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22nd
SEP
No More Heroes 2 is last installment on Wii, next game on new Nintendo platform [Bwah?]
Posted by Mavrik | Filed under Gaming
Clarifying an earlier statement that No More Heroes 2 would be the franchises’ last installment on the Wii, creator Suda 51 told 1UP that the upcoming sequel is “the last iteration for this current platform.” Suda believes there will be a “Wii 2,” and he’d like to do another “game in the series on the next Nintendo platform.”
This is interesting not because of No More Heroes, but because there have been a lot of rumors circulating about a possible Wii 2 appearing around 2011. Nothing conclusive has been revealed, but as most leaks go in the gaming industry, there tends to be some truth to it. So I guess Nintendo is going to go ahead and release a new gaming system in the near future while Microsoft and Sony are attempting to lengthen their consoles’ life cycles by releasing their motion-sensing add-ons.
31st
AUG
PlayStation 3 Slim’s Blu-ray Drive Is Worse Than Original’s
Posted by Mavrik | Filed under Gaming
While most of the PlayStation 3 Slim haters in the house have been knocking Sony’s new system for the lack of PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility, these haterade drinkers will be pleased to know that the Slim also has an inferior Blu-ray drive. Engadget did an extensive analysis of the system and discovered that the Slim’s Blu-ray drive is a tad slower than the original’s.
“We’re actually a bit surprised by the results here, so we checked over these a few times. It seems that the PS3 Slim’s Blu-ray player is actually a tiny bit slower than our 60GB PS3 classic from 2006, albeit not by much. The time between inserting the disc (listening for that last little ‘click’ sound) and having it register in the menu was pretty much the same ten seconds each time, but once you click on the disc and actually launch into the movie, the time it takes to get to a non-loading screen was seconds quicker on the classic. Not a drastic difference, but after so many years to improve theBD technology, you think they’d bother to add something with a little more pep here, and certainly not deliver something with less.”
Personally, I really dig the Slim. I love that it uses less power, runs cooler, and isn’t nearly the fingerprint magnet the original is. Plus, I’m totally geeked out by its awesome 17-blade fan. Still, it’s disappointing that its Blu-ray drive is outperformed by a three-year old model.
Are any of you disappointed in the PS3 Slim’s Blu-ray performance? Shouldn’t a three-year update of a console have a drive as good or better than the original’s? Or is the difference small enough that it doesn’t matter to you?
20th
AUG
Game Informer: Xbox 360 at 54.2 percent failure rate
Posted by Mavrik | Filed under Gaming
The latest issue of Game Informer contains a surprising statistic for anyone who’s ever loved and lost their Microsoft-branded home console – according to their survey, in which over 5,000 console owners participated, the Xbox 360’s current failure rate due to the Red Ring of Death, E74 or other hardware failure is 54.2 percent. They also calculated the relative death toll for PS3s due to the Yellow Light of Death (10.3 percent) and Wiis, due to … well, we’re not actually sure what color the Wii’s light turns to upon its demise (6.8 percent).
Unfortunately, for having the highest failure rate, survey participants also pinned Microsoft for having the least helpful customer service representatives. Not that it matters – later in the survey, only 3.8 percent of participants said they’d never buy another Xbox 360 due to its high failure rate.
Speaking of which, we’re not sure what future techno-utopia this poll was conducted in, but a 54.2 percent Xbox 360 failure rate sounds awfully low. Had the survey’s participants been comprised entirely of Joystiq staffers, it would have been a bone-chilling 100 percent.
[Via Consumerist]
Tags: Game Informer, Microsoft, Xbox 360
18th
AUG
Sony Announces PlayStation 3 $100 Price Cuts
Posted by Mavrik | Filed under Gaming
Well, it’s official. After months of speculation, and persistent denials, Sony has revealed that starting tomorrow the 80GB PlayStation 3 will be available for the low, low price of $299, and the 160GB model will now be $399.
Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai made the announcement during Sony’s GamesCom 2009 press conference, during which Hirai also revealed that that the long rumored and highly anticipated PS3 Slim will also be available for $299 starting the first week of September.
That to me is a HUGE move for Sony and may finally give them an edge over the competition. And for many gamers out there who have been wanting to pick up a PS3, but weren’t able to commit to the $399 price tag, this news could not be more welcomed. I’m not entirely sure why anyone would throw down $299 for an 80GB PS3 when the 120GB PS3 Slim is coming in a few weeks for the exact same price.
Sony started out this console generation as the big, black behemoth that was a bit overpriced for most gamers. Now though, with the new price cut and, especially, with the Slim version, Sony has repositioned the PS3 as a much more consumer friendly, gamer-loving console.
And there was much rejoicing.
As a side note, I wonder if the PSP’s price point (especially the PSP Go at $250) is really bad now that the PS3 is cheaper.