To: Totilo
From: Bash
RE: Spare a Rodent?

This morning wife and mother-in-law took the train to a Buddhist temple to ask for a healthy birth. As you may or may not know, this pregnancy has been rather tough on her. It was like that for Mini-Bash's, but this time seems to have more teeth that dig in and bite. The baby, says the doctor, is healthy and strong. Wife still has bad days. Today, for instance, her mother said the moment Mrs. Bashcraft got off the train, she threw up. When she got to the temple, she threw up. After lunch, ditto. When she got back on the train, and so on. (She seems fine right now as she watches TV! Just going out of the house seems to take a lot out of her.)

At the temple, she bought two talisman or amulets — what the Japanese call "mamori". The orange coloured one in the picture is for the unborn baby, to protect it. When Mrs. Bashcraft went to the temple today, she took the one she kept for Mini-Bash while he was in her belly, returned it and said thank you for a healthy birth. (Yeah, I know, she was five years late, but whatever.) The other amulet, the yellow one, is to protect Mini-Bash. At the temple, she also bought a white cloth called "haraobi" which pregnant women wrap around their stomachs to keep them warm. It's basically an old fashioned maternity girdle. She won't be able to start wearing it until the 27th of this month, because according to the Buddhist calendar that the "Day of the Dog". Since dogs give birth easily, it's advised to start wearing the haraobi starting from that date. (Note: This "Day of the Dog" changes every month, so I think it's the 4th of next month, but I'm not sure.) Fingers crossed this stuff works.

In case you are curious, hit the jump for look at the back of the envelope from the Temple that the haraobi came in.

What you missed last night
"Hot Coffee" Class Action Suit Claims Show Very Few Were Offended
Microsoft To Let Other Companies Build, Release 360 Consoles?
New Duke Nukem Screen Is Small
A Terrifying Glimpse Into The Future Of The Halo Franchise?
"Everyone Will Be Really Excited" About Blizzard Announcement

It's time to turn down the lights down real low. Set the mood, right. Previously, Microsoft exec and ladies man Aaron Greenberg talked up Bill Gates hot tub habits with two Penthouse Pets. This time it is Robert Bowling from Infinity Ward's turn. Robert Bowling? Yes, ROBERT BOWLING. He talks to the Pets about his part in Call of Duty 4:

Penthouse Lady: You are behind Call of Duty 4, right?
Robert Bowling: Uh, yeah. I'm the Community Manager for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warefare and Infinity Ward, which is the developer.
Penthouse Lady: Right on.

Phew. Good thing that wasn't all awkward. It sure could've been. These clips are from GDC and will never get old. Never.

In Bed With The Pets [Das Gamer via videogaming247]

The Daily Hotness [Dtoid via Go Nintendo]

According to CVG, the much-hyped PS3 firmware update to 2.40 - the one that'll bring trophies and in-game XMB access - won't be launching "soon". Instead, Sony will be holding it back, and launching it around the time of the company's E3 address in three weeks time. They also claim to have gotten hold of the final list of features contained within the update. It's a literal list of updates - meaning the exact function of some of them is unclear - but hey, use your imagination.

Earlier we posted what we thought could be the "PlayStation Phone" — which was more phone than PlayStation. This Sony Ericsson "gaming phone" does not carry the PlayStation brand, which is something many analysts found strange. Elsewhere business site Marketing Weeks writes about the rumoured PlayStation phone Sony is apparently working on:

It is thought the phone will incorporate elements of the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It is understood the phone could hit the shelves in time for Christmas 2009... Sources in Japan and Korea say Sony is working on converting the current PSP model into a phone. Analysts say it would be "relatively easy" to convert the current PSP as it already incorporates wi-fi.

According to Marketing Week, the reason why the Sony Ericsson phone does not carry the PlayStation brand is that Sony would "never give its PlayStation branding" to Ericsson after learning from its "strategic error" of giving the Walkman brand to Ericsson. What's more, relationship between Sony and Ericsson is "frosty". Burrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Sony plots gaming phone with PlayStation branding [Marketing Week via MCVUK] [Pic]

Courtesy of Rare, here's four new screens for the upcoming Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise. Things are looking lovely, there's no doubt of that. But the first one looked (and played!) lovely, too. And still, nobody really paid any attention. Will genie huts and birds with gas masks change that? Probably not, but there's always hope!

What we know: Last year, Sony officially said God of War III was for the PS3. Back in February of this year, a Sony teaser ad said God of War III was "coming soon". A job announcement popped up in April was seeking an online game programmer for the team that created God of War and God of War II. According to a post on game site Eurogamer, Sony will be announcing God of War III for the PS3 at E3. This s unconfirmed, but makes sense! Surely, Sony will want a big AAA exclusive to face off with Gears of War 2 this holiday season. But just because something makes sense doesn't mean it's true.

God Of War III vai ser [Eurogamer.pt via N4G Thanks, Thorsten!] [Pic]

DS game Moe Sta is here to teach people English. The instructional software features 5,000 English questions that range from junior high school to Tokyo University entrance examination level. To mark Moe Sta's release, its developer Mirai Shonen has announced the "Moe Sta Scholarship Institution". Here's the deal: Use Moe Sta to study English and pass the notoriously difficult Tokyo University entrance exam, and the Mirai Shonen will provide ¥500,000 ($AU 4,170) in financial assistance. The developer will carefully select two students who use the software to help enter the university. Study hard!

Moe Sta Scholarship [Official Site via Hatimaki]

Yeah, all fanbases have their eccentricities. Halo fans can be...boisterous. Metal Gear fans can have...interesting ideas on what merits good story-telling. Smash Bros fans can be...well, again, boisterous. But as passionate as those groups are, they haven't got shit on Blizzard fans. Those guys are crazy. And Blizzard knows it. Rob Pardo:

I love our Blizzard fans, they're the best in the world. But they can get pretty angry...I've gotten sixteen-page diatribes.

Completely understandable. We can totally see how the same kind of energy they display scouring the source code of a splash marketing page can be misdirected as pure, white-hot nerd rage.

Blizzard: "Our Fans Can Get Pretty Angry" [Next-Gen]

I'd really like to know! Being someone that buys, on average, a couple of games a month and, on average, around one new piece of hardware a year, it'd be an interesting figure to know. Sorry, what's that? You say ("you" being a GameStrata survey) we, as gamers, spend on average $AU 31,280 on games and hardware between the ages 18-48? Oh. Oh, see. Now I wish I didn't know. That's depressing.

This weekend the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational is being held in Paris. There will probably be some big announcements. But what could they be? At GDC Paris, Blizzard's Rob Pardo was asked about the "the new game" to which he replied:

So you want me to announce the game before our announcement? No offence, but I think there's like 300 people here, and I'll be ripped apart by 8000 people there [at the Invitational] if I pre-announce it — but it's going to be really exciting. I think everybody here will be really excited about the announcement.

Sounds really exciting, and yes, we're really excited.

Blizzard to unveil new title at Worldwide Invitational? [Games Industry] [Pic]

Current gen video games look pretty darn good! Almost like movies. But there is a difference. Ask ask Ralph Eggleston, production designer behind Pixar's upcoming movie, Wall-E (pictured). He'll tell you!

How much of a gap exists today between current-gen consoles and the tech you use?

A vast, vast difference. If the player is involved in the narrative they can render it only so fast, really, though it will get faster. But when you're in control of a narrative, as we are as filmmakers, the level of detail has to be much greater and we have the opportunity to create that because we have full control - our worlds are finite as opposed to video games, which are not entirely infinite but a lot more infinite than what we do... I think it will get better and better. But for me, the big thing lacking in video games, and I haven't seen one that has done this for me, is how you involve a strong narrative story. Not just a set-up that you jump in to, but a narrative story in which the player is an active participant. I've had this conversation with friends now for almost a decade on how you could actually do that with a videogame. Unfortunately, although I think there would be a market for that, I don't think the market would be large enough.

M'kay. If it's good, Ralph, people will buy it. Don't underestimate your fellow human!

Pixar Interview [Next-Gen]

If you purchased Commando 3 on XBLA the other day, good news! What may well have been the real reason you bought it - the Street Fighter II HD beta - kicks off today! Remember, you're supposed to be helping Capcom test the game, not scamming some kind of free, early access, so your complaints that it features only one stage and two fighters (Ken & Ryu) will fall on deaf ears. If you're stuck on how to actually access the beta, it should appear as an option on the game's main menu.

Watched so you don't have to! The New York Asian Film Festival recently kicked off, showing lots and lots of, you guessed it, Asian films. Included in that pan-Pacific cinematic buffet was OneChanbara — a film we actually want to see. That Girl from the cleverly named That Girl's Site saw the flick, blogging:

I went to go check out Chanbara Beauty on Friday but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I had a little too much to drink right before the movie so I didn't get to see it in its entirety because I fell asleep. I remember some zombies and some chick in a bikini named Aya who had a sword, and she used this sword to fight the zombies. At some point I woke up and she was fighting some other chick who was in a school uniform of some kind. I don't remember ever seeing this little girl [with arrow] in the movie so I have no idea who she is or what she has to do with the movie. And then the movie ended.

We would've remembered everything if we had seen it. But we didn't, so tough tooty.

OneChanbara Review [That Girl's Site]

Capcom are all aboard that Unreal train. Having licensed the Unreal Engine 3.0 in February for use on a title being developed in North America (Dead Rising 2?), they've today licensed the engine for use in a second project, this one being worked on in Europe. No idea what that one could be (maybe a new IP!), but that's not the point! The point is a lot of Japanese developers talk about trying harder in the Western market. It's nice being reminded there's at least one doing something about it.

The Atlanta, US-based DJ Le Castle Vania, otherwise known as DJ Dylan, is currently touring Australia with his disco-electro beats. I don't know about you, but I cannot stand dance music, but going by the name alone, I thought this might be worth a look-see.

Problem is, his "music" has nothing at all to do with Konami's classic. Nothing. In fact, I can't see any reason why he's taken the Castlevania name, other than because it sounds cool. If this guy played the games when he was younger (though he looks borderline 12 as it is), he makes no references to it on his (*urgh*) MySpace page.

It's a free world I guess, and anyone can go by whatever name they want, but it makes me sad seeing the Castlevania name abused with neon. Neon!

Le Castle Vania [Official site, thanks Christian]

Our favourite source for gaming news, the Wall Street Journal, has a piece up that examines how and why Monster Hunter Portable is so damn popular in Japan. That game has totally energized the PSP, breathing all kinds of new life into it and opening the platform to a wider audience. From the WSJ:

Many Japanese are uncomfortable with the idea of playing videogames with strangers over the Internet. That's why online games for multiple players aren't as popular here as in the U.S. and other markets... Osaka-based Capcom, better known outside Japan for titles like Street Fighter and Evil May Cry, launched Monster Hunter as an online multiplayer game for Sony's PlayStation 2 console four years ago. Sales weren't huge. Many consumers shied away from the game, which was best played with other PS2 users over an online network... But Ryozo Tsujimoto, the producer of the portable Monster Hunter games, saw a big opportunity for a PSP version because the device could be carried around easily, so gamers could introduce the game to friends. Sales figures soon showed he was on to something.

If gadget mag T3 has any insight into the future of gaming, 2010 is gonna be Hell on Earth. Someone at Nintendo will have some harebrained notion that we want mind controlled games and a new Wii Remote that looks like a, well, "back massager". Of course, we'll be playing the "Wii 2" alongside our hot, blue-haired sex robot girlfriend that we've given a horrible haircut, so it won't be all bad, just regularly depressing.

We'd provide our own conceptual design for the next Nintendo console, but don't really have the time to Photoshop three GameCubes taped together right now.

Nintendo Wii as it might look in 2010 [T3]

Halo is, without a doubt, Microsoft's biggest bread-winner. By a country mile. And even with the Chief's story now finished, you can bet they're looking at ways to leverage the brand's popularity into more cash money. Halo Wars and the Peter Jackson games are a start, but what else may Microsoft have in store? This excerpt from a marketing survey, completed for a company that was very interested in Xbox 360 gaming (Intellisponse, perhaps?), was sent to us by tipster frostcircus. If you're a Halo purist, you may not want to click through.

Pandemic PS3 coder Tony Albrecht already has a unique unit of measurement, called the "Tony", for explaining the differences in processing power between the major consoles. He even went so far as to break it down for the less technically-minded.

Now, I think Tony units are great. Albrecht however felt a deeper understanding of where the consoles sit on the grunt scale was required, so he went and compared the latest generation of gaming platforms with the planet's fastest supercomputer - the IBM Roadrunner. His findings are fascinating:

Found over on the 3D Realms careers page, there's this new Duke Nukem Forever screenshot. It's tiny! And there's Duke and a sunglasses and a pipebomb and a gun... Don't forget that this was posted on a job page and not via traditional publicity means. And for those interested, the 3D Realms help wanted reads:

Need more help. Must go faster. Scotty, we need more powah! ATTN: 3DR Website level designers, local Dallas/Guildhall level designers and level designers everywhere...

If you're a pro, or an amateur, if you have talent and passion, feel free to send us your stuff. Programmers interested in game play programming, or with 360 experience should look us up, too.

For those not interested, move along, move along.

Help Wanted! [3D Realms via Shack News]

If you need to get your "man, the Japanese PSN is so much better" rants out of your system first, do it, then get back to us. All better? Right, on we go! Square-Enix has committed to re-releasing many of their classic titles over the PlayStation Network, starting today, with two Square games (Xenogears and Einhander) and two Enix games (Rakugaki Showtime and Astronoka). They're all available for ¥600 ($AU 5.75). According to this week's issue of Dengeki PlayStation, they're planning on releasing twelve games in total, so you've got plenty more chances to whine about the absence of your game of choice.

Nintendo fans (and television viewers!) may remember a commercial Nintendo ran a few years back. For Paper Mario, on the GameCube. Was a great ad, with a cute message, and a charming little tune accompanying it. Problem is, that charming little tune is called "You're So Cool", and was composed by Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer for the Tarantino flick True Romance. And Nintendo allegedly used it without permission. On June 12, Hollywood production company Morgan Creek filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. But then, on June 18, they withdrew the case. No reason given. Which sparks the ol' curiosity circuits! Maybe they got their facts wrong? Maybe Nintendo paid them off? Maybe they saw how damn cute the commercial was, how nobody (sadly) remembers True Romance, and just couldn't be bothered?

Nintendo Sued Over Use of Music from 1993 Film [GamePolitics]

That's Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono holding a new Street Fighter IV publicity poster. Quite swanky! (But it does remind me of the GTA IV "IV" — that's because there are only so many ways to do "IV", I guess.) There's another post after the jump. Same basic layout, but different characters in the "IV" and sporting a different colour. Kinda like it better, but you go on and judge for yourself.

The DS version of Activision's popular Guitar Hero games is now available in Australia. Guitar Hero: On Tour features tunes from the likes of Blink 182, No Doubt and Nirvana, among others.

Definitely a neat little setup, but not something I'd whip out on the train or in the company of anyone without a modicum of geek. If you do decide On Tour is for you, the game pack (which includes the guitar peripheral) will demand $89.95 from your coin purse.

Press release and "Hot Donna" shots of the hand unit and plectrum stylus after the jump.

Llexx over at NextGen Gamers has put together a short list of pointers to get you through the rigours of multiplayer combat in Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4. I know every time I lose at any game online it's like someone's punched me in the nads, so avoid that burning sensation in your lower gut and give this guide a read. Unless you're a chick, in which case I don't want to know about burning. Or sensations.

Want a teaser? Here's tip #7, which came as news to me:

7. In death match mode, spawning is totally random. Before you spawn we recommend that you always hold your select button to pause your forced re-spawn. By doing this it will give you time to check your surroundings, thus preventing you from materialising next to an enemy.

MGS4 multiplayer survival guide [NextGen Gamers, thanks Lauren and Dave]

Yeah, this one's a rumour. A crazy rumour, right? Maybe not as crazy as you think, so bear with us. Here's what Quartermann says in the latest issue of EGM:

We'll tell you what's up with Microsoft: new hardware options. It may sound totally insane — trust us, we did a double-take the first time Qmann whispered it in our ears — but word has it that Microsoft may begin allowing third-party manufacturers to create Xbox 360 hardware. And we're not talking about peripherals, people; we mean hardware that runs 360 game discs created by someone other than Microsoft.

Nuts nuts, yes? Probably. But at least think about it. It's not like such a move would be without precedent. You could purchase Sega CD drives for PCs. Panasonic released the Q, a Japan-only GameCube that doubled as a DVD player. And we've heard whispers that Microsoft have also been exploring the idea of releasing 360-compatible disc drives for the PC. Not that any of that makes the prospect of seeing, say, a Samsung Xbox 360/Blu-Ray player any more likely (as the rumour seems to suggest), but hey, crazier things have happened.

Quartermann [Electronic Gaming Monthly]

If you're a PlayStation The Official Magazine subscriber, you already know that Flash will be joining the Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe roster, along with an impressively chesty Sonya Blade. If not, well, there you go. The speedy champion of Central City is going to rep the DC side in Midway's upcoming brawler, bringing the confirmed list of DC heroes to three. How many others from the DC stable will appear?

During Monday's Fallout 3 presentation by Bethesda's Pete Hines, I was on the lookout for anything new. To start with, my hopes weren't great - the first gameplay sequence Pete demoed was from last year's DC preview. It was good seeing the game in action again, but it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know (apart from the fact that Pete is better at the game than Todd, but that might be because he's had a chance to practise heaps).

The second section of gameplay however was from an updated build (I have some other tidbits I'll share later about this). This version featured new loading text, located in the bottom left-hand of the screen as the game processes level data. Seeing as Bethesda's remained tight-lipped about what perks will be in Fallout 3, I was surprised to see a couple of extensive descriptions of various perks in these text sections. Photography was not allowed during the presentation, but I did jot down what I saw:

With console warring between Nintendo and Sega a thing of the past, Sega now relegated to a software only existence — robot girlfriends and indoor astronomy gizmos not included — you'd think that those Genesis era wounds would have healed. Perhaps without meaning to, famed Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto may have split them open again.

When asked about maintaining quality control at Nintendo, Miyamoto says the key is in avoiding Sega-style design. He tells Wired, "I'm always instructing my game designers on the history of the characters and worlds we've created. Often we're in development and I'll say, 'Oh, this looks like a Sega game. We need to make it look more like Mario.'" Ouch.

In Miyamoto's defence, he may have been talking about Sega's last decade or so of existence. And that's totally fair.

15th Anniversary: Revenge of the Wii [Wired via NeoGAF]