Wireless power is coming...imagine the possibilities

Powercast looking to bring wireless power to reality - Engadget

Battery manufacturers are bound to be upset by this one. While it doesn't sound like we'll be ridding our PC's or TV's of power wires anytime soon, we may get non-battery Playstation/Xbox/Nintendo controllers as a result.

30hr playtimes be damned.

Lego robot designed to bowl perfect game, actually does - Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Lego robot designed to bowl perfect game, actually does - Nintendo Wii Fanboy

You know, I actually thought of creating a device to see if it could do this. Not a robot per se, but it doesn't matter. That's a lot of time and effort I don't have in me.

It's way cool, and since there isn't any achievements, nobody cares that it's cheating!

Finally, a reason to get excited: New Halo 2 maps!

Halo 2 maps: Hang 'em High is back, not 360 exclusive - Xbox 360 Fanboy

The great thing about Halo 2 is whenever a new map is released, it almost feels like playing a new game. Sure, other games do the same, but none of them have the commercial clout of Halo 2. New maps means everyone comes back to Halo and plays for endless hours until their eyes are crossed, their trigger fingers are numb, and they are deaf from getting grenade-stuck on the ears. Well, maybe not that severe, but it feels that important.

You will probably find me playing Halo 2 exclusively for at least a month after these maps are released. See you online!

Why the PS3 sucks...

I'm not going to put much effort into this list.

Controller disconnects
-While playing Resistance, shooting all the Chimera...and suddenly Nathan Hale is walking to a wall shooting in the air. This lasts for several seconds.

Horrible menu
-There are times when users almost need to look up the instructions to do something as simple as set the resolution. It's not always obvious where options are located or that pressing a direction instead of a button is needed to proceed further into the menu.

-The action buttons are not marked in the menus. i.e. attaching a memory card...going to the utility for it doesn't say anything. You need to magically know to press triangle in order to get to the copy files menu

Anti-user-friendly
-The PS3 doesn't automatically detect new video connections when booted. You can't just plug in an HDMI cable after you've been using analog...you have to set it up through your old connection first

-The system doesn't automatically update (after being told an update is needed)

-The system settings menus are confusing

-PSN registration is a long arduous process

Annoyances
-Updates take a dozen button presses, connecting the usb cable, and a lot of time.

-Exiting a game shuts off the controller.

-Text entry sucks. Keyboard isn't optional to be effective.

-Users can't even lightly drop the controller on the couch when watching a movie or else it will hit the triggers...causing fast forward/rewind

Scam
-Blu-ray is nothing to write home about. Without really good vision, or a Masters in obsessive detail scrutiny, it's difficult to tell the difference. It's even more difficult to tell the difference when the movies are in motion.

-PS3 Linux does not have GPU support which means no real gaming. Switching between the PS-OS and Linux would get annoying after a while (have to enter a command on boot to swap OS's...then reboot). Linux should be run in a virtual machine as opposed to directly off the hardware.

-Graphics aren't really showing. The 360 is putting it to shame (because it's over the "lesser" component cables) for most games at this time.

Updated 04/03/2007: Added some information per comments.

How not to spend $179 on a 120GB hard drive - Xbox 360 Fanboy

How not to spend $179 on a 120GB hard drive - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Damn being at work. I was going to bring this up like I did at engadget, but I've been busy.

Microsoft, we shouldn't have to deal with these kinds of prices or proprietary mishaps. Yes, we like your product better, but they do make it a little bit easier on this one aspect.

Trust me...I'd rip that 60GB out of my PS3 and put it in my 360 in a second if I could. At least the space would get used.

Eidos Waiting For More PS3 Owners - Kotaku

Eidos Waiting For More PS3 Owners - Kotaku

Interesting. The only game I've cared about from them is Tomb Raider: Legends (I didn't like any of the previous entries).

If you think about it; it makes sense. In a way, they are making Sony support themselves (which they are capabale of) rather than poorly investing in the least sold console in the war.

This sounds like the same type of thing that happened to the Xbox and Gamecube last generation. Revenge is nigh!

Bullet Witch DLC - Anyone Care? - Kotaku

Bullet Witch DLC - Anyone Care? - Kotaku

I somewhat care. I still really want to like this game. Especially since the protagonist is so hot. ;)

I tried playing it last night...but I was too tired.

Microsoft prepping component to HDMI adapter? - Engadget

Microsoft prepping component to HDMI adapter? - Engadget

If they could do this, I'm pretty sure they would have by now. Unless of course they didn't want to cannibalize Elite sales.

If the old 360's CAN output a digital signal...then it will be good times for cheap video elitists.

A random commenter complains on an old article

SuicideNinja vs Video Games: It's Official: Don't waste your money on Blu-ray (or HD-DVD?)

Remember this one? I sure didn't. Someone out there decided I needed to be "corrected".

Anonymous said...

i have a ps3 that i got the day it came out and i love it and hello did you hear there are patching in the rumble function. also with blu-ray get a new tv thats how it works depending on how old your tv is! also you have to set up the hdmi for it to work if you dont it thinks you are just using regular composite cables. And on a final note the ps3 does upscale everything if you have agood enough HDMI cable

Good job on complaining on an article from 2 months ago. Good job on that. *pats on head*

If you care enough, you can read my semi-nice response on the link above.

TeraDisc planning assassination of Blu-ray and HD-DVD (well it should...)

Mempile shows off "TeraDisc" DVD-sized optical storage - Engadget

Any true media buff knows that the Blu-ray and HD-DVD that everyone wars over are nothing more than intermediary formats for better technlogy. While I'm not a media buff, I have been paying attention to this part of the industry because it affects all lines of my work.

Well, move over 300GB Holographic and 100GB Quad-layer Blu-ray discs. These new discs are even cooler; they're transparent and are poised to hit the almighty Terrabyte!

Realistically, there won't be any physical media challengers to Blu-ray and HD-DVD for a while. But it'd be nice to say, "Ha! What a waste of time," towards the warring formats.

One still has to wonder how EVD didn't become an extension of DVD. The technologies are different, sans the red laser. If they could manage to get more out of DVD, then this whole format war would be sham.

Still, I think the Chinese are the smart ones...they are EVD'ing it up. How can you beat a 1080p-supporting $90-$150 player with 50GB discs for media? Why does the movie industry hate consumers so much?

Even worse, I bet quite a few HD movies could fit on DVD9. Just strip out the worthless special features and use solid compression.

*waits for arguments*

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword announced, will be really hard - DS Fanboy

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword announced, will be really hard - DS Fanboy

You can never have enough Ninja Gaiden. Been loving it since the original arcade game.

Thanks Team Ninja, for sharing the love across consoles. Even that POS PS3.

Excessive HDMI? Try these IOGEAR switchers!

The only reason these HDMI switchboxes hold my interest is that if I get an Xbox 360 Elite, I'll be short an HDMI port on my teleivision.

There are two options:

A 2-1 automatic switchbox

A 4-port switchbox with remote

Most likely, I'll use a VGA/USB switcher that I already have and forget about the Elite and these switchboxes altogether. But others will be interested in the functions of these boxes, but maybe not so much the price (!!!).

Actually, I'll probably need a 4-port KVM...that way I can use my wireless keyboard with the laptop, PS3, and Xbox 360 (plus the Wii if it ever gets support).

PS3 Futility Chronicles - Changing login, resetting the password

The PS3: Inconvenient or ill-convenient? The answer: Yes.

I wanted to get the "-" out of Suicide-Ninja on my PSN login. Mistakenly, I signed "SuicideNinja" up through Europe in order to ensure stake on my screen name pre-launch. Apparently, the US wasn't participating in early registration, so I ended up setting my country as U.K.

When I procured a PS3, I couldn't use SuicideNinja because "The PS3 hasn't launched in your country yet!" Well, that problem has passed, so I decided to switch up and kick that hypen into the cold and lonely night.

The first problem was that I didn't know how he hell to sign out. The XMB doens't offer so much as a hint when pressing a button will bring up more ambiguous menuage. From previous futile attempts on PS2 gamesave transfers, I learned that the triangle button is the "magic" button that "might" help one delve deeper into the convoluted menu system. Somehow, I managed to log out, while complaining about how much easier this is on the 360.

I tried to sign in with my original username at this point, and was told I needed an update. This is where Sony tries to prove how annoying they can be. Here's the process.

1. Get told you need an update. Tells you where to go to get it rather than just taking you there.

2. Jump over to the correct area of the cross-bar and get to System Update and launch it.

3. Start the update and wait for what seems like an eternity to download said update.

4. Watch room mate play Xbox 360 and enjoy it. Glad someone is gaming around here.

5. Mock the PS3's existence and annoying-ness.

6. Wait more. Walk out the room and go do something useful for 20 minutes.

7. Forget that you were doing something on the PS3.

8. Remember you were doing something and return to find that the update is finally finished. Start the update.

9. Fumble around the house looking for that stupid USB cable because it is going to make you plug it in for whatever reason. So much for the convenience of wireless, eh?

10. Accidently hit "I Don't Agree" on the legal BS screen because of frustration. Go back, Agree, and press a couple more buttons.

11. Wait yet again for the update to install.

12. Get annoyed this is taking so much work for a simple objective. Completely forget what the original purpose was.

13. Remember what you wanted to do. Go try to login with the right email/password combo.

14. Realize that you don't remember the password since you've never been able to sign in with the account. Try a few password, then give up and click on "Forgot Password", or whatever the button says.

15. Get pissed because it initiates the process of recovering the password for the WRONG account. And it's not changeable.

16. After repeating steps 12-15 a few times, dig through the menu and find out how to reset the PS3 to default settings and lose all data and gamesaves.

17. Try to recover the password again since the old account has been erased. Finally, it proceeds. Unfortunately, the answer to the security question (e.g. What's your dogs name?) is case-sensitve, which takes a few tries to figure that out.

18. Get the password taken care off. Find out that the country cannot be changed, so there won't be any purchases of goods any time soon, since the credit card information screen won't let you change the country either.

19.Shut down the PS3 because it's a worthless piece of junk. Send Sony an email requesting that they fix the problem with the account.

20. Receive a response the next day from a Sony rep that tells me that I need to call their service center. Officially give up.

--

Unfortunately, any time something constructive is attempted with the PS3...these kinds of things happen.

If this is the next generation of convenience, then consumers are going to stop gaming. But hey, at least the WHOLE process was done in 1080p!

UMD on Life-support like Blu-ray should be

UMD - Last gasps of a dying format - PSPfanboy.com

The title says it all...I have nothing to add.

Xbox 360 Elite production shots - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Xbox 360 Elite production shots - Xbox 360 Fanboy

That black is nice. I'm still unsure if I want to get it though.

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - new trailer - PSP Fanboy

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - new trailer - PSP Fanboy

Woot. Can't come soon enough.

Loyalists cry over Devil May Cry on Xbox 360 - Joystiq

Loyalists cry over Devil May Cry on Xbox 360 - Joystiq

I'm *almost* lost for words. Nah, I can bitch about anything.

My newest "trip" is that exclusives are annoying as hell. Should we really have to buy a console that we may not even want, just to play select 3rd party titles? They're 3rd party, so why the unnecessary loyalism?

I like Final Fantasy, sans IX and XII. But I can't play the upcoming wonder that is XIII without a PS3. That's just lame, because I don't touch the black taco unless there is a VERY good reason to do so. If it goes multiplatform, the PS3 is gone instantaneously.

You don't see Xbox fans running at the mouth about Ninja Gaiden Sigma going to the PS3. Wah. I think it's great that those with Sony-blinders will get a chance to play that game. Many gamers missed out on what the Gamecube and Xbox had to offer because the PS2 was undeservingly popular. Now they get a chance to play what they missed. What's the problem?

Personally, Sony can have DMC4...I wouldn't miss it. But sharing is a good thing in any case.

Waste money on the Blu-ray version of Dragon's Lair! - PS3fanboy.com

Classic Dragon's Lair on fancy new Blu-ray! - PS3 Fanboy

The title says it all. It's a cartoon. 1080p? Come on, now.

I am curious as to what the Blu-ray's "advanced" feature programming will offer, but I guarantee the DVD version is a better value.

For those too young for Dragon's Lair, it's a "reflex/memory" game of sorts that used to be in the arcade. The current versions of the game can be played on a DVD player with the directional pad on the remote.

Toshiba not so impressed by Blu-ray's victory cries - Engadget

Toshiba not so impressed by Blu-ray's victory cries - Engadget

You may have noticed that I begrudgingly admit that Blu-ray will probably win, even though I think HD-DVD is the better format for movies (but not for PC storage). In all honesty, per entertainment dollar, and even though I have the fancy 1080p TV and a PS3 Blu-ray player, I'll take upscaled DVD over Blu-ray any day. The picture improvement isn't enough to justify spending $30-$40 on the movies.

Reading through the comments, I found one user saying that HD-DVD players are down to $350. This womewhat begs the question: Could the first format to get a player under $200 and most movies under $20 be the winner?

(Please...nobody suggest that the HD-DVD attachment is "half-way there".)

There's too many factors. I think we need to get HDTV adoption higher before we can worry about this silly movie-format war.

Woah, PS3 hotness: Ninja Gaiden Sigma's Rachel In Motion - Kotaku

Ninja Gaiden Sigma's Rachel In Motion - Kotaku

Some like it hot. I always wondered why Rachel wasn't playable in the Xbox versions. Probably time and money constraints. They're always to blame.

I'm not into blondes, but Rachel sports one hell of an outfit.

This my friends, is my next PS3 purchase.

Rumour: FFXIII Exclusivity Up In The Air? - Kotaku

Rumour: FFXIII Exclusivity Up In The Air? - Kotaku

I hope it goes 360. The second that happens, I will be removing the PS3 from the list of systems I own. Immediately.

I've never considered Sony to be edging toward failure...but if they lose FF exclusivity...then they won't have much left on the competition. Unless they start marketing how frustrating their console is to use.

"With the PS3, you can be required to disconnect and reconnect your controller a dozen times in one session! Now that's next gen!"

Grrr.....

Leave your PS3 on for a good cause this Sunday night! - PS3 Fanboy

Leave your PS3 on for a good cause this Sunday night! - PS3 Fanboy

Make your own black taco useful and put it to work for someone else.

The S.N.F event is simple. On Sunday Night (March. 25th 2007) everyone who wants to participate in the S.N.F event simply turn there PS3 on and start the folding program, could be anytime you want or when you goto bed, you may let the program run as long as you want but would be great if it could atleast last till 7am Monday morning, its all up to you since anything helps.

I guess the PS3 isn't totally worthless. Do we get some kind of tax deduction? The PS3 did cost $600...they should let us write it off to ease the pain.

Spoke too soon; the PS3 "resucks"

I praised the background downloading. Good job on catching up with MS, Sony.

Anyway, I bought the "memory card adapter" so I can transfer game saves between my PS2 (my room) and my PS3 (living room). My theory is that I can play GoW2 in bed just before I go to sleep, but play it in the living room when I get home from work.

First problem: for your $15, they can't even throw in an eighty cent cable. Naturally, I don't know where my USB cable is for my PSP or my PS3 controller. I finally remembered that I had one in my car to charge my phone. Talk about annoying.

There's a dead cat in the gutter. It must have got hit by a car. Why did I have to go outside just to use my console?

I boot up the black taco, and try to figure out how to transfer my game save from a virtual memory card to an actual memory card. I honestly don't think it can be done. The stupid XMB menu doesn't even show you what buttons to press to perform the copy/delete functions (it's triangle). Guess what? You can only copy to ANOTHER virtual memory card. As far as the real memory card...all it will do is copy the contents to the hard drive. That's it. My plan is thwarted.

Now I'm waiting for one of these updates (hoping they've fixed the issue). Ever notice that Wii and PS3 updates take FOREVER compared to the 360 updates? Oh, and the PS3 update won't start automatically. You've got to press buttons, connect your USB cable and press more buttons...deal with an agreement...press more buttons...wait for it to install. The 360 does all of this AUTOMATICALLY after one button press.

Screw the PS3. It's little things like this that make the console too aggravating to use. Don't forget to baby that controller. Wouldn't want to accidentally hit one of the triggers.

PS3 gets a little "unsuck": Background downloading

PS3 1.60: Background downloading works while gaming - Joystiq

Finally...it was annoying as hell on the Xbox 360 and even more so on the PS3 since it should have had it on day one.

I will point out that the "while gaming" is misleading. It's while gaming OFFLINE. So no, it's not doing anything that the 360 isn't.

My concerns now mostly revolve around upscaling and the controler disconnects.

High Five, Sony. You're getting better!

Some XBL accounts get compromised; the media blows it out of porportion

Xbox Live Hacked, Accounts Stolen - Kotaku

Here goes the media pretending they know what they're talking about. One line in this article leaves the word bull@$xt underscored:

Finisterre says that he called Microsoft Tech and they confirmed that "accounts are being stolen and that "Hackers have control of Xbox live and there is nothing we can do about it"

What, they called Tech Support? Those guys/girls have no control over the actual IT functions. They're just a customer interface that go mostly ignored by companies and the "real" IT staff (no offense to those on the phones...I feel for you...I've worked in TS before...6 hellish years). They are rarely updated with specifics because it's one of those need-to-know sort of things.

Most of the time, Tech Support won't know anything about serious issues. They just read provided solutions on-screen to fix general problems for customers. They won't know anything about something such as security or the ins and out of the network.

However, if you think you are affected by this problem, TS is the only way you can let MS know. Every call is generally tracked quite well, as long as the rep is paying attention. Just don't expect the correct details of the core problem; just seek help for your specific problem.

Wow...I love Kotaku...but this article pissed me off.

Sony fesses up to price-fixing

Sony, others named in video tape price-fixing scheme - Engadget

At some point, I'm going to need to make a SonyMustDie.com.

Sony is at their shenannigans again, although I can't say that I didn't expect it or I'm surprised. At least they were *gasp* honest and admitted to their crime. They've been price-fixing, and have lowered their head in shame. In short, they've been colluding with other companies in order to keep prices high (and less competitive). This is illegal in the United States, but not in other countries such as Canada and Australia.

Companies convicted of price-fixing this go-round could be fined up to 10% of their global sales. Ouch.

If you are wondering how this has affected you, price-fixing has been a noted problem with LCD and Plasma televisions. The prices are finally coming down, but they could have a long time ago. While keeping prices up is great for the businesses and stockholders, but bad for the lower-income consumer and it prevents the market from being competitive.

These are the types of things that make me hate Sony. Microsoft and Nintendo have their own closet skeletons, but Sony never seems to learn.

EB Games is expecting a "new" Xbox 360 (AKA Zephyr?)

I've got a meeting in 7 minutes so I'll make this quick. One of my informants brings interesting news:

we received a corporate e-mail yesterday that states we are waiting for allocation numbers before opening a reserve sku on the "new" xbox360. also the new game informer confirms the release date as end of april for 479.99

$480? I hope that's not just for HDMI and a bigger hard drive. Like I've said, the Xbox 360 performs over component just as well as the PS3 over HDMI. But if it is a black console....my wallet will be in trouble yet again. LOL

Cue the Sony fanboys to blabber on about how you can get a Blu-ray Player for $20 more (even though it sounds like some are trying to discontinue the lesser-but-more-realistically-priced model). Let's have a moment of silence for my unused black taco....

Thanks, Dan!

Linksys WRT330N Gaming Router with free 80GB IDE HDD

Gaming Router with 80GB HDD, 3rd offer from the top.

My WRT54G crapped out on me over the weekend. Maybe it had too much Linux on it. LOL

Anyway, the custom firmware didn't help me out much with the Xbox Live vs P2P battle I deal with every time the "guys in the basement" turn their PC's on. It's time to move on to something a bit more advanced.

I looked at this D-Link DGL-4300, which is $99 after rebate, and it seems that it would do the job well. A 75% approval rating is rather good out of 500 reviewers.

CNET's review pointed out that it may not handle multiple connections very well (wireless + wired). That is probably the only reason I didn't buy it. It'd still be a good deal if my spending limit was lower.

The Linksys is attemptedly future-proof. We'll see how 802.11n pans out. But it also has better attennas and 5x the warranty, so I figure it's a good deal. Even more so, the Linksys is usually $180, but this newegg sale is for March only.

If you're looking for a better router for your gaming purposes, you may want to check these options out.

Games and pulling through with handicaps

You've read it before. The Wii-litists (sorry...the joke won't ever go away it seems) favorite saying is: "Gameplay over graphics."

We have all the consoles now, and we've seen some good, bad, and ugly games. When it comes to the Wii, the above saying seems to be dead-on when it comes to Wii Sports. There are no graphics to speak of, but it is so fun it doesn't really matter.

When dipping into the rest of the available Wii titles, we come to find some duds that leave us questioning Nintendo's decision. Tiger Woods Wii '07 and Wii Sonic had me thinking about this. I like these games, but the controls don't respond as accurately as expected and leave for a lot of frustration. These games happen to be quite ugly compared to their console bretheren as well. Clumsy and inaccurate controls combined with eye-sore visuals doesn't net games cool points.

I think saying, "Gameplay over graphics" forgets how good a game must be to make the graphics negligible. The Wii has seen some 3rd party failures so far, so one has to wonder what the future will hold. Nintendo's first-party titles are doing expectedly well, however. Stepping back again though, Nintendo's first-party titles have never been graphics heavy either.

Any Wii owners think they are going to be left out down the road? I'd doubt it myself, but you'd never know.

The Pile: Getting buried. Hopefully I can dig myself out!

I still haven't been able to dig myself out of my "to-do" pile of games. It is about time to go easy on the wallet and let myself catch up.

At the tail-end of last week, I added God of War II and Tiger Woods '07 (Wii) to my game racks. While doing so, I can only shake my head the entire way. I haven't even played much of Tiger Woods '07 (360) yet! Or Tiger Woods '06 for that matter. Technically, I never beat the original God of War because I lost interest (but I watched Jessica play through it in a couple days).

What else is in "the pile"? Bullet Witch, Phantasy Star Universe, Chronicles of Riddick, Knights of the Old Republic, Big Bumpin', Sneak King, Lost Planet, Tony Hawk: American Wasteland, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Zelda: Twilight Princess, a handful of XBLA games, and a few others I can't recall right now.

The scapegoat is totally Halo 2. For some reason, it is the only game I want to play lately. I'm not sure why. It can be a methodical or an unpredictable game. Maybe that's why it hooked me into FPS...it's not the same experience every match. Maybe its speed and versatility is what gives it so much allure.

In any case, I'll try to get all my non-game stuff in gear and have more to report. If I get more traffic, maybe we could do a month "the pile" posting and see how behind people are. You know, since the "What are you playing this weekend" thing has been done to death by the major blogsites.

Tiger Woods PGA 2007: Wii version

As expected, the controls for TWP07 eat Wii Sports and Super Swing Golf alive. However, that doesn't mean the Wii remote position calculations are any more accurate. But at the benefit of removing the painful cuteness of Super Swing and power limiting meter of Wii Sports makes it mostly worth it.

What you'll miss from the other two titles: Super Swing handles the backswing better, but that's probably because you're supposed to hold the remote in the right spot before swinging. Wii Sports has a better putting layout. No silly lines or dots to show the shape of the green. Just natural looking squares of grass.

One important question this game brings: is it the Wii remote hardware that is insufficient, or are the developers just unable to make accurate calculations with the tech? Furthermore, will the inconsistent controls and frustrations be a Wii staple?

These questions hurt the Wii as a console more than the game itself. I'm betting that Tiger '08 will resolve a lot of these problems, just like '07 improved over '06 on the other consoles.

For now, we'll take in our current attempt at true-swinging golf with open arms. EA has some work to do, but in the end, we can only hope it is worth it.

PGA Pros:
*Slices/hooks performed fairly accurately by the Wii remote
*Simple controls
*No wasted time between shots (unlike Super Swing)

Dropouts:
*The graphics are horrendous. I swear the PS2 version looks better.
*Inconsistent and frustrating reaction to swings
*The holes are hard to see on the greens sometimes

Feels like:
A dumbed down Tiger Woods with motion control

Rent or Buy:
If you want to own the best golf game for the system, this is your option.

Personal Appraisal: $20
MSRP: $49.99

Other opinions:
7.5/10.0 at 1up.com
7.5/10.0 at Gamespot.com
7.0/10.0 at IGN

"you'll be as inconsistent as John Daly's sobriety."

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 Wii Review Index, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 Reviews: "you'll be as inconsistent as John Daly's sobriety."

Like that quote? I sure do. The man sure can hit a golf ball.

Judging from the frustration-inducing controls (per the review), this will hardly be the Pangya/Wii Sports killer that my fellow gamers were hoping for. Pangya is okay, but I don't find myself ever wanting to play it. Wii Sports Golf's setup is great for putting; crappy for everything else.

I guess I'll trade in Super Swing Golf (aka Pangya) and grab me some Tiger 2007...for the second time. Does this mean I have to buy the PS3 version, too? To keep it fair? Nah.

The plethora of jaggies is bound to be exacerbated by the 57" TV...ugh...

Wii Friend Codes to be Title Specific news from 1UP.com

Wii Friend Codes to be Title Specific news from 1UP.com

Looks like Nintendo sucks more than Sony in the online gaming department. *shakes head*

Nyko Wii-charge station now available - Joystiq

Nyko Wii-charge station now available - Joystiq

I've been waiting for this one. I have a handful of rechargeable AA's, but it's annoying to change them compared to a battery pack. In this case, no removal of batteries is necessary!

Mark Rein: PS3 "the one to beat" - Kotaku

Mark Rein: PS3 "the one to beat" - Kotaku

And Sony gets one on their side! Good job on that, Sony. Now make my PS3 purchase worthwhile. It's a good thing that Sony has a defense force, so we can't be in total dread of the system.

The real question is: Will the Xbox (720) will be out by the time the PS3 has a userbase?

It's hard to say at this juncture. Just remember, we don't want the PS3 to be a failure; we just want it to "lose" this time around. If Sony succeeds with their horrible marketing, over-engineering, high prices, and ridiculous PR....nothing will stop them from making it 10 times worse on the next revolution of the video game merry-go-round.

Double-whammy to the PS3?

Xbox-Scene News: Xbox 360 Voted Best Game Console By Online Users

I'm not surprised, although this really doesn't mean anything. Very few consumers have all the consoles and can directly see that the 360 is probably best value for your gaming dollar. Most will go off friends' experiences, word-of-mouth, and brand-bias/preference. Still, as a multiconsole owner, I'm with these "online users" in their vote.

Record attach rate for the Xbox 360

I'm not surprised at this either. For one, if the Wii had better games and more availability for consoles and remotes, it could potentially beat this attach rate easily. However, that isn't really the case for the moment. Taking a step back though, would the Wii be as interesting if it were more accessible for purchase?

Microsoft has also done an outstanding job on accessories. They may be proprietary, but somehow buying 360 accessories is actually fun. Maybe it's that feeling of options or the feeling of being "totally decked out". The fact that most of the accessories are useful (and PC compatible) is a big helping hand as well.

Now that I think about it...the accessories for the PS3 are quite limited for the moment. It IS a new console though, so it'll be good to see what we end up with.

Anyway: Congrats, Microsoft. Keep it up.

Pictures of my new rig

Well, here it is. That first pic is a little blurry, but you can make out all of the consoles there. Not shown are the two 72-DVD towers that I just bought to put on the opposing sides.

Look at the mess I have to sort out...



And here's the two big screens next to each other. The left side is the old 51", the right is the new 57".



For reference, here is a set of pictures of my old rig. April of 2006? Wow...I didn't even make a year since the last picture. LOL. A lot has changed (new switchbox, PS3, Wii, etc); I'll update my "Systems:" link on the right.

Jealously has been rampant ever since this latest purchase. Hmmm...

Metroid Prime 3 delay causes sunken heart

Metroid Prime 3 delayed until ... 2008? - Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Damnit, Samus. I need my my morph-ball-maze-and-shooting-space-pirates fix soon!

The commenters seem to be with me on this; I bought the Wii just to play MP3. Just like I bought the PS3 just to play FFXIII.

Hopefully this doesn't become another Twilight Princess type delay. Nintendo fans are a whiney bunch, so watch out "Ninty"!

Uprgraded again, 57" 1080p DLP, HDMI, etc...

Once again, I will probably be slow to update pictures of my rig. Out with the 27" CRT. The old 51" replaces it, and the new main television is this Mitsubishi model. What does that mean? That means 2 big screens in one room. We've ultimately geeked out.

Anyway, Best Buy almost matched the amazon price by $50. I'm glad for that, as I ended up with 2 years no interest, and I could take the TV home that day. I took the opportunity to buy a new shelf TV stand, which unfortunately makes me lay all my consoles horizontally. The look is immensely improved over the half-dozen devices piled on top of my old big screen.

What I netted: The PS3 looks "normal" finally. The system looks unacceptable through composite, s-video, and component (Monster Cable even). It's as though Sony purposely made it so you HAD to have an HDMI connection to be satisfied with the menu fonts. 1080p doesn't really do jack; the Xbox 360 still keeps up/surpasses over component. Naturally, I'll move to VGA to get the 360 in 1080p as well.

Side Note: I had to connect the PS3 back to component first in order to switch the setting to HDMI. Talk about annoying. The Xbox 360 "gets it" and adjusts automatically accordingly between it's available connection options.

1080p + HDMI + Blu-ray? Still not that impressive. I think upscaled DVD is STILL the way to go. It's the most cost effective option. The benefits of having the full-fledged setup just don't justify the annoyances and costs involved. I'm glad I'm just in this for the games, otherwise I'd be one disappointed consumer.

Overall, I'm happy with my upgrade, although further sickened by the PS3's assault on our pocketbooks for essentially nothing in return. After all of this, the last Sony advocate in the household is ready to buy an Xbox 360. He makes fun of me for buying a PS3 now, even though he was supposed to be the first one to get it.

Once I get settled into my new setup, I'll be sure to continue with my reviews. I'm working on Phantasy Star Universe, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Bullet Witch at the moment. So far, I cannot recommend any of them, but we are in a game drought at the moment.

GDC 07: PSP won't get redesign; new colors coming soon? - PSP Fanboy

GDC 07: PSP won't get redesign; new colors coming soon? - PSP Fanboy

My comment:

That's too bad...I honestly think they could shrink the diagonal 0.5" and be better off size-wise. A hard drive would have completed the deal as well, along with double the memory and a keypad of some type. At that point, the $300 wouldn't be an outlandish price for a complete package. Storage and input are the biggest issues.

God of War 2 early from Gamestop/EB Games?

I've been informed that God of War 2 may be procured early at some Gamestop/EB Games locations. If Kratos comes calling early on Tuesday, then gamers may want to make a hop, skip, and a jump over to their local Gamestop/EB Games store to get their brutality-craving fixed before everyone else. I'm certainly going to check with my local stores.

Thanks Danny!

GDC07: A Conversation with Phil Harrison - Kotaku

GDC07: A Conversation with Phil Harrison - Kotaku

Phil Harrison composes himself well in this interview. It's an interesting read for pro/anti/neutral Sony individuals.

Home seems like an interesting re-evaluation of the competition's takes on the gaming experience, but I cannot say that I'm dutifully impressed. The whole experience will have to be not even a hair short of phenomonal, or consumers won't bite the bait. Will you?

Crisis Core scans look good; game 70% complete - PSP Fanboy

Crisis Core scans look good; game 70% complete - PSP Fanboy

Go check it out for yourself. The day this comes out will be the next day I turn on my PSP! :)

GDC: What's Next for PS3? // GamesIndustry.biz

GDC: What's Next for PS3? // GamesIndustry.biz

An interesting read to say the least. I can't say I necessarily agree with his conceptions of what a game console should be, but he makes a lot of strong points.

This article is also the furthest thing possible from a bash at Sony. If anything, it's somewhat of a bash toward all of them, although the end result is simply a forward-thinking response to a troubled industry. The industry needs the freshness offered by the Wii, but also needs to build on the previously built standards as the Xbox 360 does.

PS3 Antifans will find that Dave Perry applauds the PS3 hardware without question. He's quick to comment along the lines of "the PS2 is capable of God of War? It's amazing!" Do these guys quickly forget what the original Xbox was capable of? Far more than the low-memory, half-CPU speed, non-hard-drive-having PS2. To me...it feels like we missed out on a whole generation because the Xbox didn't hit immediate success, so it was an under-utilized tool. To redirect back on-topic, this is what I see happening to the PS3. It can be great and all...but the other consoles are going to hold it back due to multiplatform schedules.

Perry blames price as Sony's ultimate mistake in this generation, claiming $150 is the impulse price. I can't refute that claim. The Wii would seem to be in support of the idea, since it's the closest in price (and it's sold out everywhere).

Besides price, I think one of the big mistakes Sony is making is that they are losing focus on games. They painfully have made the PS3 and the PSP attempt to be way more than their core function. Between the worthless browsing, Blu-ray/UMD playback, lackluster media functions, and complicated menus/functions...they aren't going to win over the general consumer. The physical hardware design, the interface design, and the marketing are trying too hard to impress us.

While being wound up in trying to be "the cool guy", Sony isn't showing us why we should care about the Playstation brand in the future. Microsoft and Nintendo are constantly proposing fun and working with gamers to make the most of their experience. Sony seems more, pay the price and do what we want you to. They only make changes because they have to in order to keep negative press down, not because they want to improve the experience (rumble, reverting to dualshockish controller, etc.). This is probably why gamers all over the internet are rejecting Sony like a psycho ex-girlfriend.

Go away. Come back when you're ready to listen, Sony.

RPG Discussion (Xbox)

Liveblogging Microsoft's "The Evolution of RPG Development" panel - Xbox 360 Fanboy

A good read...both developer heads verbalize our thoughts on RPG's for us. I couldn't have explained it any better, although there's not any "new" information in the discussion per say. Read it to possible assist your own understanding of what an RPG is and what to look for in the future.

Why wait for Nintendo's new Wii colors? Void your warranty now!

IGN: Xtreme Enterprises First Wii Replacement Case

Shake a fist at standard warranties that are so-easily voided. Between the white Xbox 360 and the white Wii, I'm getting a little down on the color white. The PS3 would have broken this up nicely...if anybody cared about it.

I don't know about anyone else, but the Xbox 360 seems to be right at home in black. The Wii could get away with any of the DS Lite colors, and the PS3 has its fate forever sealed.

Kotaku gets the scoop on Lost Odyssey and Blue Somethin'...

GDC07: Blue Dragon Lands In August, Lost Odyssey Holiday '07 - Kotaku

Blue Somethin'? Yeah, yeah. Blue Dragon this, Blue Dragon that. I think the serious gem is going to be Lost Odyssey. Blue Dragon seems to Dragon Ball Z-ish looking for me to take it seriously. Why did I get into Final Fantasy starting at VII? Because it was more serious and more entertaining. BD just isn't giving me that vibe.

In any case, both games at the end of the year. Hoo rah!

What I'm playing, and my console standings

What the hell, Suicide? What are you doing?

I've been quite busy as those who read know. My job is kicking my ass quite a bit, but I'm surviving.

Lately, I've been playing Halo 2 (360), Phantasy Star Universe (360), Sonic the Hedgehog: The Secret Rings (Wii), and Lumines Live (360 - XBLA). I play Chronicles of Riddick on the Xbox when I get a chance - thanks for the recommend on that Dapperdan.

Anyway, if anyone is curious (or couldn't figure it out), here's how I rate this and last gen's consoles (in order of preference):

1. Xbox 360 - Between achievements, a great online experience, and the most new games, I spend most my time on this console.

2. Nintendo Wii - I still love to play Wii Sports, although the gusto has died down. I did get a hold of 4 remotes in total, so some super-tennis games are coming. The Wii's Sonic is a great idea that was executed poorly. I play it anyway, because it's fun.

3. Xbox - I still keep these around for local Halo 2 matches and the occasional non-BC game. I actually miss the Black and White buttons a little bit.

4. Playstation 2 - I really don't play this unless I have to. God of War 2 is coming, but I'd rather play it here than on the PS3 (read: I like rumble and the graphics aren't screwy even with an "update to fix it" on the PS3). I *might* try a couple more RPGs before completely retiring my fat and slim PS2s.

6. Nintendo DS - There's tons of games I need to play on this, but the small screens really deter me from using it. I don't like the DS Lite either...which probably contributes to my lack of portable gaming (the big one is tiresome on the hands).

7. Gamecube - I loaned this to a friend for the moment, but I still use it to occasionally play GBA games on the big screen.

8. PS3 - Still a waste of space in my opinion. I grit my teeth every time I try to use this black turd next to my Wii. There's no games, and it's an annoying console all around. Nobody in the house is interested in it. We check it for a pulse once in a while.

9. PSP - I've given up on this device...it isn't any fun, and it peforms its features too poorly to hold my interest. I'd rather just play PS2. Who knows when we'll actually get FF7: Crisis Core.

--

You were probably going to guess that the PS3 was going to be at the bottom of the list, huh? Close enough, eh?

Silly blogger, posts are for non-ADD kids!

Yes, I have been posting the last couple of days. No, you wouldn't have seen them.

I made a post to one of my lesser-trafficked blogs and Blogger made it the default. So the last several articles I've commented on haven't been going there. I returned them to their rightful home, so check them out below if interested.

Hello World! Hacked homebrew on 360 - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Hello World! Hacked homebrew on 360 - Xbox 360 Fanboy

Check the comments. There's some harsh words against "modders" which is mistakenly being interchanged with "homebrewers". If anyone needs clarification, "modder" means someone who modifies. Soft Mods are software modifications (map edits, weapon edits, etc.), while Hard Mods are hardware modifications (such as modchips). A homebrewer writes code themselves (not just modify it). The DS and PSP have plenty of awesome homebrew apps, such as remote desktopping or custom media players.

I'm not trying to insinuate that modders are bad, but they usually end up ruining the fun everyone else, whether it be piracy or software hacking/modding. Don't hate on someone who hard mods to enable homebrew, but rather hate on those who go online and cheat. There is a big disparity there.

In any case, it's good to see a little progress on the 360 homebrew front. The machine is plenty capable of more apps than MS will provide.

PlayStation 2: thriving or failing? - Joystiq

PlayStation 2: thriving or failing? - Joystiq

I hope failing. Whether it "actually" is or not is irrelevant anyway. It will be phased out...maybe the speed at which this will occur is the real question?

The PS2 is utter garbage in my opinion. It was enjoyable a few years ago, but the last couple of years have seen better days on the other two consoles that sold less. Halo 2 alone probably still sees more online action than all PS2 games combined. After playing games on Xbox and Gamecube...the PS2 feels like a cheap piece of junk (which it is). In fact, I just repaired YET ANOTHER PS2 the other week since it was only $20 for a new laser.

The faster we can get rid of that crap console, the better. Yeah, yeah...it has tons of games. Most of which aren't worth $5 because they are so awful (think: Killzone). Thanks for the RPGs PS2, but I'm ready for you to disappear quickly into the night in light of better gaming on the new systems, even your horrible successor.

512MB memory card and XBLA 50MB -> 150MB size cap

512MB memory card and exciting XBLA news - Xbox 360 Fanboy

I can't say I'm all that excited for the 512MB memory unit. I don't even use my 64MB card. My big question is, why do they keep insisting on further supporting the "core" system? Microsoft should make strides to eliminate it altogether. The Premium packs always sell out at my local Walmarts, but the stack of green-boxed cores sit there in agony.

MS will claim "gaming on the go", but I personally feel that the times of bringing a memory card to a friend's house is over. Then again...if teens and kids are still bouncing around in these games, maybe I should retract that statement.

The real news is the size-cap being lifted on XBLA. We should see some even better content coming. It looks like we've got a slew of new games coming as well; check the link for more info.

Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller - PSP Fanboy

Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller - PSP Fanboy



Making the PSP playable would be totally sweet, albeit even more clunky. Can we see a similar DS mod with say...a VC Wii controller? Probably not...integrating a controller's right stick with the touch screen would take a beastly contraption.

Sony indirectly admits that rumble is awesome; settles suit with Immersion

Sony and Immersion settle suit, rumble coming to the PS3? - Engadget

So when do we get a Dualshock36AXIS? That's what I want to know. Then maybe the controller won't feel like it was bought from cheap-chinese-crap.com or feel like a nonfunctional display model.

It amazes me how Sony works vs Microsoft (in the gaming world). Normally, Microsoft doesn't seem to take feedback with Windows. But with the Xbox 360, they take community feedback daily to help improve the system. Sony on the other hand, will make boastful comments they have to painfully retract or apologize for later. They make changes because they are late to the game, and out of necessity rather than building on feedbacks of all types.

I'm glad the PS3 *might* get rumble soon. I really don't care what anyone says; rumble is an important staple of gaming in its current state. Sony was wrong to remove it and blame it on lies (they said it interferes with the motion control, which was quickly disproven). If they are going to try to change the way we play games, they need to look at their Nintendo neighbors. As it stands right now, the PS3 is a crappy version of the Xbox 360 (considering the lesser available games, lesser graphics, lesser online support, etc).

Sony shuts Kotaku out, proving once again that they suck

Sony Blackballs Kotaku - Kotaku

Wow, it was rather sad to learn that Sony got all hard-up because of a piece of journalism. They really need to get over themselves. Their credibility is already shot, and then they take stabs at one of the biggest gaming blogsites out there.

NON-RUMOR: Sony sucks. Plain and simple. They sucked during the PS2, before the PS3, and they still suck now that the PS3 is abundantly available for uninterested hands.

Sony, don't you know that people are unhappy with you in the gaming world? You've talked down to them, and they left your kingdom for better gaming opportunities. How much do you want to ostracize gamers?

03/02/2007 Update: It didn't take Karraker long to make nice with Crecente. Apparently, Sony realized their err, and decided to let it go. Good job, Sony. Too bad you still suck.

Early Halo Wars Playable - Halo to turn me twice?

Early Halo Wars Playable - Kotaku

I do want to apologize for these "blogger quickies" with a lame link and no picture on my recent posts. I just don't have the time right now, so unfortunately, this is all I can offer.

Anyway, Halo 2 turned me into a solid FPS player. While Metroid Prime/AVP2 got me into FPS games to start with, Halo 2 really made me a fan of the genre. It was a hard sell because I was very adamant about hating FPS games (in the past).

The "potential" dilema returns; can Halo once again get me into a genre I abhor (read: make me like RTS)? I will jump on the opportunity to wave the "Aliens vs Predator: Extinction" flag, because that is the only RTS game I've ever enjoyed. Maybe overall, Aliens opens the door, and Halo shoves me through it?

RUMOR: Sony releasing upscaling emulator for PS2 and PS-One games - PS3 Fanboy

RUMOR: Sony releasing upscaling emulator for PS2 and PS-One games - PS3 Fanboy

Wow...good PS3 news. The PS3 needs something, because it's PS2 support still isn't graphically perfect, and needing a rumble-supporting controller adapter is plain stupid. At least this may help the former situation.

Again...it's still hard to be excited. I went to Gamestop yesterday, and the PS3 is still the joke console of the ages. The PSP was getting some attention though.

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus details - Joystiq

Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus details - Joystiq

So new clothes and weapons are supposed to fix this 100% "meh" game?

It's not a waste of space like Enchanted Arms, but it's a far cry from the Phantasy Stars on the Genesis in-my-not-so-humble-opinion-were-better-than-Final-Fantasies-on-the-SNES.

They really just need to make the online a secondary function on this game instead of the primary. It would save the franchise. A bit better story and delivery wouldn't hurt either.

In any case...I want to be excited because I loved the single player games that I've played (PS 2-4), but this MMO-ized version just doesn't cut it and results in a failure for RPG-lovers, much like FFXI.