Analysis

My Brawl review has attracted some irate comments.

Perhaps this essay from GameSetWatch can lend some useful perspective to those angry commenters.

What's interesting is that nobody has said my criticisms of the game are incorrect. Rather, I should love the game because everybody loves this game because it has Mario and everyone loves Mario and I SUCK!!!

Also, I'm a hater.

By the way, here's my column from Saturday about why it's still so hard to find a Wii.

And here's my column from last week, that I forgot to post, about how the PS3 is beginning to outsell the Xbox 360.

In my column this past weekend, I tried to come up with reasons to convince myself that PC gaming is not a mangled corpse trampled beneath the console gaming hordes.

I decided to write on this topic because I just ordered a new computer after my 4+ year-old Alienware finally succumbed to a massive motherboard failure FOR THE FOURTH TIME.

I bought a semi-boring HP machine this time that still has some decent hardware under the hood.

Unfortunately, while I ordered the computer last week, it looks like it won't be delivered until sometime next week.

Still, I'm pretty pumped and looking forward to finally playing all the PC titles that I'd been ignoring.

Online warranty company SquareTrade made plenty of headlines when it reported a 16.4 percent failure rate on Xbox 360 consoles it covered.

In response to the interest generated by that initial report, the company has provided some more details on its blog of the methodology it used for coming up with that failure rate.

The money quote:

this report only tracks this test group for a period of 6 to 10 months after warranty purchase (ending January 31, 2007). Once this same test group is tracked for 24 or 36 months, the fail rate is certain to go up. Our data shows that failures spike in the third month after warranty purchase but remain fairly steady after that, with only incremental drop-off until the eighth month. This pattern is fairly consistent with all electronics failures.

Take-Two, for all its blockbuster success with titles like GTA, has never been a well-run company.

And the shenanigans continue.

I think EA is determined to see this thing through, and Take-Two shareholders will likely be overwhelmingly in favor, given how big of a premium EA is willing to pay.

EA is a big, well-funded company with lots of lawyers and accountants on staff, so I'm sure they know a lot more about the kooky financial and managerial doings at Take-Two than I do.

But this just seems like a giant potential headache for EA.

Microsoft just announced its second quarter financial results, and there are lots of interesting tidbits to comb over in the report from what's still probably the most influential technology company in the world.

But let's focus on the Xbox stuff.

For example:

Exiting the calendar year, the life to date sales of Xbox 360 consoles reached 17.7 million units, representing a 70% increase from the prior year.

As near as I can figure, the original Xbox sold about 24 million units over a four-year lifespan. Since that 17.7 million Xbox 360 sales figure is essentially over two years (end of 2005 to the end of 2007), you double that number and get 35 million or so over a four-year period.

So the 360 is definitely selling better than the original Xbox, and Microsoft has to be happy about that (even if the Wii is eating the 360's lunch).

Also, Microsoft reports that its Entertainment and Devices division (which is mostly the 360, but also includes the Zune and other assorted misfit gadgets) had sales of nearly $3.1 billion in the second quarter, up from $2.97 billion a year ago.

But the unit also reported operating income of $357 million, compared to a $302 million loss in the same quarter last year.

What happened in the second quarter (actually, the last three calendar months of 2007) to boost revenue and income? Halo 3, of course.

In fact, the quarter after a Halo release has generally been the only time the Xbox division could count on a profit since the original box's release in 2001.

Microsoft obviously wants to see more consistency out of the Entertainment and Devices division. But the company can afford to shovel money into the segment for as long as it wishes.

After all, Microsoft's overall quarterly profit was $4.71 billion.

That pays for a lot of RRoD repairs.

My game column this week looked at the fact that while the PS3 is still struggling in the U.S. in the sales race with the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, there are reasons to think Sony's system should start doing well soon.

Incidentally, a reader hopped on to the blog to comment about the column before I could post this, so you can read his intelligent counterpoints here about how the PS3 is selling pretty well outside the U.S.

...because Microsoft won't replace it if you scratch the numbers off!

Rumor or truth? The sad story here.

So for my column this past weekend, I wrote about when we're likely to see the next Xbox (presumably dubbed the Xbox 720) hit store shelves.

My guess? Possibly at the end of 2009, but more likely 2010. Well, lo and behold, EGM reports that Microsoft is already working on a new game for the next Xbox.

The fact that Microsoft is already thinking about software makes me think that the basic hardware design of the next Xbox is already pretty well mapped out, even if I doubt any working prototypes exist yet.

Like I said, 2010 seems the most likely release date, but given the report from EGM, I'm not willing to rule out 2009, either.

...available in my year-end wrap-up running in the paper today.

Gee, you didn't think I was going to give up the goods that easily, did you?

Okay, my top 10 list is also available after the jump.

I wrote this list over a week ago, and my only regret is that I'm only just now playing through Uncharted: Drake's Fortune on the PS3.

What a game. Superb graphics, solid gameplay and catchy sounds are all present and accounted for, but I was (and still am) stunned by the general presentation of the game. Smart, snappy dialog delivered by the best voice actors I have ever heard in a video game make Uncharted a flat-out revelation.

I know we're all supposed to be snobbishly pretending that games shouldn't want to be like movies, but, man, Uncharted is like the blockbuster Indiana Jones flick that Harrison Ford never got around to making.

I'd definitely put this game in my top five now, if I could, but I'm sure there are plenty of other games released in 2007 that I would have loved if I'd had time to play them.

Anyway, feel free to share your vote for your favorite games of 2007.

Continue reading "And my game of the year is..." »

Gamespot has finally issued a Q&A-style denial that pressure from Eidos led to the sacking of Jeff Gerstmann.

But the one question that Gamespot refuses to answer is the keystone to this entire controversy:

Q: Why was Jeff fired?

A: Legally, the exact reasons behind his dismissal cannot be revealed. However, they stemmed from issues unrelated to any publisher or advertiser; his departure was due purely for internal reasons.

Frankly, there are simply too many credible, anonymous sources saying otherwise for gamers to take Gamespot's word on the matter.

And Gamespot does admit that Eidos made known its displeasure with Gerstmann's Kane & Lynch review.

So, according to Gamespot's own official remarks, Eidos paid a bunch of money to advertise K&L on the site, the subsequent review of the game was harsh and Eidos complained, and the offending reviewer -- a 10-year veteran of the company -- was fired shortly thereafter.

Plus, the text of the print review was altered, in some cases adding praise that wasn't there in the original review, while the video review was supposedly pulled for "concerns of quality," before being shoved back on the site as the furor grew.

Look, where there's smoke, there's usually fire, and there are just too many gray clouds billowing from Gamespot's offices to settle for a simple assurance that all is well.

And it's not like Gerstmann is exactly trying to diffuse suspicion that his firing was unethical.

Also, check out this N'Gai Croal column at Newsweek's gamer blog for some background on the awkward relationship between gaming blogs and Web sites and game publishers.

An interesting and entertaining essay, one of the most thought provoking pieces I've seen on one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, from Destructoid.

I'm not sure I agree with the conclusion, but this is the kind of sophisticated game criticism that gamers will enjoy regardless of whether they agree with the author.

More details at Ron Workman's blog.

Here's what I've got on pre-order over the next few weeks and my thoughts about each title:

• Mario Galaxy (November 12, Wii): IGN gave it a 9.7. I've played it at GameStop. It's a no-brainer. It's spectacular.
• Blacksite: Area 51 (November 12, Xbox 360): the demo was one of the coolest things I've seen and played in a long time. I can't imagine this being bad. Aliens battling army guys? Cool!
• Assassin's Creed (November 13, Xbox 360, also on PS3): I don't know why I pre-ordered this game. Why is it that everyone on Earth tells me it's going be amazing (friends, acquaintances, strangers), while the initial press impressions have been less than stellar. I'll read some reviews before I commit.
• Need for Speed: Pro Street (November 13, Xbox 360, also on most other platforms): I loved the speed challenge on the 360 demo... the circuit race was "ok." I'm getting this no matter what. One of my favorite series.
• Rock Band (November 20, Xbox 360, also on most other platforms): Played it. Loved it. It's the biggest game (literally) this year.
• Mass Effect (November 20, Xbox 360): Was Game-Stop-OK-here's-my-five-bucks-if- you-will-shut-up-suckered into pre-ordering this. I hate PRG's. I don't care how action-y it is, it looks too complicated. The jury is still out on this one.
• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (December 18, Wii): It's 'NiGHTS.' Nuf said. Been waiting forever for this.

Not on my pre-order list, but keeping an eye out:

• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (November 13, Xbox 360, also PS3): I'm so iffy on this one. It looks kinda cool. Waiting on a review.
• Soldier of Fortune: Pay Back (November 13, Xbox 360, also PS3): I'm about to pre-order this. The insane violence and gore has almost won me over.
• Geometry Wars: Galaxies (November 13, Wii): Love the original... scared to pay more than $10 for this.
• Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles (November 13, Wii): I want to see this in person before I buy it. An RE shooter? It may be a rental. Agh, did I just say that?
• Link's Crossbow Training (November 19, Wii): It may be a sleeper hit... a piece of plastic with demo-y game... all for $25!
• Time Crisis 4 (November 20, PS3): I love the first three. I love the Gun-Con. I can't afford a $90 game the same day that 'RockBand' comes out.
• Haze (December 4, PS3): Need to do some more research, but it looks cool.

Sad to see moving into 2008:

• Burnout: Paradise
• Super Smash Brothers Brawl
• Army of Two
• Resident Evil 5
• Gran Turismo 5 (or whatever it's called)
• Grand Theft Auto 4

An RPG blog, West Karana, has posted a very convincing argument of why the current PS3 is a much better bargain than the Xbox 360.

Nifty!

Check it here

I still think the 360 has better titles available, so which really is the better deal?

VICTOR COMMENT: Yeah, it's a good argument. Maybe I should write a column about which console is a better deal.

So, Marc invites me to join guitarhero.com. Looks kinda cool: link your gamertag, get groupies, make friends, etc. Well, in theory it's supposed to do these things.

It took me four days to get my gamertag linked.

I can't see any of my career scores. My location mapping has me off the West coast of Africa. I don't have any friends (even though I sent invites to Marc and Melcolm... oh, Melcolm just responded). The guitar I use is listed incorrectly.

But, I DO have 268 groupies. Huh?

It also has my most recent performances and favorite songs (those are correct and up-to-date).

These technical hic-ups are similar to EA's site for 'Skate,' and really calls into question how quickly these online elements put into a game (and tested). Shouldn't big 'ole companies like Activision and EA have state-of-the-art web apps? Isn't that just expected?

I know it's too early, but I'm bored and I need to vent.

Here are my top 10 games from 2007 (so far... subject to change):

1. Skate (Xbox 360, PS3)
2. Puzzle Quest (Xbox 360 arcade, PSP, other platforms)
3. Crackdown (Xbox 360)
4. Orange Box (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
5. Lumines Live! (Xbox 360 arcade)
6. MotorStorm (PS3)
7. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
8. Call of Duty 4 beta (Xbox 360)
9. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
10. Brain Age 2 (DS)

'Skate' rules all.

• $399 40 gig PS3 with no backward compatibility, no memory card slots and two less USB ports is coming next month... here
• EBGames has the 80 gig PS3 (with MotorStorm) and the 60 gig PS3 for the same price ($499)... here
• Someone got the 'Portal' gun to work in 'Half-Life 2'... here

An Australian gaming site, Gameplayer, gives their 10 reasons why the next Xbox is only two years away.

Start saving your dimes

I've noticed a trend in the last few weeks. Maybe it's the approaching holidays or maybe it's better marketing; but the standard $59-priced next-gen game is getting cheaper.

Here's some examples from GameStop:

• Sega Rally Revo (360/PS3): $49.99
• Beautiful Katamari (360): $39.99
• Tony Hawk Proving Ground (360/PS3): $54.99
• Orange Box (360): $54.99
• Tomb Raider Anniversary (360): $39.99

Granted, they're aren't all huge releases, it's a great sign that companies setting prices correctly, instead of a blanketed flat fee.

NextGen is reporting (from Japanese sales charts) that the PSP outsold every console in Japan last week.

20,000 more than the Nintendo DS and about 94,000 more than the Xbox 360 (which sold 1243 consoles).

I don't know which is more shocking... the PSP outselling the DS or that the 360 is still so unpopular over there.

Oh, it needs to be pointed out that the PSP was helped by the release of a new PSP Final Fantasy title (it sold over 500,000 copies).

Story Here

Not sure why you would use this instead of just sticking the "in-question" game into your PS3, but if you've got some time to kill you can check the BC quotient of you old PlayStation games here.

I checked on my favorite PS2 game, 'Taiko Drum Master,' and the results said "No major problems for this title." Well, yeah there are, the drum controller won't work on a PS3. Duh!

I've been beta testing the PS3's 'Home' project since earlier this year.

I was afraid to say too much since I know there are non-disclosure agreements to most closed betas. I'm not sure if I read the agreement that close.

Thanks to IGN.com, someone has let the cat out of the bag, so now I don't have to.

Here are the juicy details.

It's pretty much right on the money.

So Microsoft is still forbidding developers from making Xbox Live Arcade titles any bigger than 150 megabytes, according to a story up now at 1up.com.

"It [the 150MB cap] really lets you focus on the innovation," said Katie Stone, senior games program manager and founding member of XBL Arcade.

That's great and all, but why then are Xbox 360 demos regularly allowed to balloon to one gigabyte or more?

I'd bet that the newly released BioShock demo ends up being downloaded more often than just about any Arcade title not named Geometry Wars, and that sucker clocks in at around 1.4 gigs.

If I had to guess why Microsoft continues to squeeze the XBLA titles, I'd say it's probably because those are revenue-generators, and so the company wants to make sure that even gamers who only have Core systems and a memory card, rather than a hard drive, can buy and download. Plus, smaller file sizes minimize the cost of the bandwidth needed to deliver the games as digital downloads.

But the demos are free -- for now, anyway -- and Microsoft doesn't really care if hard drive-less owners are shut out, since the demos aren't generating any revenue.

Here's my column that ran in the paper this weekend.

My top item was the arrival of the HDMI-equipped 360 Premiums. I said that I thought it was likely that the new consoles also included the smaller, more reliable 65 nanometer chips that are expected to eliminate the red ring problem.

Well, a commenter over at NeoGaf dissected their new HDMI Premium this weekend, and found that the new consoles apparently do not contain the upgraded chips.

This is, in the words of The Dude, a bummer.

However, the new units do apparently include upgraded heat sinks originally found only on the Elite 360s to bleed away some of the infernal temperatures emanating from the chip.

Which I guess is better than nothing.

Sorta.

1up.com posted their review of 'Madden 08' and while the Xbox 360 version received a fantastic 9.0 score, the PS3 version gets a slightly lesser 8.5. The reviewers pointed out graphic problems in the latter.

Apparently the 360 game runs at 60fps and the PS3 version at 30fps.

There's even a comparison video; pay attention the slow motion footage at the end... you can really see the difference:

And the reviews here: PS3 and 360

Stick with me on this, because I think it's a good theory.

Recently I been bombarded "green" initiatives, both at work and in daily life. For instance: Ikea is no longer offering bags, movies are being shot with solar powered lights, Yahoo's got a "green" page, MTV has a conservation PSA every five minutes... you name it. While I'm not one to apply guilt and preach the virtues of these campaigns, they've started me analyzing the wasteful ways of others. I've been doing this more so for the "point-the-finger" satisfaction; but I'm not focusing on my wasteful ways, I already know how bad I am.

THE THEORY

So, here it is. My unscientific, but well thought out, theory: Video game pre-orders are killing the planet.

THE EVIDENCE

• Placing a game pre-order requires a shopper to drive to their local retailer to place the required $5 down-payment. For me, that's a round trip of 18 miles (from home and back). I burn roughly a gallon of gas, depending on traffic, to make this transaction. How many times is this repeated around the country?

• After placing the pre-order at the retail location the customer is usually given a paper receipt confirming "intent to buy" the game. Due to the fact that the transaction is recorded and assigned to the buyer's phone number, the receipt is completely useless and unnecessary. Sure it's just a little bit of paper, but think how many pre-orders occur each day. That's a lot of useless paper.

• There's also the electricity used to run the printer and computer at the store. It's a just a little energy used, but a little adds up, especially when it's such overkill.

• When the game arrives at the retail location, customers must return to the store to pick up their game. This requires another trip to the store (another 18 miles for me), another useless receipt (the one you have to sign to confirm you picked up the game) and yet another receipt for the purchase. I'm sure there's some extra electricity burned up there too.

MORE EVIDENCE (?)

Those facts above are pretty irrefutable. But, I came up with some more ideas that might add to the overall impact of pre-ordering:

• The store air-conditioning works harder to accommodate more traffic into the store to place pre-order. I'm sure store would love to hear that they should reduce traffic into their locations.

• Traffic congestion increases with more people driving to place their pre-orders. What about road and tire wear?

• Personal stress levels increase. I know I HATE pre-ordering a game. The idea that some random company can be earning interest on my money (that I could be earning interest on) so that I can have a game, worry-free, that releases in 5 months down the road, kills me. I'm not sure what impact that has on the environment, but I'm sure I could figure it out.

• There is more electricity used to transfer paper money into the store's electronic accounts.

THE SOLUTIONS

OK, I have tired-head now. Let me jump to the solutions. Some of these can be implemented right now, some will require a pitch to the retailers. Here's how we fix this and make "green gaming pre-orders":

• Allow online pre-orders for retail locations. I know there's a huge group or gamers that wants their new games the second they are released (I'm in that group too). Allow customers to place their pre-order online and choose their pick-up location. This saves a trip to the mall, reduces paper consumption, eliminates some transaction costs and reduces stress for the customer. I'm willing to make this pitch to retailers. Anyone wanna help?

• Eliminate redundant paper receipts. Tie the pre-order to a credit card number, ID number, address, username or phone number.

• Place LOTS of pre-orders at one time. You can do this now. You're not legally tied to buy the game so you can always get your money back. I try to do this anyway, but it hurts to dish out fifty bucks on a hope and a prayer.

• Stop pre-ordering. I know it's tough, especially when there's some goodies thrown in for early buyers, but it's a solution. I'm not doing this one.

CONCLUSION

Whew! That was exhausting. Being up on the soap box has worn me out.
Let me know what you think and feel free to offer up any other solutions you can come up with.

Hopefully, with the advent of downloadable content, pre-orders will become a thing of the past. Until then, I hope something can be done to reduce gamers impact on the earth and give us a little glory in the eyes of non-gamers. Besides, I would much rather take a nap than drive to the mall to place a pre-order.

VICTOR: Don't GameStop and Wal-Mart and other retailers already let you pre-order online?

I went to check out the Madden 08 page on gamestop.com, and the company even has a notice that if you preorder online and select overnight shipping, the game will be delivered to your door on the actual release date (next Tuesday, as a matter of fact.)

Walmart.com also has a "preorder" button if you try to buy Madden 08. Looks like the fastest shipping option, though, wouldn't get you the game until next Wednesday.

Granted, if you really want your copy of the game the minute retail doors open at 8 am or whatever, then online might not be your best bet.

But why even pre-order in the first place? Granted, some obscure titles might be a little hard to find, but I've never gone into a store and found any mainstream game was sold out.

We don't really talk much about PC games around here, and that's not a coincidence, according to Mark Rein, vice president of Epic (you know, the guys who made Gears of War).

In an interview with ComputerAndVideoGames.com, Rein says that the upcoming PC shooter Crysis (publisher EA just announced a Nov. 16 release date, by the way) probably represents the graphical high water mark for computer games for at least the next several years.

That's because consoles have taken over the games industry, and none of the consoles on the market are capable of the DirectX 10-powered graphics that are possible on the highest-end PCs and that will be on display in Crysis.

So developers are calibrating their games right off the bat to take advantage of console capabilities, rather than creating a cutting-edge PC game and then spending additional time and money to tailor it for consoles.

Hardcore PC gamers probably won't be too thrilled, but the cost of staying on the forefront of PC gaming technology is simply too astronomical for most gamers to afford, so it's no surprise that consoles -- which are cheaper than most low-end PCs --are taking over.

Case in point, I'm only moderately interested in Crysis because, while it looks stunning in the official screenshots and videos, my PC doesn't even meet the minimum specs, much less the recommended specs. The only way I'll ever play this game is if it comes to the PS3 or Xbox 360.

And, as Rein says, the current crop of consoles -- excepting the Wii -- still have horsepower to spare, so it's not like we're stuck with Pong.

But it is a little sad to see one more nail punched into the velvet-lined coffin of PC gaming.

My column in the paper on Saturday looked at the ESRB's growing willingness to lower the ratings hammer on violent content in games, and whether that amounts to a restriction on artistic freedom.

My take?

These games are just publicity grabs, and the developers and publishers don't care one bit about artistic expression. So I don't really care if the ESRB or Wal-Mart or Sony declines to license or sell these games.

But a reader contacted me with a solid argument in favor of allowing games like Manhunt 2 and Condemned 2 to be made and released as originally designed.

I don't agree with his argument, but it's an honest defense, and I thought it would be interesting to post the discussion here.

Click below to read the exchange.

Continue reading "Freedom of expression (or, how many decapitations does is take to make art?)" »

This isn't a scientific survey or anything, but it's been weeks now since I've seen an Elite in stores.

GameStop.com only has the Elite available in bundles, and warns that supplies are low. Walmart.com is also bundling only.

Bestbuy.com is sold out, and I can't find the console at all on Target.com.

What gives?

Doug note: there's one in the case at my Target in Frisco (call ahead).

So let's just get all of our Xbox 360 bashing out of the way early this week.

From Saturday, here's my column on all the recent problems Microsoft has been having with its gaming console, from missed sales goals to executive departures to hardware flaws.

And speaking of hardware flaws, Bill Harris over at Dubious Quality has some great follow-up on just how extensive the Red Ring of Death syndrome is.

Bottom line, Microsoft will end up just throwing away almost 1.5 million consoles that are simply too flawed to be repaired, and the overall failure rate for the system is about 25 percent.

Maybe they'll bury all those junked consoles on top of the infamous pile of ET cartridges.

UPDATE: Oh, and apparently Brian Crecente over at Kotaku just had his ninth Xbox 360 die on him.

The mind boggles.

Another year, but a different kind of E3. Here's my wrap up of this year's event.

Well, now that the news is out about Peter Moore's departure, we can all get down to the really fun stuff: hatching conspiracy theories.

The best, of course, and the most plausible, is that the $1 billion-plus cost of extending the 360's warranty upset the top brass at Microsoft so much that someone's head had to roll.

Since Moore was head of the Xbox division, he was the sacrificial lamb.

Maybe.

The only way I could actually see this being true is if Moore was the person responsible for the original shoddy design of the console.

Perhaps he was.

He may well have had the option of choosing from different motherboard designs or manufacturing methods, picked what seemed like the cheapest, and then got bit.

Or, more likely, EA simply offered Moore a ton of money, and he opted to leave.

But it is a little odd that Moore, about to take a job where he will have to cheerlead for all the consoles, recently took an unnecessary swipe at Sony's troubles in Japan.

He now has to basically turn on a dime and make the case that the PS3 is a great console, well worth the price tag, and that Blu-ray is awesome.

So while I don't think Moore was outright fired, I do suspect that, as it became clear just how costly the warranty extension would be, Microsoft didn't feel too bad about bringing someone else on board.

One billion dollars is a lot of money, even for Microsoft.

The new "slimmer" PSP (releasing this September) is supposedly 19% slimmer than the current PlayStation Portable.

Is it REALLY that big of a difference? Compare and contrast:

The Microsoft press conference last night was a total "blah." The Halo 3 version of the 360 looked garish, and I don't understand why Microsoft is including the HDMI output from the Elite but sticking with the 20-gig drive. No price, either. Has to be between the Elite ($479) and the Premium ($399), though, don't ya think?

Speaking of prices, I still think a 360 price cut is coming before the year is over. But with the "Falcon" model with the smaller, cheaper, more reliable 65-nanometer chips still not in stores, I'm guess Microsoft is going to hold off on the price cut a few more months.

Game-wise, the MS conference was okay, but there weren't any surprises. Halo 3 looked okay, and I'm pretty excited about Call of Duty 4. Assassin's Creed looks more average every time I see it, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because the concept is so unusual.

Nintendo also just wrapped up their press conference, and I think it's clear that, despite the company's assurances that they still care about hard core gamers, they don't care about hard core gamers at all.

Which is fine, and certainly turning into a lucrative business decision.

But the big finale of their event was the revelation of an exercise game called Wii Fit. The number of hard core gamers who want to use their game consoles to measure their body fat can, I think, be counted on one Cheetos-stained hand.

And so here comes Sony.

And Killzone 2 looks awesome, confounding all expectations.

Sony's official press conference is starting just about now, but they've already unveiled the Killzone 2 trailer (this time with real gameplay footage) and it looks good.

If Sony can manage not to insult their customers for about an hour or so, they could, amazingly, be crowned the winner of this year's show.

So we're still about five hours away from Microsoft's E3 press conference (which will be streamed live on Xbox.com, by the way), and all anyone can talk about is this weird gray 360 spotted on the floor of the conference hall (it's the console on the left).

The debate has raged -- RAGED, I tell you -- over whether this is a new model, a debug kit, or simply an odd lighting effect on a standard Xbox 360.

Fanning the flames of the rumormongers is that the fact that the picture was originally posted on Microsoft's official Gamescore Blog site, but was then quickly pulled!

Dear, oh dear. What can this be? My initial assumption is that it's simply a funky lighting effect. But why pull the photo? The most plausible alternative that I've heard to the lighting blooper explanation is that this is the IPTV Xbox 360 that Microsoft previously talked about that will work like a souped-up cable TV box.

Worst case scenario? This is another 360 model, to go along with the elite, premium and core. Man, I hope Microsoft isn't that dumb.

Marc Note: The Mystery Revealed: A Special Limited Edition of a Halo 3 Xbox 360. I watched Microsoft's entire Media Briefing, waited with baited breath and with little fanfare the box was revealed, and quickly put back behind the podium. No specific details on the unit. Is it an Elite, a Premium? Who cares! Another attempt to milk us into buying yet another 360! Of course it will sell like crazy!

Contrary to rumor, I will not be attending the show this year. I've made the trek out to L.A. the last five years, but the reduced size of the show has reduced my interest in attending.

Plus, this will likely be one of the least newsworthy E3s in years. Don't expect any new hardware announcements -- although a redesigned PSP is a possibility -- and Sony has already made its biggest headlines this summer with the PS3's pseudo price cut.

Of course, I'll still be keeping up with the news. But I'm not expecting nearly as much excitement as in recent years.

I'm betting the elite drops to $399, the premium to $299, and the core is quietly smothered in its bed and buried in a shallow grave in the desert. Sorry, core.

Microsoft is probably waiting until its press conference to make the announcement, and Sony likely knew that and decided to steal some thunder.

Which is all well and good.

But the 80-gig PS3 for $600 is simply retarded. Because now Sony's right back in the boat it just tried to bail out of:

There's a premium PS3 -- i.e. the good one -- and a crappy PS3 with less features.

And they're both at the price points that Sony initially launched the PS3: $599 and $499.

In other words, there hasn't been a price cut at all.

In a few months, when the $499 model with the 60-gig drive and no game isn't selling well, Sony will dump it as fast as it did the original 20-gig PS3. And then we'll have to do this stupid dance all over again next year.

Arrgh.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

... to your cars in 'Forza 2' on the Xbox 360.

Apparently Japan has a head start on us... witness 80+ pages of insanely great 'Forza' customizations.... HERE

Then I found this... via Kotaku:

GameTrailers.com has a cool comparison between the two... I still think '3' looks better:

Bungie had a big bang planned for the rollout of the Halo 3 beta this week, starting with press events last week to let gamer journalists try out the multiplayer goodies before the unwashed masses.

But the feedback from the bloggers and reviewers who attended the events has been pretty mixed. In fact, I'd say this is a bad sign for Microsoft, given that the game is less than six months away from its full retail release and the Xbox boys really need a system-selling hit to deflect the ongoing national obsession with the Wii.

Granted, Halo 3 will sell a bajillion copies just because it's Halo. But Halo 2 (particularly the single-player campaign) was seen as -- and in fact was -- a letdown from the first game. If Halo 3 proves to be a disappointment in any way, the franchise could begin to lose some of luster.

I think the problem might be simply that Bungie is taking way too long to make this game, a problem I touched on in my column this week.

After all, Halo 2 came out in 2004, and the three-year gap has led gamers to expect something revolutionary from the third entry.

Here's hoping Bungie can deliver.