The time has come..
Hardware
1. Nintendo DS Lite 163.274
2. PlayStation Portable 29.945
3. PlayStation 2 21.829
4. GameBoy Advance SP 2.719
5. GameBoy Micro 1819
6. Xbox 360 1197
7. Nintendo GameCube 837
8. Nintendo DS 410
9. GameBoy Advance 14
10. Xbox 12
Software
01 NDS FF3 - 503.051 / NEW
02 NDS NEW SMB - 65.556 / 2.901.264
03 NDS Rune Factory - 42.210 / NEW
04 NDS Brain Age 2 - 41.784 / 3.073.195
05 NDS Cooking Navi - 37.326 / 384.045
06 NDS Tamagotchi 2 - 30.504 /430.933
07 NDS Mario Basketball 3on3 - 30.355
08 NDS Animal Crossing WW - 30.023 / 3.149.131
09 NDS Brain Age - 22.866 / 2.736.150
10 NDS English Training - 17.465
Comment: I bolded the software charts to show you one thing, what formats are on there except the Nintendo DS? Uh? None! Fucking hell, what happened? Surely, this week, another fomrat must have sold more than 17,465 units to get a chance in the top ten software... ah fuck it. In all honesty, DS has won. Its game over, game over man. Nintendo has won. And this is without the help of that yellow electric rat as well.. (imagine the chaos when that gets released this year)
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Can good games really fix the PSP?
An interesting article i just checked out from kotaku, http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/psp/can-good-games-fix-the-psp-197728.php .
Lets take this back a couple of years, Sony and the rest of the world were in awe of the PSP, it looked slick, it looked powerful, it looked pure amazing. Nintendo fanboys (and me) were gobsmacked, no way can a portable handheld produce so much power and amazingness in such a tiny portable device and thusly creating a massive shock in the handheld gaming market... and Nintendo of course.
Now its 2 years on and now look at it, people who have got the PSP either loved it because of the in-ghetto style and look that it creates, or they hated it because it failed to produce the goods they expected. One of its main failings is the amount of AAA-quality games on the PSP.. its stupid of me to say that it doesn't have any good games because everyone knows it has those games. GTA:LCS, Wipeout, Tekken, Ghost Recon etc.. these are considered great games on the PSP purely because its like a step-son of the (more superior) PS2 versions, its certainly great on a handheld but certainly nothing to be excited about for general gamers. Then there are games like Valkyrie Profile, Tales of Eternia, Breath of Fire, Tomb Raider etc, good games im sure,i mean good PORTS im sure. Sorry, if i wanted ports i get it on the likely superior console version. Then theres the handheld exclusives, Loco roco, Mercury, Lumines, they seem to be the only decent games on the PSP, mainly because its a) Not a port, b) not trying to be a copycat of a PS2 version. But still, these games have really failed to impress in terms of sales or hype power.
Are games really the answer for the PSP though? Its UMD movie sector is pretty much neglected by major DVD/movie production studios (think of it like Sony's betamax, much hyped but much died), its mp3 ability is largely a poor replacement for a much more dedicated mp3 player (iPod, creative zen, whatever). Its other features can't justify the huge asking price for the PSP.
So what is the answer? Follow Nintendo's suit and go for a re-design (thus hurting Sony fanboys again)? or carry on with current PSP standards and hope for a new designed IP to draw consumers (i.e. Pokemon for GBA) ? Sony themselves are in danger of falling for the trap of being ignorant and arrogant, their brand name can only hold sales for so long before word goes through that their products aren't actually any good.
Of the 2 solutions i stated, one is a short term answer, the other long term, how Sony wants to play with their PSP is their decision, but the way things are going, the current games can't help the PSP and it seems more than likely that the DS lite is more than likely the winner of this mostly interesting war.
Lets take this back a couple of years, Sony and the rest of the world were in awe of the PSP, it looked slick, it looked powerful, it looked pure amazing. Nintendo fanboys (and me) were gobsmacked, no way can a portable handheld produce so much power and amazingness in such a tiny portable device and thusly creating a massive shock in the handheld gaming market... and Nintendo of course.
Now its 2 years on and now look at it, people who have got the PSP either loved it because of the in-ghetto style and look that it creates, or they hated it because it failed to produce the goods they expected. One of its main failings is the amount of AAA-quality games on the PSP.. its stupid of me to say that it doesn't have any good games because everyone knows it has those games. GTA:LCS, Wipeout, Tekken, Ghost Recon etc.. these are considered great games on the PSP purely because its like a step-son of the (more superior) PS2 versions, its certainly great on a handheld but certainly nothing to be excited about for general gamers. Then there are games like Valkyrie Profile, Tales of Eternia, Breath of Fire, Tomb Raider etc, good games im sure,i mean good PORTS im sure. Sorry, if i wanted ports i get it on the likely superior console version. Then theres the handheld exclusives, Loco roco, Mercury, Lumines, they seem to be the only decent games on the PSP, mainly because its a) Not a port, b) not trying to be a copycat of a PS2 version. But still, these games have really failed to impress in terms of sales or hype power.
Are games really the answer for the PSP though? Its UMD movie sector is pretty much neglected by major DVD/movie production studios (think of it like Sony's betamax, much hyped but much died), its mp3 ability is largely a poor replacement for a much more dedicated mp3 player (iPod, creative zen, whatever). Its other features can't justify the huge asking price for the PSP.
So what is the answer? Follow Nintendo's suit and go for a re-design (thus hurting Sony fanboys again)? or carry on with current PSP standards and hope for a new designed IP to draw consumers (i.e. Pokemon for GBA) ? Sony themselves are in danger of falling for the trap of being ignorant and arrogant, their brand name can only hold sales for so long before word goes through that their products aren't actually any good.
Of the 2 solutions i stated, one is a short term answer, the other long term, how Sony wants to play with their PSP is their decision, but the way things are going, the current games can't help the PSP and it seems more than likely that the DS lite is more than likely the winner of this mostly interesting war.
Anime Review: High School Girls
Ok, everything on this anime looks very generic, title name. Check. Theme of anime. Check. Characters. Check. In fact, this is a show designed for one thing to showcase a rooster of standard characters in a standard theme with typical settings and predictable outcomes.
HOWEVER, High School Girls still has a bit (abeit very low) of hope, the humour is crude and tasteless and thats its USP. The humour like talking about bikini lines, lesbian love, pubes, sex etc.. are covered in this series and though somewhat shocking for a theme like this, its strangely somewhat appealing for me. Its crude but i like it, its tasteless but its harmless fun. Its not high profile stuff but at least it carries the show forward with fair few laughs throughout, despite the first episode being very crude, its somewhat dies down and panty showings are far less common (thank god)
However, plainly obvious by the aura of genericness it holds, High School Girls fails in many respects, generic cast of characters, no story, comedy is only for a designed and acquired taste and it doesn't excel in animation or OST (though the OP and ED are great, especially the ED). The bad overweighs the good in this respect but this show's crude nature is its charm (if that made any sense to you at all)
Overall, slightly fun, despite it being very very plain.
6.5/10
Grade: C+
HOWEVER, High School Girls still has a bit (abeit very low) of hope, the humour is crude and tasteless and thats its USP. The humour like talking about bikini lines, lesbian love, pubes, sex etc.. are covered in this series and though somewhat shocking for a theme like this, its strangely somewhat appealing for me. Its crude but i like it, its tasteless but its harmless fun. Its not high profile stuff but at least it carries the show forward with fair few laughs throughout, despite the first episode being very crude, its somewhat dies down and panty showings are far less common (thank god)
However, plainly obvious by the aura of genericness it holds, High School Girls fails in many respects, generic cast of characters, no story, comedy is only for a designed and acquired taste and it doesn't excel in animation or OST (though the OP and ED are great, especially the ED). The bad overweighs the good in this respect but this show's crude nature is its charm (if that made any sense to you at all)
Overall, slightly fun, despite it being very very plain.
6.5/10
Grade: C+
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Media Create Japanese software/hardware sales (14 - 20 August)
Hardware
DSL 74,495
PSP 41,535
PS2 26,833
GBASP 3,823
GBM 2,266
Xbox360 1,493
GC 922
DS 712
GBA 20
Xbox 7
Software
1. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Brothers - 103,774 / 2,835,708
2. (DS, Bandai Namco) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 65,554 / 400,429
3. (DS, Nintendo) DS Cuisine Navigator - 55,759 / 346,719
4. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Training - 45,978 / 3,031,411
5. (DS, Nintendo) Animal Crossing Wild World - 41,813 / 3,119,108
6. (PS2, Daito Giken) Daito Giken Pachislot Hihouden - 39,070
7. (GBA, Nintendo) Rhythm Tengoku - 29,911 / 88,089
8. (DS, Nintendo) Tetris DS - 26,791 / 781,110
9. (PSP, Bandai Namco) SD Gundam G-Generation Portable - 25,716 / 217,943
10. (DS, Nintendo) Brain Training - 25,139 / 2,713,284
Comments: Look at that DS number, very low compared to its average 150,000~ right? Reason? Nintendo are with-holding stock for next week's massive FFIII release, with FF being one of the top franchises in the industry, Nitnendo was wise to hold stock for this week. Otherwise, fairly standard week. Massive SMB legs. Oh, and welcome back Tetris.
DSL 74,495
PSP 41,535
PS2 26,833
GBASP 3,823
GBM 2,266
Xbox360 1,493
GC 922
DS 712
GBA 20
Xbox 7
Software
1. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Brothers - 103,774 / 2,835,708
2. (DS, Bandai Namco) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 65,554 / 400,429
3. (DS, Nintendo) DS Cuisine Navigator - 55,759 / 346,719
4. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Training - 45,978 / 3,031,411
5. (DS, Nintendo) Animal Crossing Wild World - 41,813 / 3,119,108
6. (PS2, Daito Giken) Daito Giken Pachislot Hihouden - 39,070
7. (GBA, Nintendo) Rhythm Tengoku - 29,911 / 88,089
8. (DS, Nintendo) Tetris DS - 26,791 / 781,110
9. (PSP, Bandai Namco) SD Gundam G-Generation Portable - 25,716 / 217,943
10. (DS, Nintendo) Brain Training - 25,139 / 2,713,284
Comments: Look at that DS number, very low compared to its average 150,000~ right? Reason? Nintendo are with-holding stock for next week's massive FFIII release, with FF being one of the top franchises in the industry, Nitnendo was wise to hold stock for this week. Otherwise, fairly standard week. Massive SMB legs. Oh, and welcome back Tetris.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Conferences? More like floperences.. am i right? (no actually im not)
Today saw two flop conferences and a no show. Nintendo and Microsoft mustered their courage to deliver something exciting and new as comparable as their (now dead) E3 conference but could only settle with a small whimper from both sides. Sony on the other hand, yeah.. , there was no conference. (Dont know they EU is an important market next to Japan and America?!)
Here's my interpretation of the interesting bits of Nintendo's and Microsoft's conferences:
Nintendo
- Mario Strikers 2 (Online play confirmed)
- Battlation wars 2 (Online/Co-op confirmed)
*yawn*, not the biggest news, but hey at least some new games added to the Wii pack.
Microsoft
- 12 month Next-gen console exclusive deal for PES6 and FIFA, oh dear Sony.
- Windows Vista is 'ace' apparently
And thats it.. tomorrow, should have new stuff, especially a new MGS4 trailer with in-game stuff! (hooray, no more movies for the masses)
Here's my interpretation of the interesting bits of Nintendo's and Microsoft's conferences:
Nintendo
- Mario Strikers 2 (Online play confirmed)
- Battlation wars 2 (Online/Co-op confirmed)
*yawn*, not the biggest news, but hey at least some new games added to the Wii pack.
Microsoft
- 12 month Next-gen console exclusive deal for PES6 and FIFA, oh dear Sony.
- Windows Vista is 'ace' apparently
And thats it.. tomorrow, should have new stuff, especially a new MGS4 trailer with in-game stuff! (hooray, no more movies for the masses)
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Leipzig Games Convention
| Quote: |
| Games Convention is actually formed from two parts. The first of these, the GC Developer Conference, is happening now and concludes tomorrow - with speeches from the likes of Bill Roper and Peter Molyneux - while the show itself consists of one media-day, August 23rd, and four days of public exhibition between August 24th and 27th. Like E3, the show also plays host to a range of press conferences, most of which take place tomorrow - and they're not just opportunities for Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony to speak to us either, with Electronic Arts also among those planning to deliver addresses on the first day. |
With this games convention being one of the top events to show new games and stuff (E3 and TGS are the other 2 big ones), im expecting a lot of good stuff to be shown with rumours going round that Nintendo will deliver some surprising stuff (like 5 new Nintendo games, date/price speculation, etc). While Sony will carry on with games like (possibly new) MGS4 trailer, Resistance and various racing games. Microsoft on the other hand hand don't really have a lot of work to do but will upload demos and stuff on their Live system.
Here's a list of (so-far) confirmed games (source: eurogamer)
| Quote: |
| Microsoft Age of Empires: Warchiefs (PC) Flight Simulator X (PC) Viva Pinata (Xbox 360) And, doubtless, others... Electronic Arts Spore (PC) Battlefield 2142 (PC) Crysis (PC) Command & Conquer: Tiberium Wars (PC) Need For Speed: Carbon (Ps2, Xbox 360, PSP) Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover (PSP) The Godfather (Xbox 360, PSP) FIFA 07 (PS2, PC, PSP) Madden 07 (PC) NBA Live 07 (PC, PSP) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (Xbox 360, PSP) NHL 07 (Xbox 360, PC, PSP) Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth 2 (Xbox 360) Rail Simulator (PC) The Sims 2 Pets (PC, PS2, PSP, DS) Take-Two BioShock (PC, Xbox 360) The Darkness (PS3, Xbox 360) Sid Meier's Railroads (PC) Stronghold Legends (PC) NHL 2K7 (PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox) NBA 2K7 (PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox) Dungeon Siege: Throne Of Agony (PSP) Family Guy (consoles) Ghost Rider (TBC) Rockstar Games TBC Capcom Lost Planet (Xbox 360) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS - German localised version) Atari Test Drive Unlimited (Xbox 360) Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC) Alone in the Dark (PS3, Xbox 360) Thrillville (PS2, Xbox, PC) Mercury Meltdown (PSP) Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PS2) Point Blank DS (DS) Arthur and the Minimoys (PS2) Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2) One Piece: Grand Adventure (PS2) Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai (PSP) Konami Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2) Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (PSP) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP) Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Xbox 360) Lunar Knights (DS) Valve Software Half-Life 2: Episode Two (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Portal (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Team Fortress 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Ubisoft Dark Messiah of Might & Magic (PC) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360) Call of Juarez (PC) The Settlers II - The Next Generation (PC) Horsez (PC) Open Season (PS2) SEGA Medieval II: Total War (PC) Sonic The Hedgehog (PS3, Xbox 360) Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii) Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz (Wii) Virtua Tennis 3 (PS3, Xbox 360) SEGA Rally (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) Yakuza (PS2) Phantasy Star Universe (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PS3) Charlotte's Web (PC, DS, GBA) Sonic Rivals (PSP) Vivendi-Universal Games Joint Task Force (PC) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC, Mac) Scarface: The World Is Yours (PC, PS2, Xbox) World In Conflict (PC) Eragon (PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, Xbox, DS, GBA) Timeshift (PC, Xbox 360) Spyro: A New Beginning (PS2, Cube, Xbox, DS, GBA) Crash Boom Bang (DS) Eidos Just Cause (PC, PS2, Xbox 360, Xbox) Justice League Heroes (PS2, Xbox, DS, PSP, GBA) Bionicle Heroes (DS, GBA, Cube, PC, PS2) Battlestations: Midway (PC, Xbox 360) Tomb Raider: Legend (DS) Age of Conan (PC) Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PC, Xbox 360) THQ Saints Row (Xbox 360) Broken Sword: The Angel of Death (PC) Company of Heroes (PC) Supreme Commander (PC) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (PC) Frontlines (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Stuntman 2 (Xbox 360) WWE SmackDown Vs. RAW (Xbox 360, PS2, PSP) Destroy All Humans! 2 (PS2, Xbox) Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Dark Crusade (PC) Cars (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, Xbox, PC, PSP, DS, GBA) SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from Crusty (Wii, PS2, Cube, PC, DS, GBA) Avatar: The Last Airbender (Wii, PS2, Xbox, Cube, PC, DS, PSP, GBA) Bratz: Forever Diamondz (PS2, Cube, DS, GBA) Monster House (PS2, Cube, DS, GBA) Deep Silver Anno 1701 (PC) The Guild 2 (PC) Secret Files: Tunguska (PC) Gothic 3 (PC) Mage Knight: Apocalypse (PC) Paraworld (PC) TrackMania United (PC) Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (PC) Heroes of the Annihilated Empires (PC) Kingdom hearts 2 (PS2) Load Inc. Mad Tracks (Xbox Live Arcade) Nevrax Ryzom Ring (PC) CCP EVE Online (PC) dtp entertainment Gray Matter (TBC) Sabotage (PC) Acony Parabellum (PC, PS2) NCsoft Guild Wars Nightfall Micro Application Horse Racing Manager 2 (PC) Experience 112 (PC) Fenimore Filmore's Revenge (PC) GFI Officers (PC) Jagged Alliance 3D (PC) Warfare (PC) Jagged Farm: Birth of a Hero (PC) Legendo Entertainment Attack on Pearl Harbour (PC) Monster Truck Maniax (PC) Dino Princess: Kingdom Rescue (PC) Dracula Twins (PC) Buka Aggression: Europe 1914 (PC) Collapse (PC) Dusk-12 (PC) Pacific Storm: Allies (PC) Hard Truck Apocalypse: Rise of Clans (PC) The Stalin Subway: Red Veil (PC) 1C Company Whirlwind of Vietnam (PC) Battle Lord (PC) Death to Spies (PC) You Are Empty (PC) Theatre of War (PC) El Matador (PC) UFO: Afterlight (PC) Codemasters Archlord (PC) Maelstrom (PC) LMA Manager 2007 (PC, Xbox 360, PS2) Dance Factory (PS2) Overlord (PC, Xbox 360) Colin McRae: DIRT (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) Activision TBC Square-Enix TBC Other platform holders (Sony, Nintendo) Not saying. |
Cant wait for tomorrow
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Film review: Snakes on a Plane
Motherfucking snakes on the motherfucking plane!
And how right, Mr Samuel L. Jackson is. This is a legendary movie with a huge cult following everywhere, especially on the internet where pretty much everyone is saying "SNAKES ON A PLANE", its an ingenius movie, the movie is pure simplicity, story, characters, plot, action, shock etc.. not much can be said about the complicatedness of the movie, this is pure fun, whether its the cracking and perfectly timed humour (Hooray for the Playstation) or the sometimes shocking and surprisingly gory violence in this movie.
I can't dock it marks for being low key on story, because this movie isn't one of those movies where you ask complicated questions and asking why every single minute. The characters are a mix of generic and cool, with Samuel L Jackson ruling the roost and Kenan being a suprise hit character for the movie. The action is surprisingly effective and does the job well enough to be worth watching, and the comedy and tongue in cheek cheesiness of the whole thing makes this show even more worthwhile.
Overall, everyone thats going to see this movie should know that its not meant to be an oscar-winning performance, or one that will ask questions about for days after watching it, or one that will find repeatedly watching time after time, but Snakes on a Plane, does exactly what it says on the tin. Its about Snakes on a Plane, the great blend of entertainment, simplicity and perfect viral marketing. Met my expectations? Motherfucking yes!
Overall: 8.5/10
Grade: A-
And how right, Mr Samuel L. Jackson is. This is a legendary movie with a huge cult following everywhere, especially on the internet where pretty much everyone is saying "SNAKES ON A PLANE", its an ingenius movie, the movie is pure simplicity, story, characters, plot, action, shock etc.. not much can be said about the complicatedness of the movie, this is pure fun, whether its the cracking and perfectly timed humour (Hooray for the Playstation) or the sometimes shocking and surprisingly gory violence in this movie.
I can't dock it marks for being low key on story, because this movie isn't one of those movies where you ask complicated questions and asking why every single minute. The characters are a mix of generic and cool, with Samuel L Jackson ruling the roost and Kenan being a suprise hit character for the movie. The action is surprisingly effective and does the job well enough to be worth watching, and the comedy and tongue in cheek cheesiness of the whole thing makes this show even more worthwhile.
Overall, everyone thats going to see this movie should know that its not meant to be an oscar-winning performance, or one that will ask questions about for days after watching it, or one that will find repeatedly watching time after time, but Snakes on a Plane, does exactly what it says on the tin. Its about Snakes on a Plane, the great blend of entertainment, simplicity and perfect viral marketing. Met my expectations? Motherfucking yes!
Overall: 8.5/10
Grade: A-
Friday, August 18, 2006
Media Create Software/Hardware sales (August 7th-13th)
Hardware
DSL 196,719
PSP 41,289
PS2 26,547
GBASP 3,051
GBM 2,031
Xbox360 1,204
GC 940
DS 934
GBA 23
Xbox 6
Software
1. NDS New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - 117,706 / 2,731,934
2. NDS Tamagotchi Shop 2 (Bandai) - 66,564 / 334,875
3. PS2 Melty Blood () - 64,980 / *NEW*
4. NDS More Brain Training (Nintendo) - 59,585 / 2,985,432
5. NDS Cooking Navi (Nintendo) - 57,257 / 290,960
6. NDS Animal Crossing (Nintendo) - 44,201 / 3,077,295
7. NDS Brain Training (Nintendo) - 38,954 / 2,688,146
8. PSP SD Gundam Generation G Portable (Bandai) - 36,592 / 192,227
9. PS2 Fist of the North Star (Sega) - 33,951 / 116,507
10. NDS Konami non-game (Konami) - 33,332 / *NEW*
Comments: Well, PSP rising sales for past few weeks have finally stopped, this week saw a decline in PSP sales and an iincrease in DS sales, suprising because there was no new DS software that week. Amazingess. Whats even more amazing are the legs for NSMB, Brain Training and Animal Crossing. 3 million hitters indeed.
Also a special note goes to Melty Blood (PS2), which is a superb little dojin fighting game ported from the arcade version. Brilliant game as i am a huge TYPE-MOON fan.
DSL 196,719
PSP 41,289
PS2 26,547
GBASP 3,051
GBM 2,031
Xbox360 1,204
GC 940
DS 934
GBA 23
Xbox 6
Software
1. NDS New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - 117,706 / 2,731,934
2. NDS Tamagotchi Shop 2 (Bandai) - 66,564 / 334,875
3. PS2 Melty Blood () - 64,980 / *NEW*
4. NDS More Brain Training (Nintendo) - 59,585 / 2,985,432
5. NDS Cooking Navi (Nintendo) - 57,257 / 290,960
6. NDS Animal Crossing (Nintendo) - 44,201 / 3,077,295
7. NDS Brain Training (Nintendo) - 38,954 / 2,688,146
8. PSP SD Gundam Generation G Portable (Bandai) - 36,592 / 192,227
9. PS2 Fist of the North Star (Sega) - 33,951 / 116,507
10. NDS Konami non-game (Konami) - 33,332 / *NEW*
Comments: Well, PSP rising sales for past few weeks have finally stopped, this week saw a decline in PSP sales and an iincrease in DS sales, suprising because there was no new DS software that week. Amazingess. Whats even more amazing are the legs for NSMB, Brain Training and Animal Crossing. 3 million hitters indeed.
Also a special note goes to Melty Blood (PS2), which is a superb little dojin fighting game ported from the arcade version. Brilliant game as i am a huge TYPE-MOON fan.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Ubisoft and Advfilms collaboration
Recently i went to Amecon event and decided to listen into ADV film international panel session, nothign really outstanding occured, they showed a Jink:Extend episode (which me and my brother promptly left halfway) and showed a hefty amount of anime which will come out later this year and next year. One in particular was Nintendo's Wii game Red Steel which is a Yakuza type game in which you can use the Wiimote to 'emulate' (im using it lightly here, lack of 3d-tracking is a downer) a sword and gun. With that game, exclusive footage, presentations, extras etc are said to be in the Samurai Gun discs because since Red Steel uses a Gun and Sword, Samurai Gun also uses a Gun and Sword as their theme.. amazing! (Though, Gun x Sword would have been a better anime to strike a deal with)
Thats the reason why me and my brother were confused that ADVfilm's dealers table was showing the Wii trailers.. so many times.
Thats the reason why me and my brother were confused that ADVfilm's dealers table was showing the Wii trailers.. so many times.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Anime Review: Mai Otome
OMG! What a disaster! After the somewhat long but worth it Mai Hime, in comes its younger but terrible sister Mai Otome.
In some sense, Mai Otome could have done better if it was actually a direct sequel from the first, but no, this series is terrible with the fact that the story is very very confusing, it had a considerable amount of plot-holes and loose-ends, very terrible character development and a plethora of bad action and comedy. There are a few scenes of delight in this show, most of the highlights do come from the usual 'Where's Wally' aspect of finding those old Mai Hime characters, i find myself shouting and pointing at the screen 'Hey, Thats Mai!' or 'Hey, Thats Miyu!' etc' But really, aside from that there is a very very small sense of satisfaction from this series.
The story is terrible, very very confusing to the point that the creators must have decided to include extra badguys and enemy factions to create an almost 'deus ex machina' effect for the story. Instead of slowly and steadily plodding out a good plot, the story felt too sudden, poorly explained and ultimately too confusing for its own good. Sure Mai Hime's story wasn't great but at least the twist at the end and much more delightful cast of characters made that worthwhile.
And speaking of characters, *sigh*, the main character Arika is pure annoyance, a very generic, happy-go-lucky but stupid in her own foolish way little girl who hopes to acheive happiness all around her, but oh noes! She can't do that because she fell in love etc etc etc.. really, it just smelt of pure stupidness. And Nina is not really any better, as the series went on, she got more and more crazy and angsty to the point which i wanted her to die.
Ok, i may be harsh on those two, but at leats several good faves from the first series came back to lighten to mood up, Natsuki, Mai and Miyu (in particular) made the series slightly worth watching if anythign (thogu hi really question the point of Mai in this series.. really question it)
Overall, if you were expecting a Mai Hime sequel, be disappointed, severely disappointed. If looking at it as a new anime POV, you will be disappointed, severely disappointed. The biggest problem i've had with this show was whether to associate Mai Hime with this, and in the end.. it doesn't really matter. Mai Hime is superior in every aspect, including the OST.
4.5/10
Grade: D
Friday, August 11, 2006
Lots of sales numbers (USA and Japan) and Europeans love Brain Training
First off, Japan.
Hardware
DSL 163,572
PSP 49,352
PS2 25,987
GBASP 2,784
GBM 1,928
Xbox360 1,389
DS 1,159
GC 904
GBA 34
Xbox 14
Software
1. (PSP, Bandai Namco) SD Gundam G Generation Portable - 155,634
2. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Brothers - 98,038 / 2,614,228
3. (PS2, Sega Sammy) Jissen Pachislot Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken SE - 82,556
4. (DS, Bandai Namco) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 75,853 / 268,311
5. (DS, Nintendo) Mario Basket 3 on 3 - 48,564 / 159,273
6. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Age - 48,206 / 2,925,847
7. (DS, Nintendo) Shaberu! DS Oryouri Nabi - 45,846 / 233,703
8. (PS2, Capcom) SENGOKU BASARA 2 - 40,094 / 175,943
9. (GBA, Nintendo) Rythm Tengoku - 37,473
10. (PS2, Atlus)) Growlancer V Generations - 37,467
Comments: PSP game at number 1? PSP hardware sales reaching 50,000?! Has the world gone topsy turvy.. i need a bit of American numbers to cancel this.
American
Hardware
NDS = 377,000
PS2 = 241,000
360 = 206,000
GBA = 163,000
PSP = 161,000
GCN = 44,000
Xbox = 12,000
Software
1 PS2 NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
2 360 NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
3 NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS Nintendo
4 XBX NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
5 360 CHROMEHOUNDS Sega
6 360 LORD OF THE RINGS: BATTLE FOR THE MIDDLE EARTH 2 Electronic Arts
7 360 PREY Take 2 Interactive
8 PS2 GUITAR HERO BUNDLE Activision
9 PS2 CARS THQ
10 PS2 NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA Namco
11 PS2 GRAND THEFT AUTO: LIBERTY CITY STORIES Take 2 Interactive
12 GBA CARS THQ
13 PS2 FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 Electronic Arts
14 360 ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION Take 2 Interactive
15 360 FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 Electronic Arts
16 360 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: ADVANCED WARFIGHTER Ubi Soft
17 GCN CARS THQ
18 NDS BRAIN AGE: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN IN MINUTES A DAY Nintendo
19 PS2 NFL HEAD COACH Electronic Arts
20 360 FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3 Electronic Arts
21 NDS BIG BRAIN ACADEMY Nintendo
22 PS2 KINGDOM HEARTS II Square Enix
23 360 OVER G FIGHTERS Ubi Soft
24 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 Activision
25 PS2 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW Bethesda
Comment: OMG! DS beating PSP.. GBA beating PSP! In AMERICA!! Argh! The world has gone crazy!!!!
--
and finally, Nintendo of Europe announces that Brain Training sales in EU are brilliant.
European consumers have gone mad for Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?, snapping up over 500,000 copies in just nine weeks from the game’s launch. Sales have increased week on week since launch, with more than 60,000 copies now selling across Europe each week. This is unusual because game sales normally peak at launch and then decline throughout the product lifecycle. The European sales trend is even more impressive than that in Japan, where it took 16 weeks to sell the initial 500,000. Total sales in Japan have now reached 3 million and show no signs of declining.
Sales of Nintendo DS are also going from strength to strength and have been bolstered by Nintendo DS Lite. Since the launch of Nintendo DS Lite on 23rd June around 140,000 Nintendo DS are being sold across Europe each week. This sales pace is showing no signs of slowing down, even in August, which is normally a slow sales period in the video game industry.
Hardware
DSL 163,572
PSP 49,352
PS2 25,987
GBASP 2,784
GBM 1,928
Xbox360 1,389
DS 1,159
GC 904
GBA 34
Xbox 14
Software
1. (PSP, Bandai Namco) SD Gundam G Generation Portable - 155,634
2. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Brothers - 98,038 / 2,614,228
3. (PS2, Sega Sammy) Jissen Pachislot Hisshouhou! Hokuto no Ken SE - 82,556
4. (DS, Bandai Namco) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 75,853 / 268,311
5. (DS, Nintendo) Mario Basket 3 on 3 - 48,564 / 159,273
6. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Age - 48,206 / 2,925,847
7. (DS, Nintendo) Shaberu! DS Oryouri Nabi - 45,846 / 233,703
8. (PS2, Capcom) SENGOKU BASARA 2 - 40,094 / 175,943
9. (GBA, Nintendo) Rythm Tengoku - 37,473
10. (PS2, Atlus)) Growlancer V Generations - 37,467
Comments: PSP game at number 1? PSP hardware sales reaching 50,000?! Has the world gone topsy turvy.. i need a bit of American numbers to cancel this.
American
Hardware
NDS = 377,000
PS2 = 241,000
360 = 206,000
GBA = 163,000
PSP = 161,000
GCN = 44,000
Xbox = 12,000
Software
1 PS2 NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
2 360 NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
3 NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS Nintendo
4 XBX NCAA FOOTBALL 07 Electronic Arts
5 360 CHROMEHOUNDS Sega
6 360 LORD OF THE RINGS: BATTLE FOR THE MIDDLE EARTH 2 Electronic Arts
7 360 PREY Take 2 Interactive
8 PS2 GUITAR HERO BUNDLE Activision
9 PS2 CARS THQ
10 PS2 NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA Namco
11 PS2 GRAND THEFT AUTO: LIBERTY CITY STORIES Take 2 Interactive
12 GBA CARS THQ
13 PS2 FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 Electronic Arts
14 360 ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION Take 2 Interactive
15 360 FIFA WORLD CUP 2006 Electronic Arts
16 360 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: ADVANCED WARFIGHTER Ubi Soft
17 GCN CARS THQ
18 NDS BRAIN AGE: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN IN MINUTES A DAY Nintendo
19 PS2 NFL HEAD COACH Electronic Arts
20 360 FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3 Electronic Arts
21 NDS BIG BRAIN ACADEMY Nintendo
22 PS2 KINGDOM HEARTS II Square Enix
23 360 OVER G FIGHTERS Ubi Soft
24 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 Activision
25 PS2 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW Bethesda
Comment: OMG! DS beating PSP.. GBA beating PSP! In AMERICA!! Argh! The world has gone crazy!!!!
--
and finally, Nintendo of Europe announces that Brain Training sales in EU are brilliant.
European consumers have gone mad for Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?, snapping up over 500,000 copies in just nine weeks from the game’s launch. Sales have increased week on week since launch, with more than 60,000 copies now selling across Europe each week. This is unusual because game sales normally peak at launch and then decline throughout the product lifecycle. The European sales trend is even more impressive than that in Japan, where it took 16 weeks to sell the initial 500,000. Total sales in Japan have now reached 3 million and show no signs of declining.
Sales of Nintendo DS are also going from strength to strength and have been bolstered by Nintendo DS Lite. Since the launch of Nintendo DS Lite on 23rd June around 140,000 Nintendo DS are being sold across Europe each week. This sales pace is showing no signs of slowing down, even in August, which is normally a slow sales period in the video game industry.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Great host of DS scans for random games.
Props to jonnyram at GAF for the scans!
Luminous Arc
http://img31.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88406_lumarc1_591lo.jpg
http://img134.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88413_lumarc2_528lo.jpg
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book
http://img150.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87098_chocobo1_460lo.jpg
http://img106.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87104_chocobo2_487lo.jpg
Harvest Moon Island
http://img102.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87693_dshm1_331lo.jpg
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87701_dshm2_545lo.jpg
Ninja: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
http://img124.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88390_jajamaru1_586lo.jpg
http://img24.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88399_jajamaru2_482lo.jpg
All 4 games mentioned here look amazing, not just graphically but style as well, especially LA which looks great enough to eat!
Luminous Arc
http://img31.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88406_lumarc1_591lo.jpg
http://img134.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88413_lumarc2_528lo.jpg
Chocobo and the Magic Picture Book
http://img150.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87098_chocobo1_460lo.jpg
http://img106.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87104_chocobo2_487lo.jpg
Harvest Moon Island
http://img102.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87693_dshm1_331lo.jpg
http://img108.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=87701_dshm2_545lo.jpg
Ninja: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
http://img124.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88390_jajamaru1_586lo.jpg
http://img24.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=88399_jajamaru2_482lo.jpg
All 4 games mentioned here look amazing, not just graphically but style as well, especially LA which looks great enough to eat!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Mylo thing..
mylo = my life online
Ok, just to make little Jasdev happy, mylo is Sony's iPod/PSP destroying thing, basically a multimedia player.. without the games and umds.
I dont know why im posting this at all, its hardly interesting at all, if anything, if people do take interest in this i can see PSP sales decline but whats the point Sony? Ruining one of your hardware's main features via releasing a similar sort of product. (ok, not totally similar but you get the gist)
Ok, just to make little Jasdev happy, mylo is Sony's iPod/PSP destroying thing, basically a multimedia player.. without the games and umds.
I dont know why im posting this at all, its hardly interesting at all, if anything, if people do take interest in this i can see PSP sales decline but whats the point Sony? Ruining one of your hardware's main features via releasing a similar sort of product. (ok, not totally similar but you get the gist)
FF FTW!
FF = Final Fantasy
FTW! = For The Win!
Im a huge FF fan, though i havent played every single game (yet), i still feel that FF games have progressed such a long way since its classic simple game legs from the first few games. Of course, FF games have had its up and downs for me, FF4 being my worse FF (main) game and some other games aren't worth mentioning at all (you know which games u are)
Of course, one of my fave games ever, Final Fantasy 7, its a brilliant combination of great characters (minus Cait Sith) and interesting storylines coupled with great environments, a challenging and risque battle system and with more side characters than most action or rpgs you come across. FF7 has set the bar really high for the future and even Square-soft/enix themselves find it hard to break down that wall. FF8, suffered with its broken battle system, FF9 suffered because its largely an over-easy experience, FFX was too different and shoddy VA. FFXI is an online game and now with FFXII, im expecting good things from it since Famitsu gave it the infamous 40/40 mark but from the demo i've played, its very very different and feels less like Final Fantasy and more Phantasy Star Online. Of course, with its recent games wiht major transitions in gameplay, fans will feel alienated, i am for certain, im all up for new gameplay ideas and such but for a game as traditional as Final Fantasy, the direction SE is going is far too different for my tastes at the moment, even FFXIII which is a hot-looking spectacle looks to be an all-out action game than the classic rpg gaming that a lot of FF fans are used to.
However, there are glimpses of hope, FFIII(DS) looks to be a very good game, and with Famitsu recently giving it a strong 34/40, it looks to be a winner for alot of DS owners and FF fans . FFIII doesn't try anything drastically different, its standard rpg battling with the brilliant Job System which i loved in FF5. With that, SE breathes a breath of traditional air into its franchise and i love FFIII's direction more so than FFXII or FFXIII.
The other glimmer of hope is from another SE series called Dragon Quest, recently finished off DQVIII a while back (review later i suppose) and it embodies all the classic rpg system and does more with it than FFX or even FFVIII. With DQVIII being my first DQ experience, based from that game's experience im expecting more good things from the team, Level 5, a DQIX is in the works and it will be a first day purchase from me.
Overall, FF is just a name in itself, people buy it because it carries the name Final Fantasy and Square-Enix. Recently its more of a graphical masterpiece with a n overly-complicated battle system but Final Fantasy is still an engrossing stroke of brilliance in terms of a techical standpoint as well as a business standpoint, very few games can deliver worldwide success for each game made for the series. FF FTW! YA!
FTW! = For The Win!
Im a huge FF fan, though i havent played every single game (yet), i still feel that FF games have progressed such a long way since its classic simple game legs from the first few games. Of course, FF games have had its up and downs for me, FF4 being my worse FF (main) game and some other games aren't worth mentioning at all (you know which games u are)
Of course, one of my fave games ever, Final Fantasy 7, its a brilliant combination of great characters (minus Cait Sith) and interesting storylines coupled with great environments, a challenging and risque battle system and with more side characters than most action or rpgs you come across. FF7 has set the bar really high for the future and even Square-soft/enix themselves find it hard to break down that wall. FF8, suffered with its broken battle system, FF9 suffered because its largely an over-easy experience, FFX was too different and shoddy VA. FFXI is an online game and now with FFXII, im expecting good things from it since Famitsu gave it the infamous 40/40 mark but from the demo i've played, its very very different and feels less like Final Fantasy and more Phantasy Star Online. Of course, with its recent games wiht major transitions in gameplay, fans will feel alienated, i am for certain, im all up for new gameplay ideas and such but for a game as traditional as Final Fantasy, the direction SE is going is far too different for my tastes at the moment, even FFXIII which is a hot-looking spectacle looks to be an all-out action game than the classic rpg gaming that a lot of FF fans are used to.
However, there are glimpses of hope, FFIII(DS) looks to be a very good game, and with Famitsu recently giving it a strong 34/40, it looks to be a winner for alot of DS owners and FF fans . FFIII doesn't try anything drastically different, its standard rpg battling with the brilliant Job System which i loved in FF5. With that, SE breathes a breath of traditional air into its franchise and i love FFIII's direction more so than FFXII or FFXIII.
The other glimmer of hope is from another SE series called Dragon Quest, recently finished off DQVIII a while back (review later i suppose) and it embodies all the classic rpg system and does more with it than FFX or even FFVIII. With DQVIII being my first DQ experience, based from that game's experience im expecting more good things from the team, Level 5, a DQIX is in the works and it will be a first day purchase from me.
Overall, FF is just a name in itself, people buy it because it carries the name Final Fantasy and Square-Enix. Recently its more of a graphical masterpiece with a n overly-complicated battle system but Final Fantasy is still an engrossing stroke of brilliance in terms of a techical standpoint as well as a business standpoint, very few games can deliver worldwide success for each game made for the series. FF FTW! YA!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Anime Review: Ichigo Mashimaro
Ichigo Mashimaro is one of those animes that strives to provide a little something different in our anime watching days, what with the hardcore, more mature anime shows hanging around our airwaves, Ichigo Mashimaro provides the neccessary relief of being a great anime that doesn't fall into the same vein as others.
Its cuteness factor is high up, what with characters like Ana and Chi being my fave characters in the show. Mui, being the attention-seeker that she is gains much of the screen-time and with that she is still an annoying little character that surprises me sometimes, especially one episode where she needed the attenttion from Nobue, who is one of the better characters in this short series. Matsuri is also there, but like her personality, not very exciting and usually quiet.
Thus, the series is a collection of seemless random episodes of the 5 girls and their lives, no story, just how they act in their lives in different events like going to the beach or bath etc. But one of the important factors of this show is the hilarity of it, Ichigo Mashimaro is a funny anime, similar to Bottle Fairy in terms of overall style, theres glimpses of funniness that you can't help but laugh. Hardly repetitive jokes are great and definetely makes this show consistently worth watching.
However, the shortness of the show makes this anime suffer a bit as it feels as though it could really go on forever, the invisible air of unfunniness is there as well, it sometimes tries too hard, but you can't help but smile at their antics. The lack of story is not a big downer, but with that its hard to find a good time when all the episodes can be watched together, a smaller more steady watching approach is needed if you're able to compete the cuteness thats provided here.
Overall: 9/10
Grade: A
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Media Create Software/Hardware sales (July 24th-30th)
Hardware
DSL - 176,853
PSP - 42,604
PS2 - 26,451
X360 - 2,246
GBASP - 2,229
GBM - 1,766
DS - 1,530
GC - 1,039
Xbox - 11
GBA - 9
Software
1. (DS, Bandai) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 192,458
2. (PS2, Capcom) Sengoku Basara 2 - 135,850
3. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Bros - 114,225 / 2,516,190
4. (DS, Nintendo) Mario Basket 3 on 3- 110,708
5. (PS2, Atlus) Kamaitachi no Yoru 3 - 97,315
6. (DS, Nintendo) Shaberu! Oryouri Nabi - 61,326 / 187,856
7. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Age - 53,103 / 2,877,641
8. (PSP, Enterbrain) Derby Stallion P - 49,206
9. (DS, Nintendo) Brain Age - 32,419 / 2,616,839
10. (DS, Sega) Mushiking Greatest Champion e no Michi 2 - 31,763
Comments: Nothing really exciting this week, X-box gained some sales since last week, DS Lite sales dropped (most likely sold out still) and PSP is slowly but surely gaining good sales. PSP dead? HA!
Shame on the software charts when a game like Tamagotchi beats Mario 3on3.. bah..
DSL - 176,853
PSP - 42,604
PS2 - 26,451
X360 - 2,246
GBASP - 2,229
GBM - 1,766
DS - 1,530
GC - 1,039
Xbox - 11
GBA - 9
Software
1. (DS, Bandai) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi Gohiikini - 192,458
2. (PS2, Capcom) Sengoku Basara 2 - 135,850
3. (DS, Nintendo) New Super Mario Bros - 114,225 / 2,516,190
4. (DS, Nintendo) Mario Basket 3 on 3- 110,708
5. (PS2, Atlus) Kamaitachi no Yoru 3 - 97,315
6. (DS, Nintendo) Shaberu! Oryouri Nabi - 61,326 / 187,856
7. (DS, Nintendo) More Brain Age - 53,103 / 2,877,641
8. (PSP, Enterbrain) Derby Stallion P - 49,206
9. (DS, Nintendo) Brain Age - 32,419 / 2,616,839
10. (DS, Sega) Mushiking Greatest Champion e no Michi 2 - 31,763
Comments: Nothing really exciting this week, X-box gained some sales since last week, DS Lite sales dropped (most likely sold out still) and PSP is slowly but surely gaining good sales. PSP dead? HA!
Shame on the software charts when a game like Tamagotchi beats Mario 3on3.. bah..
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Confirmation of E3 'cancellation' and also my thoughts
Source: http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3546&Itemid=2
Doug Lowenstein today attempted to spin E3's fall as "an evolution" but confirmed Next Generation's story that the event's status as a mega-show is over. In a release, the trade body also did not deny our reports that all major operators in the industry had pulled support.
Click here for our analysis feature on E3's collapse.
As predicted here, the ESA was forced to revamp E3 as a "more intimate" trade show following the news that all the major exhibitors had pulled support. Lowenstein said, "It has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences."
ESA is calling the show "the new E3Expo" and has stated that it will still take place in Los Angeles, though no mention was made of LACC.
Lowenstein also confirmed our story, sourced from very senior industry execs, that the new event will be media facing and low-cost for exhibitors. "E3Expo 2007 will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years," added the media alert.
ESA head Lowenstein added, "It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry 'mega-show.' By refocusing on a highly-targeted event, we think we can do a better job serving our members and the industry as a whole, and our members are energized about creating this new E3."
He did not mention the circumstances of this decision - i.e. that publishers had said they would no longer pay for an expensive mega-event - first reported here.
Since Next-Gen broke the story about E3 yesterday, some news outlets have sought to follow ESA's line that this change is some form of evolution. No doubt, they will continue in this credulous line. But the real story here is that this announcement is a device designed to save the E3 brand while attempting to create a new, smaller event over the next few months.
Given the determination of the larger companies to abandon E3, all other publishers had to fall in line. ESA has been left with no option but to paint this as an "evolution".
Basically, a smaller more 'bite-sized' version of E3, less cost intensive, more time on showcasing games to people who really matter, the media, instead of snotty nosed fanboys. Of course, with about a 5000 strong population (estimated) instead of the usual tens of thousands, there's going to be a massive difference in the atmosphere. Many Developers have complained that E3 is defeintely not a place to shwocase their games, mainly because of several reasons:
- Bad atmosphere, noisy, crowded and tireless, the people who try out the games are not in the great position to enjoy these games to hte max. A quieter more spacious environment would suit gamers and the media.
- Fanboys, of course, theres always going to be fanboys, from tools, bots and drones, but if the convention is ruled by one dominant force, they usually shout out and say their company of choice were the 'Winners' of E3. They bash the other games for no apparent reason and fail to logically explain why some games are better than others, and thus creates a vicious slash towards some new games which may be new and aren't given the chance to spread their wings in the convention.
- Poor control, E32006, many booths broke the noise level rule and a few got complaints and one company also got sued for it. Nintendo Wii booth, a disaster of planning or actually very clever marketing ploy in their 4-6hour line?
- Cg movies, mainly Sony's fault, even their E32005 conference showed Cg to its fullest and thankfully people have wisened up from last year (Killzone CG movie*cough) and now take Sony's movies with a pinch of salt. Cg movies aren't a bad thing, except its a form of false advertising to some people, if companies only showed Cg movies to entice gamers, of curse they be bought into it, but the reality of it is that real gameplay is what matters for many people and Sony has failed in that aspect. Hopefully the new E3 can create a much more positive effect on gameplay over more movies.
Doug Lowenstein today attempted to spin E3's fall as "an evolution" but confirmed Next Generation's story that the event's status as a mega-show is over. In a release, the trade body also did not deny our reports that all major operators in the industry had pulled support.
Click here for our analysis feature on E3's collapse.
As predicted here, the ESA was forced to revamp E3 as a "more intimate" trade show following the news that all the major exhibitors had pulled support. Lowenstein said, "It has become clear that we need a more intimate program, including higher quality, more personal dialogue with the worldwide media, developers, retailers and other key industry audiences."
ESA is calling the show "the new E3Expo" and has stated that it will still take place in Los Angeles, though no mention was made of LACC.
Lowenstein also confirmed our story, sourced from very senior industry execs, that the new event will be media facing and low-cost for exhibitors. "E3Expo 2007 will not feature the large trade show environment of previous years," added the media alert.
ESA head Lowenstein added, "It is no longer necessary or efficient to have a single industry 'mega-show.' By refocusing on a highly-targeted event, we think we can do a better job serving our members and the industry as a whole, and our members are energized about creating this new E3."
He did not mention the circumstances of this decision - i.e. that publishers had said they would no longer pay for an expensive mega-event - first reported here.
Since Next-Gen broke the story about E3 yesterday, some news outlets have sought to follow ESA's line that this change is some form of evolution. No doubt, they will continue in this credulous line. But the real story here is that this announcement is a device designed to save the E3 brand while attempting to create a new, smaller event over the next few months.
Given the determination of the larger companies to abandon E3, all other publishers had to fall in line. ESA has been left with no option but to paint this as an "evolution".
Basically, a smaller more 'bite-sized' version of E3, less cost intensive, more time on showcasing games to people who really matter, the media, instead of snotty nosed fanboys. Of course, with about a 5000 strong population (estimated) instead of the usual tens of thousands, there's going to be a massive difference in the atmosphere. Many Developers have complained that E3 is defeintely not a place to shwocase their games, mainly because of several reasons:
- Bad atmosphere, noisy, crowded and tireless, the people who try out the games are not in the great position to enjoy these games to hte max. A quieter more spacious environment would suit gamers and the media.
- Fanboys, of course, theres always going to be fanboys, from tools, bots and drones, but if the convention is ruled by one dominant force, they usually shout out and say their company of choice were the 'Winners' of E3. They bash the other games for no apparent reason and fail to logically explain why some games are better than others, and thus creates a vicious slash towards some new games which may be new and aren't given the chance to spread their wings in the convention.
- Poor control, E32006, many booths broke the noise level rule and a few got complaints and one company also got sued for it. Nintendo Wii booth, a disaster of planning or actually very clever marketing ploy in their 4-6hour line?
- Cg movies, mainly Sony's fault, even their E32005 conference showed Cg to its fullest and thankfully people have wisened up from last year (Killzone CG movie*cough) and now take Sony's movies with a pinch of salt. Cg movies aren't a bad thing, except its a form of false advertising to some people, if companies only showed Cg movies to entice gamers, of curse they be bought into it, but the reality of it is that real gameplay is what matters for many people and Sony has failed in that aspect. Hopefully the new E3 can create a much more positive effect on gameplay over more movies.
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