World Wide Gaming

There’s nothing quite like curb stomping or chainsawing an opponent in Gears of War. The game has been a huge hit since its release last November, and now gamers are being given the opportunity to compete in a global tournament over Xbox Live. Registration for the tourney begins today and will continue until April 29, with official play running from April 9 through May 6.

Gears players will have four weeks to play ranked games and climb the leaderboards, with the top 11 finalists in the world being flown out to Prague for the Grand Final in July.

Tournaments and prizes are great, but hopefully Microsoft will be closely watching the leaderboards for cheaters. Still, CliffyB is excited. “We are thrilled to offer the chance for gamers across the world to come together and share the glories of blowing apart someone into little chunks.

Posted in Wii, Virtual Console by James Temperton on March 6th, 2007 at 17:41

Every N64 lover in the world wants to see GoldenEye 007 on the Wii Virtual Console, but could it ever happen? If there is a God it should happen, but is it actually possible?
An update on Rares Q&A page on their website has shown that seeing N64 classic GoldenEye on the Virtual Console is still possible. This is what Rare had to say in response to the question sent in to them regarding Rare franchises on the VC:
This is where we finally edge into territory that could see Scribes neutron bombed from management level. The only Rare-developed title on Virtual Console right now is the original Donkey Kong Country, and unofficially theres a strong likelihood that its sequels will follow. But the Donkey Kong series of games is a Nintendo-owned franchise starring an established Nintendo character, whereas something like Banjo isnt (and even Diddy Kong Racing is less clear-cut), so its nowhere near as easy to call. Especially when you also consider the existence of Xbox Live Arcade. So right now, the best answer we can offer (for either download service) is its possible. I like your sausage casserole mix, by the way.

Ignoring the Rare humour, the response does raise a tantalising possibility and one that fans of the series will cling on to until someone, somewhere denies that it will ever happen. Elsewhere in the same Q&A entry Rare stated that getting GoldenEye on the VC was difficult and presented a number of problems. The issue with GoldenEye 007 from the N64 is that it is in a bit of a mess as far as rights are concerned. EA currently run the franchise but it was run by Nintendo and Rare back in the day, since then the rights have changed and Rare are now part of the Microsoft Games Studio. This, is where the problems arise. Who owns it? Who should get the royalties? Nobody is quite sure it would seem.

Were desperate for something to happen on this front, but were just not sure if it ever will. Legal tussles can prove problematic to say the least. Regardless, well keep our collective ear to the ground and bring you any updates.

Source: http://www.nintendic.com/news/357

Looks like I’ll be the only kid on the block with a 20 GB PS3 from now on.

Posted on March 4th, 2007 by George Gardner

Gamedrift.coms Editor in Chief, Alex, was recently troubled to discover that Sonys 20 gig version of the 3 month old PS3 had seemingly gone missing. After a day of investigating, he was led to believe that - quite possibly - the 20 gig Playstation 3 had been discontinued.
Gamedrift, at this point, is still calling it âœrumor; however, the details behind this story will make even the most optimistic question Sony.
Alex started off by contacting all the stores in his area, not surprised to find that any were available. One store, which he labeled one of the nations larger consumer electronics stores had in fact told him that they had that particular console listed as discontinued.
Several Best Buy employees that I personally contacted do say that their stores list them as discontinued; although, this may only reflect what Best Buy is stocking in their stores, and not what Sony is or is not manufacturing.
After calling many electronics stores, Alex was clearly convinced that there was something going on. “When I was first told over the phone that the 20 gig PS3 had been discontinued after only 3 months, I was admittedly skeptical, said Alex, “my suspicions began to grow. After a bit of digging into the Internet, Alex decided to phone Sony himself. He drilled the Sony representative while making mention of the retailer stating that the console in question was in fact discontinued.
Silence. Had I stumbled upon a dirty little secret Sony has been hiding? Alex added, “I was put on hold¦ When the call finally resumed, the Sony rep again repeated the fact that the 20 gig models were still in production and that my retailers were still just out of stock.

So what would Sony have to gain by dropping their cheaper version of the PS3? iSuppli Applied Market Intelligence has pointed out that Sony actually has - not more to gain, but - less to loose by not offering their 20 gig model. At an estimated production cost of $805.85 for PS3s 20 gig version, it would almost seem foolish to keep it in production.
Its obvious that the 60 gig model is the better buy. I would gladly pay the extra money for the significant boost in enhancements; although, many gamers just arent ready to shell out the money for Sonys 60 gig console, and would gladly accept the less attractive version for a more attractive price.

Source: http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/03/04/20-gig-playstation-3-may-have-met-its-end/

By Casey Lynch Feb 26, 2007, 17:14 GMT

Since PlayStation 3 launches in Europe in less then a month “ March 23 to be exact - today Sony announced pricing details for its first party title launch line-up at an RRP of ‚¬59.99 (£39.99, AUD 99.95, NZ 109.95) which will include titles like Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man.

In addition to the disc based games will be available at launch for download from the PlayStation Network like BlastFactor, flOw and Super Rub a Dub, together with established brands like Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. These titles and more will be available for an introductory period at prices which range from ‚¬2.99 to ‚¬9.99 depending on the specific title.

Other first party content available on the PlayStation Network such as game items and premium video content will be priced on a sliding scale starting as low as ‚¬0.99 and increasing depending on the scope of the product. This could range from a new SingStar track to a premium pack for MotorStorm, which would include a new track, additional vehicles, liveries and multiplayer modes.

In announcing these prices, David Reeves, President and CEO of SCEE said, Not only will it be completely free to register on PlayStation Network with no subscription fees and access to many free demos, but with these competitive prices for additional content we are able to offer the consumer both top quality games on Blu-ray discs and a whole range of downloadable content from the PLAYSTATION®Network. With over 30 first and third party disc and network games available at launch, we are confident that this will be one of the most successful launches of all time.

Source: http://gaming.monstersandcritics.com/ps3/news/article_1269617.php/European_PlayStation_3_first_party_software_pricing_announced

February 21, 2007
Thomas Mennecke

The Nintendo Wii is gaming simplicity at its finest. No complicated finger maneuvers and little in the way of a learning curve. Those who cringe at the sight of a 15 button console controller have breathed a sigh of relief at the relatively simplistic Wii controller (the Nunchuk and Wiimote), which uses far fewer buttons and relies mostly on human movement to control the game.
Additional benefits include a decent workout and increased activity, something PS3 and X-Box simply don’t offer. In fact, Nintendo Wii has been credited as being a progressive step forward compared to the atrophy inducing game consoles from the days of old.
The arrival of the Wii hasn’t been without its growing pains. Soon after its release, horror stories emerged that the nunchuk would become the very weapon it emulated - flying off wrists and straight into TV sets, windows, and other expensive objects.
Yet a quick response recall from Nintendo and minimal concerns of whacking the family cat with a solid plastic Nunchuk appear to have subsided and helped spur the Wii’s growth - not to mention a $250 price tag. In a report published by the NPD Group, an organization that collects statistics on the behavior of the American landscape, found that the Nintendo Wii outsold its closets competitors, PS3 and X-Box in January of 2007.
“According to the independent NPD Group,” a Nintendo press release reads, “Wii sold through 435,503 systems to customers in its January reporting period. By comparison, that’s 70 percent higher than any other new video game system in its first January of availability during the last 10 years.”
According to ItWire, XBox sold only 294,000 units, while the PS3 sold 244,000 units. Oddly enough, the much older PS2 outsold its younger brother with 300,000 units. Nintendo readily admits its success is only limited by demand out pacing supply.
“The only limit on Nintendo’s success is the availability of Wii and DS systems, which continue to sell out as fast as Nintendo can ship them. Shipments are being made continuously to feed the huge demand around the country.”

Source: http://www.slyck.com/story1408.html

By Lisa Malyon
Posted 13th Feb 10:38:40am By Lisa Malyon

Intels Teraflop Research chip is no larger than a normal chip, but according to Intels CEO, Justin Rattner the super chip can do the same task that took 10,000 processors in 1997. He said: “The device, which isn’t for sale, would help Intel test new technologies destined for its mainstream processors in the next five years. Experts believe the chip no larger than a thumb-nail could play a part in future developments such as cars that stop automatically when a pedestrian is in the way.
Intels latest chip innovations include a new rapid design where the tiled“design approach allows designers to use smaller cores that can easily be repeated across the chip. A single“core chip of this size (100 million transistors) would take roughly twice as long and twice as many people to design.
Each of these smaller cores contain a 5-port messaging passing router, which are connected in a 2D mesh-type network that implements the passing of messages. This mesh interconnect scheme could replace the multi-core chip interconnects that currently exist, allowing for better communications between the cores, using less power.
Depending on the requirements of the user, the individual engines and data routers of each core can be activated or deactivated. According to Intel, power consumption is another area of improvement, with 1 teraflop requiring just 62 watts, less than many other desktop processors.
Although the test chip is not for sale just yet, it could make for a faster-future in the processor world within the next few years.

Source: http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/news/Intel-Unveil-Their-Teraflop-Chip/281870.html

48 New screenshots and a selection of videos of the upcoming Tactical Shooter from Ubisoft, along with the new new site. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 will build on the success of GRAW with highly improved graphics and bring many new things such as dynamic weather conditions and blowing wind.

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Reuters is reporting that Sony is planning to cut costs on manufacturing one of the key (and most expensive) components of the Playstation 3 - the Cell chip.
In addition to the already costly inclusion of Blu-Ray, producing the Cell in-house isn’t cheap, driving up the price of the console. Sony is hoping to reduce costs by moving to 45-nanometre circuitry, as opposed to the 90 and 65 nanometre chips currently manufactured.
Back in January, Sony Computer America’s Jack Tretton stated that Sony wouldn’t consider a price drop for the PS3 until at least mid-2008, and would not be cutting prices along a similar timeframe as with the PS2, as “there is a heck of a lot more under the hood and it costs us more money to make it.”
Today, Sony Executive Deputy President Yutaka Nakagawa said, “When we first offered the PS2, there were no semiconductor companies that were able to make chips for the machine, so we did it ourselves. But now, there are companies that specialize in chip production.”
Hopefully, as Sony continues to find new ways to cut production costs, we may see more mass-market friendly pricing somewhere down the line for Sony’s sexy black behemoth, as we did with the PS2.

So keep your fingers crossed, and cancel that second mortgage. You may not need it after all.

Source:http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=6675&sid=8615ae1cba8129d3e0aae4f8dbd3c1f4&title=PS3+price+drop+in+2009%3F

By Thor Thorsen, Gamespot

Last month, Ubisoft reported solid earnings for the October to December 2006 quarter. And although the French publisher is already flush with cash, it is about to receive a sizable chunk of free money. Today’s issue of the Quebecois broadsheet La Presse reports that tomorrow, the Canadian government will announce it is giving Ubisoft’s Montreal-based subsidiary C$8 million (around $6.8 million). The payment is part of an ongoing grant program that will see Ubisoft receive C$454 million (approximately $383.9 million) from Ottawa to create 1,000 jobs in Quebec, Canada’s large, predominantly French-speaking province. But while Ubisoft getting government handouts is nothing new–the company got $4.3 million to open a game-development “university” in 2005–the reason for the forthcoming grant reportedly is. La Presse says the money is to “permit the creation of a computer-animation studio in Montreal.” The paper notes that studio would be the first of its kind in the city’s history and would initially make “short films for the general public.” The newspaper said the grant announcement will be made tomorrow by Canada’s labor minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn and Montreal’s mayor, Gerald Tremblay. Ubisoft chairman and CEO Yves Guillemot will be in attendance, as will Ubisoft Montreal head Yannis Mallat. [UPDATE] Early Friday morning, Ubisoft confirmed the grant from Ottawa. The company will indeed “create a new CGI movie production house within its Montreal studio and it will significantly expand its video game development operations in the region.”

[UPDATE] The Canadian government will give the French publisher $8 million dollars to make computer-generated films “for the general public.

/end article

Hmm, it’ll be interesting to see what Ubisoft brings out of its hat. Prince of Persia/Tom Clancy’s Splinter-Cell/Ghost Recon/Rainbow Six movie, anyone?

This is a complete unit round-up for the newest in the Command and Conquer series: Tiberium Wars. Courtesy of Vilham at BF2s.

You can find out more about Tiberium Wars here

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