PS3 Sales Making a Come Back?

According to Kotaku.com, sales for the PS3 in Japan have double from roughly 20,000 units to 44,000 in the week of February 26th to March 4th.

Still at the top of sales is the Nintendo DS Lite with 111,814 units sold. But the news here is the climb in Sony's products. PSP products have also been on the rise, which is something that is a rarity here in the U.S.

Kotaku and other sites, have given the PS3's jump in sales due to the release of Gundam Musou. Gundam Musou is one of many Japanese-loved robot games that allow users to command and wage war in giant mechs.

I really can't describe it any better ... honestly ... they love this stuff. But enough of that.

Woohoo for PS3!

I'm not a fan of any system, but it's good to know that Sony is starting to get some good news. And that it's sale have gone up due to a game release is no surprise.

That's right fellas. Games make people buy systems ... oh you didn't know?

I'm saying this because, in my personal opinion, the Wii has kind of missed this point.

My Wii has been ... well neglected. This is because there really hasn't been much I want to play, besides LOZ: Twilight Princess, of course.

The Xbox 360 has gotten some action, thanks to Crackdown, but even that has slowed down a bit.

Hopefully Sony sent out a message to it's competitor. Maybe they are trying to tell everyone that the "PS3 is not dead, yet!"

Well, kudos for you, Sony.

Perhaps now we can look at that price problem and maybe, just maybe, I'll buy one.


-R


*http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/ps3-japan-sales-double-wii-xbox-360-drop-242874.php
*image: http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/684714/2/istockphoto_684714_sales_graph.jpg

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Australian GamePro Magazine Accused of Taking Bribe?

In an article by www.gwn.com, rumors are spreading that accuse a gaming magazine of accepting an bribe from developer EA to give a rival company's game negative reviews.

According to the article, Australian GamePro's website gave THQ's real-time strategy game Supreme Commander a 5/10 review score and said the game suffered from performance issues.

The on-line review had this to say of the game over-all performance:

This could've been the greatest [real-time strategy game] of all time and maybe down the track after a patch it will be. But due to bizarre performance issues with the final release code, as of writing, the game is virtually unplayable. Truly, this is the saddest moment in the history of the genre.

Website www.gwn.com, which released an article, said that there is little proof if the magazine did accept a bribe. The site also stated that there have been rumors of the website being shut down. Neither rumor has been confirmed nor said if they are related to each other.

The website [www.gwn.com] did take the chance to bring in readers by saying that their review of Supreme Commander is "a fair and honest look."

Australian GamePro, although owned by the same company [International Data Group], should not be confused with GamePro magazine here in the U.S.

According to GamePro.com, the magazine gave the game a 4.5/5 scoring, which is significantly higher than it's sister publication.

Seeing as there is no proof or validation of the bribe, no conclusions can be made of Australian GamePro's review.

All that I can say is thanks for bringing journalism down a peg.

"Paid-journalism" doesn't help news organizations reputation no matter how you look at it.
Instead, these acts null the hard work these organizations shell out while trying to stay honest and credible.

We know everyone would like easy money, but to do it at the cost of your readers trust is disheartening.

Some readers rely on reviews to decide if a game is worth purchasing. To give a game a bought-off review not only hurts that game company's sales but also hurts the news sites integrity.

But I'll stop there. No proof has been given if this happened and we should not pass judgement until everything is revealed.

Overall, it is just one negative review of a game and that should not deter you from purchasing it if you're a fan. Remember, only take other's opinions with a grain of salt.

-R

*http://www.gwn.com/news/story.php/id/11566/GamePro_Review_Score_Bribery_Scandal.html
*http://www.gamepro.com.au/index.php/id;1088855173;fp;2;fpid;36
*http://www.idg.com/www/idgproducts.nsf/typeform?readform&type=publication
*Image courtesy of http://defeatpoverty.com/uploaded_images/bribery-793475.jpg

Read full history - Australian GamePro Magazine Accused of Taking Bribe?

Rapper Redman Wants In On More Games

Blogger, www.games.mattsarrel.com, had an interview with rapper Redman about his hobby of playing games and his involvement in EA's Def Jam: Icon.

In the interview, Redman played a round with blogger Matt Sarrel and talked about his gaming past.

I had Atari. I had Coleco. So, yeah. I even had a Jaguar when it was out for a minute. I played a lot as a kid, but when I was introduced to Doom it took it to another level.

Redman also said he was a fan of the first-person shooter genre and of the Doom franchise.

Yeah, man. I always wanted to meet the motherf***ers who did Doom.

In EA's Def Jam: Icon, which was released on March 6th, gamers can take the role of Redman and enjoy whooping other rappers with it's interactive background.

When asked about his characters in Def Jam: Icon, Redman stated:

Yeah. I love it. The thing is with all my characters in all the games they come up to me and say 'Yo, your character is hard as hell to whup.'

On a side note, I was going to add a few comments about the interview but here are some quotes that sum it up.

Beginning of interview:

Redman enters
MDS [blogger]: How’s it going?
Redman: It’s just the bomb, man. The bomb. Smoked this (holds up mostly smoked blunt) We all ready for business.

Um...OK.

A little lower in the interview:

MDS: I gotta tell you, Redman. I am a huge fan of yours. Much of my time in the mid ‘90’s was spent playing video games and listening to your music.
Redman: And getting high.

Wait, is this a legitimate interview?

In the middle of the interview:

Kudo [someone else in the room]: Why don’t you two guys fight it out?
Redman: Yeah, while we’re getting high.

Call me naive but I think he just validated that rapper/marijuana connection we always knew existed.

Luckily by then, most of the smoking references end and the real news begins, but what can we say when he makes songs titled: Boodah Break, Boodah Session and A Million and 1 Boodah Spots.

Nuff' said.

-R

P.S. I apologize for not updating the site more often, but we can thank a friend of mine for giving me the boot. Thanks Steve.

*http://games.mattsarrel.com/2007/03/the_redman_interview.html
*image courtesy of www.vh1.com and from Def Jam: Vendetta

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The Days of Our Gaming Lives.

Earlier today, Sony and blogger site www.Kotaku.com, had a fallout due to the report of a rumor.

It seems, Kotaku got hold of a rumor about Sony releasing a new application for the PS3 called PlayStation Home.

The program was supposed to mimic that of Xbox 360's achievements and Nintendo Wii's lovable Mii characters. It would allow gamers to create a character that resides in a room, which would be decorated with items they could earn by completing PS3 game goals.

Kotaku seemed to have tried to validate the rumor through several sources (including Sony), thus only being able to mark it as a rumor. Sony responded by asking Kotaku not to post the story and if posted all connections with Sony would be lost.

Kotaku editor, Brian Crecente describes:

Specifically, they said we would be asked to return our debug PS3, uninvited from all meetings scheduled with Sony at GDC, including one on blogger relations and a one-on-one with Phil Harrison, and that they would no longer deal with us.
Knowing that, we went forward with the story, choosing not to point out the threats.

Crecente then posted an email from Dave Karraker, Senior Director of Sony's Corporate Communications, that states:

I am very disappointed that after trying to work with you as closely as possible and provide you and your team with access and information, you chose to report on this rumor.... I can't defend outlets that can't work cooperatively with us.

So, it is for this reason, that we will be canceling all further interviews for Kotaku staff at GDC and will be dis-inviting you to our media event next Tuesday. Until we can find a way to work better together, information provided to your site will only be that found in the public forum.

After the email was posted on Kotaku, readers and bloggers all cried out in outrage towards Sony. Here is a piece from www.Gizmodo.com:

To Sony: I know you've gone to great lengths to control the information about the projects you've worked on. But these are your loose lips, and we're just doing our jobs. And if you'd just look at the bigger picture, buzz is far more valuable than whatever the marketing machine can dream up. This is gossip! People love this shit. Don't fight it. Anyhow, the damning move you're pulling on Kotaku does nothing but alienate the press and readers you hope to win over, and confirms the rumor as having legs. Legs like a robot racehorse being jockeyed by Heidi Klum. My god, that is so sexy.

To Brian, Editor at Kotaku, and a friend and colleague: I'm proud of what you've done, and I don't think you had any choice but to burn this bridge. The conditions they threw down were unacceptable. Rest easy knowing that Kotaku is fast enough that you can be on top of any story within 2 minutes of embargoes lifting. You don't need them. But I know you did value the relationship you'd built with them over hundreds of fair posts, rumor and otherwise.

Blog sites after news site after blog site, each reported the news and each with a harsh opinion on Sony's behalf.

But by the end of the day, Kotaku and Sony settled their differences in a professional matter. Kotaku was allowed to keep the post up and Sony has once again allowed a major blog site to cover it's news.

Overall it seemed like a hectic day for Kotaku and Sony. My opinion?

You're probably tired of reading and I'm tired of writing. In short, Sony you're dumb for pulling this move but at least you redeemed yourself and hooray for Kotaku and Freedom of the Press

Ugh. Too much drama.

-R

*http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/rumor-sony-to-unveil-playstation-home-240746.php
*http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/sony-blackballs-kotaku-updated-240860.php
*http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/announcements/playstation-blacklists-kotaku-for-responsible-journalism-240885.php
*http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/sony-and-kotaku-makeup-240922.php

Read full history - The Days of Our Gaming Lives.

Are You Addicted To Games?

Ahem. Hi, my name is Richie and I'm addicted to games.

Apparently, the Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants are able to treat those suffering from obsessive/compulsive gaming.

"The Smith& Jones GAMESTERDAM clinic is the first residential treatment facility in the world that is specialised in and focused on treating people who’s lives have become unmanageable as a result of their on or offline video gaming behaviour."

The site describes treatment of those who are unaware or deny their problem by helping them "see they have a problem, admit they have a problem and ask for help."

The site says that "computer and video games can be fun and innocent. Most people can play computer games without trouble. However, 20% of all gamers can develop a dependency on gaming."

According to a www.babyart.org article symptoms could include: dropping grades, sleeping at school, Carpal Tunnel syndrome and headaches.

Ahem. Wow.

So where do I start?

An addiction to games, huh? I guess everything is possible.

Three words, World of Warcraft (a.k.a. WOW). This game has become an icon amongst the gaming community.

There have been stories about people spending their saving just to "level-up" their characters.

Proof? I'm a victim.

Not of WOW but of Xbox 360's Final Fantasy XI, the massive multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg).

During this time, I spent weekends playing from nine in the morning to midnight non-stop, only to get up for hygienic purposes and nourishment.

Those were dark times. Trying to make my character reach a certain level and keep up with other players was a daily mission.

Oh no, flashbacks. Got to stop.

Well, I guess there is a such thing as addictions. But that someone has taken the time to make a program to "heal" these people is amusing, yet strangely relieving. Emphasis on "strangely."

-R

*http://www.smithandjones.nl/
*http://www.babyart.org/school-age/video-game-addiction.html
*image courtesy of http://mmorpg.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/53114/game-addict_qjgenth.jpg

Read full history - Are You Addicted To Games?