Congrats to Xbox 360 on reaching a pretty hefty number of console sales. I was curious how the 360 stood up to the other consoles out there. Luckily, Shacknews was kind enough to do all the research so that I don’t have to dig for it (THANKS, YO!). According to their research, here are the numbers for the competitors:
1. Nintendo DS – 101.78 million units (as of March 31 2009)
2. Nintendo Wii – 50.39 million units (as of March 31 2009)
3. PSP – 50 million units (as of February 13 2009)
4. Xbox 360 – 30 million units (as of May 28 2009)
5. PlayStation 3 – 22.91 million units (as of March 31 2009)
I’ve got one of each, but out of all of them, my Xbox 360 gets 99% of the love. I’m curious about the numbers when it comes to how many people who own both a 360 and PS3 prefer to buy the 360 version of a game over the PS3 version. I know I do it. And it’s mostly about the achievement points and the fact that I have a bunch of friends on Xbox LIVE and like 2 on my PS3.
It’s funny how the 360 has totally changed my perception of Microsoft. I remember when it first came out I was like “Meh. Whatev. PlayStation is the way to go. Screw the 360.” But now my PS3 sits like a jealous goth teen overshadowed by her sporty, smart, well-rounded 360 sibling. “Look how dark and sensual I am,” she thinks. “I’ve got movies. And my graphics are more crisp. Why does everyone like 360 better?! I have trophies! I have a massive catalogue! The 360 is just so… primitive. As are the people who play it.” Yeah, well. I’ve got news for you, PS3. It doesn’t matter how much shiny black you wear, being a brooding, intimidating piece of machinery does not make you desirable. And just like real goth teens, you will spend more time smoking in dark corners than being engaged in conversation with the rest of the world.
My lunch break is nearly over, so I don’t have time to think of any clever, punny things to say using Beatles lyrics. Part of me is thankful for that. Here’s the MTV press release about the upcoming game due out on 09/09/09:
New York, NY – March 5, 2008 – Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band. The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system and Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.
The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.
The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.
Available on 9/9/09:
The Beatles: Rock Band Software – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $59.99 MSRP
The Beatles: Rock Band Standalone Guitars – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $99.99 MSRP
The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $249.99 MSRP
Please note: Pricing outside of the US to be announced at a later date.
The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band will be published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band®. Electronic Arts will serve as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, is providing his expertise and serving as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.
Exclusive content created by Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix will be made available to fans over the next few months who participate in a pre-order campaign through major retailers. More details on The Beatles: Rock Band game and pre-order will be revealed in the coming months.
Calling all KISS fans… Hipstreet has just released the Gene Simmons AXE. The wireless guitar is currently compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero on PS2 and PS3 platforms for $79.99. Wii and 360 owners will have to wait a bit until they can get their hands on a compatible version. But maybe the wait time is long enough to help people realize that buying a Gene Simmons replica guitar isn’t the best way to spend $79.99.
Through his one-man company, Positech Games, Cliff Harris has been writing, programming and selling games for over 10 years. Unfortunately, the number of people pirating his games vs actually paying for them at their $19 – $23 price range seemed like it might be getting out of control. In an effort to improve his business, he decided to go straight to the source and ask the pirates why they felt the need to steal his games.
It started with a blog post on his site where he called out for honest feedback from pirates:
I want to know why people pirate my games. I honestly do.
This is not some silly attempt to start a flamewar, it’s not at attempt to change anyones mind about anything. I don’t want to argue my side of it, and there is zero ulterior motive. I’m not looking to ‘catch’ anyone, or prove any points.
I know what I don’t know. And what I don’t know is WHY people pirate MY games. I might be able to get a general idea as to why people pirate stuff *in general* from reading warez forums, and every other story on digg, but I’m not interested in the general case. I want to improve my business, and ensure I stay afloat, and to do that, it would be mad to sit in the corner and ignore the opinions of that section of the public who pirate my games.
His blog post spread throughout the interwebs and – within a mix of totally expected lame responses – he was able to get some good feedback and used it to reshape the way he ran his business. You can check out what he learned and how he changed his business here on the Positech Games site.
One of the things Cliff did was change his demos based on one of the top motivators for pirating: “the game demo is too short and I can’t tell if it’s going to be worth buying or not.” So he made them longer. Did it work? According to a post he put up yesterday, he’s not so sure. It should be interesting to see how the other changes he’s making affect his sales.
Where does your PlayStation go when you return it for refurb or upgrades? If you’re living in the UK, it could find new life in the form of pens or plastic chairs. The Electronic Waste Company, one of the leading UK electronic recycling companies, has announced plans to carry out the first stage of recycling busted Sony PlayStation consoles. The first goal is to shred and process and estimated 250 tonnes (about 300,000 cases) in the first year. The company pledges to reuse or recycle 100% of all equipment they receive. Nothing collected or brought to The Electronic Waste Company is sent to landfill. For now, they are only recycling the plastic casing for the PlayStation consoles, but they’re currently figuring out how they can process other recyclable components such as clips and foam. Going green FTW!
When I’m asked to sign anything, I read it. So when I got an email from PlayStation about needing to accept policy changes to access the PSN, I started sifting through the mess of red on gray text to make sure I wasn’t agreeing to anything stupid. Everything sounded relatively standard. Don’t be a jerk. Don’t use the network for illegal activities. Blah blah blah. But at the end of section three, some things started catching my eye:
Unless otherwise required by applicable law, there is no requirement or expectation that SCEA will monitor or record any online activity on PSN, including communications.
Ok, cool. Makes sense. Until you read the VERY NEXT LINE:
However, SCEA reserves the right to monitor and record any online activity and communication throughout PSN and you give SCEA your express consent to monitor and record your activities.
So let me get this straight. They’re saying “Unless there’s something required by law, there’s no reason for us to monitor your shit. But we’re going to do it anyway because you’re going to sign this agreement saying we can.”
Then I get to section 11: maintenance and upgrades. Be aware that SCEA can do an upgrade on the platform at any time – even without your permission:
Some content may be provided automatically without notice when you sign into PSN. Such content may include automatic updates or upgrades which may change your current operating system, cause a loss of data or content or cause a loss of functionalities or utilities.
and if it screws up your system or you lose data because of it, you’re on your own and they’re not going to help you:
You authorize SCEA to provide such content and agree that SCEA shall not be liable for any damages arising from provision of such content or maintenance services. It is recommended that you regularly back up any data located on the hard disk that is of a type that can be backed up.
On to section 12: user material and information. Remember section 3 where SCEA talks about how they can record your information and activities? Here, they elaborate on what might be done with it:
SCEA may provide others, including but not limited to its subsidiaries or affiliates, with information relating to your participation on PSN, including your communication and game play provided through PSN (“Information”). You hereby authorize SCEA to use, distribute, copy, display, and publish your Information for any legitimate business purpose, including tournaments and ranking, without payment to you. In addition, you will have the option to post, stream or transmit content such as pictures, photographs, game related materials, or other information through PSN to share with others (“User Material”), provided no rights of others are violated. To the extent permitted by law, You authorize and license SCEA a royalty free and perpetual right to use, distribute, copy, modify, display, and publish your User Material for any reason without any restrictions or payments to you or any third parties. You further agree that SCEA may sublicense its rights to any third party, including its affiliates and subsidiaries.
Some games played on or provided through PSN may have features that allow your information, including game play, PSN ID, Friend’s list, messages and related gaming information to be recorded by a user and distributed to any third party publicly, including users outside of PSN. You agree that any third party may record, use and distribute such information for any reason without any restrictions or compensation to you. Additional terms and conditions may apply, including SCEA’s privacy policy and the terms and conditions of any game publisher or service provider. Please review all terms carefully. If you do not want your information to be used, recorded or distributed, please do not play the game online through PSN.
If that made your head explode, the simple translation is this: any image you send, thing you say or way you play on the PSN can be recorded and used in any way by SCEA or even third parties. So think twice before sending pictures of your super awesome artistic creations to friends through the network. SCEA could steal it, reproduce it and profit off of it and they wouldn’t owe you a dime.
Microsoft will treat you to a nice seafood dinner if you buy an Xbox. Sort of.
Microsoft is trying to woo the wafflers who aren’t sure which console to buy this Christmas with a special holiday offer and the promise of the upcoming Xbox Experience launch. For an estimated retail price (ERP) of $199.99 ERP (U.S.), the Xbox 360 Arcade holiday offer comes with ‚ÄúSega Superstars Tennis‚Äù and five Xbox LIVE Arcade games. The Xbox 360 console ($299.99 ERP) and Xbox 360 Elite ($399.99 ERP) holiday offers pair the consoles with ‚ÄúLEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures‚Äù and ‚ÄúKung Fu PandaTM‚Äù at no added cost.
Here’s what we can expect to see on November 19th:
Xbox LIVE Party. I remember hearing stuff about being able to watch movies with friends if you invite them into the same room… but I’m not seeing specific details in the press release about this. It just says: “Xbox 360 allows you to create a virtual party on your TV with up to seven friends. With LIVE Party, voice chat while you play games, share photos in real time and entertain friends all over the world.” You can already voice chat with friends while you play games so I’m not sure why this is a big deal, but whatev. Guess this is really targeting people who don’t know anything about the 360. Note: in order to do the picture sharing deal, the footnote says you need to have an Xbox LIVE Gold membership ($49.99 for 12 months.)
Avatars. You can create a customizable, animated avatar to use when you’re hosting a LIVE Party or chatting. I’m not sure I like these. They’re very Mii Wii-esque and anyone who has had a Wii for awhile knows how quickly those got old and boring. They just feel too cheesy for me, but I again – I think Microsoft is just trying to expand their 360 demographic.
Screenshot of the Cheesy McCheeser Town Avatars
Netflix Partnership I really want this to be awesome, but I’m worried about the download times. I’ve got a T1 internet connection and yet it still takes several hours to download movies. I used the “watch it while it’s downloading” feature on the PS3 and that was buffering hell. I’m hoping the 360 does a better job with this. We shall see. In order to take advantage of the Netflix library, you have to have a LIVE Gold membership and an unlimited plan with Netflix (cheapest one is $13.99 a month.)
Games for the community, by the community. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public. The Community Games channel on Xbox LIVE will include games made by students, hobbyists, and average people all around the world and will be exclusive to Xbox LIVE.
So – if you don’t have an Xbox yet and you want to take advantage of all the new stuff, you probably don’t want to go for the Arcade version. It doesn’t come with a hard drive (?!) and the New Xbox Experience requires a minimum of 256MB of memory. The 512MB memory unit will set you back about $50 putting the cost up to $250 at which point you may as well go for the Xbox 360.
Xbox 360: $299.99
Gold membership (1 yr): $49.99
Netflix membership (monthly): $13.99
Total initial cost: $363.97
Entering the joyous world of Xbox ownership: priceless
I just saw a new ad for the Sony PSP GPS on Creativity and thought I’d share. I guess I’ve been out of the loop on the whole PSP GPS functionality thing, but now I’m totally stoked about it. The software and little doohickey you attach to the top of your PSP to make it work (yes, doohickey is the official term…) will be sold together. It launched in Japan in 2006 and at CES, a Sony rep announced that it’ll be available in the US by the end of 2008. Hooray! This Christmas, we can all dust off those PSPs and use them for something worthwhile.
When Wii Fit came out, people finally started realizing that games can actually be more than something to keep you entertained between Heineken swigs and bathroom trips. For those with limited mobility (elderly, obese), the Wii Fit can make a difference in their health, but many gamers break more of a sweat watching the infamous hula-hooping video than they do playing the games. Those who require more of a challenge to feel the burn will appreciate this World of Warcraft mod using treadmills with joysticks programmed to make running across Azeroth a little tougher than the developers initially intended:
[youtube rbG5O2NfUzM]
If treadmill running and exploding hearts don’t appeal to you, you’ve got a few different exercise machines to choose from (and no… bong smoking does NOT count as an exercise – EVEN IF the bong is really heavy.) Gamercize, for example, sells stationary cycles and steppers that connect to your console. If you stop cycling or stepping one one of these babies, your controller won’t work. Another company, NeoRacer helps convert laundry racks back into exercise bikes through inexpensive kits that convert them into virtual race cars. By downloading their software and either converting your existing exercise bike or purchasing their ViBike, you can control the speed of your vehicle by pedaling in a variety of web downloads or supported PC titles like Crazy Taxi and Need for Speed.
When she's not busy blowing the heads off of enemies to get to the next level, she's usually playing video games.
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