DS Lite Problems

By Tim Surette, GameSpot

Posted Jul 20, 2006 12:21 pm PT

Earlier this week, several owners of Nintendo's new DS Lite voiced concern over a small problem with their handhelds. Reports of a small crack on the left hinge of the dual-screened portable began popping up around the country, indicating that it wasn't just an isolated incident.

Nintendo wasn't immediately available for comment at the time, but today the company released a statement addressing issue.

"In the U.S., the reported number of small cosmetic cracks in the plastic hinge of DS Lite systems represents less than 0.02 percent of the total units sold. This cosmetic issue in no way impacts the gameplay or integrity of the DS Lite. Nintendo stands behind the quality of our products and encourages DS Lite owners to contact our Customer Service Department if they are not happy with the functionality of their systems."

ALIENS!!!

Alien Hominid & Castle Crushers For Xbox Live Arcade

The Behemoth confirm the appearance of the alien on Xbox Live Arcade along with their next title...

Posted: 10:34 on 20 Jul 2006

By: Chris Leyton

The Behemoth have confirmed plans to take Alien Hominid to Xbox Live Arcade, according to a report on Game Informer from The Comic-Con International taking place in San Diego.

Game Informer also suggests that Xbox Live Arcade will also provide the platform for their eagerly awaited next title, Castle Crushers, which was originally planned for the GameCube but will now appear on Microsoft's next-gen format during Q1 2007.

Arrests made for On-Line gambling...

Natali Del Conte - PC Magazine Thu Jul 20, 10:35 AM ET

Has online gambling crapped out?

David Carruthers became the latest poster boy – or scapegoat, depending on one's perspective -- when he was arrested in Dallas on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and an illegal online gambling enterprise. While on a layover to Costa Rica, where his company is based, Carruthers, chief executive officer for BetOnSports was arrested and detained on Sunday, forcing the online gambling community to take note.

Carruthers' arrest seems to have spooked online gaming executives. A major gaming conference, scheduled for next week in Las Vegas, has been cancelled. The Bodog.com Marketing Conference typically attracts gaming professionals from all over the world but as soon as word of Carruthers arrest spread, attendees began canceling.

"No senior executive from a gaming company was going to come after [the arrest] happened," said Calvin Ayre, founder and chief executive officer for Bodog.com.

"Nobody in the industry right now wants to come into the United States," Ayre said. "We're talking business people here. The people who run the online gaming industry are business people. They're not criminals. Nobody wants to be the test case for a prosecutor trying to make a name for themselves."

The conference will likely be held in the UK, Canada, the Bahamas, or Costa Rica in the next few months. Ayre said that this was likely the last year that it would have been held in the U.S. anyway because America is so unfriendly to the gaming industry.

But BetOnSports is not a typical online gaming company. They deal in sports betting, which is clearly outlawed by the Federal Wire Act of 1961, and they once operated in the United States. Most Bodog attendees are in the card gaming business and operate overseas, which makes them a bit more untouchable by the U.S. government. But they're not willing to gamble with the prospect of prosecution.

PS3s being shipped?

News from China begins to emerge that the first batch of PS3 consoles have left manufacturing...

Posted: 14:27 on 19 Jul 2006

By: Jon Wilcox

Two Chinese publications are reporting that the first batch of PlayStation3 units have already left their manufacturing plants.

The reports, in the Apple Daily and the Commercial Times (by way of English-language Chinese tech site, DigiTimes Systems), claim that component manufacturer Asus Tek began to ship PlayStation3 units at the start of July.

Neither Asus Tek or Sony are commenting on the reports, but what is interesting is that DigiTimes note that the first launch consignment could be four million - double the amount estimated by Sony earlier in the year.

What I've been playing:

Condemned: Criminal Origins...FINISHED! VERY creepy game!

Brain Age--NDS

UNO!

Smash TV

Anime News:

Anime Explosion!!

Even with AFO7 just one week away, we didnt want leave you out in the cold for your monthly midnight anime fix! This month's movie is:

Hyper Speed GranDoll

Hikaru has always believed herself to be just a normal high school girl ... well, as normal as a teenager with a genius mad scientist for a father. She spends her time with her best friend, day dreaming about the boy she loves and watching her favoite super hero show. One day, the past that she has knows nothing about comes back to haunt her. She is shocked to learn that she is the last surviving member of royal line from a far away planet. Even more, she finds out that she has been protecting the ultimate armour and that it can decide the fate of the entire galaxy.

Running Time: approx. 90 minutes

When: Midnight, Friday, July 21

Where: The AMC Universal Cineplex at Universal City Walk Orlando

We will begin wristbanding at 10:30 pm at the table just inside the lobby.

Cya at the movies!

Con Corner:

AFO 7

5pm on Friday, RPG panel with me, Gary Holmes. Plus next week, free tickets to AFO!!! Only on VGN.