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Sony’s Blu-Ray Player Slips, Again
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Hardware, PlayStation 3, Release Dates,
Most of the time, the release date for a new DVD player wouldn’t make it into gaming news. But when that DVD player is Sony’s BDP-S1 and when the revised release date is now late October, scant weeks before the Playstation 3 releases, people in the gaming world start to take notice. The move appears to signal a tactical shift by Sony to position the PS3 as the device that will put Blu-Ray in consumer’s living rooms, with the BDP-S1 at $999.95 possibly filling the video-phile niche market.
If consumers see a compelling reason to go with Blu-Ray, then the PS3 could put Sony in a very nice position in the upcoming format wars. But if consumers aren’t ready to shell out extra cash for hi-def movies, either Blu-Ray or HD DVD, then the PS3 might just be an expensive next-gen console with the equivalent of a built-in BetaMax drive.
Read More 
| GamesIndustry.biz
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More Opera DS Details and Screenshots
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Internet, Nintendo DS,
Following the previous announcement of an availability date for the Opera browser for the Nintendo DS, Game Watch Japan has posted a more in-depth preview of the software. First, there will be two separate SKUs for the DS Browser, one for the original DS, and one for the DS Lite, with the main difference being the physical size of the memory expansion. The DS original version will work for both the DS and the DS Lite, but the memory card will stick out by about 1/2 inch, similar to legacy GBA carts on the device. The DS Lite version matches correctly, but can’t be used on the original DS obviously.
As previously noted, the browser will make use of both screens, but will also provide a couple of different rendering modes to try and best fit content on the browser screen, most likely in a similar fashion to the wrap modes on Sony’s PSP. Opera DS also provides 5 levels of zoom, however, from 50% to 150%, so users can scale the screen to their preferences. Unfortunately, it looks like multimedia formats like Flash, PDF, movies, and sound are not supported on the DS; the PSP browser recently added Flash to its browser, and of course, has built in sound and movie playback support.
The Japanese version includes pop-up keyboards for Japanese and English characters, and also includes a character recognition mode for free form writing. Japanese character entry was shown, but it looks like there is also an option for English characters as well. Apparently, there will also be password protection for the browser, most likely to act as some kind of parental lock feature.
Read More | GameWatch Japan
PSP owners will have the opportunity to read a good virtual book with the release of “Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel”. An interactive comic book, the title will feature animation, sounds effects, and background music. Imagine reading a comic book on screen or even better having one read to you on your PSP. Players can bookmarks pages and flip them at whatever pace is suitable, or even discover content hidden within the novel. Some elements of interacting with the book mimic game play, including a “mental scan mode”. At only $20 SRP, “MGS:DGN” could be a good way to liven up a summer afternoon, and the portabiliy will mean you can take it to the beach.
Read More | DailyBulletin.com
ESA Details “Commitment To Parents”
Posted by Matt Haselton Categories: Corporate News, Culture, Politics,
As more states enact legislation to restrict the sale of M-rated video games, the ESRB has unveiled it’s “Commitment to Parents” program as a means of self-policement. After meeting today in Washington D.C., a committee of industry leaders, senators, and retail representatives established the nine-point Commitment. Some of the more intriguing measures include “two ‘mystery shopper’ audits each year to measure…policy enforcement,” and “the sharing of best practices with other members,” highlighting the benefits of an internal policy over state-sponsored legislation.
No official implementation timeline was given, but it shouldn’t be long, given that retailers themselves helped craft the policy. It will be interesting to see if this has any bearing on the upcoming showdown between the ESA and Louisiana…
Read More | Next Generation
TheStreet.com Talks to Sony About Playstation 3
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Rumors, Xbox 360,
TheStreet.com interviewed Jack Tretton, co-chief operating officer of Sony Computer Entertainment America, about the challenges that Sony will potentially face this holiday season with the Playstation 3. Overall, Tretton stays within the Sony’s talking points on the PS3 and doesn’t reveal a lot of new information, but does offer some interesting perspective on where Sony sits in the upcoming next generation console battle. Again, the issue of the “disappointing” E3 presentation was tackled, and Tretton, like others at Sony before him, believes that overall the presentation was a success. While consumers and the gaming press may not have been enthused with the information presented, Sony’s stand is that the key stakeholders in the upcoming battle, retailers and third-party developers came away with the information they needed, and from that point of view, their presentation succeeded. Winning over the consumer at this level would have been a great bonus, but Sony believes that their long-term strategy will address the concerns of the average gamer, and didn’t need to be fully addressed at E3.
Part of this comes into play when addressing the price point; Sony’s position is that once the consumer understands the value proposition of the technology included in the PS3 versus the Xbox 360, then $499 will become an acceptable outlay. Whether Sony can successfully message this remains to be seen, but there are still a number of months before the launch, and earnest marketing hasn’t really started yet.
Tretton also believes that the head start the Xbox 360 has on the Playstation 3 is insignificant, stating that if “a competitor gets to 6 to 10 million worldwide, I would not consider that to be a significant advantage or a significant disadvantage as far as we’re concerned.” This is because Sony’s position is that the race is a marathon and not a sprint; their targets are at 100-million units worldwide and 50-million in America alone. However, there must be some point at which a competitor’s lead becomes insurmountable, and Sony has never faced a situation where they’ve ceded that much ground to a competitor before.
Finally, Sony downplays third-party exclusivity, particularly the loss of Grand Theft Auto 4 as an exclusive Playstation 3 title. Tretton believes that ultimately, this will become a losing proposition, that “with the cost of development, not many developers can afford to do exclusivity.” First party games, for Sony, will become the driver of exclusive sales. This is somewhat of an interesting statement; ten years ago, one could have said that the best producers of first-party content were Sega and Nintendo. Sega titles didn’t save the Dreamcast from oblivion, and the hottest first party titles from Nintendo couldn’t elevate the Gamecube above third place in the console wars. This is somewhat turning around in the portable market, with the DS, but from history, this doesn’t seem to be the guarantor of success that Sony believes it to be.
The interview really tackles what the competition is going to be like from a business perspective. It seems like Sony is in a comeback position now, but the company has yet to fail, and the next year in the console wars will certainly be an interesting one.
Read More | TheStreet
Xbox Live Arcade Titles To Be Available In Retail Stores
Posted by Josh Smith Categories: Retro, Rumors, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace,
Word on the street is that Peter Moore has been discussing with industry insiders the possibility of bringing Xbox Live Arcade games into a brick-and-mortar store near you. The move is aimed to reach the 50% of Xbox 360 owners who aren’t connected to Live. Moore also hopes to reach the legions of casual gamers who may not yet know about the laid back, retro, puzzle solving side of the Xbox 360. Microsoft isn’t commenting on the plans, so no info on pricing or which titles wil jump to retail is yet available.
Read More | Next Generation
New Rumble Technology Could Bring Rumble To The PS3
Posted by Josh Smith Categories: Accessories, Corporate News, PlayStation 3,
Since the PS3 controller was unveiled at E3 in early May, fans of the next gen system have bemoaned the lack of any rumble feature. Rumors have attributed the lack of rumble technology to a patent dispute and a judgment ordering Sony to pay Immersion 90.7 million for using the rumble feature in the PS2 controller. However, Sony has stated that rumble technology is absent from the PS3 controller to make room for the added motion sensing technology. Today in a move sure to rile Sony, Immersion announced that it has technology which allows for the use of a rumble feature while also using the motion sensing capabilities. While the move to add a rumble capability to the PS3 controller would appease gamers, it is not considered likely due to the bad blood between Immersion and Sony.
Read More | IGN
While video gamers are stereotypically portrayed as slackers and losers in the media, it is the growing contingent of middle class children who play video games that push titles into the realm of mass sales. These same children are the reason that “The Sims” has not only become the best-selling game of all time but also continues to be popular today. The game has been particularly popular with girls. Girls as young as five may like playing with “The Sims” because it’s like playing “Barbie” but on the computer – you get to control the life of virtual people much like one would with a doll. Boys play “The Sims” too, but often the way boys play will differ from that of girls, mirroring real life differences. Adults and experts may spend time analyzing why this is so, but the kids just want to play.
Read More | Whittier Daily News
New Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Screenshots
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo DS, Screenshots,
Nintendo’s Official Magazine in the UK managed to score some screen shots of the soon-to-be-released Mario Hoops: 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS. The game’s unique control scheme has been previously discussed, but here are some shots showing off some of the special moves and environments in the game. This adaptation of basketball may be the most “unique” interpretation of the game, with many of the classic Mario power-ups involved, and focus on using coins on item boxes to alter the game. Game stages look like they will also come into play, with icy fields and fiery arenas.
Read More | Official Nintendo Magazine UK via Nintendo Gal
California Legislators Meet With Industry Representatives
Posted by Matt Haselton Categories: Culture,
“A knowledgeable source” has tipped off GamePolitics about the video game industry’s first state-level lobbying day, held in Sacramento, CA. About 150 people (legislators, and their staffs and families) attended the ESA-hosted event, playing games such as DDR and Rockstar’s Table Tennis, an example of the San Diego-based publisher’s more mainstream work. An ESA representative confirmed the event, and explained that it was an opportunity for ESA President Doug Lowenstein and “member company representatives” to spend the day meeting with the legislators, followed by a reception where “they could play video games and learn more about the industry and our products.”
The ESA representative also mentioned plans for future state-level lobbying events, though none are currently scheduled.
Read More | Game Politics
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