New York-based importer National Console Support warns customers today that getting their hands on a Japanese version of the DualShock 3 might be tricky. It writes in its semi-daily news updates that offers from one overseas distributor has the following requirement: "In order to obtain 1 Dual Shock 3, we also have to buy 1 PlayStation 3 40GB console." That's a hefty tax.

NCSX urges caution to rumble-hungry games, warning them to wait until stock levels off or distributors offer more sane pricing schemes.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/import...ing-317458.php ...

So. Which of the three distributions [Xubuntu 7.10, Yellow Dog 5.0.1, openSUSE 10.3] above would I recommend? None of them. Not a single distro maintained a consistent, high-quality experience from installation to prolonged use. None of them is usable by your grandmother, or in most cases, by you. For the experienced Linux hacker, it's probably possible to beat some sense into these distributions (with Xubuntu probably closest to useful, when combined with the Petitboot boot loader used by openSUSE). But it's not a good choice - simply the least bad.

Considering the strides being made by desktop Linux on desktop x86 and x86-64 machines, it's immensely disappointing that so little time and effort has been spent on testing PS3 releases, when so much geek street-cred is up for grabs. When I first decided to write this article, I had high hopes for what it might reveal - after all, a lot of time has passed since PS3 Linux first appeared, and it seemed obvious to me that there would be a selection of tuned distributions to pick from, especially considering the high visibility of the PS3. But right now, typing this up on my x86-64 Linux desktop, I find myself preparing to retire PS3 Linux completely for another few months - at least until the next batch of distributions are released. And beyond initial curiosity value, I suggest you do the same.

http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item...m=10273&page=1 ...

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello suggests that publishers will soon have to "deal with" the $59 price point for next-gen videogames.

With the US videogame industry on track for its biggest year ever at $17-$18 billion in 2007 revenues, it would seem that consumers are just peachy with the current price of next-generation games.

"In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with [the current pricing model]. In China, they're giving games away for free," he said in a Fortune blog report. "People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt."

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=7747&Itemid=2 ...

Joystiq got their greasy manhooks on some interesting market data from NPD. Savvy Xbox 360 fans know that the Xbox 360 sells quite a few games, but according to this data, the Xbox 360 sells nearly twice as many games per console as the PS3 and Wii.

* Xbox 360: hardware to software ratio: 6.59 (hardware total sold = 6.8 million; software total sold = 44.8 million)
* PlayStation 3: hardware to software ratio: 3.58 (hardware total sold = 1.9 million; software total sold = 6.8 million)
* Wii: hardware to software ratio: 3.44 (hardware total sold = 4.5 million; software total sold = 15.5 million)

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/10...le-as-wii-ps3/ ...

Floor space for gaming exhibitors [at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show] will jump 65 percent on last year's available space, but to date the only companies to have confirmed a presence are Commodore Gaming, Entropia Universe, Red Lion Interactive, Shuttle Computers, War Machine, LumiSource, Red Beard and InterAction Laboratories.

However, Microsoft and Sony will both be in attendance on a wider scale, and gaming features are expected to form part of their respective booths.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=7740&Itemid=2 ...

Over the past few months Siren, who currently works at www.emaglive.com, has been speaking to Vgchartz about the industry in general, and how it is progressing. Earlier, I interviewed him about his time with Microsoft from 2000 to 2005.

* thesource (8:02:55 PM): How was the knowledge of the Xbox project received by your co-workers in the division? What was the company assessment of Sega, Sony and Nintendo in those days...and how did it evolve during your tenure?
* siren (8:03:42 PM): That's a fun one (and a few questions there). Let's see if I can cover it all.
For starters, a lot of people did not have confidence in the project as presented. Being in Windows it felt a lot like they were taking a path that was not the same as how Microsoft approaches business relating to software.
A lot of people thought they should make a software platform for games and then pitch that and get the other companies to adopt it. Little did people know at the time that this was exactly what the team had originally tried before being rejected by just about everyone but Sega (including Intel, Dell, HP, and others not normally associated with gaming).
Beyond that, when we did learn what they were doing, a lot of people in the Digital Media Organization had a certain level of animosity for the Xbox org, this was in part due to Xbox not using a lot of DX technologies like DShow, even though the product code name was "DirectX Box"
Around the time of CES 2001, Microsoft held an internal only show to announce the Xbox to employees over in Building 33, their conference center. So many people on campus attended the event that they had to open up over 50% of the entire conference center and live-rebroadcast the show into other rooms on the projectors. It was an amazing site to see (and I had the pleasure of winning a Japanese Xbox branded backpack there as an added bonus).
That changed a lot of opinions about the team. Suddenly people everyone in Microsoft were excited about Xbox and believed in the team and their vision

* thesource (8:27:22 PM): Did Microsoft feel like it met its goals with the original Xbox? If not, what was the goal of Xbox 360 in terms of market share (i.e. finding a niche in Japan, passing say N64/Genesis sales of ~30 million)
* siren (8:28:10 PM): Well, the first goal failed miserably. Make money.
While losses people discuss in forums are greatly inflated (Xbox wasn't the only one losing Billions in the Home and Entertainment division), they lost a lot. They wanted to at a minimum break even.
As far as market share, they got to about where they wanted to be in the US. A little low in Europe and definitely off in Japan. Japan was a disaster to say the least
They were really hoping to get about Gamecube level of success in Japan, but were hampered by a whole slew of critical errors. With the 360, one of the main goals is to get Japan up to a couple million sold over the life and Europe up around original Xbox sales. They also want to grow the US sales to be #1 in the territory.

* thesource (8:31:51 PM): Well that sounds reasonable, but given the pricing it seems money was more of a concern this generation...
* siren (8:32:08 PM): Early on I heard numbers like 60 Million 360's sold over life being a target.
Definitely money is a concern. They want to make back pretty much everything they lost last generation and then some if possible
They realize that even with 60 Million systems, they would stand to make a good $1 Billion a quarter off the market late in its life if the business is built correctly

http://www.vgchartz.com/news/news.php?id=608 ...

News from Play Asia:

Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.

It's been a strong release week, especially with plenty of great new Xbox360™ releases. Popular sellers for Microsoft's system have been Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Japanese), Tomb Raider: Anniversary, The Simpsons Game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (also available as Wireless Guitar Bundle), Conan and SEGA Rally Revo (all Asia releases).

For PlayStation3™ we've got SEGA Rally Revo, Clive Barker's Jericho, Conan and of course Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Asia / US).

Nintendo's long-awaited Super Mario Galaxy has been released for Nintendo Wii™ today and the most interesting PlayStation2™ release in this week has been Banpresto's Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd.

Top handheld sellers have been Front Mission for Nintendo DS™, followed by Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (US) and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (Asia) for PSP™.

Last but not least, make sure to check out Gamepark Holding's GP2X F-200 Game System, the successor to the popular Korean handheld console.

As usually, here's a summary of all new releases of this week,

Xbox360™:
Ace Combat 6 Flight Stick EX JPN US$ 149.00
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation JPN US$ 69.90
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Blue Dragon (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Chikyuu Boueigun 3 / Earth Defense Forces 3 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 59.90
Conan ASIA US$ 49.90
Dead Rising + Gears of War (Platinum Double Pack) JPN US$ 49.90
Dead or Alive 4 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Gears of War (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Guitar Hero II (Game Only) US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock ASIA US$ 49.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle ASIA US$ 129.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 39.90
Oneechanbara vorteX (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Project Sylpheed (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
SEGA Rally Revo ASIA US$ 44.90
The Idolm@ster (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
The Simpsons Game ASIA US$ 44.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary ASIA US$ 39.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary US US$ 42.90
Xbox 360 Console Value Pack JPN US$ 399.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Light Blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Pink) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Light Blue) JPN US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Pink) JPN US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™:
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 64.90
Conan US US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 69.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN US$ 109.90
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights US US$ 64.90
Railfan: Taiwan High Speed Rail JPN US$ 59.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction US US$ 64.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction ASIA US$ 59.90
SEGA Rally Revo (English language Version) ASIA US$ 59.90
The Eye of Judgment Booster Pack US US$ 6.90
The Eye of Judgment: Biolith Scourge Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Earth Emperor Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Fire Crusader Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Water Barrage Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Wood Swarm Theme Deck US US$ 14.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 49.90
Namco Museum Remix US US$ 44.90
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution Revolution US US$ 49.90
Opoona JPN US$ 64.90
Super Mario Galaxy JPN US$ 59.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 49.90

PlayStation2™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 44.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 44.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN N/A
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
MotoGP 07 JPN US$ 64.90
Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd JPN US$ 64.90

Gamepark Holding GP2X:
GP2X F-200 Game System US$ 169.90

Nintendo DS™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 34.90
CSI: Dark Motives ASIA US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning US US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning ASIA US$ 34.90
Disney Princess: Magical Jewels US US$ 34.90
Dolphin Island ASIA US$ 34.90
Dragon Tamer: Sound Spirits JPN US$ 48.90
Ed, Edd & Eddy: Scam of the Century US US$ 34.90
Front Mission US US$ 39.90
Hannah Montanna: Music Jam US US$ 34.90
Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge US US$ 24.90
Naruto: Path of the Ninja US US$ 34.90
Petz Wild Animals Dolphinz US US$ 34.90
Power Rangers: Super Legends US US$ 34.90
Sangokushi DS 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys US US$ 34.90
Solitaire Overload US US$ 34.90
Spanish for Everyone US US$ 34.90
The Aly & AJ Adventure US US$ 34.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 34.90
Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Koushiki Soft: 250-Mannin no KanKen JPN US$ 29.90

...

You may have seen the Eye-Fi, launched this week, nearly a year and a half since we first heard about it. If you're just catching up on the news, it's basically a WiFi-enabled SD card (and accompanying web service) used to transparently and wirelessly transfer photos from your camera to your computer and/or a variety of photo sharing sites. Sounds like a great idea in theory, it turns out that the Eye-Fi is, in its current release, an answer seeking a question. Read on.

We're excited as anyone about Eye-Fi giving the humble SD card -- and by association whichever camera you own -- the uncanny ability to shoot photos over WiFi to your machine and the photo sharing service of your choice, including Engadget fave Flickr, as well as the rest of the gang: dotPhoto, Gallery 2, Facebook, Fotki, Kodak Gallery, Phanfare, Photobucket, Picasa Web Albums, Sharpcast, Shutterfly, SmugMug, Snapfish, TypePad, Vox, Walmart, and Webshots. Good stuff, right? Well, it could actually be a lot better.

It's easy to see that the need to wirelessly transfer photos to your computer or web services is most apparent when you're on the go. Maybe you run out of memory on the card and need to clear out your camera, or maybe you just spotted your favorite Engadget editor on the street and want to put it on Webshots to show your friends ASAP. Sorry, you're out of luck. The Eye-Fi only connects to trusted, encrypted, pre-configured networks, and doesn't have any means of tunneling back to your home computer. That means you can't just grab a seat at your local Starbucks and have the the card to dump the day's photos to Flickr or your home RAID array.

What's more, the home usage scenario isn't much more interesting. Assume you just got back from a long day of snapping shots. You turn on your camera and your Eye-Fi will immediately start uploading your photos to a web service (or a folder on your machine). All of them -- every photo on the card -- and usually at native resolution, too. This kind of sucks because if you're like most people, you: a) don't upload EVERY photo you took to your photo stream, b) don't upload said photos in full resolution (read: 2-10MB+ each), and c) you don't just throw all your photos into a folder on your computer -- you probably use use a photo organizing / browsing app like Picasa or iPhoto. So basically Eye-Fi takes a step forward by cutting out the middleman (in this case, a USB cable to your camera, or a media reader for your vanilla SD card), but two steps back in making the assumption that you want all of the tens (or hundreds) of megs of photos on the card uploaded in full res using your camera's batteries, and yet don't need said photos in your photo app, not just some folder.

The crazy part, though, is that we're still really excited about Eye-Fi. A few small tweaks, like the ability to try to connect to open access points (via an encrypted port 80 connection, of course), find your computer through the service, and dump those shots to a desktop application plugin, and maybe this product could turn right around. (We won't hold our breath for resizing before upload, we doubt the Eye-Fi has the horsepower to take a 10 megapixel photo and shrink it to a web-ready SVGA.) Ultimately, the things the Eye-Fi needed to focus on the most (desktop photo application integration, uploading on the go) were the things left out; for now it'll remain in the novely add-WiFi-to-everything category, so don't be surprised should you find yourself leaving the Eye-Fi at home in favor of something more practically convenient, like a USB SD card.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/e...n-impressions/ ...

Still waiting to jump into the high def disc game? Or just wanted another weaker, cheaper player for the last-gen TV you phased out to your rumpus room? Well, whatever your reasons, some (not all!) Wal-Mart locations will be selling Toshiba HD-A2s for $100 -- down from $200 -- this Friday. Ridiculous, we know. Blu-ray gonna fight back? We hope so, we'd really like to get our hands on one for under $300, and not just by using our hookup that sells gear out of his trunk, you know?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/01/t...iday-wal-mart/ ...