Consult the Ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors guide and pull off 22 additional moves like: gun, dynamite, nuke, lightning, devil, dragon, alien (the Spock sign, oh yeah!), water, bowl, air, moon, sponge, wolf, cockroach, tree, man, woman, monkey, snake, axe, fire and sun.
So the next time somebody is beating you at this game, just pull off the alien sign and say gleefully: “Aha! Alien vaporizes rock, force fields scissors!
Unless they countered with paper. Which, naturally, disproves alien. Fun stuff, well done.
Halo® 3 has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360™ title beat previous records set by blockbuster theatrical releases like Spider-Man 3 and novels such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
What game has been being played nearly non-stop when not sleeping, at school or work on two of our four Xbox 360s? Halo 3. Me? I still haven’t played even one second of Halo 3. This might sound funny, but I like watching good players go at it over playing the game myself. I can appreciate art.
World Cyber Games
Speaking of spectator sports, the kids will be pulling themselves away for next week’s World Cyber Games [worldcybergames.com] at Qwest Event Center from October 4-7, 2007 enjoying hundreds of the world’s best gamers and $500,000 on the line.
The games in the competition include: DOA4 (Xbox 360), Warcraft III: Frozen Throne (PC) and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 8 (Xbox 360). None of the Halo trilogy of games is on the list.
Event attendance costs $10 per day. At the recent PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) in Seattle they were handing out free passes like candy.
Yesterday I was looking for firsthand accounts of the details behind how the Nintendo Fan Network worked. After going through the turnstyles at the Mariners double header yesterday, here are the step by step details to get connected and start using the Nintendo Fan Network:
STEP 1. Download the small application wirelessly from the Nintendo DS Download Station. You need to be fairly close to these small booths with the Nintendo logo for your DS to find the application. You’ll find them in the following locations:
Along the concourse near the signs in sections: 108, 116, 123, 134, 227, 238, 314, 327, 333 and 344. Also in front of suites 27 and 55 and in the Diamond Club and Bullpen.
STEP 2. You can either purchase a NFN authorization code or use your credit card to buy NFN access. The cost is $5 per game. Yesterday was a bonus, $5 bought access for both games. You’ll be given a card with a code that you enter in later.
STEP 3. If this is your first time, click on Register New Use on your DS and choose a username and password.
STEP 4. Enter in your seat section, row and seat separated by spaces. So if you were in section 123, row 19, seat 9, you’d enter it as follows:
123 19 9
STEP 5. Choose an option from the menu pictured above. The red numbers are explained below:
1 - Food & Beverages. If you want to order food and drinks you have to enter in a credit card number, name and zip code of the billing address. It will be saved to your account so once entered, you don’t have to worry about it again.
2 - Broadcast Video. With this option you can watch a slightly delayed (a few seconds behind) TV broadcast of the game in progress. Video quality of the game is decent, however the graphics that show on the scoreboard, like the trivia is pixelated and difficult (in some cases impossible) to read.
3 - MLB Stats & Standings. Reference the detailed player statistics. You can sort the lists by name or position. This came in handy a few times when we wondered about specific players throughout the games.
4 - MLB Games in Progress. Check in on other games happening around MLB.
5 - Fan Network Games. A few casual games you can play if you’re bored with the game.
6 - Fan Network Messaging. You can send and receive messages with others around the stadium on the Nintendo Fan Network. The messages you can send other NFN users include canned messages like: “Bad call, the umpire got that wrong” and “Where are you sitting?” You can send custom messages to the NFN representative. The one at the game yesterday was named Pat and he responded right away when I messaged him a question about the service.
Other thoughts about the Nintendo Fan Network
Disappointing that the snacks menu doesn’t have any garlic fries. That’s a Safeco Field tradition. Some other examples of pricing which includes taxes: beer is $7.25 where you can get for $6.75 from the vendors walking up and down the aisle. A Philly cheesteak and fries cost $11.95.
I asked the woman at the Nintendo DS Download Station if this service would be back in 2008 and she said it would with a slight graphical difference. She didn’t know how many other stadiums would be getting the Nintendo Fan Network. Overall, I’d say it was a cool experience and think it adds to the experience. My friend who isn’t very technology-oriented thought it was fun.
My DS was fully charged and made it through the entire first game and to the fifth inning of the second game.
This afternoon a friend and I are heading to a rare double-header between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians. Last night in extra innings the Mariners were mathematically eliminated from any playoff chances, so today they’ll be playing for pride and to spoil the Indians record. The Indians have already clinched a playoff spot and are playing for the best record, so the M’s can’t play spoiler for playoffs. The first of two games has an interesting twist: the Mariners are actually the away team at home, but there is something even more interesting for technophiles that I’ve been wanting to try firsthand:
Nintendo DS interaction during the game.
I’m charging the DS as this is written and looking forward to checking out The Nintendo Fan Network which was made available for free during the September 15th game:
The Nintendo Fan Network (NFN) was offered exclusively during the 2007 season at Safeco Field. NFN delivers interactive baseball-related content to subscribers using their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite portable game systems and accessing an exclusive Wi-Fi network connection. For a fee of $5 per game (or $30 for 10 games), NFN users can access a menu of interactive options including: a live video feed of the game, scores from other MLB games in progress, player stats and team standings, trivia and word search games against other fans and the ability to communicate with other fans via Nintendo Fan Network Messaging.
It’s too bad the Mariners couldn’t make it to the playoffs this year, but they are over .500 which is an improvement over the last few years. If manager Johnny Mac doesn’t get axed in the offseason, I’d like to see what he can do with a full season next year. How is your favorite MLB team doing this year?
This is one of those proud father moments. Something in a geek way like what Brett Favre’s father must of felt about Brett starting in so many consecutive games, despite being banged up here and there along the way.
Tonight, eve of the Halo 3 launch our middle teenage son played in a Halo 2 tournament at the local Game Crazy store in Puyallup. Yesterday he injured his Halo trigger finger and it’s looking pretty swollen (pictured above). At school today he had it iced down, but said he very much wanted to do the tournament tonight and could do the doctor’s visit tomorrow “if it still hurts.” First prize in the tournament was the Legendary edition of Halo 3 which is selling for $130 starting at midnight tonight. Second prize? $40 off a Halo 3 purchase.
There were 18 people in the free for all Halo 2 tournament, including a member of a high ranking MLG-sponsored clan. There were four rounds of four player FFA. The first player with 25 kills and the second player closest to 25 kills moved onto the next round in each group. Our son was second place (behind the MLG player) through each of the four matches. The maps played in order were: Mid Ship, Beaver Creek, Ivory Tower and Lockdown (final round). A lot of the players seemed disappointed to be playing Beaver Creek.
Overall our son ended up taking second place and we were supposed to be able to come back at midnight and get $40 off the game. I took HD video of the final four match for a possible upcoming Hmmcast. All the top four qualifiers received Halo 3 shirts and a little gift bag of Halo-related merchandise.
We came home for a couple hours and all of us overslept the midnight launch (sacrilege!). Up at 1am, we went to the store but they had already closed their till for the night and said to come back at 10am. We went over to Wal-mart, passing the local Best Buy where there was a line waiting for the store to open and get their preorder of Halo 3.
We were able to walk in close to 1:30, pick up a splint for our son’s finger, the Halo 3 strategy guide and the Halo 3 Limited Edition ($69.99 + tax) with no line. Our local Wal-mart did not order any Legendary Editions according to the salesperson. They had a really nice glass case display out front to show off the game. I heard they had 100 copies come in and a rough count showed a couple dozen still remained.
The Halo 3 Limited Edition comes in a metal case and includes a bonus disc with additional content. Both discs, as I’d read earlier in the news, were not in the case but laying off the spindle, but didn’t appear to be scratched. Come on, Microsoft/Bungie, you’ve got a marketing machine in full tilt for the most anticipated Xbox 360 title ever and don’t make a decent case that can hold the freaking game disc? Maybe the Legendary Edition has a better disc spindle.
Home to wake our son up and put the splint on his finger.
He had a bit of a fever and we gave him an aspirin. He wanted to play Halo 3 for a little bit. As I write this, that’s where he’s at. Think I won’t get an opportunity to play until later this morning after I kick him off or — more likely — go buy my own copy of the game. How did your Halo 3 launch evening go?
Halo 3 is rated M for Mature (17+ required to purchase), contains blood and gore, mild language and violence.
Despite being a somewhat distant third place in console sales, there are some good things happening with the PS3.
If it’s not too late for the Sony PS3 to overcome the Xbox 360 and Wii — and every day that passes, the odds get worse — Spring 2008 could finally be its time to shine. eFluxMedia summarizes the current PS3 marketing climate:
So far it seems that Sony has given up any intentions to push the sales of its console during this holiday season. But it seems obvious that the company is preparing a strong spring offensive. That’s when the Home project will be ready for launch and also the Blu-Ray’s price will probably go down and along with it that of the PlayStation 3. Until then Sony will have also enough software titles to support PlayStation 3. In fact Hirai has linked the PlayStation 3 price reduction to the release of new games.
From a gaming perspective Sony screwed up by putting too much emphasis on how great Blu-ray was and how powerful the machine was when they had the experience to know that:
1. no system launches with many titles and
2. gaming isn’t about video, it’s about fun
It’s almost like Sony wanted to parlay the success of the PS2 into the movie machine of the future that also, by the way, does games. Microsoft had a better strategy by making the HD-DVD drive an add-on device. They might be upgrading the HD-DVD drive next year, although Microsoft denies the rumor. How do you upgrade your Blu-Ray drive in the PS3? Buy a new PS3? Maybe at $250, but now at $500-600. Nintendo had the best strategy: ignore movies altogether.
But what about the games?
Of two recently released anticipated PS3 titles: Heavenly Sword and Lair, the afterbuzz so far has seemed fairly tame. Heavenly Sword fared the best with an 8.3/10 at 1up. Lair isn’t being helped by reviews (1up: 6.3/10) pointing out its gorgeous graphics but lousy control. Imagine that, beautiful game to look at but unplayable. I’m not a fan of the PS3’s feeble attempt to have its SixAxis controller be something between a Wiimote and the traditional PS2 controller. And Sony totally ripped the middle button concept from the Xbox 360.
Eye of Judgment (no ‘e’ spelling is correct) is a card + videogame hybrid and is coming out October 23 for $70 that we noticed getting a considerable amount of play at the recent Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. I have some video of that and the game Rock Band that will be coming in a future Hmmcast.
Of the PS3 games we’ve bought to date, for multi-player I’d put Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Warhawk near the top. The Playstation Store is getting better with the impressive shooter Super Stardust HD, but still lags far behind Xbox Live which has almost 100 games and grows by at least one more every Wednesday. Sony has been countering on Thursday with a new title, but as I’ve mentioned before they need to release two times a week — perhaps Monday and Thursday? — to truly catch up.
Maybe Sony is going to take the backseat with the PS3 this holiday season, perhaps content (?) with being the chump (#3) and focus on Spring 2008 when Home will be out. They probably want to hunker down and ride out the inevitable Halo 3 that will be sweeping the world next week, or in this day and age of leaked titles, right now.
Picture fun
In the picture at the start of this post is the PS3 SixAxis controller with a somewhat mysterious game circled in red in the background. Gamers that have been around awhile should be able to guess what title this is without too much difficulty. A fun game too.
The holiday season isn’t even here yet and nextgen console gaming has a new reigning champ. Move on over Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii is here.
via Financial Times and sales figures from Enterbrain in Japan, NPD Group of the US and GfK of German:
According to sales data from each console’s launch through to the end of July (or the end of August in Japan), consumers have bought 9m Wiis, 8.9m Xbox units and 3.7m PS3s.
The rankings as you see them now are the way it is going to stay through this coming holiday season. What can gamers look forward to over the next few months?
Nintendo Wii through the holidays
On the Wii, I’m personally looking forward to the release of many light gun specific games and Wii fitness is certain to be a hit with both the younger trying to be fit and older needing to be fit crowd.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 has Halo 3 arriving later this month which in the FPS genre is the only title they need. They also have the best online experience by far of the three and will continue to exploit this weakness in the Wii and PS3 as long as they can. Their library keeps growing and growing making it that much harder for the others to catch up. Did I mention they have started adding Neo-GEO titles to Xbox Live like Fatal Fury Special (yes).
PS3 Today This week Heavenly Sword became available, Lair is already out, and more gaming treats are on the way, boosting their stable of native 1080p titles. When it comes to native 1080p gaming, the PS3 is excelling. At some point this Fall Sony promised to release a beta of their secret online weapon: HOME. This will provide a virtual world interface to replace the tired existing interface. I’m excited to see how and/or if this is used to the PS3 full potential. It seems like Sony is starting to realize that the PS3 isn’t just a great movie player (Blu-ray) but is being purchased for the gaming prowess.
No matter which console you own or if you are fortunate enough to own all three, gaming life is good. None of these companies — ok, well, maybe Sony — should be licking their wounds. While it might seem like Nintendo is the victor, let’s not forget the last time Nintendo was on top was some 17 years ago with the NES and SNES. This battle is far from over and nobody stays on top forever.
I fully expect holiday 2008 to be the true war of the nextgen gaming systems because by then none of the consoles will be new, the gaming libraries will be more filled out and the online connectivity should be in full force. Nintendo who once looked foolish for not competing in having the best hardware is looking brilliant at the moment. Nintendo has reminded with the Wii that games which appeal to a broad demographic, so-called casual gaming, is a huge market.
Update 7:47pm PST: Square Enix has announced they will produce an RPG called Infinite Undiscovery for the Xbox 360. They were the last major Japanese game developer holdout for the Xbox 360. This is huge news for the Xbox 360 and most certainly a blow to Sony.
Some may think Warhawk is a Halo wannabe, but there are some interesting elements that lend to different strategies by being able to pilot an airplane. Take your fight to the air or keep it on the ground. It’s kind of fun sending missiles after people on the ground. Once Halo 3 comes out in a couple week, people probably won’t be talking about Warhawk any more, but in the meantime this title is fun playing.
A lot of great memories go with Fatal Fury Special on the Neo Geo. I vividly recall receiving the package with the Neo Geo system. Had to special order it through one of those mail order places. It was like $700 just for the system and most games were $150 each. With today’s release on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points it seemed like a bargain by comparsion.
Unfortunately, SNK didn’t do much to touch up the graphics or gameplay on the Xbox 360. At 1080p the game doesn’t even stretch the full length of the TV. The sounds seemed to have been ported faithfully. You can be the judge in today’s Hmmcast. I made the time 4:20pm for this post, but it is actually being posted much later.
