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Sony Malaysia has apparently announced it will be launching the PS3 in the region. On Saturday September 20th, an official launch event commences from 11:30am at the 1Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya. There will be 150 special launch bundles available at launch, which consist of an 80GB PS3, Soulcalibur IV, a limited edition PS3 tote bag and a Soulcalibur IV CD holder. The first hundred to buy the console even get special Sony cash vouchers. Local pricing for the console has yet to be announced.
Sony plans local PS3 launch [The Star Online Thanks, Issam!][Pic]
The Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs just busted a sizable video game duplication lab in the southern Malaysian city Johor Bahru. Authorities confiscated a multitude of games and equipment, including 110,000 pirated discs (including FIFA Soccer 08, EA Sports Rugby 08, NBA Live 08, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08) and 46 DVD-R burners. For dramatic effect, the ESA explains that these DVD-R burners had the capability of producing 2.4 million pirated discs per year.
For dramatic effect, we’ll explain that 2.4 million discs is enough to give one pirated game to every person if you had a group of 2.4 million people.
Zhengtu Online – one of the most popular MMORPGs in Mainland China (so popular the government even labelled it dangerously addictive last year!) – isn’t content with mere Chinese dominance, oh no. The Zhengtu Network is partnering with Taiwanese and Malaysian companies to expand service into Southeast Asia. In typical fashion, the companies couldn’t just leave praise of their game to ‘It’s so awesome we’re more popular than Warcraft,’ but have to put a particularly positive spin on things: it’s not just an MMO, it’s a tool to teach Chinese philosophy! I can’t figure out the particulars, but I would run screaming from any game that heavily involved the teachings of Kongzi. Maybe it’s just me:
“Game mission can teach gamers Chinese philosophy,” said Tan Teck Seng, CEO of iG-Interactive Sdn Bhd, adding that the quizzes in the game will also be localised for the local gamers.
Chinese online games have developed speedily in the recent 10 years, which are benefit from the hardworking personnel of science and technology and the support of the government, said Gu Hongxing, first secretary and head, cultural office of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia.
I love poorly translated press releases. The interesting part about all of this is that Chinese developers are really ramping up international efforts – it was a big week for several companies. I wonder when this stuff will hit the US, if ever?
The Entertainment Software Association and the Motion Picture Association have joined forces to combat piracy in Malaysia. This announcement comes with the launch of Operation Games Attack, an effort by local Malaysian authorities to crack down on production and distribution of pirated games. It marks the first time the two awesome super teams have joined together to fight against piracy. This is exactly like when the JLA and JSA joined forces to fight evil, only completely different and with more spandex. I’d like to imagine that the two organisations stumbled upon each other while casing a pirate hangout and a massive battle broke out between the two, until finally they realised they were on the same side and decided to pool their efforts. Anti-piracy campaigns are just one of the myriad number of things that are far more interesting in my head.
