Check out how Nintendo advertise the Wii in Australia here
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via gigagamez

The PS3 hasn’t performed as well as expected. In fact, since E3 last year, not much has actually gone Sony’s way. There was the removal of features, loss of exclusives, extreme price and severe supply constraint… and that’s just leading up to the launch. Once November 17th rolled around, there were people camping outside of Best Buy to get PS3s so that they could scalp them on eBay for extreme prices, and that worked for a while. Then buyers got sick of paying for a system with one semi-desirable game, a blu-ray player with questionable usefulness and a really bad PS2 emulator. They’re not the only one. Gabe Newell, Co-founder and Managing Director of Valve Software, had this to say about the PS3:

“The PS3 is a total disaster on so many levels. I think it’s really clear that Sony lost track of what customers wanted and what developers wanted. I’d say, even at this late date, they should cancel it and do a ‘do over.’ Just say, ‘This was a horrible disaster and we’re sorry and we’re going to stop selling this and stop trying to convince people to develop for it.’”

Even after all that, it’s still possible for the PS3 to turn it all around. With that in mind, I decided to try and figure out a way for the PS3 to make a solid recovery, so I started sending emails and making calls. I talked to N’Gai Croal of Newsweek, Chris Baker of Wired and several others in my quest to see what could change and bring Sony back from this black hole of negative buzz. Here’s what we came up with.

Cut Off the Head

It’s absolutely true that Sony has had better PR moments than what we’ve seen recently. What could be the root cause of all this bad PR? “Sony’s PS3 problems stem not from production issues or even pricing - though both are significant problems, both can be overcome with time and effort,” said Jakub Wojnarowicz, Games Editor-in-Chief of Firing Squad. ” What cannot be overcome without Sony’s active involvement is the rooting out of the cause of these problems: Ken Kutaragi.”

Kutaragi, the father of the Playstation, has made Sony quite a bit of money over the years, so it seems that they aren’t too keen to get rid of him. However, Kutaragi was recently “promoted” out of his job of President of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI) and given the position of Chairman of SCEI. Though this “promotion” isn’t attributed to bad PS3 press, it surely couldn’t have helped.

At Least the PS2 Was A DVD Player

No matter what could have happened up to the point when the console launched, as soon as the first really great game comes out, all is forgiven. However, that hasn’t happened yet and it doesn’t really look like it’s going to any time soon. “Nothing in the launch lineup is going to convince people that the PS3 does anything that the XBox 360 can’t, and the killer app exclusives are still several months away,” said Wired Associate Editor, Chris Baker. “The Gran Turismo giveaway was a very smart move—Sony needs to flood the pipeline with more free (or at least very cheap) exclusives like that. The faster they can fill the pipeline with free demo levels of Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, Warhawk and etc., the better.”

Chris isn’t alone is his assessment of the launch lineup situation. Tom Chick, freelance journalist and editor, agreed with Chris’ viewpoint. “I think their biggest problem is the launch line-up,” said Chick. “They really needed a powerful franchise as a hook, and Ridge Racer ain’t it. The PS3 launch was the absolute worst time to have a developer like Insomniac try to launch a derivative concept like Resistance, which is Half-Life meets Call of Duty. Instead, they should have had a new Ratchet & Clank ready. There should have been a GTA or a Final Fantasy.”

Well, that’s one problem that’s basically out of Sony’s hands, other than pressuring companies to produce faster, or even making their own successful game. However, that may not be very easy considering the tools that most developers currently have.

Better Development Tools and Support

Sony, historically, hasn’t had the easiest-to-develop-for consoles, and this one doesn’t seem to be an exception. Though the PS3 isn’t as notoriously hard to program for as the PS2, it has that stigma hanging around it. Sony has tried to counter-act that bit of unpleasantness by purchasing SN Systems, a software tool development company, but it just isn’t quite there yet.

Erick Schonfeld with Business 2.0 said, “They need game developers to come out with unbelievable games that you can’t get on the XBox or anywhere else. This should be possible given the capabilities of the Cell processor powering the PS3, but programming for the Cell is not something that most developers can do easily right out of the gate.”

Is All This Negative Buzz Just Us?

The one question that keeps nagging at me is, “Why are you being so hard on the PS3?” You know, it’s certainly early in ...

Heres whats in the latest content pack for PSP:

Ghost Rider - Screenshots
January 2007 Wallpaper
Ratchet & Clank®: Size Matters - 8 Min Behind the Scenes Video
Ratchet & Clank®: Size Matters - Trailer
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 - Trailer 2
Star Wars Lethal Alliance - Trailer 2

More Info ...

Via Play Asia comes all of this weeks gaming releases.

Heres the full listing:

Xbox360™:
Gears of War JPN US$ 64.90
Gears of War [First Print Limited Edition] JPN US$ 64.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition US US$ 59.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Collector's Edition) US US$ 69.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Excite Truck JPN US$ 59.90
LAN Adapter US$ 29.90
WarioWare: Smooth Moves US US$ 59.90

PlayStation2™:
.hack//G.U. Vol. 3 Memory Card 8MB US$ 32.90
.hack//G.U. Vol. 3: Aruku Youna Hayasa de JPN US$ 64.90
.hack//G.U. Vol.1 Rebirth (Welcome Price) JPN US$ 44.90
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 34.90
Bionicle Heroes JPN US$ 64.90
Dessert Love -Sweet Plus- (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Dragon Shadow Spell JPN US$ 64.90
Karaoke Revolution: American Idol US US$ 44.90
Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Bundle (w/ Microphone) US US$ 69.90
Meitantei Evangelion JPN US$ 64.90
Meitantei Evangelion [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Meitantei Evangelion [Premium Box] JPN US$ 299.90
Shining Force EXA JPN US$ 64.90
Winning Eleven 10 Liveware Evolution KOR US$ 59.90

Nintendo DS™:
Arthur & the Invisibles US US$ 34.90
Kaitou Wario the Seven / Wario: Master of Disguise JPN US$ 48.90
Ochaken no Heya DS 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All US US$ 29.90
Sekaiju no Meikyuu / Etrian Odyssey JPN US$ 48.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller US US$ 34.90

Sony PSP™:
FIFA Soccer 07 JPN US$ 48.90
Initial D Street Stage (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
M.A.C.H. (Modified Air Combat Heroes) JPN US$ 48.90
SOCOM: U.S.NAVY SEALs Fireteam Bravo II (English Version) ASIA US$ 42.90
Talkman Shiki: Shabe Lingual Eikaiwa JPN US$ 42.90
Talkman Shiki: Shabe Lingual Eikaiwa (w/ Microphone) JPN US$ 59.90
The Sims 2: Pets JPN US$ 48.90
Wizardry Empire III: Haoh no Keifu JPN US$ 48.90

PC Games:
Carte Blanche First Episode: For a Fistful of Teeth... ASIA US$ 29.90
First Eagles: The Great Air War 1918 ASIA US$ 29.90
Flyboys Squadron ASIA US$ 34.90
Freak Out - Extreme Freeride ASIA US$ 29.90
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 ASIA US$ 34.90
Patriots: A Nation Under Fire ASIA US$ 34.90

Guidebooks:
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90

Toys & Misc:
Aero R/C Remote SuiSui Pikachu Car US$ 15.90
Animal Crossing Candy Toy (Theater Version) US$ 2.99
Animal Crossing Face Purse - Buke US$ 9.90
Animal Crossing Face Purse - Sari US$ 9.90
Animal Crossing Face Purse - Saruo US$ 9.90
Animal Crossing Face Purse - Tanukichi US$ 9.90
Animal Crossing Face Purse - Totakeke US$ 9.90
Animal Crossing Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Desk Top Sofbi Series (Theater Version) US$ 49.90
CardCaptor Sakura Pre-painted PVC Figure: Sakura Battle Costume (Pastel Pearl) US$ 17.90
CardCaptor Sakura Pre-painted PVC Figure: Tomoyo Daidouj (Pastel Pearl) US$ 17.90
FA4 Type-Moon Collection Figure: Figure Association For Life US$ 8.99
Monster Hunter Screen Cleaner Phone Strap Gashapon JPN US$ 2.49
Nohohon Cream White Type US$ 9.90
Nohohon Double Happiness US$ 9.90
Peace@Pieces Nagi 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Death Costume Version US$ 51.90
Rozen Maiden ~traumend~ Little Mascot Keychain Figure (Ver. 1.5) US$ 2.90
Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne One Coin Figure Series Part 5 US$ 5.90
Tales of the Abyss 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Natalia Luzu Kimuelasca Lanvaldear US$ 39.90
Tandem Twin Animal Girls Action Figure - Amethyst US$ 59.90
Tandem Twin Animal Girls Action Figure - Sapphire (Asobitcity Limited Version) US$ 59.90

Video Game Soundtracks:
Pink Sweets Original Sound Track JPN US$ 38.90
Rolling Star (Bleach Theme Song) JPN US$ 11.90
Strike Party!!! JPN US$ 9.90
Strike Party!!! [CD+DVD] JPN US$ 17.90
The Complete Sound Track Rune Factory Shin Bokujo Monogatari JPN US$ 24.90

More info on all at Play Asia ...

via joystiq

Get this: a 9-year-old kid steals his neighbor's car, gets spotted by police on the interstate, guns it, and a 90 mph chase ensues. Kid tries to take an exit ramp, engine blows, car hits a curb, coasts into a tree, and he's captured. It's the third vehicle the 4th grader's stolen. And guess what? Mom believes "PlayStation" taught him to drive. Oy!

And that's just the beginning! The real story is that the boy most recently evaded airport security, managing to hop a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to San Antonio, Texas. He was eventually apprehended while attempting to catch another flight to Dallas, where he had hoped to reunite with his grandfather. ...

via joystiq



From the same creators of the custom white PS3 (the gents over at the PS3 Center), we bring you their homemade silver edition shortly after its planned archetype. It's a thing of beauty. And we swear it looks fresh off Sony's official production line, though the controller appears to have gained a few pounds over the holidays. Tubby.

Now all we need is a yellow ochre version. ...

via joystiq

No doubt inspired by mega-popular Phoenix Wright personalizer Objection!, the folks over at PhantomHourglass.org have put together a little Flash application that lets you create your own "You got an item" scene from The Legend of Zelda (or Link to the Past). Not only can you personalize what the old man tells you, but you can also change the item Link picks up from a boring old sword to any 35 x 35 pixel image (might we suggest this charming Joystiq logo).

Despite the crack about free time in the image above, we can't get enough of these little, customizable internet time wasters. The first flash coder out there to make an "Our princess is in another castle" version of this will have our eternal gratitude. And no, this doesn't count.

More INfo ...

via kotaku

Well this is a relief. Pirate Battle is a little game that, ever-so-quietly, became the DS title I craved above all others last year. Seriously. Think Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. But with pirates. I know. Awesome.

But last year the game, for want of a better pun, sunk without a trace. No news, no new screenshots, no trailers, nothing. I even contacted them begging, pleading for confirmation the game was still on-track. But nothing.

Guess I didn't say the magic word, because Go Nintendo have been assured by developers Orbital Media that the game is still on-track. The GBA version (which was due to launch alongside the DS version...no, I don't see the point either) has walked the plank (ANOTHER PUN), but the DS one is still alive and kicking, and Orbital Media are even promising the game will appear on "another" system. Good news all round, then. ...

via kotaku

Square Enix has announced plans for a playable demo of Final Fantasy XIII to be released sometime this year. In the latest issue of Dengeki, representatives from the Squeenix dev talk about the demo's planned release. "'We are hoping to have a playable demo ready for E3 in 2007." This could be great news for the PlayStation 3, as something truly wonderful on the Final Fantasy front could spark a wave of renewed excitement for the system.

I would sure love to get my hands on a playable version of the game myself, though with E3 invites now being handled by gaming companies themselves I'll have to hold out hope that there is a company out there I haven't offended egregiously yet, and it isn't looking too good. Besides that, there is no guarantee that it will be ready in time for the event. We might end up having to rely on Ashcraft on the winners of our TGS contest for impressions. ...