Sweetness. The boys and girls over at Next Generation did their homework and came up with this great list of the TOP 50 selling games of all time. It's around 6 pages of all the facts you could possibly imagine. Like this one:

Super Mario 64 DShttp://www.portablegamingworld.com/
View Site »
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
Released: Nov ’04
Estimated Sales: 1.4 Million
Revenues: $42 Million

And guess what that's not even number one on the list. Check it out to find out who.

- iamlegend

There's been so much hype these days about the Wii that it's refreshing to see some "old school" console modding still happening.

Take this mod for example.

It shows you how to add LEDs to your NES controllers so that when you press a button the LED lights up. It's a really simple mod, and if you aren't afraid of soldering it's quite easy.

Why would you want to do it? I dunno, cause you're bored and wanna see pretty lights on your NES??

And if you are into modding your NES, why not check out Make Blog's list of 10 NES controller mods.

Time to make some MIDI music with your Nintendo DS. Trish wrote in to the MAKE Blog to say " I have been hard at work the past couple of weeks creating a MIDI sequencer that uses my MIDI library and hardware hack for the Nintendo DS. The dSTAR Sequencer will be an x0x like sequencer with drawable bar graph sequence lines... The demo uses the DS's touch screen to control MIDI CC's 1 and 2 from the X and Y axis.. much like touch controllers like the Korg Kaoss Pad." Check it out here:http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/08/nintendo_ds_midi.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890

You know, there are only a handful of sites that give you the breadth of news in console (and other) gaming needed to run a site like this. One of my favorites is Gizmodo. They always watch other sites and scoop others as well to bring news to the masses.

So today I'm going to refer to 3 recent articles I found on Gizmodo regarding the 360.

The first has to deal with a USB flasher for the 360. Now many might not think this is such a great thing but considering that most of the hacks for the 360 appear to be firmware based this is the essential tool for 360 hackers.

Not only will it backup your game saves, but it can be used to backup your firmware in case you want to experiment with software modding your console. And at a rumored price of under $50 it will be worth the investment.

Next on the docket today are some official M$ accessories including a wireless racing wheel, wireless headset and, of course, the vision camera. We've talked about the camera before, but it's worth mentioning again.

It's interesting to see M$ get into all the wireless goodies. Do you think that's in response to the Wii's wireless capabilities?? I mean, I know wireless is the only way to go now, but would M$ have invested in these wireless accessories if Nintendo wasn't releasing the Wii any time soon?

Finally some bad news for Asian owners of the 360. At least for now there are no plans to release the HD-DVD in Asia due to the limited number of HD-DVDs available there.

So that's the Xbox news that I've managed to come across so far. Stay tuned for more.

Just saw the movie and guess what? It was campy and fun. Plenty of good death scenes as well. And of couse in this age or merchandising in the movies both a DS and a PSP were shown. Kenan Thompson's character Troy is shown throughout the movie as a video game junkie...how? He sports a black PSP model, yelling and screaming at the machine. Later, in a brief shot, an eight year-old is shown occupying himself idly with a DS. Although the PSP gets a ton more screen time and you see the PSP logo always facing the camera.....

Hello? I think we got snakes!

- iamlegend

Very sweet. Earlier this week iamsiam brought us some GPS on a PSP action now we bring you VOIP on your Nintendo DS. Is there anything these handhelds can't do at this point?

- iamlegend

Tokyo Game Show 2006 is coming up and they'll be lots to look forward to. First off, you'll finally be able to play some games for the Playstation 3. Furthermore, you'll get to see some new games coming out for the PSP as well as sample them. Here's a list of games for the PSP:

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
Boxers Road 2: The Real
Gundam Battle Royale
Homestar Portable
Jan-Sangokumusou
Jeanne D'Arc
Metal Gear Solid: Bande Dessinee
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Minna no Golf-jou
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd
Navigation Software
Ratchet and Clank Portable
Sarugettchu Piposaru Racer
Tales of the World Radiant Mythology
Tenchi no Mon 2: Busouden

For anyone out there who will get the chance to visit this please let us know and you can post about it!

-iamsiam

In today's rehashing of the news we look at a couple of Wii articles making the news.

First, is a report by IGN.com from the 2006 Games Convention.

Nintendo did a lot of talking about the DS and even some about the Wii, but the gist of it is, there's nothing new at GC 2006 on the Wii.

So onto the next bit of news.

Now, because I'm a big fan of this up and coming console, I can do a pretty good job of answering the questions. In fact, I've got a couple friends of mine sold on the Wii too.

But sometimes I just get tired of answered the same questions over and over. So from now on I'm going to refer people to this forum entry at Wii Chat that answers the "101 most commonly asked Wii questions."

I'm glad someone finally did this. Kudos to those involved over at Wii chat!

Whether the PS3 makes it or not we do have some new PS3 news to tell you about.

First, there is a great interview with Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai in which he addresses some of the issues with the forthcoming PS3.

But one of the things I found interesting is that, according to him, the PS3 hasn't even started production yet! However the interview does say the "company is targeting 2 million PS3s available at launch".

So what will you be able to do with your PS3 if you manage to get your hands on one? Well according to Next-Gen there will be 27 games on display at the Tokyo Game Show next month, although we don't know for sure if they will be ready when the console launches.

And finally, here's a sneak peak (video) of the PS3's user interface:

Continue reading »

It was just a few days ago when we told you of the 360 camera.

This is a new device which can be added to your Xbox 360 to allow for a multitude of things including video communictions. Since then there have been many more articles hitting the web explaining what else the new camera can be used for.

One of the coolest features is facial mapping technology which will allow you to take various shots of your face and then insert them into a game, replacing the characters face.

Pretty soon not only will your face be in the game, but with the advent of motion sensing controllers, you will be able to watch yourself die onscreen because you didn't run fast enough or wave your arms around enough to save yourself.

What kinda damage is that going to do to your psyche?

Looks like the folks at Sony have been busy coming out with some special edition PSPs.

The first set came out Sunday for the lucky gamers in Japan as part of the PSP Signature Line. The specs are still the same for the console, but it also comes with extra capacity battery, which means longer playing time, and a fancy PSP stand.

There are two designs to choose from, "Tsukimi" and the "Kachofugetsu". "Tsukimi" is this tradition in Japan where they view the moon and "Kachofugetsu" is a Kanji compound that has the characters for flower, bird, wind, and moon. And from the pics below, you can see why they called them that. The price for such an awesome looking PSP? 31,500 yen which comes out to be about $271.

But as if releasing these two cool newly designed PSPs weren't enough, Sony released another design, in Europe this time, in collaboration with Pink, that singer/songwriter.

The "Pink" PSP will be packaged in the same Value Pack we've seen before. You know, the one with the white headphones, a remote, a pouch, a wrist strap and a 32 MB Memory Stick Duo. Price you ask? 229 Euros which is about $293.

-iamsiam

Ok so this isn't really news. But it's nice to finally have a resolution to this "will they or won't they" debate.

The Phantom console appears to be finally dead. According to their products page there is no more mention of the console, only the keyboard.

There is still mention of the "Phantom Gaming Service" but there are few details of this service on the website.

So, if you had money on this, and bet that they'd never make a Phantom Console I guess now is the time to collect.

Analysts are funny.

They are almost like economists when it comes to their amazing ability to disagree with each other.

Even game industry analysts can't agree. One "analyst" says that the Blu-Ray will sink the PS3 while another says that the PS3 will lead all other consoles in sales by 2011.

So let's look at the first "claim:"

While I do think Sony is gambling big on Blu-Ray, I don't think it will "sink" the PS3. Sony always backs new technology and sometimes it actually works. After all, the PS3 isn't going to be the only platform that plays Blu-Ray Discs. Sony will also have Blu-Ray players out too. So will the new disc format kill Sony? I think not.

But what about this theory that Sony will lead in console sales? Well let's look at that, shall we?

Continue reading »

At a recent Gamefest event in Seattle news was reported that Microsoft is considering options to help improve the play of FPS (First Person Shooter) games.

The games were made popular on the PC but generally a mouse/keyboard combination is required to make it work properly. With today's console's analog controllers such precise control is difficult to achieve.

Therefore Microsoft is looking into the idea of redesigning or otherwise creating new controls specific to FPS games. While this all sounds great, M$ has no immediate plans to produce such a controller, they are merely considering it.

Now for something you can get your hands on.

We've heard of a camera for the 360 for a little while, but that sounds closer. In fact later this year it is supposed to be released.

But wait there's more.

The camera will come with a gesture based game called TotemBall. How it will work is that it will translate your movements into gameplay control. Not too shabby.

Now you'd think with a title like this it MUST be me talking. But it's not.

Nope this quote comes from US games designer American McGee. In an interview posted on ComputerAndVideoGames.com McGee goes on to say "The only truly next-gen console out there is the Wii. Everything else is just a video card and processor upgrade."

Strong words considering this is a game developer. However he does make a point. While the 360 and PS3 have made significant advancements in hardware - using the latest processors and graphics systems, they are still essentially boxes with joysticks.

There has been little innovation outside of this for either console. Granted the innovation with the Wii has to do with the controller - and both competitors say they too are working on similar wireless motion sensing technology, but the Wii is the leader.

Add that to the fact that they will be offering many "classic" title online for free and now you start seeing some of the true innovation.

Throw in a lower price point and you can see how the Wii could dominate the console market over the next 6 to 12 months.

Earlier we mentioned that Sony plans to come out with a GPS system for the PSP. Well someone decided to take matters into his own hands and build one himself!

Deniska's site shows you how he built himself a GPS system on the PSP and gives you details on how you too, can make your own. He's got the list of parts and step by step directions on how to install this on your very own PSP.

Here's what the setup looks like:

And here's a clip of what you'd see on the screen:

Now, for those of you who plan on trying this at home, please be careful, and please let us know how it goes! We'd love to hear from you!

-iamsiam

You know, the news about the Wii just keeps getting better and better.

And this isn't just a rumor, it's a story that appears in USA Today and in it we hear of Nintendo's latest announcement - free online play.

That's right, according to Nintendo of America's new president and chief operating officer Reginald Fils-Aime the Wii will offer free online gaming.

Nintendo is offering this as a way to sell hardware. Pure and Simple. And what better way to beat the competition then offer a similar gaming experience but also allowing access to dozens, if not hundreds, of classic game titles online without a subscription?

In other Wii news, there are reports that some stores in the UK are taking preorders. And in fact a check of the Toys R Us Canadian website also shows us that preorders are available.

At toysrus.ca, you can preorder a Wii bundle to be released on November 17. Best of all, you only need to give up a $50 deposit.

Last week we got more details from Gizmodo on the 360's new HD DVD drive. And while M$ wasn't saying much about the unit, the Giz has some pics and specs. According to Gizmodo: "The drive is about the size of a large hardcover book, and around half the size of the 360 console.."

Now we find out from Digitimes that the new drive will sell for $200 and will be avialable at Christmas time. This news comes from a source in the Tiawanese game developer community that says M$ prefers the format as it is compatible with regular DVD technology. In other words it will play regular DVDs in addition to the HD ones.

But of course we also know that this is a play against Sony who developed and is pushing Blu-ray. This will be an interesting battle.

Speaking of Sony and Microsoft, did you know that the editor of the "Official PlayStation Magazine" doesn't want a PS3? It's true, instead she's opting for a 360.

According to her blog editors don't get hardware for free - they have to buy it like everyone else. And since she too is suffering from the sticker shock price of the PS3 she has opted for the less expensive 360.

She goes on to say that "$600 might be worth it if there were several huge titles on the near horizon that were PS3-exclusive." This is similar to what other industry heavyweights are saying. They are all taking a "wait and see" attitude, opting for perhaps buying the console later on, when the price drops and there are more games.

Yet another blow for Sony.

I know, we've reported on how poorly we expect the PS3 to do, and how we are already hearing news of games being cancelled. So it is refreshing to see that some sites aren't as pessimistic about the PS3 as I am.

According to Gamespot there are to be at least 200 PS3 games and while some are merely "planned" and could be cancelled at some point in the future, for now, they are all expected.

Release dates vary from shortly after (or before) the console is released until some time in 2007, but you can rest assured (if you are a die hard PS fan) that there will be games.

So if you still intend on shelling out big bucks for the console you can sleep a little easier now.

Now before you decide on which console you are going to buy next, perhaps you should watch this video:

Love playing the Game Cube so much that you wish you can take it wherever you want to go? Well Ben the GameCube fan is one and he decided to act on his wish. He built a portable GameCube system. The system has the controllers, an LCD screen and the GameCube. It weighs about 4 pounds and cost him $370 to build.

Wow! That is awesome!

Unfortunately, it still needs to be plugged in. Ben opted not to build in a power source because it would have added more weight to it. 4 lbs is already a lot!

Ben is currently not building any more of these but I'd say if you've got lots of money, you might be able to convince him otherwise. Then again, if you had lots of money why not just get a portable home to connect your GameCube to and be able to take it anywhere as well!

-iamsiam

The PS3 hasn't even been released yet and game production of a couple titles has been halted.

According to gwn.com FROM software has cancelled PS3 titles Dark RPG and Black Blade.

No reasons were given but according to previous reports the PS3 does have issues. In fact some developers aren't happy because of the complexity of the console and the fact that they may not be able to harness all of it's power.

So, do you still need a reason why some games won't hit store shelves?

I dunno - seems like anyone with a half baked idea can patent it these days.

And what's worse - the patents can be (and usually are) pretty vague despite being so detailed and technical in most cases.

So when I heard this I had to laugh. There is a lawsuit (PDF File) filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, against both Microsoft and Nintendo for patent violations. And for what you may ask? Well, violating patents on controller design.

Specifically the use of a "sensor having a housing" and a depressible actuator in a "resilient dome cap," which appears to cover pressure-sensitive controller buttons(patent number 5,999,084) as well as violations of patent 6,222,525 (Image Controller with Sheet Connected Sensors), 6,344,791 (Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback), 6,347,997 (Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays), and 6,906,700 (3D Controller with Vibration).

What it means is that the company doing the suing wants a huge payout. They filed these things years ago knowing that some day some game company was going to make just such a controller.

And I'm sure there's also patents for controlling a game character with your mind so at some time, maybe 20 years down the road, we'll hear about this all over again.

Now I don't want to make it sound like I'm bashing the patent holdesr, cause I'm not. In fact I also have my name on a patent which I'm sure could be used to get me some money somewhere, but it isn't really worth it, in my opinion.

I wish the same would happen with this case - it seems kinda like a waste in my opinion, but of course since Sony was recently successfully sued you can see how this one came about can't you?

In the past, we've seen the Sony PSP come out with an internet browser and flash memory capabilities. There's also been word that the PSP will also have GPS and camera capabilities in the near future. But it seems that the PSP could be following in the footsteps of Nintendo and come out with TV capabilities for the PSP.

According to ITmedia, a poll was taken to find out what new PSP feature would people like. The number one on their list was to get tv capabilities on their PSP. The least request was camera attachment and support for electronic money. And with Nintendo DS already developing a TV tuner, I wouldn't be surprised if Sony already has plans to come out with one as well. I'm not quite sure if I'd answer this poll TV capabilities as my first choice. Which leads me to my question. What do you guys think some new features should be?

-iamsiam

It is so funny to see Sony spinning their public relations wheels. Despite the fact that the whole world has concerns over the console - Will it work as it's supposed to? Will people buy it? plus concerns over game availability and backwards compatibility.

Well according to an interview with Sony worldwide studios head Phil Harrison PS3 game development is moving along nicely.

"It's all going well. We are in full swing, from a developer point of view, and over 10,000 development kits have been shipped. Developers now have final hardware in their hands, though there will be some upgrades to the operating system - there's nothing unusual about that. The new controller is now in developers' hands, so all the pieces of the puzzle are there.."

I guess this is good news, and I thought "hmm maybe the PS3 will be ok after all" until I heard the news that, while PSone and PS2 games will be playable on the PS3, those saved games you have in the memory stick may not.

That's because Sony has made it a requirement that an adapter be used to transfer your memory stick saved games to the PS3's hard drive where they will be stored on "virtual" memory sticks.

Gotta love Sony - selling an overpriced console and then charging for extras like this adapter even though they claim the console will be backwards compatible.

Okay, so that is more what I look like on a Monday after a long weekend of partying it up. Anyway that's not what happened to this DS LIte. What happened was a monster set of canine teeth. The good part of this story, NIntendo offered to fix the damage for around $50.00 USD. So basically this guy will be getting a complete replacement brand new DS for around 50.00. Not too shaggy.....errr shabby....Bad Dog! Sit!

That's right, according to an interview at Kotaku, game maker SNK isn't in a hurry to jump on the PS3 band wagon.

According to the interview "The PlayStation 2 is good enough" while "the PlayStation 3 is a risk" because of the huge investment required with little return in the first few years.

"We need to wait three or four years. Maybe 2009-2010 is a good time to release a game for the PS3." says SNK's verseas Marketing Manager Yoshihito Koyama.

So if you really wanna play King of Fighters in HD on your PS3 you are going to have to wait.

So just what do you do with your old PS2 when the PS3 comes out?

Let's say you're just waiting for the PS3 then you're going to go all out and buy that big screen HDTV to truly experience games in HD.

Well, for one, you don't need to wait for the PS3 for that. That is because Xploder.net has just created a utility that will help you set up your PS2 so that it will play your games on HD.

According to this press release you can purchase a disc almost like a bootloader which will help you configure your PS2 for HD. Once configured, you save your settings to a memory stick, hook up the PS2 to your HDTV and play away!

Pretty slick if you ask me...

For those who are fans of the GTA games, here something for you!

Looks like they just came out with some screenshots of GTA: Vice City Stories. You'll be playing the character Victor Vance who is Lance's brother. Vic, as you remember, is seen in the opening scene of GTA: Vice City getting killed by a SWAT team. Supposedly, the game will take place in 1984 about two years before GTA: Vice City takes place.

Details for the game are:
• Players can now take on the water of Vice City With jet ski's!
• There's new or altered locations and buildings
• All new vehicles and weapons
• You can fly helicopters!
• New weather effects like hurricanes
• You can swim in the game!
• Bikes handle better than before

The new animations for this game are great! It allows the characters to be more human like. The color is richer making things like the sunset realistic. They've also increased the pedestrians, cars and other objects in the game. There are some pics of the game up and if you'd like to check them out go here.

Unfortunately, that's all we have on this game but be sure to check back as we will continue to report anything new we hear about GTA: Vice City Stories.

-iamsiam

When I read this article my first thought was: "hey that's great!" After all, most consoles run proprietary software and OSes.

But then I started thinking about this. What are the chances that the Wii will run on LInux, or even a modified version of the open source operating system?

Would Nintendo gamble their future on an open source OS?

Continue reading »

Well not that kind of adult gamer you pervert. This won't be a review of Japanese Sex sims for the DS. A reader sent this post in and I had to share it. It provides some great insite into why the DS is so addictive and fun:

1) You and your buddies don't usually need two copies of a game to play it multi player
This is something that never occurred to me prior to purchase. Most DS games support multi play off of one cartridge. If you have friends with their own DS systems, in many cases you'll only need one copy of a game to host while others join in and play without copies for themselves. For my wife and me, that's great news. We refuse to buy two copies of the same game just to play together. Single-cart-multi-play is a thing of beauty.

2) You can have two games in your DS at the same time
If you're like me, you keep your portables in your pockets. That doesn't leave any room for extra games so you're stuck playing whatever you had in your system when you left the house. With the DS you're not going to be limited to one game. You can have a DS game inserted as well as a GBA cartridge and can choose to boot either one at startup. That doubles my available gaming experiences without noticeably increasing carry size. Beyond that, I can swap between games without ever removing or replacing a cartridge. My current setup is New Super Mario Bros. for DS and Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls for GBA -- a very winning pair.

3) Touch pad typing is easy
Once again, this is something that never crossed my mind prior to purchase; If you've ever entered a long web address or message of any sort on a cellphone or PSP, you know how frustrating the experience can be. With the DS touch screen, that frustration is fairly well eliminated. Touching letters with the tip of your stylus involves slightly more effort than a keyboard, but is a far cry better than the previous alternatives. I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming DS Opera Browser release. Being able to look at dirty internet pictures check your email on the go with such little effort is going to be outstanding.

4) Pictochat is Awesome
Ok, so let me define awesome here. Maybe I'm not normal, but I find touch screen drawing to be abnormally fun in and of itself. Not only can I sit and draw anatomically correct stick men making rude gestures all afternoon long, but I can wirelessly share them with others! How cool is that? Of course, this is coming from a guy that loved those toy faces that came with magnetic pens and metal shavings for hair when he was a kid, so take this one as you will.

5) You don't have to be a pre-teen to enjoy portable gaming
There seems to be some sort of stigma attached to the name "Game Boy". People tend to think Nintendo branded portables are just for children. That misconception is just that -- a misconception. There's a large and growing library of games for the DS (not even counting the thousands of available GBA titles that can be played) and somewhere in there is a title for each of us to enjoy, regardless of age. Even now, Nintendo is marketing Brain Age to adults and seniors as a way to lubricate their rusty thought process. Nothing says grown-up fun like a game that makes you less stupid.

It was In Early July when we first heard rumors of a 360 price drop. And even then M$ came out and said that there wouldn't be a price drop before Christmas.

Yet the rumors persisted. So Microsoft has gone on the record again, stating that there will be no price cuts in the near future. And why should they?

I mean, sure the Wii is coming out and will drastically undercut them, but Microsoft wants to crush their "real" competitor Sony.

You see, M$ already thinks the PS3 is too expensive and they aren't alone. Even at full price the 360 is still going to come in a couple hundred less than the PS3.

So why should M$ cut their prices? For the Wii? I think not.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Wii. I want a Wii, but M$ doesn't care about it, they only want to ensure that they beat the PS3.