To: Crecente
From: Bash
RE: I Hate the Ws

I got a couple games in the mail today. And I really have no clue when I'm going to play them. With my crazy busy writing schedule, I have about an hour of gaming everyday. Of late, that hour has been occupied with Halo 3. Now, that I *finally* got BioShock today and *finally* got Stranglehold (cancelled my PS3 order, 'cause of the endless delays), the games are gonna start piling up. Next month brings Super Mario Galaxy, Kane & Lynch, Assassin's Creed, blah, blah, blah. Remember last year when people bitched and moaned about not enough games? Now we're bitching and moaning about not enough time to play them. The irony.

This afternoon, Mini-Bash wrote up a shopping list for Mrs. Bashcraft. He's four, and his serial killer handwriting shows it. After scribbling his name, he also wrote "potato", "carrot" and "meat" in Japanese hiragana. He then gave it to Mrs. Bashcraft and told her not to forget the carrots. Since Japanese is a phonetic language, I think kids learn to write and read fairly easily — kanji is a different can of worms, though. I know I still have problems with English spelling and have all my life. The readers probably know that, too!

Then again, many Japanese people have problems remembering how to write kanji characters, so maybe it evens out...

What you missed last night
Sony could run BC on 40GB PS3s
Say Uwe
Koei says Japan falling behind
White 40GB PS3
White DS3

Anyone know when SingStar's due on PS3? Anyone? If you're nodding your head or jumping up and down with your arm raised, sit down, shut up, you're either an idiot or you're flat-out lying to me. Because nobody knows when the things coming. Not even Sony. Appears that while the core aspects of the game are finished, with reviews of the game due to start appearing on the webs any day now, the downloadable content/marketplace functionality and community features for Joe Public are still deep in testing. And aren't likely to be finished any time soon, because Sony are shying away from announcing a release date for the game. Even though you can bet they want this game to be out before Christmas really really really bad.
SingStar PS3 release in limbo [Gamesindustry]

Our 25 countries World in Conflict contest has drawn to a close, and we've selected a winner. And that winner is... Jenny N.! So, Jenny N. shoot us an email at tipsATkotaku.com with your address. Make sure you put "WORLD IN CONFLICT WINNER" in the subject line, because that's what you are. Congrats!

Yeah, the Assassin's Creed collector's edition comes with an Altair figure. But why stop at one? Why stop at one figure when you can have two? This is NECA's take on Altair, the latest in their Player Select line, and he comes with working retractable wrist blades, four throwing knives, a sword and another knife. For when seven blades just isn't enough. He's due in November to coincide with the game's release, and you should be able to pick him up pretty much anywhere.

Gallery after the jump.

Just a day after Manhunt 2 failed to recieve a British Board of Film Classification certification, a new British study concerning the effect of violent games on children is being launched. Headed by psychologist Tanya Byron, the study will be carried out at an east London school with the British government's Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Culture Secretary James Purnell. The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association (ELSPA) will also cooperate in the government's study. Says ELSPA's Paul Jackson:

[The gaming industry is] too often blamed for everything from obesity to youth violence... It is just not true, and it's not appropriate... We feel quite positively about this review. It's clear the review is about making sure parents are properly informed about what their youngsters are playing and what they are accessing on the internet... We are very responsible and keen to ensure that our products are only played by those who they are designed for.

Games violence study is launched [BBC, Thanks Danbert!]

Look, Master Chief had a good run at the top. But these charts aren't for the US, or Belgium, or even Japan. They're for Britain. And in Britain, the charts belong to football and driving games. Which is why Halo 3 saw a 79% drop in sales on the way to the #2 position, sandwiched between FIFA 08 at the top and... Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights at #3. Really, Britons, Juiced 2?

1. FIFA 08
2. Halo 3
3. Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
4. MySims
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
6. Brain Training 2
7. Sega Rally
8. Ratatouille
9. Brain Training
10. Forza Motorsport 2

IQ Breeder is a pet sim mashed with a brain training game. The game features three animals (dog, cat, pig) whose IQs can be raised when players get things like math problems correct. The mini-games include puzzles, rhythm games, mazes and whatnot. It's even possible to pit your pet against a friend's. A marketer's wet dream!

IQ Breeder [Game Watch]

Man, Lord of the Rings Online sure dropped off the radar quick! Few months back all you ever heard from PC gamers was LotRO this, LotRO that. Now, nary a peep. Which means it's time for Turbine to top up public awareness of the project! Enter Gollum, who's being introduced to the game as part of the upcoming Book 11 update. No idea just what he's doing, but he won't be playable, so I guess he's just going to feature in some sort of instance involving rabbits, potatoes and a showdown over stew.

Gollum Creeps into Lord of the Rings Online [IGN]

Sure, we all know about internet cafes in Korea and China, how they are a mecca for online gamers. But what about internet cafes in Japan? In a country where console is king, do people game in internet cafes? Cross marketing Inc questioned folks about internet and comic cafes. The participants were divided 50/50 between males and females. Twenty percent were in their teens, twenty percent in their 20s, twenty percent in their 30s, twenty percent in their 40s and twenty percent in their 50s. Here's the raw data. Hooray for numbers!

• Almost half had been to an internet or comic cafe
• In a multiple answer poll about what they do at internet/comic cafes, 75 percent said they used the internet, 69.6 percent read manga, 33.8 percent eat or drink, 31.1 percent read magazines, 19.6 percent sleep, 16.2 percent watch DVDs, 11.5 percent play console games and 6.8 percent take a shower. (Yes, there are usually showers.)
• Another multiple answer poll inquired what people do on the internet. 90.1 percent said they look at sites, 44.1 percent send and read email, 22.5 percent read bulletin boards, 21.6 percent work and 21.6 percent play online games. To put that in prespective, 19.8 percent update their own blog.

So, there you go. Don't worry about Japanese people playing online games until they have heart attacks. Not likely to happen!

Internet Cafes [What Japan Thinks]

All it needs now is some Magical Sound Shower wafting in over Gordon's post-apocalyptic AM/FM radio and a palm tree or two and we'd be set. Plus I doubt Alyx would be the type to get all slappy if you crashed. Which is nice. You don't need the threat of a smack from your lady hanging over you when you're trying to save humanity.

I'm getting as sick of it as you, so this is the last backwards compatibility post. I promise. So let's end the whole sorry mess on a high note! For anyone who already owns a 60GB unit, know that Sony haven't forgotten about you. SCEE's Nick Sharples has told us that for the millions of consumers who already own a PS3, they'll continue to work on backwards-compatibility updates:

The current PS3 system software and future updates will continue to support backwards compatibility for the current 60GB and 80GB models.

On November 11th, Sony is also releasing the DualShock 3 in Japan. The force feedback controllers will retail for ¥5,500 (US $47) and come in Black (model number CECHZC2J) and Ceramic White (model number CECHZC2J CW). These will not be packaged with the 40GB PS3.

Exactly a year after the PlayStation 3 launched in Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment is launching a 40GB PS3 in The Land of the Rising Sun on November 11th. The console will come in Clear Black (model number CECHH00) and Ceramic White (model number CECHH00 CW). There are some changes in this 40GB model: The memory card slot and the SACD reading function have been nixed — no BC. Furthermore, the USB ports have been reduced from four to two ports. Clear Black and Ceramic White SixAxis controllers will be included with their respected colour consoles. The 40GB console will retail for ¥39,980 ($ US 341). SCE is also lowering the price on the current 20GB and 60GB models by ¥5,000 ($US 43). Starting October 17th, the 20GB will retail for ¥44,980 ($US 384) and the 60GB for ¥54,980 ($US 469).

When people think co-op play, they think online. Sure, you want to game with your buddy, but inviting them over to the house is a real drag! Or because of distance, they may not be able to come over even. But, if you plan on playing online co-op with Kane & Lynch, forget it. The game doesn't have it and only sports traditional co-op. Explains the game's direction, Jens Peter Kurup:

It's quite important in the single player and co-op that we're portraying characters and we're also portraying scenarios. It would have been nice to come up with something completely new. There are things with Lynch's Psycho mode which work out differently in co-op, the healing method and things like that, but it is a more traditional approach. We feel that's what players want. Co-op is about good times.

It's a matter of focus, choosing what you want to deliver at what time. We looked at it and decided it was too much of a risk to change our code to be very very good at that, and we're not going to be very very good at other elements. I'll miss the online co-op, but not terribly.

Kane&Lynch Interview [Eurogamer]

Until yesterday, if you'd said "Tori-Emaki", I'd have said "yes?". Wouldn't have had a clue what it meant. Now I do, and wish I'd known more, and known more sooner. An upcoming PlayStation Store download... thing (it's not really a game), it basically amounts to a bunch of traditional Japanese landscape paintings scrolling past the screen. And all you do is control a flock of birds using your hands, the movements registered by the PlayStation Eye camera. Sounds pretty boring. But actually looks pretty great.

Tori-Emaki - Awesome PlayStation Eye-based interactive screenserver [TTP & NeoGAF]

Confession: I have a fourth generation colour iPod. The screen is two inches and eye straining at best for even looking at album covers. So, can't imagine using it or the similar twi inch new iPod Nano as a gaming platform. Says Macworld:

A two-inch colour LCD display isn't very big, no matter how you slice it (though it's large enough for Nintendo to make a jeans pocket-sized game system around, its Game Boy Micro). The clarity of the 320-by-240 display is remarkable, and the brightness is also quite good. Still, I can't quite get past the size. It's too small to see a lot of detail in the games. I was already a bit put off by Ms. Pac-Man's tiny dimensions on the larger iPod's display; here it's almost to the point of being ridiculous... Because of the overall tiny dimensions of the new iPod Nano, I found my hand cramping up during long gaming sessions — it was just a tad awkward to have the iPod nano perched in my hand with my thumb on the Click Wheel all the time.

Gaming on Nano [Macworld via Game|Life]

Infogrames aren't too happy with Atari. Mainly because Atari are six and a half shades of rubbish, and Infogrames own 51% of said rubbish. With Atari in a laughable financial position, their French overlords have stepped in and removed five of Atari's board of directors, with three Infogrames execs to sit amongst the corpses until new suckers are brought in to further sully the once-famous Atari name.

Infogrames unveils changes to U.S. Atari unit board [Reuters]

Is it sad that Everyday Shooter's the best PS3 exclusive I've ever played? Nope! Because it's superb, PSN download or not. All those nice colours and music and shooting, all working together, it's very soothing. It's also very nearly publicly available, Sony letting us know that it'll be turning up on the PlayStation Store this Thursday. It'll set you back $US 10. Which is totally worth it.

Ah. So this is why SCE Australia aren't cutting the price of the existing 60GB PS3. According to sources from specialist retailers EB Games and GAME, Sony has been anticipating the move to 40GB for quite some time, and decided that rather than leave a bunch of 60GB units on the shelf (which they would then have to price-cut or repackage into a Value Pack, ala Europe) they'd just stop sending 60GB Starter Packs to retail altogether. Explains Sony's comments yesterday as to why the retail supply had "all but dried up" - it had, because apparently they'd cut off the supply, telling those retailers that while existing orders could be filled, no new orders for the 60GB model have been taken for a little while now.

Guess we won't be seeing a Value Pack, then, and if other retailers have had their stock cut off like EB and GAME have, if you want a 60GB model with gimped backwards compatibility I'd suggest you get a move on. Because once they're gone, it's naught but 40GB.

Poor EA! First they're ousted from their familiar #1 spot on the sales charts by Activision, now classy industry mag Game Developer has kicked them off the top spot in their publisher rankings. Who's taking their place? Nintendo! Why? Because their rep is stronger, they're making more money and their games get higher review scores. Easy! EA slide to #2 (this is the first time in the list's five-year history they haven't been top), Activision are at #3, Ubisoft at #4 and THQ scrape in at fifth place. Sega and Atari, better luck next year.

Game Developer's 5th Annual 'Top 20 Publishers' Sees Nintendo Best EA [Gamasutra]

This is great. At least it sounds great! Let's dive in: Japan's Success has a new game coming out called Tornado for the DS. The plot: According to game site Insert Credit, the buildings of the world have been stolen and kidnapped. Players are a cat named Toki whose duty it is to create tornados and get the buildings back. Tornados are created by drawing circles on the DS's touch screen. It's out late November, and I hope this game plays as well as it does in my mind!

Tornado [Official Page via Insert Credit]

Once upon a time, Japanese games were vastly superior to American ones. Now, they're not. Japanese publishers are starting to realise that they are competing on a global scale with Western developers. And if recent Halo 3 sales in Japan are any indication, Japanese consumers are slowly starting to realise this as well. Acording to Koei's managing executive officer and software division deputy general manager Takazumi Tomoike:

Actually, even within Koei, we are not always able to share technical information within the company itself. And it is true that we are not as good in Japan as the U.S. at sharing information and technology, to use the latest and greatest. The United States is better at doing that I believe, and I think this is reflected in the titles, the hit titles that you see worldwide. You used to see a whole bunch of Japanese titles and products and now there are only a few that you can count very easily. So I think you're right, Japan may be falling slightly behind in that sense.

Koei Interview [Gamasutra]

Ever since ZeniMax opened the doors to their online division, I've been keeping a close eye on them. I don't have to keep my eye too close, however, as not much has been happening. Until now.

GameDaily has a story up covering a few recent personnel changes at various companies, including Turbine's mysterious CEO swap and, interestingly, some action at ZeniMax Online. According to the story, 14-year industry veteran Lucien Parsons will take up the role of Production Director at the company. If you cruise over to ZO's website, you'll notice they're looking to fill a few more positions. Quite a few, actually.

Do you reckon they're making Elder Scrolls Online? Doesn't sound too far-fetched to me. Mind you, it looks like ZeniMax Online is a separate business to Bethesda, so who knows? Alternatively, ZeniMax might be preparing themselves to take over the Fallout MMO, if Interplay bungles the job.

Turbine Gets a New CEO, and New Moves at SCEA, ZeniMax Online & More [GameDaily]

I can't imagine Uwe Boll coming up in spoken conversation—discussion seems relegated to the internet only—but the critically lambasted director of video game film schlock wants you to at least pronounce his name right. I always thought it was OOH-VEY BOWL. You learn something new and completely useless everyday!

This whole backwards-compatibility thing on the new 40GB PS3 is a pinch confusing. Why, exactly, can't the new model run PS2 games when the old one could? Tired of asking questions of the night, I instead asked SCEE, who fired back a super-detailed, super-helpful guide to the 40GB's BC capabilities. Which is published in full after the click. For now, though, let's just focus on the part where they tell us they could run PS2 games on the 40GB PS3. They just can't be bothered:

The 40GB model, to be launched in Europe on 10th October, is a new model and is not equipped with any of the semi conductors from the PS2, and backwards compatibility would therefore have to be achieved by software emulation alone. The sheer numbers of PS2 titles available, together with the increased complexity of using a software only solution for each and every title means that to ensure accurate software emulation for the majority would be technically challenging, time consuming and costly. As we have mentioned on several occasions, our engineering resources are now focused on developing new and innovative features and services for the PS3 and, as a result the 40GB model does not have backwards compatibility with PS2 titles.

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: WWWWW Is The New LOL

Gah, I hate the Ws, sorry. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't WWW to you heart's content. But I'm an OSL, I'll be LOL my way to the grave.

Part of me hates the W because it's something new and I've been lol-ing, far too much, since, well since forever. The idea of just arbitrarily stopping seems odd to me. It would be like someone walking up to me and saying, "Hey Brian, you're laugh is out-dated, you're going to have to start guffawing." Sorry, ain't gonna happen.

Also, there's the whole issue of the Ws feeling trite and fake. I mean, I understand where it comes from, and I can see you using it since you speak Japanese, but I don't and using the W seems to me like some sort of pretense, like I'm pretending I speak Japanese. Worse still, it feels like someone trying to be cool, like wwwww is some sort of in-the-know thing, something cliquish, and I hate cliques.

I realise that the lol is over used, that people have come to use as a shortcut for "Don't take this the wrong way" or "I'm just kidding" or "That was meant to be funny". That lol is essentially a social tick, a way of replacing facial expressions with three letters, but changing lol to wwwww won't fix that, just make it more annoying.

So go ahead and muck up our campfire with your Ws, but know every time you WWWWW, I'm crying on the inside...

lol

What you missed:
Microsoft Gives Away Two Games With 360s
LA Noire Details Leaked?
40GB PS3 Dated
The Halo 3 Shwag Winner Is...
'New Pack' Wii SKU Coming?
Rockstar Appeals UK Rating Decision
New Soldier of Fortune Gorefest Looks Much Better

Arguably the most polished multiplatform puzzle-RPG of all time, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, joins advergame Yaris on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday. This one's not free; it'll set you back 1200 Microsoft Points, better known as $US 15. As the folks at GamerScore Blog point out, it's the cheapest version yet.

More details at the official site.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords [Xbox.com]

According to Sega itself, Sega Bass Fishing is "one of the most successful fishing game franchises of all time" having made appearances in the arcade, then the Dreamcast, followed by a Windows release in 2001. That proud legacy of virtually fishing for bass continues on the Wii in early 2008, as the company has announced Sega Bass Fishing for Nintendo's waggle box. The game will use both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, feature over 20 types of lures and 15 lakes, plus come with a free, delicious bass!

Actually, strike that. No edible bass. The game will instead feature four types of virtual freshwater bass. I regret the error. Handful of screenshots and a press release are below.

I thought you might want to take a peek at the new Xbox 360 controller for Ace Combat 6. The flight stick is made by Hori, so it's not surprising that along with the slick look, it is packed with useful buttons and has a nice heft to it. I can't talk about how Ace Combat 6 just yet, but that embargo lifts soon enough.

Gallery after the jump.