The games: Brain Age 2 (DS), Me & My Katamari (PSP), Clubhouse Games (DS), Lumines II (PSP) and Nintendogs (DS). All cute, all wuvable, all games a corporate media company can recommend kids play under the covers without their parents going blasto and writing the government.

MSNBC wants readers to comment, but I'll totally bigfoot that and pop the question here: What's your favorite game to play before you go to bed? Console or handheld. I like to cuddle up with Manhunt 2. Sweet dreams.

Top 5 Games to Play in Bed [MSNBC]

Sony reps call the survey a part of "ongoing PSP consumer research", attempting to learn more about the size of the PSP hacking population and the mentality behind the behavior. Questions like "Do you know of anyone who has "hacked," or modified, transferred and customized their PSP firmware and software?" were included elsewhere in the poll.

We're following up with Sony to learn more about its research.

]]> http://kotaku.com/377698/new-r+type-command-screens http://kotaku.com/377698/new-r+type-command-screens Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:00:00 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=377698&view=rss&microfeed=true Still waiting on that promised ability to transfer Blu-Ray's from a PS3 to a PSP. In the meantime, I'm going to point out something you're never going to buy, and a situation you'll most likely never find yourself in, but is interesting nonetheless. At least on a trivial level. Above is Sony's BDZ-A70 Blu-Ray recorder, which lets you watch TV, then record that TV onto a Blu-Ray disc. And also a PSP. I know, you can do that already in a less-than-legal sense, but having it officially embraced by Sony like this suggests the little handheld will find itself integrated more and more into Sony's non-gaming lineup as it spreads its multimedia wings.
Sony's New Blu-ray Recorder Moves TV (not BD) Vid to PSP [Giz]

The total list of closures is as follows:

PlayStation 2

* Amplitude
* Destruction Derby Arenas
* Everybody's Golf
* EyeToy Chat
* F1 '04
* Jak X
* Lemmings PS2
* My Street
* Syphon Filter Omega Strain
* This is Football 2004
* This is Football 2005
* Twisted Metal: Black Online

PlayStation Portable

* Lemmings
* World Tour Soccer 2

Sony US to shut down some servers [Eurogamer] [Pic]">Pic]

The tour, which oddly enough begin back on March 14, hits 14 stops including Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rye, New Hampshire; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia and wraps up on May 25th in Orlando, Florida. The finals will be held in Woodward, Pennsylvania in August.

Participants have at each stop have a chance to win a Playstation prize package that includes a PSP and some games as well as some clothes and an expense-paid, week-long stay at Woodward Camp, where they will compete in the finals. Winners at the finals will receive $5,000, a free summer at Woodward Camp, a Playstation 3 and a Playstation prize pack.

"PlayStation is committed to strong youth brands and action sports programs that offer kids access to fun, supportive and collaborative environments," said Ginger Kraus, director of promotions at SCEA. "Woodward exemplifies a brand that truly empowers young people. We are proud to align with them for the fifth annual PlayStation AM JAM tour, providing opportunity and exposure for talented young athletes rising to the top in their respective sports."

Am Jam

Sony Computer Entertainment America Teams Up With Woodward Camp For Annual
PlayStation(R) AM JAM Tour

Action Sports Event Recognizes Exceptional Young Talent Across the United
States

FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer
Entertainment America (SCEA) today announces it is aligning with Woodward Camp
for the fifth annual PlayStation(R) AM JAM tour, demonstrating the company's
commitment to kids and action sports. PlayStation AM JAM takes place in
skateparks across the country and provides amateur skateboard and BMX athletes
with the opportunity to compete for $5,000 and PlayStation prizes. Past
winners of the PlayStation AM JAM have continued on to become professional
athletes in their respective sports including Mike Spinner.
The PlayStation AM JAM tour began on March 14th at the Woodward skate park
in Dallas, Texas. The tour continues with 14 different stops that include
Tehachapi, Los Angeles, San Diego and Petaluma, California; Las Vegas, Nevada;
Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis,
Minnesota; Rye, New Hampshire; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia
and concludes on May 25th in Orlando, Florida. At each event, participants,
ages seven to eighteen years of age, compete in skate and bike events judged
by professional athletes and Woodward Camp staff members. Skateboarders will
compete in two age groups, 13 and under and 14 and over, while the skateboard
vert and BMX events each have one age division.
Selected qualifiers at each stop will receive a PlayStation prize package
including a PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system, PSP
software titles, t-shirts and hats as well as an expense-paid, week-long stay
at Woodward Camp, where they will compete in the finals. Woodward Camp is a
popular recreational youth summer camp located in Pennsylvania and widely
known in the action sports community for its instructional programs. Winners
at the PlayStation(R) AM JAM Finals, during the week of August 10th-16th,
2008, will receive $5,000, a free summer at Woodward Camp, a PLAYSTATION(R)3
(PS3(TM)) and a PlayStation prize pack.
"PlayStation is committed to strong youth brands and action sports
programs that offer kids access to fun, supportive and collaborative
environments," said Ginger Kraus, director of promotions at SCEA. "Woodward
exemplifies a brand that truly empowers young people. We are proud to align
with them for the fifth annual PlayStation AM JAM tour, providing opportunity
and exposure for talented young athletes rising to the top in their respective
sports."
"The high level of talent we have found the last four years on the
PlayStation AM JAM has been terrific," stated Gary Ream, Woodward's President.
"We might have missed some of this incredible talent had PlayStation not
provided this extraordinary opportunity. The PlayStation AM JAM is a premier
event for finding the new stars in Skateboarding and BMX Freestyle."
Open to legal U.S. citizens between the ages of seven (7) and eighteen
(18). Competitions begin March 14, 2008 and end May 25, 2008. For more
information regarding tour stops, dates and official rules, go to
http://www.campwoodward.com

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the
entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(R) game console,
the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the PSP(R)
(PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking
PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system and its online and
network services, the PLAYSTATION(R)Network and PLAYSTATION(R)Store.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment
America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops,
publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 and the PSP system
for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American
operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc.

Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com

I'm still pretty psyched about the ability to download my Blu-ray movies to the PSP for watching on the go.

Sony told me that according to Sony Pictures they expect to release the first Blu-ray disc movies with Portable Copy "later this year", but that they don't have a specific timeframe yet.

The technology, they told me, is currently under development, so Sony is also unclear on whether a PSP firmware update will be required to get it to work.

Nintendo DS 67 MHz ARM 946E-S (N-Gage processor) + 33 MHz ARM7TDMI (same processor as the original iPods) 4MB RAM 256KB Flash + cartridge storage Dual, 256×192 3" displays; one is stylus touch sensitive No accelerometers No camera No mobile radio WiFi 802.11b/g No Bluetooth Sony PSP 333 MHz MIPS R4000 CPU + GPU with 2 MB onboard VRAM running at 166 MHz 32 MB main RAM (new models expanded to 64MB), and 4 MB embedded DRAM. MemoryStick storage, UMD media 480×272 (368×207 usable for video); no touch screen features No accelerometers No camera No mobile radio WiFi 802.11b No Bluetooth

Apple iPhone
Samsung ARM SoC 620 MHz 1176 running at 412 Mhz + PowerVR MBX 3D GPU
128MB RAM
8 or 16GB Flash storage
320×480 3.5" display with finger multitouch input
Accelerometers for direct physical control
2 Megapixel camera
Quad band GSM + EDGE
WiFi 802.11 b/g
BlueTooth 2.0 EDR

SCEA contacted us today to let us know we were right to doubt, the Playstation 3's firmware 2.20 update will not include Portable Copy support, despite reports to the contrary.

Too bad, I'm about to go away on a trip for a few days and was thinking I might be able to bring some movies with me. Of course, I'm also still confused about whether all Blu-ray movies will be copyable or if it will be only for movies that have an extra PSP file included on the disc.

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (March 20, 2008) -SEGA® of America, Inc., SEGA Europe Ltd., and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced today that the Iron Man™ video game, based on the successful Marvel comic book series and the upcoming film by Marvel Studios, will feature the voice talents of Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard and Shaun Toub. All three actors will reprise their onscreen roles of Tony Stark (Downey), Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Howard), and Yinsen (Toub). The Iron Man video game launches day and date with the blockbuster movie on May 2, 2008.

Iron Man, an explosive third-person action shooter game that pits one of the
world's most renowned Super Heroes against unspeakable odds, draws its story
from the upcoming movie while also incorporating story elements from
original Iron Man comic books. Using the advanced technology in Iron Man's
suits of armor, gamers can take advantage of the wide array of high-impact
weapons to strategically annihilate any enemy force standing in their way.
Before tackling stunning and immense open battlefields, players can
customize their armor suit as they encounter progressively more vicious
enemies, and fight in epic battles that could challenge even the toughest
Super Heroes.

Iron Man is the story of Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and
inventor who had it all. But during a routine weapons test in the Middle
East, Stark was captured and forced to construct the ultimate weapon.
Instead of following his captors' demands, Tony built his own devastating
weapon - a powerful suit of armor that provided the key to his heroic
escape. From this point forward, Tony Stark became more than a man. He
became Iron Man.

Iron Man will be available this spring for the Xbox 360® video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft, the Wii™ home video game system, the
PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system, the Nintendo DS™, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable)
system and Windows-based PC. For more information please go to www.sega.com.

Ready at Dawn certainly achieved their goals, but they didn't do so without a bit of stumbling.

Loved:
Channeling God of War: This pocket-sized God of War is an amazing reproduction of the big screen version. Everything from the epic scope of the backdrop, to over-the-top battles, to the hidden sex mini-games is packed into this excellent title.
Pacing: As with the original, Chains of Olympus keeps you enthralled with a storyline you care about and the perfectly paced blending of battles and puzzle solving.
Graphics: Miniaturized, Kratos is just as much a bad-ass as he was in the original games. The detail of animation is at times awe-inspiring, and the character design at times almost surpasses the first two in the franchise.
Controls: With the exception of a few quick-time boss battle kills, the controls are flawless, allowing you to hammer out 40 to 50-chain attacks on a screen full of enemies.
Weapons: From the Gauntlets of Zeus to Kratos' mainstay Blades of Chaos, the portable God of War comes packed with an amazing selection of boostable weapons, a half dozen all told.
Bonus Material: While the game's five hours or so of campaign play was more than enough to satisfy my God of War bloodlust, it's nice that the game also includes five challenges that unlock silly bonus material, like being able to play as Kratos in a dress, and a God difficulty.
Addictive: Because of the vagaries of early builds and demos, I managed to play through chunks of Chains of Olympus three to four times, and it never got old. In fact, I had a lot of trouble putting it down. It's rare that a game gets its claws into me so deep. Even rarer that it would be on the PSP.

Hated
The Thumbstick: There are a number of big monster, quick time event kills in which you have to do timed swirls with the thumbstick and often it just doesn't register. There's nothing as annoying as failing in a boss battle or creature fight because of the hardware.
Save Points: There are a couple of unforgivable save points in the game. Why on earth would you put a save point right before the unskippable cut-scene that introduces an incredibly hard boss battle?
Story: This prequel to the original God of War has a wonderful, potentially emotional plot marred by disjointed delivery. There are moments in the game that could have truly touched gamers, but felt too forced to work.

God of War: Chains of Olympus delivers more to the Playstation Portable than I thought was possible. The game is nearly flawless in its production value and what minor issues it does have has more to do with the irritating difficulty than any real design flaws. My only disappointment lies in the story, which had such great potential for evocative gaming, but never fully delivers.

Set aside a chunk of one day to sit down and enjoy this experience uninterrupted from beginning to end. If I could only buy one game for the PSP, this would be it.

God of War: Chains of Olympus, developed by Ready at Dawn, published by SCEA, released March 4, for $40. Available on Playstation Portable, played to completion.

The girl was walking with a friend when a man, aged 16 to 18, ran up and kicked her in the leg, before taking the portable. That's kinda crap.

Has the Playstation Portable become the candy of the 21st Century?

Man grabs portable PlayStation from girl, 9 [Get Bracknell, via Gay Gamer]

If you didn't get the free Demo on UMD when it came out, you can still grab it directly over on the Playstation Store. I point this out because the downloadable demo isn't exactly easy to find and some of you may not have realized it's out there.

God of War: Chains of Olympus Demo [PS Story, thanks Brad]

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN TO RELEASE "CRADLE" and "CRADLE & D TERMINAL AV CABLE" FOR PSP® (PLAYSTATION®PORTABLE)

Tokyo, March 4, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) responsible for business operations in Japan, today announced that it would release "Cradle"（PSP-S360）for the new slim and light PSP® (PSP-2000) in Japan on April 24th, 2008 at a recommended retail price of 4,800 yen
(including tax). A set of "Cradle & D Terminal AV Cable" (PSPJ-15013) will also become available at a recommended retail price of 6,500 yen (including tax).

"Cradle" will allow users to enjoy various entertainment content such as movies, videos and "1 Seg" viewing※1 by simply operating supplied card type remote control and also to charge the battery※2. "Cradle & D Terminal AV cable" fits for those who wish to enjoy PSP's high quality entertainment content on TVs in homes.※3 SCEJ will continue to expand the PSP platform and create a new world of computer entertainment with these new offerings.

I loved Size Matters, so I expect Secret Agent Clank will also blow my socks off. The clip looks promising too, though I'm going to miss Ratchet.

N+ for the Playstation Portable is every bit as fun, fluid and frustrating as the original, a game that could quite easily become the one title I carry around with me whenever I take long trips, if it weren't for its ability to make me shout out, every time I play the game, a mix of vulgarities so shockingly diverse it even surprises me.

What's good about N+, a Silverbirch Studios port of Metanet Software's original title, is everything that is good about the original. Instead of trying to fix what wasn't broken, the team set their sights on recreating what I've always considered a classic of Flash play.

The character art for N is still little more than a stick figure, rendered so fluidly as to seem alive, and the levels remain a throw back to the days of Lode Runner and Soldat, which is deliberate and works. The ninja isn't quite a sticky as he is in the PC version, now you have to press against the wall to stick, but it's not a huge change from the original, and certainly not enough to distract.

For those of you who have never played the free flash game N, the side-scroller is essentially Lode Runner with a Ninja, a realistic physics engine and lots of exploding deaths.

In it you have to unlock and make your way to an exit while collecting gold. The problem is that the levels are packed with mines, lasers, turrets and guards. You also have your own clumsiness to worry about. Hit a wall, floor or ceiling going too fast and you're dead.

The game's diabolic levels can really test your patience at times, especially with little end game messages like "dirt nap" or "psyche", but the fluid play, the catchy music will keep you coming back for more.

N+ also includes a map editor, community for checking out high scores and custom levels (I assume, I couldn't check it out with my build) and a multiplayer which was also not playable on my build. I can't wait to see the final build of this, but as of now I'd say it's shaping up to be a must buy from Atari.

Two teenagers have been charged in the death of James Felton-Maitland, 17, who was hit by a truck in Miami and killed while running from the teens bent on stealing his Playstation Portable, Miami-Dade police said.

Police sayd that Jamila "Jam" Brown, 19, and Keith Lebrone Goa, 17, spotted Felton-Maitland as he walked from North Dade Regional Library on Dec. 27 with a PSP in his hand. The two knocked the teen to the ground and "beat him while attempted to take custody of the PSP," according to the arrest report. The teen managed to escape with his PSP and ran across a street where a truck slammed into him, causing severe head trauma.

He died Jan. 5.

Initially the Florida State Patrol ruled the death an accident, but the family hired a private detective and pamphleted the neighborhood with flier seeking witnesses. After tracking down the teens who allegedly tried to rob the boy, they handed their information over to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The teens, one of which later confessed, were arrested on charged of second-degree felony murder and strong-arm robbery. In Florida, anyone who commits a violent felony that results in death can be charged with murder.

2 charged in teen's death over PlayStation [Miami Herald]

Today, Sony subsidiary SN Systems cut the price of PSP development kits and support in half, making PSP development more appealing to those looking out for their bottom lines. That also means we may in for a new batch of lower budget games, making it even more competitive against the Nintendo DS.

PSP dev costs halved [Develop]

I played through a sizable chunk of Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice over the past week or so, and I was surprised to find that I sorta liked it. I was surprised because I loathed the first game, it seemed too button mashy for me and I didn't feel like all the button slapping resulted in a big enough pay-off to make it worthwhile.

Extreme Justice still has you slogging away at the buttons, but they've mixed up the missions enough to make it seem worthwhile, at least, a bit for me.

This latest version includes some new vehicles and weapons as well as better graphics, which help with the pay-off quite a bit. It also comes with a new multiplayer mode that includes four types of play, one of which is on foot.

For the uninitiated, Pursuit Force, both of them, is really about leaping from one car to the other. Sure there's the driving, and the shooting, but what makes the game is the ability to jump onto the hood of a moving car or truck or what have you.

Normally, I wouldn't think that this bit of action-movie silliness would be enough to capture my interest, but apparently I'm a very shallow person. I got so into the game one night, that I had to slip out of bed about 1 a.m. to go play in the other room because the constant button tapping was driving my half-asleep wife nuts.

I would sort of get bored with the driving and leaping, but then a foot mission (which has pretty horrid AI and annoying controls) would pop-up. For some reason, I would keep playing, muscling through my annoyance to get back to the driving bits. Make that the jumping and car surfing bits.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy a couple of levels thoroughly. For some reason I found the sniper levels a lot of fun. In them you have to protect your side-kick or side-kicks by taking out the bad guys while perched on some distant grassy knoll. The controls were a bit too wobbily to make headshots a real possibility, but I still enjoyed it.

I guess what I'm saying is that I enjoyed Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice despite myself and that I sit here today, having nearly beaten the game, still trying to figure out why I spent so much time playing it.

Have any of you picked it up? Could you, perhaps, explain why I kept playing it?

Today's Playstation Portable firmware update came with a little touch of Skype (except if you live in China, go figure). Once patched, the Skype option shows up under Network. I was able to pretty quickly register for a new account using the PSP and get it working in less then five minutes.

It's a pretty cool build of the software and while I'm not sure how often I'd use it around the house, I definitely plan on bringing it with me when I travel for some free calls. Also plan on abusing the hell out of it to harass Ash since it only cost me $10 to buy seven hours worth of worldwide Skype to phone service. (Skype to Skype is free) That's right seven hours of me rambling to Ash... can't wait!

The sorta poorly received Silent Hill Origins is making the jump from Playstation Portable to Playstation 2, Konami said today. The title is currently in development for the last-gen console.

"Console gamers can now expect the same chilling, suspenseful and fear-filled experience that handheld gamers encountered when we released Silent Hill Origins on the PSP system," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "This is their chance to learn more of the mystery and mythos surrounding Silent Hill that's been hinted at in earlier games and made the series such a success."

The game will still have you playing as Travis Grady, trucker extraordinare, but will also include updated controls for combat. Zero P will be so happy.

Survival Horror Title Makes Transition from Handheld to Console

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - January 22, 2008 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today confirmed speculation that Silent Hill® Origins, released last year for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system is in fact currently in development for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Now PlayStation 2 system owners will have the opportunity to experience this frightening and popular survival horror game, complete with signature sound and music from renowned Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka.

"Console gamers can now expect the same chilling, suspenseful and fear-filled experience that handheld gamers encountered when we released Silent Hill Origins on the PSP system," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "This is their chance to learn more of the mystery and mythos surrounding Silent Hill that's been hinted at in earlier games and made the series such a success."

Players take on the role of Travis Grady, a lone truck driver making a routine delivery when he makes an unfortunate detour to the mysterious town of Silent Hill. Players must help Travis escape the city's horrific inhabitants and unravel the mystery of the strange hallucinations from Travis' past, visions that have plagued him since childhood.

Updated controls maximize combat, allowing Travis to use his fists, his wits and an array of weapons including a meat cleaver, pool cue and sledgehammer to fight his way through the nightmarish world of Silent Hill and face multiple endings based on his actions.

For more information, please visit www.konami.com.

Mike McWhertor sat down with John Koller, senior marketing manager for the Playstation Portable, at CES and extracted a lot of interesting information out of him. This GameTrailer video gives Koller a chance to pitch why he thinks 2008 is going to be the year of the PSP. Hmm, why does that sound familiar.

I do think the handheld is having quite a resurgence, though I hope that Sony continues to concentrate more on the games and less on the peripherals for the device.

The PSP interface for Skype was fairly straightforward, with a Skype icon appearing under Network in the portable's XMB. The expected menu items were there—My Profile, Contacts, History, Dial—with other personalization features making appearances so other Skype buddies can know your "mood" or see your chosen photo icon. Skype for PSP makes international calling easy, with a list of selectable country dialing codes right at the dialing screen for those who travel often.

The headset, shown above and on display at the convention was supposedly not final. That's a good thing, as I found it to lean toward clunky, but we're not holding out hope for a massive redesign as the thing launches in February.

Yes, Skype for PSP is only for those who have the PSP-2000 model (aka the PSP Slim & Light). While many will probably wonder why they'd consider giving up their cell phones for calling on the go, those who make international calls often will probably be interested in picking up Skype for the cost savings.

There's no charge for PSP-to-PSP and PSP-to-PC calls, but a microphone accessory and dedicated phone number service will both carry a fee. The Nikkei Net report priced out PSP-Skype plans strictly for Japan, but we suspect Sony will have more to say about the calling service at next week's CES. Who else is psyched for some sidetalkin'?

Report: PSP Skype launching this month [Gamespot]

Having popped in a few times over the weekend to check things out, I couldn't help but notice a wee bit of dissatisfaction over the way the Reader's Choice Awards were run. What we decided to do this year was use the same finalist list we used for our own Game of the Year selection because it seemed the most practical way to proceed. While it may be possible to create a poll listing every single game to hit a particular platform in 2007, it just didn't make sense to. Next year I'll try to figure out a better way to broaden the finalist list in a way that works for you guys, perhaps by asking people to post their favorite games and then selecting the finalists from that list.

Once the winners in each category were selected I think it's very fair to use those as the finalists for the overall game of the year. If a game is voted by you the readers as the best game for a system then it should be the one used to represent the system in what is essentially the finals for the overall awards.

One other point. I didn't include the Wii's Virtual Console this year because they don't really have original games. But was that fair? Should I have included it along with the PSN and XBLA?

Hit the jump to see the winners and then make up your own list of winners in the comments. I'm interested to see how different the list would have been had it been entirely in your hands.

GOTY DS
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass

GOTY PC
Portal

GOTY PS2
God of War II

GOTY PS3
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

GOTY PSP
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters

GOTY Wii
Super Mario Galaxy

GOTY Xbox 360
Bioshock

GOTY XBLA
Alien Hominid HD

GOTY PSN
Everyday Shooter

OVERALL GOTY
Super Mario Galaxy

The most searched for item on the UK's eBay since Christmas is the Wii, The Telegraph reports today. More than 1,100 of the consoles were on sale earlier today with asking prices as high as £1,000, aka somewhere in the stupid range.

And the Wii isn't the only console UK buyers are searching for on the auction site. In fact half of the top ten searched items are gaming consoles with the DS at the number five spot the PSP at number six, the 360 at number 9 and the PS3 rounding out the list at number ten.

Hit the jump for the top ten search list from the paper.

1. Wii console
2. Ugg boots
3. High School Musical
4. iPod Nano
5. Nintendo DS
6. PSP console
7. Laptop
8. Tom Tom
9. XBox 360 console
10. PS3 Console

I don't know which is more surprising, the fact that the PSP is beating out the 360 or the fact that High School Musical is in the number two spot.

Nintendo Wii most searched for item on eBay [Telegraph]

Amazon is just giddy with excitement. The holidays are over and they are bursting at the seams with money spent on presents. Their annual "We made a shitton of money during the holidays" press release went out this morning and in it the the Wii as their top selling console and Call of Duty 4 as their top game.

While they don't release any specific numbers for their video game sales, they do say that Amazon sold Wii system "at approximately 17 per second when they were in stock."

Here's the top ten current lists of video game and hardware sales on Amazon:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360
Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Nunchuk control
Wii Play with Remote
Wii Remote
Wii Charging Station
Wii
Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360
Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training
Playstation 3 Wireless Sixaxis Controller

The PSP 2K, in the number 12 spot, was the next best-selling platform after the Wii

Amazon.Com Best Sellers [Amazon]

It's the day after Christmas and, for many, a time to check out new gaming rigs.I suspect this may have been the year for many of those reluctant gamers to make the switch from old gen to current gen hardware, or for parents to take the plunge into the world of console gaming for the first time.

I know at least one of my neighbors were suspecting a Wii for Christmas and another a 360. I introduced my dad to the Wii last night and after spending a bit of time playing Carnival, Jenga, and Excite Truck I showed him how you could check news, browse the internet and get weather updates. Now he's talking about getting a Wii, or a next-gen console, when he retires in a few months.

I, of course, didn't get any new gaming hardware, because I've already got all of the systems, but my son received one of the newer iPods with a copy of Sonic installed on it. So even he get a chance to check out a new gaming platform. What about you, are you new to a gaming system today or did anyone in your family receive a new console this holiday?

I was stepping into the mini-van this afternoon, bound for Kansas on the way to Georgia, when the FedEx guy stopped by and handed me this nifty Patapon card. As if the nifty tribe celebration wasn't enough to put a smile on my face, inside the signed card was a demo of the game, due out in March. I know what I'll be doing during the trip.