Time has selected the Nintendo DS Lite as "The Gadget of the Week."
From Time Magazine: "It's hard to avoid noting that the DS Lite looks an awful lot like an Apple product, a miniaturized version of the new white-glossy MacBook. The two-piece codex design is now smaller and closes tightly. It has brighter screens that are easier to see at all angles, though turning up the brightness does cost you battery power. There's no question the DS Lite looks a lot less like a toy than the original DS."
Ubisoft updated its list of games coming to Nintendo's Wii console. They include:
- Asphalt: Urban GT [new to list]
- Blazing Angels [new to list]
- Far Cry [new to list]
- Monster Trucks [new to list]
- Prince Of Persia [new to list]
- Rayman Raving Rabbids
- Red Steel
Activision's "Call of Duty 3" will be coming to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii consoles. The Wii version will lose some of the graphic detail, but will put the Wii's unique controller to good use.
From the article on Gamerwithin: "Typically the reticule in CoD games is centred on the screen. With the [Wii] game, because of its accelerometers and a position-pointing device in the actual remote, we've freed the player up. We're going to be spending quite a bit of time in the coming months tweaking that until we get it just right."
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) will fine up to one million dollars to game publishers who do not disclose "pertinent content."
From the ESRB report: "Companies who do not comply with ESRB guidelines are subject to a wide range of ESRB sanctions, including fines, corrective actions, and other penalties. In fact, a complete review of the ESRB enforcement system was recently completed with the expert counsel and support of prominent attorneys Eric Holder, Jr., Partner with Covington & Burling and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and Joseph diGenova, Founding Partner with diGenova & Toensing, LLP, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and special counsel for some of the most highly visible governmental inquiries in recent history. Their review resulted in a new class of violations for an “egregious” failure to disclose pertinent content, carrying a fine up to $1,000,000, among other enhancements."
Double Fine wants to get its top rated Psychonauts Xbox game backwards compatible on your Xbox 360.
From Double Fine: "I want you to get up. I want you to walk over to your window right now. I want you to open your window up, and then I want you to stick your head out, and then I want you to take in a nice breath of fresh air, and then I want you to close that window and walk back to your computer and
and send Microsoft a heartfelt message."
Nintendo posted a list of Wii games that will be coming. The listing, which comes from Nintendo's press site, was last updated on 5-9-06, during E3 and is the most current list from Nintendo. Check it out here.
Nintendo's DS game, "New Super Mario Bros.," sold at the rate of one game every four seconds after its debut on May 15, 2006. New Super Mario Bros. has grabbed the top position as the best selling game after being available for 13 days during the month of May, 2006. At the launch of the Nintendo DS Lite in the US, retailers reported that New Super Mario Bros. sales doubled over the previous week. Brain-Age also ranked number 3 in the top ten games sold in the US. All this during the low gaming sales month of May, 2006. Read more from Nintendo's press release here.
Sony has announced a Loco Roco themed PSP bundle (black or white PSP unit), which includes a copy of the Loco Roco game, AC adapter, a 32 meg memory stick and battery pack in a Loco Roco themed box. Sony Japan is also offering a Loco Roco carrying case (sold seperately) to hold the PSP and several UMDs. No word if this bundle will be sold in the US.
Look for Sony merchandise, including Sony Playstation Portable related merchandise, to be sold via vending machines at local malls in the United States. Sony merchandise ranging from "digital cameras, compact disc players, game software and movie DVDs" will be sold from the vending machines. The vending machines will make sales by accepting credit or debit cards, but not cash. Currently there are several placed at shopping malls in California, Georgia and Colorado, with the possibility of more appearing at airports. Maybe this is Sony's way of distributing its PSP UMD movies to recoup the losses at retail?
Konami has released the second interactive graphic novel on UMD with "Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel." Illustrated by IDW artist Ashley Wood, the digital graphic novel goes deeper into Solid Snake's Universe. Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel is available for the Sony PSP at online retailers for $19.99.
