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Nintendo President: Wii Not Out Of The Woods Yet
As 2009 rolled on, it looked like Nintendo’s Wii was finally running out of steam. But then Black Friday came along, and the console broke records. Same with December. Despite this, however, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is still urging caution. In an interview with Reuters following a rebound in the company’s share prices, Iwata said…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 6, 2010 -
This Is It, The Michael Jackson PS3 Bundle
This is, ahem, it. Sony Computer Entertainment Japan is releasing a new bundle with the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It. Don’t be that surprised — Sony Pictures is releasing This Is It on Blu-ray and DVD. Priced at ¥33,500 (US$366), the bundle includes a 120GB Hard Disk Drive “Charcoal Black” PS3, a Blu-ray copy…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Kotaku Off Topic: Jigga Hirst
Kotaku’s first night in Las Vegas for this week’s Consumer Electronics Show—aka CES—has delayed the second night of Kotaku Off Topic. But we are determined to make the nightly TAY alternative a success. Wait. What is Off Topic again? Well, it’s not really about video games, but it’s open to video game discussion. It’s an…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 5, 2010 -
Tennessean Plays GTA for 40 Hours Straight, Pees Three Times
Barely four months after an Indian equity broker logged a world record by playing Grand Theft Auto IV for 40 hours and 20 minutes, a 19-year-old college kid in Tennessee has beaten it. David Scherer (pictured), an honors student at Austin Peay (student section chant: “Let’s Go Peay!” True story.) logged his 40th hour, 21st…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2010 -
Aion Players Hit Jackpot After Maintenance Goof
Maintenance on an Aion server yesterday caused a glitch that delivered more than 34 trillion Kinah – that’s Aion cash – to “a small number of players.” NCsoft was forced to do a server data rollback to correct the mistake. “Havoc broke out as players spent their ill gotten gains, mailed around coin, and awaited…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2010 -
Is Google’s Nexus One A Gaming Contender?
Google has officially unveiled its Nexus One Android Phone, and while it’s certainly an attractive device, does it have what it takes to be a portable gaming platform? The Nexus One is the first handset designed entirely by Google, and to some, particularly those with mobile service providers other than AT&T, it might seem like…
By Mike Fahey Published January 5, 2010 -
Capcom’s France Boss: “The Future is on PS3 and 360”
Capcom’s director general for France sounds very pessimistic about development for the Wii, feeling that its user base has “radically changed” into something that is no longer interested in core games such as the poor-selling Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. “The customer of [the Wii] has turned into something [of a] much broader audience. It…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2010 -
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening Trailer
The trailer for the Awakening expansion to Dragon Age: Origins shows off some of the new faces we’ll encounter on our adventures in the new land of Amaranthine, along with the welcome return of a few more familiar ones. The rumored expansion became official reality this morning, and now BioWare has posted this trailer along…
By Mike Fahey Published January 5, 2010 -
Amazon Now Offering Cheap-O Xbox Live Subs
If your gold subscription to Xbox Live renews this month – or not, heck, this is a card with a code – Amazon is offering 12-month subscriptions for $34.99 which is 30 percent off. That means if you have the dough now, you can save yourself $15 later. I’d say this is a run-go-get it…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2010 -
Goodbye Again
To: Ash From: Crecente We lost a second dog today: Ellie, our greyhound. She was 12. It’s been six days since we put Lucy down. Yesterday they discovered she had a rare disease that was attacking her kidneys. They also said that it was a zoonosis, a disease that can pass to humans. This morning…
By Brian Crecente Published January 5, 2010 -
Wife or Six-Foot Orc Statue? Warcraft Fan Forced to Choose
The Scottish Sun – “Scottish Newspaper of the Year” mind you – reports that a woman gave her 42-year-old husband an ultimatum: Ditch that six-foot-tall World of Warcraft orc statue, or I move to Canada. Who did he choose? Surprise! This is actually a story about rational people. He put the orc, which he’d owned…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2010 -
Sign Up For The LEGO Universe Beta At CES
The LEGO Universe expands at CES 2010 this week, with hands-on demos, the first official gameplay trailer, and beta sign ups available for visitors to the annual trade show in Las Vegas. CES announced LEGO Universe’s presence at the show’s Gaming Showcase back in October, but it wasn’t clear to what extent NetDevil would be…
By Mike Fahey Published January 5, 2010 -
Being a parent of a small child, I have to say she’s missing the mark in her harsh assessment of what “games” can bring to her son. My daughter who is 2 1/2 years old has a leapster hand held. Even though its above her age category she’s gotten the hang of it and plays…
By Mark Dygert Published January 5, 2010 -
This Thing With Many Buttons… Explained
What is this? Where’s the joystick? Why so many buttons? Give up? Website GameSetWatch explains: Designed as a 16-button USB MIDI Board and controller, Dj TechTools’s Midi-Fighter is a DIY arcade-style kit that will surely stand out from most DJing equipment Still confused? Go read the full article and watch a video demonstration. And/or you…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Trauma Team Gameplay Trailer Has Great Hair, Better Premise
You’ve never seen motion controlled surgery on the Wii this dramatic or with costumes and hair quite this fashionable. And you may not yet have seen what Atlus’ Trauma Team has to offer new and veteran Trauma Center fans. This first gameplay video of Trauma Team clearly lays out the “major enhancements” made to the…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 5, 2010 -
Would You Like To Know Some Guinness-Certified Gaming World Records?
Waiting for me in the office upon my return from vacation this week was a copy of the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer’s Edition. So many records in there. So let’s randomly highlight a few feats. Ah, but let’s have some fun with this. The book’s about 200 pages long. So, write a page number…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts & On Demand
Rare’s 2008 platformer meets vehicle builder Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the latest addition to the Xbox 360 Games on Demand library, a perfect opportunity to see what all the genre fuss was about by way of digital download. Pricing for me, in these here United States, is $19.99 USD and the downloadable version…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 5, 2010 -
Parent: Nintendo DS Would Have Distracted Newton From Discovering Gravity
I just discovered a hullabaloo over at the Orange County Register’s Mom Blog that began when blogger/mom Marla Jo Fisher explained why she keeps her household gaming free. Part of the attraction for this story are the new ways Fisher demonizes games, which she thinks would hold her son back from growing up smart and…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Here’s The Exploring Strange New Worlds Part Of Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online isn’t all phaser shootouts and epic space battles. You’ll spend plenty of time exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly so. I’ve spent a dozen hours in the Star Trek Online beta, and while I’ve spent more time firing at enemy ships than poking about the…
By Mike Fahey Published January 5, 2010 -
Modern Warfare On Wii Hooks Players, If Not Big Sales… Yet
Modern Warfare usually is discussed as a major franchise for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is subject for debate on the PC. By at least one measure, it’s significant on the Wii too. Those who follow our monthly tally of Wii playing time (the so-called “measure of pleasure,” as I’ve dubbed it) know that…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010