I lost my games :(
I accidentally left my Wii and PS3 games at my parent's house.
I have no games to play.
Just Donkey Kong, Bomberman and that MotorStorm demo.
Sigh.
I guess I could chainsaw the boxes:
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Can't you just buy more, go back to your parents home, or have them ship em to you.
Lost your Wii sensor bar? Light some candles...I wouldn't believe this if I hadn't seen it:
A week with Wii and PS3I have spent a full week with both the Nintendo Wii and the Sony Playstation 3. I am really happy with both. Really.
Most my disappointments with the PS3 have now fallen to the side. I am really starting to like this machine. Playing 'Resistance' for hours on a 55" 1080p television is like night and day compared to playing it on a standard-def monitor. What looked bland and uninspired before now has details and depth. I'm diggin' it. The game is way more fun than I initially found and online play is nuts! There must be some sort of hypno-ray emanating from the PS3 that has changed my mind.
As for the Wii, just play it with a house full of holiday friends and family. It's a whole other beast. Everyone loved it so such, we camped out to get a couple more for holiday gifts. Being able to download 'Donkey Kong' and 'Bomberman '93' (two of my favorite games) was the icing on the cake. Oh, and 'Excite Truck' (which not many people were excited about) is still a complete blast for me... I love this game. I just wish Nintendo would hurry and get the Forecast and News Channels working!
Sony online
Sony's online efforts with the PS3 are a good start, in a lot of ways. But the developers also made some dumb mistakes that they should have easily avoided.
Wii want to party
SOURCE: Nintendo (but it really is this much fun to play)
I've been skeptical of the Wii for a long time, but a couple gaming encounters recently changed my mind. Click through to read the long version, but the short version is that everyone I've seen play the Wii has loved it, while the PS3 only appeals to a certain type of gamer.
Texas Gamer - First Thoughts on PS3 and Wii
My first thoughts on the new consoles ...enjoy.
PS3 and Wii technical problemsIt looks like the hardware malfunctions that plagued the Xbox 360 last year are creeping onto the PS3 and Wii, as well.
In the Wii's case, looks like Nintendo already has a system in place to replace crashed consoles. On the one hand, that's nice. On the other, it's depressing that they need a system at all.
Maybe it was just a more naive time, what with the lack of blogs and Web sites to spread the word, but did anyone have issues with their Genesis or SNES systems at launch? Those things just seemed to work forever.
My first day with my PS3I picked up my PS3 at 9:00 am this morning and have spent approximately 6 hours with it.
What I like:
- 1080 goodness. Once I finally got a working cable, I got to see my PS3 in glorious HD.
- The web browser. It's faster, easier and HD-ier that I expected. Very cool!
- Several cool download-able demos are available... love the MotorStorm and F1 demos.
- Photo viewer. I just popped the memory stick from my camera into the front slot and, bam, HD photos!
- Blu-Ray DVD's. Monster House looks spectacular.
What I don't like:
- The PlayStation Store is no where near as cool or as fast as the Xbox Live blades.
- Extra SIXAXIS controllers cost $50!
- No HD cables included with an HD system.
- All the games I really wanted don't launch until 2007.
More later... I'm on vacation!
UPDATED eBay PS3 sales dataKudos to eBay's press team for quickly crunching the numbers everyone wants to see.
These are the latest totals, hot off the presses:
*As of 6:30p, 1070 Playstation3 consoles have sold for an average selling price of $2,713.56
*At present there are 3285 live listings for PS3 consoles
*There have been 4,345 PS3 sold from October 17 pre-sale through today, November 17 for an average of $1,962.77
*A month ago [the week of 10/17], the unit was going on average for $959.60; now the average price [the week 11/11-17] is $2,266.36.
Once again, the bottom line here is that Sony missed a HUGE opportunity.
The birth of professional gaming
There's a very cool story up on DallasNews.com right now about Richardson resident Ben Gold, one of the first gamers to break through as a (mini) national celebrity for his gaming prowess.
The interactive story from reporter April Kinser not only tells Ben's tale, but highlights some of the seminal moments in the early history of gaming. There's also an archive of all-time high scores in several classic games, and a quiz to test your gaming knowledge. Well worth a visit.
Well, at least no one seems to have actually DIED
Shooting, muggings, near riots. The PS3 launch had it all.
Now, all the scalpers are unloading their systems on eBay. Check out some stats that eBay sent out this morning:
As of 9:23am this morning, 174 Playstation3 consoles have sold for an average selling price of $2,618.47; since its availability on eBay in pre-sale [10/17- today], 3533 PS3 have been sold in pre-sale to date for an average sold price of $1,788.88.
According to the eBay Marketplace Research, for PS3 on eBay:
At present there are 1579 live listings
Average price of a PS3 for the past week is $1,959.73
Yesterday, 334 sold $2,184.85- expecting today to be another busy day
A month ago [the week of 10/17], the unit was going on average for $959.60; now the average price [the week 11/11-17] is $1,955.29.
So who's to blame for all this random thuggery and extortion? Sony, but not for the reasons you may think.
Read on for my take.
C'mon people now, smile on your brother...Yes, the campouts and line-sittings sound like an intense experience, and Sony created a lot of hype around the PS3.
But remember, people, all the jokes about trampling old ladies and babies to get your PS3 are just jokes.
If you go home without a PS3 this weekend, it's not the end of the world.
Of course, I already have mine!
DFW PS3 lines everywhere!By chance, I had to drive all over the Dallas / Fort Worth area in the last couple of days. The PS3 lines are everywhere. I thought it was a fluke to see a few tent cities popping up in front of a couple of Best Buys, but there were mini compounds in front of Fry's stores too. Then I started seeing larger and larger tent-towns in front of more and more BB's. I passed over half a dozen of the blue box stores with huge lines of camping equipment... in Fort Worth, Irving, Las Colinas, Frisco and on and on.
The Frisco line rules! I could have its own zip code and gravitational pull. I might need it's own law enforcement soon... I saw the villagers toying with a dead pigeon on a stick. It's like Lord of the Flies!!
I'm trying so hard not to mix a tent-pitching phrase with people camping out for Wii's.
Resistance revisited
Okay, Doug and I dumped on PS3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man yesterday. Then I saw this Joystiq article containing review scores handed out by several game sites for Resistance, and they were all in the 80s and 90s.
What gives? Are these guys in the tank for Sony, or did I miss something in this game? Given that I'd only played Resistance for a few hours, I decided to go back in and push a little farther into the game, to see if the action improved.
Read on for my second opinion.
Midnight Gaming Championship Finals (already!?)!Midnight Gaming Championship finals are THIS SATURDAY! There's a chance to win a PS3, a Wii and a 360... not to mention a TON of other cool prizes.
GET OUT TO AMERIQUEST FIELD!
Here's the press release (more after the jump):
Playing games at midnight can get you great prizes if you know where to be. Gamers have the opportunity to win cash and prizes with the first ever Midnight Gaming Championship. This Saturday, November 18, 2006 marks the final championship tournament allowing gamers to play late into the night at The Diamond Club at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, TX. The doors open at 7 p.m. to be followed by the ultimate battle of gaming skills, culminating with the crowning of the Midnight Gaming Championship Champions.
So when do the good PS3 games start showing up?
Lair
Early 2007 is looking like a good time for PS3 owners, assuming that list from VideoGamesBlogger.com is accurate.
Here are the ones I'm most eager to play
* Heavenly Sword was delayed to March, 2007.
* John Woo Presents Stranglehold was delayed to March, 2007.
* Lair was delayed to March, 2007.
* MotorStorm was delayed to March, 2007.
* WarHawk was delayed to Q1 2007.
So don't feel bad if you can't buy a PS3 before then.
PS. Here's the trailer for Lair. A little old, but still cool.
First impressions of the first PS3 and Wii gamesPS3:
Resistance: It's an okay shooter, but Gears of War makes this game look like Pong. That's not entirely fair to the developers of Resistance, since the developers at Epic have had a year head start. But if Sony didn't want these comparisons, it should have made its initial Spring 2006 launch.
Genji: Maybe this generic button-masher is the reason my SIXAXIS controller is feeling so mushy. Nah, I don't think I played Genji long enough to have any lasting impact on the controller.
Wii:
Wii Sports: Well, that was a fun five minutes. Actually, the golf game is pretty good, and while the baseball game is totally neutered (no fielding), the batting is cool. Your on-screen bat moves almost in perfect tandem with the Wiimote. Suddenly, bunting is a lot of fun.
Zelda: One of the best GameCube games ever made. On the Wii. Seriously, Nintendo has no right to call this is a next-gen game. The graphics are pure GameCube, and while they did a good job of melding the Wiimote controls into the game, it's obvious that this was a Cube game that got transplanted onto the Wii to make the Wii's launch lineup look stronger than it really is. If you're a GameCube owner, and this is the only Wii game you're interested in, just wait until the GameCube version ships on Dec. 13.
ExciteTruck: I've got nothing against ExciteTruck. Using the Wiimote as a steering wheel takes some getting used to, but overall a completely playable racing game.
Bottom line: These are launch titles. Don't expect to be wowed. Just be happy you got your PS3 and/or Wii.
But that's just my take. Marc? Doug? Your impressions?
Doug's impressions:
The PS3 is so underwhelming that I'm kind of sad (sniff, must hold back tears). 'Resistance' just looks plain. I was hoping for 'Gears of War' level stuff, but it's not even close. It's just blah.
I trudged through a few levels of Genji and while the characters looked cool and the fire effects were neat, there's nothing to this game. No camera control, no intelligent level design and no fun.
As for the SIXAXIS controller... it's as cheap and fragile feeling as was reported. It's 'blah' like the rest of the system.
Oh... I almost forgot, Marc's updating of the system software took forever!
I'm really sad.
At least I had fun with Wii.
Marc's Impressions: Sorry it took so long to post. I have been trying to get as much playtime in as possible for this week's Texas Gamer.
PS3: Wasn't crazy about having to update, not once, but twice, right out of the box! I'm onboard with Victor. The console itself is a hulking unit, but with a stylish design that will definitely draw gazes at your entertainment unit. Staring at it sitting there with the rotatable PS logo, the system just looks like a monster of a gaming machine. However I wish I could say that the initial line up of launch titles are blowing me away, but they are not. I wanted them to and I think in time they will, but for now we are seeing a quality I would compare to titles akin to the 360 launch. Remember how impressed we were with COD3 when it launched along side the 360? To me that's the level we are seeing on the BLACK MONSTER right now. While Resistance is a very competent and entertaining shooter, especially further into the game, it just does not have the same level of polish as Gears. I'm not hating though, as Victor said, these are the first crop of titles for the system. To be fair let's see what happens after the developers have had some more time to work under the hood. Genji is a true showcase of the graphical power of the system, but the gameplay is another exercise in repetitive button mashing with absolutely no control of the camera! I did fire up some third party titles like EA's NFS: Carbon. Again, looks really good, but I'm not seeing anything that I have not already seen on the 360. Very unimpressed by the 2K Sports titles NBA and NHL. Further proof that the developers still need some time working out the kinks of developing on this new hardware. As far as this SIXAXIS controller, I have yet to play any game that has really taken advantage of it and I do truly miss the force feedback.
Wii: Frankly, I am tired of everyone complaing about the quality of the graphics or lack there of. We all knew that from a processing standpoint the Wii was not going to compete with the other two. So to hold the Wii to such high graphical expectations is ridiculous. What Nintendo has delivered on is their promise to bring entertaining, accessible games to the masses. I have never been able to get my wife to join me in a deatmatch let alone even watch me play, but when I fired up Wii Sports and she saw my 6 year old bowling strikes, she couldn't resist! I am impressed with the accuracy of the WiiMote as well as the internal speaker and vibration features. Zelda lives up to the hype. Yes, Victor, the graphics don't ooze "Next-Gen" but honestly they do look a little better than a GC title. Granted, not leaps and bounds better, but an improvement none the less. I even fired up UbiSoft's Red Steel yesterday. Again, not very high expectations for the graphics, but great use of the WiiMote and Nunchuk. Took some getting used to, but when I turned my WiiMote to the side and watched my onscreen hand tilt my pistol horizontally, I felt like I was inside a John Woo flick. There are great possibilites with the Wii and I hope third party developers find ways to take advantage of this unique control scheme without making it too much of a gimmick.
Back to the edit bay. I'll post this week's Texas Gamer so you can see the games in action.
Whooops!Was it a good idea to start camping out for PS3 a week early? NOPE!
Oops, they did it again.Remember when GameStop took too many Xbox 360 pre-orders, found out it wasn't getting as many consoles as it thought, and a lot of gamers ended up with IOUs in their Christmas stockings?
Remember when GameStop promised it wouldn't make the same mistake with the PS3?
So much for that.
Doug Note: My store had to cancel the employee pre-orders in order to NOT cancel the 5 customer pre-orders. That's nice of them.
They are offering a free game if you choose to wait until the second shipment. Nice too!
It's all in the wrist
Having had a chance to test out both the Wiimote and the SIXAXIS, it's time for the head-to-head showdown.
CLICK to read the rest.
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why compare, wiimotes rock. nothing commes even close to it!
Side by side by side
My official review of the two new consoles will be running in the paper on Wednesday.
But I'll be posting initial impressions all this week of the PS3 and Wii.
I thought I'd kick things off with a visual comparison of all three next-gen consoles.
While this picture doesn't tell the whole story (the 360's more slender profile is somewhat of an illusion, due to the massive external power brick lurking behind my TV cabinet, while the PS3's power system is integrated into the console itself), it is a good visual illustration of which two systems are competing head to head, and which one is aiming at a different market.
More to come.
Weekend round-upIf you're not already close to passing out from Wii/PS3 anticipation... here are a few links gathered from the weekend to push you over the edge:
• PS3 dissected (from DailyTech.com)
• PS3 campers (part 2) (from Engadget.com)
• PS3's video download service in Japan (Engadget.com)
From Gizmodo.com:
• Wii and PS3 unboxing
• PS3 backward compatibilty demoed
• PS3 scratches easily
Funniest Xbox commecial EVER!
Victor: The next time they see that pinata, they'll be sure to eviscerate him on the spot and devour his warm, gooey insides before he can get away.
We're playing Wii!While Victor is storing his Wii and PS3 under his desk, Marc invited us next door to actually play the Wii.
We had a blast, it's almost a little too much effort for a video game (we're sweating from the boxing game).
I especially like the speaker on the Wiimote. The sounds that it makes are pretty hillarious.
The games with the included Wii Sports are simple and quick... making it a great party experience.
I can't see myself, alone at home, jumping around to the point of exhaustion (like the boxing game), but maybe I should! We'll see next Sunday!
Victor note: Hey, some of us still have to work for a living. Actually, I'm busy hiring the armed escort I'll need to drive home if Marc actually does sell me out.
I'll see your Wii (man, these double entendres are bad)......and raise you a PS3.
Both are currently sitting under my desk.
Marc Note: For a fee, I will give you Victor's work address, what time he gets off and what he drives. What you do with that info is purely up to you.
American gamers have it goodMicrosoft will officially launch the Xbox 360 in Brazil next month for the low, low price of $1,400.
Let that sink in for a minute.
The package includes a premium system, as well as three games.
In the U.S., you'd pay about $580 for the same bundle, assuming each game costs $60.
And Daniel Cervantes, director of Microsoft's Latin America games and entertainment division, is quoted as saying (presumably with a straight face) that the price is "very competitive."
Now, the story does point out this is the first time one of the hardware makers has sold their consoles directly in Brazil -- most game systems there are purchased by third-party vendors and then imported for re-sale. But the imported 360s generally cost a little over half of what Microsoft will charge.
I lived in Brazil for a couple years, and yes, there is a tiny niche of super-rich Brazilians who live like robber barons who will be able to afford the official 360s. But $1,400 is just absurd.
Do these people have jobs?Got this release a few minutes ago and laughed. I thought I was hardcore!
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Media Bulletin
November 9, 2006
Consumers Line Up One Week Early for PLAYSTATION®3’s November 17th Launch
Reports today from around the country indicate that consumers interested in purchasing PLAYSTATION®3 have already begun to line up at U.S. retail locations. These lines form more than one week in advance of the PLAYSTATION 3’s North American launch date of November 17, 2006, and demonstrate the expected demand for the system this holiday season. Lines have already formed at stores such as Best Buy in Burbank, California, among other locations.
Victor note: Jobs? No. Girlfriends? No. A life? No. $600? I guess so.
By the way, check out this photo of the campers from Kotaku. If they do manage to score some consoles, I think it's safe to say it will be a Pyrrhic victory, at best. Congratulations! After wasting a week and a half of your life and emptying your bank account, you get to play... Genji: Days of the Blade! For Massive Damage!
Touching my Wii
Guess what I will be doing this weekend? Thanks to the "BIG N", I will be spending this weekend playing with my, uh, Wii. I'll spend the next week running the system through it's paces as well as playing Wii Sports, Excite Truck and f course ZELDA!!! Needless to say I wont be sleeping much this weekend. Stay tuned for a Texas Gamer video wrap up of the games and system at week's end.
Xbox 360 HD-DVDAfter picking up my Xbox 360 HD-DVD attachment I got a horrible sinking feeling in my gut.
The feeling that I just shelled out 200 bucks for a technology that might not be around in a year. I really didn't even know what I was getting into with this gadget.
Before unpacking the drive, I started worrying how this thing would connect to my 360. I already have the wireless adapter and the camera attachment so I wasn't sure how it would all work together.
Here's the good news: the wireless adapter snaps onto the back HD-DVD drive and then plugs into its USB port. There's another port to handle the camera. Then the whole drive, and whatever is attached, plugs into the rear USB (or front ports) on the 360. Cool, a bonus USB port!
Then I had to unplug it all. You have to install the software first and attach the drive during the installation process. Weird.
Now the bad news: you get another power brick to deal with. Thankfully it's not as bad as the planet-sized 360 brick. Couldn't Microsoft find a way to build this brick into the design? I swear I have 95 things plugged into power strips behind my TV. At least two more plugs to go before I see New Year's.
Now, some more good news: you get the Xbox 360 Universal Remote (the big one) packed in the box and an HD-DVD copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong! That would have been completely cool if I didn't already own the remote pack-in (the little one) from last year and the same big remote that I bought during the 360's launch.
Think about it. Universal Remote: $30. King Kong: $25. Adjusted cost of HD-DVD attachment: $144. That sinking feeling was going away.
All it took was watching 5 minutes of King Kong and my stomach was doing happy back-flips. The picture and the sound was astonishing. This thing is amazing. Really amazing.
I've lived with an HDTV for almost four years now and this HD-DVD player is one of the most satisfying examples of High Definition I experienced since I first started watching digital television. It's that good... and it's not even connected with a pure digital connection (it uses the 360's component cables, not HDMI or DVI). The box says "HD-DVD has six times the resolution of standard DV" and it shows.
Keep in mind, you must have an HDTV and your 360 connected with the HD component cable to get any benefit... but you already know that.
I popped in two more movies: Mission Impossible 3 and Polar Express (to get a taste of live action and animation) and before I knew it hours had passed.
Movies are good again!
If you have an HDTV and an Xbox 360, the HD-DVD drive is money well spent. It's half the price of a stand-alone player and the pack-in bonuses are great. And thanks to the astounding picture and audio I'm already saving a ton on antacids!
"Hollywood Elite" bump and grind with the PS3Good news! Even though you won't be able to get your hands on a PS3 until sometime next millennium, Diddy, Owen Wilson, Lindsay Lohan and other sundry B-listers got to rub up against the system last night at an "exclusive event [that] took place at a Beverly Hills landmark," according to a Sony news release.
Good for them! In my opinion, celebrities don't get pandered to enough these days.
Hopefully, all these blue-collar heroes each got a free console, 50-inch LCD television, cooler full of Red Bull and garbage bag-sized allottment of Cheetos.
The rest of us proles should be content with the knowledge that our hardworking celebs are comfortably ensconced in their palaces, cuddled up with a SIXAXIS and a cold one.
Oh, and, by the way, Oblivion is no longer a PS3 launch title. And NBA Live 07 for the PS3 has been canceled.
This is going to be the best console launch EVER!
Another chance to buy a WiiIn case you didn't know:
This Thursday evening (CST), November 9, your opportunity to get in on the excitement arrives when the Wii Bundle becomes available for purchase online at GameStop.com. You'll get the best games, accessories and more in one convenient package delivered right to your door - all for under $699 plus tax and handling.
Best Buy's Black Friday ad?Following up with Victor's rumor of 360 game price drops, here are the (supposedly leaked) deals from Best Buy's Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) ad:
18 In 1 Starter Kit for Nintendo DS Lite - $9.99
2142 Battlefield (PC) - $24.99
Age Of Empires 3 (PC) - $24.99
Amped (Xbox 360) - $18.99
Bejeweled (PC) - $4.99
Blitz: The League (PS2) - $9.99
Blue Nintendo DS System - $99.99
Call of Duty 2 (XBox 360) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
Condemned (XBox 360) - $18.99
Desperate Housewives (PC) - $4.99
GUN (PS2) - $4.99
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) - $9.99
Mortal Kombat (PS2) - $4.99
NBA Live 06 (Xbox 360) - $18.99
Play & Go Kit for PSP - $14.99
React Wireless Guitar Controller for PS2 - $39.99
Sony Playstation 2 Value Pack W/Game - $129.99
Superman Returns (PS2) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
The Outfit (Xbox 360) (Doorbuster Item: 5am - 12pm Only) - $19.99
XBox 360 Core System - $299.99
Desperate Housewives for $4.99!! Do they pay US for that?
Read the full leaked ad HERE.
A rumor I can believeThis makes sense.
According to Destructoid, here are the announcements we can expect from Microsoft on Nov. 22:
• On the hard drive: They are going to announce and release 80GB or 100GB hard drives, but not sure yet which one but possibly both. As well as the future 160GB and 200GB options.
• Cables: HDMI cables and prices should follow this hard drive news. Expect a $69.99 price.
• Game price drops: The Outfit for the 360 is dropping to $10 at Best Buy “FOR SURE.” It’s also a solid rumor that many will drop to $15 and $20 through the holidays. Madden 06, PDZ, THUG, King Kong, NHL06, Ridge Racer (already is) and most dated sports games.
The hard drive is the biggest issue. If Microsoft is going to sell HD shows and movies, a 20 gigabyte drive is just unacceptable. Either Microsoft has to let people plug in their own external USB hard drives, or it has to release its own official expansions.
Since letting people use their own drives doesn't result in any additional revenue for Microsoft, the official larger drives were the only possible outcome.
Gears, Carbon and collectors' editionsI picked up my copy of the "Gears of War" collectors' edition last night. Last week I purchased the "Need for Speed: Carbon" collectors' edition for the 360. I thought I would share what joy, if any, my extra $20 has brought me.
As I mentioned a few days ago, tracking down a "NFS:Carbon" collectors' edition caused me quite a few headaches. Was it worth it? Kinda.
The "bonus" DVD that comes with "Carbon" is completely silly. There are non-narrated short features on what went into making the game... and by that I mean the cut-scenes, actors and story-line. There is very little insight into the game itself. Instead we get to see how tons of money is dumped into the portions of a video game that no one watches or cares about.
Quite possibly the most ridiculous vignettes are the "Cars" features. These are nothing more that hand-drawn sketches of the cars followed by their final rendered versions. Huh? It's so goofy I would have expected this on a TurboGrafx-16 game. I really expected more.
Now on the game disc itself, "Carbon" does give you ten bucks of extra content (at least by Xbox Live Marketplace standards) in the form of extra cars and pre-tuned vehicles. Sadly, there is nothing to designate these extras as part of the collectors' edition (I had to go online to figure out if I even had the right game disc) and none are true exclusives. All extras can be purchased in the Marketplace or earned in the game. If you didn't know any better you would never miss this stuff. It's mostly for lazy gamers that would rather not spend the time to earn better cars and upgrades.
FYI: if you're really lazy, you can buy all the "Need for Speed: Carbon" items online and spend nearly another $50!
(More after the jump)
Why I gave Gears an A-Okay, you've seen my official review.
I have some additional thoughts, though, that I didn't have room to include in my review that I'd like to expound on, if I may.
CLICK to read the rest.
Victor gives "Gears" an A-Victor has his "Gear of War" review HERE.
Xbox Live to offer movies and TVMicrosoft announced that starting on November 22, you will be able to purchase TV shows or rent movies to download on to your Xbox 360.
So you might be asking yourself, "how on Earth can I download this stuff if I only have 2 gigs on my 360 hard drive?"
Good question (because I had the same one). Gizmodo seems to have a possible solution: the oft-rumored larger hard drive for the 360 (Read Article Here). We should know later today if this is going to be a reality before the holidays.
Time to sell some more organs!
Anxiously awaiting Victor's "Gears" review...For those of you that pre-ordered at your local game specialty stores, "Gears of War" arrives today for the Xbox 360.
Victor has had it since Thursday of last week.
We're anxiously awaiting his first thoughts....
Victor?!
PS3 midnight release finderForgot to pre-order your PS3? Probably because you have a job, go to school, have a life, etc.
Well here's your chance for you to camp out on November 16th for hours upon mindlessly boring hours to get your PS3.
Where? Find out HERE (we're not responsible for misinformation).
Wii finderWant to know how many Wii's your Target store will get on launch day?
Here's a tool that may or may not be truthfully letting you know your store's allocation. Use at your own risk:
(For sensitive eyes: there are some not-so-nice words on this Wii-finder page)
For those in the DFW area looks like Frisco is getting 60 and Plano West Super Target is getting 111! Run to the burbs!
Don't expect a lot of PS3 game reviews at launch
I've been wondering what Sony's plans were for sending out PS3 review consoles at launch to members of the media (i.e. me). Turns out, there is no plan.
I spoke to a press agent for Sony today who said they won't be sending out any review units until after the launch. In other words, they need to sell every last one of these machines to the paying public.
Which is fine. Sony's in business to make money, after all.
But it does illustrate just how deep of a hole Sony is in. We're supposed to be getting about 400,000 consoles at launch in North America, but Sony recently had to slash the number of launch consoles in Japan from 100,000 to 80,000 and a lot of people are expecting the other shoe to drop on this side of the Pacific before too long.
Not to mention the fact that Europe had its PS3 launch completely delayed until next year.
And while I would be stunned if a handful of major review outlets (GameSpot, IGN, EGM and so forth) don't get review systems prior to the launch, I'll bet a lot of media outlets like The Dallas Morning News, various high-profile game blogs and so forth get stiffed.
That means far fewer PS3 game reviews will be available for public consumption on Nov. 17th than I'm sure Sony would prefer.
In other words, this could be one of the briefest, quietest launches in the history of the industry.
Pre-orders and YOU!My suggestion: Never pre-order software.
I have never seen a game that was completely sold out on release day, including Halo 2. It's easy to print out millions of copies of these discs, because it's such a tried-and-true industrial process. As a result, you can always find a copy of a game somewhere on launch day, even if you have to go to Wal-Mart, Sears or some other non-traditional game retailer. Pre-ordering games is a low-down dirty scam foisted on the gaming public by publishers eager to create the perception of scarcity where none exists.
Hardware is a different matter.
Building consoles is an intricate business, and every new console requires new manufacturing techniques. So hardware launches of major consoles are always going to be skimpy. But those hardware launches have become so dicey that, for the most part, your pre-order still doesn't guarantee you a system. In the case of GameStop with the Wii and PS3, all your pre-order buys you is the right to stand in line on the 17th or 19th and wait to see if the store got enough of the systems in stock to satisfy the number of pre-orders sold. And how did GameStop decide how many pre-orders to sell? It guessed. It was an educated guess, but a guess nonetheless. They might still not know how many consoles they're getting. Hell, Nintendo and (particularly) Sony might not know how many consoles they'll have for launch.
Bottom line, stay away from pre-orders. They're unnecessary for software and not guaranteed for hardware.
Why do pre-orders hate me?OK. I have had it with pre-orders.
Pre-orders are the bane of my existence.
Pre-orders are the cash you put down at your local game store (usually with initials G.S.) to assure that a video game (or accessory) is waiting for you when it is released.
I have over $1000 tied up in some secret pre-order bank account, earning interest, while I sit with nothing to show for it.
Last night, I thought I would make good on some pre-orders and pick up some pre-ordered stuff: Need for Speed Carbon (Collectors' Edition) and a Viva Pinata (I can't make a that squiggle over the "n") faceplate for my Xbox 360.
I even called the store (with the initials G.S.), ahead of time, and confirmed that my pre-order was waiting for me.
Since I had to work late, I made the mad dash to the store (with initials G.S.) before they closed. I (safely) drove to the mall and ran in... only to find my pre-order (that I've had for MONTHS) was sold to someone else. There were no replacements for me.
I can understand if this was an anomaly, or a one time occurrence, but this
is the FOURTH time this has happened to me this year. I'm not kidding.
Needless to say, I had an in-store melt-down. I was tired and frustrated and this pre-order scheme has got to be fixed. I wasted gas, time and money with nothing to show for it, except a headache.
I think there should be a pre-order guarantee. Something along the line of "your pre-order will be here waiting for you when we say or it's FREE (or maybe $10 off)."
Anyone else suffer as much as me?
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I know exactly how you feel. I also hate how they say you can get a special item when you pre-order a game, but when you go to pick it up, they don't have any. The only thing they say to you about it is that they ran out. I pre-ordered Okami and was supposed to get a buddha board when i picked up the game. When I went to get the game, (from GS) the clerk "had no idea" what I was talking about when i asked about it. Then he ended up telling me that they had 20 pre-orders, but only got 6 boards, and since i wasn't one of the first 6 to pick up the game I didn't get the board. That's the only reason I pre-ordered it in the first place and the promo sign said nothing about "free buddha board while supplies last Needless to say I was @%&!&.
Proof that Victor is EVIL...Just read two posts down...
I will heading to GameStop to BUY my $70 version of Need for Speed: Carbon which I will get to play all weekend while crying and thinking about Victor and his copy of "GoW".
Then Tuesday (election night, when I will be working) I will have to think about spending another $70 for my copy of Gears and $200 for my HD-DVD add on.
Then I will be bankrupt.
Thanks for the gloat-post Victor. Thanks.
Victor note: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!
TAC Guitar Controller UpdateWith the upcoming release of the rockin' sequel to Guitar Hero about to hit store shelves I wanted to make sure you were aware of some issues with the guitar controller(s) from The Ant Commandos that I previously mentioned in an earlier entry.
Gearing up
Well, I know what I'll be doing with my weekend. I just received a review copy of Gears of War. All reviews are embargoed until next Tuesday, though, so you'll have to wait until then to see my review.
This is going to be the flagship title for the Xbox 360 this holiday season, the game that Microsoft surely hopes will sell a lot of consoles. Because if Gears somehow fizzles or doesn't live up to the hype, Microsoft could find that it's headstart in the next-gen console race was all for naught.
Capcom Needs your helpFor those of you that were frustrated by the lack of infrastructure mode for Capcom's Monster Hunter on the PSP...now's your chance to provide feedback to the developers and potentially shape the outcome of future Capcom titles. Click on the link below and take Capcom's brief survey. Who know's maybe yor input and suggestions will be worked into their next game!
