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As the economy continues to flounder, it seems no one is immune from its bite. Sega of America and Microsoft are the latest video game maker to announce layoffs.
Sega has let 30 people go in an effort to
streamline its operations and reduce costs. Sega has issued an official statement about the move: “Sega of America has grown at pace with the booming videogame industry, but at this time of economic recession, harsh retail landscape, and the reality of business challenges to profitability, we must take steps to reduce our cost structure and ensure long-term success."
Sega joins a long and ever-growing list of video game and related companies that have announced layoffs. Some of the more notable firms to slice their staff numbers have included Midway, EA, Funcom and Sony. Microsoft also announced it will
let up to 5,000 go across many of its departments.
Although I don’t have a crystal ball to predict what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, it is interesting to note that Nintendo has been largely quiet in this economic downturn. In fact, some industry writers and analysts
say that company is actually experiencing somewhat of a boom.
In Canada alone, the Wii sold nearly 700,000 units without Christmas season sales. About 10.2 million consoles sold in America.
If Nintendo is any indication, the companies that will do well in this recession are those that are lean, mean and offer products that provide not only entertainment, but also value. While it’s hard to find good news in the recession, if anything, maybe a return to good old fashion value for money invested will be witnessed more in the gaming world and outside of it, as well.
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Sony Adds More Proof That Gaming Industry Isn’t ImmuneVideo Gamers Have A 1 Up On The EconomyLabels: microsoft, Nintendo, nintendo wii, sega, Wii
In the battle of next-gen consoles, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 scored two big points in the brilliance column in 2008 in my book. First, the company teamed up with Netflix via Xbox Live to deliver movies and TV shows directly to users’ television sets.
Then it dropped the price on its arcade version to a sweet $199.
If you’re wondering why I’m just writing about all of this, it’s because of the point Microsoft didn’t score in the brilliance column. Our second Xbox pretty much bit the bullet of death in 2008. You know, that flashing red light of doom that so many complain about. Well, we got it again. This, of course, meant we couldn’t take part in the Netflix service via the Xbox until we picked up a new console. This we did for Christmas after the price drop.
Now, let me tell you, this service boosts the Xbox’s functionality to a whole new level. Not only can you play games, chat with friends, watch disk-based movies, but now you can instantly watch tons of Netflix selections right away.
Having fallen behind on “Heroes,” we’ve been catching up on that thanks to the new service. So far, I have to say I’m impressed. The set up is fairly easy to tackle and the video quality has been fantastic on our system. My only complaint is with Netflix itself. The watch instant selection – the one that Xbox users can access – does leave a lot to be desired. It is, however, getting better all the time.
Don’t get me wrong, the Wii is a fun little machine. The PS3 has incredible video quality. But, the Xbox 360 is the machine that’s irreplaceable in my house. Its overall appeal has only gotten better with and the bang for the buck is amazing.
Good job Microsoft!
The Netflix site has a
bunch of information on how you can get the 360 setup working on your system.
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Xbox 360 Disc Replacement Plan Is WeakLabels: microsoft, netflix, ps3, Wii, xbox 360
There is no denying that Nintendo has done it again. Not only is its console the hottest thing on the market, but the company even has Americans falling all over themselves to get fit – Wii Fit that is.
The shortage of this anti-couch potato “game” was predicted by Nintendo itself prior to the start of the 2008 holiday season and it’s panning out to be quite true. Retailers all over America have been running into shortages of this hot demand item.
Amazon.com, for example, has instituted a
Wii Fit purchase limit policy. On the Wii Fit page, Amazon warns customers: “As you may know, the Nintendo ‘Wii Fit’ is in great demand, and there are shortages of this product across the U.S. In an effort to provide as many customers as possible with the opportunity to purchase a ‘Wii Fit,’ we are limiting the total number of ‘Wii Fit’ units that can be purchased. As a result, each household may only purchase two Nintendo ‘Wii Fit’ units within any 30-day period.”
Even in my local Wal-Mart in the Tampa, Fla., area, a limit of one per customer is in effect. A sign hangs ominiously on the Wii display proclaiming this fact. Unfortunately, the store’s been out of Wii Fit boxes for a while.
So, what is it about this particular Nintendo creation that has had shoppers going nuts since its release in May? It all comes down to the sheer brilliance of this title. Not only is Wii Fit fun, it also provides one heck of a workout.
A friend of mine managed to snag one earlier in the holiday shopping season and I’ve been hard-pressed to catch her on the telephone ever since when she’s not Wii Fitting. An avid sports fan and gamer, she said she wanted the Fit just to see if it would work. She was in shock when she realized she had actually broken a sweat following the routines.
While a lot of people will probably go without a coveted Wii Fit this holiday season, there’s no doubt Nintendo has done it again. The company has not only packaged and sold simplicity, it’s got gamers actually on their feet, working out and breaking a sweat in the process.
Now, that’s impressive!
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On the heels of its best Friday ever, Microsoft has confirmed it will upgrade the capacity of its Xbox 360 Arcade model. The new machines will have
256MB of onboard memory. This means consumers won’t have to rely solely on sometimes awkward add on memory cards.
“We are constantly updating the console’s more than 1700 internal components. We can confirm that we are moving to internal memory for the Xbox 360 Arcade. The physical internal memory is the same size as the previous external memory units - 256MB,”
said a spokesperson for Microsoft.
With prices for the Arcade model now highly competitive with the Wii, this move could help Microsoft continue to enjoy brisk console sales – as long as Microsoft doesn’t up the pricing too much to compensate for the built-in memory.
Black Friday sales of the Xbox 360 broke records with U.S. retailers reporting sales that beat the console’s own records in previous years. The numbers have the 360
beating out the PlayStation 3 by a three-to-one ratio. Sales were up an estimated 25 percent over Black Friday 2007.
"We entered into the Black Friday sales period with cautious optimism, knowing that dollar for dollar, Xbox 360 offers more social entertainment value than any other console on the market," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.
"Record Black Friday sales in the U.S., coupled with our existing global install base of 25 million and an online community of more than 14 million Xbox LIVE members, have laid the groundwork for continued global sales momentum in 2009."
With prices that now start at $199.99, the Xbox 360 is the most well-rounded console on the market for the price. Offering not only game play ability, but also access to Xbox LIVE and its games, movies and television shows and also high-def DVD play, the console provides serious bang for the buck. If Microsoft does it right and keeps pricing where it is or only asks for a minor increase for the onboard memory, it likely will be a hard machine to beat in sales.
Related links:
Black Friday Video Game Buying Tips For ParentsXbox 360 Price Slash Comes To AustraliaVideo Gamers Have A 1 Up On The EconomyLabels: microsoft, PlayStation 3, Wii, xbox 360, xbox live
It has cross-generational appeal. The price is right. The game play is fun. Still, there is something missing from Nintendo’s Wii that does help the competition edge it out with certain buyers. That something is a video delivery service, something at least one analyst thinks may soon be on the horizon.
Former Microsoft senior exec, Colin Dixon, who now works for The Diffusion Group, recently
discussed the differences in consoles and content delivery.
"(Nintendo) Wii hasn't delivered any movie services, but once they do, and we expect them to do that, they will have a much broader set of content."
Evidence that Dixon’s prediction is correct is found in Japan where Nintendo plans to release a theater channel soon. No plans, however, have been discussed for a North American version – just yet.
Speculation as to what Nintendo will do for delivery of content ranges from besting Xbox Live with an even broader array of programming to turning the devices into cable delivery boxes to compete with local providers. There’s also hope in the gaming community a firmware release might enable DVD use.
No matter how you crack it, if Nintendo does add some sort of video delivery ability to the consoles, they’d go up immensely in perceived and actual value. I can tell you in our home, the PlayStation 3 doubles as a DVD/Blu-ray player and is used more for that than gaming. The Xbox 360 also gets a fair amount of use as a movie-viewing machine when programming on our local cable company’s on-demand channel is light.
It would be nice to see Nintendo enter this fray. I might never have to buy a DVD player again! My fingers are crossed.
Via
The WiireLabels: microsoft, nintendo wii, PlayStation 3, Wii, xbox 360, xbox live
Gamers wondering what will be hot this holiday season only need to look back to the past two years to see what’s coming. While Nintendo is promising a good supply of consoles for the season, some retailers are not convinced they will be able to meet demand. GameStop, in particular, is expecting a complete sell out.
According to GamePro, David Carlson, GameStop’s CFO, is anticipating a
run on the consoles. In particular, he expects Wii Fit to sell out.
"Wii Fit is in very, very short supply. It sells through as quickly as it hits the stores," Carlson said. "And although the Wii hardware is in very good supply right now we believe it may as well be out of stock by the holiday season."
Nintendo, however, is confident it can meet the holiday demand for consoles. The Wii Fit is another issue all together though.
“With Wii hardware, I think we've got a good shot at meeting demand during the holidays," Reggie Fils-Aime recently told
Forbes. "With Wii Fit, I know we'll fall short."
With many holiday shoppers looking for bargains and value both, Carlson’s prediction makes a fair amount of sense. The Wii, as much as I picked on it in the past, does offer both value and excellent pricing. This is a console that can cut across generational lines and give owners some serious bang for their bucks. While it might not have the bells and whistles of the competition, it is a purchase that will get used – unlike many other gifts out there for kids and adults both.
So, if you want to get your hands on a Wii for Christmas, my suggestion is to shop now. Chances are reasonably strong that finding one as the holiday approaches will become increasingly more difficult.
More links:
Wii: Deadly Creatures Creeps Into Stores This December‘Extra’ Wants Its Viewers To Get Wii FitLabels: nintendo wii, Wii, wii fit
In a time when most earning reports are bleak and the economy looks even bleaker, video games seem to be doing more than holding their own. If you’re a fan of console or computer-based gaming, chances are you already know the reason why: Video games can offer a big bang for the buck.
According to Reuters, sales of video game-related hardware and software climbed an estimated
18 percent in October. While sales were down 7 percent in September, Wii consoles became a shining star in boosting the numbers for October. With an estimated 800,000 units sold in that month alone, the little console that could just keeps on going. In fact, the Wii is said to have sold 13 million units since its debut two years ago, making it more popular than even World of Warcraft.
As more people scale back their entertainment spending and look for things that offer repeat fun and real value, I wouldn’t be surprised to see video games continue to do well in sales.
Microsoft, however, isn’t completely banking on this based on David Dennis’ quote: “We feel cautiously optimistic (going into the holidays), we don't see anything in this (NPD) data that leads us to believe there's a pullback."
With the overall industry remaining robust at about $22 billion in sales for the year, Microsoft probably doesn’t have much to worry about.
What Reuters failed to point out in its article is the likely reason why games are doing so well. It all comes down to smart investments. People today can spend $50-plus on dinner and movie or take that same money and buy a game, which can be played over and over again. Console buys are smart, too, because they can double in for other entertainment. Watch a Blu-ray disk on a PS3 or rent a move over Xbox Live and the real beauty of being a gamer in this economy becomes clear.
While critics out there might scoff, gamers are ahead of the curve when it comes to surviving in this economy and having a little fun along the way.
Labels: nintendo wii, ps3, Wii, world of warcraft
If players of the upcoming Wii title release
Deadly Creatures respond like people in a new off-color promotional video, there won’t be many winners.
The new game is a third-person action title that puts players in a desert-scape where deadly lizards, black widow spiders, Gila monsters and other venomous and terrifying creatures rule. To survive, players must command an armored scorpion or tarantula with precision skills.
The THQ title has been given an ESRB rating of T due to violence, mild language, blood and some references to alcohol. It’s expected to hit the streets Dec. 15 with a suggested retail price of $49.99.
Now, about that promotional video. The “
Spider Prank” answers the question of just what would happen if a tarantula fell off a building onto unsuspecting passersby. It’s a rather amusing exercise in the obvious and worth the watch if you like seeing people practically jump out of their skins. There’s some profanity (which is expected under the circumstance).
Labels: deadly creatures, Wii
Hoping to get your hands on a copy of Wii Fit in time to whip yourself in shape for the holidays? You’re in luck! At least you could be if you’re a fan of “Extra.”
Warner Bros. “Extra” wants to help its viewers get fit while having fun. The entertainment magazine television show is giving away a copy in a promotion to sign up “friends” on its Web site.
Now in its 15th season, “Extra” is the second-longest running entertainment news show on television. Starring Mario Lopez, from “Saved by the Bell” fame, the show covers what’s hot and what’s not in Hollywood.
Gamers or viewers who sign up online to be “Extra” friends will automatically be entered to win a copy of Wii Fit. They can also win one of three Mario Super Sluggers packages.
Interesting promotion, I’ll give them that. Not many news releases catch my eye, but this one did. Wii Fit has become a sensation since it hit store shelves. Shortages in my particular community led a friend of mine to rope an out-of-state relative into sending her a copy. I understand from her it does provide quite a challenging workout along with some fun.
To check out the promotion and have a chance to win your own copy of Wii Fit, click
here.
Labels: nintendo wii, Wii, wii fit
Activision has released its Shrek the Third video game for fans to enjoy, just days before the huge theatrical release of the third in the series.
The game puts the fate of Far Far Away land into gamers' hands as they take on the role of one of the movie's main characters. Featuring the all-star cast of Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, Puss-in-Boots and even Artie and Sleeping Beauty, the game takes players on a quest to stop the ever-evil Prince Charming.
Call me a big kid if you will, but this movie and its memorabilia really has my attention. Perhaps it's because of my 7-year-old, or maybe it's just Antonio's voice, either way, I'll be there this weekend to see the third installment. It's also possible, the game will make it's way home, too.
The game is available on multiple platforms, ranging from the Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance. It's also out for the Xbox 360, the Wii, the PS2 and more. Prices vary depending on the gaming system involved. It starts at $19.99 for the PC version and works its way up to the standard $49.99 fee for the next gen systems.
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It might be one of the best-selling consoles on this side of the globe, but the Japanese have had different opinions
since day one. It seems those opinions are holding strong.
According to
Punch Jump, the Xbox 360 is still hanging out in the No. 6 position in Japan, falling behind most other gaming machines, handhelds, too, in the country.
Average sales for the console on a weekly basis there fall in between 2,000 and 3,000. Software ranking is also sluggish, but that makes sense with the console's popularity or lack thereof.
Still, there's a silver lining in the cloud. Amazon Japan's video game division has Forza Motorsport 2 and another 360 title on its Top 20 list.
Will they be enough to get the console some attention?
Probably not enough. With the Wii and the PlayStation 3 both trouncing the 360 on weekly sales, a pull out of the figures seems unlikely.
Still, it's doubtful Microsoft ever bet the farm on winning Japanese gamers over.
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Anyone who thinks video games don't make a difference in the world should check out Time magazine's voting for the 100 Most Influential People list.
Right there in black and white, online and everything, is Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto – the creator of Super Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda and most recently the Wii. Granted, he hasn't made it yet, but the mere inclusion on the voting is a fairly big deal.
Time has his pros listed as those creations and his cons being: "His perfectionist tendencies often result in games being significantly delayed and, despite the Wii's gameplay innovation, its graphics are far behind the competition."
While I have to agree with the graphics part of the Wii being somewhat of a con, the perfectionism is exactly what makes Miyamoto so "influential." His games are trendsetters that cut across generational lines. Heck, I grew up playing Donkey Kong and Mario, and now my daughter's generation is enjoying the same brand of game play.
The Wii itself, poor graphics and all, is defining more casual game play in a way I can't remember a console ever having done before. With players ranging from small children to retirees in nursing homes, the Wii is absolutely influential.
What Miyamoto has managed to do is create something that appeals to entire families from the youngest member to the oldest, with a style of play that everyone can understand. In essence, he's given people of all ages a common ground to come together and enjoy a little bit of fun.
I personally think that's pretty darn influential.
Check out
Time's listing here.
Nods to
Gizmo Cafe.
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With Sony's slickness and Microsoft's early start, few expected Nintendo to actually come out on top in the next-gen battle, but once again, the Wii has taken on all comers. The DS, too, is leading in sales.
According to
Game Daily, March was a very good month for the game maker. "Despite widespread shortages for both systems, more than half a million buyers snapped up the portable Nintendo DS, and Wii was once again the top-selling new home video game console... Wii remains the fastest-selling new console in more than a decade, based on NPD sell-through information over the first five months of availability. So far this year, Nintendo has sold more video game systems than all other manufacturers combined."
"The message delivered by both Wii and Nintendo DS is the same one," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president, Nintendo of America has been quoted as saying. "Innovation is compelling both current gamers and new gamers to experience a new way to play. Nintendo is bringing gaming back to the masses."
While shortages of the Wii will likely remain, production has increased.
Although it was the underdog, Nintendo is clearly proving different can be quite good.
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There's no word on when or even if Sony's new "hand-held computer interactive device" will make it to the market, but the patent drawings sure make it look and sound sweet.
The device would put the power of movement in gamers' hands very much like the older model Power Gloves from Nintendo did decades ago, but this updated version might just have a greater ability of catching on thanks to the success of the Wiimote.
The Sony controller would have the ability "to capture a user's hand movements." This means finger, palm and full hand movements combined. It would also offer "tactile feedback" so users would know if their actions have been completed.
While the concept isn't a new one, it could be a real hit in the market of today where gamers have rapidly fallen in love with the Wiimote.
Although there's no word on what Sony plans to do with the patent, it would be an awesome addition to the PS3 or even an eventual PS4.
Some are billing it as a Wiimote killer, but that might be a little premature. Still, the concept is one that has found its time. And, the glove style might just be safer than the
Wii strap!
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Nintendo of America’s donation of 100 consoles and copies of Wii Sports to YMCAs across the United States is not only a brilliant stroke of marketing genius, it’s also likely to work in its more altruistic mission.
It seems the YMCAs plan to use the consoles to “keep the energy of children alive and to encourage bonding with parents,” according to a piece
on el33tonline.
“Consumers all over America are telling us the Wii helps them to stay active and fit and also gives them another reason to be together as a family,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Wii has quickly become a part of America’s fitness plan, from bowling leagues for active seniors to kids and parents who sweat through Wii Sports pentathlons together.”
I’d have to say from personal experience, the YMCAs and Nintendo are on the right track with this one. The console has an amazing ability to bring parents, children and even grandparents together for a bit of computerized fun.
It might not be the most impressive console out there graphics wise, but it sure is a blast to play.
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Nintendo Wii fans who have been dying to see what Resident Evil action on the little console that could might be like are soon to get their chance.
Capcom has announced that Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil 4 will soon creep onto the Wii gaming scene. The Resident Evil 4 version for the Wii will offer the PS2 content and also incorporate Wii’s nifty motion sensing abilities. This game is expected to appear sometime this summer.
The Umbrella Chronicles is a new addition for the franchise. It will reveal some of the back story behind the Umbrella Corporation’s fall and include some locations from the original Resident Evil games. There’s no set date for this installment, but you can be I’ll be in line to check it out.
If Capcom takes advantage of the Wii’s abilities well, the Resident Evil franchise might be the one that defines the console for me. With its great storylines, creepy settings and fun combat, this particular game seems to lend itself well to the console’s unusual abilities.
While the graphics won’t likely be anything to write home out, they’ve never been the strong point of Resident Evil any way. Cool, quirky, monster blasting fun has always been the draw for this series in my mind.
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Sony’s PlayStation 3 has broken sales records in the UK to become that country’s fastest-selling next-gen console.
According to Pocket-Lint, 165,000 consoles were purchased in the two days after the console’s launch. These numbers put it ahead of the Xbox 360 and the Wii. They note, however, that does not beat the PlayStation Portable.
The Wii might have beaten the PS3 figures, but Nintendo only had 105,000 consoles available for launch weekend.
Interesting to note here is the fact the PS3 broke records, but it didn’t sell out. If Sony delivered the 220,000 consoles it promised, about 55,000 were still without homes.
Meanwhile, Sony is playing third fiddle in sales elsewhere.
The Wii topped both the PS3 and the 360 in February. Wii sold 335,000 unit. The 360 came in with 228,000 and the PS3 trailed with 127,000.
As Newsweek’s
N’Gai Croal has been quoted as saying, the performance “is simply abysmal. The PS3 is sucking wind right now. ... Price is a factor. Some of the negative buzz is a factor. Some of the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) is a factor. And the lack of a large number of triple-A software titles is a factor."
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The news isn’t surprising, but it’s still kind of a downer for Nintendo fans who thought they might have a chance to get lost in Oblivion.
Bethesda Softworks has officially said creating an Oblivion port on the console is “not possible.”
The word comes from Bethesda’s Peter Hines in an interview with
Games Industry.biz. While Hines is enamored with the Wii, he says it just doesn’t have the right stuff for a game as visually demanding as Oblivion.
“It's something we'd like to do, but unfortunately it's not a very good fit with Oblivion. Oblivion is a very demanding game hardware-wise and in terms of graphics processing and raw horsepower. It's not something the Wii was designed to do. They decided not to make the focus on raw horsepower but on interface and so forth. It's a great console and many of us at Bethesda have one but I know that bringing Oblivion over is not possible - we'd have to do a whole new game."
While I’m a huge Wii fan, I have to agree with Hines. The console just isn’t made to support games as driven as Oblivion. Still, it would be nice to see what Bethesda could cook up in terms of a different Wii title. It sounds like that’s not out of the question either.
"It's something we've talked about, but I don't think you could say we're considering it. It's not in our immediate future - maybe something we'll look at somewhere down the road.”
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It’s the underdog console that’s taking the next-gen race by storm, and it seems the Wii is also starting to give Nintendo a bit of a supply problem. The company can’t keep up with the high demand.
Nintendo Europe’s
Laurent Fischer has been quoted as saying the company is working to up its production abilities to keep gamers in Wiis.
“We are still struggling to deliver the right numbers of hardware to cope with demand," admitted Fischer. "We're planning to increase the production capacity but it's not something that can be done in a couple of days. We have to be patient."
The company is on schedule to meet the 6 million sales mark by the end of March, a figure that even surprises Nintendo. "It's astonishing to think that with six million we're not able to fulfil the initial demand," Fischer said.
Fischer went on to speak of the console’s own recruitment abilities, a concept I can attest to. At a recent party where the Wii was pulled out, two friends caved to the awesome power of Wii Sports and decided they “had to have” a Wii of their own.
I don’t believe they’ve managed to find one yet, so I’m betting news of the increased production plans will be more than welcomed by consumers itching to get a Wii bit of fun for themselves.
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As Sony gears up to turn its PlayStation 3 loose on the European market this week, months after its planned debut, the question remains as to how well or how poorly the console will do in regard to sales.
With a price tag that comes in higher than the U.S. version, the delay in initial launch and the issues with backwards compatibility, it’s the easy guess that Sony will run number three in Europe, falling behind the Wii and the Xbox 360, as it has in the North American market. However, preorders for the console have been high, despite the pricing and compatibility issues.
With about 220,000 units ready for the UK for Friday, it sounds like Sony’s banking on taking Europe by storm. Indeed, even store executives are talking up the gaming console’s release.
Woolworths’
Jim Batchelor has been quoted as saying the launch “will be biggest video games console launch of all time. It will be bigger than the launch of the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 and the previous Playstation.”
That’s a tall order to fill, but the world will get to see for sure on Friday.
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There’s more to Mii than meets the eye.
At least that’s what the folks over at
Marketing Vox are saying. It seems Nintendo is far from finished showing off everything Miis can do. Next on tap is the launch of a Mii channel later this year that will give users the ability to chat and rate each other’s Miis. The idea is to create a social network site that could possibly rival MySpace, but in this case it would be just for Wii users.
At least one industry analyst is calling the move a stroke of genius.
“Within a year, the Wii may be the most successful and valuable social-networking community on the Web,” says Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group. "Nintendo is creating a framework for an open environment that will allow other developers to add value. Interesting third-party solutions could link fans of TV shows, gamers sharing tips, even home-schoolers."
Doherty may indeed be right. With Sony’s announcement of Home and the unbridled popularity of sites like MySpace and YouTube, why not a place Wii fans can call their own?
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Epic Games and Microsoft Games Studios are no doubt celebrating their big win today. Their Gears of War title took home three awards during the GDC’s Game Developers Choice Awards.
Gears won in the best game category and also for technology and visual arts. The trio of honors is a very big deal considering the number of new titles that hit the streets last year.
Speaking of recent releases, Nintendo didn’t go home empty handed either. Wii Sports garnered honors in the game design and innovation categories and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was honored for the writing behind the project.
“A Game Developers Choice Award is like no other award presented in our industry, as it is the only prize that gives the community the chance to appreciate and honor individual developers," Jamil Moledina, executive director of the Game Developers Conference, has been quoted as saying. "By celebrating our visionaries by name, we give the audience and the public at large a chance to give credit where credit is due."
Indeed, with winners nominated by the creators themselves, this was very likely one difficult group to please.
A full listing of honors can be found by visiting
Nintendo Revolution.
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Sony Computer Entertainment let the cat out of the bag about its big, free promotion to make the PlayStation 3 a little bit different than anything else out there. Taking tips from the MMORPG Second Life and the Wii with its adorable Miis, Sony plans to make gamers feel right at “Home.”
Home is a new service that will launch sometime this fall that will offer gamers a detailed 3D sort of game within the game.
From Sony’s media release, “Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the PLAYSTATION®Network. It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time. Home will be available as a free download from the PLAYSTATION®Store and will launch directly from XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.”
Users will get to create their own avatars and customize them to their own liking. They also will have their own in-game apartments where they can have others over to see their gaming trophies, watch videos, show off pictures and so on.
“This is a significant step forward in the area of user community services and emergent entertainment experiences,” said Izumi Kawanishi, Corporate Executive and CTO Software, SCEI. “While the 3D graphics demonstrate the power of PS3 and the PLAYSTATION Network, the most impressive feature in Home is the variety of ways in which multiple consumers, as well as our third-party partners, can experience the next generation of communication by interacting and sharing among each other. I feel strongly that this unique blend of community, user-generated content, collaboration and commerce will expand the future of computer entertainment.”
The new Home project goes into closed beta this spring with the full launch set for sometime this fall.
I’m personally not sure what to think about this. Granted, games like Second Life have an impressive following, but I’m having trouble seeing a hard-cord PS3 gamer that’s been pulled in by the power wanting to sit around and show home movies in a cyber apartment. I'm just not sure this is the kind of PS3-targeted game fans were looking for.
Maybe it’s just me?
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Mum seems to be the word for Nintendo executives at this years GDC.
Spong is reporting some of the company’s heavy hitters will be in attendance, but they won’t be talking much.
The reason for the silence is an upcoming stock deal that will have the Japanese government selling off much of its stock in the company that's responsible for the DS and the Wii. The government is expected to sell 1.987 million shares that will be priced soon. Indeed, it looks like
Nintendo has made an offer on the stocks.
Information about upcoming games and developments that might be released at the conference could impact the pricing, so Spong says gamers can expect to hear very little out of Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Koji Kondo, Reggie Fils-Aime and Perrin Kaplin.
There’s no source listed by Spong, but the news site has been very reliable with information in the past. And, news on the Nintendo front has been very slow as of late, so this sounds more than plausible.
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News is starting to fly over the Internet that Wii might not see any third-party titles with online capability until sometime in 2008.
The word comes from SNK UK’s Ben Herman in an interview with
Spong.com. It seems Nintendo is restricting third parties from using online play in their Wii titles, but he didn’t offer explanation.
"Nintendo is still not letting Wii third-party publishers include online capabilities in their games and it doesn't look like they will during 2007. So the best chance they have at building an online presence appears to be what they're doing with Virtual Console," Herman said in the interview with Sponge.
Play.tm is guessing Nintnendo wants ot stablize its online platform before allowing it to open freely to third-party titles.
This sounds like as good a guess as any. With the recent problems faced by the PlayStation Network in regard to the Gran Turismo HD demo, there’s no denying getting a platform up and running without bugs is tricky – even for the best of them.
Nintendo taking its time, trying to make it right, wouldn’t be out of the question.
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Nintendo fans looking for some more Sims action won’t have to wait too much longer to try their hands at MySims. Electronic Arts is in the process of developing the game for both the Wii and the Nintendo DS.
According to
Digital Home Pipeline, the title will have gamers “creating their own toy-like Sim that reflects their personal style and attitudes whether its pig-tails and baseball caps or dreadlocks and Mohawks.”
Players will moved into a disorganized town where they can redo everything to make it truly their own. Along the way, they’ll meet a host of characters, such as the Mayor, Rosalyn P. Marshall, and Buddy, a lazy hotel bellhop.
Sounds like this will be one fun entry in the Sims series.
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If an interview with Microsoft's Peter Moore is any indication, the Xbox 360 might become the Wii-60 in the near future.
Moore not only makes it sound like the 360 will soon have a new, lighter lease on gaming, but he also is gracious enough to give credit where it’s due.
"From a first-party point of view, it's not just about E-rated games, it's going to be about the experience that, quite frankly, Nintendo has done a tremendous job in capturing, in bringing back fun - if you will - to the gaming platforms,”
Moore has been quoted as saying.
"But we've got a few tricks up our sleeve as well to be able to do that. It's not something that we're going to be shy about, and it's not something that we're not painfully aware of that needs to be changed by this holiday. That has been the strategy all along, and we'll be making some more announcements in the coming month or two."
CVG thinks this means a motion-sensing controller is indeed on its way. And, Moore’s comments certainly give that idea credence. "It's actually not games. It's more experiential than that. And again, since the day I saw Iwata-san pull the Nunchuk controller out from under his podium a few years ago at TGS, I've always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo ... to be successful in this next generation.”
It sounds like some great things could be on the horizon for the Xbox 360. Here’s hoping Microsoft just adds on the Wii sort of fun without losing sight of the fact it already has a console a lot of serious gamers love.
Now, if they manage to tap into the fun Wii offers while keeping the intense action titles on the drawing board and the graphics high, Microsoft will be on to something big.
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While Sony’s PlayStation 3 is being outperformed by the other two next-gen consoles in sales, the news doesn’t seem to be impacting the company all that greatly.
In fact, even as PS3 sales are sluggish, the PlayStation 2 and PSP are still enjoying rather brisk sales. This bodes well for Sony and its execs aren’t afraid to point that out.
“We are pleased with the numbers from January as they demonstrate overall sales improvements for our legacy systems year over year and continued momentum for PS3. With supply levels stabilizing, you can expect to see increased marketing for PS3 and PS2 in weekly retail circulars, which should garner strong numbers, boosted by big software launches, such as MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5,” Sony’s director of corporate communications, David Karraker, is
quoted as saying.
Indeed, the introduction of Virtua Fighter 5 seems to be a very big boost for the third-place next-gen console and with the European launch on the horizon, sales figures should only rise. While more PS3 titles would certainly help, too, there are moves to make this happen.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the PS3 is a great machine. When more options in games are presented, it will be a hard one to beat – even at the price. Right now, however, it isn’t the most attractive machine on the market. When it comes to options for play, the Xbox 360 wins hands down in my mind, while the Wii is a winner for its overall family fun factor and affordability.
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The financial moguls at Merrill Lynch are banking on Nintendo’s Wii as being the console to beat. They’re saying that by 2011, about 30 percent of all American households will own a Wii and about a third of Japanese households will, too.
The predictions come from Lynch analyst Yoshiyuki Kinoshita on the heels of some major performance by the little console that could.
Whether they’ll pan out to be true or not remains to be seen, but the console is certainly outperforming expectations.
The
folks at Crunch Gear seem think there’s not a snowball’s change in Hades this will be the case, considering the average U.S. household income, which is under $47,000.
“These people don’t have the money for a Nintendo Wii + some games + a broadband internet connection - they need their money for real expenses like a mortgage payment and cases of Keystone Light,” they write, adding the potential for bias in the prediction.
I beg to differ. The “average” American family I know happens to own at least one gaming console if not more. Wii is fairly economical in the grand scheme of things and some of its games happen to be pretty darn good for family members of all ages.
Considering its price tag of about $350-$400 for the console and a game or so, compared to soccer, cheerleading, baseball and so on, and the Wii doesn’t seem like that bad of a deal.
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The Wii has a lot to be proud of. It’s little. It’s spunky. It’s affordable. And, now, it’s the fastest-selling console on the market.
According to
Absolute Gadget, the console boasted 435,503 units sold in the U.S. during the month of January alone. This, per the NPD Group, made the Wii’s sales 70 percent higher than any other new game system released during the last decade during its first full January.
This is a pretty amazing little tid bit considering the availability issues, but not entirely surprising overall considering the console’s playability and affordability.
As if the Wii’s success weren’t enough, the Nitnendo DS once again took on all comers to hold the title of being the best-selling portable device. It sold almost 240,000 units during January.
Nintendo sounds pretty proud: “The continuing success of Wii and DS demonstrates that the public has embraced Nintendo's philosophy of entertaining current gamers in new ways, and expanding gaming for the masses."
The success of both systems gives some serious credence to the idea that Nintendo founded its Wii on: Affordability + Fun = Success.
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Virtua Fighter 5 has given the PlayStation 3 its first No. 1 title on Japanese charts, about four months after the console’s launch.
But, even as the single title is making waves, beating off a host of Wii titles for the lead position, the Nintendo console is still beating the Sony creation in overall sales.
According to CVG, the Wii dominates the console sales market with 78,550 units shifted this week. The PS3 came in second with 32, 175, while the Xbox 360 lagged way behind with 4,811.
None of the numbers are very surprising. Virtua Fighter 5 is one of the most anticipated PS3 releases, so its surge over Wii titles isn’t a shocker. The continued domination of Wii on the sales charts also doesn’t surprise. After all, the console’s the most affordable going and it’s absolutely a family pleaser.
Virtua Fighter 5 will arrive with the PS3 in Europe at launch. It’s already available in North America.
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The popularity of Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the UK market has once again been confirmed by the presales information coming out of online sites.
Last week, we reported the
PS3 was the fast-selling presale on the British site, Play.com. Now, it seems the console’s the hot item to have on Amazon UK.
According to
i4u.com, the PS3 is the leader in the video game top sales chart on the Amazon site. It’s followed by the Wii and the black Nintendo DS Lite.
The news must be music to the ears of Sony execs and might even provide a little room for gloating. If the launch figures hold true when the console arrives in Europe next month, the execs who said the delay would effect PS3 sales in Europe over the long haul will be proven correct.
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It seems I’m not the only one who is
in love with the Wii. The game play is great. The social aspects of the console are fantastic. And, now it seems, Nintendo's customer service is also top notch.
A blogging mother from Washington has found out the console is not only a blast to play with her son, but also comes with some serious customer service backing.
It seems the lady’s Wii has some issues with its optical drive. Not wanting to upset her son, she held out until the last minute to contact Nintendo about a warranty repair.
When the customer service rep found out the woman lived near the Nintendo of America campus in Washington, she recommended they forgo shipping and had her bring the console in. In less than a half-hour, the service team had fully reloaded a brand new Wii with all her fmaily’s information and sent her on her way. The warranty, by the way, was changed to reflect the date of her picking up the new console.
“That was the most awesome customer service experience I ever, ever had,”
wrote Saska.As a newly converted Wii fan, I’m sure glad to hear it! All too often, we only hear and read the bad things about, well, anything.
Also, thank you to the Igniq.com readers who have been writing in with game suggestions since reading my Wii report! They are appreciated.
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Sony might have a friend in Europe – a few of them in fact.
It seems the PlayStation 3 console has surpassed both the Wii and the Xbox 360 on preorders on
Play.com, an online sales site in the UK. Orders have been so brisk, in fact, the site’s exes have declared the PS3 “the most pre-ordered console yet".
According to
PS3 News, Play.com’s Gian Luzio has said the orders are six times higher than the 360 and 15 times that of the Wii.
“We have been working hard with Sony to make sure that we can deliver every pre-order on the release date. We are pleased to be able to offer our customers the service they expect from Play.com,” Luzio said.
The European launch of the PS3 is a few short weeks away and many are wondering how it will go over. After a delay and some rude comments about the European market, many (myself included) expect the reception to be brisk. If Play.com is any indication, that might not be the case.
It will be interesting to see the post launch figures when they arrive.
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After much stalking, checking stores and calling around, my husband finally nabbed a Wii. He brought it home a few weeks ago, along with three add on titles: Billy and Mandy, Red Steel and Zelda.
If the truth be told, I resisted writing a review on the console for the last few weeks to give a fair assessment of it. There are some things that are very disappointing about the Wii. There are also some things, I’ve come to find, that are very surprising about it.
First off, the Wii is wee, very wee. It’s about the teeniest console I’ve ever seen. As an owner of both an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3, the diminutive size is one of the first things that struck me. It’s so tiny, it’s downright cute.
When it first came home, the games we tried playing were the three add ons listed. I have to say, as long-time gamer, the graphics aren’t hot, but Nintendo never promised they would be.
Sadly, we chose our add on titles poorly and that sort of tainted my first impressions. Billy and Mandy is kind of clunky. Red Steel’s characters look like paper cut out dolls. Zelda starts out way too slow for my taste.
I was really disappointed. I have to admit I felt like we’d taken about $500 and lit it on fire. The 7-year-old didn’t even seem to enjoy playing much.
If I’d written a review on that day, it would be very different than what I’m about to say.
The truth is what we should have done was instantly start playing Wii Sports. As soon as we popped in this title, all the beauty of the Wii came to light. The remote really shines with this game and the entire experience is just down right fun. (Note: it is VITAL to move furniture back and use the tether. I can now speak to this personally!)
While it’s true Nintendo put affordability and fun over graphics as its priority, it works well in this title. The visuals on Wii Sports are nothing to write home about, but the playability is.
Here’s what really makes the console special – everyone in the family likes it. This is the first game we’ve come across that the 7-year-old has as much fun playing as we do. She’s even managed to school us in bowling a few times.
Since having the console, we’ve had a few impromptu Wii Sports parties. Everyone has raved about the Wii. A roomful of hardcore Halo gamers had as much fun playing as my mother-in-law did. Go figure!
Wii Sports might just be to the 2000s what the family board game was to past generations.
The Wii might not have the power of the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360, but it has something that’s all it’s own. When a title that was made with all its features in mind is played, the Wii is simply a blast. It’s a social console. There’s no eye candy. There’s no bells and whistles, really. What there is, however, is magic in a box. Three generations coming together to play a video game and actually enjoying it. I’d say that’s pretty magical.
As more Wii-designed titles come online, I’m expecting some pretty big things out of the wee Wii.
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