Welcome to the inaugural edition of Ask Joystiq, the column where you ask the questions and we track down the answers like the lowly, underpaid servants we are. This week's topics include the magazine industry, PlayStation 3 guitar compatibility and Rock Band's absence in Europe.
If you have a question you want answered, drop us a line at ask AAT joystiq DAWT com. Let's get down to it:
Q: Regarding Ziff-Davis' filing for Chapter 11: Did online kill the magazine star? -Jonah Falcon While most people associate the word "bankruptcy" with "going out of business," Chapter 11 status is often used by relatively healthy companies to restructure old debts. 1UP Vice President for Content Simon Cox explained as much in a recent blog post: "Ziff has been saddled with an enormous amount of debt for many years. An amount so large that even though we're a profitable company (and growing all the time), the repayments were killing us ... So last year we brought the bondholders of that debt to the table and proposed that they turn that debt into equity in Ziff Davis. They all said yes."
While Wii owners in Japan are feverishly playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and everyone in the States is biting their fingernails in anticipation of the March release, we forget our friends in the PAL region, who thus far haven't even been given a firm release date for Nintendo's franchise fighter. Wii Fanboy helps us catch up with all the drama.
A few days ago, Nintendo updated the Brawl page of their UK site, posting a release date of June 1st for the game. Once word had gotten out of the posted date, Nintendo quietly removed it, replacing it with the super-helpful time frame of "2008."
What's even weirder is Nintendo's denial of the slipped release, claiming the update is likely a mistake as June 1st is a Sunday. Keep in mind that the official Brawl release date in the US is March 9th: a Sunday. So either it's a flimsy excuse for an unannounced release date, or the date really doesn't mean anything. Either way, we'll keep you updated on whether Nintendo ever decides to "set a date" with our PAL pals.
Joystiq reader Steven A. sent us word that Nintendo will soon offer to replace copies of Super Paper Mario in the PAL territories due to a game freezing bug. Steven even made a video of the bug which we've placed after the break. Nintendo states the error is very specific and occurs in Chapter 2-2. If you talk to Mimi a second time without picking up a specific key the game will freeze and you'll have to reset the system. If you've passed Chapter 2-2 without any issue, you're in the clear.
For those wondering why this issue is coming up now, it's because Europe just got Super Paper Mariolast week. The game freeze does not damage the console and you can avoid the bug by avoiding the trigger described. Nintendo will soon explain the replacement program on their website.
Sony recently updated their US backwards compatibility search website now that the States gets to join in Europe's pain. As we learned during E3, the new 80 GB PS3 does have backwards compatibility issues. All future PS3 models will also have similar BC issues as they'll use the less expensive software emulation program instead of the PS2 native hardware which is currently in the 60GB model. If you're even considering a future purchase of a PS3 and are at all concerned about your consoles' backwards compatibility, it may be well worth it to get the 60GB model while it still exists -- it truly is your best option in case Sony gets lackadaisical about updating their software backwards compatibility like Microsoft was.
A quick search in the database shows cracks in the foundation already:
God of War -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "During various FMV sequences throughout the title, the audio plays overlapped by static audio distortion."
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title."80GB: "During various FMV sequences throughout the title, the audio plays overlapped by static audio distortion." & "Throughout gameplay, the title performs at a significantly slower than normal performance speed."
Final Fantasy X -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "At various points throughout the Opening FMA sequence, the graphics jitter."
Destroy All Humans -- 60GB: "No major problems for this title." 80GB: "At specific points during gameplay, character weapons do not function as intended."
Go look up some of your favorite games, these were just the first four we checked. There is no master list either, every game must be specifically selected by title. If backwards compatibility is something you care about, it's worth taking the 60GB model under consideration.
PC World reports all the 60GB PS3s are out of the house and looking for a home. Sony's Dave Karraker confirms, "We no longer have any inventory in SCEA warehouses. All inventory has been purchased and shipped to retailers." So, if you still want a PS3 without limited backwards compatibility, here's your last chance. Once the 60GB sell out, that's all she wrote.
Now, we have to ask, was it all a clearance sale or will the 80GB drop down to the $499 price once the channel is cleared? Karraker says, "We won't be making any further announcements ... until the 60GB model is exhausted and market conditions are evaluated." Place your bets if it'll be before or after the holiday. Whatever it takes to build that install base at this point.
Gamasutra reports that there are conflicting signals about how much longer the PS3 Starter Pack will be offered in Europe and PAL territories. The Starter Pack was Sony's answer to Europe for them not receiving the US price drop. Questions revolve around why PAL territories would continue to have a 60GB model when we know that's being phased out and GameSpot Australia reports that their Starter Pack will be done Aug. 31. It also doesn't help that Sony sent emails to Euro PS3 owners who bought their consoles days before the Starter Pack was introduced were told that it was just a "a summer promotion." A SCEE spokesperson said to Gamasutra, "As far as the UK and Europe are concerned there is no time limit on the availability of the Starter Pack".
If SCEE's David Reeve's promise of "fireworks" holds up then maybe there'll be some Sony Europe announcements at Leipzig. The Games Convention is Leipzig could be hiding a bunch of announcements for the European/PAL market. From what's going on with the PS3, to the deal with the no Xbox 360 price drop. Hopefully PAL territories will get some answers in a couple weeks.
The box states: "This product has limited backwards compatibility with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 format software ... visit www.us.playstation.com for system software update." We're attempting to find out if the new 60GB versions rolling off the assembly line will also switch over to the BC software. So, if you're really into your old PS and PS2 games, might want to check and see if they are compatible with the software or get a system currently available before the switch.
*Update: From Dave Karraker, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications regarding the red light: "It is just a lighting trick. Nothing different or new about it."
The PlayStation 3 has reached platinum in the PAL region, having sold one million units since its launch ten weeks ago, GameSpot reports. That report would put the console as faster selling than the PS2 and PSP. The top-selling games were Resistance: Fall of Man (600,000) and Motorstorm (500,000).
It is not clear if the data represents units sold to the consumer or units sold to retail chains (i.e. units shipped). The PAL region covers Europe and Australia. Sony's latest console also broke records at the UK launch, becoming the fastest-selling home console ever for the country with 165,000 units reportedly sold during its launch weekend beginning March 23.
The numbers are impressive for Sony, and serve as good news for the company that has lost market share since the last generation, but it probably won't deter calls for a price drop anytime soon.
[Image Context, "as graceful as a walrus falling upward with an anvil as parachute"]
Joystiq reader Joshua Marketis sent us this scan from an instruction manual for the European version of Wii Mario Strikers. The manual states that "you will be able to play only with people within Europe" unless you have shared friend codes with someone outside of the continent, citing lag concerns.
One of our favorite pleasures is playing Tetris DS online or various Xbox 360 titles over Live at odd hours against players in other regions. Without timezone constraints, we always had a large pool of players, regardless of the hours. Nintendo could have solved the problem with a latency test (assuming one doesn't already exist). Here in North America, there are times when we have less lag playing with South African correspondents than we do with someone just a few states away.
It is currently unknown if the same limitations apply to other regions. We've contacted Nintendo for a statement.
Though the PlayStation 3 is not locked by any particular region, meaning a Japanese PS3 should play European titles, there is one caveat as far as technology is concerned.
Jem Alexander, a new writer for Joystiq sister PS3 Fanboy and the owner of a US PS3 living in Europe, recently picked up a European copy of F.E.A.R. only to get a discouraging message: "This game not supported (80028F10)." You don't need to be fluent in hexdecimal (and if not, why are you wearing those t-shirts, hm?) to feel confusion and resentment towards the supposedly region-free console.
The problem is much less sinister. North America and Japan use NTSC television standards, or 480i, while Europe uses PAL standards, or 576i. Hence, the US PS3 isn't configured to handle the extra 96 lines of imaging. (You might remember a similar problem being noted with European Genesis releases for the Wii Virtual Console.) The solution is simple but costly: all PS3 titles support 720p, so buy an HDTV set.
Square Enix figured a little dose of Patrick Stewart would help generate sales of Final Fantasy XII in Europe and Australia, so the publisher signed up the ever-bold(-ly exploring) voice for the game's ad campaign, which begins next week. Stewart does not provide actual in-game voice-work for FFXII, but he did win Spike TV's 'Best Performance by a Human (male)' for his work in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Stewart's voice has also been cast in the upcoming TMNT film; out next month.
Final Fantasy XII will launch in Europe and Australia on February 23; the ads begin rolling on February 19.
While European gamers may not have a PlayStation 3 just yet, you can register your account now and secure your favorite screen name with as few tacked-on numbers as possible. According to Digital Battle, Sony had originally planned for Europe registration to coincide with the US PS3 launch, but they missed that mark by a few weeks.
For those wanting their hand held through the registration process, you can watch us sign up for the PS network. The Europe registration was originally slated to open alongside the US launch.
[Update 1: Final portion of conclusion was chopped, so it's been fixed. Also, if you're looking for how to sign up, click on the adjacent image or the "read" link below.]
A New Zealand Wii owner gets creative when faced with his country's lack of Virtual Console titles. He changes his console's PAL region to the UK. Voilà!
Unfortunately, this "trick" -- popularized by Xbox 360 users (before Microsoft wised up) -- doesn't work with Japanese or North American Wiis. Japanese owners can't change their Wiis' region, and North Americans don't have access to the Japanese or UK region options.
Virtual Console games for PAL territory Wiis suffer the same 50Hz technical problems as their original releases, according to Pro-G's James Orry. In testing Sonic the Hedgehog, for example, Orry notes that the game "runs noticeably slower than the NTSC version and features sizeable borders at the top and bottom of the screen."
NTSC signals display in 720x480, while PAL signals use 720x576i -- hence the horizontal bars, which are somewhat understandable. However, displaying 50Hz signals on 60Hz sets cause a noticeable slowdown that, according to Orry, "has plagued [PAL] gamers for years. Now PAL gamers are used to proper PAL conversions and 60Hz gameplay options, and being forced to return to the 50Hz dark ages isn't something Wii owners expected."
Not all games suffer the same fate. In an e-mail to Joystiq, Orry notes that he has not tried other titles yet. CVG found similar problems with F-Zero, while Mario 64 and Donkey Kong Country (SNES) ran smoothly with no problems. For now, it's a grab bag.
We know Nintendo promised "faithful recreations" of its old games, and we know that some European gamers won't mind the slower-than-NTSC pace, but to others it's considered lazy on Nintendo's part to bring a game with obvious technical maladies. The Wii comes out in Europe this Friday, December 8.
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