Um, what?

US video game angers Chavez allies

1 hour, 18 minutes ago

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan lawmakers are complaining that a video game to be marketed by a U.S. company next year provides a blueprint for violently overthrowing President Hugo Chavez.

The game, "Mercenaries 2: World in Flames," simulates a military invasion of the oil-rich South American nation and will be released by Pandemic Studios of Los Angeles.

"A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a war zone," Pandemic says of the game on its Web site.

Venezuelan lawmakers who back Chavez called it the latest example of a U.S. government-inspired propaganda campaign against Chavez that could even help lay the psychological groundwork for an actual invasion.

"This could be a point of departure," lawmaker Luis Tascon said on Thursday. "The United States has an impressive media machine. In that machinery the gringos are always the heroes and their adversaries are always the villains."

An executive at Pandemic said the video game would be released in 2007 but declined to comment on its content. A public relations firm representing the company did not return calls for comment.

Chavez has been locked in a war of words with Washington as he pushes his leftist agenda in Latin America, with the United States charging that the self-proclaimed revolutionary is trying to destabilize the region.

Wii shall not pass...$250.

Posted: 14:06 on 25 May 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Following the release of its financial results, Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii console won't be priced higher than $250 (£134) in North America, and although a similar ceiling for Europe hasn't announced the company has stated that will be similiarly affordable.

In the statement, the company also confirmed earlier reports that it expects up to 6 million Wii units to be sold between its fourth quarter 2006 launch date and the end of March 2007, with around 17 million copies of Wii games sold in the same period.

Continuing the teasing strategy of old, Nintendo concluded the statement by revealing that launch dates, finalised prices, and further details on the Virtual Console, will also be announced shortly.

The price ceiling is $49 less than the Xbox 360 Core System in the US, and a massive $249 cheaper than the basic PlayStation3 model, though these figures could increase by the time the final price is unveiled.  

PC hits 1.4 billion

Wed May 24, 6:12 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. spending on video games for personal computers hit $1.4 billion in 2005, according to an estimate released by market research firm NPD Group on Wednesday.

Online subscriptions to PC games and gaming Web sites accounted for about $344 million of those annual sales, said

NPD.

Faster Internet connections are making it easier for consumers to play games online and to download game content that had once only been available in stores, said NPD, which last year began tracking online subscriptions.

Subscriptions to play specific online titles -- such as "World of Warcraft" from Blizzard Entertainment and Vivendi Games (VIV.PA) -- reached roughly $292 million in 2005, with about 1.4 million paid subscribers.

Casual gaming sites, such as Electronic Arts Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ERTS - news) Pogo.com or RealOne Arcade from RealNetworks Inc. (Nasdaq:RNWK - news), had sales of around $52 million in 2005 and had 1.05 million paid subscribers. Such sites often include puzzle games that can be played in a 15-minute coffee break.

Major U.S. game publishers such as EA and Activision Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI - news) expect downloads to grow into a substantial business, although that part of the industry is just starting out.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier said digital downloads appeared to have contributed about 3 percent of total PC market sales in 2005, which would amount to about $42 million.

Rumor section!

No used games?

[PS3] Sony makes moves to stamp out lucrative second-hand market

Words: Matt Cundy

Wednesday 24 May 2006

High street games shops have been told by Sony that there will be no PS3 pre-owned sections in their stores as it will be illegal for customers to sell any next-gen PlayStation games that they've bought, retail sources have revealed to GamesRadar.

It seems that Sony is planning to adopt a licensing system that will mean gamers won't own the PS3 titles that they've paid money for. Instead, they will only be purchasing the licence to play the game and that the software itself will still be Sony property - meaning that the disc won't be the customer's to sell.

We assume that the thinking behind this move will ultimately be to stop PS3 games being resold several times - which currently snatches potential sales away from Sony - and to counter the impression in consumers' minds that games are only really worth their pre-owned price and are not worth buying new.

When we contacted Sony, it issued us with the following statement: "We have made all of the official announcements at E3 and cannot make any further comments at this time. We will be announcing more news running up to PlayStation 3's launch."

Rumor control.

What I've been playing:

Ouch. My freaking head.

Anime News:

Convention Corner:

MetroCon!

Odd Sony press conference song

Online comes home to consoles

 By Lisa Baertlein Wed May 17, 7:58 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The console video game market is entering an online era that could take the $30 billion global industry to a new level, and giant software company Microsoft Corp. is leading the charge.

Microsoft's Xbox Live online service has already given gamers a taste of the future by letting them compete and chat with far-flung friends, download games and other content, adopt virtual identities and build communities of fellow gamers.

But the changes are not limited to play.

Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Co. Ltd's Wii promise to give video game makers -- which can pay as much as $25 million to develop a new game -- new ways to make money through online services.

"An online revolution is happening ... It's an important piece of the economic puzzle going forward," said Gartner research vice president Van Baker.

Sony and Nintendo will launch their new online services later this year. Like Xbox Live, those rivals will allow game makers to sell games directly to users already familiar with buying and downloading music and video from the Internet.

Dynamic in-game advertising, made possible by high-speed Internet connections, is also expected to drive revenue by giving marketers a way to reach young male consumers who have moved away from network television and other mainstream media.

Microsoft grabbed the pole position in in-game advertising with its recent acquisition of Massive Inc., the leader in a market that is expected to reach $3 billion-plus by 2010. Console and video game makers agree that the potential is enormous, but executives at Sony and game maker Electronic Arts Inc. expect advertising to have a slower ramp-up.

At its press conference leading in to this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Microsoft took its online strategy a step further. Chairman and co-founder

Bill Gates pitched the company's "Live Anywhere" gaming strategy -- which promises to link video game consoles, cell phones and personal computers to an online network.

EA, the world's biggest video game publisher, is making big investments to prepare for the coming transformation. Frank Gibeau, EA's executive vice president of North American publishing, said that move is based in part on the thought that online-connected consoles will alter the business.

EA, which is experimenting with download pricing, has said its digital download sales were a relatively small $10 million. But those sales are quickly becoming a meaningful contributor to EA's PC gaming business, said Gibeau.

Gibeau expects that around 40 percent of people who buy the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii will tap the consoles' online services.

Microsoft has 3 million paying Xbox Live subscribers and aims to have 6 million by next year's E3. When you consider that analysts expect next-generation console units to hit around 150 million in this product cycle, it's easy to understand why the ranks of console-connected online gamers could explode.

Nintendo has promised that its online offerings will include a library of downloadable titles from its earlier consoles as well as popular games from the Sega Genesis. Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. is now a software company; Genesis was one of its game consoles.

Sony, which grabbed nearly 70 percent of the console market with the

PlayStation 2, says its online service will be a strong competitor to Xbox Live when it launches in November.

"We will be there," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive of Sony Entertainment America, who added that the company is forging content deals with a variety of providers.

Analysts and industry players expect PS3 and Wii owners to fortify the online assault started by Xbox 360 players.

"I think it's going to have a significant impact on the business," Gibeau said.

Microsoft:

E3 2006: Microsoft Media Briefing Recap

It's hard to match the hype generated by discussing yet to be released consoles, but Microsoft managed to do quite well at its media briefing today, showcasing an impressive array of titles for Xbox 360 and Games for Windows, as well as making some key announcements. Details await...

It was an interesting press conference for Microsoft. While Sony and Nintendo are busy focusing on the promises of their upcoming next-gen consoles, Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been on the market since November of last year. With that in mind, the company outlined what it has in store for 360 as well as one of the software giant's original platforms, Windows.

There were several significant announcements made during the show. Perhaps most important was the one made by Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates, who made a surprise first-ever E3 appearance towards the end of the briefing. Gates said that he's confident that Xbox 360 will have achieved a 10 million unit head start over the PS3 by the time Sony's console launches. In the past, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer had said that whichever company gets to 10 million first will win the race. Time will tell if that proves true.

Also of importance was the unveiling of a new initiative called "Live Anywhere." As you might have guessed, Microsoft is attempting to bring Xbox Live features to other platforms, thereby providing a more unified gaming experience. Through Live Anywhere, Windows users and mobile users will be able to take advantage of the Live interface. As described by MS, "the initiative puts gamers at the center of a ubiquitous always-on world where their digital identities, games, friends and digital entertainment are always accessible through the familiar Xbox Live interface, regardless of location or device. The plan also clears the way for groundbreaking cross-platform gameplay scenarios, with participants using Windows-based PCs, mobile phones and Xbox 360 consoles to play together simultaneously."

"By opening the Xbox Live entertainment network to the entire universe of Windows and mobile gamers, we're creating unparalleled gameplay opportunities that will drive incredible growth of the online community," commented Gates. "Our vision is to deliver consistent, compelling experiences that make it easy for consumers to jump in and play, from any device at any time. It's a vision that only Microsoft can deliver."

Microsoft also discussed its renewed commitment for Games for Windows as a platform deserving of equal treatment, and they unveiled a new logo and retail initiative to put PC gaming back on the map. We spoke in depth about this Games for Windows push with Kevin Unangst, director of Global Marketing, Games for Windows—you can read that here.

Fueled by the launch of Windows Vista in January 2007, which will include the exclusive debut of DirectX 10, Games for Windows will see much more in the way of cross platform releases on both Xbox 360 and Windows. The first such game to release on both systems is the rebirth of the RPG Shadowrun from FASA Studio. Set to launch alongside Vista, the game is a "multiplayer, FPS that propels team-based combat into a new dimension with a revolutionary blend of modern weaponry and ancient magic."

"We're incredibly excited to combine the best online innovations from Xbox Live with the platform innovations for which Windows is known," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "Windows gamers have a lot to look forward to: Xbox Live experiences, revolutionary DirectX 10 technologies in Windows Vista and some of the best games in the world -- all on Windows."

Other anticipated Games for Windows titles include Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Crysis (which was demoed by Chris Donahue, Group Manager for Windows Graphics and Gaming Technologies), Alan Wake a psychological action thriller from Remedy Entertainment, Flight Simulator X and more.

On the Xbox 360 side, Microsoft showcased an impressive array of forthcoming titles. The press conference actually began with Epic Games' CliffyB taking the stage to demo yet another amazing level of Gears of War—the game has been hyped to death, but from what we've witnessed it certainly seems like it's living up to the hype. Other noteworthy titles that were showcased either in trailer or demo form included Forza Motorsport 2, Fable 2, Viva Piñata, Too Human, Mass Effect, Splinter Cell Double Agent, Blue Dragon, Ninety-Nine Nights, Lost Planet, Crackdown, Saint's Row, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog among others. And as expected, MS concluded the media briefing with a teaser trailer for Halo 3, which had a vague release date of "2007."

Peter Moore, reminding people of his Halo 2 tattoo, then revealed a tattoo on his other arm of Grand Theft Auto IV. That's right, Rockstar's next GTA is coming to 360 on October 16, 2007. It's not exclusive, however, and will also be released on PS3.

Xbox Live Arcade was also shown some love, as MS announced games from more publishers, including Namco, Konami, Midway, and Sega, which Moore introduced proudly. The most interesting announcement on this front, however, was Lumines Live! from Q Entertainment. The popular puzzle/music game is being transformed for Live Arcade and will offer "frenetic puzzle action married with video, music and themes from today's hottest pop culture icons." The game will feature full multiplayer play over Xbox Live, a Duel mode and more.

Finally, on the accessories front MS is preparing to release several items this holiday, including a new Xbox 360 Wireless Wheel for games like the upcoming Forza Motorsport 2, a Wireless Headset, an Xbox Live Vision video camera, a 256MB memory unit, and the previously announced external HD DVD Player, which will come packed with the Universal Media Remote. Unfortunately, MS did not put a price on the HD DVD drive, but rumors have suggested it could be as low as $100 to $200, whereas the new Toshiba HD DVD players are going for $500 or more currently.

Bottom Line:

MS hyped up the fact that Namco, Midway and a host of others are giving Live Arcade many old and new games available for download. Contra, for example, can be played on-line in co-op. MS assured us the famous code still works.:) "Live Anywhere" is a bridge between Windows, the 360 and cell phones for Live on the go. We'll see if that pans out. Although they signed Lumines for Live Arcade, previously a Sony exclusive. Also, GTA 4 will be on 360 simultaneously with the PS3, but with new, fresh and exclusive episodic content delivered to the 360 through Live. A huge bonus for MS. They announced the HD-DVD add on with no price announcement. Also, who wants to buy a whole new 360? That's the rumor, and it's not a great idea.

Forza Motorsport 2, Fable 2, Viva Piñata, Too Human, Mass Effect, Splinter Cell Double Agent, Blue Dragon, Ninety-Nine Nights, Lost Planet, Crackdown, Saint's Row, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog among others Shadowrun and Halo 3 were shown as well. Great showing for MS, even with the threat of the PS3 looming overhead.

More Metal Gear Solid Movie news

 By Kiyoshi Takenaka Fri May 12, 9:56 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Japanese video game maker Konami Corp. (9766.T) said on Friday it is looking into the possibility of striking a motion picture deal based on its blockbuster fighting game series "Metal Gear Solid."

The comment comes after "Silent Hill," a horror film based on another Konami video game series, replaced comedy spoof "Scary Movie 4" as the top choice for North American moviegoers in late April.

"We are considering it," Kazumi Kitaue, the head of Konami's North American and European operations, said in an interview with Reuters at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), an annual video game industry trade show.

Who plays Solid Snake?

Anime News:

Naruto

posted on 2006-05-18 09:49:45

Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 for Nintendo GameCube will be released in September, and Naruto: Ninja Council 2 for Game Boy Advance will be released Fall 2006, according to the latest Shonen Jump newsletter. A trailer for the GameCube game is available on Naruto.com.

Anime Explosion tonight!!

E3!!!!

From Nintendo:

E3 2006: Nintendo Media Briefing Recap

Just like the first time you played Mario 64, with the Wii Nintendo wants you to feel the experience. With motion sensing in the main Wii Remote, the Nunchuk controller and an additional speaker in the Remote, you'll be immersed in games like never before. Still no price and date, though.

Nintendo's press conference was arguably the most entertaining and engaging of the big three. In typical Nintendo fashion, the company introduced a new theme, "Playing = Believing." The media briefing itself began with the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto appearing on stage (to huge applause, naturally) with Wii controller in hand. He proceeded to conduct a virtual orchestra as it played the theme to Legend of Zelda.

Conducting music is but one of many gameplay possibilities the Wii will offer. Nintendo demonstrated a number of titles including a Wii Sports compilation which features baseball, tennis and golf, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, Excite Truck, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Red Steel, among others.

What really stole the show, however, was a live demo of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which Nintendo revealed would be made available in two versions on Wii's launch day. The GameCube version will play as a typical Zelda GameCube title, while the Wii version will make use of the Wii controller for added functionality such as sword slashes, pointing and shooting arrows or a grappling hook, fishing, and more. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, proclaimed that Twilight Princess is the best Zelda game ever made.

Nintendo also revealed its final two secrets, although exact price and date information is being saved for another time. Secret #1 is that the Wii controller will include a speaker emitting occasional sounds to add to the immersion factor through positional audio. For example, if Link shoots an arrow you can hear the pulling back of the bow and subsequent release as it snaps, and then the sound will move to your TV/sound system speakers when the arrow makes contact. Secret #2, as some in the industry had guessed, was revealed to be motion sensing technology in the nunchuk attachment as well. With a sensor in both the main Wii Remote and the nunchuk controller all sorts of possibilities are opened up to developers. Just a few examples include the use of a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, or a clamp and a scalpel, or a pair of boxing gloves.

"The Wii console gives every game developer a tool to create new experiences, not just linear advancement," said Fils-Aime. "It will attract all kinds of new players, and thoroughly satisfy the hard-core gamers."

"Not only is Wii compelling to current game players, but it also will entice new players with new experiences," added Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. "To expand the total number of game players, we must make our experience both friendlier and more compelling. With Wii, it is."

Nintendo also briefly touched upon what they're calling WiiConnect24, which represents the Wii console's low power consumption (as low as a miniature light bulb) and "sleepless" feature. Users never need to turn it off and therefore content downloads can take place even when you're not using the console. The Wii will also be able to start up very quickly and enable players to get into their games without delay.

Reggie also revealed that 27 different Wii titles would be shown off on the E3 show floor, and while not indicative of the system's launch lineup it's a good sign that such a wide variety of software is already in the works. GameDaily editors will be bringing you hands-on impressions of these Wii games.

While Wii was no doubt the highlight of the briefing, Nintendo also took the opportunity to trump the success of their Nintendo DS handheld. The system has sold a whopping 16 million units to date, and by the end of this year over 100 new titles will join an already formidable library. George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, introduced the term "Touch Generations," which represents Nintendo's more unique DS offerings, such as Brain Age. "We remain committed to going where others can't - or won't," said Harrison. "By grouping our innovative DS games together under the umbrella term 'Touch Generations,' new players will easily be able to identify games designed for them."

In addition to the already announced New Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo introduced more promising DS titles including a new Star Fox, Pokemon, DK King of Swing, Diddy Kong Racing, Elite Beat Agents, Yoshi's Island 2 and more. As was previously announced, the DS Lite hits the U.S. on June 11 for the price of $129.99.

by James Brightman

Sony:

Sony Press Conference Re-cap

Written by Adam Woolcott on May 08, 2006

As with the recent times at E3, much of the big information makes itself known before the show even starts, at the press-only conferences that are hosted by many game publishers and most importantly, the three major hardware manufacturers, who lie their cards on the table with no fear. E3 2006 is shaping up to be no different, if Sony's mammoth conference is any indication. As always, Sony pulled out all the stops at the briefing, and very well could be the talk of the entire show again like last year...though this time it might not be quite as well-received. Making up for a nearly 1 hour delay from the original 4PM pacific start, Sony's show was huge and notable, and whether you're a PS2 or PSP owner, or a future PS3 user, there was something for everyone.

Naturally, Sony Computer Entertainment America head Kaz Hirai spent much of his time anchoring Sony's forthcoming monster, the PlayStation 3. Right at the outset he confirmed that the PS3 was set to ship worldwide in November of 2006, and would come with a detachable hard drive standard, the latter of which was up in the air following Ken Kutaragi's comments at the March briefing in Tokyo about the HDD. Hirai mentioned the system would indeed be playable on the show floor, putting an end to that issue. Kaz then spent some time explaining what they still tentatively called the PlayStation Network Platform, best described as a clone of what Microsoft has done with Xbox Live. He emphasized that all of this would be free and that the money would be generated from microtransactions which have proven popular on Xbox Live Marketplace. Seeing that this was said some 2 years ago when initial PS3 discussion began, hearing this wasn't much of a surprise. To demonstrate, Kaz brought out Sony Worldwide Studios head Phil Harrison (the tallest gaming personality in the world), who used Europe's mega-popular SingStar game to show how you'd log into PNP and purchase new songs to use.

What was a surprise took place at the end of the show. Everyone's favorite crazy genius, Ken Kutaragi, came out to mention the issue of control. Last year of course, Sony displayed PS3, with a strange and goofy controller that looked like a boomerang or a banana. And though anyone who was paying attention could see it already, he showed off the 'new' PS3 controller, which was the same as the old PS1/PS2 dual shock, with a fancy button in the middle that probably function like the Xbox 360 guide. Kutaragi-san then brought out Harrison again to demonstrate something new. Again showing Sony's penchant for 'innovation', the final new feature of the PS3 is the use of the controller for in-game motion, and they demonstrated Warhawk with the feature, using the 6 degrees of motion to move around the aircraft and land it on an airstrip, while also playing the game traditionally with the face buttons. All this is built into the console without any need to use added hardware. Somewhere Nintendo is laughing and perhaps cringing too.

While it's perhaps not really a surprise to see Sony 'borrow' things and make them their own (and rumors about Sony doing this have been around for a while now), they did surprise almost everyone by announcing the price of PS3 as the final bit of info before the show finished. In short, American gamers can hop down to their local game store and buy a PS3 in November...but pack lots of cash. Clearly not learning from the silliness of Microsoft's two system setup (after Harrison himself flatly said they wouldn't follow that path), Sony will release 2 different packages. One will feature a 20GB hard drive and retail for a tidy $499.99. Meanwhile, the original 60GB drive mentioned in March still exists – but prepare to pay a whopping $599.99 for that configuration. A hundred bucks more for an extra 40GB seems a bit...much but it is better than the 20GB drive Microsoft sells for the same price. Either way, PlayStation 3 is going to cost a whole lot of cash come November 17th. I know I just felt my bank account collapse, and we don't even know if Sony will charge premium game prices to go with the premium cost of the console. At least Sony announced there will be 2 million consoles ready for the worldwide launch...better than the paltry 1 million.

[AM edit: It seems the price has less to do with the hard drive and more with features. The cheaper PS3 will lack built-in Wi-Fi (something that is $100 on 360 and could have been used to Sony's advantage), no memory card slots for Compact Flash, SD, or Memory Stick, and no HDMI input for true 1080p high-definition. Suddenly we're way beyond just removing the HDD like the Xbox 360 and into the realm of a true, real 'tard pack here. Sigh.]

Between all this madness were the important thing, games. And if Sony is going to charge so much cash, it needs to back it up with software, which they did show plenty of in both playable and video form. First off was Gran Turismo HD, which was a cleaned up version of Gran Turismo 4 but shown off in 1080p. It was quickly dubbed a work in progress, and hopefully so, as the game looked more PS2 than PS3. Sony's EyeToy was on display with the new card-based game Eye of Judgement, that used your hand movements to fiddle with the cards on the screen. In usual fashion, a rubber ducky ended up being a terrorizing force on the board, kicking ass and taking names. Moving along, there were demonstrations of Genji 2, Heavenly Sword, and Resistance: Fall of Man. While Genji 2 was somewhat underwhelming, both Heavenly Sword and Resistance were slick titles, showing off the intense action that both promise. On display were also non-playable videos, featuring Lair, The Getaway, a new Hot Shots Golf, an original title called Afrika (which made very little sense), and a new Naughty Dog title that could be Tomb Raider if Lara Croft was a guy but wasn't given a name during the video.

Things then turned over to 3rd parties, starting with a video montage of many of the PS3 games known. Assassin's Creed, Tekken 6, Ridge Racer 7, and Fatal Inertia were some of the more notable games. From there we got some real goodies. The hyped trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was displayed, full of weirdness and sadness, ending with a shot of Snake holding a gun...in his mouth. Sadly the trailer didn't have the same sort of impact that, say, Metal Gear Solid 2 did for the PS2 all those years ago. Finally we saw a double trailer for Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which is a direct sequel to FFXIII. That's right, a sequel to a game that hasn't even come out yet. Both take place in highly futuristic, science fiction worlds, a vast departure from what we've come to expect from the franchise. While FFXIII is a standard FF game in design, FF vs. XIII is a Kingdom Hearts-esque action game. It was all so confusing, but yet intriguing all the same.

Though PS3 dominated the show, some PS2 and PSP info trickled out. On the PS2 front, Kaz emphasized that PS2 was going to be around for quite a while, as demonstrated by forthcoming games like God of War 2, Final Fantasy XII, and Guitar Hero 2, and the E3 floor would have over 200 games for the console. Which might be a good idea due to the whole PS3 price issue; many people won't be owning one for quite some time. The PSP on the other hand is just growing, with well over 100 games for the system coming down the line. In addition, Sony is finally starting their Greatest Hits program for the portable, with 5 titles going for $20 – Hot Shots Golf, Wipeout Pure, Twisted Metal, Ape Escape, and ATV Offroad fury. To be eligible a game must sell 250k copies and be out 9 months. Finally, Sony began to show off the PSP download system for emulating PS1 games; something that seems to work with PS3 without too much info as to whether it'll work without owning one. It's possible you'll have to 'beam' a game to the PSP unless you have a memory stick large enough to hold a file. Hirai took the time to show off one game for the service; naturally it was Ridge Racer, widely known as the very first big PlayStation must own way back in 1995. By default it was shown in 4:3, but you can stretch it to fill up the wide screen of the system.

WARNING:  Extreme Opinion to Follow!!!  Just My Opinion, Gary Holmes

Bottom Line:

Nintendo won over crowds with the announcment of TWO Zeldas, one for the GC and one for the Wii. An actual on-line plan similar to Wi-Fi on the DS, New Super Mario (like I predicted) in Super Mario Galaxy and more. Nintendo allayed fears of their leaving the industry behind in telling us that their hardware specs to date have been innacurate and the games showed this. Many people were scratching their heads as to why the games looked so rough for third parties whilst Nintendo's first party games looked so good. Nintendo later told everyone that the hardware isn't done and that the games shown were on mock up hardware. Being Nintendo, they'd of course have the latest build, explaining the discrepancy.

Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, Super Mario Galaxy, Excite Truck, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Red Steel, among others were shown. Also, they announced Super Smash Brothers Brawl including Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, with on-line play! However, no pricing plan or date has been given, and the on-line looks to work on the friend code that the DS does, whoch is angering some fans. All in all, Nintendo has done a great job in getting people ready to be hyped for the Wii, as awkward as it is to verbally relay.:) On a personal note, I'm more enthused for Nintendo than I have been in years.

Sony...oh boy. First off, they cast off the boomerang controller for the DS2 modified with a button that resembles the 360 guide button, and they removed the rumble pack in lieu of "6 degrees of freedom." It's an axis control, like has been found in PC controllers like the sidewinder, except with (I'm guessing) better responce and more freedom of movement. The price? $500 for the basic and $600 for the premium. That's where the comparison to the two 360 SKUs ends. The basic model has NO HDMI port for full fledged Blu-Ray playback at 1080P (like Sony promised was the REAL High Def), no card ports for SD, Compact Flash or even Sony's Memory Stick and no built in Wi-Fi. Take into account that the dual HDMI ports for the premium seem to be scrapped as well and this isn't looking good. In the XBOX 360s case, you could always (at a price) upgrade to the full premium at anytime. With the basic PS3, you cannot. All you can do is buy another PS3 at $600, which gamers are sounding off on all over the 'net. But, they both come with a removable HDD, so that's good news.

The games seemed a lot less flashy than last year's event and in the case of the missing Killzone, no game came near last year's render. Assassin's Creed, Tekken 6, Ridge Racer 7, and Fatal Inertia all looked good, but nothing far and above current and future 360 games and in some cases, worse.

With the controller and the backpeddling, it seems the theme "welcome Change" is a misnomer.

I can't stress enough how much you need to see this all and read it for yourself. I was massively disapponted in Sony, entertained and enthusiastic about Microsoft and flat out flabbergasted by Nintendo this year. I'll still make fun of the name, but I'll be in line to get my hands on a Wii...

Some vids from E3:

Halo 3

MGS4

Mario Galaxy

Zelda Wii

Just go raid the whole site.:)

Interesting news:

MGS4 on 360?

New Resident Evil for Wii!

Red Octane, the Bemani games maker and peripheral designer, bought by Activision.

Alone in the Dark for PS3.

Demo for Wii shows off ease of control.

What I've been playing:

Oblivion

Lots of E3 demos like Lost Planet and Test Drive Unlimited!! Whoo-hoo!

Oblivion gets Mature

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" video game will not be recalled, but will be relabeled to reflect a stricter "mature" industry rating, Bethesda Softworks, the game's developer and co-publisher said in a statement on Thursday.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) on Wednesday revoked its "teen" rating on the title. It cited excessive gore and an art file in the game's PC version that can be modified with a third-party download that lets players change file settings to make the female characters appear topless.

"Teen" rated games are deemed suitable for players ages 13 and up, while content in "mature" games may be suitable for those aged 17 and older.

Bethesda handled the game's ratings application and said it will work with co-publisher 2K Games, a Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (Nasdaq:TTWO - news) publishing label, to put new "mature" rating stickers on "Oblivion" packaging now in stores and warehouses. The rating change will be reflected in the packaging of the new games.

Bethesda stood behind its application, but said it would not contest the ESRB's decision to re-rate the game nor change the game's content to keep a "teen" rating.

Sopranos makes gaming more about family time

By Mike Snider, USA TODAY Thu May 4, 7:00 AM ET

Gamers can stay connected with The Sopranos this fall with a video-game version of HBO's crime family.

This Sopranos features the likenesses and voices of stars James Gandolfini (Tony), Michael Imperioli (Christopher), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio) and Tony Sirico (Paulie). "The key thing was (series creator) David Chase's interest in ... the ability to participate in an evolving art form," says Carmi Zlotnik, executive vice president of new media programming at HBO.

Due in October, the game (from THQ, for the Microsoft Xbox 360) is timed to fill the gap in new episodes on HBO. The current sequence ends June 4; episodes are expected to resume in January.

DS Lite gets US Date

Posted: 14:42 on 04 May 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Nintendo has today confirmed a release date of June 11th 2006 for the launch of Nintendo DS Lite, the latest version of the company's next-gen handheld, in North America. Priced at $129 (£70), the device, which is a third smaller and a fifth lighter than the original DS, will also include a number of further design changes with the built-in mic re-situated to the centre and the Start/Select buttons also moved to a better position.

In addition, four brightness levels will be available, together with a stylus 1cm longer and 1mm wider than before.

The release of the new version will come less than a month after the launch of New Super Mario Bros, the first original 2D Super Mario title since Super Mario World on the SNES back in the early-1990s.

"DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. represent a double shot of gaming excellence," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "We've got something for both lovers of

beautiful, new gadgets and fans of old-school gaming."

E3 Line ups

EA:

The list of titles from Electronic Arts includes:

* Madden NFL 07

* NASCAR 07

* Army of Two

* Battlefield 2142

* SPORE

* Crysis

* Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

* The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-Earth II

* Superman Returns: The Videogame

* Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover

THQ:

* Saints Row

* Frontlines: Fuel of War

* WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

* The Sopranos

* MotoGP '06

* GTR

* Supreme Commander

* Company of Heroes

* Titan Quest

* Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War - Dark Crusade

* Disney/Pixar Cars

* Destroy All Humans! 2

* SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab

* Monster House

* Bratz: Forever Diamondz

* Barnyard

* Avatar: The Last Airbender

* Juiced: Eliminator

* Alex Rider: Stormbreaker

Midway:

* John Woo Presents Stranglehold

* Unreal Tournament 2007

* Blitz: The League

*Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

* Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run

* The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

* Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War

* Happy Feet

* The Ant Bully

* The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

* MLB SlugFest 2006

* RUSH

* Mortal Kombat: Unchained

* NBA Ballers: Rebound

Ubi-Soft:

* Assassin's Creed

* Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway

* Dark Messiah of Might & Magic

* Enchanted Arms

* Open Season

* Rayman Raving Rabbids

* Red Steel

* Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent

* Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

E3 Predictions:

Halo 3...playable.

Sony announces Price Point for PS3. It's expensive.

Nintendo shocks the world with a fully interactive Mario demonstration of all the the Wii's capabilities.

Nintendo Wii jokes:

"Hey can you take a look at my Wii? It's not working right."

"Wanna come over after practice and play with my Wii?"

"What color is your Wii?"

"Hey not so rough with my Wii, you'll break it!"

What I've Been Playing:

Oblivion

DOA4

Burnout: Revenge

XBOX Live Arcade

Anime News:

MGS movie?

posted on 2006-05-04 09:14:30

source: Anime Nation

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima revealed in his Hide-chan Radio podcast that Konami plans to produce an American Metal Gear Solid movie. No further details are available.

Domo-Kun

posted on 2006-05-04 08:53:55

source: ICv2

Nickelodeon has signed deals with Domo Production Committee and Polygon Pictures to co-develop Domo-Kun and Akihabara@Deep. The former will be a series of 26 two-minute episodes, and the latter will be a full series. This is Nickelodeon's first venture into broadcasting anime, whether through licensing or production.

Con Corner:

JaCon wrap up.

I liked it.