While integrated 3G connectivity was tipped for inclusion in the PSP Go back in its rumor days, in the end Sony went for the simple route and just gave their handheld WiFi and Bluetooth. Thanks to PSP update v6.10, that Bluetooth can be used to tether the Go to a cellphone, meaning connectivity isn’t just limited to wherever you can find a WiFi hotspot.
Microsoft have announced two gaming bundles for the upcoming holiday season, one including their Xbox 360 and the other intended for those who already own the console. The Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle pairs the console with two games, LEGO Batman and Pure, and is priced at $299.
Microsoft has confirmed that it’s unlikely existing games will be compatible with their upcoming Project Natal motion-controller for the Xbox 360, suggesting that developers would in effect need to push out fully reworked versions of titles rather than merely issue a compatibility patch. The news came courtesy of Microsoft Games’ Kudo Tsunoda, speaking at the Tokyo Game Show, who confirmed that the company had been forced to significantly alter code in the games they used to demonstrate Project Natal.
Having wowed us with a high-definition playback demonstration earlier this month, Android gaming/PMP manufacturer HardKernel are back with another video demo of their ODROID handheld. This time it’s on-device media playback being demonstrated, using the free album-art based RockOn app, on a prototype unit.
Video demo after the cut
Sony have come clean with some more details regarding its upcoming Motion Controller, while Joystiq managed to snap a shot of the movement-tracking peripheral at the company’s Tokyo Game Show keynote. According to Sony, the controller – which may well be renamed before launch next year – should meet the “stringent” demands of hardcore gamers, thanks to its combination of two motion sensors, three axes gyroscope and three axes accelerometer.
Sony’s PS3 Slim may have only been on sale for three weeks – the compact console arrived on September 1st – but they’ve already shifted one million units worldwide. The PS3 Slim simultaneously hit shelves in North America, Europe, Asia and Japan for $299, €299 or 29,980 yen respectively, complete with a 120GB hard-drive and Full HD 1080p support. To celebrate – or perhaps just as a nice coincidence – Sony Japan have announced a 250GB PS3 Slim bundle, with a “ceramic white” console and Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Edition.
Continued »
Nintendo have confirmed that their Wii console will, as of September 27th, drop from its original price of $249.99 to $199.99. The news was leaked earlier this week, in an email from Best Buy management to employees; what we didn't know then was that Nintendo would also be launching their first "true multiplayer" Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, on November 15th.
One of the things I can’t help notice, playing the latest and greatest video games, is how this generation of consoles and PCs have the ability to provide the most realistic worlds I have ever seen with the most intense level of detail and real-world physics models. It makes sense: games are, at their heart, simulations and thanks to Moore’s Law the processing power of today’s devices mean that I can model the world in ever more detail and sophistication.
To me, however, that’s not necessarily a good thing. The problem is that there’s a danger of real becoming a little too real, at least for me. I won’t get into the issues of video game violence (for me it’s simple: parents that are worried about video game violence should watch what their kids play) but watching the latest boxing titles and seeing someone get hit in the face really hard is a little disturbing to me. Sure, I love titles like COD, but as we get to the point of creating really convincing simulations we also begin to face the danger of losing the most important aspect of game play. Fun.
It’ll come as little to no surprise that, with the new ATI Radeon HD 5870 video cards fresh on the scene, gaming PC manufacturers are already updating their wares to include the DirectX 11 capable GPU. Maingear is one of the first into the SlashGear inbox, with their Ephex, F131, Prelude, and X-Cube systems all getting friendly with AMD’s newest graphics card.
Continued »
Rumors of Nintendo dropping the Wii's price have circulated for months now, and it seems someone in Japan has finally seen sense. According to a leaked email to Best Buy staff, as of September 27th the Nintendo Wii will be dropped from $249.99 to $199.99.
JP
