Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Big Versus compares Civilization Revolution to PC predecessorshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Wipe away those tears, sunken-eyed PC loyalists. We know you're upset that Firaxis appears to have turned their back on you in favor of the somewhat fairer console waters, but perhaps the latest edition of Big Versus on Joystiq's youngest sibling, Big Download, will mend your tattered hearts. The console-exclusive Civilization Revolution is measured against the PC-exclusive Civilization IV in this installment -- are PC gamers being robbed of an important chapter in the seminal turn-based strategy franchise, or are they dodging a dumbed-down, oversimplified bullet? You've got to read to find out -- but knowing you brainy PC types, that shouldn't be a problem.

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]]>big-downloadbig-versuscivilization-ivcivilization-revolut...comparisonconsolefiraxispcstrategyturn-based-strategyGriffin McElroy2008-07-12T19:00:00+00:00Diablo 3 'theoretically possible' for console porthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/diablo-3-theoretically-possible-for-console-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/diablo-3-theoretically-possible-for-console-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/05/diablo-3-theoretically-possible-for-console-port/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


In our interview with Diablo 3 lead designer Jay Wilson, it was explained that there were no plans to bring the long-awaited title to any platform other than PC and Mac. However, in the six days that have passed since said interview, a couple of Blizzard higher-ups weren't quite as dismissive of the possibility of the dungeon crawler making an appearance on our primitive gameboxes -- though the language used to describe this possibility hasn't exactly given us high-apple-pie-in-the-sky hopes.

When asked about a console rendition of the third entry in the Lord of Terror-slaying franchise, Blizzard COO Paul Sams gave an inconclusive "I don't know yet," though Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo suggested a console port was "theoretically possible," as out of all of Blizzard's franchises, Diablo would be the most console-friendly. We guess a theoretical "yes" is better than an actual "no", or a metaphorical "maybe", but we're still not holding our bated breath for a non-compy version of Diablo the Third.

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]]>blizzardblizzard-entertainmentconsolediablo-3macpcportps3xbox360Griffin McElroy2008-07-05T16:30:00+00:00Korea getting its Wii on April 26http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/korea-getting-its-wii-on-april-26/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/korea-getting-its-wii-on-april-26/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/korea-getting-its-wii-on-april-26/#commentsFiled under: ,


The official Nintendo Korea site states the country will join the chorus of global Wii worship on April 26, 2008 for 220,000 won ($225 USD). The console will launch with eight titles, including Wii Sports (not included in box), Wii Play -- one of the best selling pieces of "software" in the US -- and puzzle adventure game Zack & Wiki.

The launch happens a little over a week before Children's Day, a popular gift-giving holiday in the country. We'll have to wait and see if the Wii can pull Koreans away from their computer screens -- and Starcraft -- long enough to try out some console gaming.

[Via GoNintendo]

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]]>consolekoreawiiAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-14T14:30:00+00:00Former Xbox Europe exec foresees the extinction of consoleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/former-xbox-europe-exec-foresees-the-extinction-of-consoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/former-xbox-europe-exec-foresees-the-extinction-of-consoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/former-xbox-europe-exec-foresees-the-extinction-of-consoles/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been nearly a year and a half since the beginning of the current console war, and supporters of the Wii, PS3, and 360 are still set deep in their trenches, fighting the good fight. Gallons of fanboy blood and immeasurable amounts of bandwidth have been spilled in this epic struggle -- and according to Sandy Duncan, former VP for Xbox Europe, it's all for naught. All gaming consoles, he claims, will "die out" within the next five to ten years.

No, a console-corrupting pandemic isn't going to sweep the planet -- Duncan predicts that dedicated gaming devices will give way to digital distribution through cable and satellite set-top boxes and online gaming options (though considering his executive position with the web-based YoYo games, this could just be simple, doe-eyed optimism). This presents an interesting question: with no consoles to crusade for, what brave new enterprises will the fanboys move on to? Advertising? Public Relations? God help us -- politics?

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]]>consoleonlinegamingps3sandy duncansandyduncansettopboxwiixbox360yoyogamesGriffin McElroy2008-03-29T17:00:00+00:00Acer planning 'open standard' gaming PChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/acer-planning-open-standard-gaming-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/acer-planning-open-standard-gaming-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/19/acer-planning-open-standard-gaming-pc/#commentsFiled under:

Taiwan's Acer computers is looking to expand past its image as a budget notebook maker with a planned gaming-centric PC, according to a recent interview. Details are scarce, but company VP James T. Wong touted the planned gaming machine's basis in "open standards," compared to closed, proprietary systems of the likes of Microsoft and Nintendo (perhaps Mr. Wong has not heard about the system-opening efforts of XNA and Wii Ware).

Of course, an "open standard" gaming PC could be anything from a simple PC Gaming Alliance-approved system to a full-on Phantom-style set-top box that can run any PC game. We're certainly hoping its the latter -- headline writing hasn't been nearly as fun without the Phantom to kick around.

[Via Engadget]

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]]>consolegaming PCGamingPchardwarePCplansKyle Orland2008-03-19T13:15:00+00:00Space Siege console port is 'definitely' being consideredhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/space-siege-console-port-is-definitely-being-considered/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/space-siege-console-port-is-definitely-being-considered/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/02/space-siege-console-port-is-definitely-being-considered/#commentsFiled under: ,


After our brief hands-on time with the game at CES, we're anxiously awaiting the September release of Gas Powered Games' Space Siege, the interstellar reimagining of Dungeon Siege (the classic RPG series, not the latest box office turd from team Boll/Statham). However, it's a little known fact that four out of every five Joystiq writers don't own computers -- many of our posts are actually published with an intricate system of smoke signals, morse code, and carrier pigeons.

Luckily, we, along with the rest of the WASDaphobic world, might not miss out Space Siege -- According to videogaming247, the game's associate producer recently explained that "a console version is something that's being considered right now." While he mentioned that a port of the game is not officially confirmed, the very thought of getting our PC-fearing hands on the spiritual successor to one of our favorite RPG franchises is enough to inspire visions of zero-G Krug dancing through our heads.

[Via X3F]

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]]>ConsoleDungeonSiegeGasPoweredGamesPCRPGSegaSpaceSiegeGriffin McElroy2008-02-02T12:00:00+00:00NPD to continue providing monthly console sales datahttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/npd-to-continue-providing-monthly-console-sales-data/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/npd-to-continue-providing-monthly-console-sales-data/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/12/npd-to-continue-providing-monthly-console-sales-data/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Ladies and gentlemen, our long national nightmare is finally over. After nearly six long days living in mortal terror that NPD would no longer be releasing its monthly console sales reports, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. GameDaily is reporting that the big three console manufacturers have all signed on to allow the monthly drip of sweet, fanboy-fueling data that has become a morphine-like addiction for the game media.

The next drop of data is set to drip this Thursday, Nov. 15, easing the pain for just a little longer. For those of you who just can't wait that long for your fix, try to ease the cravings with some predictions from Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. Oh, precious data ... never scare us like that again.

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]]>consoledataNPDsalesKyle Orland2007-11-12T13:55:00+00:00Dyack sees unified console as 'inevitable'http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/dyack-sees-unified-console-as-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/dyack-sees-unified-console-as-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/23/dyack-sees-unified-console-as-inevitable/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Are we seeing a movement developing? No sooner does EA's Gerhard Florin say he'd like to see an "open, standard platform" then game designer extraordinaire Denis Dyack says he sees such an idea as "inevitable." Writing for the UK's Official Xbox Magazine (as reported by Computer & Video Games), Dyack argues that having multiple competitive consoles is bad for third parties, who have to make tough decisions on how to split resources, and bad for first parties, who have to spend gobs of money on hardware development to attract the third parties. Such an inefficient market can't sustain itself, Dyack argues, turning a one-console future into "a future we can't avoid."

Sorry, we don't buy it. Even with the market split between three strong systems, both first- and third-parties seem to be doing just fine by targeting content to the specific audiences of each console. More importantly, a single standard would remove the competitive drive to innovate, meaning the unified platform could quickly stagnate. The VHS format reigned supreme for nearly twenty years partly because of its near-monopoly on the home video market. Can you imagine if the NES had lasted that long? Thankfully Sega and the Genesis kick-started the competitive cycle that has led to today's varied crop of systems.

Dyack sees a "consortium of game makers" deciding on the single standard, but such a consortium would inevitably devolve into petty squabbles over hardware issues like type of disc drive, controller design and motion sensitivity, hard drive size, media center features, RAM and a million others. The result would either be a kitchen-sink system that tries to do everything and costs a bazillion dollars (3DO, anyone?) or a splintering of different hardware configurations that would probably look a lot like our current marketplace.

Sorry Denis, but it seems to us like a single-console future is far from inevitable.

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]]>consoleDenis DyackDenisDyackdyacksingleconsoleKyle Orland2007-10-23T12:01:00+00:00Civilization Revolution trailer releasedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/civilization-revolution-trailer-released/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/civilization-revolution-trailer-released/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/28/civilization-revolution-trailer-released/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Just a few hours after the good news hit, Take 2 has released a trailer for the upcoming Civilization Revolution game our handheld and console systems are already salivating for. Ok, so no actual gameplay is shown, just a bunch of orchestral music, pre-rendered cut scenes, and marketing speak reminding us why Civilization is one of the coolest franchises we've ever played. But come on ... this is Civilization. On your DS. On your Xbox 360. How great is that?

Gallery: Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution

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]]>civilizationcivilizationrevolutionconsolehandheldsidmeiertake2John Bardinelli2007-06-28T18:25:00+00:00Microsoft knows console 'sweet spot' is $199http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/08/microsoft-knows-console-sweet-spot-is-199/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/08/microsoft-knows-console-sweet-spot-is-199/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/08/microsoft-knows-console-sweet-spot-is-199/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Bloomberg news just flowed with the good quotes today. Speaking with various Xbox executives, they got one to talk about a sales sweet spot, another to say where they really want the Xbox numbers to be, and finally, a message to the hardcore. First up was Xbox's director of product management, David Hufford, who said, "We are well aware that the sweet spot of the market is really 199 bucks.'' Knowing and doing are clearly two different things. We've been expecting an Xbox price drop to come along later this year, but there hasn't really been a clear movement in that direction just yet. And even if there is a drop, we really don't think anybody should be expecting the premium or "real" Xbox 360 to be $199 anytime soon.

Another beautiful quote comes from Peter Moore, who discusses expanding the demographics of the Xbox 360, which currently resides with the 20-something male. Moore says, "If we don't make that move, make it early and expand our demographic, we will wind up in the same place as with Xbox 1, a solid business with 25 million people ... What I need is a solid business with 90 million people.'' Is that a lofty goal? You better believe it. But if that's where Moore wants to be, expect some serious changes with the console coming soon -- there's that concept of a price drop again.

Some of the changes expected are more family games, making children's titles easier to find and cutting the price. We have one more quote, which really nails home how the Wii is changing the industry with its disturbing sales march. Albert Penello, director of Xbox global marketing knocks it out of the park with, "If you don't start building that content and reputation it never comes ... I don't want to be pigeonholed as a hard-core machine.''

[Via GI.biz]

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]]>199businessconsolepricexbox 360Xbox360Alexander Sliwinski2007-06-08T20:50:00+00:00EA announces casual games branchhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/05/ea-announces-casual-games-branch/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/05/ea-announces-casual-games-branch/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/05/ea-announces-casual-games-branch/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Electronic Arts today announced the formation of a new development branch to nestle beneath it's massive corporate umbrella: EA Casual Entertainment. The group will focus on creating "highly accessible games" that jump right to the fun, leaving all those pesky tutorials, backstories, and other distractions in the dust. Casual Entertainment will develop and publish games for consoles, handheld devices, mobile phones, and the PC. The group is working on new franchises to be unveiled in the future.

EA has already found success in casual games from its 2001 acquisition of Pogo.com. The portal is now one of the dominant forces in casual entertainment, making EA's new studio a virtual money printing machine.

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]]>casualconsoleeaelectronicartshandheldpcJohn Bardinelli2007-06-05T19:01:00+00:00Today's montageist video: Wii60 BFFhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/15/todays-montageist-video-wii60-bff/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/15/todays-montageist-video-wii60-bff/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/15/todays-montageist-video-wii60-bff/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Sure, we've covered the Wii60 meme before, but this is too good to pass up; our video pick shows a quirky Wii60 commercial where the consoles -- and their games -- are acted out in a musical montage. Anthony Barrera, Brian Camacho, and Rudolph Rosado, we salute your YouTube prowess.

See the video after the break.

[Thanks, Ant]

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]]>360consoleconsole warconsole warsConsoleWarConsoleWarsfanhottest videoHottestVideoplatform warplatform warsPlatformWarPlatformWarsvideowiiwii60Zack Stern2007-05-15T00:15:00+00:00Colorware concocts competent console coloringhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/28/colorware-concocts-competent-console-coloring/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/28/colorware-concocts-competent-console-coloring/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/28/colorware-concocts-competent-console-coloring/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Although we fully expect Nintendo to announce new Wii colors in the next year, why not take matters into your own hands and get your Wii custom colored. You can also get your Xbox 360 and/or PS3 done at the same time. ColorWare will let you choose the custom color you want for your console and ship it back to you in 8-10 business days, the cost starts around $100, but to do it right with the controllers and other tweaks it's more like $200. You can purchase your console directly from ColorWare as well and cut out the shipping time (of course the Wii are out of stock).

For those who just need their console match the drapes and scream personality, this looks like a relatively inexpensive and painless solution. Although the colors above look like '80s jacket, '50s refrigerator and hospital green, there's actually a great assortment of colors to choose from. You can always attempt to do a custom paint-job yourself, but for those who would go ahead a purchase another console just for a color, spending the $100 - $200 here might be just a little more economical.

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]]>coloringcolorwarecolouringconsoleAlexander Sliwinski2007-04-28T18:50:00+00:00Nielsen: One-third of TV owners play game consoleshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/05/nielsen-game-consoles-in-41-percent-of-tv-homes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/05/nielsen-game-consoles-in-41-percent-of-tv-homes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/05/nielsen-game-consoles-in-41-percent-of-tv-homes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Nielsen Media Research, best know for its TV ratings, has released an outline the American video game landscape in the form of "The State of the Console" report. Among the more interesting findings:

  • 45.7 million U.S. households have at least one game system, out of 111.4 million that have TVs (41.1%). This number has risen from 38.6 million (35.2%) in late 2004.
  • 148.4 million Americans have access to a console in their home, out of 283.5 million that have access to TVs (52.4%). Of those, 93.8 million Americans (33.3% of the TV population) actually used a console in the 4th quarter of 2006.
  • The top 20% of gamers are responsible for 75% of the console time, averaging 5 hours and 45 minutes of use per day.

Those last two factoids are pretty interesting, as they show console games are still appealing primarily to a very small niche of the potential market, and that a small slice of that niche is responsible for most of the actual playing time. If game makers can somehow attract these uninterested console owners, they'll have tapped into a much larger market than they might be used to.

Read - Summary
Read - Full report (7 page PDF)

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]]>consolegamesmediaNielsenratingsreportresearchstate of the consoleStateOfTheConsoleKyle Orland2007-03-05T11:55:00+00:00The death of console game servershttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/04/the-death-of-console-game-servers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/04/the-death-of-console-game-servers/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/04/the-death-of-console-game-servers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The fine cranks over at Curmudgeon Gamer have pointed out a somewhat disturbing trend of server shutdowns for some high profile online-enabled games from the last generation. Apparently, the online user base for these games is no longer sufficient to justify the expense for the companies running their servers.

It's a little bit troubling to consider that there's an effective time limit for the online features of any console game you buy, and that this limit is totally at the discretion of the publisher. Then again, it's hard to ask a company to continue to devote resources for servers that few people are using and fewer still will likely use in the future.

The solution seems obvious to us -- let players host their own servers, either through a PC or through the console itself. The online experience might suffer a bit, but at least interested players will still be able to play online without being a burden on the publisher. Failing that, follow the Curmudgeon's suggestion bring back the direct connection, player-to-player multiplayer that was available on the Dreamcast. Either way, don't take away our online play.

Previously: Amplitude servers going offline, 'farewell party' Sunday

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]]>consoledeaddeathonlineonline-enabledserverserversKyle Orland2007-03-04T13:40:00+00:00Blizzard: consoles soon obsolete, becoming one with PCshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/06/blizzard-consoles-soon-obsolete-becoming-one-with-pcs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/06/blizzard-consoles-soon-obsolete-becoming-one-with-pcs/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/06/blizzard-consoles-soon-obsolete-becoming-one-with-pcs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

entertainment hubBlizzard VP of business development Itzik Ben Bassat is keeping a watchful eye on console progression, supposing that the gaming devices could become obsolete in as few as five years. "The PC is becoming an entertainment hub ... Maybe in five years you won't need a console because you'll have one PC which delivers content [including games] all over your house," Bassat mused in a conversation with GamesInustry.biz.

Bassat's thought is far from a radical one, as we're already witnessing the evolution of consoles into specialized computers that serve a variety of entertainment purposes. Similarly, we're seeing Microsoft take lessons learned from the Xbox project and apply them to Windows Vista. Consoles becoming PCs; PCs becoming consoles. It's happening -- and the line will only become more blurred. So much so, that Bassat and Blizzard are content to hold off attempts to port World of Warcraft onto consoles.

While WoW might not be a perfect fit, Bassat admits that he's interested in the development of online console services, with a particular attraction to Xbox Live Arcade. "I'm very impressed, I'm impressed by the people who do [XBLA], and the service is very easy, very intuitive. I love it." You hear that Microsoft? Sounds like Blizzard's making a pass.

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]]>BlizzardConsoleWorld of WarcraftWorldOfWarcraftWoWXBLAXbox Live ArcadeXboxLiveArcadeJames Ransom-Wiley2007-02-06T14:14:00+00:00Epic aims for Unreal Tournament user mods on PS3, 360http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/29/epic-aims-for-unreal-tournament-user-mods-on-ps3-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/29/epic-aims-for-unreal-tournament-user-mods-on-ps3-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/29/epic-aims-for-unreal-tournament-user-mods-on-ps3-360/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

unreal tournament 3Speaking to Game Informer, Epic's Mark Rein sounded confident that user-created content would be distributed to Unreal Tournament 3 console players via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Rein explained that the reason for delaying confirmation of UT3 on 360 was tied to this issue, as Epic was unsure that Microsoft's strict certification process would allow for user mods on the console. Rein admitted that "it's still a bit of an open issue," but added that "we've had some pretty clear indications that we'll be able to [bring mods to Xbox 360]."

It's unclear how mods would be created and distributed for console use. On Xbox 360, given potential leverage earned by Gears of War's success, perhaps Epic could smuggle mods through XNA. More likely, Epic would convert select user-created mods for the PC version and distribute them via Xbox Live Marketplace (as a courtesy, we would hope). On PS3, there seem to be more "open" possibilities, but the process could be equally simplified.

[Via 1UP]

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]]>360ConsoleEpicEpic GamesEpicGamesModPlayStation NetworkPlaystationNetworkPS3Unreal TournamentUnreal Tournament 3UnrealTournamentUnrealTournament3Xbox 360Xbox LiveXbox Live MarketplaceXbox360XboxLiveXboxLiveMarketplaceXNAJames Ransom-Wiley2007-01-29T22:15:00+00:00Xbox 360 price cut vs. cost reductionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/xbox-360-price-cut-vs-cost-reduction/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/xbox-360-price-cut-vs-cost-reduction/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/27/xbox-360-price-cut-vs-cost-reduction/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The San Jose Mercury News has posted an interview with Robbie Bach, President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division (a title alone that speaks volumes about the structural problems at MS), that has some interesting tidbits in it. Most notable is when Bach says, "Right now we are thinking about how to cost reduce the Xbox 360. That seems to be the first order of business."

It has been rumored for some time now that the Xbox 360 would see a price cut around the holidays, but now that Black Friday and the PlayStation 3 launch have come and gone, you can kiss that one goodbye. What Bach is talking about here is that Microsoft wants to drop the production cost of the 360, in an effort to make it profitable. There's a big difference between cost-reducing and price-cutting. When a manufacturer costs reduces, they're making it cheaper for them to produce something, usually by switching to different vendors or using cheaper materials.

Microsoft promised that they would cost-reduce the Xbox 360 every year, which they've already done this year. The console was rumored to cost Microsoft between $525 and $715 for each unit produced, vs. the current production price of around $329, giving MS a chance to make a small profit on each premium system sold. As they find more cost-reduction options over the next year, that gap should widen. The only time we'll see a price drop on the console itself is either when the PS3 drops theirs, or when the Xbox 720 II Virtual Gameulator comes out. Of course, you can always take Micro Center's deal and get $100 off, your choice.

Microsoft has repeatedly said that the Xbox division won't turn a profit until 2008, although Bach dances around that with statements like, "Xbox is on the trajectory we thought it would be on. We feel very good about that." There's a difference between a good feeling and black ink, though. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft not only plans to compete with Sony not only in numbers of consoles sold, but where the profits are coming from.

If Microsoft really wants to make a profit, they might think about buying stock in companies that sell red pens if they keep releasing things like the Zune.

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]]>consoleconsole warscost reduceMicrosoftPlaystation 3priceprice cutPS3reductionRobbie BachSonyXboxXbox 360Kevin Kelly2006-11-27T15:30:00+00:00Amazon angers Wii waitershttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/amazon-angers-wii-waiters/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/amazon-angers-wii-waiters/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/amazon-angers-wii-waiters/#commentsFiled under: ,

Amazon.com pulled some shenanigans with the Wii on Sunday, angering a lot of gamers who had camped out on Amazon's Wii order page from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon, hitting refresh every couple of seconds. Amazon had previously touted (via the order page) that the Wii would be available for purchase on the site, sometime on Sunday, and that news spread like wildfire, especially amongst those who wanted to wait in the comfort of their own home, not on a curb somewhere.

However, by failing to provide a time they left a lot of buyers in the lurch, strike one. If you had previously registered on the page, you were told that you would receive an email as soon as they had more information about when the Wii would go on sale. Did anyone ever get that email? We sure didn't. Strike two. They eventually put up a notice that states, "We are currently out of stock: We sold out of our initial supply of the Wii on Sunday morning, November 19, in less than one minute." Yer out.

First came the debacle over "accidental" pre-orders in October, and now this. While folks were waiting on Sunday, the "user reviews" section became a forum of sorts, with people swapping alternatives for scoring a Wii, like brick and mortar stores and other websites. It grew to over 700 comments before Amazon finally shut it down and scaled it back to just reviews about the system.

Anyone actually able to score one during the one minute sale? We hope that with lightning fast gamer reflexes, you'd have the drop on regular Amazon shoppers.

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]]>AmazonconsolelaunchNintendoorderpreordersaleWiiKevin Kelly2006-11-20T18:25:00+00:00Girl in Austin not sure about PS3, waits in line for funhttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/girl-in-austin-not-really-sure-about-ps3-decides-to-wait-in-line/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/girl-in-austin-not-really-sure-about-ps3-decides-to-wait-in-line/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/16/girl-in-austin-not-really-sure-about-ps3-decides-to-wait-in-line/#commentsFiled under: , ,


This video just sort of makes you stare at the screen with your jaw gaping open and go, "What the?!" A girl in South Austin who knows nothing about gaming at all "heard that this was going to be good," and has decided to wait in line at a Best Buy for a PS3. The reporter asks "What do people do for a living in order to come out here and camp out?" Casey's extremely truthful reply, "I don't do anything, honestly ... I'm just doing it for the thrill. Something to get out of my usual ... you know." We have a feeling she was about to say "boring life."

The reporter accurately goes on to identify her as a girl, proving that there is still some top-notch news reporting going on out there, folks. She then goes on to say, "Us girls don't really fit into this environment with all this gaming." This is about as bad as the "math is hard!" Barbie doll, which we suspect the reporter probably owns and has propped up on her makeup mirror. Any female gamers out there care to issue some rebuttal smackdown to this reporter wannabe? Casey says all the guys in line have been really nice to her (mm hmm) by helping her set her tent up and take it down, and that friends have been bringing her blankets, gloves, and a beanie because it's cold out there. We wonder what she showed up in line with.

Anyhow, Casey, we truly hope this is everything you want it to be. If it's not, eBay can help you turned those failed dreams into some bling. We have a sneaky suspicion that's really what she's doing in line anyhow. Let's do the math: does nothing + heard it was good + not a gamer = look for this console to be listed at about 8:37AM central time on Friday.

"Those waiting in line cannot pitch tents until the store closes at 9PM ..." We can guarantee that there's some tent-pitching going on in that line. We're at less than 24 to go, and it's fanboys on high alert! Plus look, a girl!

[Thanks, Collin]

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]]>Best BuycampingconsolegirllaunchlinePlayStation 3PS3Sonywaiting in lineKevin Kelly2006-11-16T16:25:00+00:00