Harley Quinn's Revenge Is Batman: Arkham City's Bad New Ending 
High Scores And Egos: There's Always A Bigger Doodle 
The Last Moments Of GAME 
How Bad User Interfaces Are Ruining Video Games And Other Wonderful Things 
She Tried To Make Good Video Games For Girls, Whatever That Meant 
The Story Of Doodle Jump: Brotherly Love And Digital Snacks We know the Game Boy is dead, you know the Game Boy is dead, in fact everybody knows it’s dead. Everyone except Nintendo. And the people still buying them every month. But especially Nintendo. A recent survey the company conducted, however, may shed some light on their internal thought processes, as it asks customers what they think of the handheld’s staying power. While it may have been tempting to select the bottom two, we sincerely hope anyone who took part in this survey did the right thing and ticked the top box. If you truly love the Game Boy, you’ll let it go. Future of the Game Boy unclear? [Nintendo Everything, via Go Nintendo]
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata might not be funny, but hey, at least he’s apologetic. In the introduction of his latest “Iwata Asks” interview on Wii.com, he writes:
Hello, Everyone. My name is Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Beginning today, I would like to deliver an interview that explains the vision and the development process behind the creation of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. But before we begin, I would like to offer an apology.
With the completion of the game falling behind schedule, we were unable to keep our promised release date, despite our greatest efforts in attempting to release this game on time. I would like to extend my most sincere apology to all of our customers that are anticipating the title’s release, and also to our retailers.
Classy, thanks! Click in the link below for an interview between Iwata and Super Smash Bros. Brawl creator Masahiro Sakurai. It’s worth a read.
Ask Iwata [Wii.com via Go Nintendo]
Americans and British people aren’t the same. They’re different! Sensible Soccer designer Jon Hare points out how the British game industry has become more Americanised. He says just that:
I think that games are bought by software retail buyers who say that they are buying what the public want, but in actual fact the public wants what the public gets — to quote Paul Weller… Buying something with an established audience is safe so you can understand why it happens, but I think we have become very Americanised as an industry…
Quoting the Modfather, so British.
A Sensible Interview [MSN UK via CVG][Pic]
Some filings over on the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) website have revealed that Sony plan to manufacture the white, 40GB PS3 for the American market. The first filings were made in October of last year, but were initially withheld from the public at Sony’s request, so as to “avoid premature release of sensitive information prior to marketing or release of this product to the public”. The filings are, however, now clearly visible on the FCC’s site, including pics of the Commission’s testing rig and Sony’s declaration that the white PS3 will be manufactured according to FCC regulations. Now all we need is a release date, and we’re all set. FCC ID AK8CBEH1300 [FCC, via PS3 Fanboy]
This one goes out to readers in Japan. Well, readers in Japan with Nintendo Wiis. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is *finally* getting a long overdue release date for The Land of the Rising Sun. The game will drop March 6 for ¥6,800 (US $US 64). The game was first released in North America last August, then in Europe in late October and finally in Australia in early November. Sure the series is more popular in those territories, but PAL countries getting games before Japan? Hello backwards day! Metroid Prime 3 [Dengeki Online]
The Games Critics Awards 2007 Game of the Year rundown is underway. Following a poll of 36 judges (including Crecente, should you take objection to the outcome and need to focus blame), where each had to pick their ten favourite games for the year, the Critics’ site is running a countdown of the 10 that scored the most votes. Already revealed is Uncharted, which came in at #10, and Assassin’s Creed at #9, with more to be revealed through the week. [Games Critics Awards]
Remember when No More Heroes creator Goichi Suda said third party Wii games weren’t selling? And then we looking at the sales chart and saw that, save Mario Party and Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games, Suda was right. But no, no, no. Suda says that quote was taken out of context, misinterpreted. On his company’s website, Suda tries to clear the air:
I am concerned to learn my comments in one interview regarding the success of Nintendo 3rd part titles have been misinterpreted. My point was that “NO MORE HEROES”, unlike a lot of Nintendo Wii titles currently available is the kind of product which will attract a different kind of consumer to the hardware. ie. gamers who are looking for a different genre to the products which have been successful on this platform thus far.
Nobody’s arguing with that! Heck, who’s arguing with the misinterpretation?!
Grasshopper Manufacture [Official Site via GameFront via Go Nintendo]
Since you’ve already done what was asked of you and registered for Activision’s GHIII rebate program, you’re probably sitting in a little fort made of boxes and sheets, camped out near your front door, waiting for the mailman to turn up with your new game disc. If you are, and need to know how many boxes of pop tarts and long-life milk you’ll need to maintain your vigil, know Activision reckon the discs will be shipping in February. GH3 Wii Replacement Discs Expected in February [Shacknews]
Mike’s given us Japan’s 2007 in a nutshell. NPD gave us 2007 in several smaller, fragmented, company-specific nutshells. Now Gamasutra have done just about the last bit of summarising 2007 is going to need, coming up with about the only thing we still needed we didn’t yet have: graphs. The one you’ll be most interested in (monthly hardware sales) is above, but if you’d like to see more – like US Wii sales v Japan, or how the PS2 stacked up to the current-gen competition – the full article’s below. ANALYSIS: NPD HARDWARE SALES 2007 [Next-Gen]
To: Bash From: Crecente Re: To Shake Hands or Not to Shake Hands
It’s funny, I think that a lot of cultures view the shaking of hands with raised eyebrows, it isn’t very sanitary if you think about it, but hey, it’s what we’re used to.
So my son is getting to the age where he is beginning to take on a whole bunch of after school activities. He’s taking up swimming and running (we’re going to add biking soon and then next year triathlon training), he does pottery classes, he spends an hour a week studying math to stay nearly two grades ahead of his class, he’s doing flag football next month and soon cub scouts. But both my wife and I feel it’s very important that he take up a musical instrument. I took piano and trombone when I was a child and Trish took piano and violin.
So we ask him what he’d like to study and almost before we get the question out he answers: Drums! My wife, without skipping a beat (heh) tells him that his arms are too short and he’ll have to wait till he’s older to take up drumming (like maybe 21), So he quickly responds: Guitar, no, bass! and does a little air guitar, ala Jack Black. I ask him why he wants to take up guitar and he says,: “Guitar Hero”
I don’t think I want to be in the room when he discovers someone’s replaced the buttons with strings. It’s not going to be pretty.
What you missed: EA Reveals Cartoony, Free To Play Battlefield Heroes Advance Wars: Days of Ruin Campaign Impressions Feasting On The Bones Of The Madden Curse Patapon Is Going To Party Exactly Like It’s $US 19.99
