For all of you aspiring games creators out there (we know, you’re legion, blah, blah, blah), Microsoft has released the new  XNA Game Studio version 2.0 today! Along with various UI improvements, the update brings n00bs the ability to create game content that allows multiplayer gaming over Xbox Live. My advice? Do yourself a favor and check the sucker out at the Creator’s Club website as soon as you can! Or, you know…not. Your call, really!

In addition to Sony’s previously reported theft of Nintendo’s Wii controller idea (specifically the gyroscopic sensor system), we’ve learned some interesting additional information concerning Sony’s Dual SKU sales model (attentive gamers will recall Sony’s criticism of Microsoft’s dual-SKU model, on which Sony President Phil Harrison said “it just confuses the audience…They don’t know which one to buy, developers don’t know
which one to create for, and retailers don’t know which one to stock” and will scoff at said hypocrisy accordingly). If all you heard was Harrison, Kutaragi and Hirai talking up the two PS3 versions in the press conference, you’d think that the only difference between the PS3 Core and PS3 premium was the size of the
hard drive. Turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. Let’s take a look at the facts, and we’ll use Sony’s press release to do it.

Let’s start with the obligatory table to help highlight differences between the two systems. In fact, let’s go one better and also compare the specs against the PS3 of yesteryear, circa E3 2005. The E3 2005
edition of PS3’s specs is taken from Sony’s E3 2005 press announcement, the specs for the actual PS3’s are taken from Sony’s E3 2006 press announcement (located here) and from their post-Press Conference announcement (located here), released surreptitiously hours after the press event itself.

Playstation 3’s assorted flavors
E3 2005 Version	2006 Core Pack	2006 Premium Pack	CHANGE
Cell CPU 3.2Ghz	Cell CPU, speeds omitted	Cell CPU, speeds omitted	Speeds curiously no longer listed
RSX GPU 550Mhz	RSX GPU, speeds omitted	RSX GPU, speeds omitted	Speeds curiously no longer listed
BluRay drive	Bluray drive (listed as 2X yet conflictingly stated to read at 48Mbps, which is actually 1.33X BluRay)	Bluray drive (listed as 2X yet conflictingly stated to read at 48Mbps, which is actually 1.33X BluRay)	Bluray drive claims contradicted within Sony’s own documentation. E3 2005 unspecified, so no change is registered.
256MB XDR System memory	256MB XDR System memory	256MB XDR System memory	No change.
256MB DDR3 GPU memory	256MB DDR3 GPU memory	256MB DDR3 GPU memory	No change.
3x GB Ethernet	1x GB Ethernet	1x GB Ethernet	Lost 2 ethernet ports
802.11b/g Wifi	No Wifi	802.11b/g Wifi	No Wifi for Core PS3
1x integrated Wifi Router	No router	No router	Lost router
6x USB 2.0 Ports	4x USB 2.0 Ports	4x USB 2.0 ports	Lost 2 USB 2.0 ports
Memory stick/Compact Flash/ SD Readers	No readers	Memory stick/Compact Flash/ SD Readers	Only $600 Premium pack comes with the card readers
2.5” upgradeable Hard Drive Slot	20GB Drive	60GB Drive	Hard drives now standard but different sized. Also, it’s unclear if the drive can be upgraded.
2X HDMI 1080p output	NO HDMI output, NO 1080p movie playback	1X HDMI output	Loss of both HDMI ports on Core model resulting in NO 1080p movie output. Premium lost 1 HDMI output. Loss of HDMI port MAY mean no BluRay movie playback for HDCP protected movies on Core System.
Controller unannounced except as Bluetooth mockup	Bluetooth Controller with tilt sensitivity announced in Dual Shock form factor	Bluetooth Controller with tilt sensitivity announced in Dual Shock form factor	Dual shock styled controller with tilt sensitivity reminiscent of Nintendo’s Wii system, though not nearly as robust. The new controller also does NOT have rumble functionality.

The chart above tells us a great deal about the Playstation 3 in its final configuration, but more importantly it tells us a great deal about Sony Computer Entertainment. A quick look over the specs tells us first and foremost that Sony has removed or reduced numerous of their previously claimed “standard” features, and in some cases has stripped them so thoroughly out of the system that they now offer a Core system and a Premium system. One notes the conspicuous absence of those details in the actual press conference, however, as Sony carefully omits the damning details of what should soon be lovingly referred to as “The PS3 ‘Tard pack” by gamers everywhere.

Unlike the Xbox 360 Core/Premium setup, in which the core is fully upgradeable to the capabilities of the Premium, the Core PS3 setup can never be the complete unit that the Premium PS3 is. To start with, the lack of HDMI ports on the Core system is something a user simply cannot update on their own. Additionally the internal Wifi capability cannot be added on, nor can the Memory Card readers that exist on the Premium system. While insufficient information is available at the time of this writing, it appears that the Core
system will not support any kind of writeable media for game saves, indicating either the capability to save to the internal hard drive or a complete inability to save (the former seems more likely than the latter).

Looking at the published specs, Sony’s press release itself contains a significant contradiction concerning their storage medium. In the release they list PS3 as containing a 2X Bluray drive, yet in the same release
they list PS3 repeatedly as being capable of streaming data at 48Mbps. For the uninitiated, 48Mbps isn’t 2X

Bluray, it’s 1.33x. According to the Bluray spec, 1x=36Mbps, therefore 2x=72Mbps. Movie playback requires 54Mbps—which is 1.5x Bluray, a small but significant amount faster than the PS3’s listed drive reading capabilities. Whether this is simply a typo or PS3 is unable to play Bluray movies isn’t at all obvious. It may be that the Core pack uses a slightly slower, cheaper Bluray drive than the Premium, but that simply isn’t clear. What IS clear is that the PS3 core system will never be able to output Bluray movies in 1080p, since that requires an HDMI output due to bandwidth needs, to say nothing of HDCP compliance. We’ll do some additional question-asking during E3, assuming we can find someone on theshow floor who’s willing to answer questions.

Another strange item on Sony’s PS3 list is that the new controller, while featuring tilt sensitivity, lacks any rumble functionality. This is undoubtedly a direct result of Sony’s loss to Immersion corporation for

$90,000,000+ for patent infringement with the Dual Shock 2 controller and likely has little or nothing to do with the controller’s tilt sensitivity, particularly given that Nintendo’s Wii controller includes the rumble feature (note that Nintendo owns stock in Immersion Corp and has never had legal troubles with the company) without mention of problems with the tilt sensors.

It’s perhaps not telling, but it is interesting to note that Sony’s specs no longer list CPU speeds for the Cell or RSX processors. While RSX’s speed was never unbelievable, Cell’s seemed suspect when one considers that IBM’s consistently shown off 2.4Ghz flavors of Cell in its blade server but never a 3.2Ghz flavor. Rumors of problems with Cell yields may eventually reveal a drop in the clock speed of PS3’s Cell, or perhaps even a PSP-like scenario in which the processor runs at a slower speed by default but can be overclocked 50% or so when needed by a specific piece of software (for reference, PSP runs at 222Mhz, not 333Mhz as the box states, unless specific games require the additional speed). While this is merely speculation on my part, Sony’s recent history should certainly give any potential PS3 customer pause before they lay down their money.

The first day of press releases for E3 2006 has turned out to be quite interesting indeed, with all indications being that Sony has seriously dropped the ball—and certainly the features—of Playstation 3 to a significant degree. How this will ultimately pan out is anyone’s guess, but if the forums across the ‘net are any indicator, gamers everywhere are fuming at the screwing Sony appears to be trying to pawn off on the market, and more than a little resentment over Sony’s insult to our intelligence is certainly brewing.

The ESRB stated: “The content causing the ESRB to change the rating involves more detailed depictions
of blood and gore than were considered in the original rating, as well as the presence of a locked-out art file or “skin” that, if accessed through a thirdparty modification to the PC version of the game, allows the user to play with topless versions of female characters.”

Currently the content is not accessible on the Xbox 360 version of the game, but the game will keep its current content description for Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Language, and Use of Alcohol, while the PC version will have an added content description for Nudity.

Bethesda commented on the ESRB Re-rating:

Source: Computer and Video Games

According to  Nintendo’s Jim Merrick, Nintendo’s forthcoming Revolution system will, in fact, boast graphics on par with Xbox 360 and PS3. What this will mean overall for the industry and the market is still unknown, of course, but what it does do is further solidify Nintendo’s position in the next generation as a complete wildcard (which almost sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it?). Fanboys on the Xbox 360 and PS3 sides of the table have continued to bandy about a previously unsubstantiated rumor that Revolution would “only be 2-3 times the power of the Gamecube”, for months, effectively removing it from the competition (at least in their minds), but this new development throws that entire premise completely out the window.

While speculation and rumor are sure to go flying more than ever now, one question remains: How will the
market react? There are plenty of opinions on the matter, but the one thing that’s becoming clearer is that Nintendo is looking to make itself the Next-Gen platform come 2006. If the system is indeed able to compete graphically with the likes of PS3 and Xbox 360, and if the new control system truly “revolutionizes” gameplay the way Nintendo hopes it will, they may just be on track for the single greatest comeback in gaming history. The question now becomes, where are the screenshots, trailers and playable demos for Nintendo’s newest system?

With any luck we should begin seeing Revolution games in a playable form when the console comes closer to release. According to Merrick, “Miyamoto doesn’t like to show incomplete games”, which explains why we haven’t seen so much as a screenshot to date, and reportedly will not within 2005. This strategy has often worked for Nintendo in the past, serving to build up huge anticipation for upcoming titles, though it’s worth

noting that we’ve seen numerous screens and videos for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a game which isn’t due to ship for another 6 months at minimum.

Whatever Nintendo chooses to do with regard to building their own hype and marketing juggernaut before Revolution‘s launch, this much is becoming clear: Nintendo plans to be a serious competitor
in the next console war.

Source: Microsoft.

Laying to rest the question of when XBox 360 will finally land in consumer’s homes, Microsoft has announced that November 22nd is the day when the console will hit retail shelves. Hitting at 2 price points,
$299 for the “core” system and $399 for the “Premium” system, the unit will be the first “High Definition” game system on the market. Other improvements included with the system are a full-featured Media Center
Extender, allowing the box to stream high definition music and movies from networked servers (Full functionality report will be coming upon release!) and Media Center PC’s.

Check back here for more info as the launch date approaches!

Source: 1Up.com

Like a screaming child who’s come to the realization that he’s not getting his way, Sony’s now resorted to calling the DS names. That’s right, folks, Sony’s own Phil Harrison, VP of development, has now resorted to calling the DS “a gimmick”. Well, Phil, maybe it’s a gimmick, but if it is, it’s a gimmick that’s kicking your ass.

What amazes me about these interviews and these incredibly arrogant statements from the Sony camp of late (apparently Kutaragi’s head-in-ass syndrome is spreading) is that it never comes down to them doing anything wrong, making any mistakes, failing to meet the needs of the audience. No, with Sony it always comes down to the calling of names and assertions that the competition isn’t as good or now, that they’re defining feature is a “gimmick”.

This, of course, brings up some other questions.

For example, some might think that having MP3 playback or mini-movies on proprietary disks is a “Gimmick”. And they’d be right. One of the things that happens with every new generation of hardware is some kind of new angle, whether its technology or a feature that doesn’t necessarily need to be there for the gaming experience. In the previous generation it was DVD movie playback being built into the PS2 and Xbox. Did that enhance the gameplay experience? Not in the least. Nevertheless it became a defining gimmick for both PS2 and Xbox (though more so for PS2, as it released 2 years earlier), and people actually perceived it as being a feature missing from the Gamecube.

Perhaps you’ll remember the world-altering innovation of the “Emotion Engine”, which was supposed to give us “Toy Story-like graphics in real-time”. Or remember how it was so advanced that the Japanese
government wasn’t going to let it be exported? Remember how it was going to become a super-intelligent guidance system for high-end missiles? Of course, as it turned out, all these “innovations” and amazing features turned out to exist solely in the mind of Ken Kutaragi, who appears to be continuing his descent into senility and now taking poor Phil Harrison with him. Given the results of the “Emotion Engine” in the 6 years since it was introduced, I’d go out on a limb and say that it’s damn safe to call it a “Gimmick”.

In the end, certain features of practically every new gaming device (to say nothing of other products which suffer from the same malady) can -and should-be considered a Gimmick. For PSP, it’s playback of MP3′s and UMD’s is pure gimmick, through and through, and neither feature helps out gaming or improves/alters the gaming experience at all. Meanwhile the Nintendo DS’s dual screens have proven to be useful for helping developers create whole new kinds of gameplay experiences for some games and extending the kinds of experiences possible in others. The touch screen adds a new element of interactive possibility to games produced on the system (witness the just-released Nintendogs, a smart and innovative game that undoubtedly baffles Sony. It has something Sony tends to shy away from: uniqueness, to say nothing of fun).

Whatever else you can you can say about DS’s gimmicks, you can’t call its dual screens or touch screen gimmicks. These are options that affect, change and grow the possibilities of gameplay and the interaction between the player and the system.

Of course, Sony’s never been about innovation so much as repetition.

Source: Prodigious Gaming.

In a move that can only be called “Incredibly stupid”, Microsoft today has decided to surrender one of their primary advantages over Sony’s PS3: The XBox 360 hard drive will be an addon. Flying in the face of all previous statements that “Every XBox 360 will have a 20GB hard drive out of the box”, Microsoft have apparently gone off their rocker and decided that rather than offering the consumer far more value than
Sony will in 6 more months, they’d rather just follow their competitor’s mistake and split the market, alienate developers and ensure the failure of the hard drive as a peripheral.

While it’s impossible to predict the short-term effect of this new development on any sort of scale, I can tell you this: I won’t be buying an XBox 360 at launch.

Update: Upon further review and consideration, I’ll have to admit to being wrong about the Premium bundle.

While I still think the failure to include a hard drive with every unit is a mistake, the premium bundle is loaded with SO much good stuff for the additional $100 that it would be foolish to buy the cheaper core
system. Further, from a marketing perspective, it will probably make more sense to price the premium 360 closer to the estimated launch price of the PS3.

The reason for pricing 360 closer to the estimated PS3 launch price works like this: Consumers, by and large, are complete morons. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Perception will be that if the PS3 costs more
than the 360 that it’s a better, more powerful system. The fact that this is an untruth makes little difference to consumers who’ve spent their lifetimes duped into the sometimes true, but usually false premise that more expensive =unilaterally better. Observe the number of people who sincerely believe that PS2 is a more capable piece of hardware than the Nintendo Gamecube, for crying out loud. Gamecube thoroughly abuses the PS2 in every way, from a hardware perspective, yet because it was priced $100 less than the PS2 people
assumed–falsely–that PS2 was the more capable machine. For this reason alone it’s in the best interests of XBox 360 to be priced at $399 for the premium edition, at least at launch.

So there you have it, me admitting I was mistaken and explaining the why-for’s. Enjoy it while it lasts, ’cause it doesn’t happen every day!

Source: Microsoft

According to a press release this morning at Microsoft’s website, the XBox 360 Summit in Japan started off with a big bang this morning with the announcement of big support from more than 50 of Japan’s top
developers–including some who’ve been primarily Sony loyalists for years. The announcement comes as the even launches today and is sure to provide plenty of fodder for fanboys on all sides of the console spectrum. Regardless of their outlooks, though, one thing is clear: Microsoft has been working hard behind the scenes to cut some fabulous deals with Japan’s most famous developers in a bid to garner the big support that they need from Japan to win the next generation race.

For a full list of the games on display at the Summit and the developers who’ll be joining Microsoft’s camp, many for the first time, read on…

Xbox 360 Game Titles Shown at Xbox Summit 2005

Sony Online Entertainment now owns The Matrix Online, a massively multiplayer online game. SOE
president John Smedley stated “We will take steps to continue the same high level of service that subscribers have come to expect from The Matrix Online game.  Because of our compelling work in developing and launching that game we can now move it over to the leaders in the MMO space, SOE.”

Looks like NVIDIA will benefit from Xbox 360 in the upcoming console “wars”. How, you ask?  Well in order to achieve backward compatibility, emulation of the original Xbox’s GPU will be needed. Here’s the catch: emulation of the NVIDIA hardware will entitle NVIDIA to royalty payments for every unit of Xbox360 sold,
perhaps another bad move for Microsoft’s next generation game console. This makes me wonder what other surprises are in store for (from?) Microsoft as they get close to their release date.