There's a discussion brewing over at MaxConsole.com, detailing of a new product that may enable an HDMI connection from the original white XBox 360.

While this product will probably work (enable HDMI connection), there's an argument whether or not it will provide a 1080p signal output. It's been known that the regular XBox 360 can output 1080p through VGA...but can this magical device push that 1080p digital signal through HDMI? There are a lot of skeptics...

Some screen grabs... (wait, does anyone notice the silly innuendo in some of these pics?):

Now go watch it!

Wow, Sony is crankin' em out. According to the PlayStation official blog, yet another PS3 firmware update is about to hit (or it has already): read about it here.

Sometimes the Wii's Virtual Console leaves a little to be desired. Some games don't stand the test of time and some aren't worth even re-releasing.

The Xbox 360 has a great download service with classics and new original games being offered. So will the Wii.

Nintendo officially announces WiiWare games... read about it here (via Kotaku).

The world is good :)

Not that this is a regular feature, but let's do it anyway:

The code name for the 'Halo 3' ARG is IRIS. And the game has started.

Thankfully someone has started a Wiki to keep track of the game... so go there now and pretend like you understand what 's going on.

Halo ARG Wiki

GameSpot has played a bit of the PS2 and Wii versions of 'Manhunt 2'. You know, the AO rated game that no one will ever be allowed to play.

Despite the graphic content, the GS guys say it's no worse that the 'Saw' or 'Hostel' movies.

Will we ever get to play it?

Now that they've played it, I want to play it more.

Read the GS impressions here

VICTOR: Of course, then there's this bit from IGN's hands-on preview:

Consider for one moment that in Manhunt 2 you can, Wii remote and nunchuk in hands, use a pair of pliers to clamp onto an enemy's testicles and literally tear them from his body in a bloody display; and if that weren't enough, you'll take one of the poor victim's vertebrae along with his manhood. Or, if you'd prefer, you can use a saw blade and cut upward into a foe's groin and buttocks, motioning forward and backward with the Wii remote as you go.

This is juvenile sadomasochism, and the console makers are right to tell Rockstar to take a hike.

Stick foot in mouth...

Sony's Kazuo Hirai now says the US will only get 145 new PS3 games... 105 retail and 40 online.

In his initial statement, the sony prez meant there would be 380 games WORLDWIDE by March 2008.

Kotaku cleared it up here.

I did my own un-scientific research and checked video game store sites to see that roughly 100 games are scheduled for release, for the PS3, from now until February 2008. Based on past years' holiday seasons, the beginning of most years and last-minute release cancelations... getting to 105 retail games by March is gonna be tough. But it's really close!

I will have forgotten all this by then.

Sony Computer Entertainment president Kazuo Hirai promises 200 in-store, retail games and 180 downloadable games for the PS3 by March 2008.

This is a spectacular promise.

I'm willing to keep an open mind, but how many other consoles have promised similar things? How many times have we been let down?

Bring 'em on! A couple of those better be new 'WipEout' titles!

Story here

Here's a rumor that's too weird to be true... Nintendo may be creating $29 games for Apple's iPhone.

This seems completely oddball; but who would have thought six months ago that Apple would offer DRM-free music and partner with YouTube on their AppleTV product? Will Nintendo offer games for a non-Nintendo system?

Read the rumor here and here and here and even here.

Okay, credit where credit's due. I thought this Kotaku article about the online strategy for the PS3 really drove home the smart, innovative things Sony is doing with their console.

I think including a hard drive in every console was absolutely the right decision (Microsoft, what were you thinking?), and it will allow for much more complex downloadable games than we'll ever see on the 360.

Of course, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is apparently coming to Xbox Live Marketplace as downloadable episodic content, so maybe Microsoft is just going to conveniently 'forget' that it sells the putrid Core system.

But back to Sony, I also think the gradual release of full triple-A titles for download, as well as purchase on a physical disc, is bringing to fruition some of the hopes gamers have about ditching physical media altogether.

Of course, it's a little odd that Sony is so aggressively pushing downloadable games, because the PS3 is built almost entirely around the notion that physical media (Blu-ray, in this case) is critical to next-gen gaming.

Still, kudos to Sony.

There's a bunch of rumors floating around the internet about Microsoft's lineup at the upcoming E3 event. Don't get your hopes up too high (i can't help it! Ninja Gaiden 2 is on this list!!!), the rumors are listed here:

• Microsoft start first at 6.30pm GMT+0:00.
  
• New Crimson Skies game to be announced.
  
• Bungie working on new title/series not related to anything in the Halo/Marathon Universe.
  
• Epic Games to show some gorm of Gears of War 2 Trailer.
  
• Microsoft have bought the Star Wars Battlefront 3 rights. Trailer/Demo to be shown.
  
• Rare to show off Banjo Kazooie 3 (Banjo-Theerie).
  
• Rare to announce 2 new games.
  
• Rare to announce Kameo 2.
  
• Lionhead Studios show more of Fable 2.
  
• Microsoft to fund a new game based on Jason Bourne. It'll be based on the books and not the film with Matt Damon.
  
• Team Ninja to show off Ninja Gaiden 2. Labeled 360 Exclusive.
  
• Apparently there's news of a MGS Game for the 360. May or may not be the 4th Installment.
  
• Dead Rising 2 to be shown. May not be ready.
  

I just think it's a flop.

At least, so far.

Now, as I don my fire-retardant suit in my nuclear bomb-proof bunker, let me elaborate.

I've gotten several e-mails from readers -- including one outraged fellow in Winnipeg (and I thought Canadians were such happy go-lucky hosers! I kid, I kid! No more hate mail, please!) -- and they all seem to have the same misunderstanding of what I was trying to say.

So let me try again.

There's nothing wrong with the technology inside the PS3.

It's astoundingly powerful, the Blu-ray drive is an exceptional movie player, the console is obviously manufactured to much higher standards than the red ring-prone Xbox 360, and I even like the glossy finish.

But Sony crossed a line when it priced the machine at $600, and very few consumers seem willing to join them on that side of the price border.

Historically, anything more than $300 has been a tough proposition for gamers to accept when it comes to buying a console. I know that the Atari 2600 or whatever was actually a zillion bucks in 2007 dollars when adjusted for inflation, but $300 seems to be the psychological barrier that simply makes people clutch their wallets a little tighter, inflation adjustment be darned (trying to keep it G-rated here).

Beyond that threshold -- and the PS3 is way past that threshold -- it simply gets harder and harder to attract mainstream buyers.

In retrospect, Sony should have probably ditched the Blu-ray player.

But there's no going back now, and so the stark reality is that the PS3 is simply selling terribly. And honestly, what exclusive PS3 games are on the horizon that are going to encourage average buyers to overlook the $600 price?

LittleBigPlanet? Home? Heavenly Sword? Lair? Those all look like fun titles, but does anyone out there who follows the industry really think those are system-selling franchises?

Once upon a time, GTA IV might have been that game, but with the news that Microsoft paid a stunning $50 million for exclusive downloadable content, I think the 360 version becomes the one to own.

Look, I appreciate what Sony tried to do with the PS3, and like I said, I really like the console. But I got mine for free as a review unit.

And I don't think Sony can afford to give away too many more for free.

When you got lots of money, you don't have a problem spending $50Million on downloadable content for a video game. Looks like MS is making a big move in an attempt to sway more people to play their next-gen console.

PS3 and BluRay Disc player owners, go and check your discs now! Theres a discussion over at the AVS Forum details of rot symptoms occuring with a certain movie disc. Multiple people are reporting the same problems with their copy of this movie...and some are even claiming that it happens with some DVDs and LaserDiscs as well. Has this happened to you?


It looks like the PS3 is indeed getting rumble support soon. The folks over at Inner Bits posted an article about the steps that Sony has taken in order to make this happen. It appears that they are currently working out a problem with battery life.

I think we need to start hunting for symbols.

Looks like the ARG has begun. Someone found a link in Sunday's upcoming Circuit City flyer...

It leads to this site. There's a symbol at the end of the short story (which matches the symbol from the Microsoft email) and some hidden numbers (which forum posters are claiming are IP addresses). I circled the numbers in yellow here...

UPDATE: OMG!! Click the hidden numbers in the right panel and they APPEAR... then SLIDE the last panel to the right... it reveals more hidden numbers and slide the left panel and find even more numbers. It's an IP address... here it is, click it:

206.16.223.65

It's a countdown... I think to the start of the game.

VICTOR: Okay, not to be a wet blanket or anything but... aw, the heck with it, being a wet blanket is kind of fun: Aren't all the marketing shenanigans behind Halo 3, and even Halo 2, kind of annoying?

I mean, when I read this part in that e-mail you quoted (and good catch on that, by the way), it kind of made me squirm just a little bit:

the program loops through many of the Microsoft consumer oriented products and services in an attempt to leverage interest in Halo across our properties (MSN, Live Messenger, Windows Live Search, Windows Live Maps, and more).

I'm sure the various Microsoft workers who labored to put this game together are huge Halo fans (as am I, by the way), but don't you just get the sense that Steve Ballmer or some other muckety-muck at Microsoft sat down, mumbled something about "synergy" or the ability to "leverage core competencies" or some other nonsense when the topic of this ARG came up, and that really all that boils down to is the the opportunity for Microsoft to sell you more software that has nothing to do with the 360?

What's more, these real-world scavenger hunts never really tell you anything critical about the game, because Microsoft can't afford to confuse the vast majority of video gamers who will never bother to investigate the ARG. So you get whipped into a frenzy, with no real payoff at the end.

Or maybe I'm just turning into grumpy gamer. Get off my lawn! And who took my false teeth?!

I can't tell you how I obtained this, but it's real. Here is a Microsoft internal memo concerning the 'Halo 3' alternative reality game.

Oh, and it's only on punchbutton! Spread the word...

Dear Halo Fans:

This is how it all begins. 
An adventure that will reveal the truth about our galaxy,
 a path from which a true hero will emerge.
 Follow the signs to victory.

Cool huh?

The American Medical Association is classifying video game "addiction" as a mental disorder.

They also suggest limiting game playing to less than two hours a day.

I spend three hours a day commuting to and from work. Does that make me a driving addict or a commutaholic?

Read the report from CNN.

When you finish laughing, you can comment below...

If it was the begging of April I might have discounted this story. But what's up with Konami?

In October, Konami plans to sell a DS piece of software that will be...

giving beauty tips based on users' basal body temperature and hormone balance.

Can we expect Wii-based nail clippers soon?

Read the gory details here

Update: It's titled 'Dream Skincare'

Weirdness.

GamesIndustry is claiming that Sony is looking to "refine" the price of the PS3.

I wonder if anyone (gamers around the world) wanted this to happen? Hum?

Read full story

Also, the 1.81 firmware update comes out for the PS3, tomorrow: info here!

According to Bloomberg:

Nintendo Co. was sued by a Texas company claiming its patent for a way to make faster semiconductors is being used in the Japanese company's Wii video- game console.

Read the whole story here.

Fans of "I love bees" rejoice, it looks like another alternative reality game, to promote the launch of 'Halo 3', is about to begin.

If you missed the last game, make sure you get in on this one early... the more you know, the more fun it is to play.

Here's what I know so far:

CVG posted a mysterious email they received (check it here) asking them to "look for the signs."

This was supposedly sent to Xbox email subscribers... I haven't received mine yet.

Oh, and check out this spooky post on the Bungie.net boards... it seems to suggest something is about to happen: read it here!

OOOH, chills!

If you've lucky enough to own one of the two gaming systems with HDMI outputs (PS3 and Xbox 360 Elite) then you've probably stressed over the ridiculous prices of HDMI cables (well, you Elite owners got your for free).

Is it worth shelling out $100 for a stupid cable?

Gizmodo is in the midst of an HDMI test... they've been hearing the arguments from the "high-end" guys and comparing the "low end" alternatives. The results are interesting, if not a little confusing...

• The coverage begins here
• Read the truth about Monster Cable here
• Read Part 2 here

VICTOR: No, no, a thousand times no! Do not purchase the $100 Monster cables! Go down to Fry's and check out the grocery carts full of clearance items near the front of the store. One cart usually has a ton of 6-foot HDMI cables for $16.

Remember, it's a digital signal. You either display it or you don't. There's no such thing as one digital signal being "better" than another.

I finally posted a bio... it's over there on the nav ----->

or here

Like Christmas in June (ehh), we're getting new 'Gears' updates tomorrow... including new achievements and better control.

Here's the list:

• New Achievements added! Eight new achievements worth a total of 250 points created for playing Annex and the Hidden Fronts Multiplayer Map Pack
• Improved Roadie Run to reduce getting snagged on cover
• Tweaked up the amount of damage done by the Lancer Assault Rifle in multiplayer
• Fixed split-screen players interrupting the other player's actions when they die
• Stopped Annex scoring whenever a "Connection Error" dialog box is displayed
• Reduced the duration that corpses remain visible when hosting an Annex match
• Reduced the range of possible Annex bleed-out times selectable by host
• Addressed a number of multiplayer exploits
• Addressed other general housekeeping

All info here including 250 points worth of new achievements.

We're almost a year into this blog and I gave up on the colors... here's a nice minimalist look for ya with lots of trademarks. Enjoy!

Victor: Aaacck! My eyes! The goggles! They do nothing!

Actually, I kind of like the white.(TM)

The 'Halo 3' beta ended Sunday. It was a sad ending; I didn't get enough time to play.

Bungie released stats on how well the beta program did... CVG has the results here. It was a spectacular success.


Can't wait till September! More betas please. Lookout for the glut of 'Crackdown' copies on eBay (just kidding).

Were you aware that Sony has an official PlayStation blog?

I guess making your corporation transparent is all the rage, so why wouldn't Sony follow suit.

You can check out the blog, including a post debunking the PSP update rumors HERE.

Also check out Microsoft's Channel 10 blog HERE and the beloved Major Nelson HERE.

If you've been designing decals in 'Forza 2' then you know what a massive pain in the bootay it is to create something cool with 4000 layers of primitives.

Well, people are makin' it work... look at the ridiculous results HERE

That's my prediction in my game column that ran on Saturday.

But don't take my word for it. Here's what superstar analyst Michael Pachter had to say in his monthly video game sales report sent out earlier today:

We continue to expect higher average console prices to be an impediment to rapid sell-through of hardware, and we expect cycle-to-cycle declines of 10% or more for hardware sales to persist through the end of summer 2007. It is possible that Sony’s cost of production for the PS3 has declined to the point that the company may consider a hardware price cut some time this summer, and we may see a price cut for the PS2 and Xbox 360 before the holidays.

See? The analyst agrees with me.

So Game Informer reported a few days ago that the big guns in Nintendo of America's marketing and sales department decided not to relocate after the company announced it was moving the positions from outside Seattle to New York and San Francisco.

Gone were Senior Director of Public Relations Beth Llewelyn; Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan; and Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications George Harrison.

These folks didn't have anything to do with making or designing the consoles or games, but were in charge of setting the public tone for Nintendo and talking to the press.

Even with the relocation looming, it seems odd that all three of these executives would choose to jump ship at a time when Nintendo is doing better than it has in over a decade.

I asked Nintendo for comment, and here's the official statement they just sent out:

Virtually all of the employees affected by the relocation plan have now responded with their decisions, and approximately four of every ten have agreed to make the move to either New York or the Bay Area, in keeping with our original expectations.

A transition task force of key executives has been formed to ensure the smoothest process possible, and continuous information and resources will be available to all employees. The rest of Nintendo's strong leadership talent will continue to drive our business objectives forward. It has always been the case that Nintendo employees are resilient and rise to any challenge, and there is no doubt in my mind that we will excel as we continue to tackle new challenges and business opportunities.

Nintendo itself can not discuss the relocation status of any individual involved, but for those who will be departing the company, we have every expectation that they will succeed to the highest degree in their future endeavors. We will miss the talent, energy and experience from those who have chosen not to relocate. Our sales and marketing teams have been key components in returning Nintendo to its current position of market leadership.

Reggie Fils-Aime

President, Nintendo of America

It's a pretty wishy-washy statement, but the fact that it's not a flat-out denial makes me think the rumors are true. I guess the severance check was just too good to pass up.

It will be interesting to see who fills those positions now, and where these Nintendo vets wind up.

Will Sony just commit to bulding a new version of the PSP so all the rumors can stop... here's another

We want to add to our tiny aresenal of bloggers.

If you are interested let us know... post a comment with your email address (we won't post it) and tell us why you'd make a good pb! blogger.

You're gonna be doin' this for free, so don't expect anything, except maybe fame. You also must follow our rules of conduct (no cursin' or offendin') and you have to plan to blog often (what games you're looking forward to, gaming news, etc).

Who knows, maybe someday you'll be rewarded.

I meant to ask this a few weeks ago, but forgot.

Have you played the 'Blacksite: Area 51' demo available on Xbox Live?

GOOD LORD, it's scary cool and WAY too short. But, if the final game is anywhere near as cool as the demo (minus the chuggin' graphics), this will be the next big hit on the 360.

Download it now and share your thoughts...

I love when I'm wrong (almost never), but 'Pac-Man Championship Edition' for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade looks awesome!

It's trippy and in HD... available now... Full Details Here

After a few weeks of concept artwork, Bethesda officially releases a teaser trailer for 'Fallout 3'... get excited because it's created in real-time with the game engine; then get sad because it's still over a year away:

• Maybe a big Xbox announcement (hmmm, maybe a $40K Xbox table?): here
UPDATE: Uh, it's new mazes for Pac-Man. No, seriously: here

• A Wii hard drive? here

• A Pikachu colored DS? Not if you're American: here

• Pac-Mac World Championships in New York. Wait, what year is this? here

Game publisher,Eidos, stopped by our studios to give us a sneak peek of the new and improved version of the original Tomb Raider. Lara never looked so good!

Doug note: 'Anniversary' really looks amazing in person; and BOY does it bring back memories. Graphically, it's on par with 'God of War'; AND for only $30, it's a definite must buy for the PS2! I can't believe I'm excited about a PS2 game... it's that good.

I've spent a dozen hours or so with 'Forza Motorsport 2' for the Xbox 360 and I'm diggin' every minute of it.

Before I start into too much detail, I'm gonna get my biggest gripe out of the way... the graphics.

Yes, it moves at 60 frames per second, yes, the backgrounds and blurry effects are great AND... YES, the cars look like original Xbox Lego blocks (as another reviewer commented... I'm stealing his line).

What's up with the jaggy car graphics? For a game that has been so long in development and a system that's so technically advanced, I can't accept the fact that the cars don't look nearly as good as 'Gran Turismo Concept HD' on the the PS3. Once the races get going, the jaggies melt away, but c'mon, I want to see perfection... maybe a patch will be released soon(?).

Any graphic gripes went out the window once I started racing. The game rocks... the physics and control are spectacular. Easily the best feeling racing game I've ever played.

Earning and customizing cars is WAY fun that hunting down Pokemon and I've spent several hours just fiddling around and perfecting my vehicles. You can make some seriously threatening cars here and it's hilarious to unleash them in the game or online.

And speaking of unleashing the cars, you can GIFT your creations to friends and auction them off, eBay style, to other gamers.

The painting and decal customizations seem limited at first but are actually incredibly deep. With a lot of patience and some artistic flair, you can create some staggering looking machinery (that's my MINI up there... and it's purple, not pink). And, of course, beauty is not just skin deep, you can upgrade and tune the heck out of everything inside the cars too.

Races are set-up in similar fashion to 'Project Gotham' or 'Gran Turismo', with events requiring specific cars and becoming unlockable as you progress. The tracks are fairly cool and many are extremely technical (which I LOVE). But, nothing has seemed too difficult so far.

It's easy to get into to 'Forza 2' and all the options have keep me glued to the couch.

Oh, one other thing, the soundtrack is great... as long as you're in the menus. Seriously, you can't listen to the music during a race. This is one of the most confounding "features" I've ever seen in a racing game. You CAN listen to your own music if it's stored on your 360's hard drive; but the music the comes with the game is off limits while driving. AND, you can't even listen to the songs individually... I had to sit thought the 45 minute credit just to see the song titles and artists. I may be wrong, but car people like their tunes. Even serious racers.

I will certainly spend a gajillion more hours with the game over the weekend and I will update the blog next week.