More PS3 Goodies

Nyko sure has been real busy lately. Today they announced lots of peripherals for all you PS3 fans out there. Among those are a charging base which will allow you to charge up to 4 PS3 controllers, Wireless headset, Intercooler, HDMI and Non-HDMI cable, 10 foot cable for play and charge, and finally a play adapter which will let you connect you PS2 controllers to your PS3. So all you PS3 fans out there put in you PS2 controllers and remember the good old days of rumble because you wont be seeing it anytime soon.

3 New Wii Titles Coming to Virtual Console

From Gaming Bits:

"Nintendo has announced the following Wii Virtual Console titles, available from the Wii Shop Channel today, (1.8.07) at 9 a.m. Pacific time:

Gradius® (NES®, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Across the galaxy, there exists a distant planet known as Gradius. Gradius' peaceful existence has been brought to an end by an intense space invasion by a race known as the Bacterion. To save the planet, the hyperspace fighter Vic Viper has been deployed to fight the Bacterion invasion. Players pilot the Vic Viper through seven stages, shooting and dodging through deadly obstacles, while using various power-ups, including missiles, lasers, options and shields. The Vic Viper's target is the enemy fortress, Xaerous. The only way to end the war is to plunge deep through the enemy forces and destroy its very core.

Soldier Blade® (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): A new shooter in the "Star Soldier" tradition. Players play as an SIA (Special Interception Airforce) pilot flying the heavy assault fighter "Soldier Blade." Players face the Zeograd invasion force with weapon attacks that change each time they grab a power-up item. Players can unleash three different kinds of attack depending on the color of the power-up item. New features, such as the "Gunbody" option for avoiding enemy attacks and the "Burst Out" system (which has a different effect depending on the power-up level), add a strategic element that requires players to make snap decisions about which items to grab and when to use special attacks. Awesome boss battles await players at the end of each operation. Playing in "CHALLENGE" mode requires players to try to get as many points as they can in a limited amount of time.

Dungeon Explorer™ (TurboGrafx16, 1-5 players, 600 Wii Points): Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer action/role-playing game where up to five players can play at the same time. The story takes place in underground dungeons. Players can choose from eight different character types: Fighter, Thief, Warlock, Witch, Bishop, Elf, Bard or Knome. Depending on the character, the types of magic, attack strength and movement will all vary. To survive, players most know all about their enemies' weaknesses. Players also must know about the special attributes of each magic spell and use them to their greatest advantage. In team-play games, working together is the key to victory. Any combination of Wii Remotes and Nintendo GameCube™ controllers can be used in multiplayer games."

360 Guitar Hero 2 Confirmed

It has been confirmed Guitar Hero 2 for the 360 to be released in March. It will feature lots of downloadable content, better graphics, and the new X-Plorer controller designed for the 360. Here's a quote from Dusty Welch head of publishing:

“With its large integrated hard drive, Xbox 360 provides an incredible platform for facilitating downloadable content. We believe there is no better title to feature micro-transactions than a music game like Guitar Hero II, where the content is the basis of your experience. The relationship with the Xbox Live Marketplace creates endless possibilities for exclusive content.”

Wii to Get Recharge Pack From Nyko

It's just funny how Nintendo wouldn't release something like this. Oh well here it is if your interested.

Gears Update Details

Sometime today Gears of War will be getting a patch released to fix some of the bugs in the game. Here's the details:

• Fixed aspect ratio distortion when using VGA cable with 4:3 displays at resolutions higher than 640x480
• Fixed voice issue with new players joining Player Match games in progress
• Players can now get the Achievement for "Dish Best Served Cold" when using Troika turret to kill RAAM
• Fixed rare situation where host could loop countdown and never start match
• Fixed rare situation where players could get stuck after chainsawing in multiplayer
• Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance
• Enabled "Strict" NAT check on host to prevent possible connection issues
• Optimized server browser queries to return results more quickly and prevent scroll bars from hiding quality of service icons
• Reduced number of possible revives in Execution to match Warzone
• Removed host name from Ranked match server browser
• Disabled security cameras in Ranked matches
• Ranked matches now require balanced teams (3v3 or 4v4)
• Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points
• Added additional cheat detection code
• Additional housekeeping updates

Dreamcast Still Alive in '07

Sega Nerds has announced there will be 3 new Sega Dreamcast games available for pre-order from play-asia.com .

2 New Maps for Gears

Mark this date down on your calendar because starting Jan. 11 two new maps for Gears of War will be available FREE of charge. The new maps are Raven Dawn and Old Bones. Here are the maps outlines:

"Raven Down: A Raven Helicopter has gone down in the middle of a large scale battle with the omnipresent Locust Horde. Gears have taken out the Seeder and gamers join Delta Forces moving into the crash site from all angles to search for survivors.

Old Bones: In an attempt to eradicate any traces of human history and culture, the Locust Horde has emerged under Sera's Capitaline Museums and has begun to destroy them brick by brick. Each gamer's mission is to help the Delta Force recapture the museums before all remnants of humankind's existence are obliterated. "

Over 10M 360s Sold, IPTV to Come to 360

Here's a clip from the Press Release:

Xbox 360 and Microsoft TV: Together Expanding the World of Games and Entertainment
In a move that will combine the power of Xbox 360 with Microsoft TV IPTV Edition, Bach provided an early look at a new service, IPTV on Xbox 360. The offering is expected to deliver world-class TV experiences such as digital video recording capabilities, with gaming, movie viewing, and even voice and video communications. Tapping into an expanded set of entertainment experiences, users will be able to watch their favorite sporting event live while chatting with their friends, for example, or participate in a match on Xbox Live® while they record a TV program in the background. IPTV on Xbox 360 is expected to be available to consumers by holiday season 2007 and will be offered by providers that are deploying TV services based on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform.
"Our goal is to make entertainment more personal, more interactive and more social," Bach said. "IPTV on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are powerful examples of ways we are bringing together the worlds of gaming, TV viewing and community to make it easy for people to access and discover their favorite content and share their personal experiences with the communities they are part of."
Microsoft TV IPTV Edition continues to strengthen its position in the market with deployments under way with five of the world's largest service providers and trials with 11 additional companies, representing a footprint across 14 countries on four continents.
Bach also showcased the strong momentum behind Xbox 360 and highlighted the company's success in delivering high-definition viewing experiences with HD DVD. Exceeding expectations by hitting the 10.4 million-console-sold mark this holiday season, Xbox 360 is the leading next-generation games and entertainment platform. It is also the largest social network in the living room, with 5 million Xbox Live members.

Wii Wireless Nunchucks on the Way?

Mat Brummit from Verdicts has said an unconfirmed source has revealed that Nintendo is working on a wireless nunchuck for their very popular Wii. After many complaints of the restriction and distraction of the cord on games that require much movement.

PS3 Sells More Consoles than 360?

Sony announced today that they sold over 1 Million consoles in North America since launch. Here's a quote from arrogant pricks:

"SCEA went to great lengths to help meet demand for PS3, including airlifting systems into North America on a weekly basis to ensure a steady stream of units were available to consumers throughout the holiday season," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "The fact that we were able to reach the one-million mark faster than our top-selling platform, the PS2, further validates the strength of the PlayStation brand and our belief that consumers are ready to experience true high-definition gaming." ... "Reaching the one million mark for PS3 is the first of many major milestones for us as we head into a new year. Even more impressive, is that we were able to accomplish this feat while successfully managing two other gaming platforms--PS2 and PSP," said Tretton. "With three PlayStation platforms now available to gamers, 2007 will be about software and delivering innovative, new experiences and award-winning franchises to consumers, both through retail and through our online PLAYSTATION Network."

Innovative and new experiences they say, well I say where? And from the last time I checked I don't think the PSP needs any managing.

1up, EGM, and Others to be Sold to the Highest Bidder!

Ziff Davis, who currently owns 1up, EGM, and others, may be selling the popular portals after a reported loss of revenues this past quarter. Read the article here.

New 360 Peripherals Coming Soon?

A recent poll to Xbox Live members hints to some new peripherals and software upgrades coming to the 360. Among these are an 80GB hardrive, a black controller with backlit buttons and rubberized grips, an old school joystick for Live titles, a keyboard device for text, a built in browser, and an online store where music downloads could be purchased.

Xbox 360 v2 Video: Fact or Fiction?

Though I don't want to believe it, it's hard to deny when it's in your face.

The Colors of the PS3

Is black not your color? PCN has all you need. Next is silver.

Oblivion Expansion The Shivering Isles

The new expansion of Oblivion called the Shivering Isles will include 30+ more hours of gameplay. Unlike the Knights of Nine, Shivering Isles will add a whole new land to discover. It will be divided into 2 parts. A northern side called Mania and a southern side called Dementia. Players will be able to travel between the worlds freely through a door in a statue located in the Niben Bay near Bravil. The Shivering Isles will change according to what the players do in the game and will include more quests, dungeons, and creatures. The Shivering Isles is slated to be released in the Spring of 2007 on the PC no word on the release of a 36o or PS3 version as of yet, but with the release of Knights of Nine on the 360 an update would seem likely.

CES Microsoft 360 Annoncement Leak?

According to Team Xbox Bill Gates and Robbie Bach will announce at CES that Microsoft has sold 10.4 Million units since launch and the 360's capability to be used as a STB for IPTV. Could this also be a good time to mention a new version of the 360? Possibly.

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD is it Over? Pt. 2

Time Warner Bros. plans to release a dual format disk at CES. This disk will feature the ability to play HD DVD content and Blu-ray content. There is even talk of the possibility for all three formats: DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD. This could be a good move for all the movie companies and for the consumers by doing so they do not have to chose a side in the war, they can just use one disk to make everything; One disk, one player, no confusion.

PS3 Absolutly NO Rumble!

Yet another downfall to the PS3. NO Rumble whatsoever. You already knew your controller didn't have rumble, but guess what, so will everything else. Here's a quote from Sony:

"All PS3 games are programmed for the SIXAXIS which doesn’t have force feedback, therefore the force feedback in the wheels won’t be recognized."

So if all games are programmed for the SIXAXIS that means NOTHING will have rumble not just the steering wheels. Another plus for the 360.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Update

The next Metroid game in the series has just been played by Gamepro in an invite only gaming session. From the looks of it Gamepro was very impressed. Here's a clip from the article:

"Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Definitely stole the the show. The graphics looked amazing -- better than Halo 2 on the Xbox without a doubt -- and the levels showed off sparkling details, proving the Wii is far more powerful than the Gamecube. Out of all the games we played, the Wii controller seemed most at home with Metroid."

Maybe playing it on the Wii won't be so bad after all.

Release Date of Bioshock Confirmed

The highly anticipated game Bioshock has just been confirmed to have a June 2007 release date for the Xbox 360 and PC. No word yet on the PS3. I know what I'll be playing this summer.

New 360 to be Released?

Some recent photos of the Xbox 360 have been reported by Engadget. The new 360 codenamed "Zephyr" is said to be released "soon" and features a HDMI port, 120 GB drive, and much cooler 65nm processors. Although the photos are unconfirmed, Microsoft has commented on the new system by saying "We have seen all types of claimed leaked photos like this show up online and as a standard policy we don't comment on speculative items." If you noticed they didn't deny it. Will this be Xbox 360 v2?

EA Game Price Cuts

Effective as of January 5, 2007 EA will cut the prices on a good many of their games. Just to name a few:

Fight Night Round 3
PlayStation 2 - Was: $39.99 New: $19.99
PSP - Was: $29.99 New: $19.99
Xbox 360 - Was: $59.99 New: $29.99
Xbox - Was: $29.99 New: $19.99

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Xbox 360 - Was: $49.99 New: $29.99

Madden NFL 07
Xbox 360 - Was: $59.99 New: $49.99
Xbox - Was: $39.99 New: $29.99
GBA - Was: $29.99 New: $19.99
GameCube - Was: $39.99 New: $29.99
PlayStation 2 - Was: $39.99 New: $29.99
PSP - Was: $39.99 New: $29.99

The Godfather
PlayStation 2 - Was: $39.99 New: $19.99
Xbox 360 - Was: $59.99 New: $39.99
Xbox - Was: $29.99 New: $19.99


You can get the whole list at Game Invasion

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD is it Over?

LG has announced a new dual Blu-ray/HD DVD drive that it will unveil at next weeks CES. Is this the end of the war?

PS3 Not Selling?

The highly anticipated and overrated PS3 console has fallen upon a time of grief. This picture was taken by Brian Crecente of Kotaku at Best Buy (don't bother counting it is 31). What a sad time for Sony.

For the Gamer is Back In Action

Patrick here just telling you that I'm back from my long vacation and that For the Gamer is back in action. I will be back soon with some more posts, until then leave me some comments about what all of you have gotten over the holidays.