To: Crecente From: B.A.
And I’m back in Japan! Korea was fun, but that whirlwind trip seriously kicked my ass. Last night in town, I met up with Nick Rumas from 4CR and Gamasutra. He took me out for truly a decilious meal — like one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Apparently, the last people he showed around Seoul before giving me the tour was Nine Inch Nails. So, yah, showing me around was obviously a MAJOR STEP DOWN.
Really wish I could’ve spent a week or two traveling around Korea. It’s a wonderful place. Definitely want to take Mrs. Bashcraft and Mini-Bash. Speaking of which, when I got back home, the little squirt started speaking in English with me. Usually, he just blabbers away in Japanese. Not sure what prompted this. His English is broken and painfully cute.
Me: “Are you sleepy?” Mini-Bash: “Me, no. No yet. You are snoopy?” Me: “No, I’m not sleepy.”
He has problems pronouncing “sleepy” it seems.
What you missed last night How Japanese gaming did last year Kaz gunning for PS3 profits Sony announces 16GB stick PSP GPS peripheral coming to N.A.? 10 million gold subscribers
Following a lacklustre infomercial CES keynote, Microsoft sent out a press release this morning touting the “powerful momentum” of Games for Windows and the addition of nine new Games for Windows-branded titles including Alone in the Dark and LEGO Indiana Jones.
“Games for Windows truly thrived in 2007. We went from two titles in 2006 to a continually growing portfolio of over 60 titles here at CES 2008,” said Kevin Unangst, senior global director of Games for Windows in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “We delivered on our promise one year ago to reinvigorate the PC gaming space and bring the best portfolio of games to Windows. And this is just the beginning. With our partners, we will continue to drive the resurgence of Windows-based gaming.”
The full list of new GFW games includes:
• “Alone in the Dark” (Atari) • “Bionic Commando” (Capcom) • “Conflict: Denied Ops” (Eidos Interactive) • “Empire: Total War” (SEGA) • “LEGO Indiana Jones” (LucasArts) • “Microsoft Train Simulator 2″ (Microsoft Game Studios) • “Sins of a Solar Empire” (Stardock) • “Space Siege” (SEGA) • “Tomb Raider: Underworld” (Eidos Interactive)
The release also went on to point out that the casual games industry generated $US 2.25 billion in revenue last year and has a projected increase of 20 percent. I wonder if that now includes the Wii? Hit the jump for the full release.
Keep in mind: This does come from an internet bulletin board. We cannot yet verify the validity of this, but a 2Channel thread of supposedly Sony Computer Entertainment insiders claim there are rumoured layoffs due to an internal restructuring, among other things at the Japanese HQ. Loads of bogus posts/stories/etc appear on 2Channel, so we’re slightly suspect. However, last year’s the price cut only a short-lived PS3 sales spike. Poor sales certainly do provide validity to the rumor that SCE is reshuffling. We should know in the next few weeks whether this is legit or total b.s. SCE Rumoured Layoffs [2Channel, Thanks Muu!]
A while back, we posted that Japan was going to clamp down on handheld gaming in the skies. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Japan was banning WiFi game portables. But how strict are the airlines? When flying back to the States before Christmas, we spotted these Nintendo DS signs at Osaka’s Itami Airport. Theses Nintendo signs greeted travelers showing two new rules for flying: 1). Turn off the DS’s power during take-off and landing. 2). Don’t use WiFi capabilities during the flight. We didn’t have any problems using a DS on both domestic and international Japan Airline flights. Seems like more of a ban on WiFi use and not on the actual handhelds. That seems to be the extent of Japan’s crackdown!
And here we were thinking the only other constant in life – death aside – was Microsoft saying “no comment” when confronted with a rumour. Guess we’ll be scratching that from our big list of life’s constants, because when asked for the millionth time about the possibility of the Xbox 360 being offered with an internal HD-DVD drive, you can almost see their eyes rolling: We have reiterated multiple times since launching the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player that we have no plans to integrate an HD-DVD player in to the Xbox 360. We feel that offering the drive externally is the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high-definition experiences.
OK, so maybe not furious, but when stood next to their standard “no comment” it certainly looks a lot…surlier. Gates delivering 360 Ultimate-um at CES? [GameSpot]
Nintendo of today is a different company. A different company with a different perspective. Not that this is good or bad — it’s different. So when Nintendo president honcho was asked about the new physical interaction the Wii-mote offers, his answers is anything but typical. In fact, it makes us somewhat sad. Here Iwata answers Japan’s Asahi.com:
It’s [the waggle]an extension of the argument of straightforward and easy control we started with the DS, but putting it in the living room makes it different. As big screen televisions increase, what kind of game machine can you make? Targeting highly detailed graphics and epic stories are options, and in that situation, the gamer population doesn’t increase. The answer was creating the sensation of really playing sports on the television screen, and it’s a new type of physical interaction.
Sure, he’s got a point. Nintendo sales are certainly indicative of that. And Nintendo is running a business, but still. Big games slowly trickle out of Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters these days. Elsewhere in the interview, Iwata professes his adoration for Apple. Not surprising since both the DS Lite and the Wii reek of Apple design inspiration. Hit the jump for that quote.
Late last week Microsoft let us know what had been the most popular games on their system in 2007. This week, they’re letting us know who the most popular gamers were. And by “popular”, they mean the ones who’d had their gamertag perved at by the most people, whether online or, less credibly, across forums. The top three you should recognise, but we’re just glad “agent arenas”, despite his well-publicised problems, still found his way into so many of your hearts. The Top 25 Gamertags of 2007 [Microsoft][Image: BBC]
De-licious! Here’s a box of “Pokémon Ningyou Yaki” (Pokémon Doll Fried) manjuu treats. And what’s the best way to show the sweet bean paste inside Pikachu’s brain? Slice his fried head in half! Never has something this tasty been oh so gruesome. Eight to a box and priced at only 900 yen ($US 8.25)!
Thanks, Kenny!
After months of breathless anticipation (on our part) and silence (on Q Entertainment’s part), the Xbox Live Arcade port of Mizuguchi’s classic shooter Rez finally has a pair of release dates. Americans will be seeing the game on January 8, while Europe’s long and proud tradition of pointless delays continues, with their release date being February 20. BONUS NEWS: an accompanying post on Sonic Team’s blog says that classy Japanese T-shirt makers Beams will be releasing a ltd edition Rez tee. My thumbs are both up. [Official Site, thanks Jonathan!]
2007 was a phenomenal year in gaming. A first full year of new consoles and a flood of AAA games vying for your dollar meant the year was a record-setter in terms of overall sales for the industry. How can poor little 2008, with no new consoles and no new Halo, hope to compete? It can’t, with the Consumer Electronics Association already predicting a $US 200 million downturn in sales for the industry. A predicted decline in sales of hardware, which is expensive, and the resulting emphasis on software, which is cheaper, are behind the decrease, though overall profits may well be up, since software sales (which generate higher margins for all involved than consoles) are expected to rise by 24%. Got all that? Fantastic. U.S. video game industry growth seen slowing [Reuters]
