Continue reading »]]> Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console has sold over 28 million units worldwide, 8 million more than the Sony Playstation 3.

According to figures from Microsoft, the Xbox 360 is ahead of the Playstation 3 by one million units in Europe and by 7 million in the US.

However, both consoles are being outsold by the Nintendo Wii, which sold 3 million units in the UK and 10.17 million in the US last year.

Microsoft is keen to point out that it’s leading in the total lifetime spending figures for each console. A total of US$13.2 billion has been spent on the Xbox 360 since it was launched, compared to US$10.8 billion on the Wii and US$6.1 billion on the PS3.

“Our goal for 2008 was to reach new audiences by bringing ground-breaking games and entertainment to Xbox 360,” said senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick.

“Looking forward, new waves of innovation will extend our position as the global leader in interactive entertainment”.

Xbox 360 Outsells Playstation 3 – PC World

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Continue reading »]]> Solid Snake’s next adventure will sidestep the “Xbox 360 versus PlayStation 3″ debate by appearing on neither platform; instead, Konami’s anthropomorphized Cold War allegory will be sneaking his way onto Apple’s iPhone.

Metal Gear Solid Touch is scheduled for release in Spring 2009, reports Kotaku. The game is a completely original adventure set in the latter-day world of Metal Gear Solid 4 (read: Snake is a geriatric), and consists of 8 stages.

What would a Metal Gear Solid game be without unlockable content? Earning bonus points through gameplay will allow players to download special Metal Gear-themed iPhone wallpapers.

No price has been established for the title, though we expect to hear more details from Konami soon.

Continue reading »]]> Gene Simmons and the Interactive Game Group have come together to offer gamers the chance to play their very own ‘Axe Guitar’ in Guitar Hero, or Rock Band. Gene Simmons commented on the videogame accessory adaptation of his iconic guitar:

“I never do anything half way. My AXE controller is the closest thing you can have to being onstage in KISS. I created and designed the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar and I can’t wait for the fans to experience it for themselves. The Gene Simmons AXE guitar is such a recognizable symbol – people have been asking for a gaming replica ever since Guitar Hero was first introduced.”

This fully equipped, axe-shaped guitar controller is a replica of the KISS bassist and vocalist’s signature bass guitar. The AXE controller is personally certified by the Rock God himself, Gene Simmons, to give players that Rock Star experience. The wireless AXE guitar controller is a three-quarter-sized replica of the original Gene Simmons AXE guitar and larger than the standard video game guitar controllers. Customized with a replicated paint finish of the original guitar, the Axe guitar controller features Gene Simmons autograph and his photo in make-up painted onto the body of the controller. Interactive Game Group Founder, Fred Chesnais commented:

“Gene Simmons is the Rock Lord and the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar is an integral part of his signature look. Bringing this Axe controller to life was an incredible journey, and I am sure every player will enjoy it.”

The Axe Guitar is available for PS2, PS3 and Nintendo Wii, but no love for Xbox 360 players and will retail at $79.99.

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Continue reading »]]> Last month, reports began circulating that the latest “Jasper” models of the Xbox 360 had begun selling at retail. Why is a new model of the Xbox 360 so important? Because, as VentureBeat explains in a report on the Jasper’s improvements, the changes made to this model could finally mean the end of the dreaded Red Ring of Death fiasco.

The biggest improvement made to the Jasper model is that it uses a smaller 65-nanometer graphics chip, which will consume less power than previous Xbox 360 chips and fit more securely in its motherboard socket. That means it’s far less likely to overheat and come lose from the motherboard, which is the main cause of the ubiquitous “Red Ring of Death” system failures. So, at least in theory, that problem should finally no longer plague those with Jasper model 360s.

But that’s not the only change Microsoft made to their new hardware. The other big addition is an increase of the system’s internal flash memory from 16 megabytes to 256, which will be used to store the New Xbox Experience. That means even Arcade units without hard drives will be able to have the NXE, without needing to circumvent the storage problems that earlier Arcade units faced. The last big difference is the Jasper model uses a 150-watt power supply, as opposed to the earlier 175-watt power supply.

So for those keeping score, that’s approximately 1,060 days that it took for Microsoft to finally build a model of the Xbox 360 that doesn’t have an unreasonably high probability of self-destructing. So… good on them? Let’s just hope these Jasper models do finally fix the problem for good.

Continue reading »]]> Sony has already followed up the launch of the original PSP with two more iterations of the handheld device; the most recent is the PSP-3000 – or PSP Brite – and now, everyone is wondering when the PSP-4000 will come around. Well, forget that; how’s about the PSP 2?

The latest news comes from a recent EETimes article that talks about a joint venture with Imagination Technologies Group to manufacture a certain chip set for a unit called the “PSP 2.” The chip set in question is similar to the POWERVR SGX graphics processor, and you can find the SGX chip sets in everything from palmtops to mobile PCs.

It’s currently considered to be one of the most powerful available today, so most are assuming it’s a good decision to implement this piece of technology into a new portable gaming device.

However, Sony will neither confirm or deny that research and development of a new PSP is either currently taking place or coming to a close, so everything is just speculation at this point. Then again, when something carries the title of “PSP 2″ with it, it’s difficult to imagine the aforementioned joint venture is anything but a team dedicated to a Sony handheld sequel.

So now the question is, what do you want to see in a new PSP? We’re sure many owners out there have suggestions for Sony in regards to additions and enhancements, so let’s hear it. Bigger screen? Different button layout? Something crazy original like the DS? Or just more media stuff in general?

Continue reading »]]> The hot news over the weekend: The infinitely popular Nintendo DS Lite may be getting an upgrade, soon to be including MP3 playback capabilities and a camera. Officially Nintendo says it has no comment, though it has not denied the rumor.

But Nikkei Net has lots of details on the supposed product, including a price (16,800 yen, or $158), and availability set for 2008. The report, which has been cited on gaming sites across the Web, even says that you’ll be able to use photos you snap in new kinds of games, and music and photos will be accessible via wireless connection and SD card. (That would also suggest that the DS would add a new storage slot to the mix.) The screen is rumored to be larger, too.

The launch is said to be set for Japan first and only with a few hundred thousand units, which is typical for Nintendo, so even if the rumor pans out, it’s unlikely we’ll see units on our shores before 2009. (And even then we’ll undoubtedly be in another Wii/PS3 situation with shortages, long lines, and gunfire.) To put that in perspective, the company plans to sell 28 million DS units this year worldwide.

The move would be an interesting, and probably successful one, for Nintendo. The DS is a phenomenon that’s far larger than almost any other gadget (only the iPod is really competitive), and it makes sense for Nintendo to upgrade its game device to grow along with its young customer base. As kids stop playing cake-baking games, they start snapping pictures and listening to music… so why not give them everything in one package, right? Especially one they’re already intimately familiar with….

Now all Nintendo needs to do is add a cell phone to the DS and they’ll have a lock on tweens for life.

Nintendo rumored to be updating DS with camera and MP3 : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Continue reading »]]> ATLANTA – Sony Corp.’s U.S. video game division is adding a slick visual program to the PlayStation 3 game system that delivers news headlines, weather reports and webcam views from around the globe.

The new touches come as an upgrade to Folding(at)home, an earlier PS3 feature that benefits Stanford University’s protein research project. Users donate a bit of their PS3′s processing power when they’re not gaming to help researchers study the effects of protein folding on diseases.

Using the new program, “Life with PlayStation,” Sony makes the effort more interactive. A PlayStation owner can now use the game controller to soar around a glowing Earth and zoom in to nearly 60 major cities for headlines and weather reports.

Google Inc. provides the headlines in the bottom corner of the screen. When a headline is selected and clicked, a browser launches and navigates to the full story.

The Weather Channel provides the temperatures for each city and the University of Wisconsin even chipped in with detailed cloud cover data to give the slowly spinning globe more realism.

Users will be happier with the webcam views — which include wide shots of urban districts in San Francisco and Berlin — if they’ve got a big display: It’s fairly lackluster on screens 27 inches or smaller.

The new features should complement Sony’s upcoming avatar-based virtual world called PlayStation Home. Currently in closed beta testing, PlayStation Home lets people meet, chat and plan gaming and non-gaming activities.

Sony brings visual add-on to PlayStation 3 – Yahoo! News

Continue reading »]]> British modder Bacteria really likes cartridges. The bigger the better. He turned an entire N64 console into a gigantic, beige cart, then took a slew of cheap plug ‘n play games and did the same — though smaller and minus the neutral tones. He dubbed that latest creation the Mini-Platform Plug’n'Play Console System, and promised that Game Boy Advance integration was coming soon.

Two weeks later it’s here courtesy of a little solder and hot glue, opening up the massive library of Game Boy and Advance titles. Yeah, the system isn’t much to look at, and with an entire GBA hanging off the back it’s pushing the limits of the word “mini.” But, it is an intrepid hack and, like his others, he’s more than happy to tell you how he did it. Video of this meaty portable in action after the break.

Links

Website

Bacteria’s “Mini-Platform” gets GBA’d – Engadget

Continue reading »]]> The Officially Licensed, full-featured Portable Drum Kit for Rock Band is playable on virtually any solid surface. Designed to withstand over 1 million strikes, the durable rubber construction ensures the drumheads will outlast your frenetic drumming. Featuring an ultra-thin navigation panel for easy in-game setup, a pair of soft-tip two-piece replacement drumsticks and a remote kick drum pedal, everything you need to play drums is included. Easy to assemble and play and even easier to fold away for quick storage, when you don’t have ample room to rock with the full-sized drum kit, reach for these tabletop drums and rock like there is no tomorrow.

Product Features:

• Portable, lightweight, and designed for use on nearly any flat surface
• Small footprint for compact storage
• Drumheads designed to withstand over 1 million strikes
• Ultra-thin navigation panel for quick in-game setup
• Kick drum foot pedal included
• Portable, lightweight, and designed for use on nearly any flat surface
• Includes 2 two-piece soft-tip replacement drumsticks
• 9.8 Ft. (3m) Cable

GameShark® Store – Rock Band