services sector. As founding strategic sales director for TDK(R) Mediactive and TDK Recording Media Europe, a global publisher of high quality entertainment software for current and next generation videogame console systems for Nintendo GB Advance, GB Color, GameCube, Playstation 2, Microsoft(R) X-Box, and PC/Mac, General Manager of the European subsidiary Gemstar TV Guide(R) International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST) a leading, global media and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes products and services that enhance television guidance and consumer entertainment, and consultant and advisor for SOFTBANK (R) Broadmedia (SBBM) Europe and Japan, the broadcast and broadband media-related division of the SOFTBANK Corporation Group, Koler was also a founding director of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

About Infinium Labs
Infinium Labs (OTCBB:IFLB) is in development of The Phantom Game Service, anticipated to be the first end-to-end, on-demand game service for delivery to the living room. Delivered over broadband, the Phantom Game Service is designed to offer casual and avid gamers a broad library of titles, available anytime, day or night.

For more information, please visit www.phantom.net.

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from such statements expressed or implied herein as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to: the development of the Infinium Labs technology, ability to secure additional financing, the successful marketing and distribution of the Phantom Game Service, acceptance by the market of Infinium Labs, products and technology, competition and timing of projects and trends in the gaming industry, as well as other factors expressed from time to time in filings Infinium Labs will make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with periodic filings Infinium Labs makes with the SEC. The forward looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and Infinium Labs undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Xbox 360 - Updated Game Release Dates

2006-01-16T11:32:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 - Updated Game Release Dates

"Here is the latest release date list for Xbox 360 games in the US. January and February look pretty quiet, but it we can expect 12 new titles in March.

College Hoops 2K6 - 01.23.06
Fight Night Round 3 - 02.14.06
Full Auto - 02.21.06
Splinter Cell: Double Agent - March
Moto GP 2006 - March
Gears of War - March
Ghost Recon: Advanced War Fighter - March
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII - 03.07.06
The Outfit - 03.13.06
Far Cry Instincts - 03.14.06
Over G Fighters - 03.14.06
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat - 03.14.06
Burnout Revenge - 03.14.06
Eleder Scolls IV: Oblivion - 03.20.06
Timeshift - 03.21.06
Top Spin 2 - 04.03.06
Saints Row - 04.03.06
Major League Baseball 2K6 - 04.10.06
Tomb Raider: Legend - 04.11.06
Frame City Killer - 04.25.06
Dead Rising - May
Chromehounds - May
Final Fantasy XI Online - May
Prey - June
Def Jam - June
Test Drive Unlimited - 06.15.06
Superman Returns - 07.03.06
Godfather - 07.03.06
Lost Odyssey - 10.02.06
Medal of Honor Airborne - November" [link]

Japanese Xbox 360 Lounge closing February 12 - News at GameSpot

2006-01-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

Japanese Xbox 360 Lounge closing February 12

"Promotional joint for Microsoft's next-generation console has its lifespan extended one month.

For Japanese Xbox 360 fans (there are some) that haven't checked out Microsoft's Xbox 360 lounge in Tokyo's Omotesando, the next few weeks will be their last chance. Microsoft announced today that the building will officially close on February 12.

The Xbox 360 Lounge opened its doors on November 1 in preparation for the console's launch in the country on December 10. It functioned as a promotional space where visitors could experience the Xbox 360 on high-definition TV sets and Dolby 5.1 surround sound. The lounge also functioned as a cafe, where visitors could rest, have a drink, and enjoy a selection of original Xbox-themed cakes from Tokyo's top bakeries.

The Xbox 360 lounge was scheduled to be open through mid-January. However, Microsoft says it has decided to extend the lounge's operation to next month due to its popularity." [link]

'Fight Night' demo a knockout [Xbox 360]

2006-01-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

'Fight Night' demo a knockout

"Playing Dead Or Alive 4 on the Xbox 360 this week, I thought I'd seen the first true glimpse of the machine's graphical might. Then I downloaded the free demo of EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3, and my jaw dropped. Literally.

If you've got a hard drive-equipped Xbox 360 and an Xbox Live subscription, go suck down the nearly half-gigabyte demo via the Xbox Live Marketplace menu right now. Now! Go! Put down the newspaper and pick up a controller!

The demo only offers three-round bouts with two pre-selected boxers, but the visuals are so impressive, you won't care. The full game is due in stores this March.

Ironically, Fight Night Round 3 was shown off by Sony at their E3 press conference last May as an example of the PlayStation 3's power. It'll be interesting to see how much better the game eventually looks on the PS3 -- if it looks better at all.

There were some intriguing tidbits coming out of last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, not the least of which was Microsoft overlord Bill Gates announcing that an external HD-DVD drive will be available for the Xbox 360 later this year.

Microsoft has thrown their weight behind Toshiba's HD-DVD format, while Sony is pimping their competing Blu-ray technology, which will be incorporated into the PS3." [more]

Revolution Report Releases Console FAQ

2006-01-15T17:22:00.000-05:00

Revolution Report Releases Console FAQ

"You've asked for it. We've listened, we've compiled and now it has been released.

Revolution Report compiled a list of the most frequent questions asked about Nintendo's upcoming console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution. Using questions often received in over six months of mailbag questions, our team used our collective knowledge to provide detailed information we've gained in our news and exclusive interviews.

The FAQ, or Frequently Asked Questions, can be found on our main page in the right-hand corner under the 'Revolution Report' link and will be periodically updated as more information develops and/or changes. Two staff e-mail addresses have been provided at the end of the FAQ if readers would like to suggest any other questions.

To visit the FAQ, click here. You can also view the FAQ any time by clicking on 'Nintendo Revolution,' located in the site's 'Welcome to Revolution Report' box. Check back every one or two weeks for any updates to the FAQ, or watch for any news articles on our main page.

Revolution Report will continue to provide articles and services up to the launch of the next-generation console and throughout its life span." [link]

Link: Revolution Report: Nintendo Revolution FAQ

Sega bundles up a free Xbox 360 faceplate with Full Auto preorders

2006-01-15T16:39:00.000-05:00

Sega bundles up a free Xbox 360 faceplate with Full Auto preorders

"When Microsoft first announced that the Xbox 360 would support detachable faceplates, I didn’t really understand what the allure was. It makes sense for cellular phones, since they often double as fashion accessories anyway, but the idea of decking out my console with blue flames just didn’t really add up to me. After all, it’s not what’s sitting on the shelf that I’m looking at, it’s what’s on the screen.

I think I might be starting to “get” the gimmick though, now that Sega has announced that preorders of Full Auto will come with free faceplates. I kind of had a hunch that these would start popping up as preorder swag, and now that they have, I’m a little more comfortable with the whole thing.

In fact, I think that I can say that it’s a cool idea - almost Nintendo-esque in its subtle creep of genius. I wouldn’t normally drop $20 on a piece of plastic to pimp my console, but handing it out for free with a game makes the whole package that much more appealing and makes it seem like we’re getting a lot more for our $60. I also foresee the collector community getting pretty pumped about this new addition to the pantheon of gaming memorabilia." [more]

5 Xbox 360 predictions for 2006

2006-01-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

5 Xbox 360 predictions for 2006

"If you were lucky enough to get an Xbox 360 in 2005, then you already know that there is much to look forward to in 2006. The console is bursting at the seams with the promise of good things to come. Only time will tell if developers can truly harness the power of the big white heat machine, but we're drawing a line in the sand now and making our predictions for what 2006 has in store for our fanboy family.

360 Prediction #1: There will be a significant marketplace overhaul. Xbox Live's marketplace has been a silent power house during the Xbox 360 launch, delivering more new game extras, demos and entertainment content than most people expected. The problem with this ever growing library is organization. Marketplace is getting crowded and finding and sorting content is already a bit of a chore. Expect Xbox Live/Marketplace/Arcade to make it easier to navigate and manage the universe of content available with a few new tweaks. Like Tivo's transition from rev.1 to rev.2, we look forward to enhanced search capabilities, folders and other organizational enhancements.

360 Prediction #2: An iTunes-like service is headed our way. In a way, this is already here. Certainly we have the ability to purchase gamer pics and game enhancements today, but we know this will expand to music and video tomorrow. The seeds are certainly in place for this given the movie trailers that are already available on demand and the music that comes preloaded on the HDD. Like a drug dealer, MS is giving us our first taste of this for free. And with Microsoft accelerating the marriage between the PC and the Xbox 360, it doesn't take a genius to see that they plan on using the Xbox 360 as a gateway to deliver content of all kinds. Then if you want to move it, burn it, store it or otherwise manipulate it, you can do so through seamless PC integration.

360 Prediction #3: An unexpected peripheral will make Nintendo say, "We should have done that!". We know for an absolute fact that Microsoft has at least one peripheral up its sleeve that it won't talk about. In fact, when we inquired about said peripheral we got more than the usual "we don't comment on rumor or speculation." We got "we wish would could say more about it, but we can't yet." What could it be? Lots of ideas, but let the speculation begin." [more]

Virtual Survey on the Nintendo Revolution

2006-01-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

Virtual Survey on the Nintendo Revolution

"Nintendo is finding out what gamers are interested in when it comes to the "Virtual Console" on the Revolution.

Nintendo recently held an online survey about the Nintendo Revolution, mainly the "Virtual Console" service. For those who haven't heard, the Nintendo Revolution will come with a built in "Virtual Console" that will allow you to purchase and download classic Nintendo games to be played on your Revolution. So far the list of consoles consist of the NES, the Super NES, and the N64. No word on whether or not the "Virtual Console" will support game any Gameboy titles." [more]

600,000 Xbox 360 game units sold in US

2006-01-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

600,000 Xbox 360 game units sold in US

"Microsoft Corp. has sold 600,000 of its new Xbox 360 video game consoles in the United States since its November launch, an analyst for market researcher NPD Group said on Friday.

The Xbox 360 debuted to much fanfare on November 22 in North America, where the unit has been in short supply. Analysts, video game publishers and retailers have said shipments during the key holiday season fell short of expectations.

Microsoft last week confirmed its target of selling between 4.5 million and 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles during the current business year, which ends June 30, 2006.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft was not immediately able to comment.

Sony Corp., the world's biggest video game console maker, and Nintendo Co. Ltd are preparing to ship their next-generation machines in 2006.

The NPD Group measures nearly two-thirds of retail sales in the United States and makes projections for the remainder of the year." [link]

Art Dink to Develop for the Nintendo Revolution

2006-01-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

Art Dink to Develop for the Nintendo Revolution

"Art Dink has indirectly proven their support of the Nintendo Revolution.

Japanese game developer, Art Dink (yes, that's their name) has recently posted on their site a list of job oppurtunities available at their company. The site listed job openings for MMORPG programmers; experienced 3D graphic designers; and PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and Revolution programmers.

Why would a company be asking for Revolution developers if they weren't serious about developing games for the Nintendo Revolution? This is the question that has been raised by this inadvertant announcement.

If you haven't heard of Art Dink, they developed the Playstation puzzle game Mr. Domino. Tey also co-develop the only MMORPG .Hack//FRAGMENT. The company hasn't developed for a Nintendo system since the Super Nintendo Entertainment system, and here we all seeing development for not only the Nintendo Revolution, but also the Nintendo DS." [link]

‘Dead or Alive 4’ brings fighting excellence to Xbox 360

2006-01-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

‘Dead or Alive 4’ brings fighting excellence to Xbox 360

"Beating up your friends in a video game has never looked so good – or been so difficult.

“Dead or Alive 4” (Rated M; $59.99) finally arrives for the Xbox 360 with a simple goal: Clobber your opponents before they can return the favor.

You start by choosing from more than a dozen brawlers. Each has strengths, weaknesses and unique fighting styles.

Kokoro, for example, is a young geisha in training who’d rather perfect her Ba Ji Quan combat technique. Bass is an American pro wrestler who looks at home in the ring but can dish out massive damage in any setting.

The game even pays homage to the sci-fi shooter “Halo” with a special character from that game that you can unlock.

But good luck getting to that level. Unless you’re a fighting-game vet, prepare for a grueling training schedule.

In learning how to play this game, I felt like Uma Thurman’s “The Bride” in “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” as she’s beaten down by sadomasochistic master Pai Mei.

I’m not on some lifelong quest to learn the five-point palm exploding-heart technique, but this game left my hands aching and my temper raging.

A trainer system is buried in the menu, but I think a more straightforward beginner’s guide would help newbies." [link]

No Ruler Required For Xbox 360's Cost-Effective 'Geometry'

2006-01-15T11:26:00.000-05:00

No Ruler Required For Xbox 360's Cost-Effective 'Geometry'

"Trial version of game has been downloaded more than 200,000 times.

The first time gamers got an Xbox, they fell in love with a blistering, trigger-happy game starring a space Marine. The first time gamers are getting an Xbox 360, they're falling for a blistering, trigger-happy game starring a space ship. And it barely costs $5.

If you've got an Xbox 360, chances are you've already played "Geometry Wars." And if you've played it, you've discovered the iceberg tip of Xbox Live Arcade, the 360's download service that some gamers and game makers say has the potential to change what people look for in a game console and may even increase the odds that the average Xbox gamer may someday make a game for the system.

" 'Geometry Wars' has been our 'Halo,' " said Greg Canessa, the group manager in charge of Live Arcade.

Since the 360 was launched less than two months ago, the trial version of the game has been downloaded more than 200,000 times, according to Canessa. Nearly 45,000 people have purchased the full game and had their high scores posted on Xbox Live's global-leader board.

The game seems to be popular in part because it is simple: One space ship on one board shoots at waves of enemies that explode in dazzling bursts of light. The appeal is the quest for a high score and the fireworks such a drive produces.

"It's like an interactive version of those acid-trip musical visualization devices," said Epic Games designer Cliff Bleszinski.

"GW" addicts should note that the game's 25-year-old designer, Stephen Cakebread, said he was initially thinking of putting mazes in the sequel. He had also dabbled with multiplayer when working on the original. But he decided to keep the design simple and go for visual splash. "There was something pure about having the open arena and having the enemies come at you," he said. The game worked best when he kept it simple." [more]

First Glimpse: Revolution's Virtual Console

2006-01-14T22:55:00.000-05:00

First Glimpse: Revolution's Virtual Console

"How might the game download service work? An official marketing survey may offer new insight.

An official survey conducted for Nintendo of America by marketing company Zanthus may shed new light on Revolution's "Virtual Console" concept. The website www.classicgamer.com took part in the online questionnaire, which offered a more in-depth look at the game download system for Nintendo's next-generation console than has previously been seen. The survey even featured mocked-up artwork representing how the graphical user interface for the process may look and function. The concepts below are by no means final, but nevertheless Zanthus prepared these materials based on direction from Nintendo of America and therefore they should not be discounted.

The survey featured eight different mock-ups, each showing different features of Revolution's "Virtual Console" setup. The questionnaire began at a mocked-up Revolution homepage - possibly the same destination retrieved when gamers press the still-mysterious "home" button on the console's controller. Located on this hub menu are four options, including Settings, Memory Cards, Parental Controls and - the focus of this article - Virtual Console.
For those who haven't been following Nintendo's new platform, the concept of the "virtual console" describes Revolution's game download service. The Big N's highest-ranking executives have publicly stated that Revolution will not only be able to wirelessly connect online, but that players will also be able to directly download some of their favorite NES, S-NES and N64 classics. The specifics of this service have up until this survey remained completely speculative.

According to the enclosed mock-ups, once the "Virtual Console" option has been selected, Revolution owners are asked to choose a system for its corresponding games. NES, S-NES and N64 are the available options, which is appropriate since GameCube titles cannot be downloaded via this service; Revolution is able to play GCN software, but gamers must first own the original discs. Users seeking to download and play the classic Kid Icarus would obviously select the NES option, just as those hoping to get their hands on Pilot Wings 64 would go with the N64 icon." [more]

Madden NFL 06 [Xbox 360]

2006-01-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

Madden NFL 06

"Next Generation Football

Well, EA didn't exactly do their best work on Madden 06 for the Xbox 360 so we're just going to tell them what we want for 07.

The next generation of gaming is here. Sure, it doesn't quite feel like it yet because you can't access an Xbox 360 console like you want to, and official details haven't dropped yet on the releases of the PlayStation 3 and the Revolution. But it is here, just waking to eke onto the industry and take the world by storm. And who's there with their first football product? EA Sports, the exclusive owners of the NFL license and the arena football license. That means that, unless you take an originality route like Midway did with Blitz: The League, there's only one company to lean towards with the approach of next-generation football.

And so far, so...uh, average. Last year, just in time for the system's launch, EA released Madden NFL 06 for the Xbox 360. And expectations were high on the title, as EA had touted the next generation football experience with blazing screenshots that looked bone-crunchingly real and a catchy commercial showing what the sport could possibly look like on a next-gen machine. Then the game arrived and it was hardly what you might consider next-gen. Did it look good? Sure, it absolutely did. But the detail wasn't THAT sharp. Furthermore, the game was as hollow as a chocolate Easter bunny when it came to features, lacking even the new gimmicks that were introduced with the current generation version of Madden 06. The game turned out to be a disappointment, just like the other EA Sports releases for the system, all rushed in an attempt to get people to buy in to their virtual splendor. (To see more disappointment details on these games, check out the Sports Guide for a recent article on the matter.)" [more]

Toward the Chips of Tomorrow

2006-01-14T21:12:00.000-05:00

Toward the Chips of Tomorrow

"IBM, Toshiba, and Sony -- the trio that developed the revolutionary Cell chip -- are banding together in an effort to keep the breakthroughs coming

It takes a ton of money and brainpower to keep the tech industry chugging along -- which explains a Jan. 12 announcement by heavyweights Sony, Toshiba, and IBM that they'll jointly develop the next generation of semiconductor technology.

The threesome had worked together over the past five years to bring out Cell, the revolutionary new chip designed from the ground up for multimedia applications running on networks. That chip, which cost them $400 million to bring to market, is expected to see action this spring with the introduction of Sony's PlayStation 3 video-game console (see BW Online, 12/22/05, "Sony: Shooting From the Chip?").

SHRINKING CHIPS. Now the partners jointly plan to develop breakthrough semiconductor designs and materials that will enable the next generation of Cell processors -- plus other chips -- to fit on ever-smaller pieces of silicon. The work will happen at IBM's Yorktown Heights Research Center and at its advanced chip-fabrication plant and the government-backed Albany Nanotech Center both in New York. "We're doing fundamental research," says Lisa Su, vice-president for semiconductor R&D at IBM. "People don't know how to do this yet."

Analysts hailed the announcement as an important event in the annals of the tech industry. They expect the partners to spend several hundred million dollars, at least, over the next five years.

"This is the first public commitment by anybody in the world to 32-nanometer technology," says Richard Doherty, director of the market research firm Envisioneering Group. Today, most chipmakers are using 90-nanometer designs -- meaning the width of the smallest circuit wire is 90 nanometers, a fraction of the width of a human hair." [more]

How To: Convert your Xbox to a NAS

2006-01-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

How To: Convert your Xbox to a NAS

"Introduction

There has been much talk recently of NAS devices which I have followed with interest. The idea of a small low-power fileserver and BitTorrent client appeals to me as it uses less electricity and also can be shut in a cupboard where noise is not an issue. The Kurobox [reviewed here] seems ideal for the job, however its high price and lack of availability in the UK means that, for me at least, it is not an option.

A Mac mini could also work, but again it is too expensive, and can only handle 2.5” hard drives. Linksys' NSLU2 [reviewed here] might be a reasonable choice, but is lacking in both RAM and processing power.

Which brings us to Microsoft's Xbox. The Xbox is basically a PC with 64MB RAM, a Celeron 733Mhz CPU, 100Mb Ethernet, a 10Gb Hard drive and DVD Drive. What’s more, they are dirt cheap (mine cost €75, about $88 USD) and soon to be two-a-penny with the release of the Xbox 360. There is also active development on Xbox-Linux, so it is easy to install and configure like any other Linux device.

So the aim of this project is to turn an Xbox into a dedicated fileserver / NAS by replacing the DVD drive with a large hard drive, installing Linux, and setting up Samba and BitTorrent. The resulting box will no longer be able to be used for gaming, but makes a full-featured and relatively inexpensive NAS." [more]

Xbox 360: A Something Awful FIRST Exclusive!

2006-01-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360: A Something Awful FIRST Exclusive!

"One year it was Tickle Me Elmo. Another year it was Beanie Babies. During yet another year it was the long-anticipated Doom House DVD now on sale from Awful Video. In fact Doom House was in such high demand that the United States Postal Service was so overwhelmed with shipments they decided to only deliver it to one person and chuck the rest in a dumpster somewhere. It seems that every year there is a hot toy that people just can't live without.

This year it's the Microsoft Xbox 360. You may have heard rumors about how hard it is to get your hands on one of these things. Let me tell you folks, everything you heard is true. There is an age old question that man often asks, "Could God create a consumer electronics product so in demand that not even he could buy it?" The answer is yes and that product is the Xbox 360. Trying to find the new Xbox has become a 24 hour a day job. Hopeful customers must stalk Internet forums, constantly call retailers, and perform complex differential equations to figure out who has units in stock.

In order to control crowds and keep order most retailers have enacted special procedures for buying an Xbox 360. The first thing you have to do is file an intent to purchase application with the state you are going to buy the console in. This takes 5-7 days and is generally trouble free. On the day of the sale you must drive to the store seven hours before opening just to get on a waiting list. Some parents have put their newborn children on waiting lists so that some day they may own an Xbox 360.

The best place to find a 360 is Best Buy. Apparently their policy of not letting you leave their stores until you have been offered a warranty on the package of batteries you just bought has impressed Microsoft so much that they are practically the only retailer being shipped units. On the day we bought our review unit there were one hundred people in line for only two systems. Despite being 85th in line, we had a Louisville Slugger.

Once inside they made us go through the line of accessory and warranty horror. There we were bombarded with high pressure warranty pitches. One associate told me that he could look into my soul and tell me my destiny. Apparently my destiny is a 2 year extended warranty and a blowjob administered from the Geek Squad should my Xbox 360 malfunction, no questions asked. From there we entered the gauntlet of pain where Best Buy associates paddled our asses while we grabbed for games and accessories. By the end of the line my ass was a healthy cherry red.

Then, the final step! We finally handed around 400 dollars in cash and purchased an Xbox 360. Unfortunately we couldn't afford a game because my buddy Jerry is the biggest fuckup on the planet. More on that later. On the way back to the truck we ended up getting mugged by those in the line who came too late to get an Xbox 360. Luckily Best Buy had another line set up for mugging victims to pre-order a system for the next shipment twenty years from now.

Six weeks later we struck gold. We finally got our Xbox 360 and the first thing we did was take it home and rip it open to show you it's shiny innards. The sight of electronic circuitry and wires just turns us on so much. Plus we look pretty bad ass opening up a brand new console system and showing our readers the inside. I mean, we can actually point out to you where the CPU and the graphics chip is. Can IGN give you that? No. Can AnandTech give you that? Well yes, but we delve even deeper into the hardware. We're going to break the 360's hymen like horseback riding. And then when the Xbox 360 explains to her first boyfriend why she doesn't have a hymen but that she's still a virgin he'll wonder until the day he dies if she really told him the truth..." [more]

No NHL 06 For 360

2006-01-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

No NHL 06 For 360

"Maybe next year for next-gen hockey fans.

EA Canada confirmed today what most hockey fans already know or have assumed: there will be no NHL 06 on the Xbox 360. However, we fully expect to see NHL 07 sometime next Fall on current-generation platforms, as well as on the next-generation platforms Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, pending its launch.

EA probably learned its lesson with the lackluster release of several 06 Xbox 360 sports titles that did not measure up to the usually high standards of its previous releases. The next-gen Madden, Tiger Woods, FIFA and NBA Live titles were trimmed down in terms of overall features and game modes, much to the chagrin of EA Sports fans." [more]

Perfect Dark Zero: Xbox 360 review

2006-01-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

Perfect Dark Zero: Xbox 360 review

"Step back in time to the days when Joanna Dark was just a trainee bounty hunter in the prequel to the N64 classic Perfect Dark.

At the launch of the Xbox Microsoft had prepared Halo to be the top launch title and it succeeded in fantastic style. With the 360 it is trying to repeat the feat with Perfect Dark Zero, coming from one of its more recent acquisitions Rare, which has had enjoyed a good reputation. Being an FPS on release of the new console it will naturally draw comparisons with Halo.

Can anything live up to that legacy? Perfect Dark Zero is a very different type of game. It's slower, more thoughtful but still exciting and action packed. The prequel to Perfect Dark on the N64 which has been elevated to the status of classic which gives PDZ another tough legacy to follow. The Xbox 360 and PDZ have certainly got their work cut out for them.

Jackanory

Perfect Dark Zero follows the fortune of Joanna Dark when she was just a trainee bounty hunter before the events of the original N64 Perfect Dark title. Under the tutelage of her father, Jack Dark, and a computer hacker called Chandra, the story follows how Joanna became a part of the Carrington Institute and how DataDyne Corporation developed to the point in Perfect Dark. The story all plays out over 14 chapters with cut scenes and updating mission objectives as you go.

You start out with a simple objective such as rescuing a hostage or escorting a computer controlled ally. As you move through the level set piece events occur which alter the objectives or add to them. The voice acting is rather forced and un-natural and the story is not terribly well scripted. The scenes are just there really to introduce the action scenes and they achieve that although in an unremarkable way." [more]

IBM’s renewed Cell collaboration with Sony pressures Intel

2006-01-14T17:11:00.000-05:00

IBM’s renewed Cell collaboration with Sony pressures Intel

"Macinteltosh is small beer compared with the PS3

WHILE THE PRESS brouhaha happily follows Apple about and co-conspirator Intel looks on, smugly hoping its tie-up with the much-loved computer maker will bring it some added kudos in its assault on the consumer electronics market, IBM, the giant ousted from the party, is getting on with business.

Big Blue may have been dumped by Apple but its compensation is plentiful. Its Power chips form the heart of upcoming console offerings from Sony and Nintendo as well as the XBox from Microsoft.

And let's face it, the press might like Apple and the kids might dig iTunes but sales of a million or so computers annually is pretty small beer in the grand scheme of things.

Paul Otellini may don a bunny suit to woo the Macistas but you can bet he'd don the apparel of a Geisha if Sony came a-courtin'.

And so it came to pass that, yesterday, IBM announced plans to extend its collaboration with Sony and Toshiba to produce a second generation Cell processor.

The trio has embarked on a second five-year stint of collaborative effort, after the first five-year deal culminated in the development of the Cell Processor which will power the upcoming Playstation 3.

This week the first Cell Technology “evaluation systems” were announced by US firm Mercury Computer Systems. IBM had already delivered Linux development tools for the Cell. www.ibm.com/developerworks/power/cell Now, as part of the fresh agreement with its Japanese partners, IBM will guide the Power-based Cell architecture towards a 32 nanometer process, "and beyond"." [more]

Xbox 360 Games Delayed

2006-01-14T16:27:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 Games Delayed

"Namco action adventure title for Microsoft Xbox 360 has been pushed back.

Namco’s action adventure title for the Xbox 360, Frame City Killer had its release date pushed back from February to some time in the summer.

The game uses Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 and is the story of an assassin hired to destroy a drug cartel.

Other titles which have been delayed for the Xbox 360 until later this year include, Take-Two’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and THQ’s Saint’s Row.

We'll keep you updated on any other video game delays here at" [link]

Xbox 360 hackers ... make inroads into hacking the 360

2006-01-14T14:42:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360 hackers cheat at Hexic, make inroads into hacking the 360

"The hacking community has been very busy this weekend. Accomplishments include:

1. Successfully ripping Hexic off of a kiosk disc and executing it in a PC browser (it runs very slowly)
2. Successfully modifying Hexic and running it on an Xbox 360 connected to Xbox Live
3. Hacking Hexic to earn several of the achievements without doing any of the work
4. Successfully running simple Flash applications that were never on the Xbox 360 (such as a clock application)
5. Modifying certain aspects of the King Kong kiosk demo to create the simple program pictured here" [more]

Control yourself ...

2006-01-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

Control yourself ...

"You thought it was hard waiting until Christmas morning to see what Ol’ St. Nick had put under the tree?

For fans of the latest and greatest in video game technology, Christmas comes but once every five freakin’ years.

The good news is 2006 is one of those years.

The life cycle of modern game consoles is roughly 60 months, at which point aging technology gives way to the latest advances in silicon, and the next iteration of the machine comes out.

That’s when early adopters rationalize why they “need” to drop five bills on a new game console with more bells, whistles and klaxons than their current hardware.

So it was with the Xbox 360, which jumped the queue a bit by coming out last November, four years after the original Xbox’s debut, in order to get a head start on juggernaut Sony.

But as Microsoft scrambles to build a quick lead, 2006 will mark the year Sony either asserts its continuing dominance with the release of the PlayStation 3, or finds Bill Gates and company are a more formidable foe than they expected.

And Nintendo will gamble there’s a large segment of the population less interested in system specs than they are with new and novel ways of playing games, as the console code-named Revolution (and we’d be surprised if it ended up being called anything else) arrives with the single most innovative controller since the Nintendo Power Glove." [more]

‘Call of Duty 2’ takes advantage of Xbox 360

2006-01-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

‘Call of Duty 2’ takes advantage of Xbox 360

"Engaging play, graphics set this shooting game apart

Now this is more like it.

“Call of Duty 2,”a sequel to the award-winning World War II game, moves to the Xbox 360. It was one of the launch titles for the new system, and it’s definitely something 360 owners should try out, if not buy outright.

The player controls Russian, British and finally American troops as they fight the Germans in the ruins of Stalingrad, the North African deserts and during the D-Day invasion. The game is primarily a first-person shooter with a little tank-driving — and demolition — thrown in.

The game asks players to clear out underground bunkers, pick off hidden enemy snipers hundreds of yards away and fight block-to-block, trying to retake a captured town. Early on, the player must sneak up to a tank and plant explosives. Later in the game, “COD2” lets the main characters call in air strikes against the enemy Panzers.

The mission objectives are clear, and they generally arrive only one at a time. There’s not a huge to-do list, and the player doesn’t have to search the entire battlefield to accomplish some obscure task.

One of the best sequences comes during the African campaign. The player is in the back of a truck, manning the gun, while another squad member takes the wheel. Except the other guy is an awful driver, he doesn’t know his way around, and the surrounding streets, windows and rooftops are packed with enemy troops.

The player never knows where the next shot is going to come from and so is forced to constantly look everywhere. Every so often, the truck rounds a corner and runs smack into an enemy tank. (Don’t bother shooting the driver; “COD2” frowns on friendly fire.)" [more]

Burnout Revenge - Xbox 360: Screenshots

2006-01-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

Burnout Revenge - Xbox 360: Screenshots
Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Criterion Games Genre: Racing Release Date: Mar 14, 2006

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat - Xbox 360: Screenshots

2006-01-13T14:27:00.000-05:00

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat - Xbox 360: Screenshots
Publisher: EA Games Developer: Digital Illusions Genre: Modern Tactical Shooter Release Date: 2006

Full Auto - Xbox 360: Screenshots

2006-01-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

Full Auto - Xbox 360: Screenshots
Publisher: Sega Developer: Pseudo Interactive Genre: Car Combat Release Date: Feb 14, 2006

Lord of the Rings Battle For Middle Earth II - Summer '06 Xbox 360

2006-01-13T13:46:00.000-05:00

Lord of the Rings Battle For Middle Earth II
Summer '06 Xbox 360

Electronics Arts has announced plans to bring the epic strategy game Battle for Middle Earth II to the Xbox 360. It is based on the PC version of the same title. At the moment this will be an Xbox 360 console exclusive, completely optimized for the 360's high def output. This installment promises deeper and richer content from J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy realm of Middle Earth. The AI system has been revamped, making way for more tactics and powerful spells.

"Living these cinematic battles in high-definition with stunning surround sound, all from the comfort of your living room couch on the Xbox 360, is an extraordinary experience," said Louis Castle, VP of Creative Development at EALA. "Adding the ability to battle it out with friends via Xbox LIVE is also really exciting."

Of course this title would not be complete without the support of Xbox live! Engage your friends online in challanging real-time combat. Slated for release this Summer.

Features:

The Middle-earth you have never seen brought to life on the Xbox 360! The unification of the book and film rights have unlocked a world of Middle-earth – new races, places, heroes, and battles from the books and films are yours to command.
Command the most epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch. Directly control and manage hundreds of units and engage in intense, action-packed real-time battles.
Challenge friends online and battle it out via Xbox LIVE. The game features exclusive new multiplayer games including King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, and Hero versus Hero.
First The Lord of the Rings strategy game for any console system and first game in The Lord of the Rings series for the Xbox 360.
New and intuitive console-specific control scheme that makes it possible to experience and enjoy the strategy genre on the Xbox 360.
Customize fortresses or choose to build anywhere! Craft your own landmark castle and create signature units including naval ships or Elven and Dwarven heroes.
Hugo Weaving reprises his role as Lord Elrond lending his voice and likeness to the game. Weaving offers the game's overarching tone by guiding players in and out of each good and evil mission within the single player campaigns.

*Online play requires Internet Connection. Xbox LIVE online play also requires subscription to the Xbox LIVE service.

Link: http://www.eagames.co.uk/thelordoftherings

Interview Exclusive: Revolution Report Talks with ATI about Hollywood

2006-01-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

Interview Exclusive: Revolution Report Talks with ATI about Hollywood

"Following the Consumer Electronics Show 2006 held in Las Vegas, Nevada last week, Revolution Report had the opportunity to discuss Nintendo and its next-generation console, code-named the Nintendo Revolution, with the system's GPU provider ATI Technologies (www.ati.com). The interview occurred between Revolution Report's Senior Editor Shawn White and ATI's Public Relations Manager for Consumer Products, John Swinimer.

Revolution Report: How long have you been working at ATI and what responsibilities does your job encompass?

John Swinimer: I've been working here since February 2001. Not as long as some of the people who've been working on the game console side. Certainly, its been very exciting. I was very, very excited and pleased to be able to stand up at Nintendo's booth back in 2001 at E3 and proudly wear one of the specially made ATI Dolphin shirts. I was very proud to be a part of that and I'm hoping the time comes where I can do that again. Since before the day I joined, we were working on building that relationship from that announcement. I work on other matters here too; I work on the digital TV side, the multimedia side, we have another division here that works on embedded display graphics. While ATI has other divisions, my responsibilities here go beyond ATI's desktop graphics division, to include ATI's other business units and ATI has many different divisions.

Revolution Report: Is Hollywood based off Flipper, a current or upcoming PC architecture, or built from the ground up?

Swinimer: Hollywood is a specific design and is in no way reflective of PC technology. Even when the Flipper chips came out, people were asking that question: "Is this a spin-off of something done on the PC?", and the answer is no. It is designed the same as the Flipper was -- from the ground up for a specific console. Totally different sort of architecture from what you might find on the PC. Certainly, there are some underlying values—you know, how you get graphics on the screen—that's there. It's not, for example, like we took a PC design and said 'oh, you know what? If we tweak this and test this, it will work in a console.' [That's] not the case.

Revolution Report: Considering the form factor of the Revolution, heating has become a concern. Has this been a challenge for ATI in development of Hollywood?

Swinimer: The form factor design of even some of the newer consumer electronics devices are getting smaller and smaller, and we are taking that into great consideration, all across the board. I don't know if you are aware of this, but ATI has graphics chips in Motorola RAZRs. ATI has graphics chips inside many consumer electronic designs and heat is definitely a consideration, so we definitely take that into consideration when we are designing new chips. There's a lot of technology you can put into the chip now that can reduce the level of [heat] output.

For example, on a totally different side note, on our PC side we are very conscious of that and we try to, over the course of the design of a PC chip, get it to the point where you do not need a fan. These are things we have to take into consideration. Putting a fan on PC cards, retail cards such as ATI’s Radeon cards, adds more cost and complexity to the design of the chip. If we can get the design to the point where you don't need the fan to keep it cool, you've exceeded on a number of different levels. ATI in general is very conscious of this when we are working with not only PC vendors, but also consumer electronics manufacturers.

Revolution Report: A number of Web sites have inferred that Revolution will be significantly inferior graphically. While it certainly seems like Revolution won't output in HD, is it safe to assume that Hollywood will not feature a comparable polygon count or the same amount of graphical effects as the Xbox 360's GPU?

Swinimer: What I can say is that ATI is focused, as is Nintendo, in making [Revolution] a great, gaming entertainment platform. I know that a lot of journalists are very focused on specs. It's the big thing; as a geek, I look for that too. The key thing to keep in mind is that Nintendo, with ATI's help, is trying to create a game console where you don't have to look at [specs].
From a broader perspective, we share in Nintendo's position that this console will be devoted to the general gamer. When you have a game developer developing [for] this, the goal is to ensure that they don't have to worry about the complexity that is required to develop the games by making them "jump through hoops." That was one of the benefits of working on the GameCube; developers were saying that it is quite easy to develop for and there are not a lot of complexities so they could produce titles easily. That being said, we want consumers to look at the game, play the game and be involved in it. We are doing our very best to make this Nintendo gaming experience the very best it can be.

Revolution Report: Is Hollywood finalized? If not, when is work expected to be finished?

Swinimer: I know that Nintendo has committed to 2006 availability. Certainly, game developers need some time to start developing games for it. I can't say anything more than that.

Revolution Report: Have you had the opportunity to demo the Revolution controller yourself?

Swinimer: No I haven't. I have seen the video of it. And believe it or not, there was someone on the Web that put together a paper cut-out.

Revolution Report: Yes, I actually made one of those, it was quite interesting.

Swinimer: I did too. So I showed it off to people by saying: 'Hey, look at this, it’s pretty cool.' People are sort of skeptical whether this can actually work, but looking at the videos and certainly based what Nintendo has promised, it has a lot of potential. I think game developers will realize that over time, it’s a great way to attract more general gamers, casual gamers." [more]

Sony Confirms DevStation PS3 Developer EU Conference

2006-01-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

Sony Confirms DevStation PS3 Developer EU Conference

"According to remarks on its official website, DevStation, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's yearly development conference for Sony platform developers, will this year focus exclusively on game development for the PlayStation 3.

The conference, which will take place in London's Brick Lane from March 1st to March 2nd, has posted an extensive agenda online, which includes significant discussion on the Cell chip, graphics, art, performance, audio, networking, and a new tool named PSSG, which is described as "a PS3 optimised cross-platform graphics engine and tool-chain."

There will also be a third-party demonstration and a lecture from Unreal Engine creator Epic, as well as middleware input from companies such as Havok and Ageia, who have already officially signed up to provide their physics technology to PlayStation 3 developers.

More information on the conference is available on its official website, which notes: "DevStation 2006 is a PlayStation 3 Development Conference, to receive a delegate space your company would have to have an executed TMLA agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe."" [link]

Rumor - Grand Theft Auto: London for PS3 in Q4 2006

2006-01-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Rumor - Grand Theft Auto: London for PS3 in Q4 2006

"According to an alleged employee of Rockstar North in Glasgow, Scotland, the next installment in the GTA series "will be titled Grand Theft Auto: London and will take place in the Great City of London in 1997."

If true, this sounds suspiciously like Rockstar trying to claim the "Great City" back from Sony's supposed usurpers to the crime-drivin' throne. Also, if you recall, there was a PC expansion to the first GTA in 1999 called Grand Theft Auto: London 1969, so this is either a bad rumor or a likely remake of old material.

We here at Joystiq hear a lot of crazy rumors about games, of course, but we sometimes wonder what to make of anonymous tipsters who claim to work for certain "developers of interest." Read on for the other details we received, and make the decision for yourself.

According to our source (who admittedly doesn't have the most perfect spelling), the "3 Island" system will be replaced by a new "North, East, South, West" system, and the main character will be an ex-gangster starting off in the "rough-and-tumble east end of London." Unlocked regions are to include the North End, South End, and West End, in order. The game is supposed to be about 60% finished, with the graphics and physics engines both completed. The focus is now mainly on the game's story component. The game is currently set to launch with the Playstation 3 in North America and Europe in Q4 2006. With about a year's work already done, the PlayStation 3's "fantastic graphical power" should provide some better horsepower under the hood of the sandbox series." [link]

The Xbox 360 And Japanese Nationalism

2006-01-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

The Xbox 360 And Japanese Nationalism

"There has been a lot of coverage recently about the failure of the Japanese Xbox 360. And those reports are very true. It is one of the weakest system launches in Japanese history, only topped perhaps by the Japanese launch of the Atari Jaguar. In my town there is only 1 game store that carries the 360. They were given 12 launch units by Microsoft and at the end of launch day they had sold only 1, and that was to one of the employees.

These articles are, of course, making the rounds of gaming sites. The comments I read on these sites often make me sick to my stomach. People are saying that the Xbox is not selling because the Japanese people are Xenophobic and will never buy foreign electronics. I have even read a few comments that say and I quote “Those Japs would never buy an American game system because they are still bitter about Hiroshima”.

Ok, first of all, those “Japs” are friends of mine. And I resent the slur. This isn’t even the worst comment I have heard on this issue. But the others are too vulgar or racist for me to repeat here. Why is there all this hate? Because the Japanese are not forking over thousands of yen blindly, that makes them xenophobic? I guess so. And now I will tell you what else these bitter, nationalistic Japanese are buying.

They are buying iPods like crazy. Japanese Apple stores sell more iPods per store than Apple stores in America. But wait! Apple is based in California. How can this be? Why aren’t they proudly buying their own, Japanese, Sony Mp3 players? Because Apple makes a good product that is in tune with what Japanese consumers like.
Starbucks is huge in Japan. These are everywhere. In just a few years Starbucks has made itself a fixture in Japan. They are always crowded with people. Japan had tons of it’s own coffee houses before Starbucks, but this was a company who adapted well to the Japanese market and was therefore embraced.

McDonalds. McDonalds can’t be doing well in Japan can it? The Hamburger and fries is clearly a western meal. Wouldn’t the Japanese shun it? No. McDonalds owns fast food in Japan. Japan has their own domestic burger chains like Mos Burger, Freshness Burger, etc. but they all bow before McDonalds. McDonalds knew that some of its tastes would not appeal to the Japanese so they changed their menus. Along with the standard Big Macs and fries they also have Teriyaki burgers, fried shrimp burgers, and other things for the Japanese pallet. They didn’t force the American tastes on the Japanese and thus, they thrived. Now look at the Japanese Xbox 360 launch lineup. First person Shooters, sports and car games. Games that sell really well in America but other than the car games are not to the Japanese taste.

Had they launched with RPGs, simulation games, party games, gambling games and fighters, they might have done a whole lot better. McDonalds changed their company for the Japanese taste. Microsoft tried to change the Japanese taste for their company.

But let’s keep going. Japanese people love Levis jeans and still pay a premium price for them. They also can’t get enough Coca-Cola. How can this be? All the major Japanese drink makers, Kirin, Asahi, suntory, etc. all make their own brands of cola. Why don’t the Japanese buy those? And, you know, support their country? Because the truth of the matter is, Japanese people love foreign goods. They buy clothes from France, handbags from Italy, Swiss watches, etc. and the very fact that these things are foreign makes them cool." [more]

Ubisoft's Far Cry Instincts On Xbox And Xbox 360

2006-01-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

Press Release:
Ubisoft's Far Cry Instincts To Deliver New Adventures On Xbox And Xbox 360

Far Cry Instincts Predator and Far Cry Instincts Next Chapter (Working Title) Will Be Unleashed on Gamers in Spring 2006

London, UNITED KINGDOM - January 11, 2006 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that its award-winning Montreal Studio is developing two new titles inspired by the recently released Far Cry InstinctsTM video game.

Far Cry InstinctsTM Next Chapter (working title) for the Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft will introduce players to an entirely new story, characters and game features that reflect and improve upon the critically acclaimed elements of the first title.

Far Cry Instincts PredatorTM for Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft will feature both Far Cry Instincts Next Chapter and an enhanced version of the original Far Cry Instincts game. Offering the kind of lush and deep natural environment true to the Far Cry® brand, Far Cry Instincts on Xbox 360 will captivate gamers with its enhanced graphical reality and gameplay. Giving gamers the opportunity to discover the Far Cry universe in an optimized, high-definition environment, the game takes advantage of Xbox 360's multi-core next-generation engine for improved performance. Gamers will experience advanced pathfinding and new enemy and vehicle artificial intelligence for improved chase scenes and more enemies on-screen at one time, allowing for more adrenaline-rushing fast-action sequences. Far Cry Instincts Predator and Far Cry Instincts Next Chapter are slated for release in spring 2006.

"Far Cry Instincts quickly became one of the most talked-about games of 2005 because of its blend of high graphical quality, wide open environments and immersive gameplay elements," said John Parkes, EMEA Marketing Director for Ubisoft. "Ubisoft is confident that Far Cry Instincts Predator for Xbox 360 and Far Cry Instincts Next Chapter for Xbox will be among the best games this year."

About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through its strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge videogame titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated revenue of 538 million Euros for the 2004-2005 fiscal year, an increase of 8 percent over the previous fiscal year at constant exchange rates. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2006 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Far Cry Instincts, Far Cry Instincts Predator, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Based on Crytek's original Far Cry, directed by Cevat Yerli. Powered by Crytek's technology "CryEngine." Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Wal Mart And Future Shop Expecting More Xbox 360's

2006-01-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

Wal Mart And Future Shop Expecting More Xbox 360's

"Both Wal-Mart And Future Shop will have Xbox 360's before the end of the month

Well things seem to be shaping up for Canadians waiting for an Xbox 360. Major retailers like Wal-Mart and Future Shop will Both have more consoles before the end of the month.

As we reported earlier today Future Shop is expected to have another shipment in for this weekend. When asked how many units they anticipate, our local sales associate simply said “we don’t know.” Best advice would be to contact your local store for more specific details

Later on this month between the 25th and the 26th, Wal-Mart stores in Canada will also receive another shipment of Xbox 360’s. As with Future Shop, Wal-Mart was unable to provide any specific information in regards to how many units they will be getting. Again, keep in contact with your local store.

It might be a good idea to keep an eye on other places like Best Buy (who own Future Shop), Circuit City, Target and even EB Games for more shipments as well. We have heard stories of people walking in to their local Target and just picking up a 360 with no trouble.

The estimated number of Xbox 360s shipped so far is around 1.3 million, at 600,000 to 800,000 per month. By June Microsoft hopes to ship another 4.5 million consoles. However, the question remains; why have we not seen an increase in shipments yet?

Hopefully Wal-Mart Future Shop and every other retailer will start getting more frequent shipments in so we can finally move on to more important things like who has the highest score." [link]

Japan A Continued Hardship For Xbox

2006-01-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

Japan A Continued Hardship For Xbox

"At Osaka’s Bic Camera, one of the city’s largest electronics superstores, the games department is buzzing with shoppers. But while US stores this holiday season were teeming with gamers clamoring for Microsoft’s new Xbox 360, consumers here were ignoring it in favor of the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Nintendo game aisles.

"I’m not sure whether I will buy Xbox 360 or not, because it has very few games now," says Sagayama Yuichi. Akiyama Yuya simply shrugs his shoulders and says, "PS2 has the games that I want."

Ever since its 2002 release, Microsoft’s Xbox has been a colossal sales flop in Japan. The company was hoping for some success with its Xbox 360, released in Japan Dec. 10 - some months ahead of the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution. But sales numbers indicate that it is even less popular than its predecessor.

While Japanese consumers have been turned off by its lack of games and the clumsy look of its original console, experts say Microsoft’s failure to gage cultural tastes has played a major role in allowing the Japanese market to slip out of its grasp.

"The main problem is that major corporations believe that all problems can be solved with hard work and money. And this is not always the case ... cultural products are very elusive," says Gonzalo Frasca of the IT University of Copenhagen.

Indeed, Microsoft has produced games geared toward Americans, such as the WWII combat simulator Call of Duty II, currently the bestselling Xbox 360 game in the US.

"It caters to a Western audience," says Ben Hourigan, a PhD candidate at Australia’s University of Melbourne who is in Japan researching the political aspects of role-playing video games. "The countries that were once the allied powers [such as the US] have a very polarized view of WWII ... ’we were the good guys, they were the bad guys’ kind of thing. And that comes out in their video games."

Such games don’t appeal to the Japanese, he says. And it’s that failure to appeal, experts note, that has led to weak Xbox sales, which in turn discouraged Japanese companies from developing games for it.

Despite America’s place as the world’s leading pop-culture exporter, no US company manufactured consoles for almost two decades after the market for Atari crashed in 1983-84. Since then, all the major console makers - Nintendo, Sega, NEC, and Sony - have been Japanese, whereas North America and Europe’s strengths have been game development. The Xbox’s 2001 arrival in North America broke that trend.

But despite its almost overnight success in the US, Xbox hasn’t been a hit in Japan. In 2005, the Xbox 360 sold 81,770 units in Japan, while the original Xbox sold 123,000 units in the first three days of its 2002 release, according to Famitsu/Enterbrain, Inc.And Microsoft controls only 5 percent of the Japanese market, compared with an estimated 80 percent for Sony." [more]

Analysts, developers: PS3 to cost $399-$699

2006-01-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Analysts, developers: PS3 to cost $399-$699

"Informal CNN/Money poll finds many industry insiders think Sony's next-gen console will be mighty pricey.

Ever since the PlayStation 3 was announced, industry watchers have been prognosticating its price point. Just over a month after E3 2005, Merrill Lynch predicted the game would sell for $399, even though it would cost an estimated $494 to make--before labor.

However, when Microsoft announced the Xbox 360, which uses current-generation DVDs, would sell for $399, many thought the PS3's internal next-generation Blu-ray disc drive would push its cost higher. That assumption was reinforced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, when the first stand-alone Blu-ray disc player was unveiled--with a $1,800 price tag. (The Xbox 360 uses conventional DVDs, but will get an external drive which supports Blu-ray's rival format, HD-DVD).

In the wake of CES, CNN/Money correspondent Chris Morris decided to poll a nonscientific sampling of game analysts and developers to see how much they thought the PS3 will cost. "Several developers I spoke with (under the condition of anonymity) said their studios were expecting the system to launch at $499," wrote Morris, who included quotes from analysts who concurred with the assessment.

However, Morris said that not all insiders' estimates were the same. Some pegged the console as matching the 360's $399 price point--which, according to last year's Merrill Lynch report, means Sony could lose more than $1 billion during the console's first year on the market. Several developers also lowballed the console at $450, while others said it could cost as much as $699. However, as Sony is staying resolutely mum on the PS3--until GDC 2006, anyway--no price is yet official." [link]

Xbox 360's PGR3 vs. Reality

2006-01-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

Xbox 360's PGR3 vs. Reality

User "bowdeni" on the Xbox360 Forums has posted some images with real life photo comparisions to the popular 360 title Project Gotham Racing 3. The developers definitly spared little expense to recreate the Japanese skyline and cities.

Link: Xbox 360 Forums - Real life - PGR3 Comparison Screens