via Computer and Video Games


Xbox boss J Allard has said that the Xbox 360 and Zune music player will one day connect to the same network, suggesting that Microsoft's iPod rival might one day play a part in gaming.

Speaking to The New York Times, Allard said, "Today we have Xbox live for $50 a year. We have Zune Pass at $15 a month. We don't have a rationalised premium version yet. Fast forward a little bit, and you can image a menu like DirecTV. There is basic, there is enhanced, there is movie pack and NFL Sunday ticket.

"What I want to do at the Entertainment and Devices division is build an entertainment service that can connect, that has a screen and buttons and a speaker, so you can watch what you want, where you want, how you want."

He continued, "And you don't have to worry about multiple formats; we do it all for you on the back end. And you can reach all these eyeballs without lifting a finger."

Allard said that Xbox team now has to focus on "cost reduction, distribution and quality process," going forward. "Everyone is on their own cadence," he said.

"The one thing that transcends all this is the network as the nexus." ...

via Computer and Video Games


The PS3 version of the initially Xbox 360-exclusive shooter, Lost Planet, will be out in February 2008, according to reports.

Previously the PS3 version of the game was down for release 'early next year'. Capcom was unavailable for comment on the February '08 date at the time of writing.

As announced back in October, the PS3 edition features all the download content released for the original Xbox 360 version of the game, in addition to bonus multiplayer characters - Frank West (Dead Rising), Mega Man and Jo from Lost Planet - that were released for Lost Planet on PC.

It is also reported to include online multiplayer for up to 16 players, via the free-to-use PlayStation Network. ...

via Computer and Video Games


There is supposedly a fix for PS3 owners that have whipped up the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed this weekend only to find it crashing frequently.

Reported earlier, many of the game's bugs on the PS3 version have been (unofficially) linked to the FW 2.0 update, which is said to have been causing all manner of problems since its release.

But according to bloggers, PS3 users can fix some of the issues temporarily simply by disabling the Information Board on the 2.0 FW front-end menu, and disconnecting their PS3 from the (online) PSN while they play Ubisoft's adventure.

This will apparently cut down the frequency of the crashing.

Let us know if it works for you in the comments below, and sit tight for Sony's 2.01 update soon, which should sort out all the problems so you don't have to fool around with system options. ...

via Games Industry


Sega's director of artists and repertoire agrees with analysts who think that the PS3 is going to catch up to, if not surpass, the Xbox 360.

It isn't just the recent PS3 price cuts which will certainly help bridge the gap, but the availability of big titles, Noah Musler told GamesIndustry.biz.


He notes that analysts think the PS2 could remain viable through 2009.

Having a variety of PS3 prices for consumers is certainly not going to hurt the PS3. "I think it has still got a little bit of time to grow," he said.


The second part of our interview with Noah Musler can be viewed here. ...

via Eurogamer


Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells has just completed a live interview with you about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and a host of other things - including confirmation that he would like to do a Jak game for PS3 and his views on next-gen console development and the recent Manhunt 2 fiasco.


Wells also addressed Obli's query about whether Uncharted would be possible on Xbox 360. "I won't say that it would be impossible," he answered, "but it would be very difficult and we most certainly would have to make enough concessions that it would start to feel like a different game. One thing that would be particularly difficult would be keeping the game load-free. The HDD really came in handy and allowed us to have pretty big open levels with lots of detail."

There was a lot more to get through during the hour-long head-to-lots-of-heads, but another response that stuck out was his reaction to SeeThroughAll's question about the Manhunt 2 ban and whether the game's violence justified the degree of censorship the game faced. Answering from a US perspective, Wells wrote: "I don't think that video games should be treated differently than other forms of media or entertainment. I think there is a place in this world for titles that should only be played by those over 18.


To read the entire transcript, which also includes some neat insider information about Uncharted - and even its relationship with PlayStation Home - head over to the Evan Wells interview. Thanks again to Evan for all his time, and to you for yours! And look out for more of these features in future. ...

via Eurogamer


Capcom has told us it is mulling over the idea of including a Resident Evil 5 demo on the European Resident Evil: Extinction Blu-ray disc.

The publisher was responding after a Sony Pictures press release seemed to state that the US Extinction disc would include a demo for Resi 5 and Devil May Cry 4.

Not so, said Capcom over here - they are instead trailers of the games, and indeed trailers we have already seen.

However, this is a US-only promotion and nothing has been decided for Europe, and the publisher left it open-ended after suggesting it might include "something" on our version. That "something" would certainly help sales of the film.

Resident Evil 5 is due out on 360 and PS3 next year, but is a title Capcom has hidden from the public eye in favour of more imminent release Devil May Cry 4. ...

via Games Industry



Image from Kotaku

Sony has slashed the price of the PlayStation 3 development kit by almost half, promising to further reduce costs as more studios adopt the console technology.

The PlayStation 3 Reference Tool will now be available for JPY 950,000 in Japan, USD 10,250 in North America and EUR 7500 [£5,370] in Europe.


The console giant has also begun to integrate new programming tools into the PlayStation 3 Software Development Kit from SN Systems, including ProDG, SN Distributed Build System, SN Linker and SN Compiler.

As well as new tools, Sony has also added programming functions to the PS3 Debugging Station allowing it to be used alongside the Reference Tool, rather than being used as just a quality assurance system for games in development. ...

via Games Industry


Nintendo's DS handheld has sold over 20 million units in Japan since launch, according to data from Media Create.

The system was originally launched in December 2004, and in February 2006 was relaunched at the DS Lite, with Nintendo reducing the size of the handheld as well as making other cosmetic changes.

Since release, the DS and DS Lite have accounted for 50.26 per cent of the hardware market in the region, with 83.95 million software units sold, or 40 per cent of the entire software market. ...

via IGN


Bandai Namco's RPG output on the Wii will apparently go beyond just the sequel to Tales of Symphonia. The company today opened up a teaser website for a surprise new title: Fragile: Sayonara Tsuki no Haikyo (Farewell Ruins of the Moon).

If you want solid details on the game, described as an RPG where you explore ruins, you'll have to wait just a bit. The site states that the next issue of Famitsu, due out in Japan on 11/22, will have a full report.

As for the teaser site, you can access it here. The full site will open on 11/26 after all the details have appeared in the magazine. ...