The official story: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation."--Microsoft auto-response.

What we heard: With the Xbox 360 still set for a November 22 launch, many gamers are realizing that they will be getting their first taste of sweet, sweet next-gen goodness in less than three weeks. However, a lot of people haven't been able to lock down a preorder of the console, which has become near impossible to get online unless you want to fork out $2000 for GameStop's Omega Bundle.

Most gamers chalked up the 360 supply issues to general platform-launch woes. However, Arstechnica offered a much more conspiratorial theory. They propose that Microsoft is engineering the supply chain so the Xbox 360 will sell out at most locales. Why? Two reasons. First, widespread sellouts would create the appearance that the console is so popular that retailers can't keep it in stock--actually it wouldn't be an appearance, since it would technically be true. Then the media would pick up on the shortages, generating even more buzz about the console and giving it more free publicity.

Such a wily approach would fit right into Microsoft's publicity campaign. The company has jumped onto the viral marketing bandwagon with both feet, using the infamous ilovebees.com alternate reality game (ARG) to promote Halo 2 and ourcolony.net to give the world its first glimpses of the Xbox 360. After ARGs to hype to Xbox 360 contests, the company has now launched another one to promote the Xbox 360 launch.

Though not an ARG, an artificial 360 shortage would also set the stage for a new technique called targeted marketing. Practiced by companies such as San Francisco-based Ammo Marketing, this rather insidious selling style targets "influencers," people whose behavior others want to emulate. Companies hire influencers to use their products in the hopes their friends will see them using said product and then emulate said friend's behavior.

In the case of an Xbox 360 shortage, only the hardest-core Xbox fans will go to the lengths it would take to obtain the console, like waiting in line overnight. Eager to show off the coveted item they were luckily enough to get, these ubergeeks will become mini 360 evangelists, inviting all their friends over to play. Then those friends go out looking for the hard-to-find consoles, locate one, show it off to all their friends, who then all want to get one, und so weiter.

But is there any evidence that Microsoft is manipulating supply to artificially create demand? Sort of. Arstechnica refers to several well-respected Web sites that have received e-mails from readers claiming to be retail employees. Kotaku posted a report from an anonymous Target clerk saying each location is only getting 10 to 50 units of the console. Each Target location has also been instructed to preprint a giant "Sold Out" sign in advance to slap on the front window the minute the last next-gen machine is gone.

But while preemptive signage could be chalked up to mere retail prudence, an e-mail sent to Gizmodo indicates a far more sinister plan could be at work. It comes from an alleged worker at a Norwegian store, which says that every retail location in the country is only allowed 20 360s, regardless of size. (Scandinavian socialism in action!--ed.)To get them, "According to the reader, 'each shop or chain has to sign an agreement saying that they will sell out of all 20 consoles on the release date.'" In addition, the Gizmodo source claims "Microsoft Norway even said themselves that they're gonna use the 'Sold Out' as a marketing strategy to hype the console."

But will 360 sellouts actually generate positive hype? Well, one thing's for certain--when a platform launches with much fanfare and doesn't sell out, people notice. Just ask Sony. Despite solid sales, the PSP was branded a failure by many just because there were still plenty on store shelves during its first weeks on the market.

Bogus or not bogus?: There will be an Xbox 360 shortage, no question. Whether it's deliberate or not can't be definitively proven. ...

New commercial DS game


Experience the feel and finesse of real golf on beautiful 3-D courses with Otona no DS Golf. In this dual-screened Nintendo DS golf game, using the touch screen and the stylus is almost like swinging a golf club in real life. The longer players slide a stylus across the touch screen, the harder they smack the ball. Players also can curve their swings to slice or fade shots and alter the angle of the club head for sharpshooter-like accuracy. Otona no DS Golf features multiple game modes, character customization and wireless multiplayer support for up to four players with just one game card.

http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793 ...

New commercial DS game


Dare Demo Asobi Taizen is a compilation of board games. The software supports Wi-Fi connection for multiplayer contests.

http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...4&lsaid=219793 ...

Divineo USA have posted this news:

Starting from now, during the next 48h, we will give a 10$ discount on the Spider GX. Get yours now!

Apply on qty of 1 or 5.

"The SpiderGX is the latest universally solderless Xbox chip from the talented SpiderChip Team. The SpiderGX is a clear step ahead of the previous generation of solderless Xbox Chips. This chip offers the best all round package for your Xbox modding needs, not only is it fully solderless on any Xbox revision but it is also powered by an intelligent operating system." ...

Rob_PSP has just released PSP-PDA v1.2 for the PSP.

PSP-PDA is a PDA program with a notepad, music player, image viewer, address book, calendar, calculator, and clock. Here are the changes to this version:

Added: Music Playlist, right trigger switches between file manager and playlist.
Added: P-Sprint keyboard emulator by Arwin
Added: Stopwatch and Timer
Added: Goto Month in Calendar
Added: View Week and Month Events in Calendar
Added: Theme support including theme by Pochi
Added: Additional icons by Cancan
Modified: Keyboard input now wraps around
Modified: File->Save now also manually saves Address book and Calendar
Fixed: Notepad carriage return bug
Fixed: Calendar event bug

Download Here --> http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/psp-pda.shtml

Dragaron & cancan have made some great icons and more for PSP-PDA here --> http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=13171 ...

It's been a while since Nintendo last mentioned New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, but the latest issue of Famitsu gives some fresh details on the latest adventure for the plumbing pair.

For the first time in a side-scrolling Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. will let two gamers play simultaneously. The game's producer, Tezuka Takushi, explained in the article that simultaneous play wasn't really possible in past side-scrolling Mario games because both players had to be restricted to the same screen, a problem the DS gets around nicely with its two screens and wireless capabilities. While players can work together to achieve their goals in this mode, Tezuka said that the two-player action will be primarily competitive.

The game limits the versus mode to two players, but Tezuka said that there will also be minigames that can be played by up to four players. In addition to original minigames, Tezuka also hopes to port the minigames from Super Mario 64 on the DS, albeit with some tunings to make them enjoyable for multiplayer competition.

While New Super Mario Bros. uses 3D graphics, it's fundamentally a side-scrolling game. And as such, the developer is throwing in plenty of nostalgia-driven references to the original game. In addition to hidden blocks that hide 1UP mushrooms and stage-ending flagpoles, gamers can expect to run into 3D versions of familiar foes, like goombas, piranha plants, and cheep cheeps.

In terms of music, New Super Mario Bros. will feature a mix of new tunes and arranged tracks from the original game. And, of course, the game will include the classic Super Mario theme.

As previous images released by Nintendo have shown, New Super Mario Bros. introduces various new elements to the series, such as a pump-up mushroom that can be inflated and picked up to make Mario as big as the screen. If beefing up isn't your thing, Famitsu reveals that Mario can shrink himself to fit into tight spaces. Other bits of the classic Mario gameplay are being tweaked as well. For instance, after defeating a koopa troopa, Mario can take the remaining shell and use it to slide himself into enemies instead of merely kicking the shell away. ...

Nintendo's announced that it will have over 7,500 Wi-Fi Connection hotspots active in the UK from 25th November when Mario Kart DS launches, and will be rolling out the service across the rest of Europe at the same time.

In the UK, the announcement owes a lot to deals with BT Openzone and The Cloud. Piggybacking their infrastructure, Wi-Fi Connection will allow gamers to play Wi-Fi-enabled multiplayer games like Tony Hawk's American Sk8land (Nov 18) and Mario Kart DS (Nov 25) from all manner of locations.

Those named include McDonald's restaurants, Coffee Republic, Hilton and Ramada Jarvis hotels, Road Chef and Welcome Break service stations, First Great Western railway stations, over 25 student unions and city centre BT Payphones and airports, football stadiums and the British Library and Canary Wharf.

An American version of the press release suggests that pay-service Wi-Fi hotspots, such as those at airports, will require use of a laptop and USB dongle to act as a bridge, but that the actual gameplay will be free - you just won't be able to access any of the other paid services. Presumably this is down to the specific log-on processes of pay-services.

UK gamers can establish the location of their nearest Wi-Fi gaming spot by plugging a postcode into www.thecloud.net or www.btopenzone.com. According to The Cloud, there's one in this writer's local pub. Good bit of PR there!

Nintendo says it will also be installing hotspots in major game retailers and other outlets throughout the land.

Those who would rather play at home can do so through a broadband connection, either connecting directly to their wireless routers or access points using the DS, or, in the absence of a home wireless network, using Nintendo's £30 Wi-Fi USB Connector device plugged into the back of a PC.

However it's done, Nintendo's keen to stress that there are no fees or subscription costs for playing, and no risk of harassment as players will not directly communicate with each other while playing.

In terms of in-game options, games will allow players to play with friends - specified using unique identifier codes entered into the DS's memory - or people of a similar skill level worldwide, and Nintendo's confirmed that games will work across borders, so the US version of Animal Crossing: Wild World, for example, which is due out on December 5th, will work fine if you bring it back home from abroad.

Wi-Fi Connection launches on November 25th then - and Nintendo adds that Revolution, whenever that launches, will use the same technology. ...

Nintendo's done as it often does and issued a list of release dates for all its major first quarter 2006 releases in one fell swoop.

The list, which notably lacks The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GameCube, pins dates to the likes of Phoenix Wright, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Animal Crossing, all for DS, and gives us an idea of when to expect the likes of Trauma Centre and Harvest Moon (DS and Cube).

It also features an entry for Brain Training (working title), which has done sterling business for Nintendo on the DS in Japan - prior to unveiling the Revolution controller during his Tokyo Game Show address, Satoru Iwata used the game as an example of how small development outlays can still reap massive rewards for the company under its current philosophy.

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Here's a list of all the major exclusives and first or second party titles:

Nintendo DS:
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - 27th January
Rainbow Island Revolution - February
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble - February
Brain Training - March
Trauma Centre: Under The Knife - March
Harvest Moon - March
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - 10th March
Tamagotchi - 17th March
Worms - 17th March
Animal Crossing: Wild World - 31st March
GBA:
Top Spin - January
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection - Jan/Feb
Wario Ware Twisted! - 24th February
Final Fantasy 4 Advance - early 2006
Tales of Phantasia - 31st March
Cube:
Mario Party 7 - 27th January
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble - February
Harvest Moon Magical Melody - March
Odama - 31st March ...

Nintendo's done as it often does and issued a list of release dates for all its major first quarter 2006 releases in one fell swoop.

The list, which notably lacks The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GameCube, pins dates to the likes of Phoenix Wright, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Animal Crossing, all for DS, and gives us an idea of when to expect the likes of Trauma Centre and Harvest Moon (DS and Cube).

It also features an entry for Brain Training (working title), which has done sterling business for Nintendo on the DS in Japan - prior to unveiling the Revolution controller during his Tokyo Game Show address, Satoru Iwata used the game as an example of how small development outlays can still reap massive rewards for the company under its current philosophy.

Here's a list of all the major exclusives and first or second party titles:

Nintendo DS:
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - 27th January
Rainbow Island Revolution - February
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble - February
Brain Training - March
Trauma Centre: Under The Knife - March
Harvest Moon - March
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - 10th March
Tamagotchi - 17th March
Worms - 17th March
Animal Crossing: Wild World - 31st March
GBA:
Top Spin - January
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection - Jan/Feb
Wario Ware Twisted! - 24th February
Final Fantasy 4 Advance - early 2006
Tales of Phantasia - 31st March
Cube:
Mario Party 7 - 27th January
Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble - February
Harvest Moon Magical Melody - March
Odama - 31st March ...