Here's a question aimed at all you PSP owners out there. When was the last time you bought a UMD? Myself, I'd have to say, well now let me see, uh, never. And if Sony continues on the path it seems to be heading down that's just the way things may stay.

When asked about the possibility of future models of the PSP shipping with a built-in hard drive or internal memory and the status of UMD technology, Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America said:

"I think we definitely thought about it,"..."I think that's the trend moving forward." He continued, saying "I think the UMD has struggled,...and that's an understatement. That's been a very frustrating thing. I don't think (UMD movies) were handled very effectively."

These comments taken together with the inevitable ability to download movies via the PlayStation 3 (a necessity to keep up with Xbox LIVE) and rumored ability to move them over to the PSP has got to have UMD fans and those involved in their production a little shaken. That said, you've got to assume that most PSP owners are not too deep into UMDs, maybe just a few here and there. If they've more than that, I'd be apt to put them into the Sony fanboy category, where it's pretty safe to assume that a PS3 lurks or eventually will at any rate. And what is Tretton's take on digital delivery? In a quote taken from kotaku.com  he says 'digital delivery of movies will either supplement the UMD movie's struggle or be the "stake in the UMD's heart".'

In my book "supplementing a struggle" isn't any better than than a stake through the heart in the long run, just perhaps a bit more of a lingering death. I think that the UMD may deserve the latter, but then again as I said, I don't own any and so have nothing to lose.

"Long Live the Digital Distribution!"

--Hobson's Choice

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Jenga has been around in many forms, the original, the Wii version, the DS version, and of course the knockoffs.  I didn't really thing there was anything else left to be tried with Jenga.

Once again, however, I've been proven wrong.  Someone's gone and made a Donkey Kong version of Jenga, and darn it, I want to play it.  Actually scratch that.  Not only do I want to play it, I think it should be the official format to resolve all differences of opinion at work. 

I am kind of curious to how the little Mario pieces on the side get integrated into the game play.  But really, who can resist those blocks, complete with girder graphics?

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Remember how Marcus Fenix burst on to the scene in late '06 and rolled right into '07. Well, it looks like the team over at Epic has decided that Gears of War is officially a November thing.

Just as with the original Gears, Gears of War 2 will release on November 7th. This time in 2008. It will be a simultaneous worldwide release and of course an Xbox 360 exclusive. But just as some things remain the same, others keep on a-changing. Cliffy B., Design Director at Epic admitted at GDC earlier in the year that Gears of War was planned to be an introduction to a larger universe centered around humanity's struggle with the Locust and to that end the word is that players can expect to see a lot of new things in Gears 2. One of these will be a new 5-player coop mode called "Horde" that allows up to five players to take on wave after wave of increasingly difficult Locust. There will definitely be more new features, but for now whet your whistle on Cliffy's demonstration of Gears 2 in two-player coop that was part of Microsoft's E3 announcement today.

Click the image below to play the video:

Video contains the "Rendezvous" trailer plus the Cliffy B. Walkthrough

--Hobson's Choice

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Yesterday there were press conferences from Take 2 (recap available in text or chat history) and Konami (recap available in text, chat history, or video).

Since you can peruse through all that at your leisure, I'll jump straight to my 5 questions brought up from those 2 press conferences:

• Castlevania - I expect Order of Ecclesia to be great (based off the previous DS titles: Portrait of Ruin and Dawn of Sorrow), but how will the transition to 3D fighter go for Castlevania: Judgment on Wii?
• NHL 2K9 - You can drive the Zamboni!  But, can I drive it outside the arena like this guy did?  If so I'm buying my first hockey game since the NES.
• Rock Revolution - Can it survive in a world dominated by Guitar Hero and Rock Band? 
• Silent Hill: Homecoming - With a new free camera system, instead of the old fixed camera system, how will the Silent Hill fans like the new interaction?
• Borderlands - Can I play it now?  Please?  No?  I'm sad now.  I want to mess around with the "half a million guns" and all the different effects.

--Osver

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It's a foregone conclusion that the Nintendo Wii would eventually do to the US market what it has done the rest of the world; that is totally dominate it.

Yeah, I know. If domination isn't what has been going on over the last
year and a half or so, then what has it been? But the fact of the
matter is that there is domination and then there is domination. Xbox 360 had a significant head start on the Wii and PS3 in the console market and so enjoyed a significantly larger install base which ended well, more or less now. June '08 Wii sales in the US according to retail marketing research firm the NPD Group, added about 666,000 new domestic Wii's, bringing overall US sales to around 10.9 million. That's a lot of little white boxes, and there will doubtless be many more sold. Try searching for a Wii right now on Amazon and you'll see what I mean. 20 months in the market and you can't find one anywhere.

On one hand I want to scream at the Nintendo bigwigs. Consumers want their Wii, you have them somewhere. The 60GB 360 is nearly here and the 9 80GB PS3 is just around the corner. What are they thinking? The truth is we all know what that is. They are confident that they can hold off whatever Microsoft and Sony can throw at them and they are almost certainly correct.

--Hobson's Choice

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Two quick notes for those of you game fans in California. 

First, this weekend (7/19 - 7/20) it's once again time for California Extreme (CAX), the Classic Arcade Games Show.  The basic premise is that a bunch of arcade and pinball collectors rent the hall, bring their games, and set them up to not need quarters.  Folks show up, pay the entry fee, and play as many games as they want.  CAX will be opening up at 11 AM both days and is held in San Jose at Parkside Hall.

Second, i am 8-bit will be hosting their forth art exhibit devoted to artwork inspired by games at the World of Wonder in Hollywood.  This installment will be opening on 8/14 and running until 9/7.  You can see some of the past artwork here.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Truth be told, I've yet to attend a single E3, although this year I'm painfully close, at least geographically. As I sit tapping this out in a branch public library in the Valley I'm just a quick trip down "the 5" south and an all access badge away from what's left of the action. Alas, here I sit. Nice enough digs, free wireless and if I can come across someone who will watch my computer while I go to the bathroom, not a bad day all things considered. But I digress.

There's of course been an endless stream of chatter in the not-to-distant past that the end is near for the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The gripes have been many: bad choice of venues, not enough hotel rooms, exhibitors opting out in favor of other shows, etc. Regardless, I doubt that E3 is anywhere near the evaporation point. After all, how bad could it actually be? Again, not having ever been myself I can't speak to that directly, but last night I checked out a story over at GamesRadar calling out the most excruciating moments of E3 '08. Oh painful indeed. Middle-aged executives trying not to come across as lame as they demo games they clearly have not spent enough time playing, those same suits massacring their lines as they roll by on the teleprompter, flagship titles listed in marketing collateral on the wrong platforms, embarrassing levels of cheer leading around Nintendo's Wii Music lead by Miyamoto-San himself. Hmmm? Sounds pretty bad. Of course there was a lot of good news that came out of E3 this year--see some of that here, here and here--so maybe all that stuff I mentioned was just part of the entertainment. Yeah, we'd all like to think that's true. I'm gonna do my damnedest to find out for myself next year. In the meantime check out GamesRadar's piece. Pretty funny stuff.

--Hobson's Choice

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Get ready to rock, again.

It seems like just the other day that the original Rock Band hit the shelves, but nearly a year later and an E3 '08 release party featuring The Who where Pete Townsend felt free to poke a little fun at Harmonix developers and would-be rockers in the audience who might be tempted to think that a little bit of plastic and an extensive list of downloadable content puts them on par with the legends of rock & Roll, and it's time for part two.

Rumor has it that the game is more about perfection of the the first version rather than an incorporation of any significant changes, which is probably fine with both most of the fans out there and those who will be getting into it for the first time. One thing that may put folks off is that the game-only and Special Editions are apparently releasing on different dates, just as with Rock Band. Regardless, the big news is that Rock Band 2 will feature full Rock Band instrument backwards compatibility and apparently near full backwards compatibility of songs from the original game. Definitely a good thing to know on the second point for all those out there who have been laying down serious cash for the weekly DLC tracks offered on Xbox LIVE and PSN. A full list of game features is available at the recently launched Rock Band 2 website, but in the meantime check out the Rock Band 2 song list. It looks to be at least 84 tracks strong. Here's what it looks like so far:

1. AC/DC "Let There Be Rock"
2. AFI "Girl's Gone Grey"
3. Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know"
4. Alice in Chains "Man in the Box"
5. Allman Brothers "Ramblin' Man"
6. Avenged Sevenfold "Almost Easy"
7. Bad Company "Shooting Star"
8. Beastie Boys "So Whatcha Want"
9. Beck "E-Pro"
10. Bikini Kill "Rebel Girl"
11. Billy Idol "White Wedding Pt. I"
12. Blondie " One Way or Another"
13. Bob Dylan "Tangled Up in Blue"
14. Bon Jovi "Livin' on a Prayer"
15. Cheap Trick "Hello There"
16. Devo "Uncontrollable Urge"
17. Dinosaur Jr. "Feel the Pain"
18. Disturbed "Down with the Sickness"
19. Dream Theater "Panic Attack"
20. Duran Duran "Hungry Like the Wolf"
21. Elvis Costello "Pump It Up"
22. Fleetwood Mac "Go Your Own Way"
23. Foo Fighters "Everlong"
24. Guns N' Roses "Shackler's Revenge"
25. Interpol "PDA"
26. Jane's Addiction "Mountain Song"
27. Jethro Tull "Aqualung"
28. Jimmy Eat World "The Middle"
29. Joan Jett "Bad Reputation"
30. Journey "Anyway You Want It"
31. Judas Priest "Painkiller"
32. Kansas "Carry On Wayward Son"
33. L7 "Pretend We're Dead"
34. Lacuna Coil "Our Truth"
35. Linkin Park "One Step Closer"
36. Lit "My Own Worst Enemy"
37. Lush "De-Luxe"
38. Mastodon "Colony of Birchmen"
39. Megadeth "Peace Sells"
40. Metallica " Battery"
41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Where'd You Go"
42. Modest Mouse "Float On"
43. Motorhead "Ace of Spades"
44. Nirvana "Drain You"
45. Norman Greenbaum "Spirit in the Sky"
46. Panic at the Disco "Nine in the Afternoon"
47. Paramore "That's What You Get"
48. Pearl Jam "Alive"
49. Presidents of the USA "Lump"
50. Rage Against the Machine "Testify"
51. Ratt "Round & Round"
52. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give it Away"
53. Rise Against "Give it All"
54. Rush "The Trees"
55. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye"
56. Smashing Pumpkins "Today"
57. Social Distortion "I Was Wrong"
58. Sonic Youth "Teenage Riot"
59. Soundgarden "Spoonman"
60. Squeeze "Cool for Cats"
61. Steely Dan "Bodhitsattva"
62. Steve Miller Band "Rock'n Me"
63. Survivor "Eye of the Tiger"
64. System of a Down "Chop Suey"
65. Talking Heads "Psycho Killer"
66. Tenacious D "Master Exploder"
67. Testament "Souls of Black"
68. The Donnas "New Kid in School"
69. The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat"
70. The Grateful Dead " Alabama Getaway"
71. The Guess Who "American Woman"
72. The Muffs "Kids in America"
73. The Offspring "Come Out & Play (Keep 'em Separated)"
74. The Replacements "Alex Chilton"
75. The Who "Pinball Wizard"

Bonus Songs
76. Abnormality "Visions"
77. Anarchy Club "Get Clean"
78. Bang Camaro "Night Lies"
79. Breaking Wheel "Shoulder to the Plow"
80. The Libyans "Neighborhood"
81. The Main Drag "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter"
82. Speck "Conventional Lover"
83. The Sterns "Supreme Girl"
84. That Handsome Devil "Rob the Prez-O-Dent"

--Hobson's Choice

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Yesterday brought more Video Game announcements from E3, which of course you can read about all over the web or just watch the press conferences yourself here.

Here are the 5 items that interested me the most, one from each of the 5 press conferences, because I'm fair and equal like that:

• Nintendo's Press Conference: While there were announcements around Music, more Sports, and Animal Crossing on Wii.  All that's great, but Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on DS has piqued my interest the most.  Take that family friendly image!
• Sony's Press Conference: There were announcements about Resistance (PSP & PS3), God of War, and new PS2, PSP, and PS3 consoles/bundles, but what excites this money conscious gamer the most is the promise of .99 PS3 Greatest Hits titles.  Sure, it may not be the most interesting item, but what can I say... I'm cheap.
• Ubisoft's Press Conference:  While they're aiming for the ladies, I want to know more about I Am Alive.
• Capcom's Press Conference: I've got four words of you: Street... Fighter... Four... Video.  Where do I put the quarters?
• Activision's Press Conference: Sorry, did you say something about Guitar Hero or super heroes?  I glossed over at the new Wolfenstein video, and my brain can't think of anything else.  I have no clue how many hours I spent with the original PC title (and the level editor), but I now want to not only play this new one, but also unearth my copy of Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

What announcements are you most excited about?

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Jenga has been around in many forms, the original, the Wii version, the DS version, and of course the knockoffs.  I didn't really thing there was anything else left to be tried with Jenga.

Once again, however, I've been proven wrong.  Someone's gone and made a Donkey Kong version of Jenga, and darn it, I want to play it.  Actually scratch that.  Not only do I want to play it, I think it should be the official format to resolve all differences of opinion at work. 

I am kind of curious to how the little Mario pieces on the side get integrated into the game play.  But really, who can resist those blocks, complete with girder graphics?

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Two quick notes for those of you game fans in California. 

First, this weekend (7/19 - 7/20) it's once again time for California Extreme (CAX), the Classic Arcade Games Show.  The basic premise is that a bunch of arcade and pinball collectors rent the hall, bring their games, and set them up to not need quarters.  Folks show up, pay the entry fee, and play as many games as they want.  CAX will be opening up at 11 AM both days and is held in San Jose at Parkside Hall.

Second, i am 8-bit will be hosting their forth art exhibit devoted to artwork inspired by games at the World of Wonder in Hollywood.  This installment will be opening on 8/14 and running until 9/7.  You can see some of the past artwork here.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

E3 kicked off today with Microsoft taking the stage, and you can read the recaps here, here, over here and, oh yeah, here too.  That’s a lot of reading, so I’ll keep my contribution short.  Here are the 5 items I’m most intrigued by, in no particular order:

• Portal: Still Alive is coming to Xbox Live.  Huzzah!
• Galaga is getting a remake/re-image, Galaga Legions, a la Pac Man Championship Edition and Space Invaders Extreme.  Please don't let me down.
• Xbox Live’s interface is getting a makeover, complete with Miis, um, I mean Avatars
• Rock Band 2’s track listing looks good.  I want to see someone play the guitar part on Dinosaur Jr’s “Feel the Pain”
• Final Fantasy XIII is no longer a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

What are the top 5 announcements you’re most excited about?

You can follow along with tomorrow’s announcements here, or here.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

E3 kicked off today with Microsoft taking the stage, and you can read the recaps here, here, over here and, oh yeah, here too.  That’s a lot of reading, so I’ll keep my contribution short.  Here are the 5 items I’m most intrigued by, in no particular order:

• Portal: Still Alive is coming to Xbox Live.  Huzzah!
• Galaga is getting a remake/re-image, Galaga Legions, a la Pac Man Championship Edition and Space Invaders Extreme.  Please don't let me down.
• Xbox Live’s interface is getting a makeover, complete with Miis, um, I mean Avatars
• Rock Band 2’s track listing looks good.  I want to see someone play the guitar part on Dinosaur Jr’s “Feel the Pain”
• Final Fantasy XIII is no longer a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

What are the top 5 announcements you’re most excited about?

You can follow along with tomorrow’s announcements here, or here.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

In the "anything you and do I can do better" world of console gaming, Microsoft's official announcement at E3 yesterday that it would be partnering with Internet DVD superstar Netflix to deliver over 10,000 movies and television shows via Xbox LIVE was both a surprise and no surprise at all.

Sure I was more or less convinced that nobody in the market had a clue that Netflix is tailor-made for digital downloads, but over the last few years Microsoft has made no bones about its overall intent towards integration of its hardware, whether PC or gaming-based into a media center model. (As a matter of fact, this has pretty much been the strategy of all the consoles in their own ways) This along with the tremendous head start that Xbox LIVE has on PlayStation Network is what made Blu-ray's crushing of the HD-DVD media format earlier in the year little more than a bump in the road. In our broadband dominated world wouldn't you rather download content on demand rather than wait for it to be delivered via mail or purchase it at a brick and mortar or e-tailer? I sure would. My question is as cool as this sounds, how much of a win is this really for the 360? Sure there are over twelve million Xbox LIVE members out there who would love to be able to download high-def video content via their 360's, but for the notoriously slow download times on Xbox LIVE, the extra costs that members may incur and the storage plaguing the puny standard Xbox 360 hard drive.

I think I've got better than average connection speed, yet I'm constantly waiting on my 360 downloads. The streaming video service is projected to be free to Netflix members who are also Xbox 360 Gold subscribers, but just how many players on LIVE are Gold members? I've a feeling that there are a bucket load of Silver memberships out there since all you need for that is a console and a broadband connection. And speaking of numbers, how many of you are still mashing away on the original 20GB model. I can't be the only one who has yet to receive a full-blown red ring of death courtesy of the boys out in Redmond and am thus willing to play the old download-delete game.

A peek at what the Netflix flavored Xbox experience may look like
So, here we are. Sony wins the high-def media arms race leading to Microsoft's Netflix deal. Has either of them made up any ground on the other, or on the Wii who remains the main player in the console market? Nope and nope. All I know is that for now I'll be keeping my snailmail Netflix account just as it is.

--Hobson's Choice

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

E3 kicked off today with Microsoft taking the stage, and you can read the recaps here, here, over here and, oh yeah, here too.  That’s a lot of reading, so I’ll keep my contribution short.  Here are the 5 items I’m most intrigued by, in no particular order:

• Portal: Still Alive is coming to Xbox Live.  Huzzah!
• Galaga is getting a remake/re-image, Galaga Legions, a la Pac Man Championship Edition and Space Invaders Extreme.  Please don't let me down.
• Xbox Live’s interface is getting a makeover, complete with Miis, um, I mean Avatars
• Rock Band 2’s track listing looks good.  I want to see someone play the guitar part on Dinosaur Jr’s “Feel the Pain”
• Final Fantasy XIII is no longer a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

What are the top 5 announcements you’re most excited about?

You can follow along with tomorrow’s announcements here, or here.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo (organized by the folks over at Penny Arcade) is a "three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers" and is coming up at the end of August in Seattle. 

Maybe you're interested in going, but haven't made up your mind.  Maybe you're worried about where to stay and buying a ticket.  Maybe you're going anyway, but would really like to go for free.

If so, then you might be interested in the contest Penny Arcade is running, where you can win entry to PAX as well as a hotel room (transportation to Seattle isn't included).

Here are the details on how to enter:

"So if you'd like to win one of these hotel rooms and two passes to PAX all you need to do is describe to us your PAX experience in exactly seven words. You can mail your entry to pax_contest@penny-arcade.com. We only have a few rules:


- You must be able to use the prize. If you can't actually come to
Seattle and use the passes and the hotel please don't enter. That just
isn't cool.
- One entry per person.
- You must submit your entry by Wednesday July 16th at midnight to be eligible.
- It must be exactly seven words long and it must describe your PAX experience.

That's it. "

Get working on crafting your perfect entry, and good luck!

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Here we go for another round of games I'd like to see
made, why I want to see them, and the odds that I think they'll get made.  Today I'll be focusing on the PlayStation 3
(here are the previous entries for the Wii, PSP, and Xbox 360).

First Up: A Submarine Game

I'll be honest here; I'm a fan of anything Sub
related.  Sub movies (Das Boot, The Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide), Sub Books (Blind Man's Bluff, Iron Coffins, U-Boats: The Illustrated History of the Raiders of the Deep), Sub Sandwiches (BLT, Meatball...er,
never mind).

From the old arcade games (Sea Wolf and Up Scope) to the PC (the Silent Hunter series) the Sub genre is a proven
winner.  I want a console version, on the
PS3, that will blow me away with its graphics.

Let me control Russian, US, and German subs.  Let me unlock missions to use old historical
subs (who wouldn't want to control the H.L. Hunley?).  Give me missions to attack shipping lanes, protect
convoys, guard harbors, attack ports, and sneak past enemy lines.  Let me manage my crew morale, worry about
crush depths, repair leaks, and feel the DualShock 3 rumble when depth charges explode nearby.  Give me a multi-player
mode where we compete to sink the most tonnage. 
Let me design and/or retrofit my sub with items like the snorkel.

Odds that it will get made: 80% - It's too good of a
genre to ignore.

Next Up: An Arcade in Home

Whenever Sony gets around to launching Home and we can all
have avatars walking around and interacting, please, please, please include an
arcade.  I want to have my avatar walk
into a virtual arcade, check out who's there, and join in a game with someone.

Have the machines lined up next to each other like they
were back in the day.  If I see someone
playing Street Fighter II, let me join in and challenge them.  If there's a Dragon's Lair machine, I want my
avatar to be able to put his quarter on the marquee or control panel, and wait
for his turn.  While I wait I can talk to
the other people milling around in the Home-cade.

When I step up to a machine, have the game play take up
the center of the screen, but on the edges show the games next to me, to make
it feel right.  Play the game music, but
in the background have the attract mode and game play sounds of the machines
around me. 

Odds that it will get made: 20% - Licensing issues would
be the big hurdle, as I'm sure most of the publishers would be more interesting
in selling the games individually. 

Those are what I'd want to see on the PlayStation 3.  Would you play them?  What games do you want to see?  Which genres or titles are missing?

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo (organized by the folks over at Penny Arcade) is a "three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers" and is coming up at the end of August in Seattle. 

Maybe you're interested in going, but haven't made up your mind.  Maybe you're worried about where to stay and buying a ticket.  Maybe you're going anyway, but would really like to go for free.

If so, then you might be interested in the contest Penny Arcade is running, where you can win entry to PAX as well as a hotel room (transportation to Seattle isn't included).

Here are the details on how to enter:

"So if you'd like to win one of these hotel rooms and two passes to PAX all you need to do is describe to us your PAX experience in exactly seven words. You can mail your entry to pax_contest@penny-arcade.com. We only have a few rules:


- You must be able to use the prize. If you can't actually come to
Seattle and use the passes and the hotel please don't enter. That just
isn't cool.
- One entry per person.
- You must submit your entry by Wednesday July 16th at midnight to be eligible.
- It must be exactly seven words long and it must describe your PAX experience.

That's it. "

Get working on crafting your perfect entry, and good luck!

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>