Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[It's Guitar Hero Day in New York, apparently]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/its-guitar-hero-day-in-new-york-apparently/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/its-guitar-hero-day-in-new-york-apparently/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/its-guitar-hero-day-in-new-york-apparently/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The city of New York must have a lot of time on its hands. After all, they have enough time to spare to declare today, Sept. 26, 2007, as Guitar Hero day throughout the city.

Never mind that Guitar Hero III doesn't actually come out until Oct. 28, or that the original game came out on Nov. 7, 2005. Never mind that publisher Activision is based in Santa Monica and developer Neversoft is from Westlake Village, CA. Never mind that the city saw a massive publicity blitz for another game as recently as yesterday.

Forget all that... "fans are ready to rock the streets of Manhattan," according to the press Activision press release, with "thousands ... expected to gather in celebration of the day, with guitar controllers in hand." This is kind of surprising to us, seeing as we hadn't even heard about the event before today, but we suppose getting thousands of people together on short notice can't be too hard in a city of millions.

Apparently, the day is just "one of many Guitar Hero events taking place in New York City this week," including an opportunity for members of the public to actually play Guitar Hero III at the DigitalLife festival starting tomorrow. So while we're generally against pointless publicity stunts like this, we suppose we can turn a blind eye given the public demo. Citizens of New York, do yourselves a favor and go check it out.

JoystiqIt's Guitar Hero Day in New York, apparently originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionguitarheroguitarheroIIIneversoftnewyorknewyorkcityPS2PS3WiiXbox-360Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo stays in Redmond; sales, ad, and marketing moving to SF or NYC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/09/nintendo-of-america-hq-stays-in-redmond-sales-ad-and-marketin/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/09/nintendo-of-america-hq-stays-in-redmond-sales-ad-and-marketin/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/09/nintendo-of-america-hq-stays-in-redmond-sales-ad-and-marketin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Partially confirming last week's rumor, the Seattle Times is reporting that the sales, advertising and marketing divisions for Nintendo of America, totaling about 80 people, will be moved to either New York City or San Francisco. Meanwhile, the rest of NoA headquarters will remain in Redmond.

The decision is being seen as a replacement for earlier plans to expand its Redmond, WA offices an additional 550,000 square feet. According to Jim Roberts, deputy planning director for the city of Redmond speaking to the Seattle Times, though NoA had the proposal ready to go before the city council for approval, executives said that they needed final approval from the company's Japanese headquarters. "For one reason or another, it's been well over a year that we've been waiting for them to proceed," he said.

Nintendo is reportedly looking to sell the aforementioned 550,000 square feet of property; one real estate broker suggested that adjacent company Microsoft might consider purchasing the land. Now wouldn't that make for an interesting change of hands?

JoystiqNintendo stays in Redmond; sales, ad, and marketing moving to SF or NYC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 May 2007 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSGameCubenew york cityNewYorkCitynintendonycredmondsan franciscoSanFranciscosfWiiWed, 09 May 2007 13:28:00 EST<![CDATA[First footage of Driver 76]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/01/first-footage-of-driver-76/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/01/first-footage-of-driver-76/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/01/first-footage-of-driver-76/#commentsFiled under: ,

Driver 76 is heading to PSP soon, and IGN seems to have an early build in their hands. They take the game for a spin, and it looks a lot like Grand Theft Auto. What it doesn't look like, though, is New York. Having lived in NYC all my life, I can't say the low-level buildings and the general lack of life in the game create an authentic facsimile of the city I love. Maybe you can judge for yourself by reading IGN's preview and checking out all of their videos.

JoystiqFirst footage of Driver 76 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 May 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>driver 76Driver76ignnew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCitynycubisoftTue, 01 May 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq at the Pokemon launch party in NYC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/joystiq-at-the-pokemon-launch-party-in-nyc/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/joystiq-at-the-pokemon-launch-party-in-nyc/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/joystiq-at-the-pokemon-launch-party-in-nyc/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Thousands of Pokemon fans stormed the Nintendo World Store for their incredible Pokemon Diamond & Pearl launch party. Getting into the event was no easy task, as the line stretched across a New York avenue. Once inside, fans were treated to equally long lines to purchase the game, and a myriad of activities to partake in. A scavenger hunt had Pokemaniacs survive the heat and go through all the stations set up for fans.

Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori from Game Freak stopped by to answer fan's questions and sign autographs. In spite of the surprising success of the Pokemon franchise, the two were incredibly humble and seemed jovial in the presence of their adoring fans. Children (of all ages) crowded the plaza for a chance to meet some of the people responsible for this global phenomenon.

To end the festivities, Nintendo made an incredible donation to Earth Day NY: a giant check (is there any other kind?) for $10,000 was presented to the eco-friendly charity. The event was a blast, and everyone appeared to be in high spirits. Considering the thousands of people in attendance, it's safe to say that the Pokemon phenomenon is still going strong.

Gallery: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl launch in NYC

JoystiqJoystiq at the Pokemon launch party in NYC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>donationDSearth dayearth day nyEarthDayEarthDayNygame freakGameFreakjunichi masudaJunichiMasudanew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCitynintendonintendo worldnintendo world storeNintendoWorldNintendoWorldStorenycpokemonpokemon diamondpokemon pearlPokemonDiamondPokemonPearlshigeru ohmoriShigeruOhmoriMon, 23 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Driver 76 to bring GTA-styled NYC to PSP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/14/driver-76-to-bring-gta-styled-nyc-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/14/driver-76-to-bring-gta-styled-nyc-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/14/driver-76-to-bring-gta-styled-nyc-to-psp/#commentsFiled under: ,


The gaming world has been raving about Rockstar's incredibly accurate portrayal of New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV. While PSP won't be getting served with a tiny version of Rockstar's next-gen crime game, fans may want to look towards Ubisoft's upcoming PSP-exclusive Driver 76 for some NYC run 'n gun play. It's been a long time since we last heard about the game, but with the release only a month away, Ubisoft has opened a new official website, filled with new screenshots. We're getting mixed feelings about the presentation: while it looks good up-close, it appears to have the draw distance of an N64 game. Ouch. We're hoping for the best, and for fans of the genre, this may be the only game we'll have to play until Rockstar inevitably adds another GTA game to our library.

Continue reading Driver 76 to bring GTA-styled NYC to PSP

JoystiqDriver 76 to bring GTA-styled NYC to PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>driverdriver 76Driver76new york cityNewYorkCitynycubisoftSat, 14 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: GTA IV to be in New York City?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/13/rumor-gta-iv-to-be-in-new-york-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/13/rumor-gta-iv-to-be-in-new-york-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/13/rumor-gta-iv-to-be-in-new-york-city/#commentsFiled under:

While we're going to categorize this as a rumor until we get a better insight upon the release of the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV on the 29th, it definitely is worth consideration. Apparently, word on the street is that GTA IV will be taking place in New York City and have NYC stylized music. When we first got wind of this, the first thing that popped into our heads was, "Uh, wasn't the Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto I, GTA III, San Andreas, and Liberty City Stories supposed to be at the very least an homage to New York City (with a hint of New Jersey)?"

If you look at the map for Liberty City from GTA I (pictured above), it's even more apparent. Or this could be a completely new direction for Rockstar, where instead of doing fictional places that are inspired by real world locations, they cut the middle man as it were, and just use the actual city. Either way, we could see a return to Liberty City, or Rockstar's rendition of the real life counter part. Which would you rather play in?

JoystiqRumor: GTA IV to be in New York City? originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>G T A 4G T A IVGrand Theft Auto 4Grand Theft Auto IVGrandTheftAuto4GrandTheftAutoIvGTA4GTAIvLiberty CityLibertyCityN Y CNew YorkNew York CityNewYorkNewYorkCityNYCRockstarRockstar NorthTake 2Take 2 InteractiveTake TwoTake Two InteractiveTake2Take2InteractiveTakeTwoTakeTwoInteractiveTue, 13 Mar 2007 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Rockstar using graffiti to promote The Warriors]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/09/rockstar-using-graffiti-to-promote-the-warriors/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/09/rockstar-using-graffiti-to-promote-the-warriors/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/09/rockstar-using-graffiti-to-promote-the-warriors/#commentsFiled under: ,


While I was walking in downtown NYC, something interesting caught my eye: a spray-painted tag of The Warriors on the sidewalk. While it's true that Rockstar's offices are located in my fine city, I'm sure Mayor Bloomberg won't be too pleased about this apparent graffiti advertising. Remember when Sony tried the same thing? They were busted, and fined. Will Rockstar also get caught?

JoystiqRockstar using graffiti to promote The Warriors originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>graffitinew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCitynycrockstarthe warriorsTheWarriorswarriorsFri, 09 Feb 2007 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New York looking to clamp down on walk-and-play gamers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/new-york-looking-to-clamp-down-on-walk-and-play-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/new-york-looking-to-clamp-down-on-walk-and-play-gamers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/new-york-looking-to-clamp-down-on-walk-and-play-gamers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Hey, watch where you're going! Reuters reports that New York State senator, Carl Kruger, plans to introduce legislation this week to ban the use of all manner of handheld gadgets while crossing the street. It seems that some inhabitants of the city become so embroiled in the contents of their musical pods, their dark electronic fruits and their portable Playstations, that they fail to notice things like four-wheeled hunks of metal coming to crush them.

"What's happening is when they're tuning into their iPod or BlackBerry or cell phone or video game, they're walking into speeding buses and moving automobiles," says Kruger. "It's becoming a nationwide problem." Ignoring the proposed ban will not only place your fragile life in immediate danger, but also result in a decidedly unpleasant $100 fine.

In the coming weeks, New York State is expected to ban glitzy neon signs, second-rate street musicians and loudly gossiping girlfriends in a continued effort to keep the streets free of deadly distractions. You're not reading this on your smartphone, are you?

[Via Gamespot UK, thanks Gabe]

JoystiqNew York looking to clamp down on walk-and-play gamers originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Carl KrugerCarlKrugerDSNew York CityNewYorkCityNYCPSPThu, 08 Feb 2007 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq at NYC's Final Fantasy Day festivities]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/joystiq-at-nycs-final-fantasy-day-festivities/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/joystiq-at-nycs-final-fantasy-day-festivities/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/joystiq-at-nycs-final-fantasy-day-festivities/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


New York City's Times Square was overwhelmed by Final Fantasy fans as Square-Enix premiered the English language version of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII, which will be playable at this week's DigitalLife conference, which starts tomorrow. The trailer, shown to great excitement amongst fans, featured great visuals (as expected) and some truly impressive voice acting. For those of you that have HDTVs, you'll be glad to know that the US version has been enhanced with new anamorphic widescreen (16:9) functionality.

Check out a shaky-cam version of the trailer, and some pics from the event after the break.

Continue reading Joystiq at NYC's Final Fantasy Day festivities

JoystiqJoystiq at NYC's Final Fantasy Day festivities originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digital lifeDigitalLifeff12ffxiifinal fantasyfinal fantasy 12final fantasy xiiFinalFantasyFinalFantasy12FinalFantasyXiinew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCitynynycPS2squaresquare enixsquare-enixSquareEnixtimes squareTimesSquaretrailerWed, 11 Oct 2006 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Go to NYC for launch, get a Wii handed to you by Reggie]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/28/go-to-nyc-for-launch-get-a-wii-handed-to-you-by-reggie/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/28/go-to-nyc-for-launch-get-a-wii-handed-to-you-by-reggie/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/28/go-to-nyc-for-launch-get-a-wii-handed-to-you-by-reggie/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In sitting down with ABC News, Reggie Fils-Aime does the usual PR thing to promote the Wii, talking up the innovative features of the console and the company's goals to bring their product to people in all walks of life, hardcore gamers and those who do not traditionally play games alike, but more interestingly reveals that he will be on-hand at Nintendo's store in New York city to hand out consoles during launch (he says "a store in NYC," but it's safe to assume it'll be at Nintendo's store). Obviously, he makes no mention of needing to kick your ass and/or take your name to get your hands on a Wii, so we assume you'll need your check card, or the good old cash standard.

[Note: Read link will take you directly to ABC News' video interview]

JoystiqGo to NYC for launch, get a Wii handed to you by Reggie originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>citylaunchnewnewyorkcitynintendonintendowiinycstorewiiworldyorkThu, 28 Sep 2006 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[DS Lites invade McDonald's in Times Square]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/ds-lites-invade-mcdonalds-in-times-square/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/ds-lites-invade-mcdonalds-in-times-square/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/ds-lites-invade-mcdonalds-in-times-square/#commentsFiled under:

Yesterday, we told you about a series of DS Lite demonstrations being held at various McDonald's joints in New York City. While some of you made the astute observation that the nearby Nintendo World Store made that sort of thing a bit redundant, it didn't stop one of our fellow bloggers, Andrew Yoon, from stopping by and shoving his camera into every available face. The fact that Mr. Yoon writes for PSP Fanboy will be conveniently glossed over.

He summed up the event as follows:
  • "The DS guys aren't timely. They arrived half an hour late."
  • "The games playable include New Super Mario Bros, Tetris DS, True Swing Golf, Brain Age and Big Brain Academy."
  • "Every person that plays will get an iced coffee and cool (but useless) frisbee thing."
  • "It seemed like a success: people asked, 'Where's the nearest Toys R Us?' so they can buy these suckers."
  • "A mom seemed completely entranced by Tetris DS."
Entranced mothers could likely be taken as a good sign for Nintendo's ongoing Touch Generations campaign, and events such as these are a great way of grabbing the attentions of those who call every single gaming device "a Nintendo." More pictures follow in the second part of the post.

Continue reading DS Lites invade McDonald's in Times Square

JoystiqDS Lites invade McDonald's in Times Square originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jul 2006 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Big AppleBig MacBigAppleBigMacDS LiteDS Lite DemoDS PhatDsLiteDsLiteDemoDsPhatMcDonald'sNew york CityNewYorkCityNYCThu, 13 Jul 2006 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sample the DS Lite at an NYC McDonald's]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/12/sample-the-ds-lite-at-an-nyc-mcdonalds/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/12/sample-the-ds-lite-at-an-nyc-mcdonalds/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/12/sample-the-ds-lite-at-an-nyc-mcdonalds/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you live in or around New York City and have yet to part with your old DS in order to embrace the Lite, you may want to stop by a McDonald's in the next few days and try the system out for yourself. Several of the burger joints will have demo units to try out and, if you're lucky (or a rampant kleptomaniac), you might just walk away with a free iced coffee, a handful of Nintendo vouchers or even a DS Lite. These are the times and places you need to barge in:

Thursday, July 13, 2006

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
McDonald's restaurant at:
220 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036

Friday, July 14th, 2006

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
McDonald's restaurant at:
1560 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
McDonald's restaurant at:
427 10th Ave and 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

Wednesday, July 19th, 2006

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
McDonald's Restaurant at:
946 8th Ave and 56th Street
New York, NY 10019

Just be sure not to get your filthy hamburger grease all over the precious things.

[Thanks to Elicia Baker at MWW.]

JoystiqSample the DS Lite at an NYC McDonald's originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DS LiteDS PhatDsLiteDsPhatMcDonald'sNew York CityNewYorkCityNYCRonald McDonaldRonaldMcdonaldWed, 12 Jul 2006 19:30:00 EST