2550/09/29
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
It's hard to believe that the Nintendo DS will turn three years old later this year, and it's even harder to believe that it's taken this long for Nintendo to grace its latest handheld with an original Zelda game. But the waiting is over, at least in Nintendo's native land. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has finally hit the streets in Japan, and we eagerly scooped up an import copy to put it through its early paces and see how well the crazy, DS-specific changes to the Zelda formula have worked out. We've only put in a few hours with the game so far, but we've already gotten very used to the new touch-only control scheme and the lovely cartoonlike visuals. Without getting ahead of ourselves too much, we're suddenly very excited to see this one come out in English (as if we weren't excited for it already).
It's hard to believe that the Nintendo DS will turn three years old later this year, and it's even harder to believe that it's taken this long for Nintendo to grace its latest handheld with an original Zelda game. But the waiting is over, at least in Nintendo's native land. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has finally hit the streets in Japan, and we eagerly scooped up an import copy to put it through its early paces and see how well the crazy, DS-specific changes to the Zelda formula have worked out. We've only put in a few hours with the game so far, but we've already gotten very used to the new touch-only control scheme and the lovely cartoonlike visuals. Without getting ahead of ourselves too much, we're suddenly very excited to see this one come out in English (as if we weren't excited for it already).
During our time exploring the first island of the game, we've interacted with various townspeople and managed to finagle a basic sword from an old man who sympathized with Link and Tetra's plight. This involved exploring a cave and a very brief temple full of typical Zelda obstacles and pitfalls, such as bats, rodents, spiked floors, and trap doors. We haven't picked up any of the old Zelda mainstays, such as the compass, map, or big key, but we're pretty sure those will be featured in the game's proper dungeons later on. But we did enjoy some of the humor that's been mixed into the Zelda formula, such as when Link opened a big treasure chest, heard the triumphant four-tone theme that signifies a new item, and then held up...nothing at all, since the chest had already been emptied by a previous adventurer.
Because Phantom Hourglass takes place in the same world as The Wind Waker, you'll once again be traveling among a lot of relatively small islands. That means the sailing that admittedly met with mixed response from fans in the last game is back again, and we managed to gain our first ship within the first hour or so of the game so we could ride some waves ourselves. But luckily, this game will do a lot of the sailing for you. When you're ready to disembark from a port, you'll be shown a sea chart representing all the territory you've explored so far, and the map will be marked with other ports you can visit, as well as a few curiosities at sea, such as a floating item shop we encountered. To travel to any destination via boat, you only have to plot a course by drawing on the map with your stylus, and your ship will then follow that exact course with no more input required.
Phantom Hourglass may have labored in development for quite a while, but so far, the results speak for themselves. This one has the trademark Zelda polish all over it, from the superb visuals to the endearing characters and devious puzzle design (from what we've seen so far). But we're most excited about the new control scheme, which we admittedly went in expecting to dislike. Quite the contrary, we already can't imagine playing the game in the traditional fashion and can't wait to go through the whole adventure in English when Zelda: Phantom Hourglass hits shelves in North America in the fourth quarter of this year.
It's hard to believe that the Nintendo DS will turn three years old later this year, and it's even harder to believe that it's taken this long for Nintendo to grace its latest handheld with an original Zelda game. But the waiting is over, at least in Nintendo's native land. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has finally hit the streets in Japan, and we eagerly scooped up an import copy to put it through its early paces and see how well the crazy, DS-specific changes to the Zelda formula have worked out. We've only put in a few hours with the game so far, but we've already gotten very used to the new touch-only control scheme and the lovely cartoonlike visuals. Without getting ahead of ourselves too much, we're suddenly very excited to see this one come out in English (as if we weren't excited for it already).
When Link washes up on the shore of a small island, he's awakened by a tiny fairy named Shiera, who looks and sounds an awful lot like Ocarina of Time's Navi. Shiera will act as your guide in a traditional sense, as she'll stop you and give you hints or directions from time to time. But she also acts as your cursor as you get used to Phantom Hourglass' intuitive touch-screen controls. Pretty much everything in the game is controlled by the stylus. You simply point in front of Link to tell him where you want him to run (similar to the movement in the DS version of Animal Crossing). The farther away from Link you touch the screen, the faster he'll run, and you can even do a little flick motion at the edge of the screen to have him break into a roll when he's running at full tilt.
The stylus controls extend to all of your combat activities too. A quick slash with the stylus will produce a similar result with your sword. You can also tap an enemy to have Link attack it directly; it's sort of like an immediate lock-on because you don't have to do any real aiming yourself. In fact, if you're far enough from your enemy, Link will even do a quick jumping downward slash that covers ground quickly and looks pretty cool to boot. A slash followed quickly by a circle movement will cause Link to do his trademark spin attack. You can even tap an object like a stone or a pot from across the screen, and Link will walk to it automatically and hoist it up. Then you can tap anywhere on the screen to have Link throw the item directly to that specific spot. It's all been extremely easy to figure out and use so far, and we'd dare to say we like these new controls better than the old D-pad-and-buttons combo. But further testing is required, of course
During our time exploring the first island of the game, we've interacted with various townspeople and managed to finagle a basic sword from an old man who sympathized with Link and Tetra's plight. This involved exploring a cave and a very brief temple full of typical Zelda obstacles and pitfalls, such as bats, rodents, spiked floors, and trap doors. We haven't picked up any of the old Zelda mainstays, such as the compass, map, or big key, but we're pretty sure those will be featured in the game's proper dungeons later on. But we did enjoy some of the humor that's been mixed into the Zelda formula, such as when Link opened a big treasure chest, heard the triumphant four-tone theme that signifies a new item, and then held up...nothing at all, since the chest had already been emptied by a previous adventurer.
Because Phantom Hourglass takes place in the same world as The Wind Waker, you'll once again be traveling among a lot of relatively small islands. That means the sailing that admittedly met with mixed response from fans in the last game is back again, and we managed to gain our first ship within the first hour or so of the game so we could ride some waves ourselves. But luckily, this game will do a lot of the sailing for you. When you're ready to disembark from a port, you'll be shown a sea chart representing all the territory you've explored so far, and the map will be marked with other ports you can visit, as well as a few curiosities at sea, such as a floating item shop we encountered. To travel to any destination via boat, you only have to plot a course by drawing on the map with your stylus, and your ship will then follow that exact course with no more input required.
Once you're off and sailing, you can sit back and twiddle your thumbs if you like as Link travels to your next destination. You can make your ship hop up and down, as well as move the camera angle around in all directions, but otherwise it's steady as she goes. Luckily, you can stop your boat at any time to plot a new course from your current position, and we'd like to think you'll be able to kick back and do some fishing later on if you want. Speaking of aquatic life, we've seen some fish and other interesting creatures jumping out of the water as we've sailed around, so we figure that there will be certain areas of the sea you'll want to sail to for buried treasure and other points of interest, just like there were in The Wind Waker.
If you can't tell from the screenshots and movies, Phantom Hourglass does a masterful job of reprising The Wind Waker's characteristic visual style with the DS's relatively limited horsepower. Not only are the characters and overall tone consistent with the GameCube game, we've been duly impressed simply by the fidelity of the graphics on offer. This is really a great-looking game, by DS's standards. When you run up and talk to townspeople, the camera angle swings right down over your shoulder to show them up close, and while their polygon counts are limited, their expressiveness isn't. Based on the artistic prowess so far, we can't wait to see some of the more imaginative dungeon designs and two-screen boss encounters that are likely awaiting us deeper into the game. The little bit of the game we've seen so far has been very promising.
Phantom Hourglass may have labored in development for quite a while, but so far, the results speak for themselves. This one has the trademark Zelda polish all over it, from the superb visuals to the endearing characters and devious puzzle design (from what we've seen so far). But we're most excited about the new control scheme, which we admittedly went in expecting to dislike. Quite the contrary, we already can't imagine playing the game in the traditional fashion and can't wait to go through the whole adventure in English when Zelda: Phantom Hourglass hits shelves in North America in the fourth quarter of this year.ReadMore :: www.gamespot.com
2550/09/19
Game Review :: Eternal Sonata (X-Box 360)
The life and death of Polish composer Frederic Chopin doesn't sound like a very fascinating theme for a role-playing game. Who'd have thought, then, that such a game would set the standard for Japanese RPGs on the Xbox 360? Eternal Sonata is a pleasant surprise, full of joy, old-fashioned romance, and set in a gorgeous, fully realized fantasy world. It's also a wonder that the soft, chewy center of the story is complemented by an action-packed battle system that continually keeps you on your toes. It has some issues, but the game will make you feel consistently warm and fuzzy, thanks to its big heart and total commitment to its subject matter.
If that makes Eternal Sonata sound sickeningly sweet, rest assured that it also possesses a good deal of maturity. We watch Chopin sleeping on his deathbed, as the clock slowly counts down to his last moment on earth. But the real story is in his mind, where he joins an alternate reality already in progress and multiple stories that eventually converge. His first friend is Polka, a loveable girl with awesome pigtails that can wield magic, but like other magic users in this world, she is destined to die young. Along the way, they are joined by other adventurers, such as street urchins Alegretto and Beat. They are also accompanied by goat herder Viola and the members of the rebel group Andantino, amongst others. Together, they unite against the rule of the evil Count Waltz, who is turning the populace of Forte into mindless slaves, thanks to an untaxed, addictive mineral powder.
It's not the grandest, most epic tale ever told in an RPG, but it's a highly personal one. Chopin must discover what he is searching for in this moving, thoughtful journey that we take with him. His travel companions are charming, multifaceted characters who develop strong bonds, including Alegretto's touching affection for ever-sweet Polka. You will care for these characters, and if their initial quest doesn't seem all that breathtaking, the passion with which they undertake it will win you over. The story also touches on topics that tie lessons of the past to current events. Blind devotion to the government, the separation of fact from fiction, social persecution, and other themes are all obviously meant to parallel our own modern political climate. The only problem with the narrative is the pace, which is broken up by narrated segments about Chopin's life and the politics of his own time. These interruptions feature photo stills of such cities as Paris and Warsaw, accompanied by Chopin's famous piano works. But the history lessons, as well intentioned as they are, just don't fit because they force us back into a reality the game does such a good job of letting us escape.
Developer Tri-Crescendo has created a beautiful world here. It's easy to get swept up in the French Impressionist color palate and gorgeous lighting, but incredible artistry gushes from every aspect of the visual design. The clothing of your party members is richly drawn, with intricate stitching and other fine details. The interiors of cottages are filled with meticulously designed décor, from textured linens to finely crafted plates hanging on the walls. Environments are spectacular, even such traditionally cliché locations as swamps or forests, which use shadows and mild light bloom to create scenes you would expect to see in a Monet painting. But all of this 2D art does come at the expense of 3D exploration. You can't freely explore every nook and cranny, nor can you rotate the camera. So there are times you wish you could head off into the rolling hills to check out every valley and crevasse but are fixed to your narrow pathway. You may also occasionally cringe at the color saturation, which is sometimes a little too Candy Land for its own good. But make no mistake: Eternal Sonata is a visual triumph and a beautiful artistic achievement.
As you might imagine, music plays an important role in the game's production values as well, though Chopin's music is usually limited to the edutainment portions previously mentioned. But that's fine because Motoi Sakuraba's score is as exquisite as the visuals, using Chopin's romanticism as a starting point for a subtle but sweeping musical journey. The voice acting doesn't reach for the stars, but it is solid enough. Chopin and Salsa in particular come to life vividly, thanks to strong acting, though other voices get too syrupy after a while. Sadly, there are some scenes of extended dialogue that, for whatever reason, feature no music and minimal ambient noise. In a musical score, rests are as important as notes, but these extended silences are jarring.
Once you get beyond the glittering production, how does it actually play? Thankfully, the gameplay is satisfying and moves at a slick tempo. There are no random encounters, so you can see every monster. Oftentimes, you can simply go around them, though you will be forced into some battles (and some terrific, challenging boss fights too). Combat isn't a typical series of turns with infinite time in between, though: Eternal Sonata's system is an inventive mix of turn-based and real-time warfare that gets trickier as the game progresses.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
If that makes Eternal Sonata sound sickeningly sweet, rest assured that it also possesses a good deal of maturity. We watch Chopin sleeping on his deathbed, as the clock slowly counts down to his last moment on earth. But the real story is in his mind, where he joins an alternate reality already in progress and multiple stories that eventually converge. His first friend is Polka, a loveable girl with awesome pigtails that can wield magic, but like other magic users in this world, she is destined to die young. Along the way, they are joined by other adventurers, such as street urchins Alegretto and Beat. They are also accompanied by goat herder Viola and the members of the rebel group Andantino, amongst others. Together, they unite against the rule of the evil Count Waltz, who is turning the populace of Forte into mindless slaves, thanks to an untaxed, addictive mineral powder.It's not the grandest, most epic tale ever told in an RPG, but it's a highly personal one. Chopin must discover what he is searching for in this moving, thoughtful journey that we take with him. His travel companions are charming, multifaceted characters who develop strong bonds, including Alegretto's touching affection for ever-sweet Polka. You will care for these characters, and if their initial quest doesn't seem all that breathtaking, the passion with which they undertake it will win you over. The story also touches on topics that tie lessons of the past to current events. Blind devotion to the government, the separation of fact from fiction, social persecution, and other themes are all obviously meant to parallel our own modern political climate. The only problem with the narrative is the pace, which is broken up by narrated segments about Chopin's life and the politics of his own time. These interruptions feature photo stills of such cities as Paris and Warsaw, accompanied by Chopin's famous piano works. But the history lessons, as well intentioned as they are, just don't fit because they force us back into a reality the game does such a good job of letting us escape.
Developer Tri-Crescendo has created a beautiful world here. It's easy to get swept up in the French Impressionist color palate and gorgeous lighting, but incredible artistry gushes from every aspect of the visual design. The clothing of your party members is richly drawn, with intricate stitching and other fine details. The interiors of cottages are filled with meticulously designed décor, from textured linens to finely crafted plates hanging on the walls. Environments are spectacular, even such traditionally cliché locations as swamps or forests, which use shadows and mild light bloom to create scenes you would expect to see in a Monet painting. But all of this 2D art does come at the expense of 3D exploration. You can't freely explore every nook and cranny, nor can you rotate the camera. So there are times you wish you could head off into the rolling hills to check out every valley and crevasse but are fixed to your narrow pathway. You may also occasionally cringe at the color saturation, which is sometimes a little too Candy Land for its own good. But make no mistake: Eternal Sonata is a visual triumph and a beautiful artistic achievement.
As you might imagine, music plays an important role in the game's production values as well, though Chopin's music is usually limited to the edutainment portions previously mentioned. But that's fine because Motoi Sakuraba's score is as exquisite as the visuals, using Chopin's romanticism as a starting point for a subtle but sweeping musical journey. The voice acting doesn't reach for the stars, but it is solid enough. Chopin and Salsa in particular come to life vividly, thanks to strong acting, though other voices get too syrupy after a while. Sadly, there are some scenes of extended dialogue that, for whatever reason, feature no music and minimal ambient noise. In a musical score, rests are as important as notes, but these extended silences are jarring.
Once you get beyond the glittering production, how does it actually play? Thankfully, the gameplay is satisfying and moves at a slick tempo. There are no random encounters, so you can see every monster. Oftentimes, you can simply go around them, though you will be forced into some battles (and some terrific, challenging boss fights too). Combat isn't a typical series of turns with infinite time in between, though: Eternal Sonata's system is an inventive mix of turn-based and real-time warfare that gets trickier as the game progresses.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
2550/09/17
Game News :: George Harrison leaving Nintendo
Monday 17 Sep 2007
George Harrison, Nintendo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication, has confirmed that he will be leaving Nintendo of America. Harrison ended months of speculation when he advised Reuters that he will be leaving before the end of 2007.
“I have confirmed to all employees that I will be leaving at the end of December and not making the move to California,” Harrison said. Although he did not give reasons for his decision to leave Nintendo, it is believed that Nintendo’s decision to move its sales and marketing team from Redmond, Washington to San Francisco and New York may have been instrumental in his decision.
Harrison has not confirmed what he will do after he leaves Nintendo, ending fifteen years of service to the Mario giant.
Read More :: www.el33tonline.com
George Harrison, Nintendo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication, has confirmed that he will be leaving Nintendo of America. Harrison ended months of speculation when he advised Reuters that he will be leaving before the end of 2007.
“I have confirmed to all employees that I will be leaving at the end of December and not making the move to California,” Harrison said. Although he did not give reasons for his decision to leave Nintendo, it is believed that Nintendo’s decision to move its sales and marketing team from Redmond, Washington to San Francisco and New York may have been instrumental in his decision.
Harrison has not confirmed what he will do after he leaves Nintendo, ending fifteen years of service to the Mario giant.
Read More :: www.el33tonline.com
Game News :: Time Crisis 4: Hands-On with FPS Mode
Good morning, soldier. Feeling chipper, are you? Good. You've been chosen for this mission because of your cold-hearted efficiency, your strong sense of duty, and your uncanny aim with all sorts of firearms. Your task? To take on the first-person shooter mode in Namco Bandai's upcoming PlayStation 3 shooting game, Time Crisis 4. Here's your weapon; please keep the safety engaged for now. And finally, please hold your questions until the end. We've got a lot of intel to get through.
First, some background. First-person shooter mode in Time Crisis 4 tells a somewhat tangential story that complements the main action found in the game's arcade mode. In it, you'll be playing as Captain Rush, who has been tasked with discovering the source of the so-called terror bites, which are essentially swarms of nasty-looking bugs that pop up throughout the various missions. As Rush, you'll be responsible for blasting your way through 15 stand-alone stages that feature some crossover with the game's main storyline. You might even see some familiar faces. Have no fear, though. Unlike the vaguely Euro-trashy heroes in Time Crisis' main storyline, Rush is a badass by comparison.
Unlike the main mode, FPS mode in Time Crisis 4 gives you a first-person view of the action. In this mode, you're on your own, soldier. No buddy to help you out when stuff hits the fan. Heck, you're even going to have to reload your weapon manually. Think you can handle that?
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
First, some background. First-person shooter mode in Time Crisis 4 tells a somewhat tangential story that complements the main action found in the game's arcade mode. In it, you'll be playing as Captain Rush, who has been tasked with discovering the source of the so-called terror bites, which are essentially swarms of nasty-looking bugs that pop up throughout the various missions. As Rush, you'll be responsible for blasting your way through 15 stand-alone stages that feature some crossover with the game's main storyline. You might even see some familiar faces. Have no fear, though. Unlike the vaguely Euro-trashy heroes in Time Crisis' main storyline, Rush is a badass by comparison.
Unlike the main mode, FPS mode in Time Crisis 4 gives you a first-person view of the action. In this mode, you're on your own, soldier. No buddy to help you out when stuff hits the fan. Heck, you're even going to have to reload your weapon manually. Think you can handle that?
Now, about your weapon. Yes, it looks like a big, ugly hunk of plastic, but it's actually quite handy once you get used to it. First, notice the two analog sticks, which are used to control Captain Rush. You move with the left stick, and can look all around with the right stick. However, keep in mind that when the time comes to shell out lead, you can unleash anywhere on the screen simply by aiming and pulling the trigger. This is accomplished through two handy sensors that attach to the top of your television set and then track the motion... You know what, soldier? It doesn't matter how they work. All you need to do is point, shoot, and things die, okay?
You can cycle through your various weapons by pressing the B1 button (located just underneath the right stick), and toggle the onscreen reticle with the C1 (on the side of the gun). There are also two buttons just underneath the left stick on the front: the top one reloads your gun, and the one beneath lets you jump. Pay attention to that jump button, soldier, because there'll be some light platforming segments in FPS mode that'll keep you hopping. To zoom in on an enemy with your weapon, you click the right stick, and to crouch, you click the left stick. Simple, right?
Glad to hear you agree, because you'll want to get your head around those controls quick; once the enemies start coming in FPS mode, they don't let up. You might be outnumbered, but, lucky for you, weapons are always easy to come by. In addition to a standard pistol, you'll be able to use a submachine gun, shotgun, grenades, a grenade launcher, and even a knife when you want to get up close and personal with the action. Different weapons will be appropriate for different types of enemies. For example, in one mission, Captain Rush will be trying to take down a seemingly never-ending swarm of bugs intent on overrunning him and chewing on all his soft bits. The submachine gun is the best choice for clipping their wings before they can even get close. Later, when fighting it out against a pair of armed choppers on the ledge of a huge hydroelectric dam, you'll want to make sure Rush has his grenade launcher prepped and ready. And though most of the human enemies will take only a shot or two to bring down, watch out for the guys carrying the big shields, or the big, ugly mothers with the chain guns. They can be a problem if you aren't careful.
But you are careful, aren't you soldier? That's why we like you. You know how to get a job done and use everything to your advantage. You'll be right at home in FPS mode, then, because almost everything you see is at least partially destructible. Enemy troops hiding behind a jeep? Blow up the jeep--that's using your head. You'll need those smarts when dealing with the boss battles that you'll find strewn throughout the FPS mode. They're tough, no lie, and they'll take more than a few clips to take down.
So mount up, soldier! The ETA for Time Crisis is November 2007. Until then, keep your trigger finger loose and stay frosty. You can expect more briefings on the game in the coming weeks.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
2550/09/14
Game Review :: Final Fantasy III (DS)
Somehow amid a confusion of roman numerals, Square-Enix overlooked the fact that this Final Fantasy III (being different to the Final Fantasy III that was released in the West which was actually Final Fantasy VI), and, where were we, oh yes, this Final Fantasy III was never released in English before the year 2006. I can’t fathom why they would release Final Fantasy (the first one which doesn’t have a roman numeral) on roughly seven different platforms and counting and not put the third installment on at least two. Happily, they have now rectified this oversight by releasing a full remake on the DS.JRPG 101
Final Fantasy III falls squarely (and enixly too) into the camp of old-school Japanese Role Playing Games. Whether this is because Final Fantasy defined the
genre or was simply following the formula established in Dragon Quest is debatable, but Final Fantasy III is about as by-the-book as they come. The first main character of your adventuring party is Luneth, an orphan who is apparently around 18 or so. After discovering a crystal which informs him of his chosenness as a “Warrior of the Light,” he sets out to find the other three Warriors (who are naturally also teenaged and also orphans) who must help him to find the other three crystals and use them to restore balance to the world. When venturing out of a town into the beautiful overland map, your party will encounter many beasts of all description bent on destroying you, at which point the game swaps to a battle view where you command each character in your party in a turn-based system. Depending on the character (and their current job), they will be able to use melee weapons, ranged weapons, spells, summons and a variety of other attacks to overcome the foe. Once you’ve commanded all the characters the attacks are carried out. At the end of a battle your party is awarded experience points and these will allow them to become more powerful over time.Jobs for all to do
If the plot is merely a skeleton to hang the meat of the game on, then the meat of this game is most certainly the job system. It feels like it’s been designed for fans who are not satisfied to just grind their characters to ridiculous levels of hit points, but must also make them the best ninja there is, or the best dragoon or white mage, or all three. The job idea is simple – characters in the game don’t have a set class, instead they can be assigned a job at any time, complete with a cute change of wardrobe. The different jobs allow them to perform different actions during a battle (such as cast a spell or summon), to wear different armor and to wield different weapons. As the characters fight their experience goes up and so do their job levels. All of this helps game play by allowing a variety of configurations for your party so that you don’t get too bored killing your 10000th goblin because you can do it with different animations.
As you gain the other crystals more jobs become available, and this is where the job system is not all that perfect – earlier jobs are simply not up to the task of defeating enemies because the better equipment is only usable by certain jobs. So, unless you grind, your options are more limited than they appear. (Note: grinding is the act of fighting hundreds of unnecessary battles to improve your stats.) Another problem with the jobs is that if I have, by simply playing and fighting many battles, got a character’s job to level 50 or so it becomes quite difficult for him to swap to another job without becoming severely weaker (unless the new job has superior equipment), so I found myself mostly sticking to certain jobs. Nevertheless, the job system adds some sorely-needed variety to the battles.
Thankfully Square-Enix has allowed us to save at any time on the overworld map, and have also made traveling that map not-so-tedious by supplying various forms of transport. Although it is not possible to save inside the dungeons and continue playing, you can save and quit which means you don’t have to fight your way out of a dungeon to be able to stop playing without losing your progress. Add to that the suspend ability of the DS and the “on-the-go” capabilities of the game are solid. I mean, what better way to spend those few minutes waiting for the kettle to boil than grinding?Read More :: www.el33tonline.com
Game News :: Nintendo Wii set to become consumers’ choice for next-gen console
A recent BrandIntel report has revealed that the Nintendo Wii is poised to become the consumers’ choice for next-gen gaming. BrandIntel analysed online consumer-generated content to determine that the Wii recorded the highest purchase intent scores, largely because it appeals to the casual gaming audience that was mostly untouched before Nintendo launched the Wii. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 came in second with Sony’s PS3 in third.
The report, titled Top Video Game Console Report: Consumer Insight Monitor, analysed consumer sentiment regarding the three next-gen consoles. The report found that although the Xbox 360 is currently the top choice with hard-core gamers, it is the Wii that has the highest intent to purchase scores, appealing to a broader consumer base due to its price, ease of use and innovation.
Value and fun lead the way
Potential Wii buyers are attracted to the console because of the value and the fun games while potential PS3 buyers are looking at its future potential because they don’t believe it has any earthmoving titles at the moment. Potential Xbox 360 buyers are keen on the large amount of games available and the upcoming Halo 3. Although Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has been dogged by quality concerns, the report states that this has had little impact on purchase intent. The launch of the highly anticipated Halo 3 is also expected to drive the purchase intent for the Xbox 360 up.
Most analysts believe that purchase intent is driven by price alone but in the Wii’s case highly anticipated upcoming games such as Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros, combined with a competitive price, are also creating a positive purchase intent.
Below are some key findings from the report, which analysed data (from approximately 17 000 records) from the 1st of January 2007 to the 24th of July 2007:
“The Nintendo Wii generated very positive levels of appeal and brand image and came highly recommended by consumers.
While it generated the least discussion due to its relative maturity, the Xbox 360 received positive sentiment stemming mostly from an impressive game lineup, making it the choice console for gaming enthusiasts.
The PS3 generated high levels of discussion regarding its processing power and hard drive, but was perceived more negatively than the Wii and Xbox 360 due in part to its high cost and lack of attractive games.”
Console wars
The report seeks to track industry trends and influences as well as outline consumer usage behaviour. It also illustrates which consoles and manufacturers are positively discussed in online communities including blogs, forums and media sites. Last year’s report found that most online discussion centered around the Nintendo Wii.
“As the console war heats up again for the holiday season, Nintendo has been able to successfully target a new audience of casual gamers which has opened up new marketing and revenue opportunities for the company,” said Alan Dean, V.P. of Business Innovation at BrandIntel. “As the Nintendo Wii moves beyond the hype, consumers are looking for games that can compete with the bigger name titles produced by their competitors.”
Read More :: www.el33tonline.com
The report, titled Top Video Game Console Report: Consumer Insight Monitor, analysed consumer sentiment regarding the three next-gen consoles. The report found that although the Xbox 360 is currently the top choice with hard-core gamers, it is the Wii that has the highest intent to purchase scores, appealing to a broader consumer base due to its price, ease of use and innovation.
Value and fun lead the way
Potential Wii buyers are attracted to the console because of the value and the fun games while potential PS3 buyers are looking at its future potential because they don’t believe it has any earthmoving titles at the moment. Potential Xbox 360 buyers are keen on the large amount of games available and the upcoming Halo 3. Although Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has been dogged by quality concerns, the report states that this has had little impact on purchase intent. The launch of the highly anticipated Halo 3 is also expected to drive the purchase intent for the Xbox 360 up.
Most analysts believe that purchase intent is driven by price alone but in the Wii’s case highly anticipated upcoming games such as Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros, combined with a competitive price, are also creating a positive purchase intent.
Below are some key findings from the report, which analysed data (from approximately 17 000 records) from the 1st of January 2007 to the 24th of July 2007:
“The Nintendo Wii generated very positive levels of appeal and brand image and came highly recommended by consumers.
While it generated the least discussion due to its relative maturity, the Xbox 360 received positive sentiment stemming mostly from an impressive game lineup, making it the choice console for gaming enthusiasts.
The PS3 generated high levels of discussion regarding its processing power and hard drive, but was perceived more negatively than the Wii and Xbox 360 due in part to its high cost and lack of attractive games.”
Console wars
The report seeks to track industry trends and influences as well as outline consumer usage behaviour. It also illustrates which consoles and manufacturers are positively discussed in online communities including blogs, forums and media sites. Last year’s report found that most online discussion centered around the Nintendo Wii.
“As the console war heats up again for the holiday season, Nintendo has been able to successfully target a new audience of casual gamers which has opened up new marketing and revenue opportunities for the company,” said Alan Dean, V.P. of Business Innovation at BrandIntel. “As the Nintendo Wii moves beyond the hype, consumers are looking for games that can compete with the bigger name titles produced by their competitors.”
Read More :: www.el33tonline.com
Game News :: Crysis DirectX 9 & 10 MP Performance
DX9 vs. DX10 – The endless question
To shed some light into one of the most discussed topics regarding Crysis multiplayer I would like to explain you the differences between Crysis MP DX9 and DX10.
As for the DX9 version we won’t have physics and day and night cycle in-game. That means you won’t be able to shoot down trees and/or alter any other objects than vehicles on the map. Additionally the time of day setting doesn’t change dynamically. This is caused due to the tremendous server load such physics might cause on crowded gaming servers. Still you will be able to experience maps with different time of day settings since the maps can be altered in the Sandbox2 Editor.
Rather than providing the community partially working features we limit this for the DX10 version only. Due to the strong hardware available with DX10, server load is less and performance is increased. This ensures the pure physics and day and night cycle experience without any limitation.
Gamers with a DX10 card are able to play on DX9 servers, but with the limitation of the respective server. Vice versa it is not possible for gamers with DX9 cards to play on DX10 servers due to the limited features.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
To shed some light into one of the most discussed topics regarding Crysis multiplayer I would like to explain you the differences between Crysis MP DX9 and DX10.
As for the DX9 version we won’t have physics and day and night cycle in-game. That means you won’t be able to shoot down trees and/or alter any other objects than vehicles on the map. Additionally the time of day setting doesn’t change dynamically. This is caused due to the tremendous server load such physics might cause on crowded gaming servers. Still you will be able to experience maps with different time of day settings since the maps can be altered in the Sandbox2 Editor.
Rather than providing the community partially working features we limit this for the DX10 version only. Due to the strong hardware available with DX10, server load is less and performance is increased. This ensures the pure physics and day and night cycle experience without any limitation.
Gamers with a DX10 card are able to play on DX9 servers, but with the limitation of the respective server. Vice versa it is not possible for gamers with DX9 cards to play on DX10 servers due to the limited features.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
2550/09/13
Game Review :: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (Ps2)
The PlayStation 2 may have reached its twilight years, but there is no shortage of great games being released for it. Enter Persona 3, the latest in the Shin Megami Tensei series to reach American shores. Luckily, you won't need any previous experience with the Persona franchise to appreciate its uniquely dark sensibilities, though series fans will find plenty of familiar references in which to revel. This is a quality role-playing experience that weaves distinctive gameplay elements into a fascinating story that unfolds slowly but keeps you constantly guessing. It's also atypically mature, but then again, any game that features your party members repeatedly shooting themselves in the head isn't for the squeamish. Indeed, the game's signature mechanic is this: To summon your inner self--or persona--you point a pistol at your head and pull the trigger.
Saving humanity isn't a new concept, but you'd be wrong to assume that Persona 3 is limited to such a pat description. Instead, the gruesome nature of the dark hour is offset nicely by Persona 3's more traditional boarding school setup, in which your character attends classes, plays sports, and joins the student council. You have the opportunity to establish a good number of relationships with many of the inhabitants of the gameworld, from a love-struck classmate to the injured kendo team captain. Each of these inhabitants has a story of his or her own, and you will find yourself feeling involved with their struggles, no matter how seemingly insignificant. However, your school day meandering and extracurricular activities are more than just contrasting gameplay: How you spend your time here directly affects your combat performance during the dark hour.
This occurs in one of two ways. The more obvious way is to increase your stats by performing activities that directly affect them. For example, studying before bed or at the library will increase your academics, while watching chick flicks at the local theater increases your charm. The other aspect of your school day is your burgeoning relationships. The friendships and romances you build directly affect the personas that you summon in battle because each persona is strengthened by the associated social link. For example, a prospering friendship will earn you the blessing of the magician arcane, which means all personas associated with that arcana will benefit. But you have limited time each day to pursue those interests, so you need to spend your time wisely and concentrate on the activities that build a character that best suits your gameplay style.
Once you've finished tooling around school and town during the day, it's off to Tartarus for the dark hour, though you aren't forced to head there most nights, if you'd rather study or rest up instead. Tartarus is essentially a multistory skyscraper in which you climb from one floor to the next, defeating enemies as you gradually level up to handle the foes on floors above. You can take up to three other party members who have various strengths and weaknesses with you, yet unlike in most other role-playing games, you have no direct control over them. However, you can set up general tactics for each one if you like, such as support/healing. This may seem limiting at first, but as you earn more and more personas for your own character, you'll find that it's intimidating enough handling them all without adding three others to the mix.Read More :: www.gamespot.com
Game News :: Link zapped by Crossbow Training
Since launching last November, the Wii has easily bested all challengers in the console sales race. Oddly, Nintendo's success can arguably be attributed to Wii Sports, the proof of concept sports compilation that comes packed in with the console and plays heavily to the system's motion-sensing capabilities.
Link's new weapon of choice.For its latest peripheral, Nintendo is looking to re-create that success in a similar fashion. Nintendo announced today that Link's Crossbow Training will accompany the Wii Zapper when it targets retail shelves on November 19. The game will graphically resemble Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and players will assume the role of Link as he progresses through a series of skill-based shooting tests.
Nintendo has already attracted several developers to the Wii Zapper. When the peripheral was initially announced during this year's E3 Media and Business Summit, Nintendo noted that Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor Heroes 2, Capcom's Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and Sega's Ghost Squad would all be tailor-made for the Zapper.
Link's Crossbow Training will come packed in with the Wii Zapper, which retails for $19.99. It has not yet been rated.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
2550/09/12
Game Preview :: MLB Power Pros First Look
One part arcade sports game, one part RPG, and one part stat-heavy baseball strategy game, 2K Sports' MLB Power Pros Baseball is nothing if not intriguing, and extremely Japanese. Based on Konami's long-running, incredibly popular baseball game from Japan, Power Pros is now set to debut on American shores next month. As we discovered during some hands-on time with the game today, Power Pros is utterly unlike any baseball game you'll likely have played before.
Read More ::www.gamespot.com
If you've never heard of Konami's arcade baseball efforts before, let's set some expectations. First, forget the meticulous level of graphical detail that you see in other baseball games. Instead, the player models in Power Pros are cartoonish to the extreme, with circles for hands, big heads and expressive eyes, and a complete absence of legs (though they do have feet, oddly enough). Picture a Mii with a gland problem, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what the players in Power Pros look like. That said, the developer has gone to some lengths to make sure that big MLB stars are at least semirecognizable, such as giving Manny Ramirez a cartoon equivalent of his long dreads.
Secondly, when it comes to control, Power Pros is as straightforward an arcade baseball experience as you'll find. In the Wii version of the game, you'll be able to play either with the Wii Remote by itself or with the Nunchuk attachment. Playing with the remote is incredibly simple--you swing the remote when at the plate and shake the remote vigorously to either run the bases or field the ball. When pitching, you can choose from a variety of different pitches in your hurler's arsenal, and can add right or left break to the pitch by pressing the plus or minus button, respectively. From there, it's a matter of flicking the controller to throw the ball. That simplistic gameplay is almost too hands-off for our tastes.
Luckily, when you plug the Nunchuk in, you have a good deal more control over the outcome of the game. Fielding and baserunning, for example, is handled with the directional pad. When on the mound, you still select from your pitch arsenal (which includes standard curves, fastballs, and changeups, as well as pitches MLB fans might not be used to seeing, such as the shuto, essentially a more powerful screwball), then press the A button to toss it. Once you've selected your pitch, an icon shows up onscreen which will allow you to aim your pitch in (or out of) the strike zone. You won't have control over the break of the pitch, however, so you'll need to compensate with your aim. When at the plate, a virtual bat will appear onscreen and, to make contact, you'll need to line up the bat's sweet spot to where the ball will cross the plate. You have two swing types, normal and power swing, which can be toggled with the B button. The sweet spot on a power swing is smaller, but the potential reward is taking the ball yard.
With just a glance, it's easy to tell that Power Pros was not developed in the States. From the menu system that contains at least two colors not found in nature, to the insanely chipper musical score, this game looks and sounds unlike any other sports game out there. But the game's unique approach doesn't stop at its presentation. If you really want the full Power Pros experience, two modes--season and success--are where it's at. In the latter, season mode finds you as a fresh-out-of-college GM for your favorite baseball team (think Theo Epstein with even less experience and a much, much larger head). You have a full-time secretary who's moons over your dashing good looks and provides you with tips on how to play through season mode.
Good thing, too, because Power Pros' season mode has an absolutely staggering amount of details when it comes to team management. Just as you'd expect from a more serious baseball sim, season mode in Power Pros will let you check and change your daily rosters, keep up with trade and free agent acquisitions, and give you access to detailed team balance sheets. Moreover, there's a practice mode that will give you the chance to keep your players improving in nearly every aspect of their game. Think Derrek Lee needs more work on his running stamina or that Barry Zito needs to work on his control on the mound? Put them to work in practice and watch as their skills improve. You can even convert players to different positions and add pitches to your bullpen's arsenal.
If season mode is the equivalent of a typical baseball game's franchise feature, then success mode could be thought of as the Power Pros equivalent of a career mode. Here, you start as a college student looking to secure a minor league baseball contract. You'll have three years to get it done and, in between trying to become a star on your school's baseball team, you'll need to balance the other aspects of your collegiate life, such as your part-time job, your studies and, of course, your social life. It's a quirky mode that will have you going out with girls on dates, keeping up with your studies, working part-time jobs to earn cash for items and new equipment, attending team practices to improve your player's skills, and dealing with loads and loads of intrateam drama. 
Though you'll spend a lot of your time dealing with off-the-field issues in success mode, you will have time to actually play baseball--typically just playing your own player's at-bats until you are eventually elected team captain, after which you'll have full control of your team for the final two innings of every game on the schedule. The game's fate card system, which gives you a randomly generated set of response cards to use when choices come up in success mode's story, helps ensure that each play-through is unique.
Other modes in the game include exhibition, arrange (a create-a-team option that will let you import your Miis onto a team), league (for up to six players), home run derby, and practice mode. The game won't have any online options, which means the slightly out-of-date rosters (Michael Barrett is still catching for the Cubs, for example) will need to be corrected by hand. And though the players look like kewpie dolls, all of the real MLB parks are created with a nice amount of detail.
The eccentric style of MLB Power Pros might be off-putting to baseball purists, but if you're looking for a fast-paced arcade baseball game that doesn't skimp on game modes and depth, this might be just the thing. The game is due for release in October; stay tuned for more on this quirky sports game in the near future.
Read More ::www.gamespot.com
2550/09/09
Game News :: New Warhammer: Mark Of Chaos Patch
A new patch for Warhammer: Mark Of Chaos has been released, updating the fantasy RTS game from Black Hole Games and Namco Bandai up to version 1.2. You can find a link to the patch at the game's official forums where it states "This patch is ONLY for people in the US who have purchased the boxed copy of the game from a store (not Direct to Drive) AND are having trouble with the Auto-Patcher in game." Thanks Blue's News
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Game News :: New Games Sep 12-19 2007
If you love hockey, you will love this week's new releases. Here are the highlights
NHL 08/NHL 2K8: EA and 2K Sports release their competing pro hockey games this week for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 (NHL 08 also shows up on the PC).
Heavenly Sword: Ninja Theory and Sony release this PS3 exclusive hack-and-slash game this week.
Skate: EA goes up against the Tony Hawk juggernaut with their own Xbox 360 pro skateboarding game.
Fatal Inertia: Koei releases this Xbox 360 exclusive futuristic driving game.
DiRT: Codemasters' off-road racing game heads to the PS3 this week.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
NHL 08/NHL 2K8: EA and 2K Sports release their competing pro hockey games this week for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 (NHL 08 also shows up on the PC).
Heavenly Sword: Ninja Theory and Sony release this PS3 exclusive hack-and-slash game this week.
Skate: EA goes up against the Tony Hawk juggernaut with their own Xbox 360 pro skateboarding game.
Fatal Inertia: Koei releases this Xbox 360 exclusive futuristic driving game.
DiRT: Codemasters' off-road racing game heads to the PS3 this week.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Game News :: New Battlefield 2 Patch Released
A new patch for Battlefield 2 has been released, updating the modern day multiplaye shooter from Digital Illusions and Electronic Arts up to version 1.41. There is no word yet on what is fixed in the patch. You can download it from several sites including Fileshack and 3D Gamers which also includes a new server patch as well.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Read More :: www.gametab.com
2550/09/08
E3 '07: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings North American Hands-On
For years now, you've known what to expect when it came to combat in Final Fantasy games. Though recent games have mixed up the formula a bit, it's still been about small parties of heroes taking on small parties of enemies in either turn-based or real-time confrontations. The upcoming Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for the Nintendo DS will throw a monkey wrench in that design with a mixture of traditional role-playing game elements and real-time strategy combat that serves to create an entirely new Final Fantasy experience. While we've played the Japanese version of the game before, today at the Square Enix booth we had a chance to see the localized version of the game for the first time.
Helmed by game director Motomu Toriyama, Revenant Wings is one of the many games that make up the so-called Ivalice Alliance, a series of games all set in the Final Fantasy world of Ivalice. It's also a sequel of sorts to 2006's Final Fantasy XII, and several of the characters from FFXII will find their way into Revenant Wings, including hero Vaan--who's upgraded from wannabe to full-fledged sky pirate in this game--and his pal Penelo.
The demo version of the game shown off at the Square Enix booth featured the first tutorial that was found in the Japanese version of the game. The idea of the tutorial is to get you used to moving your units in the game with the stylus and touchpad. Moving characters is as simple as sweeping over them with your stylus and then touching the spot on the screen where you would like them to move. You can scroll through the level with the directional pad as well. Just as with the Japanese version of the game, the characters moved at a fairly measured pace across the screen--we were hoping for an increase in the pace from the Japanese version, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards at this point.
The tutorial dungeon had a number of monsters to attack--to do so, you simply tapped the enemies with the stylus, and Vaan and Penelo would automatically lay into them, with Vaan dealing physical attacks and Penelo automatically healing as they went. After defeating those enemies, the pair meet up with Balthier and the rabbit-eared Fran, who join the team as NPCs for a final showdown with a boss monster at a huge structure known as the Glabados gates. As you fight the boss, new enemies are summoned from a spawn point, and it's here you get a glimpse at the flexibility of Revenant Wings' combat. While Fran and Balthier deal with the boss, you could send Vaan to sweep up the stragglers while Penelo stays put and heals. Or you could keep Penelo with Vaan and make sure his health is maximized.
The demo ended once the boss was defeated, so we didn't get a chance to see many of the features that will be part of the final game--including the ability to summon creatures tied to each of the main characters, which eventually greatly increases the number of characters that make up your party; as well as the various special attacks that each member of your party can use in battle.
Because the RTS genre is still looking to gain a foothold in the Japanese gaming market, Revenant Wings is a fairly new experience there. However, Toriyama has said that his team is aware of Americans' predilection for RTS and, as a result, the North American version of the game will be tuned to challenge an audience that's more experienced in the genre. Key improvements to that end will be the ability for enemy units to set their own gambit and more realistically react to situations in combat, and a new "deep dungeon" designed for experienced RTS players, complete with a new boss battle. The game is due for release on November 20 and we'll be keeping you updated with all of the latest in the coming months
Read More :: http://e3.gamespot.com
Game News :: Square Enix Says FFVII Remake Could Still Happen
Fans of Square Enix's Final Fantasy series have been pining for a remake of the classic Final Fantasy VII since before the game's E3 2005 tech demo. And so far, Square brass has been fairly quiet on the idea of it becoming a reality.
Though, as Famitsu points out (via PlayStation Universe), they are very aware of consumer interest. Crisis Core producer Hideki Imaizumi said in an interview to the Japanese magazine that though fans clearly want it, it's a question of timing. The three most likely to work on such a project -- Kitase, Nomura and Tabata -- are too busy with Final Fantasy XIII.
Imaizumi did make clear there's no current plans for a remake, but pointed out some decisions are made quickly. He added that a new game is to be shown at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, taking place from September 20-23.
No doubt this new game is another part of Square Enix's masterful plan to keep developers too busy to re-render Cloud's ridiculous sword.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Though, as Famitsu points out (via PlayStation Universe), they are very aware of consumer interest. Crisis Core producer Hideki Imaizumi said in an interview to the Japanese magazine that though fans clearly want it, it's a question of timing. The three most likely to work on such a project -- Kitase, Nomura and Tabata -- are too busy with Final Fantasy XIII.
Imaizumi did make clear there's no current plans for a remake, but pointed out some decisions are made quickly. He added that a new game is to be shown at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, taking place from September 20-23.
No doubt this new game is another part of Square Enix's masterful plan to keep developers too busy to re-render Cloud's ridiculous sword.
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Game Review :: Metroid Prime 3 comparison
The graphics we've seen thus far on the Wii haven't done much to dispute comparisons that describe the system as an overclocked GameCube. Game developers have achieved success building games around the Wii's obvious strength, the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, rather than focusing on the graphics. Games such as Rayman Raving Rabbids and Mario Party 8 sell well, but the core gaming audience still needs its high poly-counts and fancy shader effects. Fortunately, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has arrived in time to prove that the Wii is capable of delivering just such an excellent graphics experience.
Retro Studios, already well trained in coaxing performance out of the GameCube in past Metroid Prime games, did a fantastic job upgrading the series for the Wii. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has surpassed Metroid Prime 2: Echoes in all of the major graphics categories. Corruption has better artwork, higher-resolution textures, improved enemy models, highly detailed environments, and extensive high dynamic range lighting. We put together a collection of screenshot comparisons to illustrate the improvements in Metroid Prime 3 on the Wii. 
Retro Studios, already well trained in coaxing performance out of the GameCube in past Metroid Prime games, did a fantastic job upgrading the series for the Wii. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has surpassed Metroid Prime 2: Echoes in all of the major graphics categories. Corruption has better artwork, higher-resolution textures, improved enemy models, highly detailed environments, and extensive high dynamic range lighting. We put together a collection of screenshot comparisons to illustrate the improvements in Metroid Prime 3 on the Wii.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
2550/09/07
Game Review :: Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 (Ps2)
Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 A brand new tale arrives as Naruto faces different challenges to defend the Hidden Leaf Village and surrounding villages from the evil force trying to dominate it. An ancient organization, which was thought to have been disbanded, is alive and in search of orbs to resurrect a mechanical terror. It's now up to Naruto and all of the Hidden Leaf Genin to join forces with those of the Hidden Sand Village to stop this menace.Release: Sep/04/2007
Read More :: www.gametab.com
Game Review :: Wild ARMs 5 (Ps2)
"Butter my butt and call me a biscuit," says a character in XSEED's new Wild ARMs 5. Well, calling him a character is a bit of a stretch--he's really one of the immobile town dwellers you see in every RPG who delivers a single line and nothing else, the gaming equivalent of a Hollywood extra. But in a way, that makes him emblematic of Wild ARMs 5--a game like every other Japanese RPG this side of Final Fantasy, with a few extremely weird differences.Wild ARMs, in case you're new to the series, is composed mostly of traditional role-playing games in which a main character and friends battle a great evil to save the environment, while learning to share, keep promises, and generally come of age. The series' two trademarks are the hex battle system (a simple tactical battle grid) and ARMS, aka guns. In practice, these guns are just like the weapons from any other series. For example, the main character in Wild ARMs 5 uses his twin pistols like tonfa, hitting enemies with them rather than shooting them.
The story takes place in the Western-themed world of Filgaia (can't you tell by the name?), where a teenager named Dean and his best friend Rebecca discover a giant, severed robot arm with an amnesiac girl named Avril in its palm. Avril remembers only two words, "Johnny Appleseed," and is clutching two pistols, which she gives to Dean. And so the three embark on a globe-trotting, gunslinging adventure to learn about the fabled folk hero, the meaning of perseverance, and the incredible economic iniquities spawned by technological power, not to mention its socioecological ramifications. Well, butter my butt... Though Wild ARMs 5 starts shallower than most (Barney and Friends comes readily to mind in the early going), the themes it raises later have real-world roots. Indeed, older players will recognize references to the Berlin Wall and be surprised by a succinct, coherent explanation of political schadenfreude. But in true adolescent form, the game oversimplifies its adult themes. In one conversation, for instance, a wicked concentration camp boss who has slaughtered hundreds if not thousands of people repents his wicked ways and is completely forgiven by the party, who knew he was a hero all along. He just had the wrong attitude...about genocide.
The same clumsiness that causes Wild ARMs 5 to fumble big ideas yields strange but delectable fruit elsewhere. For example, in the same game, there are characters named Avril, Rebecca Streisand, and Elvis (for a pop-cultural hat trick) as well as characters named Duogrammaton and Fereydoon. And then there are talking-bird save points, each of which wants to discuss a deadly sin. Or, as one bird puts it: "Well now, you're one handsome looking fellow. You here to take a dip with me into the sea of lust? Or do you want to save?" Horny talking-avian save points, Batman!
So Wild ARMs 5 is pretty weird and tells an interesting, if out-of-control story. Even better, its pace is brisk, so you'll never go more than a half hour without some new piece of narrative gristle to chew on. This is very important, because the game follows your usual town-dungeon-town-dungeon flow. You go somewhere, someone tells you to get something from a dungeon, you enter said dungeon, battle through a hundred random encounters, kill bosses, get item, return to town, buy better weapons, move to next town. It's the E=MC² of RPGs.
Wild ARMs 5 deviates from this formula in subtle but important ways. For one thing, each dungeon generally has three or four bosses, not one. And each contains a statue known as a Sol Niger, which when cleansed allows you to turn on or off random encounters. Each door is marked by whether it's been entered, recently exited, or used (but not recently) for navigational purposes. And every save point, including those horny little birds, will provide a hint as to where you're supposed to go next. How convenient!
Your guns also come into play in the dungeons, where you can shoot treasure chests and pots to open or break them. The guns are also worked into the game's environmental puzzles, some good some bad, and you eventually accrue seven different kinds of bullets to help you make your way through rooms full of switches, boxes, buttons, and torches.
The battle system uses a small grid with one space in the middle, and six surrounding it. Three of the outlying spaces have an elemental property (spells cast from them assume that element), and figuring out your enemy's weakness then capturing the space that can exploit it is the name of the game--or at least, the boss fight. It's a pretty deep system, but the overall effect is that random encounters are more dynamic than usual (though no less frustrating), and boss fights play out like chess matches. Except that while you play chess, the enemy plays checkers, routinely making unaccountably stupid choices. If you miraculously lose to its Fisher Price artificial intelligence, you can elect to start the battle over, or return to your last save point. This is also very convenient.
Like the Hex system, character development is a blend of the intuitive and the arcane. There are items called mediums, which are essentially equippable classes. They have names like sea, sky, mountain, and sword (so much for consistency), but they boil down to normal RPG roles--blaster, tank, thief, healer, and so on. However, when you equip one of these, based on your level, you can allocate points to combat, magic, or special meter regeneration. (By the way, your party has a special meter that fills during combat, which lets each characters use class-based special moves as well as multiple-character team attacks.) You can switch all of this at any time, and while some characters are better fighters or casters, the point is, it's a simple class system with an underlying level of customizable detail. You can set it and forget it, or nerd out with micromanagement--the choice is happily yours.
That sounds good, but it doesn't look good. From the field, to the fights, to the menus, Wild ARMs 5 looks like a much worse game than it is. The artistic style is bush-league anime. The big eyes, crazy hair, and skimpy clothes are there, but nowhere are the signature touches of a professional artist. The hex system is an eyesore, and the menus are full of acronyms, numbers, and weird meters, all of which have substance, but zero style. And then there's the game engine. You don't fully realize how broken this is until you gain a one-wheeled motorcycle to, in theory, quickly traverse terrain. In practice, it's like having a seizure in a bumper car. Invisible walls abound, and the wheel is governed by truly fantastical laws of physics. Still, it beats all the random battles.
But what would a Wild ARMs game be without horrible, repeating sound bites? Rather than assault you with the full, telephone-book-size list, allow us to reveal the most offensive instance of audio gone awry: ladder climbing. That's right, when you climb a ladder, the game's sound files go berserk and fire off like a string of firecrackers. Within two rungs, your character will grunt, shout "Yeah!," grunt again, and yell "Here we go!" while simultaneously cheering. The music, on the other hand, is outstanding. There is a solid steel-string guitar track, another one that features flutes, and, of all things, a whistled travel tune.
Wild ARMs 5 is a tripolar blend of the good, the bad, and the ugly, but most importantly, it's odd enough to distinguish itself from other RPGs, and well-designed enough for you to enjoy playing. While its wacky foibles stretch a little thin after hour 25 (the game takes roughly 30 to beat), this teriyaki Western is worth checking out, especially if you can get it at a bargain or rental price.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
Game News :: Hellgate: London Updated Impressions - Early Levels and Last-Minute Updates
It was probably hard to predict the tremendous success of 1996's Diablo, the hack-and-slash action RPG that led to the 2000 sequel Diablo II. Both games would be responsible for countless wrecked computer mice as players clicked endlessly to lead their fantasy warriors and wizards to victory by hacking away at hordes of monsters in a dark, demon-infested world. What was perhaps even more surprising was that Diablo II was a very hard act to follow. Few other games dared to follow in the incredibly addictive sequel's footsteps, and arguably, none of them was up to the task. Now, the creators of the original Diablo series have returned as a separate developer, Flagship Studios, and Hellgate: London has finally been dated and set for release next month. We had a chance to catch up with the always-upbeat studio head Bill Roper at a recent press event and take a look at a near-final DirectX 9 version of the game's earlier levels.
The game itself looks much more complete than it has on previous occasions. It takes place in a postapocalyptic version of London in the wake of a demonic invasion, and the environments look more complete and more lived-in. The game's character and weapon models have also benefited from several additional layers of polish and detail, as has the game's interface, which looks much more streamlined and perhaps less overwhelming. A full tutorial has now been added to the content-complete game that will walk beginners through the basics, but make no mistake--Hellgate: London will have a lot of stuff to play with. For starters, the game will have lots of different customizable weapons with modular components that you can swap in and out to power them up, as well as one-handed and two-handed weapons your character can dual-wield. You'll also pick up several different types of armor your character can wear. Furthermore, in order to avoid making your character look like a multicolored clown who wears an orange helmet, a brown chestpiece, and purple boots, the game will have an "eyedropper" tool you can use to make every piece of your character's attire have the same color scheme.
Hellgate: London will also have lots of different character skills you can unlock and develop as your character gains experience levels, and even lots of randomly generated, "instanced" environments (that is, environments will be treated as separate areas that exist only for you and any other players who have joined you in an adventuring party). The game will even have "rare" sublevels that may randomly be generated in various areas, such as a sewer level hidden under a surreptitious manhole cover that may or may not spawn in the next area you explore.
At the event, Roper also confirmed details for the game's much-discussed paid subscription service, which will eventually offer new content to players in the form of new items, new quests, and even new playable character classes. However, the game will be fully playable in single-player, as well as online, without any need for players to sign up. The Flagship chief also confirmed that players who purchase the game but do not subscribe to its monthly service will be able to play online with paying subscribers with no restrictions, as well as form adventuring parties online. Roper said that the studio "remains committed to giving people a great experience right out of the box." From what we've seen, with the huge depth that Hellgate: London's weapon, character, and random level systems will offer, players should get plenty of bang for their buck. The game is scheduled to launch this Halloween.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
The game itself looks much more complete than it has on previous occasions. It takes place in a postapocalyptic version of London in the wake of a demonic invasion, and the environments look more complete and more lived-in. The game's character and weapon models have also benefited from several additional layers of polish and detail, as has the game's interface, which looks much more streamlined and perhaps less overwhelming. A full tutorial has now been added to the content-complete game that will walk beginners through the basics, but make no mistake--Hellgate: London will have a lot of stuff to play with. For starters, the game will have lots of different customizable weapons with modular components that you can swap in and out to power them up, as well as one-handed and two-handed weapons your character can dual-wield. You'll also pick up several different types of armor your character can wear. Furthermore, in order to avoid making your character look like a multicolored clown who wears an orange helmet, a brown chestpiece, and purple boots, the game will have an "eyedropper" tool you can use to make every piece of your character's attire have the same color scheme.
Hellgate: London will also have lots of different character skills you can unlock and develop as your character gains experience levels, and even lots of randomly generated, "instanced" environments (that is, environments will be treated as separate areas that exist only for you and any other players who have joined you in an adventuring party). The game will even have "rare" sublevels that may randomly be generated in various areas, such as a sewer level hidden under a surreptitious manhole cover that may or may not spawn in the next area you explore.
At the event, Roper also confirmed details for the game's much-discussed paid subscription service, which will eventually offer new content to players in the form of new items, new quests, and even new playable character classes. However, the game will be fully playable in single-player, as well as online, without any need for players to sign up. The Flagship chief also confirmed that players who purchase the game but do not subscribe to its monthly service will be able to play online with paying subscribers with no restrictions, as well as form adventuring parties online. Roper said that the studio "remains committed to giving people a great experience right out of the box." From what we've seen, with the huge depth that Hellgate: London's weapon, character, and random level systems will offer, players should get plenty of bang for their buck. The game is scheduled to launch this Halloween.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
Game Review :: MySims Hands-On
At EA's recent summer showcase, we got to check out a new playable version of MySims for the Wii. We got to run around town, build stuff, meet people, and build them homes.For our first act, we played around with our house, removing windows here, adding doors there, and marvelling at the simplicity of it all. With the Wiimote, you can simply grab any element of a house and remove it. Underneath, you'll see blue pegs upon which you can hang new items, which are featured at the bottom of the screen. For instance, we removed our house's spooky door and replaced it with a happy-looking fun door almost as easily as if we'd physically plucked the one off and plopped down the other.
For our next act, we built an arcade cabinet. This took us to a screen that showed the transluscent apparition of a girl playing at a machine, just to give us an idea of the space and proportions we'd be working with. From there, we stacked various blocks into a roughly arcade-looking shape, adorned it with some fish, a dog, and painted it like bacon. Why? Because we could.
With our newly constructed cabinet, we headed to the local arcade to see the proprietor. Opening our handy map, we located the place, and plopped a beacon onto it, which showed us the way in the normal view. Once there, we walked in, told the proprietor a joke, which he didn't find very funny, and then gave him the new arcade cabinet as a gift. Overjoyed, he bestowed us with lots of angry essence. We know that sounds like a bad thing, but in the MySims world anger is like a currency for fun people. So if you want a chair fit for a fun person, it must burst with fury. We don't know what that means, but it sounds funny, and that may very well be the point.
With our newly acquired essence of anger, we proceeded to place our arcade cabinet. We simply rotated it with the D-pad, and set it against a wall with the Wiimote. Then we noticed that the arcade's inside wasn't painted interestingly, so using some geeky essence we'd acquired from previous deeds, we made geeky paint, and redid the arcade interior with a few easy strokes. The proprietor, seeing our Space Invaders inspired work, leapt for joy.
After that, we went outside and shook some trees by literally shaking the Wiimote, and gathered some essence that fell. The presenter told us it was possible to get eyeballs, plant them in the ground, and then grow eyeball trees, from which eyes could then be harvested as currency for spooky people. But we didn't have time to hunt for a person with spare eyes, so instead we searched for minerals and rocks with a metal detector, in a simple game of "Hot or Cold."
Satisfied with our haul of rocks and dug up magic eight balls,
we went to the hotel to see if anyone was interested in moving into our town. The goth kid was, but said he needed a place to live. Since there were no open lots in town, and we didn't want to evict anyone (though we could have), we built the goth a house in the desert, complete with creepy windows, a gargoyle, and pink rosebush for him to secretly nurture in the backyard.
And that's a taste of what's in store for you in MySims for the Wii and DS, when it launches this September 18. It may sound random and silly, but there's method to this madness. By socializing with your town's denizens and producing various crafts, you'll eventually build an awesome town that any of the game's wacky denizens would want to live in. We'll let you know more when this game launches later this month.
With our newly constructed cabinet, we headed to the local arcade to see the proprietor. Opening our handy map, we located the place, and plopped a beacon onto it, which showed us the way in the normal view. Once there, we walked in, told the proprietor a joke, which he didn't find very funny, and then gave him the new arcade cabinet as a gift. Overjoyed, he bestowed us with lots of angry essence. We know that sounds like a bad thing, but in the MySims world anger is like a currency for fun people. So if you want a chair fit for a fun person, it must burst with fury. We don't know what that means, but it sounds funny, and that may very well be the point.With our newly acquired essence of anger, we proceeded to place our arcade cabinet. We simply rotated it with the D-pad, and set it against a wall with the Wiimote. Then we noticed that the arcade's inside wasn't painted interestingly, so using some geeky essence we'd acquired from previous deeds, we made geeky paint, and redid the arcade interior with a few easy strokes. The proprietor, seeing our Space Invaders inspired work, leapt for joy.
After that, we went outside and shook some trees by literally shaking the Wiimote, and gathered some essence that fell. The presenter told us it was possible to get eyeballs, plant them in the ground, and then grow eyeball trees, from which eyes could then be harvested as currency for spooky people. But we didn't have time to hunt for a person with spare eyes, so instead we searched for minerals and rocks with a metal detector, in a simple game of "Hot or Cold."
Satisfied with our haul of rocks and dug up magic eight balls,
we went to the hotel to see if anyone was interested in moving into our town. The goth kid was, but said he needed a place to live. Since there were no open lots in town, and we didn't want to evict anyone (though we could have), we built the goth a house in the desert, complete with creepy windows, a gargoyle, and pink rosebush for him to secretly nurture in the backyard.And that's a taste of what's in store for you in MySims for the Wii and DS, when it launches this September 18. It may sound random and silly, but there's method to this madness. By socializing with your town's denizens and producing various crafts, you'll eventually build an awesome town that any of the game's wacky denizens would want to live in. We'll let you know more when this game launches later this month.
Read More :: www.gamespot.com
Game News :: Console wars
It is not being fought with sofa cushions, but the battle for the living room is hotting up. The great white hope for consumer electronics manufacturers is that one day households will have just one box that fulfils all their entertainment needs. So far, no single frontrunner has emerged.
Rather, the current frontrunner is a rejection of the "one box" idea. Since its launch in December, Nintendo's Wii has leapt off the shelves at more than twice the rate of Microsoft's competing games console, the Xbox 360. Despite the 360's head start of a year, its total of 11m units shipped will soon be overtaken by the Wii. Sony's PS3 languishes in third, with less than 5m sold.
The cheapest and least powerful of the trio has stolen a march on the competition with an innovative motion–sensitive control system and a family-friendly approach. It has also, sensibly, not tried to be anything more than a games machine. Sony has suffered because its decision to bundle the Blu-Ray player, which can run high definition video, made the system very expensive – sales in the US only perked up when it cut the price tag of its cheapest machine by $100 to $500.
Still, these are only early skirmishes in the console war. Sony has shipped 120m of its previous system, the PlayStation 2, since its launch in 2000. Microsoft has a separate HD-DVD player add-on to go with its boxes. Both should benefit as the take up of high definition televisions increases. The Xbox 360 is also ready made to deliver television over an internet connection. If telecoms companies are serious about delivering films and programming on demand, it is not impossible that they will start giving the console away as the market develops. But until consumers actually start to ask for these features, the simple charms of Nintendo are unlikely to fade.
Read More :: http://www.euro2day.gr/
Rather, the current frontrunner is a rejection of the "one box" idea. Since its launch in December, Nintendo's Wii has leapt off the shelves at more than twice the rate of Microsoft's competing games console, the Xbox 360. Despite the 360's head start of a year, its total of 11m units shipped will soon be overtaken by the Wii. Sony's PS3 languishes in third, with less than 5m sold.
The cheapest and least powerful of the trio has stolen a march on the competition with an innovative motion–sensitive control system and a family-friendly approach. It has also, sensibly, not tried to be anything more than a games machine. Sony has suffered because its decision to bundle the Blu-Ray player, which can run high definition video, made the system very expensive – sales in the US only perked up when it cut the price tag of its cheapest machine by $100 to $500.
Still, these are only early skirmishes in the console war. Sony has shipped 120m of its previous system, the PlayStation 2, since its launch in 2000. Microsoft has a separate HD-DVD player add-on to go with its boxes. Both should benefit as the take up of high definition televisions increases. The Xbox 360 is also ready made to deliver television over an internet connection. If telecoms companies are serious about delivering films and programming on demand, it is not impossible that they will start giving the console away as the market develops. But until consumers actually start to ask for these features, the simple charms of Nintendo are unlikely to fade.
Read More :: http://www.euro2day.gr/
Game News :: Bye-Bye 60GB PlayStation 3?
Almost a month ago, Sony was enjoying a 113% spike in sales for the 60GB PlayStation 3, and now it seems the stocks for that model are exhausted.
The long expected PS3 price cut everyone craved for finally arrived in the eve of this year’s E3, from Santa Monica. Following the $100 reduction, SCEA announced that they will “continue to sell the 60GB in the US and Canada at the new price until current inventory is depleted, which is predicted to be this fall based on current consumer demand.”
After the aforementioned depletion, the only remaining model would be the 80GB PS3, sold for $599. The promotion resulted in an increase in sales in both Canada and the US, with PS3 surpassing for the first time its next-gen rival Xbox 360 north of the border.
When GamePro went to Sony’s online store to see if there are still 60GB consoles available (considering that tomorrow we’ll be entering September) they only found a very nice button right besides the wanted unit, which said “Back Order”.
Sony later confirmed that they no longer have the 60GB PS3 in stock:
"We no longer have any inventory in SCEA warehouses. All inventory has been purchased and shipped to retailers," Sony's Dave Karraker said in an email.
"We don't have visibility as to if that is on their store shelves or in their warehouses at this time. However, based on inventory reports from our retailers, there is ample supply still left in the channel."
"We won't be making any further announcements regarding our PS3 model hardware strategy in North America until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated," Sony told GamePro.
However, it appears that in order to meet online demand, Sony is shifting its inventory from its retail stores to the site.
Amazon.com seems OK with the supplies, while Game.co.uk is also covered; they even have an extraordinary offer, with 3 free games at only £424.99.
Read More :: www.efluxmedia.com
Game News :: Nintendo Wii Has Won A Battle. What About The War?
People have tried to foresee who will eventually win the video gaming consoles’ war since Microsoft’s Xbox 360 was just an idea, Sony did not know when its BluRay unit was to be released and Nintendo’s Wii was also just a project in the company’s engineers’ minds.
However, the first important hit came from Microsoft, which was able to release its video gaming console months before its rivals. Back in November 2005 the company was launching Xbox 360 with much ado. And thanks to its rivals’ technical problems in quickly developing their projects, Xbox 360 remained the unique next-gen console on the market for about a year.
But in November 2006, after postponing the event for few times, Sony did eventually launch its long-waited for PlayStation 3, almost at the same as Nintendo released Wii.
And now, just nine month later, Nintendo’s Wii rules the video gaming consoles’ world. Just from the first month of release, Nintendo’s “tiny” console succeeded in selling constantly some hundreds of thousands units every month. It has usually got ahead of PS3 and Xbox360’s sales put together.
NPD Group’s every month long-waited for estimations have always indicated that Nintendo’s Wii rules over its rivals, which are however superior from the technological point of view.
Next week, according to VGChartz’ estimations (http://www.vgchartz.com/news/), Nintendo’s Wii will surpass Microsoft’s number of sold units.
The two companies have both succeeded in exceeding the threshold of 10 million sold video gaming consoles; but Nintendo has needed only 9 months to reach Microsoft’s performance.
On the other hand, although it represents the most powerful console on the market Sony’s PS3 hasn’t surpassed the number of 4.3 million sold units, which means a market share of only 16%.
Taking into account the numbers indicated by the companies themselves, VG Chartz’ estimations seem to be quite accurate.
In July, the Japanese maker of the gaming console Wii, Nintendo, said that in the April-June quarter it sold 3.43 million Wii machines worldwide, which means that the total number of the units sold is 9.27 million units. From these 3.81 million were sold in the Americas, 2.95 million in Japan and another 2.51 million in other territories. Also Microsoft confirmed it has pass the 10 million mark for its Xbox 360
But it is not accuracy that matters the most now. The question is in fact what Nintendo’s Wii’s secret is. Is it its highly competitive price comparing to the other gaming industry’s famous companies, its innovative controller feature, or its way of hooking even non-gaming audiences to become its customers? It’s obvious that Wii’s success is made out from all of these “ingredients”.
But, as the video gaming consoles’ war is not over yet, the next question arising is for how long Wii will be able to get through its rivals. As the new winter holiday season is coming, each of the companies is highly preparing its weapons.
Microsoft is to launch “Halo 3”, which is an emblematic game highly related to Xbox 360’s trademark. On the other hand, the company has appeared to eventually understand that superior technique is not everything; so Microsoft has already cut its console’s price and we shall probably see another price cut in November too.
For the moment, as Microsoft previously announced, the 20GB Xbox 360 pack will now cost $349.99, offering a wireless controller and a headset, while the Core Pack will retail for $279.99. The Black Elite Xbox 360 will have an estimated retail price (ERP) of $449.99, while the highly anticipated Halo 3-themed console, which will hit stores’ shelves in September, will be available for $399.99.
Sony, the third competitor on the market, hasn’t seemed either to surrender, although the company’s situation seems to be quite complicated.
Ever since the price of PS3 was announced, Sony has been heavily criticized for its decision to put a price tag of $600 on a gaming console. Sony argued that given the technical specifications, the price is right, but the last few months has demonstrated that the gamers had another opinion. Now, Sony is struggling to put PS3 back on track, but again the Japanese electronics maker doesn’t consider the price as a problem. Although Sony announced a price cut for US version of PS3, the company will not extend this policy to other territories.
But Sony is ready to unveil a lot of games during the next months as Sony’s CEO, Howard Stringer, has revealed some time ago during a meeting with share holders in Tokyo. Stringer vowed to have no less than 380 “software titles” for the PlayStation 3 by March 2008. Of the 380, 200 will be boxed, retail titles with the remaining 180 to be downloadable.
And as Leipzig’s Game Convention 2007 is ready to start next week, you can bet all of three rivals will have something new to announce.
But will Microsoft and Sony succeed to even represent a threat to Nintendo’s Wii? It’s obvious that this won’t happen till the end of 2007. Wii is still the most convenient video gaming console in price terms and thanks to some well-positioned game titles, Nintendo will keep on selling. Maybe, it won’t reach the same rhythm in sales, but its position on the market will obviously get consolidated.
This won’t mean, anyway, that Nintendo will be spared for the year to come. The company will need to come up with something new on the market, as the innovative controller and its low price will not be sufficient for facing the rivals’ attack.
Early 2008 will surely mean a new beginning in the video gaming consoles’ war. Will Nintendo succeed in remaining the leader or not? We shall just wait and see how the rival companies will keep on surprising us.
However, the first important hit came from Microsoft, which was able to release its video gaming console months before its rivals. Back in November 2005 the company was launching Xbox 360 with much ado. And thanks to its rivals’ technical problems in quickly developing their projects, Xbox 360 remained the unique next-gen console on the market for about a year.
But in November 2006, after postponing the event for few times, Sony did eventually launch its long-waited for PlayStation 3, almost at the same as Nintendo released Wii.
And now, just nine month later, Nintendo’s Wii rules the video gaming consoles’ world. Just from the first month of release, Nintendo’s “tiny” console succeeded in selling constantly some hundreds of thousands units every month. It has usually got ahead of PS3 and Xbox360’s sales put together.
NPD Group’s every month long-waited for estimations have always indicated that Nintendo’s Wii rules over its rivals, which are however superior from the technological point of view.
Next week, according to VGChartz’ estimations (http://www.vgchartz.com/news/), Nintendo’s Wii will surpass Microsoft’s number of sold units.
The two companies have both succeeded in exceeding the threshold of 10 million sold video gaming consoles; but Nintendo has needed only 9 months to reach Microsoft’s performance.
On the other hand, although it represents the most powerful console on the market Sony’s PS3 hasn’t surpassed the number of 4.3 million sold units, which means a market share of only 16%.
Taking into account the numbers indicated by the companies themselves, VG Chartz’ estimations seem to be quite accurate.
In July, the Japanese maker of the gaming console Wii, Nintendo, said that in the April-June quarter it sold 3.43 million Wii machines worldwide, which means that the total number of the units sold is 9.27 million units. From these 3.81 million were sold in the Americas, 2.95 million in Japan and another 2.51 million in other territories. Also Microsoft confirmed it has pass the 10 million mark for its Xbox 360
But it is not accuracy that matters the most now. The question is in fact what Nintendo’s Wii’s secret is. Is it its highly competitive price comparing to the other gaming industry’s famous companies, its innovative controller feature, or its way of hooking even non-gaming audiences to become its customers? It’s obvious that Wii’s success is made out from all of these “ingredients”.
But, as the video gaming consoles’ war is not over yet, the next question arising is for how long Wii will be able to get through its rivals. As the new winter holiday season is coming, each of the companies is highly preparing its weapons.
Microsoft is to launch “Halo 3”, which is an emblematic game highly related to Xbox 360’s trademark. On the other hand, the company has appeared to eventually understand that superior technique is not everything; so Microsoft has already cut its console’s price and we shall probably see another price cut in November too.
For the moment, as Microsoft previously announced, the 20GB Xbox 360 pack will now cost $349.99, offering a wireless controller and a headset, while the Core Pack will retail for $279.99. The Black Elite Xbox 360 will have an estimated retail price (ERP) of $449.99, while the highly anticipated Halo 3-themed console, which will hit stores’ shelves in September, will be available for $399.99.
Sony, the third competitor on the market, hasn’t seemed either to surrender, although the company’s situation seems to be quite complicated.
Ever since the price of PS3 was announced, Sony has been heavily criticized for its decision to put a price tag of $600 on a gaming console. Sony argued that given the technical specifications, the price is right, but the last few months has demonstrated that the gamers had another opinion. Now, Sony is struggling to put PS3 back on track, but again the Japanese electronics maker doesn’t consider the price as a problem. Although Sony announced a price cut for US version of PS3, the company will not extend this policy to other territories.
But Sony is ready to unveil a lot of games during the next months as Sony’s CEO, Howard Stringer, has revealed some time ago during a meeting with share holders in Tokyo. Stringer vowed to have no less than 380 “software titles” for the PlayStation 3 by March 2008. Of the 380, 200 will be boxed, retail titles with the remaining 180 to be downloadable.
And as Leipzig’s Game Convention 2007 is ready to start next week, you can bet all of three rivals will have something new to announce.
But will Microsoft and Sony succeed to even represent a threat to Nintendo’s Wii? It’s obvious that this won’t happen till the end of 2007. Wii is still the most convenient video gaming console in price terms and thanks to some well-positioned game titles, Nintendo will keep on selling. Maybe, it won’t reach the same rhythm in sales, but its position on the market will obviously get consolidated.
This won’t mean, anyway, that Nintendo will be spared for the year to come. The company will need to come up with something new on the market, as the innovative controller and its low price will not be sufficient for facing the rivals’ attack.
Early 2008 will surely mean a new beginning in the video gaming consoles’ war. Will Nintendo succeed in remaining the leader or not? We shall just wait and see how the rival companies will keep on surprising us.
Read More :: www.efluxmedia.com
Game Review :: Mega Man Star Force: Dragon (DS)
Mega Man Star Force: Dragon (DS) In Mega Man Star Force, players explore towns and interact with people in the real world while the action-packed battles take place in the virtual "Wave World." Enemy encounters take place on a three by five grid in a 3D perspective, where players use a portfolio of Battle Cards that each have distinct attributes and attack powers. As the story progresses, players will acquire additional cards to build an arsenal that reflects their personal strategy. Players can also connect wirelessly via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection with friends to create a Brother Band network, where they can share cards and get status upgrades.
Release:08/07/2007
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