Last post of 2011

Boy. What a year 2011 was. Nintendo was lacking. Sony was hit with a DDOS this year. Microsoft was being Microsoft. And then there's SOPA. Although Nintendo, Sony and EA have withdrawn support, the ESA still has its ring in the hat for SOPA

Also, rumor has it that one of the most twisted games of STeam: Binding of Isaac, will be released on the 3DS next year if approved by Nintendo. Judging by the content, I would be surprised if they did. I would also beware of the good old Christians should they see this game

Also, rumor has it that, though it was dismissed, Shigeru Miyamoto may be retiring. If he does, we will surely miss him as he will spend his last days as a caretaker at Disneyland.

Finally, with a new Nintendo system comes a new Smash Bros game. Rumor has it that Krystal, K. Rool, Girahim and Saki Amamiya will be playable in this game. Will they? Can they? Will the furries draw towards Krystal like Bronies to Pinkie Pie?

See you in 2012 where more chaos will come out, Vita hits North America and the Wii U finally comes to light.

NPD November 2011: Earlier than thou edition

Because it is Christmas, I am gonna do the NPD earlier than usual. Now, I was gonna bring up a post about Shigeru Miyamoto's retirement, but I had lost the edge to do so.

Oh BTW, 3DS Ambassadors. If you haven't done so, 10 GBA games are up for download. They are(In no particular order)

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Wario Ware: Mega Microgames
Metroid Fusion
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones
Wario Land 4
F Zero: Maximum Velocity
The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

Now, let's get the NPD out of the way. How did each system do in November?

360 - 1.7 Million (+24%)
PS3 - ~900K (+70%)
WII - 860k (-32%)
3DS - 795k
NDS - 350k (-77%)

Make no mistake about it. The 360 was the clear winner here. Perhaps it were the number of Kinects that went out. The PS3 is barely above the Wii with the 3DS and the classic DS right behind it. SPeaking of which, the 3DS is doing better than last month.

Now what about the software? Well only one stood above the rest. And that software is...


1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, WII, PC)** Activision Blizzard 8.99 million (Less than 100K on Wii, even less on PC Retail)
2. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)** Bethesda Softworks - 2.8 million
3. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)** Electronic Arts
4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC) Ubisoft - ~1.26 million
5. Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360) Ubisoft
6. Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)** Electronic Arts
7. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)** Sony - 700k
8. Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC)** THQ
9. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (WII) ** Nintendo
10. Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)** Warner Bros. Interactive

That's right. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare topped the charts at number 1, beating out Skyrim and Battlefield 3. No matter how hard you try, you can't seem to top Activision's realistic shooter. Assassin's Creed: Revelations is at number 4 with Just Dance 3 at Number 5. Madden is still up there at 6 with Uncharted 3 at 7 and Saint's Row the third at 8. Meanwhile, the new Zelda game debuts at number 9, which gives it a long way to go. Rounding out the top 10: Batman: Arkham City.

Is December 2011 my last month for NPD recordings? Is this the end of the line for me? Or will 2012 paint a new path for me? Stay tuned


Works cited
NeoGAF

Put the SOPA on a ROPA

Folks, this week, the House of Representatives is set to vote on SOPA: The Stop Internet Piracy Act. It seems to punish thousands of sites for the crime of one site. Should it pass, kiss Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc goodbye.

SOPA is a bill that would empower law enforcement to shut down any site that hosts pirated content. Under current law, the sites only have to remove the offending content. Opponents, whose activism went viral with the catchy phrase “Don’t break the Internet,” argue that the bill could kill some of the most popular sites on the Web. Google has been one of the most outspoken critics of the bill. In an interview with The Hill, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said the bill would “criminalize linking and the fundamental structure of the Internet itself.”

On Tuesday, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) introduced a manager’s amendment that addresses some but not all of these concerns, The Post’s Hayley Tsukayama writes: “The proposed changes include: clarifying that the bill is aimed at foreign Web sites, nixing language that would have required redirection from rogue sites, clarifying that service providers don’t need to block subdomains and narrowing the definitions of some key terms in the bill to focus on bad actors.”

Still, the “Geek Lobby,” as they’ve been called, are wary of the impact that SOPA will have on the Internet’s freedom — and the impact it could have on their jobs. That’s why they’re posting their photos, names and job titles on I Work For the Internet, a visual petition designed to put a face to the people that SOPA could harm. Contributors have expected titles — systems administrator, entrepreneur, software engineer — and some uncommon ones, like “digital performer,” theoretical physicist, and musician (SOPA could have a big impact on artists).

So now you're thinking "What can I do other that sitting on my ass and worry?" Well folks, here's your answer. Go to American Censorship so you can contact your representative and tell him to oppose the SOPA bill.

We will resume our normal talking about Shigeru Miyamoto's retirement later this week.

Works Cited: Washington Post

NPD October 2011: Xenoblade is coming baby

Before we get down to October's NPD, I wanna get this out of the way. For those of you who anticipated Xenoblade to come to North America, guess what, IT'S COMING!

Nintendo of America finally did it! After earlier rumors and teasing, it has finally been announced that the looooong awaited roleplaying game, Xenoblade, will be coming to North American Wiis in April 2012. It'll go by its European name, Xenoblade Chronicles.

That's right folks. Like a Rainfall that happened while we least expect it, Xenoblade will be coming next year to North America. Mark your calendar Wii owners. April is the due date.

With that out of the way, here comes the NPD of October.

However, we're going do things different. Instead of Hardware first, then software, we're reversing it. So...


1. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)** Electronic Arts - almost 2 million
2. Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3)** Warner Bros. Interactive - 1.5 million
3. NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, PC) Take Two Interactive
4. Rage (360, PS3, PC) Bethesda Softworks - 550k
5. Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360) Ubisoft
6. Dark Souls (PS3, 360)** Namco Bandai Games
7. Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)** Electronic Arts
8. Forza Motorsport 4 (360)** Microsoft
9. Gears of War 3 (360)** Microsoft
10. FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, 3DS) Electronic Arts
11. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (not in order 3DS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC) Activision

Not to be one to capitalize on opportunity, EA dominates on the top with Battlefield 3. Batman's 2nd 360/PS3 title from Rocksteady rocks on at number 2 with NBA 2K12 at number 3 and Rage at number 4. 360 and Wii owners are dancing to Just Dance 3 at 5 with Dark Souls hanging on at 6. At number 7, Madden NFL 2012. Rounding out the Top 10, Forza Motorsport 4, Gears of War 3 and Fifa Soccer 12. Interestingly, an 11th place confirms the new Skylanders game. Normally we don't do 11th, but this is an exception.

Now let's get down to Hardware

360 - 393k (+14.9%)
3DS - >250k
WII - <250k (<+7.75%)
PS3 - 240k~250k (estimated from Microsoft, Nintendo and NPD PR) (-4.0% - 0.0%)
NDS - <180k (>-47.4%)

The 360 is still at top with the 3DS right behind. The Wii also did decently against the PS3 with the oldskool DS falling behind. And what happened to the PSP? Did it strike out? Will the Vita give Sony the handheld power, or does Nintendo have a trap card up its sleeve.

I'll be posting the NPD November numbers earlier than usual since it is Christmas time. In the meantime, enjoy this little clip for you Skyrim fans.




Works Cited:
Destructoid
NeoGAF

Super Sony Bros Brawl

Folks, Black Friday has come and gone. And when Black Friday comes, chaos ensures. From pepper spraying customers to security guards gone mad, getting the best deals on gaming is bound to be a nightmare to many.

Outside Black Friday, something has been brewing in the Sony camp. According to the Paul Gale Network, courtesy of NeoGAF, Sony is putting work into their own Smash Bros clone. But is it true?

Eurogamer has this to say

What is SuperBot's "very amazing" PlayStation 3 exclusive?
By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 25 November, 2011
Sony silent on Smash Bros. rival rumour.

Sony has declined to comment on a rumour that it is making a PlayStation 3 exclusive Smash Bros. rival.

The console manufacturer told Eurogamer "we do not comment on rumour or speculation" when quizzed about the game, reportedly in the works at US developer SuperBot Entertainment.

Word of the mystery brawler first emerged on The Paul Gale Network, which claimed it featured a number of Sony mascots, including Parappa the Rappa (Parappa the Rapper), Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper), Nathan Drake (Uncharted), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone) and Fat Princess (Fat Princess).

The report also mentioned a Sandover Village stage (from Jak & Daxter), Hot Shots Golf characters in stage backgrounds, a LittleBigPlanet stage and a Buzz! trivia mini-game. A James Bond character is also mentioned.

Current speculation points to SuperBot Entertainment, a Culver City, California-based studio confirmed to be working on a "very amazing PS3 game" for Sony Computer Entertainment America, as developer of the game.

SuperBot's website describes the company as "an exclusive developer of Sony Computer Entertainment America" and reveals it is "currently in production of a yet-to-be announced PS3 title".

According to a job advert, SuperBot is after a senior combat designer with "a strong familiarity with fighting games and fighting game theory".

Another job advert asks for a lead designer with "a strong familiarity with online mode and matchmaking design as they apply to console gaming".

On SuperBot's website are pictures of arcade fighting sticks.

Looks like Nintendo and Capcom has some competition in the Ultimate Fighting crossover genre. Will Sony deliver with their own Smash Bros? Will they sneak in a few guest stars?(Maybe Cloud and that mama's boy Sephiroth) Stay tuned.

Works Cited:

Eurogamer

More info on the upcoming Sony-themed Smash Bros game at

NeoGAF

Mario's PETA blues

Folks, last week Nintendo released their 5th 3D Mario game "Super Mario 3D Land." Releasing more than a year after Mario Galaxy 2. Must be a new record for time between 3D Marios. One thing that is also brought back is the Tanooki Suit. This famed suit is now embedded in Super Leaves, overriding the Raccoon Mario powerup.

However, it seems one group has targeted Nintendo over the Tanooki suit. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

A new game from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) pokes fun at Super Mario Bros. Trying to draw some attention to its cause, PETA says that its new game, Super Tanooki Skin 2D, will hopefully make Mario think twice about wearing fur in his games. In the game, which is part of its new "Mario Kills Tanooki" campaign, players "direct a bloody, skinned raccoon dog as he chases a tanuki fur–suited Mario through a surreal fur farm where raccoon dogs are routinely skinned alive for their fur."

"Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA's undercover exposés show, often skinned alive for their fur," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "This winter, everyone can give raccoon dogs and other fabulous animals a 1-UP by keeping our wardrobes fur-free." PETA says that "by wearing the skin of an animal, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur." They also claim that the game informs people that in real life, "Mario would be wearing the skin of an animal who was beaten, strangled or electrocuted, and it wouldn't give him any special powers other than the power of self-deception."

A bold claim. But according to the game, real Tanooki suits come from leaves, not from Tanuki fur. However, Nintendo had this to say about PETA's claim

"Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games. These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play.

The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves."

Nice move Nintendo. Won't make up the sleeperfest that was 2011. As for PETA, they have responded to the response from Nintendo

"Mario fans: Relax! PETA's game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur," Shakira Croce, PETA's media coordinator said. "We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape from those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur."

How dare you tell me not to buy real fur. I like my real fur jacket as it is made from real bearskin and...

Wait a minute. This isn't Bearskin. This is an artifical substitute.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Works Cited
GamePolitics Link 1
GamePolitics Link 2
GamePolitics Link 3

The most sacred cycle in all of the industry

Before we get down to my rant against the abomination that is Sonic Generations, a quick update. Early this year, PSN and XBLA were hacked and the information on their respective services were compromised. For the former however, PSN was down from April to mid-late May, causing much outcry and backlash that Sony somehow managed to recover from.

But now, it seems the Steam service itself was hacked. The following message is from Gabe Newell.

Dear Steam Users and Steam Forum Users,

Our Steam forums were defaced on the evening of Sunday, November 6. We began investigating and found that the intrusion goes beyond the Steam forums.

We learned that intruders obtained access to a Steam database in addition to the forums. This database contained information including user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. We do not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating.

We don't have evidence of credit card misuse at this time. Nonetheless you should watch your credit card activity and statements closely.

While we only know of a few forum accounts that have been compromised, all forum users will be required to change their passwords the next time they login. If you have used your Steam forum password on other accounts you should change those passwords as well.

We do not know of any compromised Steam accounts, so we are not planning to force a change of Steam account passwords (which are separate from forum passwords). However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to change that as well, especially if it is the same as your Steam forum account password.

We will reopen the forums as soon as we can.

I am truly sorry this happened, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Gabe.

I smell a conspiracy theory here. This sounds like it could lead to XBLA, PSN and Steam going the WiiWare/eShop route in the future: Tying all of your purchases to 1 system/computer/handheld and requiring you to punch in your Credit Card info every time. Ether that or their security was shoddy in the first place.

Now folks, early this month Sonic Generations debuted on the 360 and PS3, with nary a Wii version in sight. But what caught my attention were the scores it got.

Console Monster: 8.8/10 Everything about Sonic Generations oozes excellence and while some of the traditional annoyances remain, it is hard to deny the crazy speeds and pure enjoyment Sonic's latest adventures reveal.

IGN: 85/100 It feels refreshing to be able to say that Sonic is good again. His upward trajectory over the last year continues and he's only gaining momentum. Sonic Generations is largely a game for the most hardcore of Sonic fans, but for the millions who have fond memories of narrowly dodging spikes, grinding on rails, or even that time he was a pinball, Sonic Generations is a game made for you.

GameTrailers: 81/100 Sega finally appears to have learned from its mistakes. Sonic Generations' thoughtful mishmash of the hedgehog's distinct incarnations delivers the best of both worlds. Though it's a bit on the short side, the fundamentals are undeniably well executed. Sonic hasn't been this good in years.

PlanetXbox360: 83/100 A few hiccups here and there stop Sonic Generations from being a classic, but it's definitely a huge step in the right direction for Sonic Team and Sega, especially considering how cluttered the previous titles were. It's a throwback to the carefree days of Sonic platforming fun, while still packing the kind of modern components that will keep you gazing at the screen in sheer delight.

Games Radar: 80/100 Easily the best Sonic game since the hog's Sonic 2 glory days. Surprisingly, modern Sonic's levels are the more impressive and fun and, while low-speed control is still clumsy, the wealth of quality action scenes cherry-picked from the past two decades make the overwhelming majority of Sonic Generations an absolute blast.

What are you reviewers doing? You're not suppose to praise this game like you did with Sonic Colors(And break the Sonic Cycle at the same time). You're suppose to bash this game as if it were the reincarnation of Sonic 06.

But the biggest insult comes from Jim Sterling, who last year bashed Sonic Colors on Wii, only to give this game his blessing

Destructoid: 80/100 While it's not quite the stunning triumph that many had hoped for, Sonic Generations is a truly great game that provides some of the best Sonic action ever seen and pays fitting tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog -- highlighting both his successes and his failures.

How DARE you, Jim Sterling. After having such high hopes, you went and slapped me right in the face. You all know the Sonic Cycle is one of the most Sacred relics of gaming. Breaking the Sonic Cycle is blasphemy and the punishment for breaking said cycle would including playing endless rounds of Ninja Bread Man.

But unfortunately, that's not the only game to break its own cycle. Last month, Activision released a new Spyro the Dragon game called "Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure." With snipe directed at this game, I had hope this game would end up being smashed down as one of the worst Spyro games ever. Unfortunately, that didn't turn out too well for me ether. And even Jim Sterling added insult to injury to me.

Game Chronicles: 90/100 Skylanders signifies a new start for the franchise – a step back to Spyro's roots, yet a step into the future.

Nintendo World Report 90/100 An extremely well-designed game that is perfect for kids. Unfortunately for parents, this game is wonderful and addictive, meaning that most kids who get their hands on this will crave more characters to collect them all.

IGN: 80/100 Yes, ultimately the content in the game is already on the disc and you have to pay money to unlock it, which sounds like BS. But even without the extras, Skylanders is a pretty substantial action game for kids (with a small cast). It's fun, it's challenging, the story is cute, and there is co-op.

Destructoid: 80/100 It's not the most complex game on the market, but the innovative gadgetry and authentic thoughtfulness on the part of the developer stands out in a market so used to churning out the same old crap.

Planet X-Box 360: 83/100 The design is quite inspired for a product designed for younger players, and the presentation is surprisingly high in value.

Worth Playing: 90/100 Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is so specifically targeted to children and the unique way they approach games, often vacillating back and forth between tightly focused and wildly erratic in under half an hour, it's difficult for an adult to fully and fairly evaluate this game's entertainment potential.

What is going on here? First Spyro and now Sonic? What is with bad gaming franchises becoming good again? There has to be something to counter this. But what?

The only thing I can think of is the user reviews on the new Modern Warfare game. Though many patriotic critics have chimed in on MW3, many User reviews have slammed it down. The reviews are at Destructoid compiled by Jim Sterling himself(Who I now have a grudge at. *Wink Wink*).

Jim, you give Sonic Generations and Skylanders a 4/10 and maybe I'll forgive you. I mean, it's not like I have and enjoy both games and even have the toys for Skylanders and....uhhh

*Makes a beeline for the exit door*

More info on the Hack at:
Kotaku

Select MW3 reviews at:
Destructoid

Works Cited:
Metacritic(Sonic Generations)
Metacritic(Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure)

NPD September 2011: The Sacred Sonic Cycle

Folks, I am madder than a Sonic fan over a bad Sonic game. And if there is anything worst than a bad Sonic game, it's a good Sonic game. And if there's anything worst than a good Sonic game, it's a Mario and Sonic crossover. Sonic is teaching us that it's okay to destroy jobs and Mario is teaching us that it's okay to beat up the power. Well I've got news for you, furries. When I get my hands on Sonic Generations and the 3rd Mario/Sonic crossover, I am gonna rip you a new one. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!*Lightning storm here*

But first, the NPD numbers both Hardware and Software

Xbox 360: 438K
Playstation 3: 364K-374K
Nintendo 3DS: 260K
Wii: 240K
Nintendo DS: 145K

Now come on here. Why is the 360 still in first place? Why is the PS3 right behind? I mean Sony should be winning in the good ol US of A. Screw Europe and Japan. America is where its at, baby. I mean it's not like I got a new replacement 360 to replace my....Err, let's continue.

But what's really bugging me is the Wii. Why isn't it under 200K? Are people who didn't buy it starting to buy it? come to think of it, was Nintendo really playing possum this year? I know, cuz they're gonna sneak up back and rip Sony and Microsoft again, especially in 2008 when the latter two got better games, but the Wii stormed through. It's madness I tell ya. MADDNESS! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!*Get's slapped*

Oh. Sorry. Anyway, Software

01. Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)** Electronic Arts - Over 2.3 Million
02. Gears of War 3 (360)** Microsoft (Corp) - Over 2 Million
03. Dead Island (360, PS3, PC) Deep Silver - Nearly 1 Million
04. FIFA Soccer 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, 3DS) Electronic Arts - Over 400K
05. NHL 12 (360, PS3) Electronic Arts
06. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3, PC)** Square Enix Inc
07. Resistance 3 (PS3) Sony (Corp) - 180K
08. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, NDS, 360, 3DS, PS3, PSP, PC) LucasArts
09. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)** Activision Blizzard
10. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (360, PS3, PC) THQ

Unfortunately, if your name is Gears of War 3, sorry but you've been outsmashed by Madden NFL 2012 across multiple systems. Dead Island is in 3rd place with FIFA Soccer 12. EA's other sports game involving Hockey(NHL 12) is right behind with SquareEnix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Resistance 3 comes out in 7th with Lego Star Wars III: The CLone Wars. Rounding out the top 10 is Call of Duty: Black Ops and Warhammer 40,000.

What does the month of the dead provide for gaming? Is Batman number 1 again? Will Spyro show his true colors? Can Kirby steal the spotlight? Or is Battlefield blowing the month up? Stay tuned

All data originated from NeoGAF

Dancing with Pandas

Folks, if you have checked out Blizzcon or you watched it through the Virtual Ticket, you know about the upcoming World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion. But for those of you out of the loop, pull up a chair, enjoy some Dim Sum and Tea, while we tell the tale of the new expansion to you



Set in a new 5 area continent of Pandaria, an area very Chinese-like, minus any form of Cheap labor. The new Bipedal Pandas referred to as Pandaren will be the new playable races. Now people, before you bicker on who gets the Pandas, both sides get the Pandas. Alliance or Horde, it doesn't matter where the Pandas go.

Even more so, players will have access to the Monk class. In addition to Pandarens, every race(Minus Worgen and Goblin) will have access to the Monk class. These can range from being an all-out fist fighter, to a close range healer and even a Drunken Tank. That's right. They're requiring for you to be drunk as a tank.

But what else is intriguing is the new Pet System. Formerly Companions, now functioning like Pokemon, players can take the pets they find and pit them against other pets. The one major downside is that some members of the People for Ethical Treatment of Companions(PETC) will be going after Blizzard for this stunt.

Other new features includes a PVP-like Scenario system for PVErs, Dungeon Challenges, and a revamped Talent System that does away with Spec-based Talent Trees.

Mists of Pandaria will be due out next year, sometime after Deathwing joins Illidan and the Lick King in Loserville. Oh and speaking of which, no central villain this time. That's right. And that makes you wonder "Oh come on. I wanna take out a central big bad this time and punch him right in the face for trying to wreck the world." Sorry people. This will focus more on the Alliance and Horde rivalry

For more information go to
http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2516-World-of-Warcraft-Mists-of-Pandaria-Preview-Panel

RIP: Dennis Ritchie

Folks, it has been awhile since we lost Steve Jobs, titan of Apple, creator of the iPod, and that guy who made Bill Gates get nightmares. But a couple of days ago, we lost yet another well-known Titan. Dennis Ritchie.

Dennis Ritchie is well-known for the C Programming language, which became a common programming language in program development, including games. He also was known for the development of the Unix operating System(Alongside Ken Thompson), the OS that later lead to Linus Torvald's Linux Operating System.

Dennis Ritchie, thank you for developing a well-common Programing Language and the framework that later became Linux.

Gabe Newell's closed fears and a new light of Handhelds

Folks, it's been time since the passing of Steve Jobs, and yet someone is cowering in their boots not because of the loss of a visionary, but also the ideas of the future. That person is Gabe Newell, front man of Valve which owns the Digital Distribution service "Steam." His fear is a Apple-only future that eliminates Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft from the books

Valve front man Gabe Newell fears that Apple will release new hardware that could render traditional gaming consoles obsolete. At least that is what he said during a game panel at the WTIA TechNW conference - as reported by the Seattle Times.

"I suspect Apple will launch a living room product that redefines people's expectations really strongly and the notion of a separate console platform will disappear," said Newell.

Exactly. That means no new Super Mario Bros, no new Halo, no new Uncharted. The only new games you'll get are a new Angry Birds, and a new Cut the Rope. Who needs explorations, RPGs, Platformers and the like when cheap alternatives are the way to go.

But sadly, that isn't his only fear.

Newell also called the rise of "closed" platforms like Apple's iOS and Xbox Live "ominous."

"On the platform side, it's sort of ominous that the world seems to be moving away from open platforms," he said. "I'm worried that the things that traditionally have been the source of a lot of innovation are going - there's going to be an attempt to close those off so somebody will say 'I'm tired of competing with Google, I'm tired of competing with Facebook, I'll apply a console model and exclude the competitors I don't like from my world.'

"They build a shiny sparkling thing that attracts users and then they control people's access to those things."

But of course. Companies are doing more and more to compete with each other, Gabe. It's called the free market. Then again, this is coming from a company with a similar setup for Steam on a Microsoft Windows computer. Who says "Open Source" is number 1 never sold their soul like they're suppose to...

Unfortunately, I have to move away from the bad news to get to the...uggh...good news. It seems Apple's master plan to wipe handheld gaming off the earth has hit a roadblock according to this NPD report from Gamasutra

The growth of U.S. children aged 2 to 17 years old has increased by 12.68 percent, far outstripping the 1.54 percent population growth of that same age group, according to a new report from The NPD Group.

In the market research firm's latest report, According to Kids and Gaming 2011, which surveyed 4,136 individuals, 91 percent of kids in that group, or around 64 million children, now play games -- a 9-point increase compared to 2009's numbers.

The segment of that group that saw the fastest growth was children who are 2-5 years old, which saw "an increase of 17 points in gaming incidence" compared to 2009. Other fast-growing segments include females and the 15-17 year old range.

And the platforms that have seen the biggest increases in gaming activity among 2-17 year olds are mobile devices (up from 8 percent in 2009 to 38 percent) and computers. Traditional gaming handhelds, though, grew to only 45 percent from 38 percent.

NPD attributes the remarkable growth of younger players on mobile platforms to the availability of new devices on the market like tablets and iOS/Android-based smartphones, as well as huge increase in both free and paid content for those devices.

Despite that growth, the firm says that kids and their parents spent over five times as much on physical games (across handhelds and home consoles) as they did on mobile games for smartpones and other app-capable devices in the past three months.

45 percent on Gaming handhelds compared to 38% on Mobile Devices. Apple, what are you doing? Why are you slacking off on the job and allowing Handhelds to continue their domination? You definitely need to take a few pages from Fox News Channel and rip handhelds, and Consoles and PCs while you're at it, and help usher in a new age closed network that clamps you all down.

Works Cited:
Game Politics
Gamasutra

BREAKING: Steve Jobs dead at 56

For those of you who enjoy your Macs, iPhones, iPods, and other Apple products, some sad news. Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple, has died today. Apple has released this statement from their website.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

The spirit of Steve Jobs will remain with us in our hearts, our iPods, and our Angry Birds. RIP Steve Jobs

NPD August 2011(Late to the party edition)

(We find the Reporter snoozing at a desk. Suddenly, someone tosses a rock at him with a piece of paper attached to it, sending him flying to the floor).

Owww. My head. Who threw that?

(The Reporter takes out the paper and reads it)

Reading: You're overdue for your NPD of August 2011. Please take care of this before I punch you in the face.

Oh my god. I overslept.

Anyway, here it is. The NPD of August. So what did the 3DS do with a price drop?

Xbox 360: 308K
Nintendo 3DS: 235K
PlayStation 3: 218K
Wii: 190K
Nintendo DS: 165K

After months of playing second fiddle to the DS, the 3DS finally leaped over it with the DS itself falling. The 360 still dominates over that, along with the PS3 and the Wii. But its numbers are dwindling.

Meanwhile, on the software side, it may be SquareEnix in the spotlight

01. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360, PS3, PC)** Square Enix Inc - 244K
02. NCAA Football 12 (360, PS3) Electronic Arts - 240.4K
03. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)** Activision Blizzard
04. Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd (NDS, Wii, PS3) Disney Interactive Studios
05. Cars 2 (NDS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
06. Just Dance Summer Party (Wii) Ubisoft
07. Just Dance 2 (Wii) Ubisoft
08. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
09. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) Nintendo - 84K
10. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3) Majesco

Deux Ex: Human Revolution debuts at first place, giving the owners of Eidos a reason to celebrate. NCAA Football turns out to be EA's better football game this month with Call of Duty: Black Ops still hanging in there. Disney was able to sneak Phineas and Ferb into number 4 and Cars 2 at number 5(Now when are they gonna do a new Lion King game?) Ubisoft's Just Dance series of games occupy 6 and 7 while Disney has their Lego Pirates at number 8. Rounding out the Top 10: Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Zumba Fitness: Join the Party.

The 3DS is finally taking off. Does this mean the end of the DS? Also, will the PS3 get a sales boost? Stay tuned. And now, a TV Ad

3DS am doomed, or someone must have Fox News syndrome

Last week, Nintendo and Sony made announcements on their systems. But one surprise came from Nintendo when they announced that Monster Hunter would be on their system. Now of course, both systems would receive ports of previous Monster Hunters. 3DS would get Monster Hunter Tri from the Wii. Vita will get Monster Hunter Portable 3

But in a strange surprise, it has been announced that Monster Hunter 4 will be coming to the 3DS. A shock considering new Monster Hunter games comes to the Sony system. Sony's response?

I will admit that getting Monster Hunter 4 is a good deal for the Nintendo 3DS. That series is more popular in Japan than pictures of twelve-year-old girls with humongous breasts. What about Sony, though? Will the PlayStation Vita be in line for some Monster Hunter action? Sony doesn't know.

"I don't know. You will have to ask Capcom," said SCEJ president Hiroshi Kawano, his abruptness sounding just a little bit bitchy.

That's right. Just ask Capcom. They'll know if MH4 will hit the Vita. Which they are keeping their mouth shut.

Of course, having 2 of the biggest franchises in Japan right now isn't enough to save Nintendo from a bashing. This coming from the end of the Huffington Post article, a site that deals with Liberal news

If there was ever a clear indication that 3DS's time has already passed, it was that the crowd refused to even applaud Iwata until the Monster Hunter announcement. Conversely, Vita was so popular at the show that organisers were forced to close down demo queues due to demand.

Nintendo may have ruled the current hardware generation with Wii and DS, but it's terrifying to see just how quickly stars can rise and fall in the video games space.

3DS imploding, Vita burning bright: expect Sony to confirm western launch details in the coming months.

He's right. Not even Monster Hunter can save Nintendo. A game that is number 1 in Japan won't save Nintendo from Sony and their attempt at Westernizing Japan. Capcom could consider retiring the Monster Hunter Franchise and replace it with a Call of Duty clone.

However. One check at the name of the writer dates back to a Eurogamer article that rips the X-Box 360

Some of the hyperbole Peter Moore concocted in the Microsoft's Xbox conference tonight was nothing short of sublime. The Xbox 360 pad is, according to the ageing suit, a "gateway to gaming Zen". He actually said that. He said that Xbox 360 games will be "beyond real". How's that, Peter? Seriously, how is that?

And even though his words were the crassest of the painfully obsequious trio of himself, Allard and Bach tonight, J and Robbie both chipped in with some genuine pearlers. Allard claimed several times that Xbox 360 will be put in front of a billion "consumers" in this current generation. The global population is currently around 6.5 billion, well over a billion of which live in abject poverty. Now, J, come on. Bach claimed that Microsoft is about to turn "thought leadership into market leadership". Even through the soberest eyes, tonight was undoubtedly the night the Xbox management team upped its acid dose beyond the acceptable.

Even the setting was surreal, the Shrine auditorium near the LA Convention Center, a huge pavilion filled with many thousands of people, seething queues desperately pleading to get through iron security. Forced back up into the Gods, we were impressed by the stupid opulence of the event, as speakers poured thunderous drum and bass over the crowd. The Microsoft three took to the stage and what followed raised more than a few eyebrows. Only Allard got away with any genitalia intact.

The rest of the post is in the works cited. But it seems this is the same guy who slammed on Microsoft over the X-Box 360. Ironically, said system is doing well in North America.

Coincidence? Or a dark liberal conspiracy?(Smacked for not being Fox News)

Works Cited

Destructoid
Huffington Post
Eurogamer

It's about being CRAZY

Do you smell that? That's the smell of CRAZY in the air. And it was all week

1) It seems Nintendo may be shaking in their boots. They have announced a 3DS attachment that includes a second circular pad. The circle pad comes off of a 3DS port of Monster Hunter 3.

One such rumor seems to have already been confirmed as official just a bit early. Alongside the reveal of Capcom’s Monster Hunter 3G inside the newest issue of Famitsu, is what is being referred to as the 3DS Slide Pad Expansion. It’s literally a cradle of sorts that adds a second analog pad, as well as another right shoulder button, to the system.

Just like any good 3DS news, this accessory has already created quite a stir. The accessory makes the system larger (and a bit less portable), not to mention that it adds something that people either think should have been part of the system’s original design, or isn’t needed at all. There’s also the question of what games the accessory will be compatible with beyond Monster Hunter 3G.

Good 3DS news? We should be slamming Nintendo like we're Fox News. Unfortunately, someone failed at being Fox News over this. I'M TAKING TO YOU, IGN!


The 3DS is capable of handling GameCube era games, yet companies can't take advantage of this because the system is actually incapable of properly replicating the control scheme used ten years ago. That's one of the reasons we're seeing some very limited ports and (partly) why Nintendo would seem to be so fixated on the N64 era. A second analog slider solves this problem.

How dare you state that a 2nd slider solves this problem. The problem itself is suppose to be unsolvable to the point of hopelessness.

2) The announcement of Dragon Quest X has sent shockwaves across Japan. The Stock Market responded with 2 stock drops: SquareEnix, and *Surprisingly* Sony.

Investors have apparently lost faith in Sony's game business following the announcement of Dragon Quest 10 as a Nintendo exclusive on Wii and Wii U.

Couple that with Sony's flagging TV business and you have Sony's lowest share price of 2011. Nikkei also mentioned Sony's "political problems" in Europe, but we're not sure what those are.

Dragon Quest 10 publisher Square Enix has also been negatively affected by the game's announcement, suffering an 11 per cent drop in share price.

It seems the Stock Market has a Liberal Bias by letting Sony get shafted. But by also punishing SquareEnix for allowing Nintendo to take Dragon Quest really was the straw that broke the camel's back, not that we even use camels in the first place. Actually, we tried sprinkling straw on the camel to break its back. No dice.

3) Tea Partiers were welcomed recently to an Anti-Tea Party game involves the player shooting down Tea Party Zombies. Former Fox News Host "Glenn Beck" has this to say about it.

"This is one of the most violent things I’ve ever seen, where you’re walking in, you’re the zombie hunter and you’re walking in the front door of FOX News and you’re shooting me and Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann and Sean Hannity, you’re just shooting all of us or you’re cutting us in half with a machete."

He's got a point. The zombie bug should have bitten some other worthless hack. And I know a few that deserve it: Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Iwata, Reggie Fils-Aime, Bill Gates, Steve Balmer, Cliff Bleszinski, David Jaffe, Ken Kutaragi, Kaz Hirai, and Steve Jobs. Err, wait. Wrong list.*Tosses list*

4) Speaking of Fox News, they seem to be pointing to Video Games as having more of a Liberal Bias.

Video Link at- http://video.foxnews.com/v/1141465232001/video-games-go-green/

What do you think? Is Sim City Societies teaching a Liberal Agenda to gamers? Maybe Mario, Sonic, Kratos and Marcus Fenix are closet liberals.

Works Cited:
Nsider2
IGN
Eurogamer
Game Politics

Dragon Quest Unchained

Folks. Nintendo has been desperate for games lately, and Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower and Last Story ain't gonna cut the cheese regardless if its in America or not. What Nintendo needs is a real game. So when we went to SquareEnix, they didn't come out with something that we were searching for.

That game is Dragon Quest X. At first, it was thought to be cancelled for Wii, but a recent panel reveals that all isn't lost.

Last night’s Dragon Quest press conference was packed with information on Dragon Quest X: Waking of the Five Tribes Online. Yes, online. Dragon Quest X is an online role playing game, but it will have a strong story. Details about the scenario were not announced.

While other Dragon Quest games were outsourced to Chunsoft, Heartbeat, and most recently Level-5, Dragon Quest X is being developed internally at Square Enix.

Internally at SquareEnix's laboratory. Let's hope DeeDee doesn't sneak into this one. However, it seems it isn't only on Wii. Word has it that it is also coming on Wii U

Dragon Quest X will be released for Wii and Wii U. Both players will be in the same game world and it is possible to transfer data from the Wii version to the Wii U release. The difference is Dragon Quest X for Wii U version will have enhanced graphics. A 3DS feature is being developed where you can transfer character data from the Wii game to your 3DS specifically for tag mode. Characters you meet by passing other players in real life will appear in your game.

A beta test for Dragon Quest X is in the works and will require USB memory. The game supports the following devices: Wii remote/nunchuck, USB keyboards, Classic Controller, and Classic Controller Pro. Dragon Quest X is slated for release in 2012 for Wii and is TBD for Wii U. A price and possible usage fee are TBD.

Wii and Wii U. That's right. SquareEnix is going all out. And 3DS Compatibility.

But personally, this isn't the game I'm looking for. What a real game needs is boobs, blood, and American Patriotism. And sadly, like The Last Story, Xenoblade and Pandora's Tower(And Zelda: Skyward Sword), Dragon Quest X lacks Boobs, Blood and American Patriotism. The latter which is present in many Call of Duty games. Is it a sign that Nintendo is going Socialist and SquareEnix is jumping on that train alongside SEGA? Teabaggers, beware Nintendo.

For more information about Dragon Quest X, including Character Customization and Online Functions, plus custom items, check out the link below.

Works Cited
Siliconera

NPD July 2011: Ambassador edition

Before we get to the day, just a reminder. For some reason, the Ambassador games are out on the eShop for those who registered their 3DS before August 12th. To download them, go to the eShop, select Settings, select your Downloads and scroll down.

So what are the 10 games you get? Well you don't get good games like Hydlide, Deadly Towers or Little Red Hood(J/K). But you do get the following

Metroid
Yoshi
Wrecking Crew
NES Open Tournament Golf
Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

Not bad. But if only there were games like Super Pitfall or Renegade.

But onto the NPD. Which I am behind as usual. Unfortunately, some state July 2011 as the worst month for Video Games since October 2006. Why? Well take alook

DS: 290K
Xbox 360: 277K (-37.5%)
Wii: 190K (-25%)
PS3: 148k (-31%)
3DS: 108K estimate

Hardware sales have taken a nosedive. Ether this is a typical month or gamers stopped caring about real games and more for Smartphone and Social gaming. Just think. People preferring to play Angry Birds over Halo or God of War. Now that's scary

And what else is scary is the usual Software sales

1. NCAA Football 12 - Electronic Arts (360, PS3) = ~796K
2. Cars 2 - Disney Interactive Studios (NDS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC)
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops - Activision Blizzard (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)
4. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game - Disney Interactive Studios (Wii, NDS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC)
5. Just Dance 2 - Ubisoft (Wii)
6. Major League Baseball 2K11 - Take-Two Interactive (360, Wii NDS, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC)
7. Zumba Fitness: Join The Party - Majesco (Wii, 360, Ps3)
8. Fallout: New Vegas - Bethesda Softworks/ZeniMax (360, PS3, PC)
9. New Super Mario Bros DS - Nintendo (NDS)
10. Mortal Kombat 2011 - Warner Brothers Interactive (360, PS3) = 85K

NCAA Football 12 is high up on the list with Cars 2 in 2nd place. Call of Duty is not willing to go down and is in 3rd place while LEGO Pirates have a jolly good time in 4th. At 5th is the only Wii exclusive title Just Dance 2. Major League Baseball 2K11 is in 6th with Zumba Fitness in 7th. Now even 360 and PS3 owners can get a workout. Fallout: New Vegas sneaks into number 8 and New Super Mario Bros DS, NSMBWii's older brother is number 9. At the bottom of the top 10, Mortal Kombat 2011

Another thing. According to the NPD report, Catherine sold around 78K while Shadows of the Damned only sold a measly 14K. So much for a sequel.

Will a price drop of the PS3 and 3DS do much good to the industry? Or are gamers slowly leaving for Smartphones? Stay tuned.

Drumming up Rumors

Folks, the 3DS price drop has lead to an increase in sales. Though that sounds like good news, deep inside there's a company who's still overreacting due to the harsh sales of the 3DS months ago. In fact, this rumor from GoNintendo may have Nintendo abandon the 3DS for something more powerful

I'd say this round of rumors is 100% bunk, but that's just me. Actually, most of these rumors are pretty damned outlandish. I'm leaving the rumor discretion up to you guys, so if you want to see these rather bold rumors, hit up the page jump.


- Nintendo is looking into adding another circle pad to the 3DS
- unclear if this will be a new model or something to adapt to the current model
- Nintendo is working on games for two circle pads
- Nintendo is working on a platform where 3D is not the focus
- unclear whether this is a new version of the 3DS or a new portable altogether

This from 01net, the same company that brought us the Vita and the WiiU Controller. I'd say go for it Nintendo. Let the first buyers eat cake and treat your soon-to-be ex3DS like Apple does with its iPhone.

But, something like this does sound fishy, like I've seen this before. I can't seem to put my tongue on it.

According to 01.net's information, non-3G models of the NGP will be priced competitively with the 3DS. Meaning we can expect that the low-end model will cost around $250-$300. In order to reach that price window some sacrifices had to be made. While earlier reports pegged the new handheld as sporting 512MB of RAM, the newest information suggests that Sony has cut that number in half to 256MB. In order to compensate for the loss, the company reduced the size of the OS footprint in memory. 26MB of the 256 is high-speed RAM that can be used for certain tasks that require quicker access to system memory. The 128MB of graphics memory are still in place; however the planned 16GB of internal flash memory have been removed in favor of cheaper external storage.

That's right. The same 01.net who said the Vita(Formerly NGP) would be only a measly 256MB said that the 3DS will sport a second analog. I'd say reduce the ram and suck in all those casuals, Sony. See if they can take Nintendo's casual market away.

Wait a minute. Did I just do a Double Standard?

Work Cited
GoNintendo
1up(May 2011)

Japan: Land of the Rising Fanboy

Folks, last week in Japan, the 3DS sunk to a new low before the price cut, when itself sold around 4K units. I don't normally report Japanese sales, but here's the chart

- PSP: 35,619 [DOWN] 1,040 (2.84%)
- PS3: 18,338 [DOWN] 2,366 (11.43%)
- Wii: 17,004 [DOWN] 1,228 (6.74%)
- DSi LL: 4,176 [DOWN] 1,091 (20.71%)
- 3DS: 4,132 [DOWN] 12,283 (74.83%)
- DSi: 3,900 [DOWN] 725 (15.68%)
- Xbox 360: 1,406 [DOWN] 210 (13.00%)
- PS2: 1,529 [DOWN] 65 (4.08%)
- DS Lite: 102 [DOWN] 36 (26.09%)
- PSP Go: 0 [DOWN] 7 (100.00%)

Many wonder if the 3DS finally hit rock bottom in the land of the Rising Sun. Many wonder if the 3DS will be as bad as the Xbox 360. I bet it will be. Nintendo and Microsoft would make a darling couple while Sony wipes everything up.

Nintendo's price drop for the 3DS has had an immediate impact on sales in Japan. Weekly Japanese tracking entity Media Create reports the 3DS sold almost 215,000 units last week alone, according to translations via Andriasang. Likewise, Nikkei reports sales of 207,000 units.

Those figures would be the highest sales for the Nintendo 3DS outside of its launch week, when it sold over 350,000 units. Prior to the price drop announcement, the 3DS was struggling to reach 50,000 in a week. Just prior to the price drop date, sales dipped to 14,000 or lower.

.....

NOOOOOOOO! Curse you Otakus for buying into the 3DS at a lower price. That's like giving Barack Obama his second term when someone who's really wild and crazy like Rick Perry deserves to be president for life.

200K units. That's less than the number of Wiis that sell in America a month. Maybe there might be hope. Meanwhile, as Nintendo wins over the Otaku, someone has struck out for good: Microsoft

Edge is reporting that retailers in Japan are to stop stocking the Xbox 360, essentially ringing the death knell for the console in the region.

The retailers in question cite the console's continuing poor performance as justification - the Xbox 360 has suffered a 46.7% year-on-year drop in sales, and has sold just 72,721 in Japan since January. That's less than a tenth of what the PS3 has managed. All in all, the Xbox 360 has sold 1.5 million units in Japan since launch, as Microsoft reported in June.

Only a measly million units in Japan. It seems some Otakus do not appreciate what it means to be a Patriot. I mean, why drool over the looks of a Moe anime girl when you could be gunning down the most vile of terrorist in a Call of Duty game and proving that you are a Patriot to the free world. Remember Otakus: Killing Terrorists is good. Looking at Moe is bad. It's not like I'm a secret Brony who has a collection of My Little Pony toys like Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Derpy Hooves.

We leave you now with a new feature coming to World of Warcraft when you can kill Deathwing. Closet Victoria Secret lovers, this is your day again

The transmogrifier is the feature players have been begging for for years; it provides the ability to alter the visual look of your armor into something more desirable. Don't like the look of your tier 12? Then reskin it with a tier you do like. It is made clear that you can only skin your armor as things your class could/should wear. For example, plate armor can only be transmogrified into other plate armor, and if you're a mage, you can't transmogrify your set armor to look like that of a different class. Currently, it's undecided whether you can only transform your armor into something you've previously acquired or not, but it's a possibility for the system. Needing to acquire gear before you can use it as your armor skin will lead to players frantically running old content to assemble their dream gear.



Works Cited:
Joystiq
IGN Wii
IGN 360
Wow Insider(Joystiq)

Gamings got the blues

Folks, we've already been through some bad news lately with the economy. During the weekend, the United States lost its AAA rating, putting it behind the United Kingdom, Canada, and even the Isle of Man. It seems a small isle full of men is a better investment than America. One industry that is hit hard: Video Games

"We continue to believe that sustained software sales growth will remain elusive until hardware sales rebound for an extended period of time. In our view, given the 3DS's weak debut and the limited impact from May's Wii and June's DS Lite price cuts, a rebound is unlikely to happen until Microsoft and Sony cut the price of their consoles." - Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter

Exactly. Nintendo's failure in keeping Wii, DS and 3DS sales high combined with Sony and Microsoft not cutting the price on the 360 and PS3. It's rather obvious. All 3 are really secret member's of Obama's cabinet. Satoru Iwata, Kaz Hirai, Steve Balmer. I bet the Tea Party is gonna be furious over this. But that's not the only thing that went down. Even the Stock Market isn't being kind to Video Games

Video game stocks were not immune to the downturn, and Sega Sammy Holdings, the parent company of Sega, was among the hardest hit. Its stock on the domestic pink sheets closed down 37 cents, or just about 6.75% on the day, to $5.12 a share. Before today, the stock was climbing toward its 52 week high of $5.82.

Nintendo was also impacted, down nearly 5 percent. News of Sony affirming the PS Vita launch in 2012 domestically probably helped shares of that company plunge over six and a half percent during the trading day, and another nearly quarter of a percentage point after hours. Microsoft fared slightly better, down over three and a half percent at the close of the trading day but up a penny after hours.

Other gaming companies, including Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts, also sustained losses today.

It's as if the Wall Street Gods are angry and they're punishing Video Games because they're too liberal. Folks, we need to put Conservative values back into video games before it gets worst, like Jobs being lost

THQ Inc., (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced a strategic realignment of its internal studio development teams to better align resources with the company's future portfolio of interactive entertainment. THQ is in the process of transitioning its portfolio away from licensed kids titles and movie-based entertainment properties for consoles and has also decided not to actively pursue further development of the MX vs. ATV franchise at this time. As a result, the company announced the closure of two studios in Australia, and the elimination of a development team at the company's Phoenix location. The company is maintaining its Quality Assurance team in Phoenix.


THQ's five internal development studios are focused on key initiatives and franchises: THQ Montreal, creating an unannounced new IP with a team led by industry veteran, Patrice Désilets; Volition, Inc., developing the highly anticipated upcoming game Saints Row(R): The Third,(TM) and inSANE(TM) in collaboration with renowned film director Guillermo del Toro; Relic Entertainment, creators of Company of Heroesand the upcoming Warhammer 40,000(R): Space Marine(TM) for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system; Vigil Games, developing Darksiders(R) II and next year's MMO Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online(TM); and THQ San Diego, developers of WWE All Stars and creating best-in-class fighting games.

Today's actions will result in a personnel reduction of approximately 200 people. All affected employees are eligible to apply for open positions within the company globally.

....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The damage has been done.

However, there is some good news going on. It seems Duke Nukem Forever, a game that was panned by critics, has done well in sales.

Though flagged by critics as a major letdown, the long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever was able to maintain its near mythological status to win the hearts of more gamers than you might think. Perhaps vindicating statements from Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford, the game was certainly a success in the eyes of Take-Two. While many complained about shoddy work, the game was able to put in a black figure for Take-Two’s ledgers, enough to ensure a success.

Take-Two noted in their quarterly review today that “despite its disappointing reviews, Duke Nukem Forever was profitable for Take-Two.” No actual sales figures were given for the game at this time, however.

Hey like Duke says, "Hail to the King, Baby" even if the king was way past his prime.

Works Cited
GoNintendo
TSSZNews
THQ Investor
Industry Gamers

NPD June 2011: We're doomed edition

Folks, there's a smell in the air that Nintendo's 3DS may be well on its way out even though the PS Vita isn't even on its way in. With word that a price drop is coming and those with the systems that connect to get 20 free games, is it any wonder they're falling out? Then again, we bragged on how Sony was on its way out due to their online service crapping out, all while our Government is about to default on its loans.

But hey, it's the price we pay to be like our number one idol: Fox News

So anyway, here's the NPD. First up, the Hardware

Xbox 360 - 507,000
Wii - 273,000
PS3 - 276,000 Estimate
3DS - 143,000
DS - 386,000

As usual, the 360 is number 1 with the original DS right behind. The Wii is barely behind the PS3 which makes us wonder: What is Sony doing? Sony, you better be careful. Otherwise Nintendo will do to you what it did in 2008. I still remember that horrifying story. The 3DS did better this month, though it's not as huge as in its debut

As for the software? Well it's good news for Duke fans, bad news for Shadow of the Damned fans

01. L.A. Noire (360, PS3) Take 2 Interactive - 419,000
02. Duke Nukem Forever (360, PS3, PC) Take 2 Interactive - 376,300
03. Infamous 2 (PS3) Sony - 369,200
04. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
05. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) Nintendo - 283,200
06. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) Activision Blizzard
07. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) Take 2 Interactive
08. Mortal Kombat 2011 (PS3, 360) Warner Bros. Interactive
09. Cars 2 (NDS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
10. Just Dance 2 (Wii) Ubisoft

L.A. Noire, Rockstar's hit detective Drama on the 360 and PS3 hits number 1 with Duke Nukem's sub-par return at number 2. Infamous is right behind with LEGO Pirates of the Carribbean sailing right behind. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D makes its debut at 5 with Call of Duty: Black Ops at 6. NBA 2K11 lies at 7 with Mortal Kombat hanging on at 8. Rounding out the Top 10 are Cars 2 and Just Dance 2.

But take alook at number 1. The highest selling software title is less than 500K. Are people loosing interest in gaming for next month? And if so, will August's numbers be worst with a rumored default? Stay tuned.

The Megaman Blame game around Comic-Con

Folks, Comic-Con is just around the corner. It's every fan's dream come true, and every Patriotic San Diegan's worst nightmare. Companies like Nintendo, Sony, Konami, NamcoBandai and Activision will be there to show off game demos from this year's E3. Capcom is also among the crowd.

However, a rather discord has struck many Capcom fans. Especially those who love Megmaan, the Blue Bomber.

Here's an aspect of the 3DS Mega Man Legends 3 Project for which Capcom didn't consult fan input: the publisher has ceased development of both the game and the downloadable "Prototype Version." This marks the second (and third) Mega Man game to be canceled in 2011, following the death of Mega Man Universe in March.

In a FAQ on Capcom-Unity, Capcom denied that Keiji Inafune's departure had anything to do with the cessation of his pet project. "Unfortunately it was not felt that the Mega Man Legends 3 Project met the required criteria" to go into full production, and thus the plug was pulled. Our guess is that Capcom is backing off from the 3DS after it didn't achieve stratospheric sales immediately.

Come on Capcom. We lost Megaman Universe. And now this? Personally, I do blame the 3DS, as does this article

The Nintendo 3DS was released in late February in Japan and in late March in the West. It's only been out a few months, and it's already being battered by bad luck and strong headwinds. There are big 3DS games on the horizon, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is currently out.

The issue that plagues Nintendo hardware isn't traditionally a lack of good Nintendo games, but a lack of good games from outside developers—not to say these canned games were amazing. However, if developer after developer jumps ship, what kind of message does it send studios thinking about making a 3DS title?

It's obvious. The 3DS is having a bad time and developers aren't doing jack at all, and they decide to just jump ship. I mean, Capcom knows when to blame Nintendo. Right? RIGHT

Capcom Euro Twitter: it's a shame the fans didn't want to get more involved :-( if we saw there was an audience for MML3 people might change minds

Now come on Capcom. You're suppose to be blaiming Nintendo, not the fanboys. Didn't you learn like the pros at the BigotedAntiNintendo101?

Folks, I apologize for Capcom's outrage. They were intending on shorting Nintendo and they accidentally shorted the fans.

Works Cited
Joystiq
Kotaku
Capcom Euro Twitter

Two sides of the Debate and more

Folks, it's been awhile since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Video Game industry in Brown vs EMA. However, two sides of the aisle have some harsh criticism towards the ruling. One comes from Comedy Central's own Jon Stewart of the Daily Show.

he Daily Show with Jon Stewart takes a few jabs at the Supreme Court's ruling on Brown v. EMA. At first glance it seems like Stewart goes hard after videogames, using several admittedly gratuitous video clips from the new Mortal Kombat game. As the first scene unfolds on the monitor Stewart feigns holding back on vomiting and screams, during the second scene he makes a joke about the female character having a wardrobe malfunction. In between he throws a joke in about Super Mario Boners (a Photoshop of a Super Mario Galaxy cover with a huge fleshy erection).

Stewart's point is one that many are making this week; that sex is even taboo at the Supreme Court and that sexual imagery continues not to be treated on the same footing as depictions of gratuitous violence.

Point taken and noted.

Exactly. Who cares about how sexy the human body is when it's more appealing to see it dismembered. Remember kids, Violence good, Nudity bad. Of course, we also have Jack Thompson, fabled enemy of gamers, criticizing the Supreme Court



Jack, come on. The Supreme Court was just upholding the US Constitution. Quit trying to step into Obama's shoes and let the Free Market decide on who should play the violent games. We don't need no Big Government assholes deciding that. Speaking of asshole

NBC's Today Show featured a segment this morning called "The Other View: Getting A Guy's Perspective On Love." Along with hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, TV personality Donny Deutsch was asked to address several questions about relationships from a man's perspective. Deutsch is the host of the relationship show "The Big Idea" where he doles out advice to men and women on a variety of topics.

But the most important part of the segment, and relevant to our readership, is Deutsch's answer to the question: "Is it normal for men to play games in their 40s?"

According to the male equivalent of Dear Abby, "When you're 30, there should be something more on your mind than video games, that's it," Deutsch said.

The hosts agreed, calling it "weird."

Of course if playing videogames is weird then there an awful lot of weirdoes in America. A recent NPD report said that the average gamer is male and 37 years old.

So I guess the real weirdoes’ are those people that don't play video games. In the 1950's Deutsch's mom and dad probably would have called him a "square."

And here I thought it was Fox News that would deliver. But nooo. NBC managed to deliver that better than Fox did when it comes to spewing out your opinion. Come on NBC, let Fox News deal with that. At least let Sean Hannity or Bill O'Relly host something about gaming. I would have asked for Glenn Beck, but he held his butt up into the air and ran.

Works Cited:
Game Politics Link 1
Video Citation: aaronclark2007(Audio from the Pat Cambell Show)
Game Politics Link 2

NPD May 2011: We won edition

Folks, before we get down to the NPD numbers themselves, 2 things. First, in terms of the Supreme Court case involving video games....well VIDEO GAMES won

The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the video game industry and retailers in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (formerly known as Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association). The full opinion can be found here. According to Justice Scalia, who wrote the opinion: "the act forbidding sale or rental of violent games to minors does not comport with the 1st Amendment." Alito concurred with the judgment, joined by the Chief Justice. Justices Thomas and Breyer dissent, in an opinion by Thomas - according to SCOTUSBlog.

The court had to decide if a state law restricting the sale of violent video games to minors violated the First Amendment right to free speech. The Ninth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the EMA, saying that the law violated the First Amendment.

The law was written by California State Senator (D-San Francisco) Leland Yee and signed into law by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005. The law was immediately challenged by the video game industry and retail advocacy groups in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. A judge put a permanent injunction on the law, ruling that it was unconstitutional because it violated rights protected by the First Amendment.

Take that California, even though I happen to live there.

Also, I know you are all upset at Nintendo over not willing to port Last Story, Xenoblade and Pandora's Tower to North America. And alot of you are furious about it. So to calm your nerves, here's what a Shareholder has to say about Nintendo

"I’m concerned about the falling stock price. I own stock, but I don’t own a single Nintendo product," said the shareholder. "I believe games are a waste of time. By the way, the reason I own Nintendo stock is because the name is nice, it’s in Kyoto and it was listed in the year of my birth."

Exactly. Why bother with Nintendo when they are a waste of time? Heck, if you're a shareholder, why bother with video games at all? It's not like they had alot of value.

And now folks, the moment of zen, the NPD of May 2011. Only without PSP and DS sales.

Xbox 360: 270K (+39%)
PlayStation 3: 177K (+15%)
Wii - 236K (-30%)
Nintendo 3DS - 97K

Now you're thinking "Oh, but it seems the 3DS is failing and Nintendo refuses to release the DS Numbers." But there's something else to point at. The PS3 sales are behind the Wii sales. Sony, I thought you had Nintendo under your thumb. What happened? You were so close to the 360 and then Nintendo came up and pulled the rug from underneath you again. And they're laughing at you.

Oh and yes, 360 sales are once again number one.

As for hardware?

01. L.A. Noire (360, PS3) Take 2 Interactive - 899K
02. Brink (360, PS3, PC) Bethesda Softworks - 401K [360/PS3 Only]
03. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
04. Portal 2 (360, PS3, PC) Electronic Arts
05. Mortal Kombat 2011 (PS3, 360) Warner Bros. Interactive - 292K
06. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) Activision Blizzard
07. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3) Majesco
08. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) Take 2 Interactive
09. Just Dance 2 (Wii) Ubisoft
10. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, NDS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Lucasarts

First up, LA Noire scores at number 1, though with less than expected numbers. Disappointing for a game long in development. But a much better outlook than Duke Nukem Forever. Brink, despite its criticism, made it onto number 2. A Pirate's Life is for me with Lego Pirates at 3 and Portal 2 at 4. Mortal Kombat slipped behind with Call of Duty at 6. Zumba Fitness is the new dance craze at 7 and NBA 2K11 at Number 8. Rounding out the Top 10 are Just Dance 2 and Lego Star Wars III

A dark cloud is approaching. Rumor has it the Wii's price drop is causing an increase in sales and with the release of Ocarina of Time 3D, the 3DS is rumored to be making a comeback. Unless Sony and Microsoft does something, they may be doomed.
Works Cited:
Game Politics
Destructoid

Do I take too long or what?

Folks, it seems I enjoy dropping the ball when it comes to E3. But before I go into any talks, it seems PopCap games, well known for classics like Plants vs Zombies and Bejeweled, is in rumors of being bought out.

Huge news in the gaming world: PopCap Games, the company behind such hits as Plants vs Zombies and Bejeweled, is in the process of being acquired — and we’re hearing from multiple sources that the price is over $1 billion.

The question now is who the buyer is. The obvious possibility is Zynga, which has made a string of game-related acquisitions over the last year. But we’re hearing they’re out. Our sources say that Zynga did indeed kick the tires hard on a potential acquisition, but it looks like the company couldn’t get comfortable with the price PopCap was asking for.

Popcap’s revenues are in the range of $100-150 million, we hear — and a price of over $1 billion would have put the deal at a possible 10x multiple, which may have been too rich for Zynga’s blood. So who else could it be?

We’ve heard that it might be videogaming powerhouse Electronic Arts, though the acquisition would be a very large one for the company (EA’s market cap is $7.49 billion). That said, it wouldn’t be EA’s first big bet on a hot gaming startup: they acquired Playfish in 2009 for up to $400 million after earnouts.

Another possibility would be a company in Asia that’s looking to break into the stateside gaming market, similar to the idea behind DeNA’s $300 million+ acquisition of ngmoco last October. One candidate is massive Chinese company Tencent, which has a massive market cap (and some games of their own). But there are other possibilities that would fit that profile as well — we’ll keep digging.

Zynga. EA. An Asian company like Tencent. Who knows who will get PopCap games? Though I heard some won't be happy if its EA since they claim "Oh but they will pump games out fast." That's exactly what I want. Yearly releases of Plants vs Zombies. Ideas include "Plants vs Zombies: Amusement Park," "Plants vs Zombies in Space" and my favorite "Plants vs Zombies: Liberal Zombie Armageddon at Washington."
Eric Cantor would be enjoying that game than doing his job.

Works Cited:
Tech Crunch

Nintendo Keynote E3 2011: Am I late again?

Well at least I didn't skip out on one keynote.

Yesterday, while the Keynote went on, Nintendo uploaded another game for the 3DS Virtual Console: The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening DX. Go ahead and check it out if you don't have the Game Boy original or the GBC DX version.

Now anyway, the obvious first part is the new Zelda: Skyward Sword, the self-proclaimed Prequel to Ocarina of Time.



Now what's more annoying than sailing on a boat or becoming a wolf? Flying on a bird. I mean come on. I want my feet to kill me as I spend a long time trying to get from point a to point b. I don't want to take the easy way out.

Now, while Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D had no trailer in the panel, it did create a trailer that harkens back to a previous trailer of Ocarina of Time. Take alooksie



But it's not just Zelda getting all the fame. Mario Kart is back, and this time, there's hang gliders, underwater propulsion and customization.



Mario, jealous of everyone else's ability to make a boatload of 3D games, jumps into his 5th 3D game. This time, he adds more tradition to it.



Kid Icarus, who only showed up recently on Smash Bros Brawl, returns as the main protagonist. Please ignore the bulky badass trying to steal Pit's Thunder.



Of course, Luigi isn't gonna let his brother have all the fun, so he's getting a sequel. I hope he pulls a Shaggy and makes a run for it.



And then there's Star Fox. The original N64 classic Star Fox 64 is getting a major facelift. Time to do a Barrel Roll again and make mince meat out of your friends



With other games like Resident Evil: The Mercenaries, Cave Story 3D, Ace Combat 3D and Tetris Online, Nintendo plans on a retaliation over its low prices. So that's it right?

Wish it were. Nintendo saved this for last. The Cafe is now Wii U. Finally, a console system that plays while your family watches Fox News.



Of course, what's a new system without games? Nintendo has shown off the games that will be on Wii U, in which the previews are taken straight from the 360/PS3 versions.



One more thing before I go, it seems a confirmation on a new Smash Bros came out. But 2 things about it

1) This game has been started on, so there isn't any information other than what the announcement came out with

2) In addition to Wii U, a 3DS version is also in the mix. Now you can smash your opponents on the go.

Like with the last two, you can see more info on the panels at Engadget

What's left of E3? We'll talk later.

Sony E3 Keynote 2011: Vita has Arrived

Folks, the moment has arrived. But before we go into detail, some breaking news.

Nintendo 3DS Shop has finally gone into service. A new update will allow you to access the 3DS Shop and download all new titles to your 3DS, plus DSi games, if it can function properly. Then again, the PSN's return was also buggy.

Also, players will be able to transfer their DSi titles from the DSi to the 3DS itself. With the exception of some programs like Flipnote Studios.

Oh BTW, Excitebike in 3D is awesome.

Now, onto the Sony Keynote. The Playstation 3 seems to have taken a backseat tonight. Meanwhile, in the Final Frontier, the voyage of the Starship Enterprise takes a nasty turn as Captain James T Kirk and First Officer Spock suit up for a new Star Trek game



Other games include Battlefield, a new SSX and a new Need for Speed: The Run.

But the real meat of tonight is the Vita. That's right, the Playstation Vita has debuted one year after the 3DS does.



The system will be priced at $249 at launch, same price as the 3DS. But come on, $249? $199 sounds like a more better deal. But for $299 and a plan, you can connect your PSVita anywhere you go with 3G, and AT&T. That's right, the biggest, most cramped up company ever, will offer a online service for Vita. Eat it, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

As for the first party games, because Lara Croft isn't the only fish in the sea: Uncharted: Golden Abyss



Next up, to knock the winds out of Blizzard's Diablo 3, Sony introduces Ruin.



Not to be outdone by the PSP versions, Modnation Racers and LittleBigPlanet get a PS Vita port





But a nasty surprise awaits for the PS Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken:



And it features guest star Cole from Infamous as a playable fighter(Guess Mortal Kombat with Kratos made Capcom and Namco jealous)



Wow. Why didn't Nintendo dedicate it's last year's E3 panel to just the 3DS and not on all that subsistence of gaming? You can read more about the Keynote at Engadget

Speaking of which, I'm onto to you Nintendo. Let's see that Cafe in action tomorrow.

Microsoft E3 Keynote 2011: Monsters and Mice and TVs, Oh my

Folks, it is E3 time and that means we are up to our noses in announcements. First up on the list is Microsoft. Later, we'll talk Sony.

First off, Halo. The franchise that makes men out of mere boys all while taking their IQ and respect points away from them. Halo 4 has been announced for the X-Box 360. Folks, Master Chief is back and he's badder than ever, having to awaken from a dying ship



The game is due out in December of next year, just in time for the Mayan Calendar to end. And speaking of Halo, it seems Microsoft slipped us a remake of the classic that started it all



Due out this November, it's time for Fratboys to rediscover their roots. But on the other side of the fratlore lies Gears of War 3, with John DiMaggio as Marcus Fenix and with a special appearance by Ice-T



Let's see those two duke it out for who gets the fratdollar.

But outside of that, Kinect is the domination. And we've got something exciting. First, Kinect Sports 2 by RareWare



And if that wasn't enough, Kinect Fun Labs



And if that wasn't enough, Sesame Street, part of the Children's Television Workshop, is jumping on the Kinect bandwagon with Once Upon a Monster



Also, it seems the force is with us all with Kinect Star Wars where you can play a Jedi, a podracer, a starfighter, or a Rancor



And even Disney wants in on the action with Kinect Disneyland Adventures. Finally, exploring Disneyland in the sanctuary of your own home, complete with hugging, high-fiving, and realistic ride simulation



Meanwhile, it seems Minecraft, the popular shape your world and build your homes game, has been announced as an X-Box 360 title. Though we have no trailer, we have a link at the bottom as confirmation

Also, for those who enjoy Fable, here's a new taste of Fable: The Journey itself



Other games involved includes, but is not limited to, Mass Effect 3, Forza 4, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Ryse, Call of Duty: MW3, Tomb Raider, and UFC. But that's not the only thing announced. X-Box Live TV has also been announced.

Xbox Live is also getting a few more features to beef up the entertainment experience. The service is going to get YouTube, Bing for search, and voice control to control all of it.
You'll be able to use Bing to find more content to watch, by searching the Web, YouTube, Live TV, and all the services on Xbox Live, including existing ones like Netflix and Hulu Plus. And voice control will let you speak your search item, such as the name of a movie, TV show, or game.

That means less time fiddling around with a controller. "You no longer have to navigate through the menus to find content," said Mark Whitten, head of Xbox Live.


Guess I better start cancelling my Cable service.

For more information on the Microsoft Panel, go to Engadget. Meanwhile, I shall await the Sony Panel and the 3DS Update.

Works Cited:
Cnet

Pre-E3 Snipe

E3 is just around the corner and it looks like there's plenty of rumors coming out of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

First off, later on there will be an update to the 3DS itself. This update will finally add an eShop to the 3DS itself. It will also have some freebies when the shop launches: Excitebike 3D(A 3D update of the NES classic) and the Pokedex 3D. Also, the 3DS will have these features on launch

- 3DS firmware upgrade is roughly 50MB in size
- you can search for games based on popular search phrases that other users have inputted into the system
- search for game characters as well
- there will be display charts that highlight the most popular games, the most downloaded games, the most watched videos, and other similarly user-driven trends
- store up to $200 in the virtual wallet at any given time
- will only be able to spend $1,000 per month
- no gifting option right now
- news on new eShop games will go to the eShop and not through SpotPass
- Nintendo may tailor its messaging based on individual activity logs and games played

Now come on. A Price Limit? Up to $200 max? Only able to spend $1,000 a month? Don't tell me how I'm suppose to save my money. If I want to be reckless with my money, I have every right as an American to do so.

While Nintendo's services are bare bones at best, it seems they're also not worth hacking into, especially if you're Lulzsec, who decided to do that anyway.

Nintendo, the Japanese maker of the Wii game console and Super Mario games, says it was targeted in recent online data attacks, but that no personal or company information was lost.

Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. spokesman Ken Toyoda said Sunday that the server of an affiliate of Nintendo’s U.S. unit was accessed unlawfully a few weeks ago, but that there were no damages. He declined to elaborate.

The damage from what could be a spate of hacking was more serious at rival Sony Corp.

Sony has said massive personal information is suspected of having been stolen after security was compromised for its network service for the PlayStation 3 game machine, for other online services and, in the past week, from Sony Pictures’ website.

And this is what Lulzsec said through Twitter

Nintendo, we just got a config file and made it clear that we didn't mean any harm. Nintendo had already fixed it anyway.

Now come on here. You're going after Sony, 2600 and even the FBI and yet you pardon Nintendo?

Speaking of hacking, Sony got another taste of hackers again, and again.

Things just do not seem to be going Sony's way these last few weeks. First their entire PlayStation Network was hacked with information stolen and quickly leaked onto the Internet, then when the service was relaunched, the website was once again taken down due to an exploit.

After a number of other Sony-related product hacks, the latest one comes just after LulzSecurity managed to successfully hack Sony Pictures and Sony BMG. This time, LulzSecurity managed to obtain the source code for Sony Computer Entertainment Developer Network.

The website, scedev.net, houses all of the developer tools and kits for Sony products including PlayStation 3, PSP, Blu-Ray and many other products. However, the hack only managed to gather the source code for the website, and not the actual database.

The continued attacks on Sony have unveiled a number of their key online servers being unsecure. Later today, Sony will take the stage at E3 and talk a little bit about the recent PSN outage.

Poor Sony. It seems like every time they finally get up, Lulzsec knocks them back to the ground.

Finally, Microsoft. Rumor has it that there will be a new way for me to recklessly spend my money. And what better way than to create a Diamond Account.

Winrumors is reporting, based on anonymous sources, that Microsoft is in last-minute talks to secure the necessary agreements in time. The TV service is expected to be called Xbox LIVE Diamond and function as a "virtual cable operator." Microsoft could withhold an announcement if the ink hasn't dried in time.

Winrumors also is reporting that Microsoft may partner with cable companies to use the Xbox 360 to allow existing cable subscribers to watch shows and interact with their Xbox LIVE friends. The feature is available for Sky Sports subscribers in the U.K., who can scope out football rows with their Xbox avatars sitting in the front row.

The streaming TV business already has a crowded field of players, including Internet powerhouse Google, whose first attempt at Google TV didn't do so hot.

That means Microsoft may be taking a risk, though it could be successful if it turns the Xbox into a multimedia set-top box and maintains strong relationships with the cable companies.

Ahh, a Streaming TV Service. But I don't think its enough. Is there anyone Man Enough to top that and make me want to recklessly spend my money? Someone answer me now.

Consumers are used to paying $60 each for videogames that run on consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Now the publisher behind the industry's biggest videogame franchise—"Call of Duty"—is about to find out whether it can get them to pay a monthly bill, too.

Activision Blizzard Inc. plans to launch an online service called Call of Duty Elite this fall that will work with the next major edition of the game, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," and future installments of the hyper-realistic combat-simulation game. In a move industry executives describe as a first, Activision plans to charge a monthly subscription fee for the service, which will provide extra content that isn't offered on game discs sold in stores, including downloadable map packs that give players new "Call of Duty" levels to play.


YES! A new means of recklessly spending money. And guess who has which blessing so far...

Set to debut alongside Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty Elite will offer a mixture of free and subscription features including social network offerings, a Halo Waypoint-style performance tracker, and extra content including downloadable map packs as part of the paid service.

Rob Dyer, senior vice president of publisher relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America, told the Wall Street Journal that only a few series have a strong enough following to support a subscription service, but he's nevertheless "very confident" other publishers will follow Activision's lead. "There's money to be made there," he added.

Meanwhile, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said he isn't worried about a backlash from players because Call of Duty multiplayer in its existing form will remain free-to-play.

He said the money spent to develop Call of Duty Elite and the customer-service operation that'll be required to support it mean it can't be offered for free. "This is an enormous investment."

That's right folks. Good ol Sony supports the decision to add a subscription fee to Call of Duty and it also wishes for others to follow suit. Ahh how I love being an American.

Works Cited:
GoNintendo
Technoty
Neowin
PCWorld
Wall Street Journal
Computer and Video Games