Nick

Wasn't it the same deal last generation with Verizon's 3G network being slower and lacking features ( talk+data ) than AT&T, but still being called 3G?

They have turned a technical term into a marketing one. HSPA+ and LTE have speeds in the same rough range currently, so I don't have a problem with them being marketed similarly.

What's the big deal about abandoning the Vista name? What Microsoft (or any operating system) release has kept the same moniker?

Windows 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7?

Were you expecting them to call it Windows Vista 2?

Or maybe Windows Snow Vista?

One of the problems with the system only outputting mono sound, is that it messes with most people a/v receivers. If you've got the same signal coming out of the left and right, most surround algorithms detect that as center channel audio. So for most stereos, using GH3 on the Wii with standard settings results in all the music coming out of the center channel almost entirely, with very little sound coming out of the left and right.

You can switch your receiver to 5 channel stereo or some such, but I can imagine there are a couple people out there with GH3 for the Wii wondering why it sounds all tinny coming out of their shoddy center channel as opposed to more full range left/right speakers.

Just to add to my previous comments...
If you read IGN's article, you'll find that the Rock Band guitar doesn't work with Guitar Hero II on the Xbox360. So if their company line is that their guitar follows an open standard, then you would think the game that they developed on the Xbox360 would work just fine with their new guitar. Unless they expect whatever developer currently in charge of the GH2 360 code (no one probably), to release a patch.

The fact that it doesn't, should lead you to disbelieve a lot of what they're saying. They have nothing to do with Guitar Hero now, so when people call and complain to Red Octane that their GH2 or GH3 doesn't work properly with their new Rock Band guitar, they'll be laughing it up, knowing that they mucked things up.

It still seems to be like this is Rock Band's fault. The Guitar Hero devs seem to have kept the new controllers the same, so that they function just like every existing guitar controller on the market. The Rock Band folks have added new functionality as well as changed the way the existing buttons function, so that game support has to be added specifically for the new format.

I'm not sure about all this "open standards" talk is, considering there was an open standard, Harmonix and Red Octane originally created it, but now Harmonix is creating a new "open standard."

The fact that this information is just coming out now, the day before Guitar Hero III's release, leads me to believe Harmonix has done everything possible to keep this a secret so GH3 had no chance whatsoever of adding support to their own game for this new "standard."

I'd stay away from NBA Live 08. It appears to not have widescreen support, no Dynasty mode, motion controls are a little finicky, features they didn't have enough buttons to support they just dropped all together (no pump fakes).

Will Nintendo sell as many consoles as they can ship for $250? Yes.

Will Nintendo be able to drop the price whenever they need to? Yes.

It's one thing to have the opinion that Nintendo's fans are stupid for buying an 'upgraded Gamecube' for $250. But it's totally different (and foolish, imo) to think it reflects badly on Nintendo to sell their wares at a profit.

Isn't it better for a company to develop a product which is worth more to the market than the cost of manufacture? That shouldn't be up for debate, right?

And the nunchuk is probably $20 because it has accelerometers in it... If it was just a joystick with a couple buttons, it could be cheaper. It looks like a couple bucks a piece isn't out of the question for an accelerometer, even when purchased in quantity.

So a $100 bill is a better purchase for $105, than a $20 bill for $20, because the cost to produce is clearly the same (roughly...) and there's way more of a profit margin on the $100 bill.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo uses the Wii as a matchmaking service for your DS as well. Through Wii Connect you could have your friend codes all in the system, and they'd have their DS-es linked up to their Wii. That way you can message your friend's Wii, when you see they're playing Mario Kart and ask to join in.

"Nick, you have got to be kidding. You don't think all of the Xbox Live subscribers would be very ticked off?"

What I meant was, that if parents heard swearing going on Xbox Live, they wouldn't have as negative a reaction as if they heard it on their Nintendo system. I've never tried Xbox Live, per se, but in my internet gaming time the people with voice chat are quite often being obnoxious/vulgar.

And there's a place for that among friends, but Smash Bros is a relatively tame fighting game that I could see kids playing (though the gamecube was rated Teen), and by default I don't think voice chat should work with strangers.