Game News: November 15, 2006

Official US PlayStation Magazine to close
   Downloadable online demos to blame.
Ziff Davis will close OPSM after the January 2007 issue, saying PS3 will allow for a "more efficient distribution of game demos, videos, and trailers."

Click here to read the full article

First US Wii commercial online
   Video of first US telly commercial up for viewing inside.
The first US Wii television commercial has aired across the pond, and thanks to that great internet invention YouTube you can watch the whole thing right here.

Click here to read the full article

US PS3 launch takes another knock
   Analyst says Sony's US PS3 launch shipment has been slashed in half.
Ken Kutaragi expected around 400,000 units of PS3 for the looming US launch but it looks like that figure may now have been chopped in half to around 200,000. Maybe less...

Click here to read the full article

Nintendo primes 400K Wiis for Japanese launch
   Four times as many units as Sony on day one of Japanese launch.
Nintendo has promised to ship nearly 400,000 Wiis for the launch of its next-gen console in Japan come launch on Dec 2.

Click here to read the full article

Alan Wake - lush new screen goodness
   Dazzling array of shots from Remedy's intriguing mystery thriller.
He's a man, a man called Alan. Okay, so Remedy's eponymous hero perhaps doesn't have the sexiest name in the gaming world, but that doesn't really matter because he's the star of what looks like one of the most innovative and intriguing games in development.



Click here to read the full article

Pirates! on PSP - first screens
   Sid Meier's high seas remake sets sale for Sony's handheld.
Sid Meier's Xbox and PC remake of Pirates! is heading to PSP.



Click here to read the full article

No Shortage of Wiis in Japan
   In stark contrast to the scant 80-to-90,000 units allocated to Japanese gamers at the launch of the PlayStation 3 this week, Nintendo has announced it will provide 400,000 units at launch. Interest in the Wii is feverish right now in the land of the rising fun, and if these figures are anything to g...

'Defender' Comes to Xbox Live
   Microsoft is continuing with their usual Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday release schedule this week by putting out Midway's classic arcade game 'Defender.' The Xbox Live Arcade version will feature options for viewing either the classic graphics or enhanced visuals and sound. Like other Live Arcade games...

Play the 'Halo 3' Multiplayer Beta
   Next spring you will play 'Halo 3.' To celebrate the fifth anniversary of 'Halo,' Microsoft and Bungie announced a trio of upcoming releases, which includes a public multiplayer beta test for 'Halo 3' in ...

Fresh 'Halo Wars' Concept Art
   Ensemble Studios has released a piece of concept art for 'Halo Wars,' the new RTS based on the Halo universe and exclusive to Xbox 360. This art is of the UNSC "Shortsword" bomber: a ground based atmospheric bomber that is used primarily for short range, heavy payload, runs against ground targe...

'Rule of Rose' Banned in Italy?
   Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni has called for 'Rule of Rose,' the psychological horror game for the PlayStation 2, to be banned in Italy for its allegedly 'depraved' content. The left-wing politician was quoted by news agency ANSA as saying, 'There is no way that a violent game should be sold and dis...

Capcom's Take on the Yakuza'
   Sega's 'Yakuza' may not have been the international success that many had been expecting, but it's already started to spawn some apparent clones. The latest issue of Famitsu contains first details on Capcom's Shinjuku no Ookami for the PS2. The name translates to English as 'The Wolf of Shinjuku.' ...

Create Your Own PS3 Games
   When the PlayStation 3 launches this Friday, it will begin a new chapter for Sony's videogame division. Looking ahead, part of the company's strategy is to allow players to create their own content for the new console. Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine, Sony exec Phil Harrison recently discl...

Nintendo eyes comeback with family-friendly Wii (AFP)
   

AFP - Once written off by its critics, Nintendo has emerged as a serious contender in the next-generation console war with its family friendly Wii machine that it hopes will attract a new legion of gamers.

PS3s In Limited Supply
   Gamasutra has posted a recent analyst report from Lazard Capital Markets, which forecasts a bit more gloom for the PS3 launch. In his report, Colin Sebastian forecasted a severe shortage of PS3 at launch, and that the low install base would mean yield minimal financial boon for software publishers. ...

'Conan' to Get Graphics Upgrade
   Funcom has announced a partnership with NVIDIA, makers of graphics chipsets, to maximize the visual impact of 'Age of Conan.' Engineers from the two companies are already hard at work perfecting the game's look, optimizing it for Direct X 10, Windows Vista, and the new NVIDIA GeForce 8800 range of g...

3D Game Programming All in One Second Edition Book Released
   

Course PTR has announced the release of the second edition of 3D Game Programming All in One, intended to provide a comprehensive guide for aspiring game developers.

Will Xbox Dominate Through 2011?
   Yoshiyuki Kinoshita, a research analyst for Merrill Lynch's Japan branch, believes the Xbox 360 will rule the console roost for the next five years. A report in the International Business Times holds some surprising predictions for the future of the three next-gen consoles. 'The winner in the next-...

Halo 3 News
   Microsoft has announced that there will be an online multiplayer beta for the much anticipated Halo 3, via Xbox Live. This beta is scheduled to launch Spring 2007, with the full game to be released "sometime" in 2007. Halo 3 has been the subject to a lot of rumors and speculation about the upcoming sequel to the Xbox flagship title.



There will also be a commercial aired on Monday Night Football, ESPN, on December 4th, 2006. This will be a single advertisement that "will provide viewers with a unique and compelling look at Master Chief and the world of Halo 3."




Halo 2 fans will also be greeted to a series of new multiplayer maps exclusive to the Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment system.

Microsoft to do online test of "Halo 3" in 2007 (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday said it will invite gamers to test the online multiplayer features in its long-awaited "Halo 3" video game in spring 2007.

Nintendo shares hit record high ahead of Wii debut (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Shares in Japan's Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS) hit an all-time high on Wednesday on soaring expectations that its new game console, the Wii, could repeat the success of its hot-selling handheld machine, the DS.

PS3 hits glitches, limited supply (USATODAY.com)
   USATODAY.com - If you're reading this and you're not already in line for a Sony PlayStation 3, you're probably out of luck for the limited supplies that go on sale for $500 to $600 beginning at midnight Thursday. But if you must have a PS3, websites such as eBay and Craigslist are expected to be the place for early buyers to "flip" their purchases - for $1,500 to $2,500 and up.

Nintendo to ship 400,000 Wii consoles for Japan launch (AFP)
   

AFP - Nintendo has said that 400,000 of its next-generation Wii game consoles would be available on launch in Japan next month, about four times the number of PlayStation 3s Sony managed to ship.

Sony Upgrades Software to Fix PS3 Glitches (PC Magazine)
   PC Magazine - Sony said on Wednesday that online software upgrades to the PlayStation 3 will fix glitches that make some older PlayStation and PS2 games not run properly on the PS3.

TV scribe simpatico to "Housewives" video game (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Writer Scott Sanford Tobis has been playing video games all his life. His wife is an active gamer, too, but he noticed that there aren't a whole lot of female-friendly choices for women outside of Electronic Arts' "The Sims" franchise.

EBay restricts sale of PlayStation 3 (AP)
   AP - People pining for the sleek PlayStation 3 gaming console might find shortages on eBay as well.

PS3 Supply Woes: Which Console Wins? (NewsFactor)
   NewsFactor - This will be a heck of a week for gamers. On Friday, Sony unleashes the PlayStation 3, the much-awaited console that promises blazingly fast graphics and a slew of high-def games. On Sunday, Nintendo's Wii hits the shelves, setting the stage for a first-class brawl.

Review: Consoles enrich video experience (AP)
   

AP - The makers of video game consoles may someday develop a machine that delivers on all the pre-launch hype, but we're not there yet.

Retailers prepare for console launches (AP)
   

AP - Retailers expect to be overwhelmed by demand during the impending video game console launches, but say they're working to keep the spirit festive while trying to prevent chaos and confusion.

Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo get ready to rumble (Reuters)
   

Reuters - The $30 billion video game industry's own war of the titans reboots this week with the U.S. launch on Friday of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Sunday's debut of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii.

EBay limits pre-launch auctions of PlayStation 3 and Wii (AFP)
   

AFP - US online auction website eBay said it was restricting pre-launch offers of PlayStation 3 and Wii video game consoles to insure sellers could deliver the coveted goods.

Sony software upgrades to fix PlayStation glitches (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Sony Corp. (6758.T) said on Wednesday that online software upgrades to its new video game console, the PlayStation 3, will fix glitches that make some older PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games not run properly on the PS3.

Retailers prepare for console launches (AP)
   

AP - Retailers expect to be overwhelmed by demand during the impending video game console launches, but say they're working to keep the spirit festive while trying to prevent chaos and confusion.