The SOCOM: Confrontation public beta hasn’t exactly been smooth. Good thing it’s a beta. And good thing it’s getting patched today with 8:00 AM EST — server maintenance will take 1.5 hours. But the Public Beta 1.10 Patch isn’t a cure-all. According to the SOCOM Online Team: “The server maintenance and patch are not meant to address all issues. We will have more updates to both the server and client in the future”.
Full statement after the jump:
Who goes to record stores anymore? I don’t really — unless I’m looking for something very, very specific. And other people don’t seem to be going as well. Heck, music retailer HMV announced that music sales are down 30 percent. But thankfully, people still get off their asses to go buy video games. Chief executive Simon Fox said:
Music is in our DNA and we are totally committed to it. But the fact is, the market is moving away from music — so we are giving more space in our stores to games… In games, we grew by just over 50 per cent, ahead of the market. And looking forward to Christmas… Within the next 12 to 18 months, it’s possible games will be bigger than music for us.
What happens when digital game distribution fully takes off? What then?
Game over [The Sun]
Let’s face it, the Nintendo DS is the most successful handheld. Like ever. It’s hard for Sony to go against such a juggernaut. The PSP is making big gains in Japan. People forget that! Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe exec David Reeves tells game site MCVUK:
We’re very, very happy and comfortable with our PSP business… And I don’t think we’re necessarily in the shadow of DS – they have different types of games and we have a different positioning for PSP which is not just about gaming, but Go Explore and everything else that comes with it… So we’re very very happy with its progress and the more and more we go to publishers with it the more they are coming on board.
Keyword: Happy. Just look at David Reeves. That man is THRILLED.
Action ‘Stations [MCVUK via CVG]
Stalker (sorry, GSC, we’re done typing it properly) Clear Sky was meant to come out in the US on September 5. Obviously didn’t. There was a problem at the printers. But it’s OK, they delay isn’t a catastrophic one, as the game’s now got a release date of September 15. Least, it does for retailers; Steam has it listed as September 15 as well, but publisher Deep Silver is refusing to confirm a simultaneous retail-online release.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Hits US Retail Sept. 15; Steam Release Date Not Yet Determined? [Shacknews]
Righto, this year is supposed to be the year of the PS3. That’s what they say, whoever they are. But Sony Worldwide Studios honcho Shuhei Yoshida also hopes next year would be the year of the PS3. Talking about this year (and next), Yoshida says:
All the things are now coming together in terms of the right hardware, cost and pricing, and we are increasing our hard disc space as we are increasing the content we’re offering through the network and the big titles we’re working on, coming out this Christmas. All that is coming together this year… That’s not to say we’re not working on product for next year. We have some titles that we have announced this year for release next year, like Heavy Rain and MAG, our big 256-player online title… Also there are some titles that we are targeting to launch next year that we have not announced yet. We still have a lot to come.
That way Yoshida can say the year after next is the year of the PS3, too. Endless!
Yoshida – PS3 hardware, cost and pricing “now coming together” [VG247]
Going outside today, Britons? Do watch for the sky falling. Because Nintendo’s dominance over the top end of the charts has been loosened by, of all things, a PC game, of which we’ve seen maybe 3 or 4 in these charts over the past two years. Sure, it was to be expected being Spore and all, but still, it’s a rarity to be savoured nonetheless. Right behind Will Wright’s latest is Mercenaries 2, proving that you don’t need flashy petrol giveaways to secure sales. You just need some Peter Stormare.
As we reported in late August, Microsoft is teaming up with Rock the Vote to allow gamers to register to vote on Xbox LIVE. Gamers can register to vote, discuss politics in an special forum and participate in political polls. LIVE members will also be able to download Rock the Vote public service announcements. CNN has a short video clip on this LIVE feature in which Adam Sessler does a fine job of pointing out the essential point: No, you cannot actually vote through you Xbox 360. Still, stuff like this is good for gamers, we imagine. While we seriously doubt all gamers have the same political tastes (that’s like saying everyone who watches TV has the same beliefs and opinions), the fact that something like this exists hopefully will make all politicians realise that video games are no longer a convenient bogey man. Hopefully.
Behold, the PicoCube! Half PC, half GameCube, all cute. Not only is it a fully-functioning PC (Pico-ITX, 1GB RAM, Pico PSU), with DVD slot and USB ports, it keeps the GameCube motif running through to its operating system, which is rocking a Mario-themed custom version of Ubuntu. Simply delightful.
PicoCube [WiiDS]
No Wii Haruhi Suzumiya dancing for you! Apparently. This November is slated to see a Wii title based on popular anime The Meloncoly of Haruhi Suzumiya. Originally, the game was supposed to feature dancing. No, make that Haruhi dancing.
But according to this poster, the game will apparently not feature dancing anymore as the poster asks if the dancing has stopped. In its place (we guess), players get an assortment of mini-games. There’s a Haruhi fortune telling mini-game, a mini-game called “Nagato Viewer” in which players watch character Nagato, a baseball mini-game as well as a paper, rock, scissors mini-game. The confusing bit is that this official poster isn’t exactly saying the dancing is cancelled, but rather, asking in yellow.
Maybe it’s just an odd advertising campaign trying to focus attention on the game’s other aspects or this is just some publicity stunt.
And yes, Haruhi dance after the jump.
2K just passed this new BioShock PS3 trailer along. Nothing new or terribly exciting here for anyone who owns a 360 or PC, but hey, not everyone owns a 360 or PC.
