Nintendo News
admin - Thursday, June 28, 2007
Hello and welcome for another instalment of Nintendo News. Firstly I'd like to apologize for my absence, it's been a busy couple weeks with exams and such but I'm back and today I'm going talk about Nintendo and their current dominance. Now Nintendo has been a big company in the console and portable gaming industry since they first came out. I'm sure we all remember how big they were with the NES and the SNES. I think everybody reading this at least knew someone who had one. That continued through to the 64, however they didn't have the lead market share of the console market as they did before due to the introduction of the Sony Playstation. The next generation of consoles is what really hit Nintendo hard with the poor release of the Gamecube as an answer to the big names of the PS2 and Xbox. Not that I didn't like the Gamecube, but by comparison it wasn't super great nor did it sell as well. Obviously in terms of portable gaming Nintendo had almost all of the market as they didn't have any rivals, up until the PSP which really wasn't much of a rivalry in any case.
Now here we are today, in the middle of a console war and guess who is dominating - that's right, Nintendo! Nintendo are currently the big thing in gaming outside of computers, with the Wii having sold 8 million copies worldwide since their release in November last year. Comparatively speaking Sony's PS3 released around the same time has sold about 3.5 million worldwide and the 360 which was released an entire year before has sold only 10 million units, which is a clear indication that the Wii is leading the way. Even now I have been talking to people who have had to wait for a month or more to get their Wii. As quick as stores get them in, they are sold out again. In December last year it was estimated that the Wii was selling 78,000 units a day. Think of what it is now!
Now not only is Nintendo dominating the console market but they also dominate the hand held market. It is estimated by 2011, 89% of Japanese households will have a DS. It is also estimated that this year alone 7.5 million units are to be sold in Japan with 13.9 million in the US and 17 million across PAL territories, compared to 3, 10 and 10 million PSP's to be sold respectively. Currently DS has sold about 44 million copies since its release, during which PSP has only sold just under half of this at about 22 million.
Just when you thought they couldn't pwn any more, Nintendo now also dominate the general electronics market with the recent take over of electrical company Matsushita, leaving them second to Sony. Nintendo's current market value sits at 6.30 trillion yen ($51 billion USD) while first place Sony has 6.64 trillion yen ($53 billion USD) market share. The reason this is so amazing is because Nintendo are a games company, while Sony sell everything electronic and only just have the upper hand.
Nintendo haven't just got the stats in terms of what they sell, but they have the cultural dominance as well, with super hot actress Jessica Alba confessing to playing the Wii on set of the new Fantastic Four film. Wii has also been referenced in a Marvel comic and DS is now advertised as being able to use the Telstra Wi-Fi networks across Australia. Even Nintendo big name game designer Shigeru Miyamoto entered this year's Time magazine's Time 100 at number 9.
Before the release of the Wii, Sony saw it as just another Mario system which little kids and die hard fans will love but t hat's about it, but now I am seeing pictures of grandmas playing, kids and parents playing, nerd and jocks playing.
I think it is now clear how big Nintendo is getting and is also clear that in terms of next gen gaming (not counting PC), they are the clear leaders. And considering they haven't even released their big name titles of Super Smash Bros, Mario Galaxy and the new Metroid, I don't think this is going to change anytime soon. LONG LIVE NINTENDO!
References:
The Wii makes its way into print comics
Jessica Alba Has A Brain Age Of 82
89% Of Japan To Own A DS By 2011
78,000 WII CONSOLES SOLD EVERY DAY
The Latest Worldwide Console Sales
HDTV: The essentials
admin - Thursday, June 28, 2007
One of the cheapest ways to watch and record free to air HDTV is through your PC. Windows or Mac (or even Linux!) – there are dozens of options on the market today. In this article, I'll go through what you need and where you can to get it from.
What do I need?
To watch HDTV on your PC, you will need a DVB-T digital tuner, a working antenna connection and a computer which is capable of decoding HDTV. DVB-T (which stands for Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial) is the standard used in Australia for free to air digital television. This is used throughout most of Europe and most other parts of the world. The US, Canada and a few other countries use ATSC – an incompatible standard to DVB-T, whilst Japan uses their own standard, ISDB-T. Digital tuners come in internal (PCI or PCI-Express card) and external (usually USB, sometimes PCMCIA/ExpressCard) flavours. Prices start at around $99 for internal tuners, and around $110 for external tuners. The basic function of a digital tuner card is similar across all cards. They all have an antenna input which connects to the tuner hardware itself. From the tuner, some decoding hardware will transform the electrical antenna signal into a stream your computer can decode and display on the screen.
Internal vs. External, 'Hybrid' and dual tuners
The main difference between internal and external is portability. Obviously a USB tuner can be easily moved from computer to computer, while a PCI card cannot. Internal tuners are more likely to have additional features, such as analogue video inputs. You should select your tuner based on your needs – if you just want to watch/record one channel at a time and don't need analogue video inputs, then a basic tuner should suffice. If portability is important to you, select a USB tuner. If you want to watch analogue television, hybrid tuners allow you to receive both analogue and digital television signals. Keep in mind in some regional areas – not all channels have gone digital. Also in metropolitan areas community television station, i.e. Channel 31, broadcast in analogue only. Most tuners, internal or external, include a remote. If you want to watch and record two different programs at the same time, watch two channels at the same time, or record two different programs at the same time, dual tuner cards are also available.
Software
Every card comes with different software – some good, some bad. Third party software is also available, ranging from simple scheduling/recording software, to full home theatre PC (HTPC) software. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to review many different types of software and cards. Personally, I use a FusionHDTV card from DViCO (Model: DVB-T1, the first DVB-T card they released from years ago!). The included software works well for simple live viewing. Most of my viewing is from recorded programming and I use WebScheduler to record programs. It's an excellent, very reliable piece of software and since its interface is accessed through a web browser, I can even change timers when I'm not at my computer through any internet connected computer.
Where can I get it from?
Most computer stores these days stock at least one brand of digital tuner card and they are available in most major department/technology stores such as Officeworks, Harvey Norman and Harris Technology. There are also specialist companies that deal extensively with digital tuner cards and related products, one such store being DigitalNow.com.au, one of the first companies to provide digital tuner cards in Australia.
Please note: The author does not have any commercial affiliation to products or organisations mentioned.
FREE GAME REVIEW: Crazy Game
admin - Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Crazy Game. It's unique in that, it'll take you far more time to then to read this description of the game than actually experience first hand what the game is all about. In fact, it is not really known if that's the real name of the game, but around the internets, that's what it's known as. You can also call it "ÁŒP but I find that rather unpronounceable and even less descriptive.
Sadly, the creator of this game has been lost in the mists of the internet, with the game having been passed on from friend to friend, work colleague to work colleague, via the underground networks of emails, instant messages and personal webhosts. It has nary a mark on it that could identify the creator, but nonetheless, as others have done for me, I do for you now!
Crazy Game is an adequate summary of the game. Adequate, because it is in fact a crazy game. But it doesn't describe too much beyond that. Not that there is much to describe, but I will attempt to do so now.
You start in the middle of the screen with a tiny little ship, whose only defense is to maneuver. Immediately, a hailstorm of slow (but variable speed) bullets will enter the screen and attempt to crush your little spacecraft. One hit is all it takes and at any one moment there are several dozen bullets on the screen.
There is no winning in this game. Death is always inevitable. The sole objective is simply to see how long you can survive. Thankfully, each life is brief and eventful, the life of the ship is recorded in seconds and a survival time of 20 seconds or more is considered exceptional.The continual drive to eclipse your previous record, along with responsive controls and short (per life) playtimes make this game an instant addiction. Throw in the Zen-like calm that the player must settle into, in order to dodge hail after hail of bullets, and it's perhaps one of the best oh-so-simple and oh-so-addictive classics to have never achieved greater fame.
To download Crazy Game visit this link: http://www.psychonoble.com/archives/reviews/8.html
Transformers: The Game – “Deception”
admin - Thursday, June 21, 2007
Transformers: The Game – "Deception"
Transformers: The Game – "Deception"
3FL Feature: Free Games
admin - Wednesday, June 20, 2007
There is no doubt that for most of us, we have experienced at one point or another, a longing to play games, but have come up short in the coin department. With a great multitude of games gouging our already fragile wallets for $50 to $100, gaming can be a painful thing. Thankfully, there also exists a pantheon of free games created by enthusiastic gamers hoping to break into the industry, bored coders in their bedrooms, or perhaps distributed freely as part of a business model to build a large user base from which other revenue streams can be derived. Free games tend to fall into a number of categories from what I can devise and they typically originate from the following sources.
1. Independent developers: Bedroom coders that code for the love of it, for the love of gaming and because they hope by honing and showing off their talent, that they will someday be able to work professionally in the industry. Not all do it for this aim; indeed, some that do it are already professional developers in their own right.
2. Flash games: The ubiquitous work time fun. Flash games are everywhere, freely available on numerous flash portal/hosting sites vying for attention. Characterized by the need for Macromedia Flash, their creators can be independent developers, or professional companies that create flash games for promotional purposes. Available on just about any machine that is able to run an internet browser, the flash game will be a common feature in this free games column.
3. Korean MMOs: Not strictly Korean, but the lion's share of these games originate from a land that's a little west of the other place that makes lots of games. These are typically the most professional and perhaps fully featured of the free games available. Not without reason either. They do expect to make money, but they do so by enticing gamers into their games by offering it for free, then charging for extras (such as new costumes or pieces of armor in RPG style games). The genres however are not limited to RPGs, with massively multiplayer online games covering anything and everything from golf to shooting toy tanks.
4. Mods: Not traditionally or technically free, as most mods require a full copy of the (usually popular) game that they're based off to run. Some mods however, have been created off open source code from previous commercial releases and as such are able to run independent of the game they were based off. Regardless, interest in hot mods should be more than sufficient to warrant their presence in this genre, especially when you consider some popular mods that have gone on to become fully fledged games.
5. Abandonware: Games of yesteryear where intellectual property rights have gone into limbo because the company that possessed them has dissolved or simply no longer care. A prolific number of classic releases comprise this genre, although some may be difficult to get running in many instances (older games were commonly on DOS and Windows 95/98 which have poor to no compatibility with newer Windows platforms). But even so, the effort to do so may be well rewarded. For many people it will mean reliving past glory days, or perhaps catching up with games childhood they never got around to playing. And for others, hopefully, they'll be introduced to a great game that they never knew about.
Free games typically fall into one of the above categories. They're pretty broad, but even if a good free game comes along, that doesn't fall neatly into any one of them, if it's worthwhile, you can bet that I'll give it its due coverage. So please, check back frequently. Some of the games will be familiar, but it'll offer a chance to relieve memorable experiences, while the ones that aren't familiar will hopefully introduce you to new, memorable experiences!
Reminiscing to the Future
admin - Monday, June 18, 2007
As I sit down to write this feature on the future of gaming, I can't help looking back at where we have come from. As a mid-twenty-something male I feel I was there at the beginning, from the days of the old Commodore 64, 286 PC's and the original Nintendo and Sega Platform. I played classics such as the mother of the RTS genre as we know it – Dune 2 – to the birth of FPS with Wolfenstein 3d that was available on Freeware and came on a single 1.44Mb floppy disk on the front of any gaming mag that was out there.
Looking back though makes me wonder what games we can expect to play over the next two decades. I think we must start at what has progressed over the past 15 odd years; we have seen the birth of real gaming with different genres catering for everyone's different tastes. Over the past 10 years we have seen refinement of our base genres and I'm going to look at where I think they are heading.
FPS: FPS (or First Person Shooter for the uninitiated) is one of the most popular genres of gaming and from a personal point of view, not much has changed since the beginning. As I mentioned before, it all started with Wolfenstein 3d. You could select different weapons, work your way through the Nazis and interact with the environment to find secret compartments. Not being a massive fan of the FPS genre I still look at my desk and see Battlefield 2142 and Unreal Tournament 2004 taking a small section of room. BF 2142 being a reasonably recent release does it best to show what a modern RTS is made of whilst still being true to its roots. Online multiplayer is where the game shines, along with vehicles you can use and interact with but apart from using a mouse to aim, not much is different from old wolfy. FPS will always be a popular genre due to its easy learning curve and addictive nature but for the future apart from better graphics and sound along with new and interesting storylines and plots there is not much progress to be seen.
RTS: I will start by saying that RTS or Real Time Strategy is my favourite genre which I feel I should outwardly declare. From its humble beginnings I loved the RTS genre being able to out-think and outplay AI and gamers alike. While Dune 2 brought the RTS engine to life, Command & Conquer revolutionised it with a fantastic storyline and the ability to group units, eliminating tedious micromanagement. I remember the original Warcraft and mesmerizing storyline that encapsulated the epic battle of Orcs versus Humans and as I look around my desk, I see recent additions such as C&C 3, Mark of Chaos, Empire Earth II and Dawn of War.
We have seen some digression from our originals namely in the area of resource gathering or unit acquisition. By this we started with gathering resources, building up your base which would give you the ability to build units and decimate your opponent. While not too recently we have seen additions to the genre where resources and base building are not part of the game (including the upcoming World in Conflict!). But where is there room to progress? Other additions such as Supreme Commander make use of dual monitors (if you have 2 monitors along with $1000 worth of graphics card) and make use of manufacturers specs to the max of their ability.
We have seen mergers of genres with RPG (the Spellcraft series comes to mind) and I really think this is the way of the future. While many will continue to play repackaged content set out in a new way, a properly done RPG/RTS combo I think will break new ground. Warcraft 3 touched on this with continuous characters and commanders but a properly merged storyline with RTS and RPG components along with lifelike video and the ability to incorporate online against other opponents will be revolutionary.
RPG/MMORPG: OK here goes, Role Playing Games or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (once again for the uninitiated) have broken through the barrier especially in the online market. For those that immediately scream World of Warcraft is the being and the end I must digress and point you towards the old text based MUD's that are still getting around today. Text based RPGing originated from Dungeons and Dragons and was around when the internet was first born. It has always been tied closely with the first adventure games Kingsquest, Spacequest, Heroquest, Policequest and of course Leisure Suit Larry. Having recently come into possession of Neverwinter Nights 2 (not nearly as good as the original) I feel these games have really progressed. Nothing much about the basics have changed but we are seeing beautifully written 40+ hour storylines and that literally brings your imagination to life.
World of Warcraft revolutionised things in the MMORPG category by catering to an already immensely popular series with a built up client base and provided a game that was superb. We may see in the future a return to the old Might and Magic style RPGs that kind of mix with FPS as you traverse dungeons, but I continue to think that MMORPGs will continue to multiply as the popularity grows and the punters are happy to subscribe with the almighty dollar.
Strategy: By strategy games I am referring to turn based strategy and also our ‘God' style simulators. Panzer Generals and Shogun Total War are as far back as I can think for the birth of normal strategy. We also remember Simcity, Simlife, Simtower, Simzoo, Simpark, Sim…. well you get the idea. We must also never forget the strategy king Sid Mier who birthed the Civilzation and Railroad Tycoon games (which spawned Transport Tycoon, Pizza Tycoon, Market Tycoon and so on), games which will live on as shaping the core of many gamers.
I recently finished Medieval Total War 2, a superb game and displays the best of what is available in this genre. The ‘sandpit' environment has been revolutionised by this game and I hope to see an email style multiplayer that would resemble a long complicated game of chess. Sims will continue to be made as people wish to represent a passion, (seems a lot of people have a passion for building cities), but these will continue to grow with the world as new sources of inspiration are established. Pure Strategy cannot grow by definition. Apart from a great story line, pure strategy will always be a plodding turn-based thinkfest. It will always be popular and I think will be a boom market as Generation X approach the age of baby boomers and lose those reflexes required for real time games.
I am at this point going to start winding up and am purposely leaving out simulations (e.g. Sports and Car sims) as these are simple sims and always will be. As I rack my brains for something I may have missed (and I am sure there is) I would like to offer the view that the next big thing in gaming maybe something we haven't seen before. A new style of gaming. Out there in the big bad world some genius worth millions of dollars has in his head an idea for a new style, or a technology developer who has something new that in itself will spawn a new style of game.
All this is of course pure personal opinion and I have no doubt some of you will disagree with what I have written. I feel it is certainly a broad examination of the possible future of gaming. As I sign off, to all you Generation Z kids out there who may not have the attention span to read this, all I say is appreciate and enjoy what you have. We all have a beginning and while yours has 64 bit graphics, I'm going to find some abandonware and track down space invaders and Commander Keen.
Recent Download Additions
admin - Monday, June 18, 2007
Some of the files added over the week which you might have missed seeing:
Overlord demo
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End demo
Live For Speed S2 X demo Surf's Up demo
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 MP demo
Crysis Compex 2007 CAM gameplay trailer #2
WoW v2.1.0.6 to v2.1.1 patch Aus/US
News Update
admin - Friday, June 15, 2007
Some great articles and some breaking news to hit the stands in the last week or two:
- Edge's article on Sony's new trump card.
- Assassin's Creed has a date!
- Capcom are the latest to join Steam.
- 1up have a look at The Agency.
- cvg have a shaky video of the new id (there's a small write up worth reading).
- on a similar note, both EA and id are supporting the light side.
Sony are working hard to repair a bad PS3 launch by setting hype meters to max. Will it be enough? Is the PS3 going to follow the same path as the N64, a superior console (with some killer games) which is overlooked? I've started a poll in the PlayStation forum, jump in and get involved!
Guitar Hero: the phenomenon
admin - Wednesday, June 13, 2007
This is possibly my favourite of the lot simply for his friend's reaction at the end (he is also very talented)
Guitar Hero 2 Rush YYZ on Expert
This movie has an 8yr old playing Psychobilly Freakout on expert mode (he's 8yrs old!).
GH2 – Psycho Freakout – Expert (8 years old)
The title says it all really…
The best Guitar Hero video ever.
So has anyone else got any Guitar Hero (1 or 2) stories they'd like to share?
