So even with the tremendous pile of console games released in September, game sales in the US during that month, when compared to the September of 2004, were down around 24%.  What is this, the music industry or something?  Be ye not afraid.  The rest of the report from the NPD group details how in truth, games sales for the first nine months of 2005, when compared with those from 2004, are actually up around 3%.  So for those keeping track, the games industry (consoles game sales only) has grown to around $3.36 billion in the US.  GamesIndustry.biz reminds us that September 2004 marked the release of Fable, Star Wars Battlefront and a suite of Pokemon GBA titles, which combined with the pause in Xbox sales - in anticipation of the Xbox 360 - make the drop in sales understandable.

Games sales down for September, up for the year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Oct 2005 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The calm before the storm.  That's what mid-October feels like.  We found out that males in their early twenties spend their time playing games, as if we didn't know that (even in our late 30's).  Hollywood is getting hip to the PSP, which was inevitable.  Sony took a page from the Apple textbook and has begun updating firmware for the PSP synced to what appears to be the phases of the moon. 

A big highlight of the week came when one of the Joystiq crew (Wiley) gave us an up close and personal review of pile of upcoming games on the Xbox 360.  And really... that's what October is about.  A month of calm before the launch of the Xbox 360, and the frenzy it will stir among the consoles.  I hate to be so straight forward about it, but really, its what we are all thinking.

Continue reading Weekly Wrap Up : October 10-16, 2005

Weekly Wrap Up : October 10-16, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Oct 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to EuroGamer, Nintendo has unleashed a list of upcoming titles for the DS.  They highlight the known New Super Mario Brothers title, along with a working titled TingleRPG. Mario does hoops in a working titled Baskets 3 vs 3 (ugh), living titles Densetsu no Starfy 4 and Custom Robo will get DS versions, along with a newcomer, Detect Hacker.  The list includes almost 30 titles, so take a look if you are interested.  There has also been word on a 3D version of Final Fantasy III.

Upcoming Nintendo DS titles announced in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2005 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Attention video game shoppers, for the next few hours we've got the latest GameBoy Micro on sale, over the US border, at Future Shop Canada.  The price in Canadian dollars is $97.99; which in US dollars amounts to something around $83 and in Euros about EU68.  Unfortunately, the online store reports being already out-of-stock claiming they will ship the units once available.  These things were selling like hotcakes in Japan, so why the price drop at FutureShop, we'll try to find out.  I particularly enjoy one of the selling points listed at FutureShop: "Fits Easily Into Gamer's Back Pockets".  As if our pockets were somehow different from other pockets.  Hmmm.  Thanks poutinemaster.

Update: According to comments received, apparently Wal-Mart Canada was holding an anniversary sale.  Therefore both FutureShopo and EBGames matched prices.  Thanks swampdonkey.

Price drop on GB Micro for FutureShop Canadians originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2005 16:00:02 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The debates over how many and which titles would be available for the Xbox 360 launch have gone on for awhile.  In an interview with Joystiq only two days ago, Microsoft's Director of Platform marketing spoke of roughly 15-20 titles upon launch.  The list becomes a little more settled already as Reuters rolled together discussions with the top publishers/developers, if only to set our anxious digits at ease.  Whether this is the "official" list, depends upon whether you consider discussions with company spokespeople to be official information.

From Take-Two Interactive:
NBA 2K6, NHL 2K6, Top Spin 2, Amped 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

From Activision:
Call of Duty 2, Quake 4, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, GUN.

From Electronic Arts
Need for Speed Most Wanted, FIFA 06: Road to FIFA World Cup, NBA Live 06, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, Madden NFL 06.

From Rare/Microsoft
Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark Zero

From Blizzard Bizarre Creations (someone tell Reuters to fix their story)
Project Gotham Racing 3

Via FileRushNews.

Launch titles for the Xbox 360 get official originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2005 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nintendo inked an exclusive import and distriubution deal with the Turkish firm Nortec Eurasia (not to be be confused with the Nortec Collective).  Nortec Eurasia will not only import and distribute products, but is also hiring a legal firm to keep an eye on retailers who might be selling pirated products.  Interestingly, the company has announced in advance that Nintendo console hardware will be priced more expensively in Turkey then in the European Countries (note: Turkey is presently in the process of application/acceptance into the European Union).  Given the historic levels of piracy in Turkey, this would seem like a move to capture game royalties at the sale of the console, in anticipation of missing out on them in game sales.  At the same time, the company suggests that only 15% of the Turkish population might financially afford the gamer lifestyle.

Nintendo goes "Game On" in Turkey originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Oct 2005 13:30:37 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In case you didn't notice, the flow of news on Joystiq grew to unprecedented levels this week.  First, if you think games are getting too expensive, why don't you buy the right to publish your favorite game?  200+ titles from Acclaim's publishing catalog are going to be on auction.  Like my dining room (that I painted twice this weekend), the upcoming Xbox 360 appears to be adding new colors in preparation for launch time.  The Origen 360 website flaunted its laurels - along with some dope chewing bunnies.  The cornerstones of WINTEL, Microsoft and Intel, came out of the closet to announce they are openly HD-DVD.  The Xbox 360 will be let loose in China (not just Hong Kong, this time) sometime in 2006.  An Xbox exec claimed 50% of the console base will go LIVE (?).  If you have four or more hours to kill, apparently you can boot Mac OS7 on your PSP.  As an added bonus, we thought it was time you got to know a little about the Joystiq team, so you would have all the proper information required to continue to poke fun at us.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: September 26 - October 2, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: September 26 - October 2, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Oct 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A little cat fight is in the making over at GamePolitics involving the office of Florida governor Jeb Bush and the anti-violent games, "Go to Hell Slowly" Jack Thompson.  The JT sent out a press release yesterday stating the good Gubernator of Florida would sign and support a bill aimed at curbing naughty games.  Then the office of JB said that no such deal was pre-ordained in some conversation with the governor.  Then JT scratched back, that he was told the governor even wanted JT to bring the legislation forward.  Followed appropriately by the office of JB simply referring to their previous comments should anyone be confused.

He Said, He Said, as far as J Thompson and Jeb Bush are concerned originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Sep 2005 19:30:07 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Somewhat quietly, or at least quietly until CNN covered the story, Best Buy has been testing the sale (and trade-in) of used video games in their storefront locations.  Of course, the buying and selling of used games has been going on for quite sometime, but apparently BestBuy getting into the business has some games industry folks a bit bothered.  According to CNN, Mark Rein, a VP with Epic Games, described the pilot program as "That's just fleecing us."  Whether the widespread sale of used games will make new games more or less expensive would seem to be a debate worth opening up a bit.

Best Buy tests the sale of used video games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Sep 2005 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Having a nearly unlimited marketing budget offers Microsoft the pleasure of uploading upon the gaming world a beautiful green tree, linguistic riddles and enigmatic bunnies that speak in captions and get high on golden fruits... all in the name of Origen.  Amidst all this flash-enabled fanfare and mystery, let us not forget however, perhaps the most infamous Origen until yesterday - Origenes Adamantius.

Origenes was a christian aesthetic and scholar who lived during the second and third centuries AD.  Like many gamers today, the "big O" - as he was known to his contemporaries- castrated himself to avoid any grounds for scandal related to his teaching of women and undeniable possession of the "Let My People Go" mod for the Old Testament that unlocked all the sex scenes.  While the big O was known to spend time with a certain empress-dowager, Julia Mammaea of Antioch, his real passions were theology and science. O produced up to 6000 scrolls of homilies, books and "scholia," leaving him perhaps more industrious than the most RedBull-powered game coder on earth today.

If you want to learn more about O, check out Wikipedia.

Will the real Origen please stand up originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2005 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A good way to start any day is a with a good video of a copy-cat hardware product.  Fortunately, just such a video has been making the rounds.  A wonderfully cheeky fellow, with a perfectly positioned accent, created a video review of the "Popstation Portable" - a low tech piece of copy-crap game hardware that most likely won't be confused for a real PSP anytime soon.  Reminds me of the portable football game I played while growing up, in which the players were simply vertical "-" marks among which I could somehow distinguish the flashing "-" with the ball.  Amazing what we used to call a video game.

The Popstation Portable originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Sep 2005 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: September 19-25, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: September 19-25, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Sep 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumors abound that EA had a "little" problem with a roster update to the Madden 06 series, accounting for the presence and quick disappearance of that particular update.  If screenshots are spot on, it appears that the update resulted in a minimization of NY Jets offensive lineman Michael King.  King, who in real life stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall and tips the scales at over 300 pounds, was reduced to roughly 7 inches tall.  Apparently his "collision box" on the field remained the same size, making him for that brief while perhaps the most powerful seven inch tall man in the NFL.  Recent roster updates are supposedly back to normal, as far as height it concerned.

Was there a bug in a Madden 06 roster update? originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Sep 2005 15:30:20 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I think we all remember the story of the little engine that could.  That persistent yet self-doubting and undersized machine.  Well, opinions were split on the prospects of the Game Boy Micro in the pre-launch days, but as we type the little machine appears to be gaining momentum.  In Japan the Micro racked up nearly 150,000 units in sales during the first week, topping the GBA SP numbers during its 2003 launch by almost 40,000 sales.  According to GameSpot, EB Games will be in possession of the silver Micro on September 26th and the black version on September 27th.  Estimates on Japanese site Dengeki Online reckon the Famicom version of the Micro accounted for at least 40% of sales.  Unlikely release of the Famicom in the US apparently, but it looks like Liksang is selling the handheld worldwide.

Game Boy Micro - the little handheld that could originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2005 20:30:17 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony announced its intention to layoff around 10,000 worker bees, reducing their total workforce to somewhere below 150,000 humans - not including AIBO robots (who are rumored to see a bit of a cut in their R&D budget). At the moment, the executive suite of two of the top level firms - Sony and Microsoft - are undergoing changes, but for different reasons.  Microsoft recently announced a reorganization, consolidating management of the Xbox and other home entertainment groups with the mobile and "embedded" platforms groups.  Sony is shutting down a number of plants, laying off workers, while announcing a heightened focus on products like the Playstation (duh), Walkmans and the Brevia Bravia LCD displays.

Gamers might not usually pay attention to changes like these, but we all intuitively realize that organization structure discloses and enables a certain shift of power within these extemely large companies.  While we have been playing games for years (or decades) for the fun of it, gaming platforms are now assuming positions within mega-corporations that treat our little consoles as platforms upon which new products and business units are going to emerge.  For some, Fun and Games may be reduced to just Games.

Sony to cut 10,000 jobs, Playstation a "Champion" originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2005 12:15:58 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the tight wake of the recent signing of a five-way deal between the NBA and game publishers, Take2 Interactive and Nike have hooked up to give the shoe a very regal role in the 2K6 basketball title franchise.  In fact, even moreso than in real life (depending upon your opinion) the shoe on your feet will effect your performance.  Through the deal between Nike and Take2, NBA 2K6 will associate player enhancements with shoes - things like speed, control, etc.  Over time, new shoes will be "unlocked" through secret codes disclosed during the NBA season- and of course, no one will figure them out in advance ;-).  Product placement within games is a feature with which gamers are going to have to get more and more accustomed, so let's hope these features add something, rather than just extract something, from the gaming experience.

NBA signs five way deal, Take2 decides its all about the shoes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Sep 2005 17:30:50 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even Dr Evil knows a shark is just a shark, until it has a laser planted on its head.  Such was the way for the team at Pseudo Interactive as they began the ideating and developing of the upcoming Full Auto title on the Xbox 360- according to Cord Smith, one of the producers at Pseudo Interactive.  Apparently, the idea began as your basic race car sim, with the added benefit of crashes and smashes and damage to both car and virtual world.  Then, in his words,"it didn't make sense that the only way to expose one of the game's coolest features was to fail. To rectify the situation, we mounted a missile launcher and a few machine guns on the hood and started tearing the world apart. We've never looked back."  Head over the PRG for the rest of the interview.

Cord Smith on the ideas behind Full Auto originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2005 22:30:20 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The hot item this week was the official showing of the new controller for the upcoming Nintendo console, code-named Revolution (perhaps the most popular unofficial name in history).  The one-handed wonder, the game controller that is, had the fanboys and hardcore gamers all abuzzzzz, while Nintendo's CEO told a clear story of wanting to appeal to the new and as-yet-unfound gamer set.  The Tokyo Game Show was the backdrop for the announcement.  Our international editor of mystery learned to say "sumimasen" along with "terai wa, doko desu ka," headed to Tokyo and brought back a flurry of news from the conference floor, along with a bag of swag for some lucky reader.  In case you were sleeping for the rest of the week, here is the wrap up.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: September 12-18, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: September 12-18, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Inevitably, timed with a game conference like the Tokyo Game Show, the universe of video game developers unloads virtual reel after reel of game trailers.  Only problem - exploiting pre-rendered material at the expense of game play.  Like most everyone reading this, I get an honest kick out of game trailers.  The eye candy is almost sufficient to elicit real tooth decay and the explosions seem to resonate even in my hip sockets.  Unfortunately, at this point in time we are all trained to assume that nothing in the trailer exists during game play?  So much so, that developers often have to announce "Real Game Play" during the trailer just so we will let our defenses down.  Here's a thought.  Release one trailer culled only from actual game play, so we can really get a sense of the game.   Make the pre-rendered trailer a movie short, blowing out our ears drums and mesmerizing our vision for a good half hour or more.  Game artists get to express themselves and show off their vision, we get an honest sense of game play. No confusion.

Truth in Trailers - more important than game ratings? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2005 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Blitz gaming goes Volatile originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:00:57 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The folks at Gamespot seem somewhat impressed with the upcoming version of Project Gotham 3, most clearly for the super-realistic graphic experience.  Cars sustain visual damage and the surrounding city has often been re-rendered to near real-life impressions.  There's a photo mode that even seems like an honest recreation of dropping a digital camera into the game, with options for focus, shutter speed, contrast... you name it.  Apparently the game is graced by only four cities, but these tracks are expansive with the additional option of creating your own curcuits Bizarre claims there are 2 million possible combinations).  No clear comments on actual in-game control over the vehicles and the realism of vehicle response and feedback.  Not that most of us have driven an exotic car at 150mph through a major city and could comment on any similarities.

TGS 2005: Project Gotham Racing 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Sep 2005 15:30:48 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Michigan Governor Jennifer M Granholm signed the final suite of bills into law yesterday, making the sale, or rental, of violent games to minors illegal within the state of Michigan.  As you might expect, the ESA is taking the new laws to task.  In the governor's words:

"Protecting our children must be everyone's top priority... This is a common-sense law that provides parents with the tools they need to protect their children from the effects of violence and graphic adult content."

According to GameSpot, the naughty games within the scope of the law have been defined as "real or simulated graphic depictions of physical injuries or physical violence against parties who realistically appear to be human beings, including actions causing death, inflicting cruelty, dismemberment, decapitation, maiming, disfigurement, or other mutilation of body parts, murder, criminal sexual conduct, or torture."  What about Donkey Kong?  Don't animals have rights, too?

Selling violent games to minors now really illegal in Michigan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Sep 2005 13:30:30 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This past week brought us the World Cyber Games finals in the US, Xbox Live pricing for the upcoming 360, the acquisition of IGN by the infamous Ruport Murdoch and his News Corporation, plus a Joystiq user survey finding that about 15% of our visitors intend to pick up a Game Boy Micro upon the diminutive game machine's release.  It was a busy week, so follow on for the highlights from each day.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: September 5-11, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: September 5-11, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Sep 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The latest installment of the Madden NFL franchise, Madden 06, has been on the street for a little while now, so we figured it was time to pull together some reviews for those still wondering what to think about this game. You might say "Why wait so long?" Well... most reviews hit the streets after the reviewers only have moments to smash around the game space, while in truth, it can take some time to dig into some games and really figure out what they are all about. What we did find was that some scores didn't seem to line up with the critical nature of the reviews, and that people's expectations for being blown away somewhat clouded an ability to just review the game as it is.

Average score of reviews considered : 8.5
After consideration of the replay, adjustment for butt-kissing nature of reviews in general, then re-adjusting for the expectations reviewers clearly placed upon this title...

Metascore : 8.3
With a Reviewer Vision cone extending from 7.8-8.8, so you might want to rent first and see how it goes. Excitement over this game seems to be sensitive to your skill level and expectations. Reviews of the '05 version of Madden averaged as high as 91-ish, so its wise to put the '06 reviews in that context.

Continue reading Metareview: Madden 06

Metareview: Madden 06 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With 4 million global players of World of Warcraft, Blizzard is not in the mood to make any changes to a situation that looks to be working just fine. Apparently no console versions of WOW are on the horizon.  According to ArsTechnica, Blizzard's vice president of business operations, Paul Sams, stated yesterday, on CNN, that while porting WOW might be a cool idea, "once we get to the point where we feel we've achieved best of class and it's sustainable, then we'll start contemplating those types of things."  Sony has taken Everquest, while Square Enix brought Final Fantasy, to consoles, with the PC versions still dominating sales, so Blizzard has reason to hit pause for awhile.  But we can only guess when "best of class" and "sustainable" occur and given the increasingly competitive landscape of the MMORPG world, never say never would seem to be a theme worth remembering.

Blizzard says 'No' to Warcraft on consoles... for the moment originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Sep 2005 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An adventurous fan of Super Mario Brothers has placed a uniquely developed clone of the game online.  The clone functions through a mix of javascript and ActiveX.  For those of you with a thing for cloned games, this little remix is worth a look.  We can't guarantee all functions in the game will be up to expectations however, so best of luck.  Note:  the site is in Japanese.

via BoingBoing

Mario does Javascript originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Sep 2005 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ruport Murdoch is acting like a Hilton let loose on a fifth avenue shopping spree, flipping out the AmEx Black card to make half a billion dollar dot com purchases.  Today, it was IGN that brought that little sparkle to the Aussie-turned-American's eye, prompting a $650 million swipe of the card reader.  For those with more realistic budgets, today Microsoft more officially announced the upcoming Xbox Live pricing to coincide with the Xbox 360.  The recap for today's news:

• Xbox Live pricing and features confirmed for the 360

• Man's military service deferred for World Cyber Games

• MVP 06 NCAA Baseball spring release announced by EA

• Xbox 360 game prices: rumor wrap-up

• Game reviews systematically misjudge multiplayer titles

• Playboy unveils second annual Girls of Gaming lineup

• CNET Top 10 video games 1995 to 2005

• Conservative targets Take-Two CEO in bestseller

• MMOG crime on the rise in Japan

• Are games important?

• Tokyo Game Show to feature playable Xbox 360 games

• Want a PSP, buy a PC

• IGN sells out to Murdoch's News Corp.

• Age of Empires 3 demo released, requires Windows XP

• Take-Two takes a hit in revenues; Civ IV to ship before Halloween

• New Sonic racing game promises to be eXtreme

• How to make a worthy collector's edition

• World of Warcraft expansion to be revealed at BlizzCon

Today in Joystiq: September 8, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EA Sports strikes thrice on this weeks top ten list over at Blockbuster for video game rentals.  Both platform versions of Madden NFL 06, along with NCAA Football 06 living in the top ten.  Not enough testosterone to knock the Hulk from the top of the list however, with the green guy filling the #1 and #3 spots on the list.  A double take on three games in fact, as Delta Force: Black Hawk Down makes the list with both platforms.

1. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PlayStation 2)

2. Madden NFL 06 (PS2)

3. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Xbox)

4. Madden NFL 06 (Xbox)

5. Destroy All Humans! (PS2)

6. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (PS2)

7. Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (Xbox)

8. Fantastic 4 (PS2)

9. NCAA Football 06 (PS2)

10. Delta Force: Black Hawk Down (PS2)

Hulk smashes Blockbuster top ten rentals list originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:00:34 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony's Playstation phenom is heading into its tenth years as a player and powerhouse in the video gaming world.  First announced in May of 1994, and launched in December of 1994 (in Japan), the Playstation - now dubbed PSOne as you know - still has a place on many gamers shelves.

The Happy Birthday celebration arrived at somewhat of a midpoint between announcement and release date this year, as the 1UP folks have posted a sex, lies and video games type retrospective of the PSone.  They take us back to the days of the Sega Genesis to Saturn transition, the Atari Jaguar, 3DO and more (as a MAC Mac user, I had to shake my head at the site sight of the Pippin) for a great story of the events surrounding the birth of the Playstation.  A great read.

Sony Playstation turns 10, well, sort of. originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As you know, the Tokyo Game Show is almost upon us (September 16-18).  Joystiq will be there, bringing back the news and sites from the conference floor.  So in case you can't get to Tokyo, or are too dazzled by the massive wide screens outside Shinjuku station, or find yourself too buzzed on Sapporo from street kiosks to leave Roppongi, you'll be able to tune in here for the updates, photos and interviews.

For those who like to plan ahead, the floor map for TGS has appeared online, mysteriously available from 1UP.com before the conference website has posted the hall map to its own site (keep that in mind in case we find out there have been some changes to the layout).  You'll see Sega has a mysteriously large good sized booth space this time around, Square Enix is playing out the conference in a surprisingly frugal fashion, while Microsoft and Sony will undoubtedly be firing sound and mayhem cannons at each other over the tops of the Capcom and Konami spaces.  With all the games coming out in September and the imposing release of the Xbox 360, this should be a high-energy affair.

Tokyo Game Show Hall Map, no GPS required originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Sep 2005 12:30:13 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Acclaim is in the middle of chapter 7 bankruptcy, the saddest of bankruptcies (in the key of D minor), during which the company comes to a complete halt.  Don't know how this one is going to turn out, but GameSpy posted an Acclaim flashback just after Acclaim went kaboom almost one year ago exactly -  from Wizards and Warriors to Burnout- for those with a soft spot for nostalgia.

Happy Bankruptcy Anniversary Acclaim - please pay $150 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Sep 2005 20:30:29 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It would seem only fitting that the news flow in the game world slowed down a bit this last week, given the circumstances in New Orleans, post hurricane Katrina.  Sony is inviting their Everquest II players to donate to the Red Cross, and even we at Joystiq (and Engadget) have added a RedCross donation link to the top of our pages.  If you have the means, please feel free to donate.  Perhaps we can even organize a "Frag for food" tournament in times like these.

Every week however, I wrap things up in the gaming world.  So if you were busy helping out in the land of the Big Easy, a bit overwhelmed by what happened, checking out the goods at the Games Market Europe conference like our man Conrad, or just busy with life in general, keep reading for the Weekly WrapUp.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: August 29 - September 4, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: August 29 - September 4, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Sep 2005 23:59:59 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Its time for me to step out of the closet and reveal something I have been holding back.  I don't get the whole '360' thing.  I don't understand it.  If its an allusion to some metaphysical nature of the circle, a metaphor to some game dynamic, a skateboard trick from the late 70's, somebody please tell me.  I was fine with Xbox 2, or Xbox II or Xbox Next.  Even if those weren't really that creative, I didn't mind.  But I can't figure out what the 360 is all about.

On a more interesting note, the folks at EuroGamer spoke to the general manager of Microsoft's Game Developer Group,  Chris Satchell about a wealth of features apparently now set for the Xbox 740, er 360.  The list includes description of the "smart" ring of light around the power button (is that what the 360 is about?), the (fingers crossed) resiliance of the hard drive to removal during access, and the lack of necessity to possess a remote control in order to watch a DVD.  The list is long, some things you probably know, some things you might not. 

Laundry list of Xbox360 features originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2005 23:01:10 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We're forced to ask however... Why September?

The wave of games arriving in September originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:45:38 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the music industry, you go platinum when you sell one million records.  In the MMORPG world, its now time to start considering such a classification as well.  According to Blizzard, World of Warcraft has amassed one million users in the US alone, with more than four million users worldwide.  At four million citizens, the virtual world of WOW would be listed in the top 60 or so cities of the world, as far as population.  If considered a country, WOW is roughly equal to the population of Ireland, New Zealand or a handful of other global properties.  When you consider how much of the world does not yet have access to MMORPGs, you begin to wonder just how big these virtual communities could become within the next few decades.

World of Warcraft hits 1 million users in U.S. originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:00:30 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

And what a week it was.  Sony released the PSP firmware update without a proper apology for keeping us waiting, GameStop invited the anxious to pre-order a $1200 Xbox 360 package, and Nintendogs began roaming our streets a bit too cheaply.  So in case you were away on vacation, or busy finishing off God of War.... here is the WrapUp.

Continue reading Weekly WrapUp: August 22-28, 2005

Weekly WrapUp: August 22-28, 2005 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Aug 2005 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the controller camps within upcoming consoles of choice debate the size, shape, weight, functions and color of the upcoming controllers, genius-types around the country are pushing levels beyond the EyeToy for future interaction with games and other machines.  The Eye-Toy on roids implementation, a la Minority Report, involves gestures in 3-d space to impact virtual worlds.  The project, G-Speak Gestural Technology (check it out here), is underway at MIT.  Another project, hubbed at USC-Cinema, involves wired and wireless engagement in 3D space you can witness here.  These kinds of innovations will take us out of the living room to play games, mixing the virutal and real worlds in even more compelling ways.  Excellent.

Controllers? We don't need no stinkin' controllers. originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Trick question huh?  Who do you want to play an otherwise anonymous character that runs around in full body armor and helmet?  Can we have a "favorite" character in a world of near-replicants?  Not so long ago, Microsoft sent humans dressed as Halo fighters to the offices of certain movie studios to deliver the already finished script for a film version of the Halo game.  After the Hollywood hubbub settled down, apparently Universal (for US release) and Fox (for international release) have signed on to a deal, wagering an advance as big/small as $5 million with a maximum cut of the box office, for a film to arrive in 2007. With possible consequences for the timing of Halo 3.

But in an effort to avoid an outcome like the Super Mario Brothers movie, and the questionably compelling yet sequelling (due to Ms Jolie) Tomb Raider, we figured we would ask you - who should play the characters in Halo: The Movie. This way, we might all be saved from some dud on celluloid that crushes our interest in the game itself.

Who do you want to play your favorite Halo character? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:00:56 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Unless you have been living under a rock, studying frantically, or generally unattached to popular culture, you have probably heard of Machinima - the emergent genre where virtual game worlds provide the settings and substance of animated digital films.  Red versus Blue (in a hint of Spy vs Spy from days gone by) is perhaps one of the most talked about constructions in this genre.  Music videos provide the inspiration for a great deal of machinima good times however, and appropriately, MTV is catching on to this phenom.  Recently the not-so-many-music-videos-at-all channel highlighted the work of Kendra Flemons and her repeated recreations of R Kelly's "Trapped in the closet" series.  You can check out her videos here.   Mais bien sur (but of course), the music industry is a bit beside itself on the subject, whining about the use of music without the consent of the artist/label.

As far as Machinima is concerned, I think the genre is not only a hat-tip to the ingenuity behind many of the top game designs, as well as those making the films, but also clear evidence of the level to which video games are becoming part of our cultural experience - like movies and music of generations past.   Remix culture is continually being redefined.

Machinima hitting the big time- R Kelly's closet. originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Aug 2005 11:30:32 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While one side of Washington debates whether video games breed social derilicts with violent tendencies, the other side of town is using simulation games to train for war.  No contradictions intended.  Wired reports the military has taken the simulation game to the extremes, with 3-D experiences for pilots, as well as real-time interactions between these pilots, air controllers and other military personel.  The virtual missions appear to certain controllers and staff as real planes on radar - actual and virtual flights appears on the same screens and communicate as if in flight.  Simulation times match the actual time missions might require, whether flying to the border or all the way to Iraq.  Of course, this has to remind you of the wacked out computer in Wargames (1983), able to confuse the military into thinking a real attack was in place while in fact, only a game was being played.  Do you want to play a game?

Correction:  Shall we play a game?  Was  the phrase from the movie.

Would you like to play a game? Wargames that is. originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Aug 2005 13:30:33 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.