Saturday, November 29, 2008
Media
Piggy Banks You Can Play
2:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Gaming…banks? Saving money is a game, so hey, why not. There’s an article I wrote in the latest issue of Wired about Japanese piggy banks that incorporate gaming elements. The Jinsei Bank (”Life” Bank), Ikemen Bank (”Cool Guy” Bank) and BANKQUEST. The neat thing about doing the piece is that I actually “played” through all the banks. Had to get a huge stack of bills changed — “Jinsei Bank” can hold about a thousand bucks! Be sure to click through the gallery to get the blow-by-blow gameplay account. This Little Piggy Bank Became a Videogame [Wired] More »
What’s The Difference Between PS3 And Xbox 360 Versions? Ladies Underwear
12:40PM Brian Ashcraft | “Soul Breed” strategy/embarrassing food eating RPG Record of Agarest War first hit the PS3 last fall. Now, it’s got the inevitable Xbox 360 version. There are differences, it seems, big differences. More »
Japan Starts Its Holiday Hardware Buying Frenzy
12:00PM Michael McWhertor | Nintendo DSi sales are still HOT in Japan, with the camera-equipped revision moving another 88,000-plus units last week. The PSP also got a major shot in the arm, thanks to the latest Gundam release. More »
Excite Truck Dev Working On ‘Top-Secret’ Nintendo Title
11:20AM Michael McWhertor | Monster Games, Minnesota-based developer of Excite Truck for the Wii, are hard at work on another Nintendo-published game, one described as “top-secret.” Well, aren’t they all top-secret, even if they’re Excite Truck 2? More »
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Demo Hits Xbox Live
11:00AM Michael McWhertor | If you’re looking for something to liven up the demo section of your Xbox 360 this weekend, the newly released Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 demo may fit the time-killing bill. The free demo for the real-time strategy game from Electronic Arts is now on Xbox Live Marketplace. Included is the game’s cinematic opening, one campaign mission each from the Soviet and Allied campaigns, and an interactive tutorial. It’s available worldwide, for that realistic global conflict feeling. Warning: The Red Alert 3 demo may not actually feature full motion video of Gina Carano in leather short shorts as indicated by this post’s lead in picture. More »
Animal Crossing Wii Begins Its Dominance In Japan
10:40AM Michael McWhertor | If the debut of Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City (nee City Folk) is any indication, Nintendo has another hit on its hands. City Folk landed at #1, with Wild World for the DS still in the top 30. City Folk for the Wii was just one of five new debuts claiming half of the top ten, beating out Square Enix’s Chrono Trigger DS and The Last Remnant. Another strong Xbox 360 Japanese-style role-playing game that should help Microsoft’s fortunes overseas. Former chart-topper Kirby will likely move over 500,000 copies of Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe by the end of the year. A handful of PlayStation 3 titles show stronger sales legs than their counterparts, potentially a good sign for Sony in Japan. Media Create sales for November 17 to 24 are after the jump. More »
GTA IV On PC TO Use SecuROM
10:40AM Stuart Houghton | I’ll say this for Rockstar – they do like a controversy. Usually, though, they go in for cool controversies like sexy mini games or the sensationalised depiction of car crime and bullying. More »
