Benjamin Nied - SlashGear

Author Archive for Benjamin Nied

Xbox 360 HD-DVD Arriving this Nov. for $199

Benjamin Nied, Sep 28th 2006 Discuss [0]

FINALLY, we have Stateside release information for the Xbox 360's hotly-anticipated HD-DVD drive. Coming out just in time to give the difficult-to-find, Blu-ray-equipped PlayStation 3 a run for its money arriving "mid-November" to happy HD customers everywhere. For that price, you'll get the USB-connected drive, the Xbox Universal Remote, and a HD-DVD copy of King Kong. Not a bad deal, eh? Read The Full Story

Microsoft Offers Free Repairs for Dying 360s

Benjamin Nied, Sep 27th 2006 Discuss [0]

Well, sort of. Acknowledging that their initial stock of Xbox 360s was a bit on the - shall we say - buggy side, Microsoft has announced that any/all malfunctioning Xbox 360s manufactured before January 1st, 2006 will be repaired, free of charge, regardless or warranty status. For everyone who's had their very own FRLOD (Flashing Red Light Of Death) and shelled out cash to get it fixed before this announcement, Microsoft will be refunding your money, giving you extra cash to go and drop on 360 games. Just don't spend it on a Wii preorder; Microsoft tends to get edgy when you do silly things like support a competitor. [via IGN]

Wii Web Browser Initial Price: $0

Benjamin Nied, Sep 27th 2006 Discuss [0]

Good news for anyone hoping to use their new Nintendo Wii as a makeshift web kiosk (of sorts); Nintendo has announced that the Wii's web browser, based on the popular Opera browser, will have no cost for users initially. The browser will be freely available via the Wii Shop Channel until June 2007, after which time you'll need to spend hard-earned Wii points in order to surf the web, Wii-mote style. Read The Full Story

Resident Evil 5 for Xbox Only?

Benjamin Nied, Sep 27th 2006 Discuss [3]

As the console wars press on with all three company's vying for dominance, any little advantage helps. In this case, it appears that Microsoft might have managed to corner one of the most popular game franchises of the last decade: Resident Evil. In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Xbox Japan general manager Takashi Sensui mentioned that he (and Microsoft, in turn) are "very good friends with Mr. Inafune." Keiji Inafune is, of course, Resident Evil's producer, and this comment has led many to believe that the next RE game will only appear on Microsoft's next-generation console. Read The Full Story

1 Million Wiis for N. American Launch

Benjamin Nied, Sep 26th 2006 Discuss [3]

Hoping to capitalize on Sony's massive PlayStation 3 shortages, Nintendo has announced that its upcoming Nintendo Wii console, debuting two days after Sony's leviathan, will have 1 million units available for its North American arrival. By comparison, the PS3 will only see 400,000 units available come November 17th, which Nintendo is hoping will give them a huge head-start over Sony. Read The Full Story

Sony: No PS3 Price Cut in the USA

Benjamin Nied, Sep 26th 2006 Discuss [0]

Sorry everyone here in the US looking at the Japanese PlayStation 3 price cut to come our way; it isn't happening, at least for now. Sony has stated that the recently-announced 20 GB PS3 price cut over in Japan is region-specific and won't find its way Stateside in time for the PS3's launch, which means that enjoying Sony's new console will cost US buyers at least $499, though it's more likely that early adopters will need to opt for the larger (and more expensive) 60 GB PS3 due to Sony planning to focus 80% of its launch quantity on the premium model. Read The Full Story

PS3 Game Price Update: Sony Taking Preorders at $59.99

Benjamin Nied, Sep 26th 2006 Discuss [0]

As a quick update to the story we ran yesterday regarding Sony's high PlayStation 3 game prices, it now appears that Sony is looking to head off some understandable unrest here in the States. Sony Style has begun taking preorders for PS3 games like Call of Duty 3, and they'll only run you around $59.99 USD, roughly the same as a comparable Xbox 360 game. This means that, while you'll pay more for the console itself, the games won't cost you more than they would if you owned an Xbox 360; good news for anyone interested in grabbing one of the PS3s that will be fairly scarce once November 17th rolls around. [via MegaGames]

PS3 Games to Cost a Fortune?

Benjamin Nied, Sep 25th 2006 Discuss [12]

Well, maybe not an literal fortune, but the news coming out of TGS 2006 isn't promising. Japanese gaming website Impress Watch has reported, citing several "reliable" sources, that the PlayStation 3's games will run buyers between 8,800 and 9,800 yen. In US dollars, that translates to roughly between $76 and $84 USD. So on top of the $425 console (Japanese price), buyers can also expect to pay almost $100 to get just one game to play on their new, ultra-powerful console. Read The Full Story

Sony to Microsoft: Nyah Nyah, Our Console is Better Than Yours

Benjamin Nied, Sep 22nd 2006 Discuss [3]

In the ultimate show of maturity, Sony is once again going on the offensive, pointing out how their internal Blu-ray solution is "better" than Microsoft's external HD-DVD soluion. Coming the day after we got our first solid details about Microsoft's upcoming Xbox 360 add-on, as well as news of an update that will allow the 360 to play back 1080p video, Sony's response comes off as a desperate attempt to save face in the wake of their PS3's advantages slowly slipping away. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Announces 1080p for Xbox 360, HD-DVD Japan Price

Benjamin Nied, Sep 21st 2006 Discuss [0]

Scratch one more PlayStation 3 advantage off the list. In an announcement that no one was planning on, Microsoft announced that their Xbox 360 console will soon receive a software update to allow it to play HD-DVD movies in 1080p resolution. Up until now, it had been assumed that Sony's upcoming console would be the only one with a 1080p option for movies (games are currently unable to run smoothly at 1080p on any system). Read The Full Story

Universal Drops Blu-ray Support

Benjamin Nied, Sep 20th 2006 Discuss [8]

Even more bad news for Sony (these poor guys simply can't catch a break, can they?), as Universal Studios has announced that they will no longer be supporting Sony's Blu-ray DVD format, opting instead for the competing HD-DVD technology. Between the PS3 Europe delay announcement, the Japanese/US PS3 quantity slash, and now Universal's public slamming of their next-generation DVD format has turned this into one bad week for Sony. Read The Full Story

PSNP Not Finished Yet?

Benjamin Nied, Sep 19th 2006 Discuss [0]

In another setback for Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 launch, it's been revealed that one of the console's high-profile launch titles, Tony Hawk's Project 8, won't feature an online component for Sony's new PlayStation Network Platform. According to developer Neversoft, the highly-anticipated service has yet to be completed, as Neversoft (among other developers) "still hasn't received all of the software libraries and has no indication of how the online components will work on PS3." Read The Full Story