Blog Report

Just playing Some Alan Wake, when all this news happened. Enjoy!

Is It Legal to Jailbreak and Unlock Your Cellphone? Copyright Office Officially Says, "Yes" [IPhone]
Take A Visual Tour Of Tron: Legacy's New 'Flynn's Arcade' [Comic-Con 2010]
Darth Vader and Boba Fett class up the joint [Cosplay]
Street Fighter X Tekken, Tekken X Street Fighter Revealed At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition Announced At Comic-Con [Comic-Con 2010]
LittleBigPlanet 2 Takes November With Adorable Collectors Edition [Release Date]
About The Time Darth Vader Robbed A Bank [Screengrab]
Konami Launching Retail Shop [Japan]
Meet The Guys Who Make Gaming's Fancy Editions [Packaging]
Kevin Butler and New Zealand
What Is Daigo's Day Job? [The Beast]
Rumor: Microsoft Killed Plans For "PC vs Xbox 360" Online Play [Microsoft]
PlayStation 3's 3D Games Could Get 3DS-Style Slider [3D]
Blizzard Does 180 on Real Names
Google Invests $100+ Million In FarmVille Company, Prepares Google Games [Rumor]
Dead Space 2's Miner Upgrades, Including A Solution To A Lack Of Bullets [Preview]
Six New Games Unveiled By EA Today [Electronic Arts]
Fight Night Champion Announced for 2011
Microsoft's Take On The Cost of Motion Gaming [Kinect]

Blog Report

Here is some news!

The Man Who Will Bring Us To The Fourth Dimension [Feature]
Dragon Age II's New Look, Now In Screen Shots [Bioware]
This Chun-Li Has Tiny Thighs [Gameface]
Which Version Of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Should You Buy? [Deus Ex: Human Revolution]
The Dumb Reasons Publishers Passed On PS3 Hit Joe Danger [PS3]
Large Kinect Kiosk Sets Up Shop In Mall [Xbox 360]
Does The Gears Of Warring Of Harry Potter Go Too Far? [Ea]
Help Defend Gaming: Sign the Gamer Petition
God Of War Movie Trailer Is...Unexpectedly Brilliant [Clips]
Amazon As Market Research (For The Lonely Gamer) [Nsfw]
How to Hack Your Nintendo DS for Easy Backups and Single-Cartridge Playback [Gaming]
Questions And Answers About Blizzard's Real ID Plans [Blizzard]
A Guide To Building The 'Perfect Arcade' From Scratch [D.i.y.]
Kmart's Peer Game Reviews Gives Power To the People [Well Played]
Sony Explores Alternative to Split-Screen Multiplayer [Patent]
Scandal May Have 'Permanently Damaged' Tiger Woods PGA Tour [Golf]
Rumor: Namco vs Capcom, Capcom vs Namco In Development [Rumor]
Sony Commercial Ripped Off [Top]
Infants Found Wandering Streets While Father Plays PC Puzzler [Crime]
Learn The StarCraft Storyline In A Hurry [Blizzard]

Geeking Out in NYC - Part 1

Seeing Rockstar advertise Red Dead Redemption on one of the largest billboards in Times Square it became clear how much video games have integrated with modern culture. Most would think that video games would be last on one's mind in New York, surrounded by an incredible mix of culture, food, and spirits. Should that be the case, you might miss a couple of gaming gems hidden throughout the big apple.

Nintendo Rewards their Fans

So Nintendo has a service online where you can go register Nintendo Products called, Club Nintendo. This service is pretty common for publishers and even crosses into other industries. By doing so, Nintendo provides its fans the opportunities to earn points, which can be redeemed for unique products which you cannot buy in stores, as well as providing you a sort of "status level" in the program. At the end of June every year those points are reset and you have to start all over. Luckily, I reached the highest level (platinum status) before the reset and have thus earned myself the following trophy

                             

Not too shabby Nintendo! Gold members received a calender, but that really seems like the type of thing I would throw away after 2011. While, this little statue is a keeper. Anyway, the new year has started, so if you have a whole stack of unregistered Nintendo products maybe it is time to join Club Nintendo. Stay tuned later this week as I post my experience from the Nintendo World Store in NYC!

Blog Report

Just picked up a subscription to the new Sam and Max Penal Zone. So far I am enjoying the new psychic powers Max brings to the franchise. It really help to have a party member that can see the future in a adventure game. Too bad you don't have them too, otherwise you wouldn't have to read all this news. Enjoy!

Hello Kitty motor oil
New Xbox 360 Warns You Of Possible Doom [Xbox 360]
Def Jam Rapstar's Online 'Data Porn' Rolls Deep [E3]
Brink Delayed Until 2011 [Bethesda]
37% of the internet is porn [Dubious Conclusions]
How To Trade-Up To The New Xbox 360 For $90 [GameStop]
You Could Use A DualShock Instead Of The Nav Controller...
Cross-Section Of A Castlevania Castle [Xbox 360]
How To Control The Next Zelda Game [E3]
Lovely Alan Wake ads
Mario's Creator On The Mystery Of Women (And Cats) [Pullquote]
The New Mortal Kombat Cuts Deeper Than Ever Before [E3]
Star Wars lightsaber replica causes blindness, cancer [Lasers]
The Shirts of Pac-Man [Screengrab]
How To Troll The Xbox 360 Kinect Users You Know And Love [Kinect]
Fallout MMO Now Accepting Beta Sign-Ups [Fallout]
Final Fantasy Designer Would Like To Make A First Person Shooter [Tetsuya Nomura]
Premium "PlayStation Plus" Subscriptions Coming to PSN [E32010]
The Definitive Guide To The Nintendo 3DS [Top]
Gaming as Performance [Arcades]

E3 Wrap Up

Click the jump for my impressions of E3 and what the "big three" had to offer.

Blog Report

Went on a video game bender since the girlfriend was out of town this weekend. Played for about 36 hours and put a major dent in FF13. Also hit up Red Dead for some good times online, but the world didn't stop for my gaming addiction, so here is the news!

Mass Effect: The Movie Is Really Happening [Hollywood]
Here's Your Special Launch-Day Halo: Reach Hat [Microsoft]
First Killzone 3 Screens, Official Details [Playstation 3]
Little Girls Writes A Letter To Nintendo, Gets A Free DS? [Ds]
Ubisoft Ruins Prince Of Persia Box Art [Ubisoft]
Maybe The Greatest Baseball Pitch You'll See Today [Japan]
Dead Skate: Code Unlocks Isaac and Board [Unlockable]
I'm your huckleberry
The Sony Situation: SCEA's Rob Dyer Speaks
Blur Punches Mario Kart In The Balls [Clips]
Watch the Dallas Cowboys football stadium implode - from inside [Explosions]
From The Wayback Machine
Walmart Unveils Shiny New Online Gamecenter [Retail]
No More Heroes 2 Inspires The First Video Game Lingerie Collection [No More Clothing]
World Of Warcraft Remote Auction House Is Free To Browse, Pay To Bid [Blizzard]
Code Required for UFC Undisputed Online Play [Dlc]
Unlockable Celebs Will Return to NBA Jam [Wii]
Exclusive Showdown Reveals...Pointlessness Of Exclusives [Xbox 360]
Beware This Ruinous Prince of Persia Glitch [Spoilers] [Glitches]
PixelJunk Shooter 2 in Full Production!

Blog Report

Red Dead Redemption night. ALL NIGHT! But you can take a break for some news, right?

Bionic Commando, Dark Void Last Straws For Capcom [Capcom]
Rumor: 'Premium' Version Of PlayStation Network Unveiled At E3 [PS3]
PlayCast Announces HD Upgrade To Cloud Gaming Service
Too Big and Too Hard [Republished]
A Look Inside The Arcade Scene Of Kuwait [The World]
Privates, The First Twin Stick Shooter Set In A Vagina [Xbox 360]
Brink: No Girls Allowed [Republished]
First Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Details Slip From The Shadows [Ubisoft]
GameStop Employee Loses His Job Over Rape Game? [Update] [Sex And Violence]
The World United As I Played Mass Effect 2 [Photos]
EA's Fight Against Used Game Sales Passes To Tiger Woods [EA Sports]
BlazBlue, The Art Exhibition [Art]
Pokemon World Championships Coming To A Metropolis Near You [Pokemon]
LittleBigPlanet 2 for PS3 Officially Announced for Winter 2010!
America, You Spend A LOT Of Money On Video Games [Research]
Marvel vs Capcom 3: Four New Challengers Enter [Capcom]
Kotaku 'Shop Contest: Merit Badge Edition Winners [Photoshop]
Why APB Uses Your Phone's Pricing Plan Instead of World of Warcraft's [PC]
Final Fantasy IX Coming Soon To North American PSN [Playstation Network]

Blog Report

As the world turns, I am getting slammed with homework trying to finish out the semester. Hopefully I can finish Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Dragon Age: Origins - Awakenings. In the mean time, NEWS!

Tony Hawk's Tony Hawk: Shred Outed By Tony Hawk [Activision]
Star Fox Dog Needs To Do A Barrel Roll [Screengrab]
Nolan Bushnell Rejoins the Atari Force [Atari]
The Best (Kotaku) WarioWare Games You'll Ever Play [Nintendo]
Do Video Games Shape Who We Are? [Well Played]
Call of Duty Series to "Broaden" Its Audience [Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2]
This Is A Nice, Nice Xbox 360 [Microsoft]
No Star Fox? Nintendo, You Have A Volunteer [Hideki Kamiya]
What Gets You Banned From Xbox Live Until The Year 9999? [Uno]
Why Is Japan So Behind? [Japan]
Splinter Cell Stunt Almost Gets Someone Shot [Ruh Roh]
Roger Ebert Asks a Good Question [Debate]
Brit Woman Needs Sex Constantly After Mishap on Balance Board [Oh Boy]
You Got Lost Planet 2 all over my city
FIFA Promotion Doesn't Get More Bizarre Than This [Japan]
Final Fantasy XIII PS3 'Nearly Doubles' Xbox 360 Version In U.S. Sales [Square Enix]
The Modern Warfare Fight: Your Guide to Activision Vs. Infinity Ward [Explainer]
Teenage Boy Charged With Killing His Father With Sledgehammer [PC]
Microsoft Supplier Factory Treats Workers Like "Prisoners" [China]
Game Changers: Sequels That Scared The True Fans [Genre Benders]
A Place To Drink Coffee With Gundam [Gundam]
Super Mario and Japan's National Pride [Japan]
The Winner Of The Tester Explains Why He Wanted To Win Work [Playstation Network]
Modern Warfare Developer Sees More Key Departures Today [Modern Warfare]
The Life of Game: Why I Live In Japan [Column]

Bitmob: Anticipated Game of 2010

Every so often Bitmob.com issues a community topic and since I am taking a more active role in their site, here is my post. This months topic was over our most anticipated game of 2010.

Yeah Yeah, I am sure half you out there think I am nucking futz and the rest won't even read the article, but Puzzle Quest 2 has become my most anticipated game of 2010. It wasn't always like this, Mass Effect 2 easily held the reigns for sometime, but I desperately need more Puzzle Quest! Sure, there are a slew of games coming out in 2010 and I plan to play them all, but there is one that looks to scratch a personal itch. It is something I honestly never thought I would find myself saying with triple A titles like Fable 3, Red Dead Redemption and a new Halo only months away; but Puzzle Quest 2 will keep me busy for hours on end if it is anything like its predecessor. Sure, there have been various imitators and the less than stellar Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, but those are NOT Puzzle Quest. Hopefully the sequel will be an expansion of everything that was great about the first game. Leading me to grind level after level, through Bejeweled-esque combat. Some announced changes include a graphical upgrade of the over world map, new classes, mana gems, loot etc.

I am sure some readers would wonder why I did not simply just restart the original campaign with a new character, but it just wouldn’t be the same for me. I had played through the campaign in its entirety, and hit my level cap. To me, that means I put that game down and concentrate on something else. With a new installment in the franchise, I can easily justify spending another 40 hours of my life training mounts, laying siege to cities and becoming a overall bad ass. Also, since I played the first installment on iPhone and it is not being released (initially) on that platform, I will get to change up the Puzzle Quest experience for myself as well. Since many of you readers have probably played this on one of the other various platforms, I pose this question – Xbox Live or Nintendo DS?


Note: all pics are courtesy of D3

Blog Report

Games Games Games Games Games Games Games!

ModNation Racers Artist Spotlights: Ratchet & Clank Get Girlfriends!
Shooter Shooter Shooter Shooter
Rush’N Attack: Ex-Patriot Preview: The 80s Strikes Back [Preview]
Let's Round Up Gears of War 3 Stuff [Xbox 360]
There's A Ghost Recon Prize In Every Box Of Splinter Cell: Conviction [Ubisoft]
Well this iPhone game doesn’t in any way relate to the...
The Biggest Break Up In Video Game History [News]
A Japanese Game With Goddesses About...The Game Industry? [Japan]
Grand Theft Auto Used To Steer Children Away From Violence? That's New [Video Game Violence]
What's With The Nuns, Japan? [Religion Week]
Giant Bomb Has A Rat Problem
Rumor: Gears Of War 3 Adds Underwater Combat, Mech Suits & More [Xbox 360]
12-Year-Old Runs Up $1,300 FarmVille Debt [A Cautionary Tale]
They Grow Up So Fast: EA's Website, Circa 1997 [Internet]
Why We Call Him Dude Huge [Explainer]
Modern Warfare 2 Map Pack Pricing Doesn't Bother 2.5 Million Xbox 360 Owners [Xbox 360]
Good Advice From One Nintendo Creator To Another [Blockquote]
iPad Wizardry: Jim Lee Sketches Wonder Woman [Comics]
The Thoughts Behind Miranda's Behind in Mass Effect 2 [Republished]
White Stripes Guitarist's Recommendation: "Quit Video Games" [Music]
EA Forms Real-World Racing Team [Ea]
Metal Gear Solid? More Like Metal Gear Solid Advertising, Your Billboard Here [Konami]
Rumor: Grand Theft Auto Developers Pressure Magazine, Writer Sacked [Journalism]

Blog Report

Time is flying by and there are just too many games. DA Origins: Awakenings is home, with Battlefield Bad Company 2 on the way. Splinter Cell will be here soon and let's not forget Final Fantasy 13. Wow, my head hurts. So here is what the world did, while i recouperate...

Is This The Best Nintendo 3DS Mockup We've Seen, Or The Real Thing? [Rumor]
Love of the Pixel Leads to Endearing Game With a Twist [Mimeo And The Kleptopus King]
An RPG, Only This Time, Without The Fluff [Jrpg]
Sony's Mascot Exec Kevin Butler Moves PS3 Beyond The 'Arrogance' Age [Playstation 3]
Mass Effect 2 Formally Introduces Kasumi Tomorrow [Dlc]
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 Is A Steal This Week [Deals]
Losing Our Religion [Religion Week]
Download 700+ Free Scifi Books Onto Your iPhone [Ebook Frenzy]
Will The Nintendo 3DS Screen Look Like This? [Clips]
Apple Thinking About Control Pads For iPhones [Patent]
Religion in Games: Less a Leap of Faith, More a Suspension of Belief [Religion Week]
The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up [Guide]
Blur Beta Set to Open To All (Xbox 360) Users, And Why It Won't Come to the PS3 [Blur]
New Portal 2 Concept Art Shows The Anatomy Of An Aperture Science Turret Gun [Valve]
The Xbox Live Arcade Inventory Blowout Sale [Deals]
NSFW: Is This The Most Violent Recruitment Site In Japan? [Tango]
Gears of War Developer To Debut Next Game on Late Night [Epic Games]
Club Nintendo Updates With New Games, New Goods [Nintendo]
New Super Mario Galaxy 2 Trailer Introduces Rock Mario [Wii]
Dante's Inferno's Trials Of St. Lucia Gives You Wings [Gallery]

Blog Report

Overseas right now, but check out the news while I'm away.

SOCOM 4 On The Move [Gdc10]
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition Hits this Summer [Gdc]
Swords and Paddles: Sports Champions on PlayStation Move [Move]
The Party Moves onto the PlayStation 3 [Move]
What Is "The Shoot"? Well, It's a Shooter [Move]
Street Fighter IV: The iPhone Case! [Gdc]
Get a Charge Out of Mass Effect 2's Latest Gun [Dlc]
Hakan Oils Up For Super Street Fighter IV [Street Fighter]
New Game Riffs On Guitar Hero, With A Real Electric Guitar [Music Games]
Ladies, Here's How To Look Like A Space Vixen [Clips]
Microsoft, Poland Is Pissed Off [Xbox Live]
See Modern Warfare's "No Russian" Like You've Never Seen It Before [Clips]
The Best Klingon Art To Hang On The Halls Of Sto'Vo'Kor [Star Trek]
I Was An Xbox Live Celebrity, For One Night Only [Column]
Company Goes With Idea That Customers Masturbate To Its Games [Sex]
Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Portal and Steam Coming to Mac in April [Valve]
Vintage Playboy Magazines Mirror Mafia II Characters [Sex]
Voltron Does Not Get Any More Adorable Than This [Screengrab]
Javelins, Zerg Rushes, Ninja Looting and Other Social Dilemmas [Weekend Reader]
New York Subways: Where Else Can Zelda and Boba Fett Mesh So Nicely [Clips]

Blog Report

Just preparing for my trip to Europe at this point. I have started on some Final Fantasy 13, but I can tell already that it is going to be a slow burn. I may have to take the next few months to complete that one. Anyway, here is what was in the news last week.

Platinum Games' Third-Person Shooter Won't Have Multiplayer [Bummer]
Richard Aoki, the only Asian leader in the Black Panther Party
The PS2's First Ten Years: A Timeline [Sony]
Study: Wii Can Alleviate Elderly Depression, Too [Exergaming]
Report: Sony To Launch New PlayStation Smart Phone In 2010 [Sony]
SOCOM 4: It’s Official!
Ex-Infinity Ward Heads Claim "Orwellian" Moves By Activision [Activision]
EA Cuts Deal To Publish Shank, Deathspank [Ea Partners]
Meet Blackie The Mutant Penguin [Mutants]
New Tomb Raider Game Drops Tomb Raider Name [Lara Croft]
Don't Throw Up, Xbox Japan Man! [Clips]
The Year The Army Stopped Niagara Falls [Retro Mega Engineering]
Insomniac Working on Two Games Right Now, Won't Say What [Insomniac]
Japan: It's Not Funny Anymore [Feature]
Step up
A Bit More On that Halo Reach Multiplayer Vid [Halo: Reach]
Valve's Portal Puzzle So Far: The Files Recovered From Aperture Science [Valve]
THQ Opens Major Testing Facility At SMU's Guildhall
Activision Cans Infinity Ward Studio Heads
The Characters Of Zenonia 2 [Gamevil]
Sony Buys LittleBigPlanet Developer Media Molecule [Acquisitions]
Gravity Hook HD, From The Makers Of Canabalt [Digital]
Blacklight Shooter Goes Downloadable [Fps]
Activision Cites Infinity Ward "Insubordination" [Infinity Ward]
Do Your Part For The Galaxy — Join The Empire Today! [Star Wars]

Across the Sea: Getting the "Black Box" Treatment

A new post where we take a look at how video game culture is changing overseas and what it means for North America.

Reading a recent Joystiq article here, has me re-thinking Nintendo's dedication to the Wii. For a number of third party developers, the Wii has not been the most successful platform for attracting hardcore gamers. Some games, despite their overall quality and appeal, have been unable to find a market for themselves on the Wii. This is an issue that is being addressed in a number of ways, with a few developers stating they might pull out of the market altogether.

Nintendo is responding to this issue in Japan, by making a second redesign to their game cases (if you remember, New Super Mario Brothers Wii was the first, implementing a red case and selling millions). Now, through a new program, all games designated Mature for the Wii will be released in a black case. I hope that it works and makes those games, like New Super Mario Brothers Wii, gain more attention when a consumer looks up at a wall of white mini game collections. If you look at the weekly sales trends for the best Mature Wii games available (in my humble opinion: Dead Space Extraction, House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld) here, you can see why a serious changed needs to take place. It is difficult to imagine why any developer would put as much money into a game like Dead Space Extraction and see so little on return, to continue doing so. And this is hard for the Wii, who has struggled appealing to its core followers. If Nintendo Japan begins to see a change in the number of mature titles being sold, directly correlating, the certainly should consider bringing it to the U.S. Think about No More Heroes 2, who after 3 weeks of sale has only managed to sell a whopping 70,000 in North America.

*note: image courtesy of google image search

State of the Industry: The Landscape of 2010 part 3

Really quick, to wrap up the expectations for the rest of the year, I feel I have to mention the advent of motion control. Much like online connectivity, hard drives and now Netflix; Motion Control seems destined to become the next industry standard for video game consoles, for better or worse... Let's take a really quick look at all the different offerings we should expect.

Wii & "The Motion Plus"- Wii Motion Plus has been available since 2009. It is essentially supported by only a hand full of titles and 2010 would seem like the year that would change, but Nintendo has been pretty quiet about it. Red Steel 2 is coming and hopefully a Zelda which supports the motion plus, but why has the focus shifted to the vitality sensor so quickly? It would seem prudent that their hardware be accompanied by comparable software.

PS3 & "The Arc" - Not much changing here, as Sony delays it's release of the new motion sensing peripherals, no rumored to be called "the arc". The delay is apparently for software reasons and that at least puts my mind at ease, knowing if I buy it, there will be things for me to do with it. Expect it to ship early next holiday season.

Xbox360 & "Project Natal" - Microsoft too  has found some issue with their new motion sensing device, and apparently the cost was too high for 'Natal' to have its own processor. Now games will have to give up 30% of the 360's core and games will be limited in scope. Apparently this will not be affecting the release schedule though and consumers should expect to see it early next holiday season as well.

*Note: All images are a result of Google Image search

Blog Report: A change in content

With the school semester over, I will no longer be posting the blog reports in the same format. Instead of giving you a synopsis of 2 posts from a specific set of blogs, I think it would be more beneficial (if not more interesting) to post links to some of my favorite posts over the course of a week. This is a trial post, so some of the links below are over a month old, but from here out the Blog Report will be a weekly synopsis of my favorite posts, courtesy of the Internets. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Harry Potter Gets a Feel Good, Inner City Sequel [Dangerous Wands]


Kotaku's 2009 Gift Guide of Obscene Nicety and Sublime Naughtiness [Gift Guide]

let's talk about jumping [Column]

The Special Guest Star Who Wasn't [Screengrab]

Giant Bomb's MW2 Parody Tee Is Oscar Mike For Child's Play [T-shirts]

Happy 15th Birthday, PlayStation! [Sony]

Seeking A Game That Can Trick Me [Hindsight]

Final Fantasy XIII 360 Twitter Prize Tweets Back At You [Xbox Live]

Nintendo Takes Over Malls Across America [Holiday Shopping]

Make Your Netflix Disc Feel At Home, PS3 Users [PS3]

Spike Video Game Awards Nominees Announced [Awards]

Asking Why

Marketing 101: Nintendo Information Center

Ah Nintendo, your ability to reach the common man and cause them to purchase copious amounts of useless peripherals, mini-game collections and arguably the best kart racer of all time knows no bound. With the Christmas Holiday vastly approaching and consumers pouring into malls, Nintendo has brought its Holiday line-up to consumers. You can read more about the campaign here, but I just wanted to say that this is why Nintendo is winning, because everything about their business model screams "accessibility". Do the hardcore enjoy that? Not so much. Many hardcore gamers play games because they like to feel challenged, but the Wii is all about feeling like you having fun without having to worry about “which of the 15 buttons do I push to make this damn game work”?! Its about interacting with friends and family around a TV (because lets face it, this friend code bullshit has got to go) and having a good time. New Super Mario Brothers Wii is following that, although I am not to sure what Nintendo's definition is of a good time, while my friends continue to grief me. Regardless, here is the information booth at Grapevine Mills - Grapevine, TX where Nintendo had games like Mario Kart, Guitar Hero 5, Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports resort, Professor Layton, and Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Also, throw in some attractive young ladies to answer all your questions and you have sales. In fact, watch the Wii pull out ahead of the pack this December in hardware sales stateside and I would argue this is the reason. Now can I please have a "real" Zelda for Wii???

The Art of Gaming: December

Designed by AshRB @ http://infinitecontinues.wordpress.com/‏

Blog Report: November 4th

Official U.S. Playstation Blog
UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Celebrates Halloween with a Title Update and a Double Cash Weekend
Arne Meyer // Senior Manager of Marketing Communications, Naughty Dog
October 30th, 2009
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/10/uncharted-2-among-thieves-celebrates-halloween-with-a-title-update-and-a-double-cash-weekend/

Uncharted 2 has been on-sale since the 13th of October and with its positive reception, the community is currently thriving. Games are not always shipped to perfection and one good thing about the level of connectivity our consoles feature is that updates are relatively simple. Naughty Dog, the developer of Uncharted 2, has recently released an update to fix a few issues in the game. But, to take advantage of the upcoming Holiday, Developers are offering a bonus with this update. If you play the uncharted 2 multiplayer between October 30th and November 2nd, players will earn double the cash they normally would in multiplayer events. Also, cash is a determinate of Level, so more cash goes to increase your level, as well as provide funds to purchase the numerous things in the store. Also, the multiplayer battles will be infected with skeleton heroes and zombie villains all through Halloween. It is a great idea and excellent PR for their company. They are essentially providing early adopters extra content for free, as well as creating an incentive, to participate in the community. Naughty Dog employees will also be roaming around the game online, so users should watch out for the “red paws” next to gamertags. You may have the pleasure of dying at the hands of one of Uncharted 2’s creators. It is good to see active communities holding events and celebrating something the all enjoy.

Set on Stun
Rise of the Peripherals — Gaming Gadgets Galore for Serious Niche Marketing
Shawn Deena
October 29th, 2009
http://setonstun.com/2009/10/rise-of-the-perpherials-gaming-gadgets-galore-for-serious-niche-marketing/

Through the many generations of video game hardware, peripherals have been a major part of the market. Initially, peripherals were designed out of necessity for an input device, but have since changed to find unique ways to immerse users in the games. Let’s face facts though, not every peripheral was designed to immerse gamers and not every peripheral was a success. Our generation is no different since the fruition of the rhythm game had taken place. Now, living rooms across the world are full of plastic guitars, fake drum kits and microphones. But with the success of these, Activision would only find ways to increase this niche markets profitability. Starting this month and heading into next year Activision, Nintendo and Ubisoft are all planning on releases new peripherals. First, an expansion of the Rhythm genre with DJ Hero, a turntable based rhythm game. After that, a new way of skate boarding through your living room with Tony Hawk Ride. Nintendo, finally decides to release more software for the Wii Balance Board, but they too see more in the niche market of fitness gaming and plan to release a new peripheral with the Wii Vitality Sensor. What it does, well no one really knows, but it is certainly a unique venture into the market. It may be a dangerous gamble on some of these peripherals, since the economy is still down, how many $100+ games are people going to be able to buy. This doesn’t even account for the new James Cameron production Avatar, whose game, like the movie, will be playable in 3D. Of course to support that, you will need to buy a HD TV (and I think it needs to run at 120 hz.) which will most likely cost you an excess of $1,000.