To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ColecoVision game system, here is my entry for the Minigame Competition 4k division.
You are the captain of the proud Maid of the Mist, taking tourists to view Niagra Falls. Sounds easy? Well, to keep from being fired you need to keep your ship in ship shape, by avoiding rocks and logs in your way. Hit one, and your ship will slow, and you will risk falling behind. Hit too many and you'll sink. Watch for the dreaded whirlpools which are sure to sink you.
Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
It's been a strong release week, especially with plenty of great new Xbox360™ releases. Popular sellers for Microsoft's system have been Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Japanese), Tomb Raider: Anniversary, The Simpsons Game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (also available as Wireless Guitar Bundle), Conan and SEGA Rally Revo (all Asia releases).
For PlayStation3™ we've got SEGA Rally Revo, Clive Barker's Jericho, Conan and of course Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Asia / US).
Nintendo's long-awaited Super Mario Galaxy has been released for Nintendo Wii™ today and the most interesting PlayStation2™ release in this week has been Banpresto's Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd.
Top handheld sellers have been Front Mission for Nintendo DS™, followed by Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (US) and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (Asia) for PSP™.
Last but not least, make sure to check out Gamepark Holding's GP2X F-200 Game System, the successor to the popular Korean handheld console.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases of this week,
Xbox360™:
Ace Combat 6 Flight Stick EX JPN US$ 149.00
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation JPN US$ 69.90
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Blue Dragon (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Chikyuu Boueigun 3 / Earth Defense Forces 3 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 59.90
Conan ASIA US$ 49.90
Dead Rising + Gears of War (Platinum Double Pack) JPN US$ 49.90
Dead or Alive 4 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Gears of War (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Guitar Hero II (Game Only) US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock ASIA US$ 49.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle ASIA US$ 129.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 39.90
Oneechanbara vorteX (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Project Sylpheed (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
SEGA Rally Revo ASIA US$ 44.90
The Idolm@ster (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
The Simpsons Game ASIA US$ 44.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary ASIA US$ 39.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary US US$ 42.90
Xbox 360 Console Value Pack JPN US$ 399.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Light Blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Pink) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Light Blue) JPN US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Pink) JPN US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™:
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 64.90
Conan US US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 69.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN US$ 109.90
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights US US$ 64.90
Railfan: Taiwan High Speed Rail JPN US$ 59.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction US US$ 64.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction ASIA US$ 59.90
SEGA Rally Revo (English language Version) ASIA US$ 59.90
The Eye of Judgment Booster Pack US US$ 6.90
The Eye of Judgment: Biolith Scourge Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Earth Emperor Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Fire Crusader Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Water Barrage Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Wood Swarm Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 49.90
Namco Museum Remix US US$ 44.90
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution Revolution US US$ 49.90
Opoona JPN US$ 64.90
Super Mario Galaxy JPN US$ 59.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 49.90
PlayStation2™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 44.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 44.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN N/A
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
MotoGP 07 JPN US$ 64.90
Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd JPN US$ 64.90
Gamepark Holding GP2X:
GP2X F-200 Game System US$ 169.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 34.90
CSI: Dark Motives ASIA US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning US US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning ASIA US$ 34.90
Disney Princess: Magical Jewels US US$ 34.90
Dolphin Island ASIA US$ 34.90
Dragon Tamer: Sound Spirits JPN US$ 48.90
Ed, Edd & Eddy: Scam of the Century US US$ 34.90
Front Mission US US$ 39.90
Hannah Montanna: Music Jam US US$ 34.90
Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge US US$ 24.90
Naruto: Path of the Ninja US US$ 34.90
Petz Wild Animals Dolphinz US US$ 34.90
Power Rangers: Super Legends US US$ 34.90
Sangokushi DS 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys US US$ 34.90
Solitaire Overload US US$ 34.90
Spanish for Everyone US US$ 34.90
The Aly & AJ Adventure US US$ 34.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 34.90
Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Koushiki Soft: 250-Mannin no KanKen JPN US$ 29.90
Sony PSP™:
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles US US$ 39.90
Gundam Battle Chronicle KOR US$ 49.90
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of WarLords ASIA US$ 29.90
SEGA Rally Revo (English language Version) ASIA US$ 39.90
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow ASIA US$ 39.90
The Sims 2: Castaway ASIA US$ 42.90
Books & Magazines:
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Arcadia Magazine [December 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness - The Official Strategy Guide US US$ 24.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [December 2007] JPN US$ 16.50
Toys & Misc:
Chrono Gate - Mylene Hoffman 009-1 Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Conan Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Black Wolf (Limited Edition) US$ 14.90
Creator's Labo #13: Air Gear Simca Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Dragon Ball DX - God Dragon Plush Doll JPN N/A
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Bean Bag Plush Doll: Bubble Slime JPN US$ 14.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: Angel Slime JPN US$ 14.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: King Slime JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: Slime Knight JPN US$ 17.90
Final Fantasy Miniature Trading Figures Vol. 1 JPN US$ 4.90
Final Fantasy Tactics Trading Arts JPN US$ 6.90
Funny Knights Prepainted PVC Figure Kurimu Kuru Nee (Custard Vers.) JPN US$ 49.90
Funny Knights Prepainted PVC Figure Kurimu Kuru Nee (Strawberry Vers.) JPN US$ 49.90
Halloween Girl 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Idolm@ster Xenoglossia - Yukihiro Hagiwara 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 39.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Story Image Figure - Ryofu Housen (Japanese Limited Edition) US$ 59.90
Interon Depot 4 Bullets: Space Pirates blue version 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Interon Depot 4 Bullets: Space Pirates red version 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Kamichu - Yurie Hitotsubashi 1/8 Scale Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Mai-Hime Z Pre-painted 1/10 Scale PVC Figure - Shizuru Viola (Swimsuit) JPN N/A
Megachu! 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Reukotea JPN US$ 59.90
Melty Blood Act Cadenza Painted PVC Figure Vol. 3: Hisui JPN US$ 17.90
Melty Blood Act Cadenza Painted PVC Figure Vol. 3: Kohaku JPN N/A
Monster Hunter - Hunter Goods Collection Life Figure Part 2 JPN US$ 4.99
Oh My Goodness - Beachside Collection Trading Figures JPN US$ 8.90
Rozen Maiden Traumend Costuma P Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Souseiseki JPN US$ 64.90
Rozen Maiden Traumend Costuma P Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Suiseiseki JPN N/A
SR Shining Wind Figure Collection Gashapon Part 2 JPN US$ 3.49
Sengoku Basara 2: Sanada Yukimur Prepainted PVC Figure with voice JPN N/A
Shakugan no Shana 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Shana (Ceremony Vers.)(Re-Run) JPN US$ 49.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Figure Gashapon Vol.3 JPN US$ 2.99
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Painted PVC Figure - Haruhi Suzumiya (High School HR Ver.) JPN US$ 14.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Painted PVC Figure - Mikuru Asahina (High School HR Ver.) JPN US$ 14.90
Transformers The Movie Pre-Painted Figure: Ironhide MA-09 JPN US$ 44.90
Transformers The Movie Pre-Painted Figure: Optimus Prime MA-01 JPN US$ 64.90
Water Game DS Lite Candy Toy JPN US$ 4.90
beatmania IIDX 1/8 Figure Series Vol.1: Candy Rabbit JPN US$ 69.90
Floor space for gaming exhibitors [at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show] will jump 65 percent on last year's available space, but to date the only companies to have confirmed a presence are Commodore Gaming, Entropia Universe, Red Lion Interactive, Shuttle Computers, War Machine, LumiSource, Red Beard and InterAction Laboratories.
However, Microsoft and Sony will both be in attendance on a wider scale, and gaming features are expected to form part of their respective booths.
Joystiq got their greasy manhooks on some interesting market data from NPD. Savvy Xbox 360 fans know that the Xbox 360 sells quite a few games, but according to this data, the Xbox 360 sells nearly twice as many games per console as the PS3 and Wii.
* Xbox 360: hardware to software ratio: 6.59 (hardware total sold = 6.8 million; software total sold = 44.8 million)
* PlayStation 3: hardware to software ratio: 3.58 (hardware total sold = 1.9 million; software total sold = 6.8 million)
* Wii: hardware to software ratio: 3.44 (hardware total sold = 4.5 million; software total sold = 15.5 million)
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello suggests that publishers will soon have to "deal with" the $59 price point for next-gen videogames.
With the US videogame industry on track for its biggest year ever at $17-$18 billion in 2007 revenues, it would seem that consumers are just peachy with the current price of next-generation games.
"In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with [the current pricing model]. In China, they're giving games away for free," he said in a Fortune blog report. "People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt."
The latest in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise has topped the Japanese charts according to data from Media Create – selling almost double the amount of units as its closest competitor.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 for the DS has sold over 142,000 units on the first week of release. Banpresto's PS2 game Ar Tonelico is at number two in the charts, debuting with 72,000 sales.
The top ten best-selling games includes a total of seven new entries, with World Soccer Winning Eleven DS: Goal to Goal at number three (29,00 units sold), Sega's Ghost Squad for Wii at seven (20,000 units sold) and Capcom's God of War II at eight (17,000 units sold).
The full Japanese top ten follows:
1. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS)
2. Ar Tonelico (PS2)
3. World Soccer Winning Eleven DS: Goal to Goal (DS)
4. Imabikisou (PS3)
5. DS Literature Collection (DS)
6. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (DS)
7. Ghost Squad (Wii)
8. God of War II (PSP)
9. DS Nishimura Kyotarou Suspense Detective Series: Deadly Intent (DS)
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS)
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption for the Wii has topped the Swedish multiformat charts on its first week of release, according to latest stats from Dataspelsbranschen .
And it's a one-two punch for Nintendo as DS hit The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass takes the number two spot, nudging soccer rivals such as FIFA 08, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Football Manager 2008 down the charts.
But it's a different matter in the single format charts, where Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is the number one seller on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2.
The best selling games in Sweden follow:
Multiformat
1. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption (Wii)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
3. Football Manager 2008 (PC)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
6. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (PC)
7. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager (PS2)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (360)
9. World of Warcraft (PC)
10. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
11. FIFA 08 (PS2)
12. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
13. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (360)
14. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt (PC)
15. The Witcher (PC)
16. Halo 3 (360)
17. Battlefield 2 (PC)
18. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
19. FIFA 08 (PS3)
20. World in Conflict (PC)
PC
1. Football Manager 2008
2. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
3. World of Warcraft
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
5. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology
6. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt
7. The Witcher
8. Battlefield 2
9. Warcraft III Frozen Throne
10. World in Conflict
PlayStation 2
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager
3. FIFA 08
4. Guitar Hero 2
5. Singstar Svenska hits
6. Final Fantasy XII
7. Need for Speed Carbon
8. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s
9. Singstar R&B
10. NHL 08
PlayStation 3
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. FIFA 08
3. NHL 08
4. Skate
5. Folklore
6. Eye of Judgement
7. Colin McRae Dirt
8. Sega Rally
9. Heavenly Sword
10. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Xbox 360
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
3. Halo 3
4. FIFA 08
5. Project Gotham Racing 4
6. NHL 08
7. Need for Speed Carbon
8. Skate
9. Eternal Sonata
10. Guitar Hero 2
Wii
1. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption
2. Table Tennis
3. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
4. Rayman Raving Rabbids
5. Mario Party 8
6. Boogie
7. Super Paper Mario
8. FIFA 08
9. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
10. Carnival Games
Nintendo DS
1. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
2. New Super Mario Bros
3. Pokémon Pearl
4. Pokémon Diamond
5. Mario Kart DS
6. Bilar
7. Magical Starsign
8. The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
9. The Sims 2 Pets
10. Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends
PSP
1. FIFA 08
2. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
3. Need for Speed Underground Rivals
4. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
5. Medal of Honor: Heroes
6. NHL 07
7. Tekken Dark Resurrection
8. GTA Vice City Stories
9. Daxter
10. Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
Flashlinker Europe.com have today added a preorder for a 6GB MicroSDHC Memory card thats compatible with most consoles (via adapters) for the rather cheap price of 59.00EUR
The Nintendo Wii is still outselling the PlayStation 3 by 2-to-1 in Japan, although the gap between the rival formats has closed for the fourth consecutive month.
The latest figures released by Enterbrain and reported by Reuters show that Nintendo shifted 110,415 units in the four weeks to October 28, while Sony sold 47,183 PlayStation 3 units.
Microsoft continues to struggle in the region, with sales of the Xbox 360 reaching 18,717 units for the same period.
MCV sister site Develop reports that Rockstar, no stranger to controversy, has once again hit the internet headlines, this time regarding the credits in Manhunt 2.
In a blog post by Jurie Horneman, previously the game’s producer, it has been revealed that the instruction manual of the recently-released US version of the game fails to credit any of the work done by Rockstar’s Vienna studio, which was unexpectedly closed in 2006.
“To the best of my knowledge, apart from the people who briefly went to Rockstar London to assist with development there, nobody from Rockstar Vienna is mentioned in the credits of Manhunt 2,” writes Horneman.
“I do not want to denigrate what Rockstar London did on Manhunt 2, but as far as I can tell (from analyzing screenshots, previews, etc.) the majority of the work we did at Rockstar Vienna is in the released game.
Following Take-Two’s admission that hackers had successfully unlocked Adults Only content supposedly cut from the M-rated version of Manhunt 2, California State Senator Leland Yee has called for the game to be reclassified again, while the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) has criticized the game for perpetuating “cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illnesses are violent.”
While multiple edits were made to revise Manhunt 2 so it would be granted a Mature rating (17+), hackers appear to have proven that the sections of the game in question were blocked but not entirely cut, allowing them to create a modified version of the title not meant for release.
“We hope that consumers will not engage in hacking or download illegally modified copies of our games. We encourage them to enjoy our games as they are meant to be played,” said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick in a statement Thursday. However, as GamePolitics reports, Take-Two’s line of defense hasn’t been able to stop fresh waves of criticism.
“Not only should the AO rating immediately be reinstated on [Manhunt 2], the Federal Trade Commission should investigate Rockstar and the ESRB to determine how this was allowed to happen again,” said Senator Yee.
“Time and time again, the ESRB rating process fails parents. It is unconscionable that the rating board would downgrade Manhunt 2’s rating from AO to M and therefore make the game available to children. The ESRB and Rockstar continuously put profits before children.
“Parents deserve to know what, if any, content was truly removed to receive the downgraded rating. ESRB has refused to publicly disclose whether or not Rockstar divulged that such adult content could still be accessible. As if we needed more evidence, this episode further puts into question the validity of the entire rating system.
“The Manhunt 2 scandal further demonstrates the need for [California’s contested video game] law. I am hopeful that the courts will see that severe penalties are necessary for those who sell horrifically violent games to minors.”
The Gamer Gene also reports that NAMI’s executive director Mike Fitzpatrick issued a statement criticizing the title’s portrayal of the mentally ill.
“Even though some people may consider Manhunt 2 to be only a game, it unfortunately perpetuates and reinforces cruel, inaccurate perceptions that people who live with mental illnesses are violent.
“The U.S. Surgeon General has condemned such stigmatization, identifying fear of stigma as a major barrier to people getting help when they need it. The overall contribution of mental illnesses to violence in society is exceptionally small. In fact, people living with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence.
"We do not favor censorship, but we do ask for responsible exercise of creative rights when serious public health concerns are at issue. It is our right to demand a higher standard.”
Researchers long believed that human perception was limited to tracking four moving objects at one time. But a new study, challenging participants to follow 16 dots moving at a very slow pace on a computer screen, found that participants were able to track up to eight objects at once (or double what we previously thought possible).
The major downfall of our ability to track objects is speed. Because once these dots hit the on-screen speed of 0.15 metres per second, subjects were only able to track one dot at a time.
Subsidies, sponsorships and other forms of public funding for videogames developers is not a good solution to increasing development costs, according to Dr Klemens Kundratitz, managing director of Koch Media.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz he is worried about the uneven playing field that countries such as Canada create, but believes that public funding would lead to games for the sake of culture, rather than for the sake of the customer.
"I don't believe in sponsorship, public funding and subsidies at all, because I think that those systems will lead to games being produced for reasons that are not what the consumer demands, but because people think they should be for cultural reasons."
"It takes the attention away from what the customer wants, and if we create great entertainment then the customer will buy it and I'd rather not have everybody focused on how to get subsidies from various places."
This isn't new (obviously), but many of you might not know that back at CES 1985, Nintendo demoed an Advanced Video System that was the spiritual design predecessor to the grey and black NES we all grew up with.
This consoleputer was supposed to be entirely wireless and tied together via line-of-sight infrared, and contained a keyboard, joystick, light gun, NES controllers, something that looks like a tape deck, a Klingon Bat'leth, the hopes and dreams of one Japanese salaryman designer that has since offed himself, and design features that were slightly too ahead of its time. Still, if we had this instead of the NES, we'd probably be typing 180wpm instead of the 130wpm we do now.
Flashlinker Europe.com have today added a preorder for a 8GB MicroSDHC Memory card thats compatible with most consoles (via adapters) for the rather cheap price of 79.00EUR
Gamasutra has up a pair of articles discussing the numbers from this round of the console wars. One focuses on the current frontrunner, Nintendo. Their numerical superiority is highlighted by the number of million selling titles they currently have on tap. Both the DS and Wii are carrying multiple-million sellers, with the current tally for (recently released) Diamond/Pearl sitting at 12,170,000. Meanwhile, in a lengthy article, the site fully explores the impact of console sales in numerous markets and venues, with comparisons between all three consoles (and a focus on Nintendo's sales).
"PlayStation 2 titles make up the bulk of software sales in the U.S. and Europe again in 2007, as they have in previous years. The Wii's 2007 numbers equal the GameCube's in 2006, but its software growth isn't yet matching its hardware's. Microsoft's Xbox 360 has benefited largely from the Xbox's demise and the PlayStation 2 sales' slow decline. Even with the PlayStation 3 hardware's current state in Europe, its software sales in Europe are relatively low."
Jimi Game Shell Case
Manufacturer: Mr Smith
Site: Buy from Jimi
Price: $9.95
Overview : Jimi™ Game Shell is compact, water resistant and shockproof, and you can attach it to your backpack, lanyard or keyring. Within its recyclable sanoprene liners, each case securely holds two Nintendo DS games, two Wii (SD) cards, or two PSP (ProDuo game or music) cards.
Jimi™ Game Shell's translucent outer skin is made from 100% recycled and recyclable polypropylene. Combined with the cushioning sanoprene lining in planet purple, gunmetal grey, or fire red this splash proof shell makes it ideal for storing your DS and PSP game cards, music or camera memory cards, and it looks really sweet to boot.
Quality/Usability : There have been a couple of vacations where I carried my PSP and DS around with me. Each portable system in its own dedicated case but no place to carry my extra games or memory sticks.
Jimi may be your solution and even mine as well. Jimi is made of durable plastic with sanoprene lining (rubber). You can attach the Jimi to your keyring, bag or string for easy portability. The Jimi is small enough to fit in your pants pocket and light weight that you wont notice it. Jimi comes in three colors of sanoprene lining: Red, Grey or Purple. The plastic shell is all the same clear color.
The sanoprene is removeable. The mold of the sanoprene allows you to hold up to two Pro Duo memory sticks or two SD cards (one on each side) or one of each. Above the memory cards, you can hold two DS games. The memory sticks and DS games are held in place securely. Even if you only had one DS game and the other slot was open and was holding either a Pro Duo or SD, they wont come out unless it was banged on hard.
Conclusion : Overall, the Jimi Game Shell Case is a nice solution to holding your memory sticks and DS games at once and together. I'm not sure if it was my shipment only but it did not come with a keyring like the Jimi Multi-Media Memory Case as that came with a keyring. The price of the Game Shell Case is fairly reasonable as well.
Jimi Multi-Media Memory Case
Manufacturer: Mr Smith
Site: Buy from Jimi
Price: $8.95
Overview : Jimi™ multi media case is compact, water resistant and shockproof, and you can attach it to a lanyard or keyring. Within it’s recyclable sanoprene liners it can hold two of any of the 13 most popular formats of digital media or memory cards.
Jimi™ multi media case’s outer shell is made from 100% recycled and recyclable polypropylene. Combined with the cushioning sanoprene lining this splash proof shell makes it ideal for storing your digital camera media during snow sports, cycling and other outdoor activities.
Or if you just want somewhere to stash your flash memory cards when you’re traveling or living a busy mobile life this’ll do the trick. If you’re a digital photographer, or media or memory card user and have made a New Years resolution to get more organized, the Jimi™ multi media case is a great first step.
Quality/Usability : With my new interest in professional photography, I went and bought digital SLR camera from a family relative. I still have a regular digital camera that I carry around as well. For both these cameras, I have about 1-2 memory sticks.
Jimi is made of durable plastic with sanoprene lining (rubber). You can attach the Jimi to your keyring, bag or string for easy portability. The Jimi is small enough to fit in your pants pocket and light weight that you wont notice it. Jimi seems to come in one color, outer black case with light blue sanoprene liner.
The sanoprene is removeable. The mold of the sanoprene allows you to hold one of each on one side but you can hold a combination of the following formats:
xD Card
SM Card
SD Card
MMC Card
MMC Micro
MMC Mobile
Mini SD w/Adapter
1" Harddrive
MS Pro Duo
Memory Stick
Compact Flash
Compact Flash II
Micro SD w/Adapter
The media cards are held in place securely. If there were some slots that were not filled in, the media cards will not come out unless it was banged on hard.
Conclusion : Overall, the Jimi Multi-Media Memory Case is probably the best solution for carrying all your multi-media cards all in one place. Of course, that is if you have that many different media cards to carry around. What I did notice was that microSD w/adapter was mentioned as being able to be held in the Jimi Multi-Media Memory Case, although true, the adapter is actually a SD card. If you wanted to hold microSD card only, there is no designated spot for it. It will be moving around freely. Those who own a DS and PSP, may want to take a look at the Jimi Game Shell Case.
I just spoke to a contact at my local Target store, who informed me of an interesting internal memo. Apparently all Target stores are to stop selling Manhunt 2, going so far as to tell managers to refuse shipments of the title for all systems, with Take 2 agreeing to take back all unopened copies of the game.
Why is this action being taken? The extreme violence in the game is the given reason, but my contact (an employee but not a manager) was told that it was due in greater part to the unfavorable coverage the game got in the national press the last several days. Target stores had been selling the game since it's launch, but it was only today that they were told to pull the product and refuse further shipments.
The listing for Manhunt 2 on the Target website shows that the item is "not available in stores."
I've spoken to employees of several other large retailers (Best Buy, Gamestop and Circuit City) and none of them are, at this time, taking similar actions.
Sega of America released today the first trailer from the highly anticipated game Viking: Battle for Asgard. This stylish new game brings gamers into the rarely-explored and brutal world of the Vikings and their all-powerful Gods.
As Skarin, the powerful yet flawed warrior, take part in epic battles and fight savage magical beasts and barbaric warriors and ultimately face the challenge to stop Ragnarok – the apocalyptic battle that could destroy everything. In this spectacular new trailer, see massive battles and the horrific enemies for the first time and meet the hero who will inspire an army and save the world.
Made by the renowned developer The Creative Assembly, Viking: Battle for Asgard will be in stores for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Spring 2008.
Overview : At long last it’s time for Xbox 360™ owners to feel the benefits of tilt sensation, something of which PS3™ owners have been privileged to since its inception. Moreover, the Nintendo Wii™ is a prime example of just how instrumental interactive controllers can be in providing a highly enjoyable gaming experience.
Talismoon’s Tiltboard sports a unique u-shaped board that puts the two Tiltboard control buttons within easy reach of gamers fingers, with one button conveniently located on either wide of the wireless controller battery pack. This gives gamers the ability to make on the fly tilt adjustments during a game without even stopping. This comes in particularly handy for instances in games when it is necessary to switch between both stick and tilt control.
The Tiltboard is an intelligent piece of kit and comes pre-loaded with TiltTune™ technology which is the most user friendly firmware available for such a device. Gamers have the option to adjust the tilt sensitivity, adjust the 0 degree in order to hold the controller at the most comfortable angle, invert the Y axis and turn the tilt function on and off. Everything required to enjoy the latest sensation in console gaming on Xbox 360™ comes in a convenient package and requires only seven wires to solder.
Features :
Custom Fit Design
2 multifunction buttons within easy reach
Requires soldering 7 wires
"Best practice" install method eliminates control loss as controller battery life weakens
Persistent memory keeps your TiltTune settings even if there is no power to your controller.
The new tiltBoard comes preloaded with tiltTune technology (TM), the most user friendly firmware available, including:
Adjust tilt sensitivity
Adjust the 0 degree so that you can hold the controller at whatever angle is natural for you
Invert the Y axis (independently for either the stick or the tilt)
Turn the tilt on and off (switch between stick and tilt)
Quality/Usability : The Xbox 360 was the first next-gen console out of the gate..a year before the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation3. With both next-gen consoles having motion sensing controllers except for the Xbox 360, Microsoft has not addressed this issue but 3rd party peripheral manufacturers have and have stepped up to fill in the void.
TiltBoard first started off as just a mod by Adam Thole (http://www.adamthole.com). Once word spread like wildfire that there was a motion sensing mod for the Xbox 360, modders and gamers wanted to know how to make one or buy one. With the huge interest in the mod, Adam Hole offered the TiltBoard for a price but only limited quantities. Adam Thole then put up instructions on how to make you own TiltBoard with diagrams. The original TiltBoard was on a rectangular PCB board.
With a high demand and Adam having to solder each TiltBoard himself, he negotiated a deal with a well-known specialist peripheral maker, Talismoon. With this deal, Adam will not have to solder each himself, new compact design, professional looking and packaging. As a result of this collaboration, this is the end result that you will receive...
Performing this modification will require some soldering experience. If you do not have any experience with using a soldering iron, its best to have someone who does help you. That is of course, unless you dont care on spending additional money on another controller if you mess up. Hey, at least its a $50 or so controller rather then a $400 system.
The TiltBoard requires you to solder 7 wires on to the Xbox 360 PCB board on the controller and drilling two holes to the Xbox 360 back controller cover. I wont go into the full details of installing as it is fairly long but for instructions on how to install the TiltBoard, you can get them directly from Talismoon's website. You can also get the operating instructions here.
After installation has been completed, its time to give it a test run. Accessing the two buttons on the back of the controller is fairly easy. The button on the left side (viewing back) allowed us to toggle between tilt mode and non-tilt mode simply by pressing the button (quick press). This is great since not all games will require the tilt function. When the tilt function is enabled, the analog sticks with not work.
Holding the button down (1 second) will invert the Y axis. So if you tilt the controller down, you will go up. However, inverting the tilt will not affect the stick control.
The button on the other side (right side) allows you to set the tilt sensitivity by pressing the button once. To use this feature, tilt the controller to the position that you want to be the "maximum" setting for full tilt. This allows you to set how sensitive you want the controllers to be. The sensitivity is set on box axis and is separate, so you can set a wide sensitivity for turning right and left but a narrow sensitivity for moving up and down.
Holding the button down for 1 second sets the controller in RELAXED MODE. By default, the controller must be held perfectly flat and level for your object to go straight towards the "horizon" in the game. There are times where you dont want to hold the controller flat to go straight. An example would be if you were to lean back and relax in your chair. Sitting straight up or standing, our hands are usually the same level as our stomach. But when you're sitting back relaxing, holding the controller flat would be uncomfortable while sitting and us gamers have a tendency of slightly tilting the controller up especially with our arms on the armrest. With our arms on the armrest, our controllers are no longer the same level as our stomach but now with our chest. So with the RELAXED MODE set, you will not have to keep the controller flat with your wrist bent but slightly tilted up and your wrist straight and your object will still go straight.
You can view a videos of TiltBoard demonstation and in action:
TiltBoard Demonstration:
Conclusion : Overall, the Talismoon TiltBoard Controller Mod is a great controller mod. The TiltBoard allowed on the fly adjustments by simply pressing or holding the two buttons on the back of the controller. The different settings that can be applied makes gaming easy. The Tiltboard also came with a drill bit to drill holes for the buttons. If they didnt come with that, people would either have too small or too big of a hole. It would of been nice if they included a template of some sort as to where to drill the holes.
Overview : The Neuros OSD allows you to store and access all your video when, where, and how you want. It connects right to your TV and allows you to record from any video source that uses the familiar red, white and yellow RCA jacks.
With the Neuros OSD, you avoid proprietary lock-in by creating standard format MP4 files that you can play back virtually anywhere (on your TV via the OSD or directly on PCs and portable devices like the iPod™, iPhone™, PSP™ and Blackberry™). Likewise, the Neuros OSD allows you to record directly to whatever storage you want. Typically, this means attaching a USB external hard drive (not included), but recording is also supported over a home network directly to your PC's hard drive, as well as to network attached storage drives and memory cards. Once recorded, you can easily transfer to portables and watch on the go or anywhere.
Specifications : Video Standard
Compatible with NTSC, Pal and Secam (input only) standards
Video Recording
ISO Standard MPEG-4 SP encoding (MP4, ASF)
QVGA (320x240) @30fps with AAC-LC/MP3/G.726 audio for smartphones, PSP™, iPod™, iPhone™ and PDA’s.
VGA setting (640x480) @30fps for PC, TV playback.
Video Player
MPEG-4 SP with MP3 audio, 30fps up to D1 resolution (720x480)
Quicktime 6
MPEG-4 AAC-LC stereo
MP4 format at up to D1 resolution
H.263 with MP3 audio
FLV (for Playback of YouTube videos)
ASF
AVI (including Divx and Xvid)
MP4
WMV (up to QVGA)
MOV
MPG
MPEG
YouTube browser
Watch YouTube videos on your TV
Search the entire Youtube library using keywords
build a list with all your favorite videos
Photo Viewer
JPEG decoder (baseline up to 32M pixel)
BMP
GIF (nonanimated)
Thumbnail view
Zoom in/out (2x, 4x)
Audio Player
Stereo MP3/WMA @ 30-320kbps (CBR & VBR)
Ogg Vorbis
FLAC
WAV
Stereo MPEG-4 AAC-LC
G.726
Features
Schedule (timer) recording
Customizable slide shows
One-click record
IR Blaster to control your set-top box
Run 3rd party applications
USB Host
Record to and playback content from any USB mass storage device
Ethernet
Connect to your network
Save recordings to network storage
UPnP support
Stream Audio/Video from Internet
Download multimedia content from Internet
Connect to Windows Networks (Samba client support)
Complete System Includes
Standard A/V RCA Interface Cables (European units also contain SCART adapters)
Quality/Usability : The Neuros OSD is a fascinating Linux powered piece of hardware. When I first saw images of the Neuros OSD, I thought the device would be fairly big. After receiving the Neuros OSD, I was fooled and tricked. The size is fairly small. The UI is not bad as its basic and to the point.
Setting up the Neuros OSD is as simple as it can get if you know how to hook up electronics such as DVD/VCR, computers or just even your video game consoles. Its pretty much self explanatory. There are even text to help you in case some ports look the same.
Those who have a network setup, hooking the Neuros OSD is fairly easy as well. Simply plug in cat5 cable and OSD will automatically configure itself according to your DHCP server. If you have a static IP, there is a devoted menu setting so you can set this up but may take a little longer to get it running.
Recording Video : OSD allows you to record and schedule recordings. To save your recordings, you'll need either a USB storage device, network or memory card. Unfortunately, there is no harddrive. Would have been nice if one was included.
Pressing the red "RECORD" button on the remote will present you with a menu as to where you would like to record to. Once you have chosen the destination, press the "ENTER" button and the recording will begin.
Scheduling a recording is a nice feature. The OSd a feature called IR Blaster. The IR Blaster changes the channel! For example, you want to schedule the OSD to record your favorite show at 8pm and then record another show at 9pm on a different channel, the IR Blaster will automatically change the channel on your cable box and will record both shows. At the scheduled time, OSD will automatically start recording to whatever destination you chose to save to.
Once finished recording, you can transfer the files to your PSP, iPod or other devices that support the format. The quality is not the greatest and you wont get HD quality, but it is enough to keep you happy.
Video Playback : You can choose playback from different sources such as SD, microdrives, compactflash, thumbdrives, etc. Once you have chosen the file you want to play, Neuros OSD will automatically playback the file. It can playback files such as MP4, WMV, ASF, Quicktime, FLV and many more.
There were some sync issues but this was probably due to the high bitrate. This can be fixed either with a slightly lower bitrate but this can also be due to the lack of memory on the Neuros OSD.
Audio Playback : Neuros OSD not only lets you playback video but it lets you play audio files as well. MP3 was only tested for this review and I did not notice any distortion during audio playback. It can also play back wma, ogg, aac, g.726, wav and flac. You can shuffle songs and build playlists.
Neuros OSD is capable of being a picture viewer by decoding bmp, jpeg and gif (non-animated).
Since the Neuros OSD is open source, there are communities that develop for such devices. So you can add third party applications to the Neuros OSD. Great thing about this is that Neuros listens and works closely with the community to help improve and add features. You can visit Neuros' community whether you're a developer, user or just want to provide feedback simply by going here.
Conclusion : Overall, the Neuros OSD Linux Media Recorder is a great piece of hardware. Some of its biggest features is open source, no DRM, the ability to do what you want to do and being able to save to whatever format you want such as thumb drives, SD, memory cards and even external hard drives! If there is ever a problem or a bug, it can be easily fixed or "squashed" since OSD is open source. The settings allows you to configure how you want to record your files such as such as playback device, resolution, where to save to, framerate, video bitrate, audio format and audio bitrate. The ideas, support are endless with the support of developers and from the community. This is what makes the product great rather than be locked in to the limited functions. However, the price range may scare some people but for a open source devices that lets you use any media format and the ability to playback and ability to schedule record...you cant go wrong.
Flashlinker Europe.com have today added the 4GB MicroSDHC Memory card thats compatible with most consoles (via adapters) for the very cheap price of 10.00EUR
Pages: 208
Detailed walkthroughs for every adventure in all six episodes!
Locations for all LEGO canisters, Challenge canisters, and red power bricks!
Exclusive maps!
Extensive tips for Freeplay mode!
New characters, vehicles, and game features revealed!
All-new quick reference guide with detailed information for every level!
description
Now Witness the Firepower of this Fully Armed and Operational Game Guide!
The Complete Saga takes players to the most beautiful LEGO galaxy ever assembled with high-definition graphics on the PlayStation 3 system and the Xbox 360. And with both consoles' online capabilities, families spread across the world can unite to rebuild a galaxy in pieces with cooperative two-player, drop-in/drop-out gameplay. Meanwhile, the unique Wii and Nintendo DS control schemes result in the most interactive LEGO Star Wars gaming experience yet.
From the Trade Federation's "negotiations" with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace to the space battle above Endor in Return of the Jedi, The Complete Saga allows players to kick some brick through 36 Story mode levels, including Episode II's newly added high-speed pursuit of bounty hunter Zam Wessell.
We here at DCEmu try to inform you on what may or may not be the latest consoles/gadgets that will be home to a new homebrew community. Recently we have written about the JXD301, Apple iPhone/iTouch and the as yet unamed Console from the GBAx Camp.
Well down to buisness, the Portable Game & Media Player from SuccessHK has been out a few months now but at a price of $109 and boasting NES, SNES & MD/SMC Emulation it sure is very interesting
Heres the ful spec/info:
Portable Game & Media Player integrates such functions as watching Movie, enjoying Music, Playing GAMES , Reading novels, sound Recording, browsing Pictures and Take pictures. Feature : Game Player : Game Emulator support NES, SNES & MD/SMC ( Sega 16bit ), You can run thousands of game which you can download from Internet Movie Player : Support AVI of MPEG-4 format ( DIVX 3.11/4.X/5.X and XVID codec : Sizes : 320*240 @ 30 fps ) Music Player : Support MP3, WMA, FLAC , with Equlizer Camera : Digital Camera Function with 1300K pixel Video Recorder : Record in 320*240 MPEG4 Voice Recorder : Voice Recorde in MP3 format in 128,192 and 256KPS E-Book Reader : Support E-Book in TXT format Picture Viewer : Support JPG, GIF , BMP format Build-in 1G memory, Support Max. 4G external SD card. Build-in Litum Rechargable battery wth 12000mah , Continue Video play for 6 hrs, or Music play for 20 hrs. With Auto Shut down, Firmware upgradable, 3.6" screen size ( 960*240) TFT , Theme Select, Multi Language support ( English, French, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese ) , Wallpaper changable ,
Can this be opened up to homebrew ?, has anyone already done it ? all questions we would like to know the answer of.
Do the consoles above interest you or are you sticking with your PSP/DS/GP2X for your handheld thrills ?
Im sure many of you own multiple consoles or at the least have access to them. How many of you are unhappy that the console you brought isnt as good as you were lead to believe.
Heres a few of my personal nitpicks about each console.
PSP
The PSP is by far the most poweful handheld and should play to its strengths, i want to see games such as Conflict Global Storm and the very best from the PS2 to arrive on the console.
I also wish that battery life was longer, that UMD Drives didnt fail so often and finally that the bloody screen didnt get so greasy and scratched up.
Nintendo DS
Easily the console which has brought more non gamers to the console arena than any other.
Why the likes of Nintendo need to use the stylus to control every game is beyond me, certain games like Starfox was ruined because of the stylus method.
Xbox360
Why cant Microsoft sort out the bloody overheating problem, surely after all this time it would be fixed. Other than that some type of Wiimote clone controller would be great.
PS3
Sony really need to get back to releasing killer games for this console, too many crap games has stopped me using my PS3 and we really need a game that grabs your balls and says buy this system.
Nintendo Wii
The Wii and its unique controller is excellent but some games are much better played in the conventional way, surely a mix of games would please the hardcore and casual gamer.
Thats just my views but if you agree or disagree or have issues i havent mentioned then please post via the comments
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has held on to the number one chart position in the UK, selling twice as many units as FIFA 08, despite a 52 per cent drop in sales.
EA's FIFA 08 spends a third week at number two, with the publisher's The Simpsons Game making its debut at number three.
THQ's Ratatouille is proving to be a steady seller, shuffling up the charts to number four following five weeks in the charts, while Microsoft's Halo 3 has seen an increase in sales by 46 per cent, putting it at number five in the All Formats charts.
Sega's Football Manager 2008 slips to number six, while EA's add-on The Sims 2: Castaway breaks into the top 10 at seven.
The rest of the top ten is taken up with DS exclusives. More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima is at eight, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training at nine and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is at ten.
There are two other new entries in the top forty this week – VU Games' Timeshift at number 24 and EA's Hellgate: London at 34.
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 continues to dominate the charts in both Germany and Spain, taking multiple positions in the top ten for each region.
The PlayStation 2 version of the game is the lead format, proving there's plenty of life left in a console entering its eighth year on the market.
Nintendo's DS title The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is at number five in both charts, with Wii shooter Metroid Prime 3: Corruption at number six.
The top ten best-selling games for Spain and Germany follow:
Spain
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
3. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PC)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
6. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
7. FIFA 08 (PS2)
8. WWE Smackdown! Vs RAW 2007 (PS2)
9. Football Manager 2008 (PC)
10. More Brain Training (DS)
Germany
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
3. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PC)
4. The Witcher (PC)
5. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
6. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
7. Anno 1701 (PC)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360)
9. FIFA 08 (PS2)
10. More Brain Training (DS)
All sales information supplied by Media-Control GfK International
Infinity Ward president Grant Collier has opined that the next console generation wave will hit in around three to four year's time.
Describing the developer's Call of Duty 4 as the first game in the second wave of next-gen titles, Collier told Next-Gen.biz:
"When the games first started coming out I remember thinking, 'oh my gosh, they look so realistic, they can't possibly get more lifelike than this"
"...but then if you look at the games coming out now the photorealistic quality of them is so much higher that I'm kind of amazed."
"I definitely think we have another three or four years left in this cycle, with people making games for the next-gen platforms."
This comes after Nintendo boss Sotoru Iwata declared the typical four-year life cycle for games hardware as "too inflexible" for the Japanese giant - Nintendo won't make a new console until it's needed.
Collier additionally noted that Infinity Ward hasn't experienced any issues developing for PS3, something he puts down to the studio's "development philosophy". .
This year's UK Christmas videogames chart is set to be spearheaded by EA, Microsoft and Konami titles, if the odds on Paddy Power are accurate.
It places the latest Need for Speed title - ProStreet - as the favourite to claim the top spot on evens, with FIFA 08 at 2-1, Halo 3 at 6-1 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 at 10-1.
Other prominent titles include The Simpsons Game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Super Mario Galaxy and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
While most people are unlikely to bet against those games hitting the Christmas number one spot, there are a few games that might raise an eyebrow.
Manhunt 2 is listed as 25-1, despite the game being effectively banned by the BBFC in the UK, although an appeal is pending.
Additionally the main contenders are dominated by titles that will appeal to the traditional gaming market, including Super Mario Galaxy, despite many predictions that the Wii will continue to be the market-leading console for some time yet.
At the other end of the betting list, the longest odds available are for Balloon Pop, which weighs in at a hefty 250-1.
Over at Newsweek's Level Up blog, N'Gai Croal is reporting that the NPD will start withholding more info this month from those who aren't paying (read: the media). Most crushingly, the group says it will no longer release monthly console sales numbers and will only release the top five in software, rather than the top 10 we're used to. These numbers will eventually be available on a quarterly and annual basis. Console makers can still release the data themselves (and you can bet they will if it makes them look good) but that's not a guarantee.
It's bad news for both journalists like us who like to pass that information on to you and those who follow the numbers like they were sports scores. Now listen, forum kids and comments flamers, we know we've had a rocky relationship in the past, but we're going to need each other to get through this. Come, let your tears fall on our shoulders.
Sweet merciful cr*p. A seriously obsessive gentleman spent 30 years of his life collecting video game consoles and games, and now he's selling his entire 1,768-piece collection on eBay in one shot, presumably at the command of either the courts or a lady. Just the system list is insane, not to mention the games.
The full the system list:
Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari Jaguar, Atari Lynx, Coleco ColecoVision, Coleco Gemini, Coleco Telstar, Commodore 64/128, GCE Vectrex, Mattel Aquarius, Mattel Intellivision, Mattel Odyssey 2, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, Miscellaneous APF TV Fun, Miscellaneous Handheld Games, Miscellaneous PC Games, Miscellaneous SC Eight Thousand, Miscellaneous Sega Pods, Miscellaneous TV Games, NEC Turbo Duo, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo NES, Nintendo Nintendo 64, Nintendo Super NES, Nintendo Virtual Boy, Nintendo Wii, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System, Sega Saturn, SNK Neo Geo, SNK Neo Geo Pocket, Sony Playstation, Sony Playstation 2, Texas Instruments TI 99/4A, VM Labs Nuon.
See anything missing in there? Because I don't. Wait, where's the TurboGrafix 16? And he calls himself an obsessive collector.
As for games, he has, well, a lot of them, including weird rare stuff like the Christmas version of NiGHTS for Sega Saturn and the Gold Cartridge Micro Machines for NES. Gold Cartridge!!! How can you resist?
You really need to see the full list to really appreciate how bananas this auction is. Right now it's at $6,100[£2,923], but the Buy It Now price is $10,979.00 [£5,263]. Plus free shipping! What could you possibly be waiting for?!
See the eBay auction here. More photographs of the console collection are here. Complete list of all items with prices here.
A push to standardize how game developers are credited in their projects was already underway before the recent brouhaha involving Rockstar Games' snubbed Vienna studio, but the issue has picked up momentum in the story's wake.
In September, the International Game Developers Association posted a public "beta" of their proposed Credit Standards Guide in wiki form on their web site. Today, the organization announced its Credit Standards Committee will host a roundtable discussion during the 2008 Game Developers Conference entitled "The IGDA Credits Movement: The Revolution Is Already Here."
In a statement on its web site, the IGDA said that "the recent controversy around the credits of Manhunt 2 serve as a significant example of why crediting standards are needed in the game industry."
Last week, a former producer at Rockstar Vienna complained on his personal blog that his team worked on Manhunt 2 for more than two years but was not credited on the final product.
We're all for giving game-development credit where it's properly due (after all, we're the nerds who actually read them), so we're all in favor of the IGDA's efforts. We do have one request, though.
All end-game credits should follow the Portal format, for the good of all of us. Except the ones who are dead.
Today the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) went on an anticipated strike over new media residuals. TV programs like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno will begin airing reruns tonight because of the strike. The union does represent some videogame writers and is giving an award for best videogame writing at next
