The Select and Start News Report: 10.08.07
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 10.08.2007
40GB PS3 could actually happen, Idaho is the smartest state, no Gears of War movie, Reggie on the Wii and Halo 3, plus more
Welcome to the Select and Start News Report, buried by HHH. I'm posting this while watching No Mercy, which pretty much sucked the moment HHH buried Randy Orton. I'd post the von Karma headbang right now but I've got news to report.
Big News
IT FINALLY HAPPENS: 40GB PS3 [credit: GameDaily, GameSpot]
So the PS3 has not been out for even a full year yet and what have we seen? A 60GB version for $599 and a 20GB version for $499 coming out at launch, quickly selling out because of the low numbers and people trying to cash it in on eBay. Then overtime the PS3s sat on store shelves as those who paid over a $1000 on eBay for a PS3 feel really stupid. Then the 20GB version was scrapped. Then the 60GB version was reduced at $499, but that was to get rid of all the 60GB PS3s Sony had to make way for the 80GB PS3 now selling at $599. Now, after all the rumors and speculation, it looks like the 40GB version of the PS3 is being confirmed through European retailers.
According to Engadget, they discovered some leaked Best Buy documents which indicated that the 40GB PS3 is coming October 28 for $399, bundled with Spider-Man 3 on Blu-Ray. French newspaper Les Echos, Sony Europe will sell the 40GB PS3 on October 13 for a price point of 399 euros (approx. $564), which is 200 euros (around $283) less than the 599 euro (about $846) 60GB model. Play.com in the UK was also said to have a listing of the new SKU before they took it down.
So what does it mean if a 40GB PS3 is released? It means that, in barely a year's time, there have been four different SKUs of the PS3 released, with the original two now no longer existing. I find that absolutely ridiculous because it looks like Sony can't make up their mind on what the hell they want to do with the PS3. Are we going to see more PS3s coming out over year 2, like a 100GB version or a 120GB version? Meanwhile, Wii still only has one SKU and it's currently neck and neck with Xbox 360.
Of course, none of this has actually been confirmed with Sony, so stay tuned when the news does come in.
IDAHO IS OFFICIALLY THE SMARTEST STATE [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
A lot of times we hear news about a U.S. State trying to pass off a bill against video games, that bill failing, and the state pays the ESA money that comes out of taxpayers wallets. Well this week is something different. The Attoney General of Idaho, Lawrence Wasden, recently worked with ESRB president Patricia Vance on spreading the word on the importance of the ESRB through PSAs. Here's the ad Wasden recently did:
REGGIE FILS-AIME: NOT ENOUGH WIIS FOR THE HOLIDAY, HALO 3 DOESN'T SELL HARDWARE [credit: GameDaily, GameSpot, Gamasutra]
In a recent interview with the Mercury News, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime talked about how because demand for the Wiis are still so high that there isn't going to be enough of them for the holiday season. "The issue is not a lack of production. The issue is we went in with a curve that was aggressive, but the demand has been substantially more than that. And the ability to ramp up production and to sustain it is not a switch that you flick on. We're working very hard to make sure that consumers are satisfied this holiday, but I can't guarantee that we're going to meet demand. As a matter of fact, I can tell you on the record we won't."
And so the Wii drought continues, which I don't know is a good thing because it means people really want that console, or a bad thing because people aren't going to be able too. But a more interesting sidenote is he also talked a bit about Halo 3. Even though he says Microsoft will sell a lot of software, the game won't be pushing hardware sales. "Will they sell a lot of software? Certainly. Will it sell hardware? I think it's an open question." Why? Because I think that the Halo 3 consumer already has the hardware, because they're playing BioShock and Crackdown and a variety of games that are, in the end, quite similar: first-person shooter experience, multiplayer capable online. Tell me what's new?"
I agree with Reggie. When Microsoft was selling a special Halo-edition Xbox 360, I thought it was pointless since the people who were buying Halo 3 already had the system in the first place. I mean, did any of those people who got the $130 edition buy it along with an Xbox 360? Plus it isn't like Halo 3 is the first big FPS game to hit the Xbox 360.
GEARS OF WAR: NOT COMING TO A BIG SCREEN NEAR YOU [credit: GameDaily, GameSpot]
Speaking of big FPS games on the Xbox 360, rumors are going around that New Line Cinema is kicking the Gears of War movie to the curb just like what happened to Halo. According to IESB.net, the movie may not get made due to budget concerns. They mention how studios have a hard time gambling a $100 million+ to a genre that, with few exceptions, typically doesn't do well (no thanks to you Uwe Boll!). The weird thing here is that these rumors surface just a couple days after GameDaily did an interview with Cliffy B about how far the Gears of War movie is coming along.
While it would be disappointing that a Gears of War movie might not actually come, would you be surprised?
Tidbit News
-The Simpsons game is going to be full of video game parodies, some of which is beloved and some are not. The Guitar Hero parody, "Sitar Hero", was loved by Harmonix. But "Grand Theft Scratchy", however, apparently irked someone at Rockstar and they'll likely have to remove that parody from the game. Pardon my French, but...FUCK ROCKSTAR! [credit: GameDaily]
-Just barely a week after the relase of Halo 3, Bungie has split from Microsoft. Bungie will now be an independant studio, though still making plenty of games for the Xbox 360. [credit: GameDaily]
-Remember when we all thought that the Microsoft Zune would eventually have some kind of games on it? Well project head J Allard says that the Zune isn't going to be playing games anytime soon. [credit: GameSpot, Gamasutra]
-The East and West organizations of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have announced the creation of the WGA's inaugural Videogame Writing Award. The new award was developed by the WGA and spearheaded by the guild's New Media Caucus "to encourage storytelling excellence in video games, to improve the status of writers, and to begin to encourage uniform standards" within the gaming industry. The Videogame Writing Award will be presented at the Los Angeles ceremony of the 2008 Writers Guild Awards on February 9, 2008. [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-IDG World Expo has announced that GameTrailers and Xfire, both divisions of Viacom's MTV Networks Entertainment Group, have signed on to participate in its Entertainment for All (E for All) Expo, scheduled for October 18-21, 2007, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. [credit: Gamasutra]
-In other news, Kaz Hirai is still supporting the price of the PS3. [credit: GameDaily]
-Capcom recently stated that they are going to start being more supportive of the PS3 then they are of the PS2. [credit: GameDaily]
The Other Crap
BEST PLASMA GRENADE KILL EVER
Sometimes a great looking kill is either the work of very high skill or incredibly dumb luck. Check out this kill and judge for yourself:
KART RIDER
So the open beta started last week, and after trying out the scenario mode and racing a couple multiplayer races, I must say that this game is a whole lot of fun. The only problems I find with this is that the items you buy expire over a certain period of time which I find really stupid, and there isn't a whole lot of items in the game. If anybody else has joinned in on the Kart Riding fun, add me as a friend. My username is Vinny187.
WEEKLY SMASH BROS. ROUNDUP
New characters, new features, and Snake doing some commentary on the weirdness of the other Smash Bros. characters. One of the best weeks ever.
-Lucas. A new character that just about nobody knows joins the game. Lucas is from Mother 3, which was the sequel to Mother 2, which we know here as Earthbound.
-Snake joins the brawl. A minute long video detailing some of Snake's fighting moves.
-Shadow Moses Island. The island that Metal Gear Solid took place on is a stage. Walls take up the left and right side, meaning that until you knock them down, you'll have to elimate your opponent by knocking them upwards. A spotlight will also appear making a "!" icon show up, but what exactly that does is unknown. Sometimes a Metal Gear will pop up from the background, likely to start destroying stuff. Also in this stage, Snake communicates with his team on this stage, leading to some hilarious comments about other characters.
-Excitebike. A bunch of 2D motorcyclists come out and start riding all over the place, and despite being in 2D, they still do some damage. Along with the Excitebike update was a 2D Lakitu, that throws down spike just like in Super Mario Bros. Awesome.
-Shielding and Dodging. For the newbies that need an explanation.
-Fox's final smash. He breaks out the landmaster tank which looks a lot bigger then I remember. In case you were wondering, yes, it does indeed do a barrel roll.
-Team Adventure. Based on how the storylines go in the Subspace Emissary, some characters will be teaming up with each other. In single player it just be you and the other would be CPU controlled, but a second player (or maybe even third and fourth?) can now take control of the sidekick to help you out. If the sidekick dies, you'll still be able to go on through the level, but if you die, the game ends.
GAMING CALENDAR
October 9th - Half-Life 2: Episode 2 "orange box" to be released
October 11th - Microsoft to release Xbox 360 Elite in Japan
DELAYED: October 16th - Fury to be released
October 26th - Crysis Demo to be released
October 28th - Guitar Hero III to be released
October 30th - Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction to be released
October 31st
-Hellgate: London to be released
-Dementium: The Ward to be released
DELAYED: November 2nd - Tabula Rasa to be released
Looks like the game is going through a bit of rechecking for balance and stability.
November 5th:
-Area 51: Blacksite to be released
-Call of Duty 4 to be released
November 12th - Super Mario Galaxy to be released
November 16th - Crysis to be released
November 20th:
-Mass Effect to be released
-Kane & Lynch to be released
-Mario & Sonic at the Olympics to be released
-Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to be released
NEW: November 23rd - Rock Band to be released
We finally recieved the official confirmation for the price and release of this game.
December 3rd - Smash Bros. Brawl to be released
February 2008 - No More Heroes to be released
March 1st, 2008 - Metal Gear Solid 4 to be released
March 8th, 2008 - God of war: Chains of Olympus to be released
