Gary's Blog

Just a place to find out what's on my mind, or what's occupying my time whilst I avoid actual "work."

 

VGN for March 24rd, 2006

Video Game News:

Nintendo plus Sega equals Revolution FTW?

Thu Mar 23, 5:33 PM ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Nintendo Co. announced a partnership with former rivals

Thursday intended to boost the library of downloadable classic video games

for the company's upcoming Revolution console.

The agreement covers some of the more than 1,000 games made by Sega and

Hudson Soft for the now-defunct Sega Genesis console and the TurboGrafx 16

system, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said.

The Revolution's planned "Virtual Console" download service was already

expected to also play older Nintendo-made games like "Mario Bros" and

"Zelda."

"No one else can match the environment we're creating for expanding the

game experience to everyone," said Iwata, speaking at the Game Developer's

Conference in San Jose. "Our path is not linear, but dynamic."

Online games revisited.

By MAY WONG, AP Technology Writer Thu Mar 23, 1:47 PM ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Walk into any store that sells or rents video games, and

chances are you'll find only a few shelves, if any, for personal computer

games amid the aisles dominated by console software.

The PC still has a solid future as a gaming machine given the rising

popularity of games played online — for both casual games like "Tetris" and

intricate multiplayer games like "World of Warcraft." But the way in which

people get their games is getting a makeover as game makers experiment with

online distribution as an alternative to boxed CD-ROMs.

Some companies are even betting that PC gaming is on the cusp of a download

revolution, much like its entertainment counterparts in music and video.

"It's just another evolution of retail commerce of what in the end is a

digital product," said Jamie Berger, general manager at IGN Entertainment.

As you heard first on VGN for months...

 

Sony On-Line plans revealed?

By Lisa Baertlein
Thu Mar 23, 8:57 AM ET
 

SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s top video

game studio executive said on Wednesday that a new online service debuting

with its PlayStation 3 console in early November will open up a world of

new content for gamers as well as new revenue opportunities for the

company.

The service, which lets users buy games and communicate and compete with

other players via the Web, again puts the company in head-to-head

competition with Microsoft Corp.

Sony, one of the world's leading technology manufacturers and entertainment

companies, aims to retain dominance over the roughly $30 billion global

video game market with the PS3.

Rival Microsoft introduced its next-generation Xbox 360 game console

last November. The company's Xbox Live subscription service, which offers

game downloads and online play, has been a hit on the new machine and Sony

had been widely expected to offer a similar service.

The basic level of Sony's online service, known internally as PlayStation

Network Platform, will be free, Phil Harrison, president of worldwide

studios for Sony Computer Entertainment, said at the Game Developers

Conference in San Jose.

Users will pay for subscriptions to game services and premium content, he

told Reuters in an interview.

 

XBOX handheld?

We've had the unveiling of the UMPC, but that hasn't stopped reports that

Microsoft are still planning a handheld system...
Posted: 21:27 on 20 Mar 2006
By: Jon Wilcox

Rumours of Microsoft working on a handheld system to rival the PSP and iPod

have continue to go on, regardless of last week's unveiling of the Origami

Project and other no shows in previous years. The latest report on the

X-handheld project has come from the blog of one reporter for the San Jose

Mercury News - somewhat apt and no way a coincidence given the city's

current hosting of the Game Developer's Conference this week.

In his blog, journalist Dean Takahashi comments that the Seattle

Corporation is working on a handheld platform similar to Sony's PSP

handheld, and is currently being headed by Xbox 360 evangelist J Allard.

Citing sources at low-power chipmaker Transmeta, Takahashi says that up to

thirty of the company's engineers began work on the device in 2005.

Supporting his claim, the reporter says that Microsoft's reshuffle at the

end of 2005, which brought Allard, Xbox 360 designer Greg Gibson, and

finance officer for the Xbox project Bryan Lee, into the same area of the

company, led by Robbie Bach, was to enable work on the device.

Of course Microsoft haven't commented on the report as yet, but it's almost

certainly going to be the standard "Microsoft doesn't comment on rumours

and speculation" line. Rumours that Microsoft will be entering the handheld

scene are sure to continue until the day that they actually announce that

there is a handheld in the works - until then, it continues to be rumour

and speculation.

PS3 news?

Warhawk, while looking great, was essentially a barren section of ocean

with a lot of fighter ships (they were aiming for a hundred for the final

game) going around destroying larger vessels and some nice looking water

(wave simulation with procedural animation) and clouds (volumetric

raytracing). Overall it was a great demo but a far cry of what was shown

last year and gave a nice sobering introduction to the rest of the demos

which was shown towards the end. Fortunately it will be playable at E3.

Bummer.

Go read this article in its entirety.  It raises some interesting questions

about what the PS3 will actually ship with.

New Revolution shots!!

What I've been playing?

Living in OBLIVION!!!--XBOX 360

So far, best game I've ever played.

Anime news:

Jacon, coincides with Convention Corner.

Welcome to the JACON Web Page!
In 2006 JACON will be celebrating its seventh year of bringing Japanese

animation to the Central Florida Area. This Japanese Anime convention will

host a full schedule of events and activities dealing with anime, manga,

and other aspects of Japanese sub-culture, such as video games. JACON 2006

will be held April 28-30, 2006 in Orlando, Florida at the Sheraton World

Resort.

Check this web page for information and updates. Hope to see you all there!

Latest Updates:
New! JACON 2006 Costume Cabaret (March 18, 2006)

Guest! JACON welcomes voice actor, Billy West, as this year's Guest of

Honor. (March 13, 2006)

Guest! JACON welcomes members of Red vs. Blue as guests for 2006. (March

13, 2006)

See! The latest press release from JACON. (March 13, 2006)

News! Pre-registration deadline extended to Monday, March 20, 2006 and why

isn't there online pre-registration. (February 27, 2006)

New Event! Otaku no Kirameki Sakura [JACON 2006 Beauty Pageant] (February

26, 2006)

 

posted by: Gary1059 at 07:18 | link | comments |