Developers are playing waiting game with PS3, says GDC organiser // GamesIndustry.biz:

GDC boss Jamil Moledina has told GamesIndustry.biz that many studios are holding back on starting PlayStation 3 projects due to the challenges of developing for Sony’s new console.

Xboxic » The Wireless Headset forgets the UK:

The wireless headset has been known to have some problems which Microsoft have said they should fix sometime (let us hope that is a sooner rather than a later) but for those of you in the UK there is a bigger problem. Your plug socket. Microsoft have made these mistakes before but you think they might have noticed that we still have our own currency over here and we might just have own own plug format that is slightly less deadly than a mere 2 point connection.

Next Generation - Interactive Entertainment Today, Video Game and Industry News - PS3 Shooter Arrested:

Connecticut police have arrested a man who they suspect shot and wounded a would-be PlayStation 3 buyer while he waited in line.

Next Generation - Interactive Entertainment Today, Video Game and Industry News - Shadowrun Open Beta by Christmas:

The Xbox 360 version of the upcoming FPS Shadowrun will utilize a multiplayer open public beta, the second announced after Halo 3.

Next Generation - Interactive Entertainment Today, Video Game and Industry News - Xbox 360 Infiltrates SportsCenter:

An episode of ESPN’s SportsCenter will feature Microsoft’s Xbox 360 as the sole advertiser—a deal that is preceded only by sports apparel giant Nike, ESPN tells Next-Gen.

Capcom addressing Lost Planet text issue - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot:

Publisher responds to complaints about font size in sci-fi shooter’s multiplayer demo, promises final version will make adjustments for standard-definition TVs.

www.GamersReports.com - Wii Virtual Console List Updated, Ecco!:

Just FYI folks, the Monday Wii VC updates are posted, Golden Axe, Ecco the Dolphin, and Super Star Soldier are all available now at the Wii Store.

www.GamersReports.com - Double Dragon Co-Op Heading To XBLA:

The legendary Double Dragon series is coming to Xbox Live Arcade, complete with a full co-op mode. According to OXM UK, the game will come in at only 12.5MB, and there is no word on price or release date yet.

www.GamersReports.com - Red Steel 2 Already Planned:

According to a page on the Ubisoft France website, Ubi is actively seeking a developer to continue the Redsteel project. The press release then goes on to explain just what the developer will have to work on.

As if the PS3 itself wasn’t expensive enough, Nike’s “Play B3YOND” branded footwear has been seen going for over the $5,000 mark on auction sites across the web. The auction is still going on as you’re reading this, so it’s likely the end result will be even more baffling.

There is a silver lining to this, however. It appears that the profits made will be going to charity instead of a greedy scalper’s wallet. But still, why anyone would pay that much for SHOES is beyond me.

Source: 1up

According to the IGN interview:

Michael Ephraim (Managing Director SCE Australia): “I wouldn’t bet my life on these numbers but they’re not far off, about 25,000 units a week. Now that is not a good number. In Japan they’re a dismal failure. And in the US, I’m not privy to their numbers, but they’re in the ball game.”

He goes on to say:

“If you look at GfK, our competitor’s systems, no matter how much they go out and brag about it, the sales have flattened. They’re selling 1700 units last week, there has been a downwards spiral on Xbox 360. This is fact, this not hype from Xbox talking about how well it’s selling. Look at GfK, it is not growing. Look at last week’s GfK where we sold over 7200 PS2s and Xbox sold approximately 1700 units.”

Oh compared to your 0 PS3s until March 2007? 25,000 a week sounds a whole lot better than 0. As it is lets remember that you guys were barely able to get 200,000 units in NA for launch, which is less than the 360 sold at launch in NA -

Gamasutra: “Xbox 360 console made an impressive debut with 326,000 units sold.”

Check the source if you don’t believe me. If anyone shouldn’t be pointing fingers about sales at this point it is Sony.

One little last tidbit picked up from Syb from NeoGaf:

“Did he forget to mention how the 360 was the fastest console to reach 100,000 sold in Australia? Selective thinking FTW.”

Indeed.

All of the parts of the marathon are now up for download in this single post, enjoy.

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 1 [33:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 2 [30:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 3 [32:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 4 [29:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 5 [31:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 6 [31:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 7 [28:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 8 [32:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Zelda Marathon Part 9 [33:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Just two weeks ago both the PS3 and Wii were both launched and with it we can finally say “Next-Gen” is now current-gen. Now that all of this marathon line waiting hysteria is over we can now give you our opinions on where we feel the consoles fall in terms of scores.

Nintendo Wii
Pros: Intuitive controller, ultimate party console, appeals to everyone, classic Nintendo console durability, great launch games, Miis, shows how rumble should work on every console, wow factor in playing every game in a “new” way, length of range on the Wiimote, promise of Mario and Metroid next year, great game lineup down the line, easier to find in stores than a ps3 this holiday season, and it is cheap.
Cons: Lack of accessories at launch, lack of supply of accessories, poor graphics, poor online strategy, absurd virtual console prices, no additions to virtual console games, horrible midi sounds on the speaker of the Wiimote, no mention of Wii sensor bar replacements, absurd SD card prices, lack of first party rechargeable batterypack, launch titles having trouble finding what works and what doesnt with the Wii, horrible for small rooms, lack of ‘real’ games, too many mini game games for launch, lack of component cable supply, easy to break wrist strap, horrible ‘online’ chatting (which basically comes down to sending really slow emails), lengthy online wii console number, and only a small number of virtual arcade titles available.
Grade: B

Sony Playstation 3
Pros: Resistance: Fall of Man, HDMI on both SKUs, hard drive, next-gen media player inside, quiet, ‘promise’ of sequels of those great Playstation games, free online, wifi and ethernet connectivity out of the box.
Cons: Too light of a controller, lack of rumble, iffy tilt control, terrible online store, playstation network feels like a beta, lack of AAA games at launch and in the next six months, poor game lineup for at least the next six months, high price tag, HDMI cable not included, lack of consoles at launch, slim to no chance of finding one for the next four to six months, many developers moving away from the ps3 or developing multi-platform, no killer app game for the system, ‘better’ graphics remain unproven, many multi-platform games look better on the 360 version than the ps3 one, pretty poor backwards compatibility, and overall no reason to get one right now unless Resistance: Fall of Man is your Halo type IP.
Grade: C

Microsoft Xbox 360
Pros: Stellar games already available, the best of the consoles 2007 game lineup, Gears of War, great amount of downloadable content available on the marketplace, great bundles available for people who have still not purchased an Xbox 360, a plethora of arcade titles available to purchase, Xbox Live, and it is the console most worth your hard earned dollars this holiday season.
Cons: Hardware problems still a problem, lack of AAA titles this holiday season, 20 gig hard drive starting to become not enough, length of time between AAA titles has created a ‘game hopping’ syndrome, lack of racing games, loud console, DVD9, microtransaction rape, and a lack of multiplayer games with staying power.
Grade: A

We hope you enjoyed our report cards. Feel free to give us feedback and your grades under this post or over the phone by calling our number.

Mike Musgrove - In the Wii-PS3 Playoff, Nintendo Upsets Sony on the Fun Factor - washingtonpost.com:

By comparison, most of my friends arrived having heard little about Nintendo’s new system. But, as it turned out, that device was the hit of the party.

Free Burger King pics on XBL - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot:

Cross-promotion continues with seven gamerpics featuring fast-food slinger’s characters now available for free from Marketplace.