AceyBongos' Xbox Life: Non-Xbox News

Go Happy Slapping with Rose and Camellia

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:23:54 GMT

Picked this up from www.Kotaku.com and it's probably the coolest/funniest web-based game I've ever played. Imagine Street Fighter II crossed with Pride and Prejudice and you're getting close. SHLAP!

Try out Rose and Camellia.

Just wait until you get to the evil demon mistress at the end...

Bye Bye Wii Wii

Tue, 22 May 2007 20:36:03 GMT

Was reading an interesting post on Ozymandias the other week about his relationship with his Wii:

"I still love the idea of the Wii, but the controls just haven't delivered as of yet. I've had concerns for a long time about their applicability to FPS titles. Those concerns are pretty well-validated at this point, and other genres seem to be having similar issues. I'm hoping Mario Galaxy or the new Metroid spark some excitement again, but I really feel like the Wii is turning into the Gamecube of this generation with amazing first-party titles, mediocre third-party title support. To be fair, it's still early, and a lot of third-parties were caught by surprise by the Wii's early success. Here's hoping the next wave of third-party titles amaze... if they don't, I really doubt the Wii will have any legs come next Spring."

It got me thinking about how I've been getting on with my little white console. Or rather, how I haven't been getting on with it. The last time I had my Wii even turned on was back in late January, I think to play Sim City off the Virtual Console (wasn't as good as I remembered, funnily enough). The poor wee bugger had just been sitting there since then, unwanted and unloved, blinking its lonely blue light at me in a desperate attempt to get me to put down my Gibson Xplorer and play some Wii Sports. Wasn't happening.

In fact, my Wii has gone awii. Sorry, away. I've moved it on to a home where it will be loved and looked after. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was quite a nifty little bit of kit. But the novelty of Wii Sports wore off really quickly, playing Red Storm was like using a bad time machine with rubbish controls, Zelda couldn't captivate me in the same way that, say, Oblivion did, and Wario Ware was fun for about, ooh, 45 minutes? Other than that I'm not sure if I could even name a Wii game, let alone one that I would want to play.

I think that's the Wii's main problem - the games line-up is still atrocious, even six months after it launched. Nintendo's big hitters still seem to be miles off (Mario Strikers is out this week but it's hardly AAA, is it?) and the few cross-platform games that have made it onto the system look almost ridiculous against the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

Yeah yeah, so it's not just about that. The controls are pretty amazing, I'll give it that. But I just found that the novelty wore off really quickly and you were left with an interesting but ultimately pretty shallow gameplay experience. Waving my racket around in Wii Tennis was fun for a while, but Virtua Tennis 3 lets me serve up a blistering thunderbolt, rush the net, then power a volley down the line. Oh, and all while I'm playing online too.

That's not to say that I didn't have some fun with the Wii. We had a great time at Christmas when there were lots of people around, usually people who wouldn't play games. But when things were back to normal and I really wanted to do some serious gaming the Xbox 360 was back in business for good. When I got the Wii I thought that it might turn out to be a bit of a gimmick for me, and I think I was right.

But then, whatever I think, the Wii is still selling out quicker than shops can get it in. Just last week my local HMV had a sign up in the window saying "Wiis In Stock!" - they had got in 4 and they sold out within a few hours. And I should remember that I also thought the DS was a bit of a gimmick and llok how well it has done (and funnilly enough, I'm on the verge of buying one).

So. Are you still playing with your Wii? Has the novelty worn off, or has it chagned the way you look at games? Are you excited about the Wii's future? And how do you think it compares to the Xbox 360 and PS3? Would be cool to know your thoughts.

PS3 UK Sales Plummet

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:39:26 GMT

Some interesting PS3 sales news breaking in the UK - apparently the sales of the console dropped 82% in its second week on shelves, after a strong start selling 165,000 units in its first weekend. That made it the fastest-selling console in UK history, but Chart-Track's official UK sales figures show that the PS3 only managed to move around 30,000 units over the last week. GamesIndustry.biz has the full story.

Chart-Track's game stats also showed that sales of Resistance and Motorstorm droppped by more than 60% last week.

To be fair, the Xbox 360's sales fell off even further in its second week on sale in the UK - because it sold out instantly. But with so many PS3s available in store, why do you think this drop in sales is so pronounced? I reckon it has a lot to do with the price. The hardcore PS fans were always going to get in and buy consoles early, but it will be interesting to see how these sales figures evolve over the coming weeks.

Anyone got any second week PS3 sales figures for other European countries?

Fancy a PS3?

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:30:04 GMT

Because if you do, you can certainly have one. I've just been down my local shops (GAME, HMV, Comet, Blockbuster etc) and there is absolutely no shortage of consoles whatsoever - and not many people in store buying them. There were a couple of sales while I was in GAME, with both customers trading in their PS2s and a stack of games to cover the £425 cost.

My local HMV shifted around 40 pre-orders last night, and have about the same amount of consoles left in stock. As I've said before, you can spin this one of two ways (and I know which way Sony will spin it): Demand is not great, or the supply is so great that no-one is disappointed. In fact, the bloke in HMV told me that when the Xbox 360 launched and sold out instantly he had to deal with loads of disgruntled customers, so having consoles on shelves is definitely not a bad thing. Unless no-one's buying them, but we'll have to wait for the sales figures to see that.

Let's compare notes - have a look around your local area and let me know how easy or difficult it is to find a PS3.

PS3 Launch - Sony Gives Away 46" HDTVs to Waiting Punters

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:03:38 GMT

I'm sort of wishing I'd got into that sparse queue at the Virgin Megastore in London last night - turns out Sony gave each of the 'over 100' people waiting in line at midnight a free 46" HDTV and a free taxi home! Apparently everything Sony gaveaway at the event added up to over £250,000 worth of freebies... YOWZER!

Full story on the BBC's news website.

A pretty sweet goodie, I'm sure you'll agree - but I do feel a bit sorry for the people who queued up to pick up their console everywhere else in the UK and Europe.

Right, off to see how many are on shelf in town.

PS3 Launch Week - Should We Believe the Pre-Order Hype?

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 21:22:24 GMT

Quiet day today - no Marketplace updates or anything. So in the absence of all that I've been thinking a bit about the European PS3 launch this week. It's only a few days away, so do you think the PS3 launch is going to be a smash hit or a damp squib?

Personally I've found it really funny checking out my local games shops to see how hard they're pushing pre-orders, or listening to some of the patter of the shop assistants. My local HMV has a shrine to the PS3 built out of console boxes at the front door, with a clipboard-wielding shop assistant assaulting you the second you walk in. Pre-orders are still 100% guaranteed of course, even though every day for the last week has been the last day you can reserve one.

Over at another store, which will remain nameless to protect the innocent, the lovely shop assistant tried to sell me a £50 pre-order by telling me that the PS3 is very expensive but "some people will pay anything for one". Not me, ta. On another day I heard her chatting to her workmate, saying how she was delighted that it was raining because the boss had told her that if the weather was nice she was to "go outside and ask passers-by if they wanted to pre-order a PS3". I'm guessing retailers must be desperate to shift their stock allocations, but that seems madness to me.

My local branch of GAME actually seems to have the most dignity about flogging the PS3. They just have a nice display, and shop assistants who react patiently to mums asking questions like "So is the PS3 going to be much better than the PS2?". I notice the GAME website is still promising 100% delivery of pre-orders on launch day, so they're obviously not having much more luck shifting the orders.

That said - don't be fooled by the retailers desperation to shift pre-orders, or the barrage of negative press that the pre-launch is getting. If Sony deliver anywhere close to the 220,000 consoles they've promised for the UK on day 1 (with another 700,000 promised for the rest of Europe) they'll be putting loads more consoles into the shops on launch day than anyone in history. To put it into context the Xbox 360 sold around 70,000 in its first UK weekend (and was then out of stock for months), a record at the time. Then Nintendo's Wii sold over 100,000 in its first UK weekend, smashing that record. (More details on the Xbox 360 and Wii's first weekend here). Even if there are 50,000 PS3s left on shop shelves this weekend, the console will still have smashed the record for console launch sales - regardless of how many funny reports there are on the internet.

And, for the record, there aren't many funnier than UK Resistance's recent updates...

I guess the test is going to be whether the consoles are still on the shelves the week after, or the week after that. The latest console sales from the US show the PS3 sold 127,000 consoles in February (outsold by 9000 by the GBA!) while the Xbox 360 sold 228,000 and the Wii 335,000.

So what do you think? Is the PS3 launch going to be the biggest European console launch in history? Have you heard or seen any good PS3 pre-order desperation? And do you think you'll still be able to stroll into any shop and pick up a PS3 this time next month? Let me know, and let's look forward to seeing what happens on Friday!

PS3 Home/Trophies/Little Big Planet - What Do You Think?

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:41:28 GMT

You've watched the vids, you've read the coverage, you've had a think about it all. I know some of you have been discussing this already in the comments, but thought it might be good for us to share our views on Sony's announcements last night at GDC. So what do you think? I'll go first!

PS3 Home: Initially I thought this was really cool, a nice compilation of The Sims (which, for my sins, I loved back in the day), Second Life and Nintendo's Mii feature. I think the idea of customising your avatar and your apartment with all your media is pretty nice, although it's nowhere near as innovative Sony seem to be suggesting - MMOs have been doing this for years.

And that's where I started to wonder about how cool all this really is - sure it looks nice, and it's a nice idea, but how much time are you going to spend wandering around in the world? If you break it down it's really doing the same things you can already do on Xbox Live (customise your Dash and GamerCard, chat with friends, look at people's gaming history etc) but with an extra - and complex - layer of interface. I mean, sometimes it's just easier to use a quick menu to do something rather than to have to maneuvre a character down a virtual street and into a virtual room to speak to someone. Although I guess Sony will add shortcuts like this, so time will tell. I guess my point is that everyone likes the idea of this kind of thing, but sometimes there's a lot to be said for elegant simplicity - and I think the GamerTag/GamerCard system is pretty elegantly simple.

Trophies: Again, this to me seems like a way of taking something someone else is doing (ie Xbox) and putting an extra layer of complexity on it. I mean, having to invite friends to see your trophies? And at the end of the day, what's the real difference between a 3D trophy and a 2D pic? I'll tell you - the 2D pic can be looked at in about 1/100th of time. I also don't see how this ties in with the GamerScore-style instant summation of your gaming history - the trophies seem fairly worthless if they don't give you any kind of external status.

There are also a lot of questions to be answered about whether Trophies will be compulsory in PS3 games (as Achievements are on Xbox 360) and whether existing games will have Trophies retro-fitted. That said, the trophy room is pretty cool. I think both the PS3 Home idea and the Trophies system are definitely pretty slick, but to me it feels a bit like a group of people saying, "Well, other consoles do these things so how can we do them in a cooler, more complicated way." Once again, sometimes simplicity is beautiful.

Last word on these two - it seems strange to me that these features won't be fully implemented until later this year. Why didn't Sony ensure they were an integral part of the console from the beginning, as Xbox did with Achievements etc.? Would I be out of line to suggest these elements have been knee-jerk reactions from Sony in the same way the Sixaxis controller' motion sensing seemed to be? Dunno, just a thought.

Little Big Planet: Now this is really cool! If you haven't seen the videos get to www.GameTrailers.com and check them out. I love the idea of building your own games and levels and then sharing them with the world, and the interface looks like great fun. To be cynical, I'd say that LBP will live or die on how many people can be bothered to create levels and the quality of those levels, but in my heart I think it just looks like really good fun. It'll be cool seeing the community build too, with the best level-designers getting together with the best artists etc to create killer maps.

Really, it sounds like a much more user-friendly (but less flexible, to be fair) version of our XNA Studio Express - giving everyone the chance to create something on their console. You can't argue with that. Still, at the end of the day, would you rather spend a weekend fannying about with this or playing a full, next-gen, game experience? I reckon I'd be back to GRAW2, Gears of War, Pro Evo and so on pretty soon...

Phew! Feel better know I have that off my chest. Now it's your turn - let me know what you think in the comments below!

300 Reasons Why Spartans Rule - Eyes-on With the Film

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:29:23 GMT

Given that Master Chief is classed by the United Nations Space Command as a SPARTAN-II Supersoldier, it's pretty obvious that the inhabitants of the ancient Greek city-state that he draw his name from must have been pretty nails. But just how hard were the people of Sparta? They examined all their children at birth, dumping those showing any tiny weakness or defect off a cliff. The surviving male children were raised from then on to be warriors - trained in the art of combat as soon as they could stand and abandoned into the wilderness as young teenagers. If they made it back they became Spartan soldiers.

And, on a small cliff-side pass called the Hot Gates, 300 Spartan warriors formed up under the leadership of their king, Leonidas, to repel the might of the million-strong invading Persian army. For three days they were battered by wave after wave of Persian attack, and for three days their strategic position and superior military skill helped them to hold firm. Inevitably they were overwhelmed - but not before the rest of Greece, still divided into disparate city states, was inspired by their sacrifice to unite against the Persians.

This epic and bloody story was retold in Frank Miller's graphic novel 300. If you don't know graphic novels or comics, Miller is the guy who created Sin City and has worked on a ridiculous amount of other comic books including Batman and a whole range of Marvel titles. Now the 300 graphic novel has been turned into a movie, directed by the Dawn of the Dead remake director Zack Snyder, and I was lucky enough to go along and see it last week.

If you've read the 300 graphic novel then you'll understand what the movie looks like. Snyder (who was at the showing and took questions) is very open about the fact he based the film solely on the graphic novel - frame-by-frame in many cases - and he has done an amazing job of transferring Miller's visual style onto celluloid. The film was shot almost entirely against green screens on soundstages, and it does take a while to get used to the strange juxtaposition of live actors and such bold, in-your-face backgrounds. But the overall effect is amazing, removing the film from the kind of glossy real-world settings that Troy and Alexander suffered from and giving it a mythical ambience befitting such an epic story (which, of course, while based on true events has undoubtedly been inflated by the writings of history).

And anyway, 300 isn't about telling true stories, or making political comments, or trying to accurately convey an ancient event. It's a balls-out, iron-sharp action flick that's tighter than the abs exposed by the minimal armour the Spartan warriors rock. There are moments where the film exposes some of the hypocrisy of ancient Greece (the diseased and corrupt religious elders for example, lusting after the Oracle - not so much the word of the Gods made flesh as an 'intoxicated adolescent', according to the frustrated Spartan King Leonidas), but essentially 300 is a blood-spattered rock-and-roll riff on just how hard the Spartan warriors were.

I was impressed at how Snyder openly admitted this fact, deflecting some of the 'intellectual' cinematic questions from the gathered film journos with honest answers. Why was the (copious) blood digital, and why did it seem to evaporate on screen, asked one hack. Because it was easier to control and cheaper, replied Snyder. Another dropped some self-aggrandising facts about the original Ben-Hur movie before asking how difficult it was to shoot the whole movie in front of green screens. Fine, said Snyder - the actors are still acting. And when confronted by questions about the political meaning of the film, Snyder mentioned how several journalists had claimed to have worked out his 'message' - but as a self-proclaimed "action movie head", Snyder suggested that the most important message in the film is that it looks cool and makes you feel cool.

And that's fine by me. The dialogue, ripped straight from the comic book (and the comic book dialogue in turn apparently ripped from historical writings from the period) is sharp and just on the cool side of camp, with enough tongue-in-cheek moments and razor-sharp soundbites to keep the tempo up. But it's the combat sequences that really make 300 crackle, spurting as much adrenaline as Persian blood. Sitting somewhere between The Matrix's hyper-choreographed fight scenes and Gladiator's brutal brawls, the combat sequences repeatedly do things that make you think, "Christ, that was awesome..."

And Snyder, drawing on Miller's vision of the Persian hordes, hasn't held back on bringing the varied ranks of the army to life. The first wave of attackers are little more than spear-fodder to the highly-trained Spartans, but they're soon reinforced by grenade-throwing heretics, armoured elephants and rhinos, superhuman mutants and the Persian king Xerxes' personal guard, the katana-wielding Immortals. Speaking of the Xerxes, he's as brilliant a creation as his troops, an eight-foot tall giant who towers over King Leonidas and truly embodies his percieved status as a God.

As the numerous battle sequences roll in, and the varied troops of the Persian forces crash against the shields of the 300 Spartans, I figured out why 300 is going to be adored by people who play videogames. Like The Matrix, it seems to have been inspired by the way games portray combat and gets ridiculously close to the feeling you get when you're holding a joypad in your hand and pulling off killer combat moves against innumerable enemies. Even the film's storyline is set up like a game. Think about it - an outnumbered group of near-superhuman warriors up against a single enemy with insane resources, faced with a range of opponent types who each demand a different strategy to defeat them. How many times have you played that game?

Because of the no-nonsense combat scenes, the amazing visual style, the streamlined storyline and the sheer sense that you're watching something intensely cool, I absolutely loved 300. It may not have the same kind of sentimental emotional resonance that Gladiator had,

but the relentless action means that every second of the film drips with excitement. Do you know what? I'm not going to write anything more. Watch the trailer. If you don't think it looks cool from that then - like the discarded babies at the foot of the cliff outside Sparta - you're not destined to join the ranks of the 300.

300 opens in cinemas across Europe on March 23. You can check out the film's official website at www.300themovie.com. For the record, there is a 300 videogame coming out called 300: March to Glory, but it will only be available on the PSP.

And I know I've posted this before, but it's worth doing it again. This video brings the Spartans of 300 together with our favourite Spartan, Master Chief:

My Local Blockbuster's PS3 Pre-Order Promise

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 21:47:56 GMT

I was having a good look at all the UK PS3 pre-order stories the other day - you can catch up on all the recent stories on the interweb here - and I mentioned that my local Blockbuster in Ealing was offering 'guaranteed' PS3s on launch day if you pre-ordered. You can even pay by instalments if you want, so that you don't need to splash out the full £425 (ouch!) at once.

Well, I finally had the chance to pop into the store and ask about the deal. Turns out that the store is guaranteeing a PS3 on launch day (March 23)if you put down a £50 deposit now. Then you can choose between the console itself at £425 or a bundle, which includes two games and another controller, at £525 - but crucially, you don't have to buy the bundle. Apparently the bundle may come down to £500 too, the lassie behind the desk told me, presumably depending on how good a deal other high street retailers are offering.

And the instalments? Sounds like there are few rules attached to it. You pay your £50, you give your contact details, and you can pay the balance at your leisure. Wow!

Sound too good to be true? We'll see. 30 people have already put their name down at the store and the assistant seems to think that they can order as many consoles as they have pre-orders.

I dunno. All seems a little strange to me. I've NEVER seen a retailer guarantee a pre-ordered console for launch day - surely that opens them up to all sorts of potential problems. But Blockbuster must be working on some info from Sony here, as I can't see such a big company being so naive as to promise something they can't deliver. Although I should point out that this offer doesn't seem to apply in all Blockbusters - if you have one nearby to you, could you check and see? I'll call their customer service line tomorrow aswell to check.

So is Sony 100% convinced that they will have the biggest console launch in history, satisfying every pre-order across Europe on day 1? Or is my local Blockbuster simply desperate to get as many pre-orders as possible as the high street competition heats up?

I guess the only way to find out is to get on that list myself and see what happens. Three problems : £425 is a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a console. Judging by the experience of many US and Canadian pre-orderers who bought to sell, I'm not sure I'll be able to turn a profit on eBay. And, most importantly, I don't really want one (read my initial hands-on impressions with the PS3 here - and I should point out that I did want a Nintendo Wii before it came out, hence why I pre-ordered it).

What should I do? pre-order in the interests of science? Or sit back and watch the launch day craziness as a spectator? Since there's money involved, I'll have to speak to TraceyBongos first...

What's the Story With PS3 Pre-Orders?

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:31:44 GMT

So, are they selling faster than the hottest cakes known to man, or are they about as popular as a jobbie covered in burnt hair? There seem to be so many conflicting reports floating around the internet right know that it would seem the only way to figure it out is to go and speak to some shop assistants, but unfortunately all the shops are closed now!

First up, Digital Spy reported the other day that the PS3 had already become the fastest pre-ordered console in history, with a 'senior source' at Woolworths UK claiming they had taken 1 pre-order every 20 seconds over the last week.

Then Xbox blogger Ozymandias talked about how UK pre-orders went live on www.Amazon.com and www.Play.com today. Both e-tailers have apparently stated that they'll remove the pre-order page when they can no longer fulfil them, and Amazon has since stopped taking orders. Play.com is still offering the console for £524.99 including Resistance, MotorStorm, Genji and a HDMI cable.

And this evening www.GamesIndustry.biz has run quotes from Play.com's Head of Games Gian Luzio, who claims that the PS3 is the company's "most pre-ordered console" ever. He reckons it's being pre-ordered six times faster than the Xbox 360, and fifteen (!) times faster than Nintendo's Wii. Luzio also assures customers that all pre-orders will be fulfilled on launch day, March 23.

Man, my journo sense is twitching. I wish I could get out to the shops at a local level and speak to the staff - I always find that's the best way to get a true reflection of interest in new hardware. I did notice that my local Blockbuster has started taking pre-orders and has an interesting way of getting around the huge £425 pricepoint - they're offering customers the chance to pay in instalments! Don't know the full details, but it sounds like a clever way of attracting orders.

If you've spoken to any shop staff or seen any interesting PS3 pre-order shenanigans, share them with me in the comments below!

Marc Ecko Starts Game Studio

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:09:43 GMT

Not necessarily directly related to Xbox 360, this one, but I was interested to read on industry website MCVUK this morning that fashion designer Marc Ecko has started up a new games studio with former execs from Rockstar and Acclaim. He dabbled in games recently with Atari's Marc Ecko Presents: Getting Up, which by all accounts wasn't that great, but when I talked to him about why he was interested in getting into the game industry at E3 a couple of years ago I was impressed by his enthusiasm and ideas. He told me that he thought the creativity was getting drained from the industry and that developers were losing site of the people they were making games for, instead focusing on the quick win to make some money.

Ecko's statement alongside the announcement of his new studio sums it up:

“Our goal is to expand creativity in videogames – we want to try brand new things,” said Ecko. “There are so many great ideas out there that either aren’t getting the attention they need or are being completely ignored. We will work with the visionaries of the medium and get these inventive titles in the hands of gamers.”

Should be interesting to see what his first project is and where it's going. I think he'd be quite keen on Xbox Live Arcade and XNA Game Studio Express, since they both allow cool, original ideas to get into gamers' hands without the need for ridiculous production budgets.

Read the whole Marc Ecko article over at MCV.

Checking Out The Competition: Hands-on With PS3

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:50:38 GMT

So I had my first PS3 experience yesterday. I've been thinking about whether I should write anything about it or not. Why? Because I was pretty underwhelmed and I don't want it to come across like I'm too biased. But what can you do, eh?

I must say that it's a nicely put together piece of kit. The console itself certainly feels quality - as well as heavy enough to give you a quality workout if you did some bicep curls with it. It is massive, but actually doesn't look as big as i thought it would when it's sitting next to your telly. I think the black finish does have a slimming effect - turns out all those fashion mags were right! I was surprised at how much I dislike the actual aesthetic design though. I remember being at the E3 when Sony first showed the console and I thought it looked really nice, but the finished hardware is a bit weird and ugly. It's not very symmetrical, no matter which angle you look at it from, which seems to be a fundamental design flaw if you ask me. Think about the Xbox 360. It looks balanced. The PS3 looks like it's staggering. Plus, there's a weirdly industrial look to the front of the console (the bit where the vents and the USB sockets are) which looks more like it was forced onto the design rather than a design choice. In my opinion, it looks like a piece of hardware that started classy on the artist's board before being compromised in the design stage.

The XMB, PS3's equivalent to the Xbox 360's Dash, is nice and slick, but considering that I've owned a PSP for nigh-on 2 years now it doesn't feel very fresh. It's pretty much exactly the same. That's cool from the point of view that it keeps all Sony's hardware under the same aesthetic umbrella, but I thought they might have souped it up a bit for the PS3. I also think it's cooler how you can customise your Xbox 360 Dash, rather than being stuck with a fairly bland - if classy - backdrop. I didn't get the chance to see the online PS3 store, but I'm told it's really well done and pretty nice to use, with lots of thumbnail images to help you browse content.

I'm not a fan of the new DualShock controller, or Sixaxis as they're calling it in these post-rumble days. I've always liked the PS2 pad (and still maintain that it's the perfect pad for Pro Evo...) but the Sixaxis feels way too light, the new squishy shoulder buttons are like ski slopes for your fingers (no use when you're trying to beat a lap time in GTHD), and the analogue sticks are still far too close together for FPS games. The Xbox 360 pad is a clear evolution over the Xbox pad (and especially over the original fat pad) but the Sixaxis feels a little... lazy. Didn't get to try out the tilt-sensitive stuff, but hey - I have a Wii. That's all the tilting I need, ta.

But my main issue with my first PS3 experience is the games. I know it's early doors for the system and I only the full version of Resistance and a few demos, but nothing really excited me. The MotorStorm demo is pretty bland, and the lack of rumble in the pad really hurts it. Same thing for GTHD, which is nothing more than GT4 in high-def clothes. I love GT, but the reson I loved it is because I loved playing it with the force feedback PS2 wheel. You could feel every corner. Em, not any more. And Resistance? I dunno, felt pretty run-of-the-mill to me, and while the graphics were nice and high-def it just felt a bit generic.

Wasn't really blown away, then, but it could be because I'm hideously biased. One thing's for sure - £425 is a lot of money to pay for any piece of electronics equipment. I didn't pay much more for my nifty new HD TV. And then when you see that HMV is asking you to pay almost £700 to secure a PS3 at the UK launch (with a 4GB PSP bundled, like), I think it's safe to say I won't be picking up a PS3 like I did a Wii.

But then, Sony doesn't need me to buy one - because they're going to be selling them to lots of people who go to see the opera.

Who else has played/seen/touched a PS3 then? What do you think?

That Xbox 360's good though, innit?

Manhunt 2 on Wii?

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 22:01:16 GMT

Did you hear this? Rockstar has announced that Manhunt 2, the sequel to the controversial 2004 snuff 'em up, will be coming to the Nintendo Wii as well as the PS2 and PSP. Is it just me or is that the most surprising combination of game and console in history? When was the last time a Nintendo console featured a game that encouraged you to kill people in the most violent ways possible? And think about how the Wiimote is going to be used - I wonder if they'll put footage of people doing that on the TV...

From Rockstar's press release:

"With Manhunt 2 we have tried to create a game that stays close to the original concept of chilling suspense and stealth, whilst pushing the game design and storytelling forward," said Sam Houser, founder and executive producer of Rockstar Games.

Do you think there'll be a bonus level where you have to decapitate Mario and then strangle Yoshi with his own sticky tongue? Joking aside, I think Manhunt 2 on Wii could be pretty cool, although I was never a huge fan of the first game. The concept and style was cool, but the gameplay was a bit stealth-lite. Then again, I'm not too into my stealth, so what do I know.

Enjoying The View

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 13:20:55 GMT

It's not often I blog about music - mostly because, as the Xbox team knows and likes to remind me of, I have a shocking penchant for the kind of cheesy 80s soft rock that yer dad doesn't even admit to liking - but I have been doing a lot more custom soundtracks while playing lately. So my latest favourite background music while playing PES6 is The View. Got their album Hats Off To The Buskers on Friday and it's PROPER.

Think Arctic Monkeys with a Scottish accent and you're pretty close. It's lo-fi punk that switches effortlessly between thrashy shouters and the type of jangly pop tunes that are so radio friendly that they're sticking their tongues down its throat and feeling its bum. Current single Same Jeans is genius (although I wear the same jeans for about four weeks, so dunno how rock and roll four days is), but it's the first singles Superstar Trademan and Wasted Little DJs that really stand out.

And there is a tenuous Xbox 360 link here - The View are from Dundee, which also happens to be the home of Realtime Worlds, the developers of Crackdown! Sounds like Dundee is becoming the coolest city north of the border, and since I'm from Aberdeen that's no easy thing for me to say.

Check out The View's website or swing past their MySpace page to listen.

Sony Shows Off Gran Turismo HD - With Project Gotham 3!

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:57:43 GMT

Seems like Sony is a bit disappointed with the visuals of Gran Turismo HD - they've resorted to using screenshots of Project Gotham Racing 3 instead!

Check out the ad for GT HD at the top of this page from Sony's PSPConnect website...

Then compare it with this screenshot of the Xbox 360's own Project Gotham Racing 3.

What a coincidence! I've grabbed the screen below just in case Sony's awesome GT HD ad gets pulled...

PS3 Euro Launch Details Tonight at Midnight

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:27:37 GMT

"Semi-official" PlayStation blog (why be coy about it guys?) Three Speech is reporting that it will have "all available info on the launch details of the PS3 in UK/Europe" tonight at midnight GMT.

Should be interesting - might be worth waiting up for...

EDIT: So there it is. March 23. £425. 60GB model only. 30 games in launch line-up. 1 million console for Europe during launch period (this doesn't mean launch day - the launch period could be anything up to 6 months). What do you think? I still can't get over that price point.

Sony Delays Announcement of Delayed Console Launch

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:35:05 GMT

Whoops! Looks like Sony still isn't sure when the PS3 will launch in Europe, as today's long overdue announcement of the date has been - you guessed it - delayed. As reported on 'semi-official' (actually it's a lot more official than that, but hey-ho) PlayStation blog ThreeSpeech:

"…But don’t worry - that doesn’t mean the launch itself is being delayed! Word from Sony is they’re still finalising a few details, meaning the announcement is more likely to be made Thursday or Friday of this week now."

Er, that's delayed any more than it already has been lads...

For the record, ThreeSpeech is 99% sure that the PS3 will launch across Europe on March 23, but we'll have to wait until later this week to make sure that pesky 1% isn't going to throw a spanner in the works. Ah well, we're all used to waiting by now, right?

Valve Boss Wallops PS3

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 22:23:47 GMT

This one speaks for itself really:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=155309

Valve Software is currently working on Half-Life Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2 for Xbox 360. Not sure if they're doing anything on PS3...

While you're on CVG.com, check out their Best Game Endings feature - and the Worst Game Endings Feature too! Game endings are always rubbish, it's part of the charm. Do you ever feel guilty about skipping the credits? Sometimes, if I really liked the game, I feel obliged to sit through the whole credit list even if it takes ages, just to soak up all those people and their good work. Cool!

300: Master Chief Meets His Match!

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:43:13 GMT

Ever wondered why Master Chief and his like are referred to as Spartans? Or, to be more exact, SPARTAN-II supersoldiers? Alright smart-arse, you might know but some people won't.

The Spartans in the Halo universe are named after the ancient Greeks who lived in Sparta. This race believed itself to be descended from the Greek god Heracles (son of Zeus, dontchaknow) and prided military strength above all else - from a child's birth they looked for any signs of weakness or illness, and if found the child would be left to die. If the child was strong it would be trained to fight before it could walk, resulting in the most disciplined and trained soldiers in the ancient world. They carried nothing other than what they needed to kill and saw death on the battlefield as the most glorious way to die. They also founded the Spar chain of convenience stores*. How cool is that? And how good is Wikipedia?

So why all the talk about Spartans? Well, you're about to hear a lot more of them. Frank Miller, the comic book legend and brains behind Sin City, has inspired a new film called 300. Based on some of his work, it's the story of how 300 Spartan warriors attempted to repel the massed ranks of the Persian armies invading Greece. Oh, and it looks AMAZING - like a cross between Troy, The Lord of the Rings, and Braveheart (obviously one of my favourite films), all glued together with a cool visual style that seems to blend classy comic book artwork with slick high-def effects.

You should check out the trailer at the 300 website. Honestly, it's one of the best trailers I've ever seen!

And there's more of a Halo tie-in than just the Spartan thing - some people have already drawn a parrallel between the Halo games and 300. Check out this YouTube effort from user AgentMonkey117 - it's footage from Halo set over the soundtrack from the trailer, and it works perfectly!

300 is out in cinemas in Europe this March. Cannae wait!

*This may not be true - you know how some people like to sabotage Wikipedia...

Does Kaz Hirai Have Memory Loss?

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:58:20 GMT

PlayStation big cheese Kaz Hirai on the record at CES, as quoted by IGN:

"A worldwide launch for any console is quite ambitious. In fact, it has never been done before."

I wonder where Kaz was in November/December 2005? Maybe someone should remind him about the Xbox 360, although it could be that it's taken so long for the PS3 to come to Europe that it has slipped his mind altogether.

Playing With My Wii

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:58:31 GMT

Yowzer, I never thought I'd be pre-ordering a Nintendo console - or blogging about it on my Xbox-themed blog! But I finally got a call from my local HMV on Saturday morning saying that my Wii had arrived and was ready to be picked up.

So I did, much to the excitement of the lads behind the counter in HMV. "You're a lucky man," said one bloke. To be honest I wasn't all that excited - I'm only really interested in Wii because of the control system. I want to see if I'll think it's a novelty or a really cool new way to play games, and I never had the chance to try it at this year's E3 (a 2 hour wait in amongst some of the most hardcore fanboys on the planet? No thanks!) So I brought home the console with an extra Wii Remote for TraceyBongos, and unpacked it.

It's a lovely little bit of kit, isn't it? It's tiny. Tiny like a little kitten, but a cool angular kitten with glowing blow lights. Looks a bit weird next to the Xbox 360 right enough. I was also surprised at how small the controllers are. I can also see why they've been shooting out of people's hands - they're slicker than a polished porpoise and seem to instantly cause sweaty paws. Or maybe that's just me.

The first time you turn on the console it's a bit of a weird experience. It's all plinky-plonks and elevator music, big kindergarten text and fat fingers. Bit different to Xbox 360's Dashboard then. I was impressed at how quickly I could get it online wirelessly, but then I wasn't at all sure what to do next. I made my Wii and put him in the Wii Plaza, but to be honest I think the whole Wii Parade thing is well confusing. And giving out that big number to your friends? How awkward is that? Why didn't they just use a GamerTag-style name for your Mii? I'm still confused.

Since I was online I went and checked out the Wii Shop, but I'm a bit bummed out at the games on offer at the moment. Maybe Nintendo should have asked the community for their top ten most wanted games on all the formats to start with - I don't see any benefit in drip-feeding the best games out over a long time scale.

Still. That controller. It's like some kind of black magic (or, since it's Nintendo, white magic, as was pointed out to me earlier by Making Sparks) how it works. How does it work? It's like television or a big plane - thinking about how someone created it makes my brain go a bit funny and I'd probably rather not know. But it's pretty special. We played Wii Sports on Saturday night and had a great laugh, but it wasn't until Sunday morning that I realised the level of precision on the controller and the kind of nuances you can get from doing different things with it. I'm loving bowling and boxing, and to be honest I'm surprised at the level of depth they offer.

But - and it's a big, Xbox 360-kissing but - I still fear that the control system is not enough to keep me playing Wii for a long time. I thought the DS touchscreen was cool to start with but after a while I got really bored of it - and yes, I realise that the DS is hugely successful, but it's just not for me. I've decided to get a hold of Zelda and Red Steel tonight and see how I get on with some 'proper' games, but I fear that my Wii might not be eating into my Xbox 360 playing time too much.

And I'm not just saying that because I'm hideously biased. Honest. And now, back to our scheduled programming:

XBOX XBOX XBOX XBOX XBOX etc....

Nintendo Recalls Wii Straps

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 08:50:32 GMT

After all the reports that the straps on Wii controllers were breaking, sending the remote flying into expensive household objects or the fleshy bodyparts of loved ones, Nintendo has announced this morning that it's recalling the straps. Every last one. 3.2 million of them!

Good on Nintendo for reacting so quickly to this, but replacing every single one of those straps is going to be a bit of a nightmare. No details on how the replacement service will work for now. I haven't got mine yet so I'm a bit worried that it'll put my pre-order back - ah well, I need to concentrate on my GamerScore anyway.

Read the story about Nintendo replacing the Wii straps on the BBC's Technology site.

EDIT: Turns out the BBC got the wrong end of the stick - and handed it to me. Nintendo is NOT recalling the straps, but has rather offered to replace any broken straps free of charge. Use them correctly, says Nintendo, and you won't have a problem anyway. Read the updated BBC coverage here.

Apparently expensive TV sets, black eyes, lacerated skin and being such an eejit that you can't use the controller properly isn't covered by Nintendo's pledge...

Bowled Over By Wii Have A Problem

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:34:45 GMT

So it seems like some over-enthusiastic gamers have been destroying their TVs, gadget collection and entire households armed only with the remote from their new Nintendo Wii console. The remote does have a little strap that goes around your wrist, but a combination of sweaty paws and stupdily violent swinging can cause the strap to snap and the remote to fly across the room like a plastic missile. Naturally, like all good missiles, it tends to home into the most expensive thing in the immediate vicinty.

This phenomenon is so hot on the net that a new website - www.WiiHaveAProblem.com - has sprung up to collate all the reports and let us all have a chuckle at people who have smashed their hideously expensive tellies. Ouch!

Take a look for yourself, but make sure you don't miss the video of the bloke at the bowling alley who doesn't realise his own strength. Funny like a loud fart, and proof positive that Wii remotes aren't the only things you swing that can cause damage.

Looking Back On Coverage of the US PS3 launch

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 14:59:50 GMT

I haven't blogged as much as I thought I might about the launch of the PS3 in the US. I think it's partly because I feel like I can't be very impartial - it would be easy for anything I write to look like petty sniping. I'm obviously biased. but I'm also a consumer of electronics who knows a lot about videogames and is really interested in what the PS3 will be like, without necessarily hoping for it to crash and burn.

So, with that in mind, I've gathered the following batch of comments from the mainstream coverage (ie, not specialist coverage from games websites and magazines) of the US PS3 launch to see what the average Joe in the street is hearing about the console. They're all pretty negative, and I know that's very one-sided. But the surprising thing for me is just how one-sided they are. I mean, PlayStation is a brand name that pretty much defined videogaming in the mainstream through the nineties, and yet their new console is attracting comments like this - while Xbox 360 consistently gets positive comparisons.

At the risk of coming across as a dirty mud-slinger, here you are. I've attached links to the online versions of these articles if they exist and are accessible without registration:

Time Magazine: (No link available)

"Playstation3 is powered by a stupendously powerful chip, the "Cell processor." (I'm sorry, but naming a computer chip is like naming your genitals: you're compensating for something.)"

"It doubles as a Blu-Ray DVD player (that's the main reason for the high retail price), but guess what? Nobody cares."

"And did I mention Playstation 3 controllers don't rumble? Whose genius idea was that?"

(The online Time Magazine article "Sony's PlayStation 3 is Not Worth the Hype" is also an interesting read, and slightly more balanced than the headline implies)

New York Times: "A Weekend Full of Quality Time With the PS3"

"Howard Stringer, you have a problem. Your company’s new video game system just isn’t that great."

"Over the weekend a clear sense of disappointment with the PlayStation 3 emerged from many gamers."

"It often feels as if the PlayStation 3 can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time."

"Sony seems to have put a lot of effort into cramming as much silicon horsepower under the hood as possible but to have forgotten that all the transistors in the world can’t make someone smile."

"And so it is a bit of a shock to realize that on the video game front Microsoft and Sony are moving in exactly the opposite directions one might expect given their roots. Microsoft, the prototypical PC company, has made the Xbox 360 into a powerful but intuitive, welcoming, people-friendly system. Sony’s PlayStation 3, on the other hand, often feels like a brawny but somewhat recalcitrant specialized computer."

CNN: "PlayStation 3 Can't Hide its Flaws"

"Cut through the hype, and the desire for the newest, flashiest gadget and the product is not as compelling as it might seem. The PS3, for all its power, feels incomplete at launch."

"The problem is that the motion doesn't feel natural here, as it does with the Nintendo Wii. Perhaps as developers get more used to the feature, they'll be better able to incorporate it into their games. Initially, though, you get the impression they were caught off guard when the feature was announced -- and rushed to find some way to include it."

"Gone also is the rumble effect from the controller -- an omission that has upset many Sony loyalists. Personally, I miss the shaking. The feeling of a slight rumble in your hands as you fired a virtual weapon added to the fun."

"As for the much-touted Blu-Ray disc player, it's a nice addition, but it's almost immaterial if you don't have a top-of-the-line television set.

Compounding these shortcomings has been the PS3's unimpressive launch, including a tepid lineup of games and an embarrassing snafu that caused problems with its much-touted "backward compatibility," or the ability to play old games."

"The question is: If you're somehow able to find a PlayStation 3 on a store shelf this year, is it worth buying one? Sadly, the answer is not yet."

Stuff Magazine in the UK also weighed in with this little beauty which will no doubt please a certain Mr Cliffy B: "We’ve unplugged our PS3. Most exciting product around at the moment, and it lies dormant, while we play Gears of War on Xbox 360."

Ah well, at least if you did get hold of a PS3 in the US launch (unlikely) you could always trade it in for a lifetime supply of tacos...

It's also good fun to play spot the difference with the following IGN reviews of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the latest multiplatform games:

Call of Duty 3 on PS3: 7.8/10

Call of Duty 3 on Xbox 360: 8.8/10

Need for Speed Carbon on PS3: 7.9/10

Need for Speed Carbon on Xbox 360: 8.2/10

According to IGN, the average review score for the US PS3 launch line-up is 7.4/10.

Hope that's all interesting stuff. Funnily enough I haven't seen an awful lot of negative news stories in the specialist games press about hardware problems and the like with the PS3 - probably less than when the Xbox 360 launched in fact, although that could be because I was writing about them 10 times a day!

Anyone else got any interesting links to coverage of the PS3 launch? I'd be interested to read a glowing review of the console, but I just haven't seen one yet.

In other news, I pre-ordered a Nintendo Wii on Friday...

PS3 Launches in Japan - Great Write-up

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 13:12:52 GMT

Over the weekend the world welcomed the second of the next-generation consoles into existence - only a year after Xbox 360 launched, only in Japan, and only in very limited numbers. Yup, PS3 is currently buzzing away in homes across Japan after quickly selling out its low allocation on Friday November 10, causing stampedes, crushes, and no end of disgruntled Japanese gamers.

There's a fantastic write-up of the launch over at Kotaku, complete with two videos of the crush outside a Tokyo electronics store as shoppers desperately try to get to the front of the queue. It's especially interesting as it was written not by a Kotaku employee, but a student called Dirk Benedict who is living in the country. He points out the problems of launching a console with so few units available and highlights what he calls "The Chinese Issue" - gangs of organised opportunists from China swamping the stores and pre-order lists to sell the console on at a huge profit later, or rich Japanese businessmen paying peanuts to poor Chinese immigrants to wait in quese for days at a time.

You can read Dirk Benedict's write-up on Kotaku here.

Kotaku is also reporting that Japanese stores are already selling 'second-hand' PS3s for as much as $1200 - about £650 or 950 Euro.

The PS3 isn't expected in Europe until next March - or "next summer" as the bloke in HMV suggested to me on Saturday.

PS3 Delay - Interesting Wall Street Journal Analysis

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 09:22:14 GMT

Was reading a really interesting article from the Wall Street Journal that argues the European PS3 delay and the associated manufacturing problems could harm Sony as a company in the long-run. Take a look:

"Success for the PlayStation 3 is vital for the Sony group to make a full turnaround after years of disappointing results as it lost market share in televisions and audio players. Though Sony's business has picked up because of improvements in the core electronics business, any loss of market share in game consoles—the company's most consistent earner in recent years—would threaten the company's long-term health.

The latest delay could hurt Sony in a number of ways.

First, the meager availability towards year end will give rivals more time to establish their consoles in the market. Microsoft Corp. released its latest model, the Xbox 360, last year, while Nintendo Co. is planning a fall release for its radical new Wii console, which comes with wireless controllers that look like television remote controls and can be wielded like a tennis racket or a sword.

More than just the game division is at stake. Sony also hopes PlayStation 3 will boost Blu-ray over a rival advanced DVD technology called HD-DVD. This is vital to Sony's electronics division to stimulate sales, and also to provide a royalty stream from other electronics companies that adopt the Blu-ray technology."

I recommend you read the full article at the Wall Street Journal's website, but be warned - it's a subscription site.