Nintendo Wii Surpasses Microsoft's Xbox 360 in Sales "July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co. said U.S. retailers sold more than 666,000 of its Wii consoles last month, making the machine the overall leader among the new generation of video-game machines.

Consumers have purchased almost 10.9 million of the players since Wii was introduced in November 2006, passing the total rung up by Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, researcher NPD Group Inc. said today in an e-mailed statement.

Wii, designed for easy-to-play games and equipped with a motion-sensitive controller that can be swung like a racquet or sword, has gained popularity among people who don't play traditional shooting and racing games. Wii has outsold Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 in all but one month since it went on sale, according to NPD." Via Bloomberg .

Labels: gaming, wii

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/18/2008 08:14:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  MAKE WAY FOR THE Q Wii N "The gadget-loving Queen has become HOOKED on Prince William's new Nintendo Wii games console.

William's girlfriend Kate Middleton bought him the £200 gift for Christmas - but he now has to share it with his grandma.

A Palace source told The People: "When she saw William playing a game after lunch at Sandringham she thought the Nintendo looked tremendous fun and begged to join in.

"She played a simple ten-pin bowling game and by all accounts was a natural.

"It was hilarious. William was in fits of laughter. He was enormously impressed at having such a cool gran.

"And although she is 81 the Queen's hand-eye co-ordination was as good as somebody half her age.

It's not the first time the Queen has joined the hi-tech revolution.

In 2001 she got her first mobile phone and has regularly upgraded to one with the latest features.

Her Majesty set up her own email account years ago.

In 2005 she took delivery of an iPod that stores more than 100,000 tunes.

And last June she added a trendy BlackBerry to her technological armoury - and made sure her senior staff were equipped with them too."

Labels: culture, gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 1/07/2008 04:39:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Wii Production at 1.8M Per Month "We all know that Nintendo's little white wunderkind, Wii, is in high demand and short supply. How short that supply is, exactly, has been the product of guesswork and estimation, but the company's outgoing marketing head George Harrison has finally given a definitive answer.

In a wide-ranging interview with Next Generation, Harrison shares some insight to the Wii shortages. "It takes about five months for us to increase the actual monthly rate of production," he says. "We're at a rate now worldwide of about 1.8 million Wiis produced every month, and that's going to sustain itself until we get on top of this." He goes on to point out that Nintendo reviews the demand in each territory every few weeks to determine how the units are divided, calling it an "embarrassment of opportunity" to have such a supply/demand disparity." Via 1up .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/19/2007 08:45:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Wii passes Xbox 360 in Worldwide Sales Nintendo has a lot to smile about these days. It still can't make enough Wii's to stay on store shelves since it debuted last year. More importantly the Wii just surpassed the Xbox 360 in worldwide sales. The Xbox 360 had a 1 year headstart, but that wasn't enough to stop the Wii. Here's the #'s:

Wii: 10.57 Million sold

Xbox 360: 10.51 Million sold

PS3: 4.32 Million sold

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/30/2007 03:48:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  PSP phone by Christmas

Gizmodo is reporting that Sony Ericsson Gaming Chief has gone on record saying that there will be a Playstation branded gaming phone by Christmas. Here's the kicker, he also said it might not be this Christmas. Gotta love Sony and their marketing skills.

Labels: cell phones, gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/28/2007 03:16:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Sony: 'We Should Have had More Original PSP Games' "Sony's European boss admits in an interview published Friday that the PSP has suffered from a shortage of games.

"Honestly... we should have had more original PSP games," David Reeves told GamesIndustry.biz when asked about the upcoming extended services for PSP.

"We took this decision maybe a year ago and said what we'll do now is we'll bring out more services because we know that the games are coming."

Reeves added that the company is now committed to releasing games that rival the DS's offering." Via PC World .

It's all about the games, not throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the console. This is why the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS is crushing the PS3 and PSP. I'm glad Sony is finally realizing they need to follow Nintendo's strategy, it's all about the games.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/28/2007 11:49:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Big Brother maker eyes up games "Watch out--the production company that brought the world Big Brother is looking to move into the games world.

EDINBURGH, UK--Endemol, a TV production company, is looking to games and the Internet to expand its audience. Peter Cowley, managing director of digital media, Endemol UK, told delegates at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2007 that, "We are trying to capture an audience that used to be on telly, that has now moved on to other platforms: consoles, online, mobile phones."

Endemol was founded in 1994, and is based in the Netherlands. It describes itself as a major independent TV producer with subsidiaries in 25 countries including the US, Spain, and Australia. The company's shows include Big Brother, Deal Or No Deal, Fear Factor, and Gay, Straight or Taken?

Cowley gave the example of a Children's BBC show called Roar, which is set in a zoo in Kent and focuses on the day-to-day lives of the animals and keepers there. The show also had a Web site containing a Tamagotchi-style game where players build a zoo and have to visit every day to keep the animals alive. Cowley said that Endemol found something unusual had happened, "The Web site had more unique visitors than viewers of the TV show...So we built in cheat codes that would be broadcast in the middle of the TV show, to get hold of this huge audience." These cheat codes included ones which would unlock new parts of the zoo and new animals." Via GameSpot .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/14/2007 12:08:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  iPhone news appears on popular gossip site TMZ Gossip site TMZ is getting in on the iPhone craze. They've posted a video showing the world's most popular phone playing the world's most popular video game, Super Mario Bros. Now if only they could get a video of Paris, Britney, and Lindsay all playing with eachother (on their iPhones of course);)

Labels: culture, gaming, iphone, software

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/08/2007 04:20:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Nintendo Wii poised to be #1 next generation game console The Nintendo Wii has proven to be a huge success, even though it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Nintendo hit a home run with the way people play games on the Wii and that's what is moving them back into the position they once held before Sony came out with the first PlaySation. Currently the Xbox 360 has sold 5.6 million units (Xbox 360 has a year headstart compared to the Wii and PS3), the Wii has sold 2.8 million units, and the PlayStation 3 has sold 1.4 million units according to NPD Group Data from May.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/12/2007 12:21:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  New PSP in September

"Sony took the wraps off of the device we all knew in our hearts was coming: A redesigned PSP. Though it was expected, it's probably a surprise to most how little has changed. The new model keeps the 4.3" LCD screen, and still has UMD. It is, however, 33% lighter and 19% slimmer. Also, the battery is more efficient and games load faster. It can also output a high quality video signal directly to TVs." Via Joystiq .

Will this be enough to compete with Nintendo? I doubt it.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/11/2007 03:11:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Sony cuts PS3 price to $499, 80GB PS3 to hit US in August for $599 Looks like Sony is still trying to sell more PS3's even though Nintendo is winning this race. Sony has decided to cut the price of the once top of the line 60GB PS3 to $499, and introduce a new 80GB verison for $599. Do they really think this is going to put a dent in the Wii's success?? I doubt it, but can't blame them for trying.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/08/2007 10:49:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman starring in Nintedo DS game commercial We all know Nintendo is doing very well with the success of the Wii and the DS Lite. They must be doing so well that they've got enough money to pay Nicole Kidman to pitch "More Brain Training" games for the Nintendo DS. Watch the commercial here .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/26/2007 05:00:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  New iPod Game: Kaplan’s SAT PREP 2008 "The iPod has long been criticized by educators as a distraction in the classroom, but now it seems the iPod may actually be able to do a little teaching of its own. Kaplan, the famous test preparation company, has released KAPLAN SAT PREP 2008. The three part series of iPod games helps students prepare for the SAT in Math, Reading, and Writing. Games can be purchased individually for $4.99 a piece, or as a $14.97 bundle which includes all 3 modules (We’ll be the first to admit we didn’t do overly well on the math section of the SAT’s, but we don’t see the point of the bundle pricing.)" Via PDALive .

Labels: gaming, ipod

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/25/2007 09:36:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  PSP firmware provides speed boost

Sony released a Firmware update for the PSP. The PSP 3.50 firmware bumps the processor speed up from 266MHz to 333MHz.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/25/2007 09:30:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Nintendo officially worth more than Sony "Early Monday morning during trading, Nintendo share prices rose just enough for the company's overall market value to surpass that of Sony, making Nintendo one of Japan's Top 10 companies in market share for the first time." Via PDALive .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/25/2007 08:10:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  RUMOR: Apple to partner with Nintendo on iPhone games "With the iPhone days away from being launched Nintendo has apparently begun working with Apple, licensing a limited amount of content for the new phone," Noheat.com reports.

Noheat reports, "These exclusive games will be released on the iTunes Store at a $29.00 price point a few months after the iPhone launches. No word on whether Nintendo will be distributing iPod versions of these games."

"Asked anonymously whether or not these games would cut into Nintendo DS sales, we heard a resounding no. The logic is that because the licensed games will be exclusive and cater to an older audience they should not intrude into Nintendo’s existing markets," Noheat reports." Via MacDailyNews

Labels: gaming, iphone, rumors

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/19/2007 10:18:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  PSP Slim details revealed "Keep in mind this isn't Playstation Portable 2, but rather a redesign of the original, so it will be sporting the same internal hardware. But that's about the only thing that hasn't changed. The new Playstation Portable will have a much slimmer design, thanks mostly to a new LED screen that will deliver an ultra-crisp image but take up far less space. That LED also helps pump up the battery life of this sexy new model, which can last as much as four times longer than the original PSP. While the new PSP still makes use of the UMD drive, it will be a faster version and to help speed up loadtimes and gameplay, the portable will come packed with 8GBs of internal flash memory. Finally, the PSP's much maligned buttons have been revamped and the D-Pad has gotten a major overhaul, giving portable gamers something more like a Playstation 3 D-pad to play with."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/08/2007 02:40:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Wii Outsells PS3 5 to 1 in Japan: Its Momentum is Palpable "As if you needed any more confirmation on just how great the Nintendo Wii is, the latest Japanese sales numbers show a 5 to 1 advantage in terms in consoles sold compared to the PS3. Again, this doesn’t mean that the Wii is any better than the PS3, but it does show that Nintendo’s gamble of tapping into the non-gamer market is paying off. (Compare that to the PS3 where you need to take out a loan just to afford the thing.)

And as they say in the biz, it’s the games, stupid. Sony has no exclusives for the PS3 (yet) that people are desperate to play, so they see no reason to spend all that coin on the system. And, anecdotally speaking, people who I know who hate all things video game are even picking up the Wii." Via CunchGear .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/06/2007 05:12:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Sony Ericsson showing off PSP Phone design

Gizmodo has posted pictures of Sony Ericsson's recent patent showing what looks to be the PSP phone.

Labels: gaming, smartphone

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/01/2007 10:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Playstation 3 80GB makes appearance in Korea

The Boy Genius is reporting that the rumored Playstation 3 with an 80GB hard drive will be sold in Korea.

"The only catch is that, at least initially, the big drive will only be available to Korean customers. Consider it a bit of a consolation prize for such an extended wait for the system, as Koreans have yet to enjoy access to any version of the current generation gaming platform. The PS3 80GB is set to drop on June 16th for the Korean equivalent of $557."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 5/21/2007 10:43:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  PS3 80GB first glimpse

So it looks like Sony dropped the 20GB PS3 to up the ante with an 80GB PS3. No word on an expected release date, but since it's already being boxed expect it soon. Via Kotaku .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/25/2007 08:17:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  How the Wii is creaming the competition "Business 2.0 Magazine tells the inside story of how Nintendo outfoxed Sony and Microsoft and got itself back in the game.

(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- A year ago it looked like game over for Nintendo's storied console business. The Kyoto-based gamemaker--whose Nintendo Entertainment System ushered in the modern age of videogames--was bleeding market share to newer, more powerful systems from Sony and Microsoft.

Even as the videogame business grew into a $30 billion global industry, Nintendo saw its U.S. hardware sales shrink to almost half of what they had been nearly 20 years earlier.

The Wii is reversing 20 years of declining Nintendo console sales.

The DS broadened Nintendo's market. The Wii goes even further; grade-schoolers and grandmas are getting into the swing.

Today, as anybody within shouting distance of a teenager knows, Nintendo is the comeback kid of the gaming world. Instead of joining Sony (Charts) and Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) in the arms race to pack their consoles with ever-higher-performance graphics chips (to better attract sophisticated gamers), Nintendo built the Wii--a cuddly, low-priced, motion-controlled machine that broke the market wide open by appealing to everyone from grade-schoolers to grandmas.

Unorthodox? Maybe. Effective? You bet.

The Wii is a pop culture smash of such dimensions that Nintendo still can't make consoles fast enough. Even so, it's outselling Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360--at least since January. (The Xbox had blowout pre-Christmas sales.) And while its competitors lose money on every console they build, expecting to make it back selling high-margin games, the Wii was designed to sell for a profit from the get-go." Check out the complete article @ CNN Money.com

Don't ya just love when underdogs come out on top? I'd like to thank my friend Tom for sending this in, he was kind enough to let me borrow his Wii for a "Wiikend". Unfortunately I still can't find a Wii in stock anywhere, and I am checking daily using Wii Searcher . Great job Nintendo! Please ramp up production so I don't have to ask Tom for another "Wiikend".

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/24/2007 06:56:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Nintendo considering a Wii keyboard

Engadget is reporting that Nintendo is considering adding a keyboard peripheral to the Wii to make web browsing more enjoyable. Microsoft recently announced an upcoming QWERTY keyboard attachment for their controllers for the Xbox 360. Expect Sony to follow suit soon;)

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/24/2007 04:02:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Nintendo ramping up Wii production "Didn't feel like standing in line for a Wii? No worries. Nintendo says they're ramping up production. Could the Wii drought be over?

Nintendo's PR team send out an email announcing increased production:

"While shipments of Wii hardware are expected to grow this month due to increased production, demand for the system remains at unprecedented levels."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/23/2007 05:51:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Sony pulls the plug on 20GB PS3 It looks like having two expensive gaming/entertainment consoles didn't work out for Sony. They have officially discontinued the 20GB PS3 because they'vedone some research and find that the $600 PS3 outsells the $500 model 10 to 1 according to consumer and retail demand.

"Dave Karraker of Sony America states, "At launch, we offered two separate models of PlayStation 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB SKU, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly. Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America. In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model."

My take is that Sony, along with the rest of the world had no idea that the Nintendo Wii would overtake it as the most popular next generation gaming console. Having 2 kick @$$ consoles would have lead Sony to higher market shares (selling 2 consoles opposed to 1 like Ninetndo and Microsoft), but that's not how it panned out. Killing off the 20GB PS3 will cut manufacturing costs, but still put more money in Sony's pockets forcing people to buy the $600 gaming/entertainment console.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/11/2007 06:08:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Libary not so boring anymore thanks to video games "The Campbell County Public Library in Kentucky recently announced it will carry video games alongside those paper-bound book things with words on the inside. Three local branches will house games from each of the three big systems -- Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 3. People have been requesting video games for years, a branch manager said, so the library did some research (Did they have to go to another library to do it? Zing!) and found that a large portion of their patrons (people in their early 30s) also happen to be gamers." Via Joystiq .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/11/2007 09:33:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  XBox 360 gets QWERTY thumb keyboard Engadget is reporting that Microsoft will be releasing a QWERTY thumb keyboard attachment for the XBox 360 controller making it easier to get your chat on.

Engadget had some time to play with it, and here's some information:

* The thumb keyboard plugs into the headphone / data jack on the bottom of the controller. It comes bundled with its own headset, since it doesn't pass the signal through, and cannot work with current peripherals.

* The keyboard is backlit; the chat bubble icon in the photos will be an MSN icon.

* It will be released in the summer. No word on how much, though.

* We got a chance to check it out. The tactility is nice, but it's a bit heavy with all the rest of the weight of the 360 controller.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/09/2007 08:09:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Rumor: Sony 80GB PS3 "Elite" Coming?
Gizmodo is reporting that Sony might be following Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite with a refreshed PS3.

"A new PLAYSTATION 3 model (CECHE01) with an 80GB hard disk was listed as an additional inclusion to the original FCC grant. The two current model numbers CECHA01 and CECHB01 specify the 60GB and 20GB versions, respectively."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/29/2007 09:32:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Xbox 360 Elite and 120GB drive now official

Engadget is reporting that the Xbox 360 Elite is now official.

"As we previously mentioned, it will be black, it will have HDMI, and it will have a 120GB drive (it'll also come bundled with a one month Xbox Live trial) for $479."

* The console will come with component and composite cables, as well as an HDMI cable. (Take that, Sony and Apple!)

* The console will come with a black wireless controller and black (wired) headset.

* Sorry, the new black controller still doesn't have backlit buttons -- don't let the pic fool you.

* The black controller, black rechargeable batteries, black headset, and black Play & Charge kit will all be available in retail for the same price as the white gear.

* The HD DVD drive will not be released in black.

* Xbox didn't know what HDMI version the Elite uses, nor whether it supports PCM 5.1, TrueHD, etc.; it will obviously support 1080p, though.

* Sorry, no price cuts on the Premium or Core packs.

* Xbox Live Marketplace will also begin vending content from New Line, Paramount, and Universal (and their properties)."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/28/2007 08:17:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Mii loves the Wii

Ever since the Wii came out in November I've been trying my hardest to find one in a store, or order it online. I can walk into BestBuy, GameStop, and other stores and easily buy the PS3, or XBox 360, but the Wii is still nowhere to be found after all these months. The Wii is now the #1 gaming console. Who would've thought a gaming console not as powerful as the PS3 and XBox 360 would win the hearts of millions? Nintendo did. They're focus was not on adding everything buy the kitchen sink like Sony did with the PS3, they went after why people buy game consoles, they want to have fun playing games. Nintendo has hit a homerun with the Wii due to the way you actually use the console. You've got to try one to really understand what I'm talking about.

At first glance the Wii looks like it could be an Apple product, it's small, sleek, white and has a minimalist look. While the PS3 and XBox 360 are much, much bigger than the Wii. Maybe it's due to all of the non-gaming options, and computer processors Sony and Microsoft include in their gaming system that makes them look like PC's.

My friend Tom was kind enough to lend me his Wii for the weekend so I could finally get my Wii fix on. In typical Nintendo fashion you plug the console in and start playing right away, no long loading times like other consoles. I was playing Wii sports in less than 5 minutes.

The great thing about the Wii is that Nintendo has come up with a new way to interact with the games. Nintendo includes a game called Wii sports which is fun in itself, but also trains you on how to use the Wiimote and Nunchuck. You use a Wiimote which has a "rumble" feature so you actually feel when you hit a ball playing tennis, baseball, or hitting a golf ball. The Wii also comes with a Nunchuck controller that plugs into the Wiimote adding more functionality, so you have two hands while you're in a boxing match. These controllers also add features to the vast library of Wii games already available.

Nintendo also includes the Opera Web Browser, News Channels, and a store to buy games to download to your Wii from Nintendo's library of games over the past 20 years. You can download the NES Legend of Zelda, or basically any other game you can think of. Very cool!!!!!

I don't want to give the Wii back to Tom because I am loving it. I now understand why the Wii is the #1 console and why I still can't find it in stores. It all comes down to gaming. Nintendo focused on coming up with a new, and exciting way of getting gamers involved in gaming, rather than coming up with a console with flashy graphics and features gamers really don't need or want.

I'm hoping the Wii shortage begins to die down, but after having a Wii for the weekend it's clear why Nintendo went from #3 to #1. They've re-invented a whole new way of playing games, and did one helluva job in doing it.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/26/2007 08:16:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Stringer: If PS3 fails, it will be down to high price "Sony's CEO Sir Howard Stringer has commented that if the PlayStation 3 fails in the market it will be due to the high price point attached to the next-gen console.

Speaking in a interview with US TV program CEO Exchange, Stringer likened the console to a Mercedes car and said that it was in a different league to Nintendo's Wii console.

"If we fail, it is because we positioned PS3 sales as the Mercedes of the videogame field," said Stringer.

"PS3 is a different audience and it can be whatever it wants – a home server, game device, even a computer," he added.

Stringer praised Nintendo's latest home console, calling it a "a wonderful device," but he believes it "has a different target audience" to the PlayStation 3." Via gamesindustry.biz .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/21/2007 12:51:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  NPD: Nintendo Wii tops Xbox, outsells Sony PS3 almost 2-to-1, now top-selling console "Sony's new PlayStation 3 video game has gone from top dog to underdog in record time," Mike Snider reports for USA Today.

"Despite the buildup and hype around its arrival in November, the PS3 has been outsold so far — at a rate of almost 2-to-1 — by the Nintendo Wii," Snider reports. "In February, the Wii was the top-selling console video game system with an estimated 335,000 sold, outpacing the Microsoft Xbox 360 (228,000) and the PS3 (127,000), according to The NPD Group."

"Nintendo's $250 Wii, released the same week as the PS3 ($500-$600), has sold about 1.9 million so far, compared with 1.1 million PS3s," Snider reports.

Snider reports, "Billy Pidgeon of IDC, in Framingham, Mass., expects the Wii to sell more than 16 million systems worldwide this year, compared with 10 million each for the PS3 and 360." Via MacDailyNews .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/21/2007 12:38:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Best Buy done with PS3 20GB model

"The hard evidence is starting to flow in that retailers have had about enough from the PS3's 20GB model. A Best Buy employee sent us a printout from their computer system showing the status of the 20GB model as "discontinued." We confirmed the printout information by contacting three separate stores. This does not mean the 20GB PS3 model's production has been discontinued -- just that Best Buy will no longer carry it." Via Joystiq .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/17/2007 04:34:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Nintendo Wii top-selling game console

"Nintendo Wii was the best-selling video game console in the United States in February, console makers said on Thursday, citing sales results from market research firm NPD. Consumers bought 335,000 Wii consoles and 127,000 of Sony's PlayStation 3 consoles in February. Both systems debuted in November, and the Wii is priced at $250, compared with the $600 top-end version of the PS3.

Microsoft's Xbox 360, which came out in November 2005, sold 228,000 units, making it the second-biggest selling console in February. With their new consoles, the three companies are in a fierce battle for dominance in the $13 billion U.S. video game market."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it all comes down to the best gaming experience. The Wii created a whole new way to play games, while the PS3 and XBox 360 focused on graphics, which created even longer long load times. It's all about the gaming experience, and that's why the underdog (Wii) is still outselling both of those high spec consoles. People want to have fun while playing games and Nintendo figured out a way to do this in a simple, elegant manner.

Now if I could only get my hands on a Wii..

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/16/2007 12:04:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  When you can't beat 'em , copy 'em. PSP Lite on the way "It's only been two days since we reported on those PSP 2 rumors and already a Sony exec has made our rumor official by confirming the company's plans to make a PSP2. Sony Computer Entertainment UK managing director Ray Maguire was quoted as saying the new PSP will be more pocket-friendly, thanks to a smaller and lighter design. Maguire also said the PSP2 will have the same screen size as the current PSP. So we're basically looking at a PSP Lite."

When you can't beat 'em copy 'em. Nintendo has seen huge success with the Nintendo DS and DS Lite not because of the size, it's the about the gaming. You can turn on a Nintendo DS and beging playing a game right away, the PSP on the other hand has long load times for games. Sony's going to have to do more than just put the PSP on a diet to try and catch up to Nintendo's stellar DS Lite.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/14/2007 04:57:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  PSP2 on the way Kotaku is reporting that there will be an update to Sony's PSP. They are expecting Sony to announce the redesigned PSP at E3, and ship later this year.

"The redesigned product apparently does exist as this is what we've heard so far:

* The screen is gorgeous

* The loads are faster

* Improved buttons

* Internal flash — 8GB

* Possible touch-screen

* Possible built-in camera

* Uses UMD"

Labels: gaming, rumors

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/12/2007 11:44:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Steven Spielberg working on a Wii project

"EA Los Angeles VP and General Manager Neil Young slipped a little tidbit about the studio's trio of Steven Spielberg games to GameDaily in an interview to be published next week. "I can't really share any game details, but recall our original announcements was for three projects. Well, two of those are underway right now in the studio," Young told GameDaily, adding, "The second project is something Lou Castle is producing, one of the great producers in this industry, and that's one of the products we're building for the Wii." Via Joystiq .

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/09/2007 04:10:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Opera coming to US Nintendo DS June 4th

Nintendo has announced that they will be releasing the US version of the Opera Web Browser for the Nintendo DS on June 4th. Word on the street is it will cost around $30.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/08/2007 09:38:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Does Your McDreamy Play PacMan?

CNN.com is reporting that surgeons who play video games perform better than doctors that do not play video games.

From the article:

Video game skills translated into higher scores on a day-and-half-long surgical skills test, and the correlation was much higher than the surgeon's length of training or prior experience in laparoscopic surgery, the study said.

Out of 33 surgeons from Beth Israel Medical Center in New York that participated in the study, the nine doctors who had at some point played video games at least three hours per week made 37 percent fewer errors, performed 27 percent faster, and scored 42 percent better in the test of surgical skills than the 15 surgeons who had never played video games before.

"It was surprising that past commercial video game play was such a strong predictor of advanced surgical skills," said Iowa State University psychology professor Douglas Gentile, one of the study's authors.

It supports previous research that video games can improve "fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, visual attention, depth perception and computer competency," the study said."

Maybe that's why House, one of my favorite television characters, can be seen playing with his DS or PSP in many of the episodes.

Labels: culture, gaming

  ¶ posted by Rocco Mandaglio, Staff Writer @ 3/07/2007 03:33:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Ms. PAC-MAN now available for your iPod "Apple has just released another game for all you iPod gamers out there: Ms. PAC-MAN. The game, which sells for the usual $4.99, features all 256 levels from the original arcade game. You can pick from three different modes of play (one especially suited for the iPod), and you can either listen to your own music or the game's music as you play."

Labels: gaming, ipod

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/27/2007 09:36:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  Old people love the Wii

"An entire retirement home full of elderly people passing their free time in heated Wii competitions. It may sound like a Nintendo press release, but it's actually a Chicago Tribune article about the Sedgebrook retirement home in Lincolnshire, where Wii Sports Bowling is taking the living community by storm. The game is so popular among the residents that grandparents are teaching their grandkids how to play and a 20 person tournament took place over the weekend. Sure beats watching Matlock reruns all day."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/21/2007 03:44:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Wii outsells both 360 and PS3 in January despite shortages

Preliminary NPD data via Next-Gen suggests that Nintendo outsold both the 360 and PS3 in January, this despite continued shortages for the console while the latter two are widely in stock. Here's how it allegedly went down last month:

1. Wii - 436,000 units

2. 360 - 294,000 units

3. PS3 - 244,000 units

Nintendo must be pretty happy with the success of the Wii. I still can't find any stores near me with a Wii in stock, but they have plenty of PS3's and XBOX 360's. It's nice to see an underdog come out on top.

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/21/2007 11:37:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

  PS3 put on a diet "Sony’s working on smaller chips for PS3, pointing the way to a sleeker, slimmer console before too long.

It hasn’t even launched in Europe yet, but Sony’s already working on the next generation of PlayStation 3.

The games giant reckons it can cut the size of its console’s innards, paving the way for a redesign on the outside.

In a statement from its Japanese press office, Sony said it expected the transition to 45-nm chips would happen in 2008, or early 2009. That change will halve the size of current 90-nm chips and could mean a slimline PS3 is in the works already.

It’s still a way off, but Sony wouldn’t surprise anyone with a smaller console. After all, the PS2 underwent drastic shrinkage once smaller chips were available, and the PS3’s bulky frame could certainly stand to lose a pound or two."

Labels: gaming

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/16/2007 05:22:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  First Thoughts: Arcade Reality "WHOA" was the first word I said when I began playing Arcade Reality. Well, rightly so, because no other game in my Treo has captured my attention this intense.

Basically, Arcade Reality is a shooter: I have a weapon, I aim, and I shoot at the flying targets. However, the game adds one important and vital factor that makes it stand above and beyond the rest: Treo camera support.

Not only can I see my targets apparently rendered around me, I can also move around to search for and shoot the targets. A simple Elite-like-radar and info bar helps track down enemies and helps manage my weapons. But then, I was shot at too and here, Arcade Reality effectively renders damage and static onscreen which only adds to the excitement! As a result, during my last game, I was quickly moving around our living room trying to track down pesky alien moths on our TV and under the couch. (My wife of course, took a glance at me but didn't mind me at all... you see, she's already used to seeing me with the Wii... but that's another story...)"

This sounds like a very cool and unique way of playing a game on a Treo. I'm downloading Arcade Reality while typing this. To read Joel's full review click here .

Labels: gaming, treo

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/14/2007 02:21:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

  Guy Beats Super Mario Brothers with His Feet From techeblog via fark.

"Mark Petersen manages to beat Super Mario Bros. with his feet, using just one life to boot..." One life. That's pretty impressive.

As much of a challenge and feat (pun intended) this is, I'd like to challenge him to Zelda only using our elbows.

Labels: culture, gaming

  ¶ posted by Rocco Mandaglio, Staff Writer @ 2/14/2007 10:55:00 AM 0 comments links to this post