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Join sisters NinJaSistah and Pandalicious and the rest of the ESH Crew each day as they discuss video games, tech gadgets, anime, manga... pretty much everything within the geek chic lifestyle.

From Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC game reviews, previews, news, and gushings to audience questions and rumor mill seeding galore you'll find it here at ESH!
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    Bayonetta Demo is SuperOMFGCrazyInsanity

    posted @ 12/11/2009 11:00:00 AM by Vichus Smith


    Have you played the Bayonetta demo yet? Well, HAVE YOU? The Bayonetta Demo is currently available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.


    The Creation

    Bayonetta is brought to you from the wacky mind of Hideki Kamiya and the fine folks at Sega. Kamiya is one of the creators behind the Devil May Cry series of games, which are also totally out there and insane. Bayonetta is more of the same, with a fresh current gen look.






    Bayonetta the Witch




    Your heroine, Bayonetta, is an outcast, born to a union that was deemed illegal. Bayonetta is not killed. Instead, she is kept alive, but unable to take part in society or perform magic. Well, obviously, she finds some way to escape her bonds and become a badass angel killing witch.






    Stylish Vengeance

    Bayonetta is an incredibly leggy, dark-haired, bespectacled woman who has a wide array of weapons at her disposal. Her basic weapons include a sword, double guns (of course) and guns on her feet! Using your handheld weapons is typical Devil May cry fare. When you pull off a certain command, you flip upside down and let off some shots with the guns on your feet, gun-kata style.

    What Bayonetta can also do is slow down time after successfully dodging attacks. Bayonetta gets even more nasty when she does punish moves, which are basically quick time events that give you an option of dealing more damage.

    When it comes to fighting bosses, that's an even better story. Once you beat a big enemy with an inch of its life, you can summon your witchy powers to call forth a demon- made of Bayonetta's hair. Now that's what I call witchcraft! This is the ultimate representation of Bayonetta's combo moves. It's a bit gruesome to watch, but it's also very cool.

    With ups, there are downs




    Bayonetta does have familiar problems. As a game that allows you to fly high in the air and attack as fast as lightning, the camera has an issue with keeping up with you. You can see the action just fine, but when you're faced with so much on the screen, it could have been good to have more camera angles at your command, sort of like when yu can change angles in the Grand Theft Auto games.

    In addition, a nitpick comes Bayonetta's way because Bayonetta has one of the weirdest stances ever in a game. When you let Bayonetta stand still, she looks incredibly unnatural.

    These gripes don't kill the fun at all. If you love the wild action spectacles that are the Devil May Cry games, Bayonetta is DMC's exotic cousin.

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    Hey, PS3! You look different. Have you lost weight?

    posted @ 8/18/2009 08:33:00 PM by Vichus Smith
    The internet is all a, well, I guess I can't use twitter anymore, because that's ruined. OK, the internet is all abuzz about the new PS3 SKU, and this time it's positive! This has to be the most thumbs up reaction PS3 has had for its hardware since people knew of the console's existence a bit more than 3 years ago.

    In addition to getting a more portable PS3, we're also getting a far less expensive one. The PS3 Slim costs half the price of the original PS3, which mean there's little excuse for people who have been putting off buying the admittedly expensive original. You can get up to an 120GB model for $299 (including the PS3 "Fat") and an 160GB model for $100 more. Also PlayStation looks like it's finally ready to properly compete with its two adversaries.

    Good News however, never comes hand in hand with its little brother. The bad news is that while the original PS3 could stand perfectly on its own, you might have to purchase a vertical stand. I suggest you save your $24 and prop up your PS3 Slim with your Golden Girls DVD box set. Also, PS3 Slim HATES Linux, so good luck with playing with the PS3 OS. Rounding out the bad news is the lack of PS2 game compatibility. I don't see why this drawback cannot be fixed via firmware, but until then you are out of luck if you ever feel the urge to get nostalgic.

    This is a new day for PlayStation. By Christmas, tons of people are going to score the one item that has eluded their grasp for so many years. I hope to see you all online. I've been waiting for some fresh meat to pwn in Street Fighter IV :)


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    MagicMystic Still A No Show

    posted @ 7/21/2008 08:00:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    Who doesn't like new podcast episode Monday? Productive people that's who. Let us help you start your week off on the unproductive tip with this episode of our podcast.

    Sans MagicMystic yet again, the sistah's stick to the gaming topic covering both the new and upcoming starting with Panda's take on the game Project Origin and Ninja sharing some of what she was able to take away from the assorted E3 coverage.

    From talking about the survival horror game genre to specific experiences with titles like Manhunt and Silent Hill to the thriller-chiller types including the "I don't think NinJa is ever going to finish it" BioShock game. Ninja talks God of War 3, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Portal 2, and Oneechanbura.

    It's another one of our lively podcast episodes people, here are some of the titles we decided not to use to name it:

    • Don't. Stop. Waitin' Fer RockBand 2, Yeah
    • Who? Guess Who?
    • Don't Sell Your Soul For Tic-Tacs
    • The New Animal Crossing Lets Me Be Mii
    • Kratos Makes Ninja's Gamer Boner Hard
    • Kratos Was A Red-Headed Step Child
    • Panda's Birthday Is Another 11 1/2 Months Away
    • Killing Me Softly with Her Sword
    • We Will. We Will...Flock Ewe
    • Videogame Word of the Year: Booty
    • E3 Didn't Want Me? Well, They're Not Invited to My Place Either
    • We Have Nothing To Fear But the Sequel to Fear Itself
    • This Guy's Full of Beans, and That Is a Bad Thing
    • Don't Ever Attend a Zmbie Reunion
    • and finally
    • Brain Exlax, I Like that

    If that hasn't told you everything you need to know about this week's podcast, then saddle up and give a listen to ESH podcast episode 106: Did I giggle That Outside Loud?

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    2.4 For Your PS3

    posted @ 7/01/2008 10:01:00 AM by Douceswild
    Yesterday SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) announced the new online features for the Playstation 3 that will be available on July 2 along with 2.4 enhancements, in the form of an automatic firmware upgrade that will deliver some of the features requested by gamers.

    Press Release:
    Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced new online gaming functionality for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), which will become available on July 2, 2008 with the 2.40 enhancement, an automatic firmware upgrade that delivers several of the features most requested by gamers. Combined with PLAYSTATION®Network’s unique service of free* online gaming, the enhancement makes PS3 an even more attractive platform of choice for the online gamer.

    Firstly, the 2.40 enhancement allows XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller. With 2.40, you can check if any of your friends are online (thanks to their own user profile), read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.

    2.40 also delivers trophies to recognise players’ achievements in the online arena. Other competitive activities recognise winners with trophies – so why not gaming on PS3? Many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies – with platinum available for those who snag all three – all displayed on the XMB for everyone to see.

    Super Stardust™ HD, a PLAYSTATION Network-exclusive released last year, will be the first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety of trophies**. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

    • BUZZ! Quiz TV
    • LittleBigPlanet
    • MotorStorm Pacific Rift
    • NBA 09 - PS3
    • PAIN**
    • PixelJunk Eden
    • Resistance 2
    • SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
    • Warhawk**

    The 2.40 enhancement is just one more reason to join PSN, the online network for PS3 users that lets you game online for free*. All you need to do to join is connect your PS3 to broadband and register, or go to the connection guide at www.eu.playstation.com to find out more.

    Once in, you’ll find online matches and leagues for all of your favourite games – whether that’s MotorStorm™, Resistance™, Warhawk™ or Gran Turismo™5 Prologue – absolutely free (although users are responsible for paying their broadband fees) and at any time of the day or night. You’ll also find PLAYSTATION®Store, where you can download entire games as well as extra levels, content for your existing games plus internet browsing, video chat thanks to PLAYSTATION®Eye and much, much more.

    There’s never been a better time to join PSN. Sign up now to make the most of the 2.40 firmware enhancement - see www.(website).com to find out more.

    * No subscription required, broadband fees apply

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    Don't Forget About Guitar Hero 3

    posted @ 12/22/2007 12:20:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Activision really would really appreciate it if you stopped being obsessed with RockBand long enough to remember that Guitar Hero 3 does, you know, still exist.

    So to remind you of that, from December 20th, you will be able to download an original rendition of "We Three Kings" for your Xb360 or PS3 by Steve Ouimette. Best part, they are absolutely free!

    If you are looking to expand your GH3 song list have no fear: a new track pack featuring songs by Linkin Park, The Used, and some group called Mastodonas well as single tracks "So Payaso" by Extremoduro, "Antisocial" by Trust, and "Ernten Was Wir Säen" by Die Fantastischen Vier.


    And if that wasn't enough, the "13 Days of Holly Rock" tournament for signed by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash GH3 gear and other prizes is still going on.

    Remember people, Activision still totally hearts you.

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    When reviewers get lazy, the gamers have to take up the slack

    posted @ 11/12/2007 04:32:00 PM by Alex J. Avriette
    On a recent trip to Best Buy (for The Orange Box), we picked up Tokyo Drift 2 in the $10 box. Apparently they haven't been able to sell it. It's not surprising given the linked review.


    I'm particularly curious about the disparity between the editors' review and the review of the gamers. At the time of writing, they were 5.2 and 8.3, respectively — a healthy sixty percent difference. What's immediately clear is that the editors don't really have a clue what's going on. First, they say that the cars are hard to handle, but they don't phrase it that way, as such. Rather, the cars don't handle well. They also talk about a story being "nonsensical," when anyone who has familiarity with Initial D and/or haraschiya and zero-yon will tell you that it makes perfect sense.

    They tell you to start with an FF (that's front-wheel-drive, front-engined). And they even offer you these cute little Daihatsu trucks and everything to do this with your initially very limited purse.

    So, like anyone who learns to drive fast, you learn to drive slow first. You get to carve up mountain lines through cherry blossoms in the spring. You get to do it in the winter. You can do it in the rain. And all this teaches you how the car moves. You get a feel for the controls, which are admittedly very different from, say, Need For Speed or Project Gotham Racing, but neither of those titles quite deals with vehicle dynamics like Tokyo Drift does.

    Witness: You can buy different brakes for the car, different tires, and different suspension. So if you want to stiffen up the rear end of your FF car, and put sloppy tires on it, it will hang its tail around turns like the meanest of FR (front-engine, rear-drive; think Corvette) vehicles. Of course, you have to be real careful when you do this, and every time you buy or sell parts, you lose a little money, so you gotta learn what you put on the car. This is what makes the little Daihatsu competitive on these tracks, just like the legendary Initial-D Hachi-Roku.

    They then tell you to progress to an AWD car (such as the Subaru STI or Mitsubishi Evo) because, no matter what those people tell you about the cars being bad-ass, an AWD car is easy enough to drive. This also introduces you to more power, and power-sliding, as you can use the power-over (or throttle-steer) to bring the tail around, and not have to rely on suspension tricks.

    Again, this is missing from the PGR/NFS franchises, and every other American car game I've played (and I mean all the way back to Spy Hunter on the 8 bit Nintendo, kiddos). It's absolutely crucial for understanding how to drive in a drift, or really, how to handle any car that's ass-over nose or vice-versa. You get the STI or the Evo in PGR and NFS, and you just go faster. They "handle" better, which means they respond better to the stick and they stick to the road better, but the dynamics of the cars don't change much at all.

    In NFS:Carbon, we had the "drift" segues, and that was simply a matter of timing arrows on a course. And even then, your only technique was the power-over (and possibly also the feint).

    So while the AWD cars are a little more fun because they can scoot a little faster, you still have to build up your skill, and this is where the reviewers for the magazines probably got pretty bored.

    From AWD there's really only one place to go, and that's rear-wheel drive. There are basically three configurations of RWD vehicles, the MR (mid-engine, rear-drive, like an MR2 or some Ferraris), the FR, as previously mentioned, and the RR (rear-engine, rear-drive, like a Porsche; Automobile magazine once proclaimed the Porsche 911 to be the "king of oversteer," where oversteer is just a polite word for ass-over-nose, or, more currently, "drifting."). There are plenty to choose from, and we have your average Supra and so on. I don't really need to go into detail here, because we can mostly just repeat the section above about AWD.

    Going faster does not mean you drift better. Having more horsepower does not make your car drift better. It's entirely about the dynamics of the vehicle while on the course. Tokyo Drift 2 forces you to focus on the course, the car, and even the car's components and more importantly what they do before you can get very far. This means there's a steep learning curve. For those willing to pay that price of admission, it's a very rewarding game.

    There is one downside to the game, and that is the graphics are a little on the poor side. While it is a PS2 game, it looks almost like a ported PSX game, or even something from a Super Nintendo. It's pretty not-so-great. However, I am definitely willing to give it a huge amount of credit for the locations — more than the cars, which are pedestrian, as drifting can be done in anything, even a bicycle — all I wanted to do in this game was drive through the flurry of sakura cherry blossoms in my little Daihatsu truck. The more advanced I got in the game, the more I had to focus on the car, and the less I could pay attention to how actually beautiful the graphics are, despite the low polygon and texture count.

    The one thing you must remember with drifting is that it is not a sport. It is frequently not even a competition. Drifting happens all the time, people, alone, on a road, just enjoying their vehicles (recently watching the foot-dragging KTM 990 Super Duke drifting has gotten my tongue lolling). Hockey, you could say, is a sport. Drifting, as my friend Gabe likes to say, is a lot more like figure skating.

    It's just there to be beautiful.

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    New Podcast Episode: You Gotta Sling It Low and Smack It Hard

    posted @ 11/05/2007 09:54:00 AM by evermore
    This week the Sistahs cross their axes and do battle in garages, dives and giant amphitheaters as they compare notes (real and musical) in this week's podcast about Guitar Hero III.

    Find out which songs are easy, which ones are hard and which ones took Ninjasistah and Pandalicious completely by surprise. They also offer valuable tips on just what to do (if you see it, just buy it) and what not to do (start on Medium level) when you start playing the game.

    So do yourself a favor and listen in to the Sistahs' experiences before you dive into your copy of Guitar Hero III.

    To give you a flavor of the proceedings, here are the titles that were turned down for this episode:

    The Genius Hamster Is Stuck In the Tubes

    Sexual Harrassment Makes for One Sad Panda

    No Boners About It, PS2 Love Only Goes So Far

    NinjaSistah Will Never Get Hard

    The Devil Played Boonga-Boonga On Me

    Never Mind the Bollocks, Always Start On Easy Mode

    As Emperor Joseph Told Mozart, "The Problem? Too Many Notes"

    In Guitar Hero III, Easy Is Not Easy

    That 9-Year-Old Has Great Motor Skills, And I Hate Him

    Looking Forward to Accordian Hero



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    New Podcast Episode: Super Mario Brothers and Sistahs

    posted @ 10/29/2007 11:26:00 AM by evermore
    It's yet another clip show, but this time we're joined at the mic by videogaming superstar Mario. He adds his 2 cents worth as we present some of the best comments about videogaming from earlier episodes of the ESH podcast.

    In this episode, we concentrate on the subjects the Sistahs love talking about most: videogame addition, the controversy about violence in games, what it's like to be a girl gamer and the platform wars. And, of course, the sistahs talk about Boonga-Boonga.

    So join Mario and the ESH regulars as they present the best in videogame talk in Episode 72: Super Mario Brothers and Sistahs.


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    Sony Announces $399 McKinley

    posted @ 9/27/2007 12:33:00 PM by evermore


    As the rumor mills continue to churn for the possibility of Sony's repricing of the PlayStation 3 to $399 for the holiday season, analysts were shocked today when Sony representatives announced that they instead would be selling U.S. $500 bills for the unprecedented price of $399.

    "We know people are going to be calling us crazy," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), "but, hey, we're Sony. In the past year we brought out an HD DVD player that nobody wants, some batteries that spectacularly set some computers on fire and a game system for which there are no games to play on it. We know we're crazy."

    The $500 bills, which display the picture of former U.S. President William McKinley, who was shot at the 1901 Buffalo World's Fair and later died, were last printed in 1945 and withdrawn from circulation in 1969.

    When asked why anyone would want to own a $500 bill that they cannot use as legal currency, Hirai said, "Hey, they already own a PS3 that they can't use. A worthless $500 bill is a conversation piece, just like that PS3. And it isn't half the fire hazard the PS3 is.

    "Sure, a $500 bill can catch on fire, but it won't explode in the middle of the night and kill your whole family like a PS3 might."

    Hirai added that the $500 bill costs much less to ship. "Just pop it in an envelope and stick on a 41 cent stamp," Hirai said. That compares with the PS3, which weighs approximately 38 pounds (288 pounds when you add the weight of the postman who hauls it reluctantly to your front porch).

    Although selling a $500 bill would mean a $101 loss for Sony on each bill sold, Hirai said the price is much less than Sony would lose on selling the PS3 at the same $399 price point. "Think of all the money we're saving just on marketing," he added. "Heck, $500 bills practically sell themselves.

    "Nothing says Christmas more than a crisp $500 bill. It's even green on the back."


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    Good News/Bad News

    posted @ 9/20/2007 01:30:00 PM by evermore

    For those of you who are tired of reading bad news about everything, today we present the first in a series of Good News/Bad News stories. For those of you who just like good news, pay attention to the left side. For bad news junkies, enjoy the right side of the page.

    News item: You can't go Home -- at least not until next year. Sony announced that it's Home virtual world for the PS3 will not be available until Spring 2008. "We want this to be a worldwide service," said Sony CEO Kaz Hirai. "We want to make sure that we have a range of services which can be satisfactory to our users throughout the world... so we decided to delay the service’s launch date... Please be patient in this regard."

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    It leaves more time to design Mii's on your Nintendo Wii.

    It leaves more time for Sony to develop add-ons to Home, such as in-game ads, email and other things gamers don't really want.


    News item: Nintendo has announced that starting with the December issue, Nintendo Power Magazine will be published by Future US, the folks behind the Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, and Mac|Life.

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS
    Future already publishes a Nintendo magazine in Britain. Chopping down treees, turning the wood into pulp, painting the pages and shipping the results by snail mail is so 1929. Wake up, people. Magazines are dead.

    News item: Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, told the assembled audience at the Tokyo Game Show that he considers the PlayStation 3 to be "a game machine."

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    After a year touting the wide and varied uses of the PS3, it was refreshing to hear someone at Sony admit that the primary purpose of the PS3 should be to play games.

    From Wired: But outside of announcing the DualShock 3 controller, Hirai made no announcements of new products -- certainly nothing that would by itself represent a change in PlayStation 3's fortunes in Japan, where it is being outsold about three-to-one by the Wii.


    News item: It doesn't look any different, but reports say it feels heavier. What is it? Why, the new DualShock 3, a new controller for the PS3 that brings back the force-feedback "rumble" functionality left out of the original controller.

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    It'll be available in the U.S. in Spring 2008, and will replace the Sixaxis controller in new PS3 boxes. The list of games that will take advantage of the new rumble features is a long one.

    Ya gotta buy a new %&*$@#! controller!


    News item: LucasArts has announced Krome Studios will release a Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed that will let you use the Wii-mote as a lightsaber.

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    Although some bloggers originally announced that the lightsaber action was available only in duel mode, in actuality you can use the Wii-mote as a lightsaber throughout the game.

    You're going to have to push buttons to work the lightsaber in the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS versions. May the Thumb Doctor Be With You.


    News item: More anime is coming to Xbox Live. From Joystiq: "Beginning today (and continuing over the coming weeks) you'll be able to find titles from the Starz anime library like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Seasons 1 & 2), Street Fighter II V, Noein, Tokko, Virus and Astro Boy on the service."

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    Starz has a tremendous catalog of anime titles.

    I'm trying to code this item in a way that NinjaSistah doesn't see it. Between Xbox Live and iTunes, she won't even have to walk the three blocks to the local anime store to get her fill.


    News item: The E for All Show shoots itself in the foot by moving its 2008 date from October to the same weekend in August at the very popular Penny Arcade Expo.

    GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

    This should put the final nail in the coffin of the badly managed spin-off of the old E3 Expo. It is a fitting end for E for All show host IDG, which killed the summer Mac Expo a few years ago by moving it from New York to Boston.

    This is all everyone is going to want to talk about in the run-up to the 2007 E for All event in October (which Sony and Microsoft have already vacated).


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    When $500 Is Better Than $600

    posted @ 7/10/2007 01:19:00 PM by evermore
    Here is the horrible, horrible truth: Stay away from the new PS3. The old PS3 out there, the one languishing on the shelves of Wal-Mart and Circuit City, the one you don't have to stand in line for, the one you don't have to wait by your mailbox for, well, it's, uh, better.

    That's right. The 60-gig PS3, the one that's been around since November, the one that they just reduced in price by $100, the one that... oh, stop it. The word from E3 is that the older, 60-gig PS3 is better than the new 80-gig model. In fact, if you still play some PS2 games, you should positively stay away from the 80-gig PS3 model.

    Why? Emulation. The original PS3 also contains the PS2 Emotion chip to help it play PS2 games. Now that the Sony folks have come up with a way to emulate PS2 capability in software on the PS3, they have dropped the Emotion chip from the new machine.

    And we all know what happens when you emulate a chip in software, don't we? Incompatibilities. That game you've been playing for years suddenly doesn't work anymore. The disc spins and spins, but doesn't go anywhere. You're left with unexpected crashes -- or eerie silence.

    So here's the warning: If you've got several PS2 games you intend on playing on the 80-gig PS3, test them out on the machine before buying one. Better yet, stick with the original PS3. We suspect the 60-gig model isn't even being built anymore (they've got a few million on hand gathering dust at places like Amazon.com and GameStop), so when they're gone, they're gone.


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    Sony Reintroduces $499 PS3

    posted @ 7/09/2007 08:24:00 AM by evermore
    Sony would like you to think that they have reduced the price of the PS3 today. Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Remember when the PS3 first came out in November? They brought out a lame version for $499 and a better version for $599. Today's announcement simply reinstates that pricing model.

    Sony dropped its $499 version a few months ago because nobody was buying it. Now the $599 version has been repriced at $499, but it's all window dressing because Sony has already announced a premium-ier version packaged with an 80-gigabyte hard drive and a racing game called "MotorStorm." Guess how much it costs. That's right -- $599.

    To reiterate today's announcement: Sony has a lame version of the PS3 that sells for $499 and a better version for $599. Just like in November 2006.

    And the PS3 forts grow higher and higher at Best Buy.


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    Firmware Update Means Nothing for Gamers

    posted @ 5/23/2007 04:00:00 PM by evermore
    Sony Playstation 3 owners are going to have their hands full in the next few days, downloading software and updating their systems. What will it mean for gamers? Pretty much nothing.

    The updates aren't for gamers. You can see that right here. They're for people who want to watch a slightly better picture when they're using the PS3 to show DVD movies. They're for people who want to see bigger renditions of pictures they've got saved to their Playstation Portables. They're for people who... uh... well, that's about it.

    If you're a gamer waiting for a reason to use the PS3, you'll just have to keep waiting. Sure, it can upscale PSOne and PS2 games, but from what I've seen thus far, those games simply play better on their original systems -- and the PS2 is still beating the PS3 in sales, six months after the introduction of the PS3.

    Of course, you could treat the installation of the new PS3 firmware as a game itself. Score 10 points for yourself when you get the thing downloaded. Subtract a point for every hour it takes to download it properly. Score 10 points for yourself when the firmware update is installed and running. Subtract a point for every hour it takes to get the thing working right. If you're lucky, your score will still be a positive number in the end.

    Then add it to your gamerscore and... oh, yeah, the PS3 doesn't have a gamerscore.

    Do ya think Sony cares about gamers anymore?


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    Sony Says Welcome, Home

    posted @ 5/06/2007 04:32:00 PM by Douceswild
    Take MySpace, Nintendo’s Miis, and Xbox Live then mix it up and throw it all inside of a Playstation3. What do you get? You get a little something that feels like, well, Home.
    It’s no secret around here that I haven’t been a big Playstion3 fan because of its extravagant selling price. I do have to say that Sony’s new Home interactive feature has me a bit curious and intrigued. Home is Sony’s social gaming network that allows players to interact with each other and display their gaming achievements. Think of it as Xbox Live and Nintendo’s Miis on steroids. You create your avatar and off you go. Character creation is similar to that of certain MMOs, allowing players to choose from a variety of facial characteristics and proportions. Apartment furniture and character clothing is freely downloadable, while some will be paid premium downloads. Additionally, some items will be unlocked simply by playing particular PS3 games. There are minigames such as bowling and billiards as well as arcade games to keep you entertained. You can display your achievements as trophies in your apartment and watch movie trailers or other video content on in-world TVs. Other PS3 owners can be invited over to hang out in your pad and socialize before jumping into a video game.

    For all of those who have a PS3, the Home beta started showing up in the Playstation store a few days ago for those who were accepted. Here’s the ironic part for me. I think it may be the Home feature of the Playstation3 and not an actual video game that turns out to be a system-seller in my case.



    Take a look at this video from the 2007 Game Developers Conference. It pretty much sums up the Home concept. I know I’ve been hard on Sony for a while, but I’ll also give credit where it’s due and it’s definitely due here. Good job Sony! I think I’m starting to understand the “potential” you spoke of. You just might get my money after all…grumble, grumble…bastards.


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    Kutaragi Quits, Universe Remains Otherwise Unchanged

    posted @ 4/26/2007 10:22:00 AM by evermore
    News item: Ken Kutaragi, creator of the PlayStation console, will retire from his post as Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s chairman and group CEO, effective June 19, Sony Corp. said.

    Do you know how you can tell Kutaragi chose to retire?

    By the splinters underneath his fingernails!


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    I Was Right About the PS3

    posted @ 4/19/2007 01:09:00 PM by evermore
    I don't mind taking credit for it. I made the prediction in May 2006, and now it's all coming to pass.

    Last May I wrote the following post about the pricing of the XBox 360 and the two forthcoming game consoles, the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. According to this story, it seems that I may have been on target after all...

    An executive from Sega, one of Nintendo's largest publishers, told Forbes.com last week that he expects the Wii to sell for less than $200. With a $200 price point, the Wii might not only be a video game system, but the new currency exchange unit for video game system sales. Consider this:

    Nintendo Wii: 1 Wii
    Microsoft XBox 360 Base: 1.5 Wii
    Microsoft XBox 360 Deluxe: 2 Wii
    Sony Playstation 3 Premium (retail in November): 3 Wii
    Sony Playstation 3 Premium (on eBay in December): 6-8 Wii
    Sony Playstation 3 Premium (retail, next May): 1.5 Wii


    Sure, I got the Wii price point wrong (it was $250, not $200), but I was otherwise close to the target.

    And to all those Sony fanboys who have been berating me for my disparaging comments regarding the PS3, I'd like to point out that they sold a whopping 167,000 PS3's in February. At that rate, they'll clean out the entire initial 6 million PS3 run... by, uh, June 2010.


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    DMC4: Yeah, On XB360 Too

    posted @ 4/19/2007 12:36:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Oooooh, Sony's gotta be a tad peeved on this one but just in case you missed it, DMC4 is going to be on the XB 360 as well as the PC.

    That's gotta smart.

    So remember back a few months ago when Capcom SWORE that it was going to be exclusive to the PS3. Like, the pinky swore to Sony and before God that it was going to never EVER going to have any other home than on the PS3. Well, they lied. They are dirty, rotten, skinky, [I mean in desperate need of a bath] liars... but that's a good thing. Why? Because, more DMC4 madness on more platforms means more likely to have an online component.

    Can you imaging Dante and Nero and maybe even Virgil grudge matches over XBLive? What about those old mansion survival modes? Remember those? [I made it 35 levels once... once] Imagine rooms and rooms of those mansions filled with other Live players in a winner takes all type melee battle. Can't imagine it? I hope that Capcom does.


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    Will The Madness Ever Cease?

    posted @ 4/16/2007 06:50:00 PM by Douceswild
    I had no intention of doing another installment of Douce’s Jewels this early, but this is one that I couldn’t keep tucked away.

    I’m going to make this short and sweet because believe me when I say this jewel speaks for itself. What do you get when you spray paint a Playstation 3 candy-chrome red (That’s right. I said red.) and put it on Ebay? If you thought the intense PS3 bidding on Ebay was over then you were sadly mistaken. I’m saving my comments until you guys see it you’ve had time to process it. Then we can all discuss this craziness together.

    Now brace yourself. Seriously, you REALLY need to brace yourself. The only name I could think of to call this jewel is, YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

    See it. Process it.

    Now let the comments begin…


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    It's Dead (NinjaSistah Killed It), But Lives On in Britain

    posted @ 4/11/2007 12:10:00 PM by evermore
    I'd like to blame it on NinjaSistah. After all, she's the one who damned it in her very first post on this site. She killed it, but like Frankenstein's monster, it lives on.

    The Official U.S. Playstation Magazine (that was always a tough name to swallow) died with the January 2007 issue -- killed by lack of advertising sales, the introduction of the lame PlayStation 3 and, I think, by NinjaSistah's devastating post about it almost a year ago, which you can read here.*

    You can read about its death here.

    But OPM lives on -- in Britain. And they're even putting Blu-Ray demo discs inside. How well they will survive the trip from Europe to America is anybody's guess, though. Read more about it here.

    * -- A little postscript on NinjaSistah's experience with OPM demo discs: She cancelled her subscription to OPM last year after having been a subscriber for several years. A few months later she started receiving the magazine free through a different distributor. The discs were packed perfectly and she never received another bad or broken disc. And then OPM stopped publishing entirely. C'est la vie!


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    New Podcast Day

    posted @ 4/08/2007 10:05:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Since it's Monday an all we figured we better keep to script and give you guys a new episode of our podcast. It's with great pleasure I give you Episode 46: Care Bears Are Racist Bastards.

    In this episode of the ESH podcast Pandalicious shares the first of her "A Thought, by Pandalicious" series. You might be asking yourself, "...what could that girl be thinking about now?" Well, she wonders about what the western world would be like if it was more anime in nature. Yeah, wrap your mind around that. Deep, man. Just deep.

    MagicMysticGrl jumps into the mix with her take on Saiunkoku Monogatari a.k.a. Tale of the Land of Many-Colored Clouds. Saiunkoku is the tale of a girl pursuing a path of enlightenment that is not afforded women in her country and the trouble and hijinks that unfailingly follow on such a journey.

    Then NinJaSistah brings home the show with her take on the new PSP push by Sony to save a sinking mobile gaming device ship. Will the new price point, ad campaign, and re-focusing of the target demographic help or hurt the so called killer app?

    All you can do is take a listen and share your thoughts. So grab a cup of joe and a bagel, it's time for Electric Sista Hood podcast episode #46, Care Bears Are Racist Bastards!.

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    Six Million Reasons

    posted @ 3/12/2007 05:47:00 PM by evermore
    Sony has once again recommitted itself to its claim that it will ship 6 million Playstation 3 boxes by March 31. But just where are those boxes all going? We think we might have the answer in this comic...




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    When PS3 Met Mii

    posted @ 3/11/2007 07:22:00 PM by evermore
    With Sony's announcement of PS3 Home last week, the company's got some work to do in order for their avatars to catch up to Nintendo's avatars, as you can see in this comic...






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    20-Gig Model

    posted @ 3/05/2007 04:11:00 PM by evermore
    There's a big rumor going around that Sony has discontinued the 20-gigabyte version of the Playstation 3. So we present a comic that shows just how quickly things change...




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    Why is This Woman Smiling?

    posted @ 2/15/2007 12:44:00 AM by evermore
    Judging by the expression on this woman's face, she is having the time of her life. Obviously, it is the result of what she is viewing on the Icuiti video eyewear. See if you can guess what she is watching:

    A. The L Word
    B. Apple's latest "I'm a Mac" ad on TV
    C. A giant fort of unsold PlayStation 3 consoles at Best Buy
    D. Porn
    E. Nothing at all -- she's a model, dammit!

    The answer, of course, is E. A woman who looks like that wouldn't be caught dead wearing a plastic pair of wraparound shades connected to a video game (as you can see from the expanded view below).

    The nerdy guy also portrayed on this page? His expression is much more believable. The device, called the iWear VR920, purports to let you "step inside" the game via a "3-degree-of-freedom head tracker."




    Icuiti is marketing the device for players of MMORPG games like World of Warcraft, but it can also play on consoles, according to the accompanying literature. Here are some other features of the device:

    • Designed for use with a laptop or standard PC through a simple USB and VGA connection
    • Big 62-inch virtual display viewed at 9 feet
    • Built-in noise canceling microphone for Internet VOIP communications
    • Integrated “non-dangling” headphones that can be upgraded or removed to allow the user to plug in their own headset
    • Supports component video-in from the latest generation of game consoles


    We've seen lots of virtual video headsets over the years and none have yet caught on in the gaming world. Will the iWear VR920 catch on? Not as long as it makes you look like Geordi LaForge hanging out at the beach.


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    PS3 vs. PS2

    posted @ 2/13/2007 04:01:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I have to hand it to TechRepublic, their side by side hardware comparison of the PS3 and PS2 hardware is pretty sweet, and a tad eye opening.

    I've never had the balls to crack open my PS3 case. In all honesty, after the green screen freeze of last week during DVD playback I've been weary of touching that thing at all. But the courageous folks over there at Tech Republic have broken down how the guts of the PS3 compare to those of the PS2, and they've done it all with pictures... good looking, non-grainy pics no less!

    It's when you get to this picture that the fun really starts, at least from my point of view. You can see that the internal parts main layout is similar on both systems, the only difference is that you can fit the entirety of the the PS2 components on the left side of the PS3 and still have some wiggle room. Hell, the PS2 is the size of the damned Blu-Ray drive! Oh, we can't forget that cooling fan either. You see this? See how large that PS3 fan is? Makes that poor lil PS2 fan have an inferiority complex. At least it would, if the PS3 didn't run warmer than all get out. I have to keep mine on a level all by itself in my AV rack so it can get enough air circulating in order to keep it happy.

    And the award for best image in the whole gallery goes to: the PS2 mainboard vs. Blu-Ray Drive. Sure, it's probably a tad bit unfair to compare a redesigned to be compact generation 2 PS2 to a first one out the gate in a hurry generation 1 PS3, but who in life said things had to be fair? The fact is, the system is bloated... but many gen 1 systems are. After looking at all the innards of the box, it's obvious that Sony has done their best to make use of every square inch of space that the PS3 encompasses, my question is when will the slimline PS3 be available?

    We know that Sony is hard at work trying to iron out the kinks in the backwards compatibility between the Cell Processor and previous PS titles so they will not have to include the PS2 hardware in the system. That will be a huge step towards reducing the physical size [and weight] of the PS3, but what about the size of the Blu-Ray drive? Will there ever be a reduction in it's size to allow the PS3 to get down to the size of the original PS2? [Give or take an inch or two] I think if they can get these issues addressed by next Holiday, the PS3 will be able to cut into the next-gen console war lead that Nintendo and Microsoft have on them.

    I still can't find another damn Wii for Pandalicious or another damn Wiimote. Can you?


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    New Podcast Day

    posted @ 2/11/2007 03:50:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    It's new podcast day here at Electric Sista Hood... and this week brings us to episode 39: Alligators Should Not Hump Children!

    In this episode Pandalicious gives us the low-down on the wacky, weird, and well, bestial nature of the anime He Is My Master. She says it's only slightly pornish, I reserve my judgement until episode two gets reviewed. MagicMysticGrl tries to untangle the woven path of the manwa Priest and NinJaSistah talks exclusivity [or lack there of] between game developers and the PS3.

    Another fun episode wrapped up and delivered with a bow: Enjoy!

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    Yakuza: Rental Or No?

    posted @ 2/07/2007 08:00:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    With box art this sexy the game has to be good right? Well, after the last 4 hours of playing I'm going to have to say no.

    I got my hands on a copy of Yakuza today from Gamefly and I have to say that I'm kinda disappointed. Originally I was really looking forward to playing this game because the voice talent behind it was impressive. Michael Madsen, Mark Hamill, Rachel Leigh Cook, Michael Rosenbaum, and Eliza Dushku make up an ensemble cast that many producers would give their right [and/or left] testicle for, so when the dialog falls flat, and you find yourself wishing the post office was still open so you could send this title back to the Gamefly from which it came, it makes you wonder what the hell has gone wrong.

    Yakuza shouldn't suck. It's made by Sega, it's a brawler [usually right up this ninja's alley] and is based on the Japanese mob so there is plenty of reason for violence, conflict, treachery, debauchery to take place. But in actually playing the game, you find things are very formulaic in that point "A" leads to point "B" and that there is no way to get to point "C" without first going through points "A" and "B." Within launching the title you immediately notice that this game is not for the kid-lings. Yakuza has more drops of the F-bomb [I'm talking fuck not fack] then a hooker with tourettes syndrome. Foul language doesn't offend me, it really doesn't... but when you use a curse word too often you take the edge off it. Fuck is one of those words whose edge should never be softened. In Yakuza at least one third of the dialogue exchanges that pops up contain some use of the word fuck, and for no apparent fucking reason either. Lame.

    As I reached hour one of gameplay I found myself comparing Yakuza to Shenmue, another game made by Sega. Both games feature a young man, in love with a girl, battling gangs/mobs throughout town to try and piece together how his lady has ended up missing. In Shenmue you play the character of Ryu, and end up traveling all around town finding clues, working jobs, and occasionally fighting the odd bad dude on the quest to save your fair lady. In Yakuza you play Kazuma, and after some shizzole goes down you get stuck in the joint for a 10 year bid. While you are in jail you find out that your honey dip Yumi done lost her marbles and has disappeared. Once you get out, you set out to find her and figure out what the hell happened all those years ago.

    Initial comparison aside, I expected the same level of detail in Yakuza that Shenmue had. Imagine my surprise when I started up the game and there were more artifacts on screen than in an ancient Egyptian tomb! Even pre-rendered video's seem to suffer from and infestation of jaggies. At times it is difficult to get the main character to stay focused on target and you wind up punching at air while a group of baddies stand behind you and try to hit you. Lame again. But I soldier on because I think that the story is going to get deep. It's obvious to me that there are going to be some twists and turns coming down the line and I want to see them. But the formula kicks in again... cut scene, cut scene, 5 person lame fight, cut scene, wander around to find the pink spot on the map, count the times the word "fuck" gets dropped. Yippie!

    Now, there is supposed to be a film adaptation of this game and there was a sequel to the game released in December, but for now I'm going to give Yakuza a 2.5 out of 5.

    Maybe if I get deeper into the game, the redeeming qualities that others have found in it will reveal themselves to me. But for now, I'm just going to go and play the Crackdown demo again and return Yakuza to GameFly

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    Camy: Oh So Sexy

    posted @ 2/06/2007 05:09:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I'm not talking Street Fighter Cammy, I'm talking about the schweet looking faceplate people of Camy Pro Gear.

    I found out about Camy Pro Gear on accident. I was bouncing around the internet, looking for something to make me want to use my PSP more [I still haven't connected the damn thing to my PS3 yet] when I hit their site.

    Here's the deal. I've looked at a few faceplates for the PSP before in game resellers, but they all kinda looked cheap so I shrugged them off. I spent too much money getting my PSP to try some housing that either felt thin, had paint that wore off, or ultimately didn't add anything to my pocket gaming gizmo. I ended up using a vinyl skin on my PSP, but really wanted a full color cover for it. Then I sighed, and moved on to skinning my consoles. After taking a gander at the Camy site, I'm starting to rethink my idea that faceplates for the PSP are all the same.

    From what I can tell on the website, Camy offers some full color solid housings as well as a couple of special design cases. They list DecalGirl and EB as carriers so you might want to head out and check these cases out. I'm looking to get my hands on one and try it out for myself. When I do, I'll post a hands on review so you know what the deal is.

    But, they look good. Real good.


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    Tower of Power

    posted @ 1/22/2007 10:08:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Months and months after moving into my new digs I have finally reassembled my tower of power is back in business.

    I speak, of course, of my gaming rig... the center of my entertainment world is whole once more. It's taken me months to find all of my cables, power cords, power bricks, games, and then the time to put the sonofabitch together. I put the most important systems on the TV to start [being the next-gen boxes] but the PS2, Xbox, and PSP sort of kinda languished in a box over in the corner of the room. A dimly lit corner of the room to make it even more pathetic. I would have had a GameCube in the tower as well but it was given to Pandalicious in hopes that it might lure her away from WoW. It did not.

    So what's in my gaming rig you might ask? Well, in what has now become the "Tower of Older Power" we have the Xbox with slight modification, a PS2, PSP, Gameboy SP, 6-input S-Video switch, XB360 quick-charge stand, digital cable box, and games awaiting a trip to the local Gamestop for trade in.

    In the main arena I have my PS3, XB360, and Nintendo Wii tucked away under my 42" TV from LCD Olevia Yes, the NinJa is back in action people. Now some of you may have noticed that I mentioned a bunch of consoles that have online gameplayability, [hehe, I made a new word] but didn't mention how I have them networked... it's because I don't yet. Right now, the Wii connects to my existing wireless network and my XB360 and PS3 are share a connection from an Apple Airport Express. Until I decided on a good ethernet switch for these guys to share it will stay that way.

    Now all I need is enough furniture so that the gaming parties can begin. What about you guys? What do your rigs look like? What would you like to add? Wanna send us a picture? I'm putting some larger images of my rig in the gallery, so check it out.


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    PS3 Madden Doesn't Live up to Expectations

    posted @ 1/13/2007 01:45:00 PM by Monkey Doo
    I got a chance to sit down with a shiny new PS3 and play some Madden 07 recently. I have always been a big Madden fan, I still have a copy of the first one I ever bought for Genesis back in 1993. I had high expectations for this one since it was on a system that dwarfed the previous systems I had played the Madden series on, but I was sorely disappointed.

    What I found was a very sloppy game. It had a menu that in an attempt to be slick and stylish was not very user friendly. The replays and videos of your team entering and getting ready for a play were incredibly choppy, usually unable to go a second without it freezing up for a little bit. It had lost the franchise mode I had come to love and instead focused mainly on Superstar mode, which was a big disappointment.

    The concept of Superstar mode itself was not bad. It's a cool to control yourself on a team and fight towards greatness. The problem with this is that there is oftentimes not much to do. I don't enjoy sitting down to a game with a controller in my hand and just watching. Since you could only control your player, that's all you really did. As a quarterback I was able to get some control but as a cornerback I lost interest very quickly. I had no control over the offense and on defense I ended up covering sides of the field that the opposing team never passed to anyway. To make this mode more frustrating, the UI was awful. Every time my QB handed off the ball to the running back he would run right into a mob of the opponent. In every game I played via superstar mode my RB only once got a gain of above three yards. It wasn't because I had a bad team either, last time I checked Tiki Barber was pretty good at running.

    They tried to showcase the better look and playability of the system but that also fell short. Not only did they have choppy videos but they used terrible camera angles to show off the field. They continually used a shot that was from the entrance into the mid level seating down onto the field. The problem with this view was that it showcased how bad the audience was. I counted only three models in the entire stadium, and from that terrible camera view you could see how flat their were as well as mysterious floating pixels.

    I still have hopes for the game, though not on this system. Perhaps the X-box 360 will be able to handle the graphics better or maybe the Wii innovative controller will make it as fun to play as Wii bowling. Perhaps EA having exclusives on the NFL means the end of some great games however....

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    Is This the Next Great Mobile Gaming Device?

    posted @ 1/09/2007 11:44:00 PM by evermore
    What would you think of a mobile gaming device with these specifications? It's only 0.46 inches thick. It has a speaker, a microphone and a camera. Held horizontally, its screen is 480 pixels wide, just like the PlayStation Portable, and 320 pixels tall, nearly 50 pixels taller than the PSP's 272 pixels. At 160 pixels per inch, its screen is the most dense of any standalone portable gaming device. It's got up to 8 GIGABYTES of RAM (compared to the PSP's 32 MEGABYTES). It's got touchscreen controls. It has 802.11 b and g Wi-Fi capabilities (PSP has only b) and Bluetooth built in.

    Oh yeah, it's also a mobile phone, an internet browser and an iPod.

    The iPhone, announced earlier today during Apple's MacWorld keynote speech, is a whole lotta things. Most people are going to buy it because it's an amazing mobile phone combined with an iPod. But there are a lot of reasons why it could become a force among gamers.

    First of all, its mere specifications make it better than any standalone mobile gaming system. Although the screen is not physically as large as the PSP (the iPhone's screen is only 3.5 inches, compared to 4.3 inches for the PSP), it meets the PSP in pixel width and exceeds the PSP in pixel height -- the PSP's pixels are simply larger and, as a result, coarser.

    The iPhone is half as thin (0.46 inches vs. the PSP's 0.9 inches) and half as heavy (135 grams vs. the PSP's 280 grams). Held horizontally, it is a third less in width (4.5 inches vs. PSP's 6.7 inches) and a half-inch less in height (2.4 inches vs. PSP's 2.9 inches).

    There's just one problem: no games.

    The gaming market for the Macintosh dried up when the computer's 10th operating system OS X arrived in 2000. But the iPhone is exactly the catalyst that could turn things around for gaming on the Mac.

    The iPhone shows great potential in this area. It has Google Maps and the Opera browser built in. It has "push" email, provided by Yahoo, which gives it email capabilities similar to that on a Blackberry. It is able to run Apple's Dashboard widgets, which should at least allow for simple games when it is available in June. Everything else is a big question mark: How much RAM is there? What is the graphics card? Is there stereo Bluetooth support? Will third-party Dashboard widgets work? Is there going to be a Software Development Kit to allow high-end game makers access to the device?

    Perhaps few people will even care. With the Nintendo DS and PSP slugging it out on the high end and LG, Samsung, Nokia and other cellphone makers battling each other in that arena, maybe no one will take a second look at gaming on an iPhone.

    But the sheer combination of all those different technologies sure is intriguing, isn't it?


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    HD DVD XB360 A BetaMax?

    posted @ 1/05/2007 04:05:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I didn't say it first though, the guys at MS did... in and interview with Ben Kuchera over at arsTechnica. I'm not kidding. After reading the piece that Mr. Kuchera did on the double sided interview with the MS goblins I gotta say, Kuchera's got balls.

    Personally, I think that making a 360 box with a built in HDMI port is a good idea. Such a good idea in fact that I think that they should have done it from the launch of the damn thing. What's going to happen when this new box hits the shelves and all of us fine folk who bought systems before they got their proper port allotment? Are we going to get a make good? Is this part of the reason why MS upped the warranty for the XB360? Am I going to get to call customer service and get my 360 "fixed" and be sent a replacement box? Huh, MS? You gonna hook a sistah up or what? I need to know.

    Jokes aside, it was nice to see that after another heads up comparison of the 360 and the PS3 what I've been saying for a while is turning out to be true: PS3 isn't going to blow anything out of the water just yet. Between the scaling issues, the games division losing something close to 1.4 billion [that's billion, with a "B"] that we may have not been off our nut when we said Sony might be in some trouble.

    I like being right. Damn it feels good to be a ninja!

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    2007's Most Wanted

    posted @ 1/02/2007 11:24:00 AM by Douceswild
    It’s a new year people! Resolutions have been made (and probably broken already). As far as the gaming industry is concerned, there will definitely be new and exciting things coming our way. What are you looking forward to the most?

    I’m sure a lot of people would name Halo 3 the most anticipated game of 2007. I’ve had mine reserved for the past month and will be standing outside of Gamestop if they have another midnight release. Even though I’m excited about that title, and can’t wait to put Master Chief back into the fight for mankind’s survival, it’s not at the top of my list.

    One of the games of 2007 that has me sitting at the edge of my seat is Mass Effect for the Xbox 360. It’s an action rpg from the developers of Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic, both of which are awesome games. In both "JE" and "KOTOR", as they’re called, a lot of the plot twists and the outcome of the game depend on the choices you make. Your decisions may also effect the way your party members feel about you and whether they choose to join you at all. The same concepts have been added into Mass Effect and amped up a bit. All of this plus unbelievable graphics is enough to make my mouth water.

    This year will undoubtedly bring new and exciting releases for all systems. What titles have you running to your local game store to place on reserve status? I’ll get the ball rolling since most of you are still probably recovering for your New Year’s celebration.

    (Some of the these titles are coming out on multiple systems but I’ve listed the system I plan on playing them on.)

    Mass Effect – Xbox 360
    Assassin’s Creed – Xbox 360
    World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade - PC
    Tabula Rasa – PC
    Halo 3 – Xbox 360
    Wii Play – Nintendo Wii
    Crackdown – Xbox 360
    Rogue Galaxy – PS2

    There’s plenty more but I’ll stop here because I have to go look for a second job to pay for the rest of the stuff that’s going to come out this year. I’ll turn the keyboard over to you. What’s your 2007’s Most Wanted?


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    Taste The Hate

    posted @ 12/31/2006 09:03:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    The blows keep coming for poor ol' Sony and their lackluster PS3. [Yes, I am part of the official "hatin' on PS3" club. So what?] First they get dealt a bitch slap by Time magazine, then the NY Times kicks it while it's down, Musgrove takes a leak on it, even PC World put it on their "Top Mistakes of 2006" list, and now even TheStreet.com can't come up with much positive to say about the decisions and actions Sony has taken concerning the PS3.

    Oh Sony. It sucks to be you.
    If you listen to our podcast on a regular basis you know that I've always had my doubt about the PS3 system. I thought that the machine was [1] too pricey for a gaming console [2] too bulky; after having a PSTWO that was soo sleek being forced into a console with a larger form factor than an XB360 kinda el-sucko and [3] had one of the worst PR campaigns I had ever seen for a console. How does one get excited about a PS3 after watching those eerie "Play Beyond" commercials? Seriously, I'd like to know. In any case, it doesn't surprise me that people are now returning PS3 that they slept overnight in sleeping bags in front of Best Buys to the stores because they can't make more than 100 bucks in profit selling the things on eBay. If you can't make twice your initial investment, might as well make your money back and call it a day. The fact that you can walk into a Best Buy, after Christmas and get a PS3 in your hot little hands even with Sony still in a manufacturing hole is not good news for Sony. Nintendo however is farting in their general direction, and in all honesty I couldn't be happier.

    Why you ask? Is it because I'm a Nintendo fangirl? No, not in reality. No, the reason I take solace in Nintendo being the projected winner in the holiday gaming battle royal is because we've been proven right. I've been saying since late June that the Wii was going to be the bad mamma jamma this holiday season because it's the casual gamer that console makers need to go after. Those are the "new dollars" when it comes to profit. Hardcore gamers aren't just going to stop gaming, but they are going to tend to stick to a particular franchise or game genre which will not add to your bottom line if you are a console maker. Halo freaks will by everything Halo you can throw out into the world... but how many Halo titles worth $60 can you make a year?

    So, this is my note to all the Sony fanboys and girls out there that slammed us for even speculating that the PS3 was going to suck not going to be the automatic slam dunk that Sony VP's and P's would have like us all to believe:

    NYAH, NYAH, NYAH-NYAAAHHHH NNNNNNNYYYYYAAAAH!

    Oh yeah, and much pwnage to all in the new year!

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    One Thing's For Sure About Half-Naked Girls

    posted @ 12/30/2006 01:28:00 AM by evermore
    One of 28 new Girls of the PS3
    (Also check out the 9 new Girls of the Wii)
    The jury is in about half-naked girls. They're good for a lot of things, but are they any good at selling PlayStation 3 consoles on eBay? After a great deal of research, we've got the answer for you.

    In a word: No. Half-naked girls suck at selling PS3 consoles. Stories abound on the web about people who had invested a great deal of time and money, shivering in long lines at Best Buy and being trampled in stampedes at Wal-Mart, only to discover that no one was willing to pay $2,000 or more for a $600 gaming system.

    Even pimping out their sisters or girlfriends or wives or MILFs didn't help. After all, gaming consoles weren't about Pr0n -- they were about playing video games. So most of those guys who had only dollar signs in their eyes trudged back to the Best Buys where they spent a long, cold, rainy week in mid-November and pleaded for their money back.

    Here's a tip for all of you who want to play the Futures market -- do it with gold and corn and pork bellies and oranges, like everyone else in the Financial District of New York. But if you buy a video gaming system, just open the sucker up, pull out all the stuff inside, hook it up to the Magnavox and have fun. Like God and Nolan Bushnell intended.


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    Naughty Or Nice?

    posted @ 12/25/2006 02:45:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Well, it's get er' schnit day folks, and I'd love to hear what you got in your stockings/under the tree.

    As y'all know, I was extremely naughty and got a Wii and PS3 from Santa. I haven't been all that impressed with the PS3 yet, but I have high hopes for the Wii. What was the best thing that you got, or happened to you this Xmas? So far for me, the best thing that happened was that I didn't get socks as a present. Rock. On. Once of the nice surprises was a copy of Trauma Center: Second Opinion on the Wii. I didn't get Project 8, but I do have a birthday coming up.

    From all of us here at ESH, I want to extend to all of you wonderful folk reading this post and those that listen to the podcast the warmest of wishes today. May your extra lives be bountiful, and may your AK never run out of ammo!


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    New Podcast Episode

    posted @ 12/25/2006 12:47:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    Ok, I'm going to make this quick because I have to get to bed... you know, Santa won't blow up my spot until I'm "asleep" and all. [I'm really hopin' that mofo will give a sistah what she's so desperately been needin'... a new 5.1 surround sound system from Logitech]

    So here's the new podcast episode.

    In this episode MagicMysticGrl talks about the importance and relevance of bloodtypes in anime and manga, Pandalicious shares His and Her Circumstances [Kare Kano] and NinJaSistah kicks the hour off with her final thoughts on the PS3. PS3 fanboys that think I'm a XB360 fangirl have your keyboards at the ready. Episode 32: It's In The Blood is my gift to you.

    Congrats to our Candy Bitches Mike Costa and Tooky!

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    "Pay" Beyond?

    posted @ 12/19/2006 11:48:00 PM by Douceswild
    Not too long ago, the Playstation 3 hit the shelves and homes of many around the world. Not long after, they were on Ebay selling for thousands of dollars. A little over a month later, are people still itching to “Pay Beyond”?

    It seems that people are actually dumping the PS3 on Ebay just to get rid of them. Some of the sellers are actually losing money on them. Call me crazy, but when a newly launched system is being dumped at a loss of profit, shouldn’t that be a cause for worry? It’s almost Christmas so you’d think the bidding wars for these systems would be vicious right about now. Could it be that people are realizing that the system is something they could do without, at least until there’s a bit more to do with and on it?

    I’m not hatin’ on those who were able to make a pretty penny off the system’s initial launch hype. More power to you! I’m just glad that people are starting to wise up and let Sony know that if you’re going to sell a system for that much money then you had BETTER come with something stronger than games I can play on a cheaper system, a wireless controller, and creepy commercials telling me to "Play Beyond". Come on Sony. Make me want to go in a store and buy your system, because at this rate, I’ll be able to get a cheaper one on Ebay with some included accessories and games.


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    I Wanna Go Fast!

    posted @ 12/16/2006 12:45:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Are you a couch speed freak? I am, so getting a copy of Bandai Namco's Ridge Racer 7 [I'm still not used to that "Bandai-Namco stuff] gave me the giggles. I've been looking forward to RR7 since RR6. RR7 is yet another in the long line of RR titles. If you are hoping for some great leap forward in racing game dynamics, this isn't the game for you you. But if you desire a racing game that's easy to jump into and plain ol' fun, RR7 just might be what the doctor ordered.

    RR7 certainly ignores the real-world physics that other racing games have implemented of late. [i.e. Project Gotham Racing 3] RR7 puts the focus on fast-paced trick driving rather than "bash em up" destructive driving like that in the Burnout games. There are no explosions, no "ejection" of drivers through the windshield, just tricking out your vehicle in order to speed around courses in said tricked out vehicle.

    In this game, you spend your time perfecting the art of drifting. [That's the gliding around corners thing made mainstream by that dumb Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie] To pull off a drift is easy: release the gas and steer in the direction of the turn you are entering. No big whopp right? Well, thing is as you get further into the game you'll need to be a master of the drift because that's what you'll be doing most of the track if you want to place in the top of the pack. Yes, you will need to drift through series after series of sharp turns pushing your speed past 200 mph with the rest of the pack of cars sailing by you. Waving at you rather mockingly. Ok, the waving part is in my head... but you get the idea: Either learn to drift, or lose.

    Even with that heathen pack of drivers on the track with you, in RR7 you are mostly in a battle with the clock and the course ahead of you. Smacking into other cars affects your speed, or fucks up your drift. Slamming into walls signals your doom... actually it means you would be better off to restart the race because there ain't no way in hell you will place on the leader board.

    Don't let me forget the NOS. NOS [nitrous oxide] makes up half of the RR7 winning cocktail mix. NOS + Successful driving = You are the winnah! NOS works the same way it did in RR6 on the XB360. You get three NOS tanks, each of which fills up while drifting. You can trigger each gauge manually, so there's no hitting it and empting all of it at once. The better you drift, the faster your NOS gauges will fill up. The longer/better the drift the more NOS you gain. NOS: It helps you smoke the other kids... in the good way.

    As far as what different modes of play the game has, RR7 has a few. There is an arcade mode which lets you get in a car, get on a track, and commense to going fast in either single play or multi-play action. Multi-play lets two players compete via verticle split screen. Then there is the "Ridge State Grand Prix" mode. It's the main piece of the game and where you'll spend most of your time trying to become the new king of the track. Before you can get started in this mode though, you need to create a relationship with a manufacture by competing in a manufacturer's trial in order to get a manufacturer to 'sponsor' you and let you drive their cars. You earn money and fame points by competing in [and winning] various single events and grand prix races. You can also get tight with certain manufacturers and suppliers by using their parts in races for which you will earn manufacturer points. This helps you get better equipment for your ride. RR7 also has UFRA single events. These provide specific challenges, such as time trials or races with specific conditions for winning, and provide drivers with credits to buy parts.

    One thing that is new to RR7 is a car customization thing you can get into. It's called the machine connector, and you can purchase or modify vehicles through it. The game offers up a bunch of options, [most of which I have no idea what they really do for the performance of the vehicle] but you can do engine tune-ups [which I know is a good thing for your car], NOS upgrades and plug-in units. You can also tweak how hot your vehicle looks from the outside as well via new spoilers, wheels, decals and paint options. Each category has enough crap to keep you busy for a long, long, long, long time.

    I haven't played with the online part yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I hear there is a co-op mode available, that i'd like to try.

    All in all, I'm going to have to give RR7 a 3 out of 5. It's solid, it's fun, and it's fast. It's not ultra realistic, but that's why I like it.

    Holla at a NinJa on PS3: my UID is NinJaSistah. Surprise, Surprise!

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    Last Chance To Be A Hero

    posted @ 12/14/2006 11:12:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    USA Today says that this weekend is going to be the last weekend that you might have a shot at getting your mitts on a PS3 or Wii... so get your camping gear out now people.

    Basically the low down is that it is suspected that December 17th will be the last Wii/PS3 shipments that retailers will receive before Christmas. So if you don't get your console by this weekend, you are most likely getting a gift card for EB Games instead for Christmas from Mom & Dad.

    I say, get you a thermos full of Blue Goose, [that's hpnotiq, grey goose, and pineapple juice... if you are 21 yrs old or better of course]whew! a tent, and some chinese delivery and stake out your local Circuit City or Target this weekend. You're kids will love you more if you do. And you know that you want your kid to not only love you, but think you are cool.

    Me, I already got mines!

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    My Dinner With PS3

    posted @ 12/13/2006 10:51:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Day one with the brand spankin' new PS3 is about done and I have a few things that warrant mentioning.

    Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover the first 40 minutes that I spent with my new PS3. First I couldn't get the machine to connect to the internet. It was only getting a partial internet connection and allowing the system update to run that I was able to get on the internet... well I was able to get to the screen where I setup my UID for the Playstation Store. While [for the most part] I think the implementation of the XMB [Xross Media Bar, great name Sony] I find that using the PSP multitap text input buttons from the PSP XMB is a huge mistake. It takes forever to get your text in using this method. I understand why you would want to use the multitap for the PSP as you have limited screen space on that device, but the PS3 is going to be hooked up to a TV screen most of it's life... using an on screen keyboard wouldn't have killed them. It can't be hard to do, Microsoft did it.

    But, I did finally get my account setup [NinJaSistah is a PITA to enter as a UID on multitap btw] so it was game time right? Not exactly. I still had to do some tweaking to the system before it was ready for prime time, but I have to say I wasn't impressed. The avatars are kinda pathetic looking eventhough they are from existing games. [Much like those in XBLive] and even on my beautiful 42 inch TV, what I was looking at wasn't all that impressive. This open box experience didn't offer me anything I hadn't seen before. The only thing at this point that I found interesting was that the user guide has a section devoted to explaining how to install a new hard drive. So bigger, badder 2.5inch SATA drive we come. I'm thinking 250GB oughtta do it.

    After that uplifting moment, I settled in to getting my game on. I grab Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom because it's a hack n' slash and I need some button mashing fun. The game is boring for the most part [in the beginning] but it's easy to use and grows on ya. I'm now comboing my way to game euphoria and I feel much better... except something keeps nagging at me. It takes me a while to put my finger on it, but I finally figure it out, it's the new controller. Without the rumble stuff and cable, the thing is so light it's as if there's no there there. It takes some getting used to, but I do like it. I feel better about possibly flinging this thing around as it could hardly do any damage unlike some of those deadly flying Wiimotes. Having the L2 and R2 buttons dangle off the bottom makes me a little leary of using them for fear of breaking them, but I got over it. I have to say that I prefer this controller to the previous batwing style. There is already so much to get used to with the new setup that a new controller probably would have been too much.

    I'm going to hold off final judgement on the system until next week because I'm picking up HDMI cables this weekend and it would only be fair to complete the review with this pupple hooked up using the "ultimate" cable connection. But if I had to rate the thing now, it would be about a 3 out of 5.

    Be on the look out for my piece next week when I hook up the HDMI and commense to BlueRay watchin.

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    Near Excitement

    posted @ 12/12/2006 11:14:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    I'm writing this post knowing full well that the UPS dude is going to be Santa today by delivering to me a brand spankin' new PS3, so I should be terribly excited. When my Wii was on it's way to me I could hardly contain myself. [Just ask any of the 3 billion people I gave the countdown to Wii-livery on a daily basis.] But I don't have that same enthusiasm with my pending PS3 ownership, and I'm baffled by that.

    I should be running up and down the street telling everyone and anyone who will listen that this supposed beast of a machine is going to be in my hands. I am going to be one of the chosen few with a PS3 and games in my grubby lil paws before Christmas... SIXAXIS is mine! And yet, here I am, just kinda ho hum about the whole thing. I think it's because there isn't anything available on the PS3 [aside from Resistance: Fall of Man that I can't play on any other system including the PS2. For me, there is no killer app on the PS3. All of the games that I am excited about seeing/playing/trying aren't available for the system yet, and now some of those are going to be available on the XB360 as well, so again no "draw" for me as a gamer to be all psyched about this new console. Even the motion sensor thing isn't much of a draw at this point because I've had that type of experience already on the Wii and I love it. So if I [an admitted former Sony fangirl] isn't tripping over myself to be meet the UPS man at the door, who is?

    Just a question I've been bouncing around my head all morning before I head out for the movie theater. I'll catch y'all later after I actually get my system and see if I have a better answer for my own question. If you have any thoughts, share em, I'm curious about what you guys are thinking on the subject.


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    Bringing Back More Than Just Sexy

    posted @ 12/06/2006 05:50:00 PM by Douceswild
    All of you old school G4 TechTv fans may remember the days when that channel was actually worth watching because you’d learn something new on a daily basis. There were shows that taught you about technology and informed you of new and upcoming games hosted by people WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED THE GAMES and were at least FAMILIAR with what they were reading on the teleprompter. What does this little trip down memory lane mean for you? You guessed it. It's time for another one of Douce's Jewels.

    Among the many knowledgeable hosts was one of my favorites, Laura Foy, who co-hosted a show call G4tv.com. They talked about games and technology and gave their input on what was worth your time and what wasn’t. The show was cancelled last year and Laura disappeared from the station. Since then, she has gone on to do other things like hosting an internet radio show and, well, music. You won’t find her being exploited on MTV. I’ve saved that pleasure for this very moment.

    With all of the hype over the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii launch, many have forgotten about the initial next-gen console, Xbox 360. Laura Foy has taken it upon herself to remind gamers of which system is the best buy as of right now and what better way is there to draw people together and get a powerful message out to the masses than with the power of song?

    I bring to you the latest installment to my internet jewel collection which I’m calling Hey DJ, Bring That Back.



    Enjoy!


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    Animal Crossing : Wild World for Nintendo DS

    posted @ 12/04/2006 08:08:00 PM by geekwoman
    Animal Crossing : Wild World for Nintendo DS by Geek Woman

    Animal Crossing for the Nintendo DS is like a tiny milling MMO of ity bity people. There is a large "E" friendly community surrounding it. In addition to being able to connect and play with other DS owners while in the same physical location, the easy to use wifi capability can connect you with other players world wide.

    It is an ingenious game in several aspects. The security for keeping identities secret seems to work and it is fairly easy to screen and block out unwanted parties. The exchange of a Friend Code has to be given someplace out side of the DS. It has to be someone that you physically know or meet through numerous Friend Code listing message boards. Once there though how would someone know if they were communicating with a an adult or a kid? They do require a verifiable email address to register at most forums. But that isn't much protection, so wifi chat should be supervised. Also many McDonald's restaurants and other hotspots permit people to play together wirelessly on the DS.

    The game has an understandably "E" rating. However it should be specified someplace that a person does need to be able to read fairly well in order to be able to play the game. Maybe at some point in the future suggestions about the age a kid who would enjoy a game could be made on the packaging. Like "for children 5 and up".

    Game-play
    You would think that game that consists of farming a fruit orchard, fishing and collecting fossils would be relaxing. Not for me. I became obsessed with paying the huge, escalating and continuous morgage(s). Oh no! This is like a nightmare. I suppose it is to teach kids responsibilities but it made me frantic. I picked oranges and gathered shells. I learned how to perfect my fishing skills pretty quickly. In the first day I got it paid off. I thought I would be relieved then. But it was not to be. Tom Nook the owner of the only store in town, extorted me for another mortgage to build me a bigger house, even after I told him I didn't want it. This reminds me of an episode of the Xfiles... At least I could pick a lilac roof. Now I have an even more huge debt! If you do chores for townspeople, dig up some treasure, and discover some of the other secrets hidden in the game you earn lots of gold. There are many little side ‘missions’ in AC:WW.

    I consoled myself with fishing. I caught several kinds. Notably I got a Koi and an Octopus. When I returned to the store the next morning they were closed. I am worried that my fish might spoil. I read online that I can time travel and set the time back on the clock to sell the fish. Then I have to reset the clock back to the correct present time so that I don't screw up the game. Heaven forbid that if after you turn the DS on - that you change your mind. A creature pops up and bitches you out with over 30 screens of a harangue about how important it is to save the game before you shut it off. Typing in "Shut up" or other epithets don't help any. I would love to know how to get that dubious feature to quit.

    I was penalized for my trips back to the past by loosing trees. Several of my flower plants also looked as if they had been plant - napped by a neighbor and put in her garden. When I switched my clock to February 14th there was snow on the ground and my plants in that time weren't too happy about this.

    Fishing is a tricky but fun pass time. The ocean wave sound effect is almost convincing with ear buds. This is a typical RPG. You build stuff, customize things, plant gardens and weed around the town. But the map is tiny. It suffers for only having one little town area to be in - unless you visit other peoples towns to trade items online. Compared to Pokémon which has many of these tiny towns all on one GBA cartridge this game has only one small one. The moon phases and weather are correct for my area. But this game goes in too many directions and is lacking fundamental basics. If space mattered then some of the odd customization features could have been skipped. Making constellations, or designing umbrellas could have been done without for example - to make the individual single person game experience larger.

    Customization gives you the option to decide what you want the interior of your house to look like, along with your clothes, hairstyle, outdoors, museum, constellations, and music playing in your house. Compared to the GameCube version of AC, there are more items and more to do in the new DS version. Online, you can buy items from people. That makes it easier to complete sets you’ve been trying to collect.

    To make me even more paranoid the game is still playing even though I am not. For example, if you don’t play the game for a month, your town will have weeds throughout. The weird townspeople will forget who you are, and sometimes move out. There isn’t a big reason beyond obsession to continue playing the game after a few days or so. You would have to pick all the weeds, and talk to everyone in your town again which isn't very interesting. I got crestfallen seeing that my trees and plants died. You can only plant one tree per day so many of my fruit trees died. I am glad I don't have as bad luck with gardening in real life. That would be sad. There’s not much motivating you to play this game in the first place, and the punishing mortgages aren't enough incentive to make you continue playing it. There is a thin line between realistic and engaging and reality check and stressing. AA : WW is more like a sim than a game.

    Sound and Music
    The background music changes every hour all of the tunes sound boopey and empty. The animals don't talk, they make odd little noises which you can thankfully shut off. It has a rudimentary sound program in it so you can make your own Town song and online you can use that to play songs that people have worked out and posted the tablature for. Also in the coffee shop in the Museum you can watch a coffee bar act and listen to several unlockable songs there if you are into music on the Nintendo there is plenty of it to be found in this game.

    Multiplayer
    When it comes to networking and people skills the DS is way ahead of the Sony PSP on this so far. Though Microsoft also intends to push Nintendo's hardware out of people's hands, they will be hard pressed to compete with the feel good, goody - good Nintendo. Again another one, a community that springs up like magical mushroom fairy rings around games like this one. There is something about Nintendo characters that make people rabid, and this is one of them.

    The game is addictive without being entirely fun. It is an amusing way to kill time. And it will kill lots of time on you in between battery charges. Collecting items can make you crazy. There are several aspects of this game that are vast and endless. Though somehow filling all that empty space sometimes feels daunting rather than exciting. It is all about the grind without really getting anyplace. Skills like fishing have an endcap on them. There is a finite number of kinds of fish that you can catch.

    Conclusion
    It is a step forward in technology and it plays very stable. It is a solid game and from what I understand kids really like it. There are a number of women playing it. It could be considered a chick game because of the heavy elements of clothing and interior design and the lack of violence. The characters are those cute little badly rendered icons that seem to charm people so much. Not much to complain about here I give it a 4 out of 5


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    Soul Calibur 3

    posted @ 12/04/2006 07:42:00 PM by geekwoman
    Soul Calibur 3 Review by Geek Woman

    Soul Calibur 3 is a fighting game that is an exclusive on the PS2. That was a big disappointment for many people. On the whole it is a truly great fighter. There are some problems with it, as there are with any game. It is a quality offering considering that we are in the twilight days of the reign of the PS2.

    Games that are vast and that have achieved a level of praise from gamers on previous installments, have a rough time of it when something like a third sequel is finally rolled out. That can go several ways. The game could just be terrible for many reasons. Sometimes a sequel isn't finished, and it doesn't have the depth that early versions of game had when the developers were trying to curry favor. This is not the case with SC3. It is almost too vast this time. It falls into that trap of trying to be the "everything for everybody" game. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it means they are trying to give you more stuff for your money. The good intentions don't always translate well. The addition of a real time strategy (RTS) game into the mix largely failed.

    Not all game play modes are available from the start of the game. Many of the characters move lists have been changed which apparently has p'oed the hardcore fans to no end. Why would the developers of a much loved franchise do something like switch up the moves? It would seem that since the game is exclusively for PS2, that it was directed mainly at an existing fan base. Why mess with them?

    OK counter to most reviews that you read which tell you the good stuff first, we've gotten the only two bad points about this game out of the way. First of all there is tons of content. Some of it is lousy granted, but still you won't run out of things to do. There are several new characters. Three of them are introduced right off. Access to the other new characters is gradual. There is new game-play, and the new modes too. If you have played Soul Calibur before you won't really be disappointed. If you haven't played any Soul Calibur games yet, get it or rent it.

    Soul Calibur 3 has some of the most fun and interesting female characters in gaming today. Each one has a complete move-list. They have a selection of weapons that upgrade. You can buy more weapons, and armor. There are several costumes for each avatar.

    Best of all is the character creation feature. You can design an avatar that suits you perfectly. There are endless combinations of clothing, armor and accessories. You chose a profession, appearance and even the voice of your character. That seems to be the most fair way to settle the issue with nudity in avatars. If you want to wear "barbarian underwear" to fight in - you can. If you want to cover up - you can. There are hoods and headscarves, your character could be clothed from head to toe and layers of armor can be piled on. The character creation capability gives a range of options that not only enhance the looks of your character, but it adds a new component to the game. You get to create your own ultimate fighter.

    Game-play
    There are about 18 different modes in the game. If you want to be hardcore and get all the unlockables, you would have to beat all of the modes to get absolutely everything. There are many surprising features in this game. Bottom line is it is the best 2 person fighting game out there. Still in all, you can win with button mashing. It's a fighter plain and simple, in spite of all the fancy window dressing. The AI is pretty predictable which can be good or bad depending on how you like to play. They seem to try to push your character into a wall or a corner. If you like a big challenge it is there. If you like to take it easy and see the whole game, you can do that too. Like many games, I can analyze what the game "punishes" you for. If you don't get the opening move right, it is likely that you will loose. If you turn your back to your enemy, or if your attacks fall short you loose. The timid are not rewarded in gaming.

    There are around 30 characters to play with in the game as well as a strange random character generator which is fun. Two of the new characters are female. Tira, is a girl fighter who uses a razor sharp hoola hoop as a weapon. Setsuka is a Japanese geisha with a parasol and a sword. Someone must be hearing us. The fighting engine was revamped and improved. The weird Chronicles of the Sword mode enables you to take your new custom players onto a map, where you need to occupy enemy forts by beating them in battles. That was done better in SC2. The Arcade mode is called "Quick Play". The Tournament mode puts you in fictional competition. What is that about? There is no online play for this game which is a terrible shame. I have to say that SC3 beat the pants of Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks - which I was looking forward to more, but MK Deception has online mulitiplayer.

    Graphics
    The environments in this game are stunning. There are gorgeous landscapes. Marvelous temples, over flowing water falls and Ivy's over decorated mansion. The camera pans quickly over pink hued clouds in the background, water effects shimmer with some of best eye candy you can see. For a fighting game SC3 has the best looks going. And I am including DOA when I say it is the best looking fighter out there. There is no lack of colors. It is bright, bold and conspicuous.

    Sound
    The sound is a disappointment. There could have been better music for this game. I would have saved the space on the disk that was wasted on the RTS mode for better music. The voice acting is still very poor, and amusing because of it. The voices and the sound effects have not changed or been upgraded. While other games are integrating song lists and even iPod interfaces into games, SC3's lack there of is a letdown. I guess the developers missed the bit that Morgan Webb did on Xplay where they dubbed the weird grunts and groans from SC2 into suggestive parody skits.

    Despite the superfluous extra features the game still is the top of the line fighter for PS2 beating out Tekken 4 with style. Soul Calibur 3 has a lot to offer girl games that like to kick butt. They built this one for us. (Yeah, I know they built it for guys that like to play with sexy female avatars.) I give Soul Calibur 3 a 4.5

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    Game Hardware Shopper

    posted @ 12/03/2006 11:43:00 PM by geekwoman
    Holiday Hardware Guide by Geek Woman

    If you are looking for some shopping advice on game hardware for the female, or male, gamer on your list then hopefully this article will help you understand it all. The location that is preferred for a game environment is an important choice to be aware of if you are shopping for games and accessories for your gamer. Games come in three basic types which are the PC, Console or Handheld. I'm going to try and give you the keys to the kingdom of the consoles.

    First of all "What is a game console?" These are a box like machine that you attach to a TV set. Games are played with a controller that is held in the hands and effects the action on the screen. These have indeed been around since Pong and Pac Man, and if that is where you left the game trail, then you might be glad to know that those old school or retro games are still offered, in game packs and collections. Sometimes they have been updated and upgraded. If you want to pick up something like that for a gift you need to know the brand name and the model of the console or game device that your gamer has. Write it down and take it with you when you go shopping.

    Some people opt for playing games on their PC rather than on the television. It seems that older people and women are the dominant demographic that enjoy using the PC for gaming. PC game - play are very popular for playing the massively multiplayer online games or MMOG's. Games such as World of Warcraft or Guild Wars are played on a PC with a keyboard and mouse. These games enable the player to interact with thousands of other players. Some of them also include the ability to talk to the other people while you are playing with them. Thought those features have been developing more slowly on PC. If your friend is playing an MMO there aren't many additional accessories for those. If they are a Guild Wars Player they may not have the new chapter called Nightfall which is a great game to add to the original Guild Wars or to buy it as a stand alone game. There are the Limited Edition Keyboards that are available for the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing) games that are good looking and work well which are sold by a company called Zboard. Zboards

    Perhaps the best way to determine what console to buy is to go by the age of the person who will be playing it. Right now there are three "next gen" consoles. Last year in November Microsoft upgraded their hardware and it is called the Xbox 360. It has mid - range graphics. There are over 100 games available for it at this time. The games are mainly of the first person shooter type or FPS and sports games. If you have heard of Halo 2 and Gears of War, or Oblivion those are titles for the Xbox 360. These games are for a mature crowd. The action is fast paced and bloody. Often the most popular games for the "360" carry a "T" for Teen or an "M" for Mature rating. Those ESRB ratings mean that Teens of 17 and 18 years old and above are the recommended age limit. These ratings can mean that there could be language or behaviors that some people would consider too crude for younger kids. It is no joke either. If you have a mix of older and younger kids in the house, the choice of games is crucial and requires your attention as much as monitoring what movies on DVD or cable that your younger kids could get into.

    With Xbox the online aspect is called Xbox Live. A paid subscription is required for this additional service. With the online feature more games and demos are available to download directly into the console. The console can be bought with one of a few choices of hard drive size for saving downloadable games and other functions. Xbox Live gives players access to playing with many other players at the same time. It isn't 'massively' multiplayer as it is with with PC. Although large groups of strangers can interact with each other in an open ended party - line conversation. There are over 4 million users on Xbox Live. Xbox Live has something of a reputation for "Trash -Talking" which in short, means that a player that is wearing the headphones is opening themselves up to the possibility of hearing unkind and curse word laced tirades about the flaws in their game from other players. There is no one monitoring these conversations and there is no one censoring what the others could be saying. Because of this tendency, I would not recommend the Xbox 360 for little girls or young women under 18.

    Costs for the annual subscription is approximately $50 US, its called Xbox Live Gold which includes voice chat, and Xbox Marketplace for gamers to buy and sell content. Sometimes original games, and old school arcade titles are downloadable. Xbox 360 works on HD TVs. They claim to have 250 old Xbox or "original Xbox" games that will play on the new console. Be careful to look up a list online for games that are called "backwards compatible" prior to inserting an old Xbox game into the Xbox 360. The digital media that it plays are DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD.

    Microsoft has two variations of Xbox 360 available for sale. One has the Xbox 360 faceplate, and a Silver Xbox Live package, $300 known as a core package, that comes with one wired controller, standard A/V cable, and the console. The Gold package is required to actually play online games. There is a $400 system with a 20 GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Remote Controller, High Definition TV component cables, Xbox 360 headset and a wireless controller.

    Next the Playstation 3 was released last week the manufacturer's suggested retail price is between $600 and $700 dollars US. It has been in the news and has gotten some bad press. Most of the incidents involved mismanagement of the long lines of people who were camping out to be able to get the very low quantity of these premium machines that were produced. One Massachusetts man was shot in a hold up of a line of customers waiting outside a store in Putnam Connecticut. The gunmen were attempting a hold up when this man refused to pay them. Because Sony was not able to make enough of these complicated advanced machines to fulfill the demands for them, it created chaos in several ways.

    In the past Playstation 2 has been the most popular gaming console in the US with the most millions sold. Perhaps Sony should have waited to launch the sale until they had more of them ready. The PS3 Platform plays a few more accessories peripherals than the 360. It also boasts to be the most graphically advanced system. The new Blu-Ray Disc™ is a type of High Definition disk for playing movies that is supposed to be the future of disk published media. The way that DVD's replaced VHS a few years ago. The PS3 has what is called a SIXAXIS™ wireless controller that interacts with the screen in a close to 3D experience. You can use your Playstation 3 with High-Definition displays as well as conventional or standard TVs. It comes with either a 20GB or 60GB removable hard disk drive (HDD). The thousands of PS One® and PS2 PlayStation®2 games as well as CDs and DVDs are useable on the PLAYSTATION®3. The thing supposedly plays just about everything including some digital photo cards.

    The PS3 has online capabilities including multiplayer gaming, text and video messaging, voice chat, downloading content and browsing the web. Even though the PS3 has impressive technical specifications, you may not be able to get one for the December holidays. It could be a moot point until sometime next Spring. There are over inflated PS3 prices on ebay, and buying those is not only exorbitantly expensive, but could be risky as well.

    The PLAYSTATION®3 is available in two configurations with either the 20GB hard disk drive or the 60GB HDD. Some PlayStation 2 or PlayStation format software titles may perform differently on the system than they do on the native systems for example the PS3 doesn't support a vibration controller.

    Then last Sunday the offering of the first Nintendo Wii consoles' launch was a 1960's "Love In" where the people in lines waiting were exchanging free hugs, ordering lunch for each other and playing games together. Something can be said about the two different types of people that were attending these launch parties. For the most part the Nintendo Wii draws a younger crowd and is most popular with younger kids and people that enjoy Nintendo's cute and quirky games.

    There are approximately 50 games for the Wii, and we are told that there will be enough of the consoles to go around. Nintendo and developers seem to be in a rush to create new games for this innovative new product. Nintendo wanted to bring gaming to everyone, and has many titles that are rated for all ages and for kids. They went one more step and made a controller that is supposed to be easier to pick up and play since it is designed to resemble a television remote controller. You play with two hands and the actions resemble the actual movements of slashing a sword or driving. The remote is used as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions . The controller set called the "nun-chucks and wii-mote" interact with a sensor strip that you placer near your TV for a realistic complete 3D experience. A one-handed controller that uses a combination of accelerometers and infrared detection in conjunction with the sensor bar to sense its position in 3D space. Some people have found the workout to be a bit strenuous

    The Nintendo Wii is not all things to all people the way that the other two consoles are attempting to be an all around media hub that takes the place of all the other components in your home entertainment center. What the Wii does do is add another level of fun and mirthfulness back into games. The unique controller has been a big hit so far and has gotten high marks from every reviewer. It is rare for something so gimmicky and unusual to get such a unanimous welcome from the jaded and snarky gaming community. People that have the 360 are getting the Wii too because it is like the apples and oranges in the PC world yet again.

    The Wii is an ideal choice for a household with older and younger kids, seniors, and for the homes that do not have a High Definition TV set. Those aren't interested in the more mature titles, and those chat capabilities that are for adults or older kids can have a fairly safe online experience with the privacy and Friend policies from Nintendo. The console also features its own online service WiiConnect24 , which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet. The Wii console won the Game Critics Awards for Best of Show and Best Hardware. The console has a few kid safety features such as parental controls to prohibit younger kids from playing the wrong games. It reads the content rating and won't play games that are not set to the right age level.

    The number of Wii consoles that will be available in the Americas during the launch rollout are expected to meet demand and sales of 4 million consoles worldwide by the end of 2006 are anticipated. The company affirmed that they "are working to ensure a plentiful supply and a consistent flow."

    The launch Wii package includes the console, a stand to allow the console to be placed vertically, a circular clear stabilizer for the main stand, one Wii Remote, one Nunchuk attachment, one Sensor Bar, a removable stand for the sensor bar, one external main power adapter, AV cables (component video and other type of cables will be available separately), and a copy of Wii Sports in the US and Canada. The Wii console is the smallest home console unit of the three contenders and the least expensive at $250. US. The front of the console features a slot-loading media drive lit up by a by distinct blue light and it accepts both Wii software and discs from Nintendo's prior console, the Game-Cube. They are telling us that it is fully backwards compatible with all the Previous Game Cube games.

    Additionally the interface for the console is designed around the concept of television channels, with a Wii Menu. Nintendo will not charge fees for playing games from the service. Channels are graphically displayed, and are navigated using the point of the Wii Remote. They are the Disc Channel, Mii Channel, News Channel, Forecast Channel, Photo Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Internet Channel. The Virtual Console Channel is basically an “online service, similar to Xbox Live Arcade. The Nintendo DS will be able to play game demos downloaded from the Wii console which gamers would receive from Nintendo, similar to a DS Download Station. Gamers can download retro games not only for the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64, but also Sega’s Genesis, NEC’s TurboGrafx-16 and others. The Wii has average graphics and only a 512 MB built-in flash memory, expansion is available via SD card memory, up to 2 GB max. It will take Game-Cube Memory Cards for saving GCN games only.

    In addition to the larger game consoles or PC games that you find at home, mobile games have become very popular. The Nintendo DS is a hand held, rechargeable dual screen portable game system. It comes in a variety of colors and it is pocket sized. It is the most popular handheld game console, which easily buried the competition, which were the Sony PSP and the N-Gage. it has continued to hold the record for the most units sold just as the Game Boy has for years. It comes in two sizes. The original unit that made its debut last year, is referred to as the 'NDS' and it can play both the library of Game Boy Advance games as well as games for the DS. The DS Lite is a smaller sleeker version of the same DS machine, but it smaller and does not have the additional slot for the GBA games. You can find several reviews and editorials about the DS right on this website. Nintendo DS and the Wii are expected to have a type of connectivity to use functions like the Nintendo DS's microphone and touch-screen as inputs for Wii games like Pokémon Battle Revolution. It is expected that all of Nintendo's huge repertoire of well known game franchises, such as Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon will come to the Wii in some form.

    For very tiny kids and toddlers Leapster has the education interactive toys for under $100 Leapster

    For an easy comparison chart you can check out Gamefly. They have a chart showing the three consoles. The Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3. Renting games or giving a Gamefly subscription is a good gift idea.

    For a stocking stuffer I recommend Geek Woman's Game Guide 2006


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    Intelligence Is Sexy, Knowledge Is Power

    posted @ 11/30/2006 10:04:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Sorry for the lack of posting folks, I've been under the weather lately... but I've crawled out of my sweatsuit [used to induce a fever-annihilating cold sweat] in order to get back to producing stuff for you, my dear friends.

    The last thing I will say about being a sick ninja is that no one around me is safe. Shurikens no longer fly straight when your fever crests 102°.

    Now on to the story.
    Bopping around the net as I usually do, I came across this story about an interview done by N'Gai Croal with Larry Probst the CEO of EA. Croal was talking PS3 and XB360 development efforts or focus versus those for the Wii by EA given the supply/demand issues for the PS3 and the, well, lack of demand for the XB360.

    Mr. Probst, immediately after the first question is asked attempts to stop Croal dead in his tracks, sounding as though Croal has said or asked something completely incredulous. Personally, I thought the lead off question was great. Croal simply asked,
    "Here's my first question. PS3 is supply constrained and will likely remain so until early 2008. 360 demand is..."
    to which Larry replied,
    "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Early 2008?"
    . Croal then goes on to explain his reasoning behind the question. Don't you just hate it when the person interviewing you has done their homework and knows the topic well?

    Go ahead, read all of parts 1, 2, and 3 of the interview. It's a great piece to read as Croal asks a lot of great questions... like the Microtransaction-to-death policy EA seems to be adopting. Read on and learn people. Learning is power, and they don't want you to have power. They want you be docile and complacent consumers. Ya know what I mean?

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    Wiimarkable!

    posted @ 11/27/2006 02:51:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Finally got my shiny, oh-so-tiny, brand spankin'' new Nintendo Wii in this weekend y'all! First of all I have to say that it's [at least for me] more fun than I thought it would be.

    No lie. No exaggeration. I swear to Bob that you would have to be completely against having fun while playing games to hate the Wii.

    I know I have been talking about the Wii for months now with gleeful anticipation, and now that I finally have one I can compare my own personal hype to the Wiiality. [I couldn't help myself on the pun, please forgive me.]

    The motion sensor is really interesting. I have been playing Wii Sports nearly non-stop since plugging the console into power and it's awfully addictive. I must preface the rest of my review with this statement: learning to accurately use the Wiimote will take time. For me it took a couple of hours to crest the learning curve. Going into the system settings and playing with the sensitivity is a huge help. While many people may think that Wii Sports is an easy or simplistic game, it is and it isn't. Each of the individual game concepts is simple [hit the ball, or hit your opponent] but using the Wiimote to control or function in the game can be complex. The bowling game is more about finesse than speed or strength. I can't tell you how many times I dropped my bowling ball behind me in the game before I got the swing of things. Within the golf game, even more concentration and delicate use of the Wiimote is required to not bogey a hole. I completely suck at golf, but what surprises me is how fun and enjoyable each of these games are.

    Playing a game on the Wii is just such a new experience that it's hard to not find some aspect of gameplay that's not just cool. Wiggle the Wiimote while playing the Baseball game, and your bat in the game wiggles in real time. Physically throw and uppercut in the boxing game and your character on screen does the exact same thing. It's neat as hell!

    Now, I have several other games that I need to play [which include Red Steel and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess] but I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Wii. I thought it would be fun, but I didn't expect the system to be as responsive, to honestly grab my attention and hold it from the moment I power it on until I actually have to shut it off.

    Now, I have to wait to get my hands on a PS3 in order to share my first hand experiences on it with y'all. Any Wiiople out there that want to share their first impressions on the system, feel free to comment.


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    New Podcast Episode Is Go!

    posted @ 11/27/2006 01:04:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    Once again, we have a new podcast episode for you... this time it's number 28.

    This week the ESH gals focus in on a theme of angst... in anime, manga, and video games. Angst in anime, manga, and video games... imagine that? From the bad depiction of angst in the anime series Marmalade Boy to MagicMysticGrl's recount of angst in .Hack//G.U. and then finally NinJaSistah's take on the PS3 & Wii ebay shenanigans, the girls really cover the spread on this topic.

    Yeah, I said it. You enjoy it, right now.

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    My Jewels Are Your Jewels

    posted @ 11/26/2006 11:38:00 AM by Douceswild
    Every now and then, while surfing the intertubes, I’ll come across pictures and videos that are either so fascinating or incredibly stupid that I feel the need to share them with someone…anyone. These are priceless tid-bits, jewels if you will, that capture people at their best or worst and events that’ll probably make you say “WTF”. Well, I think it’s time that I bared my jewels for all to see.

    If you’ve been curious as to what the Douce keeps tucked away for only those who deserve it, then look no further. Whenever I come across something that’s just “OMGLMAO-ish”, you’ll find it here in a segment I’m calling…wait for it…wait for it…”DOUCE’S JEWELS” (BLING). That’s right. I went there and so will you because nothing brings on a more satisfying laugh than taking a peek at my jewels☺

    Seeing as how for the past few weeks, people have been going crazy over the Playstation 3 and we’ve been keeping you up to date on some of the nonsense and mishaps that ensued, it seemed only right that my first jewel be something in the spirit of the console madness. How much would you be willing to pay for a PS3 on Ebay? Would you drop $1000 or maybe $2000 if the seller threw in some games? Here’s a better question for you. How much would you sell one for on Ebay if you had the chance? Well, take a look at how much this unlucky artard sold his 60gig PS3, two games, and an extra controller for. It seems like someone was just a LITTLE too anxious to make a profit and forgot to set a reserved price. I think I’m going to call this little jewel Self-Pwnage.

    Enjoy peeps!


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    The Sincerest Form of Flattery

    posted @ 11/25/2006 12:27:00 AM by evermore
    For the past week, the ElectricSistaHood website has featured photo galleries of the brave women who have been baring all in order to sell their new PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii videogame consoles. Well, some other websites have gotten into the act as well.


    Girls of the PS3

    85 new photos!

    Girls of the Wii

    23 new photos!


    One site has a few photos and another has a video of the things, which is going the rounds on YouTube. But I'm here to tell you now that ElectricSistaHood was the original and is still the best source for nekkid ladies hawking their videogames on the eBay.

    To prove that we're still the best, we've added a whopping 108 photos in the PS3 and Wii galleries, which are available by clicking the photos above.


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    Get a New Xbox 360 for $100? Yes!

    posted @ 11/22/2006 07:19:00 PM by evermore
    Everyone's talking about the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, but here's a deal that's hard to pass up: a brand new Xbox 360 for only $100.

    You'll need fast fingers to take advantage of this deal. Amazon.com is offering 1,000 Xbox 360 Core Systems (which usually retail for $299) for only $100 on Thanksgiving Day. The sale starts at 11 a.m. Pacific Time (that's 2 p.m. in the Eastern time zone). They probably won't last long.

    Amazon.com suggests that you read up on the details of ordering and offers this page with the information. Then at the appointed time, just go to this page to get a fabulous deal on an Xbox 360.

    When does the PS3 go on sale for $100? I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.


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    Anticipation... It's Making Mii Wait

    posted @ 11/22/2006 02:30:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Here I am, the day before the annual "Feast of Overstuffment Day," and I'm still waiting for my Nintendo Wii to arrive. To say that this has been a difficult week would be a gross understatement.

    I was actually one of the lucky folks to get in on the Gamestop Wii Bundle Pre-Order, but my billing address is not the same as my current living address... hence the delay in my actually ripping open that puppy and getting my Red Steel on. This has also been the major contributing factor in us not having any first hand accounts with either the Nintendo Wii or Sony PS3. We haven't been able to get our hands on the systems, and neither company has graced us with a demo box... which makes NinJa a sad panda.

    Not to rub it in, I was also able to get a PS3 Bundle Pre-Order from Gamestop [those ho's go soooo much of my hard earned cash this past month it's ridiculous!] so I expect that puppy to pop up shortly after the Wii. Then it will be time to start re-assembling the "gaming rig of joy!" [Damn that TV is FINE!!] Moving on. The reason that I'm so excited about having both bundle systems isn't for the greedy reason you may think. Both bundles have some similar game titles in them so I can do a direct comparison of the same title across all of the next-gen systems. That's XB360, Wii, and PS3 for anyone that may forget that the year old XB360 is still a next-gen system. Lots of people say that you can't compare the systems because their individual architectures are so different, it would be similar to trying to compare donuts to dinkleberries. And I will concede to that to a point. But having the same game title, made by the same developer, on each system concurrently I think is a great way to do a superficial system comparison.

    So first up on my hit list [once all systems are in, hooked up, and gtg] will be Madden 07. If you have any suggestions for games that are on all 3 console systems that you would like to see on NinJaSistah's Assassination List, let a sistah know!

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    What Have Wii Learned?

    posted @ 11/21/2006 10:25:00 PM by Douceswild
    The final two combatants in the console war, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, have stepped onto the battlefield to stand against the Xbox 360 and all that remains is the verdict on the winner. Right now there are many gamers around the world enjoying their newly acquired systems after waiting in a long line for days, bribery, or paying twice the retail value on an auction site. What about those poor chaps who couldn’t get a system? Who speaks for the little guy that was fifth in line at a store that received four? That would be the Douce.

    After getting a tip the night before the Wii release day that the local K-Mart would have about seven systems in stock and ready to sell when they unlock the doors at 7am, I begin the necessary preparations for a 6:30 am stakeout.
    Fresh cup of coffee…check
    Something warm to wear…check
    PSP…check
    Money in my account…check
    Bulletproof vest…check

    The alarm sounds and off I go. I get there at about 6:30am and to my surprise, there’s only one guy standing at the door and two people sitting in a parked car a few feet away from him. Let’s do the math…seven systems and three people here so far including me (I assumed the two people in the car would be picking up one system). “YES!! Douce is getting a Wii today!” you say? No, Douce is not getting his Wii.

    To make a long story short, K-Mart got six system in, two were purchased by employees, the remaining four were reserved and sold to customers who got there before me(the two people in the car each got a system), and I was SOL. Being the loyal ESH fan/writer that I am, even though my heart was heavy over not getting a Wii, I sucked it up and interviewed a couple of others who couldn’t get the system. The general consensus was that the whole system launch situation could’ve been handled better and it’s a shame that nowadays in order to get a gaming system you must camp a store before it opens. I asked about the violence that’s been breaking out around the world over people waiting to get these systems and one guy replied, “Things like that just confirm what people like Jack Thompson are saying about gamers. People have been incited to violence over the HOPE of getting a system and haven’t even put a violent game in yet.”

    Another customer said that if the stores would have handled the system launch with a little more organization then things wouldn’t have spiraled into violence. “If I’ve been camped out first in line at Best Buy for a week and then a few hours before they open the doors to let us in to buy the system, some employee with a security guard comes out and tells us that we have to form a line at a different location, I’d be pissed too. Employees have been going in and out of this place for days, looking at me stand in this line, probably laughing at me and NO ONE thought to tell me that I couldn’t stand here. Now I stand the chance of losing my number one spot and not getting a system. I’d probably be upset too.”

    Could the system launches have been handled better? Was this year’s launches a sign of things to come? Is this what we, as gamers, have to look forward to every launch year? Is getting a system at release-minute worth a possible stick-up or fight? I’m curious as to what you think could have been done differently. Put in your two cents because change has to be start somewhere.


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    Time For A New Podcast Episode!

    posted @ 11/20/2006 01:50:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    It's new podcast episode day again... this time, it's the super "buy me stuff" edition.

    Well, it's not the final "buy me stuff" edition as we will undoubtedly have a few more of these types of shows between now and New Years Day, but it's a good way to start off the holiday shopping season.

    Pandalicious pimps Angel Sanctuary and Final Fantasy XII while MagicMysticGrl shines the "perfect gift" light on the works of Sang Sun Park with special emphasis on texture in manga. [Or Manwha if you are a purist] Le Oro gets in the mix as well, then NinJaSistah rounds out the show with a spotlight on the movie Boiler Room, the PS2 video game God of War, and the XB360 title Viva Piñata. Grab a cup of egg nog and enjoy Episode 27: Gift Guide-O-Rama!

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    The Sexiest Saleswomen in the World

    posted @ 11/20/2006 01:20:00 AM by evermore
    The Sony and Nintendo fangirls and boys already know which new console is better. So the only question that remains is this: Which group is sexier -- girls selling PlayStation 3's or girls selling Nintendo Wii's?

    On Friday we presented a slideshow of females hawking the PlayStation 3 on eBay -- some of them showing a distinct lack of clothing. Well, it seems that the moment people got their hands on the Wii on Sunday morning, girls started stripping for the cameras again in order to gain a little bit of advantage while trying to sell the Wii on eBay.

    Here's your chance to compare for yourself. Click the links below to check out each gallery of game-sellin' girls and let us know which camp you think has the sexier girls:

    Click here for The Girls of the Wii

    Click here for The Girls of the PS3

    If you've previously viewed the PS3 girls, we've added a dozen more photos to the gallery today, so please visit it again.


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    Show Me the Violence!

    posted @ 11/19/2006 10:15:00 AM by Douceswild
    The release date of the controversial PS3 title Bully has come and gone. Many individuals and organizations which will remain nameless (mainly because we’ve called them out on numerous past occasions) tried to have the release halted because of its “excessive violence against classmates and teachers”. So after having played the game, I’m here to ask you, how violent do you feel?

    I’m pretty sure that any gamer worth his achievement points already knows what the game is about. If you’ve been hiding in a cave somewhere or frozen in a block of ice, then I’ll summarize it…and then slap you with a minus 50 dkp! You’re a delinquent named Jimmy Hopkins who has been kick out of numerous schools and now Bullworth Academy is your destination. After being dropped off by your mother on her way out of town with her new husband, you start your semester avoiding and/or taking a stand against bullies and performing tasks/errands to work your way up the social ladder in between going to classes AND taking exams in the form of mini-games.

    Now let’s get back to the topic. Before the release of Bully, we were pounded with warnings and rants from, again, those who shall remain nameless, about the game advocating violence against other students and teachers and BLAH BLAH BLAH! I’ve completed the entire game and the level of violence is so minimal that it can hardly even be classified as an action title. The whole “violence against teachers” thing is kind of ironic because most of your interaction with the teachers is centered around getting THEM out of trouble like covering up their inner-staff affairs and drinking problem. There’s a part of the game that even requires you to expose a teacher’s test answer-selling scam. Help me to understand this. How is any of this supposed to make me violent? Does retrieving a classmate’s stolen diary or helping a bunch of geeks find their trading cards put you in a killer frame of mind?

    I’ve played my fair share of violent games and Bully is everything but violent. There are no pimps or prostitutes and your “deadly arsenal” consists of things like a slingshot and firecrackers. I’m no expert gangsta but I doubt that would be too effective in a drive-by. So I have a message for our favorite group of protesters and anyone who said Bully would cause riots and misbehavior in youths:

    Until someone discovers a Hot Cappuccino mod that enables me to get it on with the head cheerleader or the school skank, YOUR CLAIM IS BANANAS, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!


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    A Playstation AND A Bullet, Why Thank You

    posted @ 11/18/2006 02:46:00 PM by MagicMystic
    I decided early that I wasn't going to wait in line for a Playstation 3. It just isn't my style to camp out at a Best Buy or Walmart. Once again I am glad I decided against it.

    Imagine standing around in the cold rain, sleeping on the concrete walkway in your tent, frostbitten hands tightly gripping your 600$ plus change, now imagine some asshole walking up to you with a gun and demanding your hard earned Playstation 3 money. No money, no Playstation or you could keep the money and you get a free shiny new bullet along with your shiny new PS3. What to do? I think the choice is easy, I'm gonna get myself shot dammit.

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    After the Buying, There's the Selling

    posted @ 11/18/2006 01:22:00 AM by evermore
    Let's say you've spent 48 hours sitting in a cold, wet tent in order to try to get one of a handful of PlayStation 3 machines at your local Best Buy. Then you're going to spend another 48 hours in the same tent, in front of the same Best Buy to get a Nintendo Wii. Whadda ya wanna do next?

    You're going to try to sell the thing! At least, that's what thousands of people are doing right now on auction sites like eBay. What's going to make your identical 60GB PlayStation 3 stand out in such a big crowd?

    SEX! That's right. Sex, in case you hadn't got the memo, sells. Of the thousands of PS3 machines on sale right now on eBay, dozens of them feature females of all ages, sizes and shapes. They've got one thing in common -- they're all holding those giant PlayStation 3 boxes.

    I'm sure some of them are wives, girlfriends, sisters, mothers, cousins, aunts or just plain friends, but they've all given it up for the cause: to help some guy collect a couple of grand on a machine they bought for $600 plus tax.

    The image you see here is just one of almost two dozen we collected today from eBay. You can see the rest in our special gallery called "Sellin It" by clicking here.

    Let's hear it for the girls who gave up their dignity (and their shirts) for commerce.


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    GameStop, EB Selling Small PS3 Bundle Online Tonight

    posted @ 11/17/2006 01:26:00 PM by evermore
    Blink twice and you might miss it, but the GameStop and EBGames websites are offering the 20GB PlayStation 3 for sale tonight.

    The notice simply says this:

    We will have an extremely limited supply of 20GB PlayStation 3 console bundles for preorder on our site Friday evening, November 17th. We expect these bundles to ship on or before December 1st.

    The websites don't give an exact time, but, if last week's Wii bundle sale on GameStop/EB is any indication, we expect it to start somewhere between 5 and 6 p.m. Eastern time.

    The page doesn't mention exactly what is in the bundle or how much it costs, but you should figure on a package that includes six or seven games (that would add about $400 to the price), as well as extra controllers, an extended warranty and a year-long subscription to that Game Informer magazine they push on everyone. And don't forget GameStop's pricy shipping and handling fee. It was around $40 on the Wii -- it's going to be more on the much heavier PS3. The total could be upwards of $1,100. Or so.

    Also keep in mind that we're talking about the 20GB PS3 -- not the higher priced 60GB version, which also has Memory Stick and wireless broadband capabilities built in. GameStop says: "We will not offer 60GB PlayStation 3 console bundles until our store pre-orders have been filled..."

    And if the GameStop/EB sale is already over, that means it's time to get back in line at the Best Buy for Sunday morning's Wii launch. Happy camping!


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    Quick Question: NinJa Style

    posted @ 11/17/2006 10:01:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    You know I have to ask...

    How many of you "I have the time to camp out for 2 days in front of [insert store name here] to get me a PS3" SOB's actually have a PS3 in your hot little hands as I type this? I wanna know. Now you can't just say you have a PS3, I want visual confirmation. So take a picture of you and your brand new sexy piece of hardware and email it to FRESH@electricsistahood.com. Get it to me by 4pm EST today and you might just be a candy bitch next week.

    A new PS3 and free candy... what's not to love!

    *Photoshopped photos will not count, you cheaters!*


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    One Day To Launch

    posted @ 11/16/2006 05:09:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    PS3 mania is about to drop tomorrow, and since I refuse to personally become part of the debacle, I figured it would only be fair to share some of my thoughts with you.

    First know that any place you go [unless you camp out tonight to get one of the first, if not the first spot in line] is not going to have a PS3 system for you. Sure, you may know a guy that knows a guy who has a cousin that works at Walmart... but unless he's going to put a box in your hand from the loading dock, accept that November 17th is not going to be your day. I even tried to be slick by calling ahead to some stores that I figured would get some PS3 units, but that most people would overlook as a possible shopping outlet, only to find out that they were getting one or two units at most. No camping out allowed. No pre-ordering and no ordering over the phone. First come, first served... as it should be, but damn!

    Not wanting to leave the story empty handed after waiting in line or venturing out in bad weather, a lot of folks will pick up items related to the PS3... like extra controllers, games, or even pre-order for games in hopes of negating a need to go out next Friday. I don't see this launch going very smoothly for Sony, retailers, or customers as quantities of systems are extremely limited... but I do think that tomorrow will be the first gauge of how important "next-gen" gaming is or will be in the near future. If the demand for PS3 is higher among casual gamers than the usual hardcore early adopters, then the future [next two years] is very bright for the PS3, Wii, and XB360. If not, we could see fewer games go into development or make it to "golden master" before they are scrapped in hopes of tying existing resources to already established franchise titles.

    I'm not sure which way the cookie will crumble, but I'm curious about how it will all turn out. If you are one of the few, the proud, the lucky bastids, to get your hands on a PS3, or want to share some of your adventures in "PS3 procurement on launch day" land, comment to this post, or hit us up and let us know.

    May the force be with you.

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    The "Pink Thing"

    posted @ 11/16/2006 04:48:00 PM by geekwoman
    From reading and talking to so many female gamers I had gotten the impression that women have a very different game experience than males do. I set out to see if I was right.Studies do show that women players account for many game - play hours in online games. In my experience as a games writer I have found that women don't have an easy time of finding free time for video games. Often game play time is interrupted. Someone in the house will always need or want something if she sits down at the computer or picks up a controller. If people are not physically present there is the phone, the coffee pot, the micro (or crock pot depending on where you live), and washer / dryer that all will bleep, buzz or bloop for attention at exactly the wrong time.

    The Pink Thing and Video Games by Geek Woman

    It is no different if she has pets. When there are two small dogs and three cats for example then there are endless possibilities for someone's dish of water or food to be empty. Or they bark because they want "Out!" Or maybe a chew toy has fallen down the steps or a bone has landed behind the couch. Those dramas cause whining from small dogs which sounds like someone is filleting them for Carpaccio. Or the 16 year old cat may become suddenly interested in being on top of the fridge and then on top of Grandma’s TV. Enter the "home chaos factor", which may or may not be limited to one gender.

    Where is everyone else in the place when one is playing a game? Perhaps selective hearing is on a different gene than multitasking? No one else can see who is at the door, get the mail or answer the phone, once a character in an MMO is set up to play. In the frequent situation when it takes you over an hour to get ready and arrive at the location where you want to play next, having long blocks of
    uninterrupted time is essential.

    There has to be some furious multi tasking going on in the background that no one can see. Thank goodness for virtual online avatars. "Wait a second one of the cats is trying to annihilate the curtain..." One of my favorite moments in gaming was when my cat Miroku spelled out "M -I - L -T" when I stepped away from Dungeons and Dragons Online. He made my all character's skills disappear and had her dance merrily while stuck in a wall.

    It is at these precarious times that one's character may or may not be safe while left alone to her pre-programed idling animation of
    scratching her butt. She may be beaten to a pulp. In many games when the area isn't safe you end the session by dying. Subsequently you lose all your points and items. This will depend on how sensitive the developers were to the million and one things that compete for a gamer's time.

    In other games once you are out of the group you will spend yet more time finding a new group when you go back. In some games if you own a house that requires maintenance as in Ultima Online it could crumble into dust. Or you can get past due on your rent in Dark Age of Camelot The livestock in A Tale in the Desert could starve. There are the dreaded weeds of Animal Crossing. The randomness of life means there is going to be a lack of control over the length of our game session.

    Not all games will have the content easily available for solo players or even want to. It is more convenient to play games which are instanced or provide content in small chunks. Games which require big clans of people to band together in groups, can achieve larger goals, like changing the landscape and becoming a virtual community. That has other advantages and takes an even greater investment of time.

    Women make up 43% of all video game players. The number of gamers in the US is continuing to increase each year. At least four out of ten people play video games in the United States. When you read over all the reports it comes out even with women having a larger share overall. Games that make it easiest to save progress after a session of game - play or the ability to save at any time are assets to female gamers.

    Because of what I'm calling a the "home chaos factor" (or office) women play a great deal of the flash based puzzle, games, board games and quizzes which have shorter initial durations. Women also have higher numbers playing children's games on PCs and consoles. Women have stats that double the male numbers in playing dance and music games. Another area where there seem to be more women than men playing are the classic arcade type of ports.

    Women are multi-taskers, and the Internet provides quick connectedness, and information about games during game play. Women apparently do have a different game experience than men do. Women surveyed stated they had other tasks going and other media on in the background while gaming, either the TV, radio or MP3's were used no less than 70%. Since males had higher console than PC use than women, then they weren't necessarily able to be watching TV at the same time.

    Using my reverse logic - if aspects in real life from travel and shopping markets were implemented in game-play, the experience would be even more immersive. Some new statistics are said to show that women prefer to play games solo. Then they demonstrate that men seem to be more likely to group in an MMOG. Can the "home chaos factor" account for that too? I know that when I am playing an MMO I don't like to spend the extra time it takes to find a group of new people to play with to solve a quest. I've found that many of the women that I play with also try to go solo to save time and avoid the hassle of doing a mission repeatedly because new people don't know how to work as a team.

    Women seem to prefer to travel and game alike with established friends. In fact if you look at those other industries like travel and entertainment women's preferences are much more apparent than in gaming. Those are statistics that could be easily transferred to marketing games that would make the game experience more fun. "Girls travel in packs" it can be said. Games on Xbox Live for instance, make it very easy for ladies to play games together and meet other gals.

    In seeing who travel agents say is the average adventure traveler it is not the 28-year-old male that you'd think it would be. Travel agents figures show that a 47-year-old female is the most likely demographic to take nature, adventure, or cultural trips.

    There aren't any universal truths about women. However reaching women gamers is more than just making things Barbie pink. Women do process information in a more detail-oriented fashion. Women will notice more and likely expect more. That means we notice amenities, textures, subtleties, and read between the lines.

    “Now will you all shut up so I don’t get killed!”

    A few weeks ago when Sony / Europe announced that it's dropping the price of the PS2 for Europe and the UK. In addition, they mentioned that they are cutting the price on PS2 memory cards. Then they made another couple of unusual announcements.

    Stating that better efficiency has enabled cost savings to be made, Sony says that they are passing the savings on directly to new PlayStation 2 customers who may not want to shell out the $600 US and even more AU for the PS3.

    Sony hopes that with over 2,000 game titles another market of PS2 owners will grab up the cheaper console. But that may not be the biggest news. Besides the price cut, they announced a new limited edition Pink PS2, which comes with two pink analog controllers and a pink memory card. The Pink bundle will be available from "selected retailers" throughout Europe starting November 8th, and in the U.K. it'll come with the karaoke game SingStar Pop .

    At this time it is unknown if they will follow suit in the U.S. and AU. Some are saying that a comparable price cut will not come until next spring.

    Sony is indeed going to offer a pink PSP in association, we're told, with the singer Pink with the intent being to to attract "young women with freedom, confidence and attitude" to the platform. Unlike the upcoming pink PS2 , the salmon-hued portable console doesn't ship with pink accessories, but it is a limited edition, Sony said.

    The industry will have to start to think differently if it wants to reach the female customers. Just making things pink is not what we are after. One market study shows that girl gamers like to play during their spare time or when they're mobile. The Nintendo DS users are 44 percent female.

    Studies by the US market research firms Yankee Group and Parks Associates confirm the trends that there are several market segments where girl gamers are ahead of males. Mobile phone games are predominantly played by female gamers. In the United States about 60 percent of the people who play games on their mobile phones are women.

    David Gardner, chief operating officer for EA's worldwide studios, was speaking to a conference in Edinburgh. When he said the now much quoted line which was

    "The game industry has been failing women"

    He said the industry had to learn from the film business. And not too long ago this humble jounalist suggested that the games industry look at numbers from the Travel business to find out what girls want.

    Mr Gardner got one thing right "They don't want 'pink games'. They are not trying to play girly games where Paris Hilton and Britney Spears go shopping and put make-up on. Those kind of things have not been that successful."

    Well duh.

    But he said games such as The Sims and websites such as Pogo.com proved there was a market for women gamers.

    "Most of the Sims players are girls - 70% are women under 25," he said. The Sims, which is published by EA, is arguably one of the world's most successful game - with more than 40 million copies sold.

    Mr Gardner said the industry needed to "create some mega hits in the girl space and that it would potentially add a billion dollars to their revenues. That's not small change. It confirms what we have been saying for years.

    Four of our 11 studios around the world are run by women. That's an important start. That is why it is so important for young women to get hired by game development studios now.

    Just making a console or a handheld pink doesn't guantee it will seel to women. Making a sinking ship handheld like the PSP in pink may not save it. The games for the PSP just aren't there, and there are more titles that are of interest to female gamers out for the Nintendo DS. Though some women gamers may be interested in picking up a new pink console, it would be as a novelty. I doubt that anyone is going to redecorate their family room which has black or silver components in the entertainment center, to accomodate a loud pink console.

    A pink handheld game player is a cute accessory that fits into a purse and can match with outfits. But a pink console is going to become dated and very yesterday very quickly. I just saw a commercial for a large hardware depot store where a teen girl says to her Dad, "I'm grown up now, and I want to repaint my room." The pink poofy stuff is painted over with lime green, mauve and orange. Sorry Sony the new black isn't pink anymore.

    Even though we write reviews, and make suggestions, go to conferences and kick butt in our clans and guilds the game developers and the console companies still don’t get it. We are gamers like the guys are. Stop reinforcing the stereotypes. Give us female avatars in games and equality in the industry.

    And if you still don't understand what women want - well you can ask me! (For a price.)

    Geek Woman is a freelance games jounalist and author of Geek Woman’s Game Guides. www.lulu.com/geekwoman She is the Editor in Chief of the Australian women’s gaming portal Game-Vixen.com. She has given a voice to women and girls who play video games to demonstrate to anyone listening that "We are here!" She lives in the USA with her partner, two pomeranians, three cats, scores of bitchy seagulls and a weedy garden.

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    U B Screwed

    posted @ 11/15/2006 03:05:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I mean EB screwed...up. Just about every EB/Gamestop store has had their initial shipment of PS3 halved on them. What does this mean for the people who stood in long lines, braved nasty weather to be number 25 out of 25 pre-orders for the PS3? Means you no get no PS3 on launch day sucka, that's what!

    Yes, the phone calls have started... the ones from EB/Gamestop to [previously golden] reserve PS3 receipts holders that no longer get them a machine on launch day. So if you were one of those few people that bragged to your buddies about how you were going to have a PS3 launch day while they weren't or about how awesome it was that you were going to be playing Genji Days of the Blade launch day and how sad it was that your friend was not [you know who you are you bastid] know that you [if kharma exists] probably have a voicemail message on your phone right about now.

    That message says that Gamestop is really sorry, but they aren't going to have a box for you now on launch day, but they'll give you a used game or DVD worth $20 or less as a way of saying, "sorry you got boned."

    Yes, it's nice to be around when the payback happens. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the "Ain't Got No Damn PS3 On Launch Day Association" or AGNDPOLDA. We meet on Tuesday, and there is pie and punch. If you are going to be +1, contact us in advance.

    Welcome aboard!

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    PS3 Launch Title List: The Re-Org

    posted @ 11/14/2006 11:49:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    Wow, literally days away from launch some of the PS3 launch titles are no longer ready for g-day. That's Game Day, not Gangsta Day... I will not be held responsible if you decided to roll like 50 cent... that's on you playa!

    But just so you know, some of the delayed games were kinda cool. Prepare to be bummed out.

    I give you the updated PS3 Launch Title List, courtesy of 1UP.
    • Resistance: Fall of Man
    • Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
    • Genji: Days of the Blade
    • NBA 07
    • Sonic the Hedgehog -- Delayed off of launch list.
    • Call of Duty 3
    • Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -- Delayed to Q1 2007.
    • F.E.A.R. -- Delayed off of launch list.
    • Ridge Racer 7
    • Fight Night Round 3
    • Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WW II -- Delayed until December.
    • Full Auto 2: Battlelines -- Delayed until early December.
    • Madden NFL 2007
    • Marvel Ultimate Alliance
    • Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
    • NBA 2k7
    • Need for Speed: Carbon
    • NHL 2k7
    • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
    • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas -- Delayed until December.
    • Tony Hawk's Project 8


    So your new g-day launch title lineup looks like this

    • Resistance: Fall of Man
    • Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
    • Genji: Days of the Blade
    • NBA 07
    • Call of Duty 3
    • Ridge Racer 7
    • Fight Night Round 3
    • Madden NFL 2007
    • Marvel Ultimate Alliance
    • Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
    • NBA 2k7
    • Need for Speed: Carbon
    • NHL 2k7
    • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
    • Tony Hawk's Project 8


    It's still not a bad list of titles, but the question becomes, are those titles worth all the bull you'll have to go through in order to get a $500 or $600 PS3 on g-day?

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    Daily News: Launch Week Rumors

    posted @ 11/13/2006 12:48:00 AM by evermore
    It's Launch Week for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii and there's nothing but rumors of riots in Japan, where the PS3 went on sale this past weekend, and rumors of folks being thrown out of Best Buy waiting lines. Here's some more stuff you might have missed...


    • If you're camping out in front of a Best Buy, a Target, a Wal-Mart or wherever for a PS3 or a Wii, you'll want to know just how many they have on hand, eh? Here's how to get those numbers.
    • Some PS3 die-hards have more money than sense. That's evident from these current Yahoo Japan auctions, which, as of late Sunday night, have bids on single PS3 systems of more than 2 Billion Yen. Comparatively, things were much more civilized in the U.S., as a top-of-the-line PS3 went for a mere $9,100, according to this eBay auction.
    • The PS3 case is beautiful and black -- as long as you keep it in the box. The Gizmodo guys discovered to their dismay that it doesn't take much to mar the surface of the case.
    • Bungie is adding a female voice to Halo, according to Frankie on the Bungie website: "Anyway, one of the things we're looking at for Halo 3 multiplayer (Master Chief is all man) is adding a female voice to the Spartan character should you choose it as part of your custom character."
    • USA Today says you might be better off just waiting to buy a next-gen console until next year. Awwwww, whadda they know?
    • Defying the laws of economics, it seems that, according to this article, the Xbox 360 is actually becoming more expensive to manufacture as time goes on.
    • HD takes a big step backward on Xbox Live, as one of the first games to be released in 1080p resolution will be a modernized version of Atari's classic Missile Command.
    • Already have a PS3 pre-ordered and just waiting on it to arrive? Time to RTFM! Sony has its PS3 online manual just waiting for you by clicking here. Enjoy!
    • Some people were upset about last week's GameStop online Wii preorder, which required the purchase of six games, an extra controller, an extended warranty and a magazine subscription, pushing the total to nearly three times the cost of the console alone. Well, GameStop's got nothing on CompUSA, which according to this ad will allow you reserve a PS3 -- as long as you purchase a 40-inch or larger Sony HDTV first.



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    Daily News: What? No Kitchen Sink?

    posted @ 11/09/2006 12:09:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Just like razors... or ink jet printers
    • Free, as in beer
    • Winners galore
    • Playing the Game Name Game
    • Being popular has its price


    How to spend $700 for a Nintendo Wii: The great thing about the Nintendo Wii is the cheap price, right? You won't think so after hearing about tonight's sale on the GameStop.com website. Tonight you can buy a Nintendo Wii Bundle in a GameStop online-only sale for the low, low price of... $694.88, which doesn't include tax and shipping. What do you get for the extra $450 you're spending on a $250 machine? Six games (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Red Steel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz and Madden NFL 2007), an extra controller, a 1GB memory card, a 12-month product replacement plan and subscription to Game Informer magazine.

    How to get a Wii for free: GameFly is giving away a Wii each day through Nov. 30. If you're a current GameFly subscriber, just go to the GameFly website and click on the link to the contest. Not a subscriber? You could sign up for a trial subscription or just go to this link. The official rules are right here.

    How to win more stuff: While we're on the subject of winning game-related stuff, here are some more current giveaways: Enter here to win a $3,000 package of consoles and games, including the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 and PSP from RewardTV. Enter here for an Xbox 360 package, including 27-inch HDTV and a copy of Gears of War from GamePro. Enter here to win a Wii and a copy of Red Steel from 7-Eleven. Enter here to win a Wii, the games Excite Truck and Legend of Zelda and an extra remote controller from Nintendo. Enter here to win a Wii from Pringles.

    Just don't call it E3.1: Some are calling it the successor to E3, but whatever it is, it doesn't have a name yet. IDG, which owns GamePro and many other tech-related magazines, will be conducting a consumer-focused gaming event at the Los Angeles Convention Center Oct. 18-20, 2007, according to the GamePro website. What to call it? IDG has started a contest through Nov. 20 for that very purpose. Grand prize is a free trip for two to the thing.

    Negima, Vol. 3: Magic 301 - Practical Application of Magic (Limited Edition): Life at Mahora Academy is anything but predicatble, a theorem which Negi Springfield and the girls of Class 2-A seem determined to test! When a class project incurs the wrath of one of their own, what follows is a virtual, digitally-enhanced popularity contest, no holds barred. How about a little war, World Wide Web style? I understand this Limited Edition version contains a collectible Negima figure.


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    So Notta Fanboy

    posted @ 11/08/2006 04:37:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I have to say, I'm getting tired of being accused of being a MS fanboy. Seriously, I am really starting to take offense man.

    Allow me to explain why, with my top 5 reasons that I'm not a fanboy. [I'm too tired to come up with ten.]

    It seems like whenever we share an opinion that's pro-system, or pro-exclusive console title, we get labeled as a "fanboy" with that system. It would be cool if it was just being labeled as "a video game fanboy," that I could handle with minor objections, but the dismissal of the ideas and thoughts put together on the sole basis of being a mega fanatic, well, plain old pisses me off.

    So I've taken the time to compile this list of reasons why I'm not a fanboy to help those who like to use the "you're a fanboy, end of argument" clause know when it's appropriate and when it's not. It's a service I'm happy to provide you with so you can fight flame wars on a whole new level. Here goes.

    • No.05: All Consoles Are Welcomed
      I own or have owned at some time at least one hand held device or console from one of the major manufacturers. Sega Game Gear, Gamecube, Xbox, Playstation 2, Sega Genesis, owned em' all. In order to have the "fanboy" label stick, you have to be a console elitist.
    • No.04: I Read Many Gaming Mags, Not Just One.
      Yeah, you see that right, ok just wanna make sure. I do not have a paid subscription to any gaming magazine, but I do read many of them. EGM, OPM, OXM, CGM, Play, Game Informer, in addition to a few online mags. This means I hear about titles, games, and music from all the big [and small] development houses. To be worthy of the "fanboy" title, I'd have to pick one console and only read info about it... blocking out all other bits of info about other systems.
    • No.03: All System News Is News To Me
      New game releases on all systems are newsworthy or worthy of my attention. I'm going to be looking forward to Red Steel with the same amount of enthusiasm and curiosity levels that I have for Heavenly Sword and Halo 3. Not just the drawbacks or game glitches of other systems are worth noting or being aware of. I have to know a little bit about gaming in general in order to be able to form an opinion about it. If you haven't played Halo how can you honestly say it sucks? If you have never experienced the joy that is Amplitude, what is your basis for saying that your time is better spent kicking a dead squirrel? None, ya fanboy!
    • No.02: I Will Own All The "Next Gen" Consoles
      With very little need for thought I've already decided to own all of the next gen consoles. It may take some time due to lack of product on Sony or Nintendo's part, but as they become available I will buy them. I already own an XB360, but I'm already looking at ways to pick up the Nintendo and Sony boxes before the year is out. I like getting my hands on all the boxes so I can know what is fake and reality when it comes to each platforms ability, or lack there of. This way, when OPM says the graphics are 20 times better on the PS3 than XB360, I can fire up both systems and see for myself. I don't have to take the word of a possible "undercover fanboy" sway me one way or the other. It also keeps me from spouting off something I read as fact when it might just be wishful fiction.
    • and finally

    • No. I'm A Girl
      If you are going to accuse me of being a fanatic, get your terminology right. I can't be a "fanboy" as my physiology strictly contradicts this. I have boobs, and lady parts... that are all natural and if anything, would dictate the use of the term "fangirl" if you [after reading all of this list] still think the term applies.


    Now I'm not saying that "fanboys" exist, hell, some of my closest friends happen to be fanboys. They do lead [mostly] productive lives and are great members of society, but many of them do need to have much of what they say when it comes to their console "loyalty" kinda go in one ear and out the other. I had one of my friends swear before Bob that the new chip in the XB360 was a suped up secret chip that IBM developed for the government but as a personal favor to Bill Gates sold to them for use in the XB360 instead. If I'm lying, may Bob strike me down as I type.

    Well, I for one, feel better now. Enjoy your day... see you in Gears of War on XBLive bitches!

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    Daily News: Crazy Talk

    posted @ 11/08/2006 12:04:00 AM by evermore
    In the run-up to the launch of the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, there's going to be lots of rumors out there. At ElectricSistaHood, we're in as much of a fog as you are, so you can just take or leave these latest bits of information coming at us from all directions. It's all talk, and it's mostly crazy.




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    Aww, No Pre-Order For You

    posted @ 11/07/2006 09:29:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Bet you son's of a motherless goats thought you were too good for the likes of us with your fancy lil Best Buy PS3 pre-order from that SNAFU the Best Buy site had the other night... well lil mister "sucks to be you NinJa" I have some news for you in case you haven't read your email yet today:

    NO PRE-ORDER FOR YOU BUDDY BOY! -- Signed, the Best Boy folks. Ha Ha!

    I revel in your not having a pre-order like myself, and only getting a 10 dollar coupon in return for your frustration. The thought will keep me warm at night, these cold and lonely nights that I struggle with my lack of guaranteed Wii or PS2 pre-orders. Knowing that I am not alone, and that I have not been hosed by some folks that were able to take advantage of a website SNAFU that I didn't get in on will grant this NinJa solace.

    Now I just need Amazon to do the same with the two Wii pre-pre-order deals but then offer the reclaimed pre-orders to the fine folks who signed up for the early notification emails and all will be forgiven.

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    Daily News: Game Reviews from All Over

    posted @ 11/07/2006 12:07:00 AM by evermore
    There's just not enough hours in the day for the Sistahs to play all the videogames out there, so every once in a while we will present the views of others on the new games out there. Here's the first batch...

    Family Guy: Matt Slagle of the Associated Press (courtesy of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette) says: "But there’s just not enough variety or originality to make the interspersed comedic nuggets worth mining." Get it here.

    Destroy All Humans! 2: A writer from the Scripps Howard News Service says: "While not as original as the first game, there is plenty of enjoyment to be found here. You can never go wrong getting to zap all those pesky humans." Get it here.

    Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07: Chris Campbell of the Scripps Howard News Service (courtesy of the Navy Compass) writes: "Sadly, there are still too few courses to play on the 360 version. Only 12 are available, and while that is double last year's count, there are 21 courses on the PS2 and regular Xbox versions. Jealousy reigns." Get it here.

    Scarface: The World Is Yours: Alex Thornton of AllHipHop.com writes: "There's no shortage of open-ended crime simulators on the market, but what Scarface lacks in originality, it more than makes up in attention to detail and a comprehensive use of the franchise." Get it here.

    Phantasy Star Universe: Lou Kesten of the Associated Press writes: "The story doesn‘t offer many surprises, and the combat is lackluster, for the most part requiring no more than rapid button-mashing." Get it here.

    Spyhunter: Nowhere to Run: A writer for Chicago's Courier News says: "Without the driving and at least some of the classic gameplay thrown in for good measure, this game is at best worth a rental, and even then, it's disappointing." Get it here.


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    Daily News: An All-Wii Report

    posted @ 11/06/2006 12:06:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news, we look at All Things Wii, with advice on how to get one on launch day, whether you'll need to bolster your health insurance to play the new controller, some Zelda pics, choice quotes from a Nintendo spokeschick and the lengths that a famous TV star will take to get one.

    Need a Wii? Here's how to get it: If you missed out on the pre-orders, here are some great tips on how to get a Nintendo Wii on launch day.

    Here's Best Buy's launch playbook: Planning on buying a PS3 or Wii from Best Buy? Then you'd better bone up on the company's launch weekend playbook. Kotaku provides all the details. Prefer shopping at Target? Here are their plans.

    All about the Wii Startup Disc: Startup disc? That's right. You'll set up your Wii with an included startup disc. What will it do? The folks at Joystiq aren't sure, but there are certainly plenty of opinions.

    The answer to the most important question of 2006: Will you get tired using the Wii controller? According to this story from someone who pounded hard at the Legend of Zelda for more than 10 hours, the answer is no.

    Spoiling Zelda for you: Can't wait to see just how Zelda is going to look? Here's a site that reveals a bunch of screens from the Wii title.

    Nintendo's questions and obfuscations: Game Informer magazine recently interviewed Perrin Kaplan, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs for Nintendo of America, about the Wii. According to Kaplan, several celebrities are already queueing up for the console, including Sean Combs and Uma Thurman. When asked about Nintendo's vantage point in the console war between Sony and Microsoft, Kaplan told Game Informer, "I think it could be the tortoise and the hare."

    Will the Wii support custom soundtracks? This screenshot on the Darkzero site certainly suggests it.

    Will Cartman get a Wii? The little South Park sparkplug was so anxious to get a Wii that he had himself frozen in last week's episode, with some unfortunate results. The conclusion can be seen this week, Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern time, and repeating at midnight Wednesday, 10 p.m. Thursday, 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 p.m. Sunday. If you missed last week's episode, you can search for it on YouTube or wait for it to show up on iTunes.


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    Daily News: Console Deficit OK for EA

    posted @ 11/04/2006 10:51:00 PM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • EA expects PS3, Wii shortages
    • Take that Wii-mote off your head
    • Are some game blogs just advertising?
    • Your WoW habit may be imaginary
    • The Bad News Go Clubbers


    Game maker expects PS3, Wii shortages: The folks at Electronic Arts aren't kidding themselves -- there could be fewer PlayStation 3's and Nintendo Wii's than the manufacturers are admitting. "It's probably going to be just as challenging to find a PlayStation 3 this year as it was to find a XBox 360 last year," said Warren Jenson, electronic Arts' chief financial officer, on a conference call with analysts Thursday. "There are many short term uncertainties. There could easily be hardware delays."

    The controller that thought it was a hat: Did you know the Wii-mote controller for the Nintendo Wii started off as something you wore on your head? This and many other facts about the creation of the Wii are featured in this story from the Wall Street Journal. From the article: "The company has sponsored private Wii-playing parties in volunteers' living rooms. At a recent one in the Kansas City suburb of Tonganoxie, Kan., Karlye Weatherford stood and punched the air with her fists, clutching controllers that translated her hand and body movements to the screen. In front of about 50 friends and family members enjoying a catered barbeque lunch, the 29-year-old mother of three knocked out her husband's character after a series of blows. She says she rarely touches the family's Microsoft Xbox 360."

    Should "adver-blogs" reveal their company connections? The GameSetWatch website investigates the trend of videogame blog sites that seem to know a little too much inside information about a specific company. Are these sites semi-official company organs? And, if they are, should they have to be labeled as such?

    Tired of people complaining about your WoW habit? If so, you need to read this story from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Here's an excerpt: "Temple University psychology professor Donald A. Hantula said he believed the medium was not to blame for dysfunctional behavior by its users. 'I know people who spend 40 or 50 hours a week playing golf,' said Hantula, who is executive editor of the Journal of Social Psychology."

    Hikaru No Go, Vol. 4 -- The Ghost in the Net: Now that Hikaru is a full-fledged student at Haze Middle School, he's ready to join the Go Club and enter tournaments. Unfortunately, his team is one player short. Can he convince Yuki Mitani, a fellow classmate, to give up scamming players at the Go Salon and join the team? Aww, heck. Why not?


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    I Am Hardcore

    posted @ 11/03/2006 03:36:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    In case you hadn't picked up on it before, I am a hardcore gamer. Gamer to the core. I saw this proudly, if there was a patch that said "Gamer to tha Core" I'd have it on every pair of jeans and t-shirt I own.

    Have I played every game on the planet? No. I don't own a PC to play any PC games on, I haven't even installed World of Warcraft trial that I've been given. So you might ask, on just what grounds I can state that I'm a hard core gamer. It's because I take gaming very, very seriously.

    I care about the well being of my consoles... they are my ticket to a momentary vacation from reality when I need it. As such, I have to make sure that they stay clean, safe, and in proper working order at all times. To help make that happen, I have done something that I think any gamer worth their salt needs to do: I have all of my important gaming related electronics on Uninterruptible Power Source backups. That's UPS' for the uninitiated. A little too nerdcore for you? Well it shouldn't be. A UPS is the best way to show your deep admiration for games and I'm going to explain why.

    Nothing will fry your gaming box faster than a power surge. Having your system on a surge protector is a good start, but it may not be enough to save that HD drive if the power surges while you're in the middle of a hot and heavy capture the flag match. Many people know that it's a good idea to have your computer on a UPS to make sure you don't toast the machine that has a lot of your sensitive data on it... well, your console is at it's core, just another computer, so why would you treat it any differently than your bill-paying box? You shouldn't, and from now on your won't. Seriously, go home tonight, and tell your consoles you are not going to treat them like second class citizens in your home any longer.

    Ok, all jokes aside, it's really a good idea to put your consoles on a UPS system, especially if you have more than one active gaming console in your home. But don't stop at your console, think whole picture. In my gaming rig, which I am slowly but surely tricking out, I have my 42 inch LCD, digital cable box, XB360 and PS2 on a UPS battery backup. Some people might think this is overkill but let me explain. In a previous rig setup I have everything including my wireless router on a surge protector. It was a very highly rated surge protector, so I felt comfortable in the knowledge that my electronics would not be fried like an egg in a skillet. Then the lightning storm hit, and my surge protecting surge protector FRIED my wireless router like a shot of H to the head. Fuck! Then I called the manufacturer, no replacement coming... didn't matter that it was on a surge protector. "You should have put it on a battery backup..." was the line I was given. That's when I had my "ah doyee" moment. It's all going on UPS systems.


    I stress to all of you, put your systems on UPS battery backups... but do the research first. Find out what the energy requirements of the systems and TV in your rig that you are going to put on the UPS and then find the UPS that will support that requirement with ease. For instance, many battery backup systems have a certain amount of outlets that run off the battery, and some that are merely surge protected. I purchased the Belkin F6550-AVR system for my rig because it offered 4 outlets that were surge protected plus battery backed up, and then 2 more outlets that were just surge protected. This covers my main systems. I then bought an additional F6550 unit for the AV rack that houses my PS2, Wii, and wireless router. In this way, if the power goes out, I have plenty of time to safely save my games, power down my systems... no fried electronics... and all at about the cost of a new game. Not a bad deal, If I say so myself. If they could, my consoles and TV would thanks me.

    Every major electronic system in the house is on a Belkin or APC UPS backup system. I've opted to not go with some systems that say they are specifically designed for the consoles themselves because they are designed specifically for that one system. Many of those systems are in the same form factor as the console itself, and are meant to rest underneath the system. For my rig space, this does not work. It would mean a single back up for each system and a power outlet for each. Unfortunately for me I don't have 6 outlets on the wall where my rig is, so this is an unfeasible option for me, and I think for many other people.

    I am hardcore. I am gamer to tha core. Are you?




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    Daily News: Don't Fall for Phony Sony Scams

    posted @ 11/02/2006 12:25:00 AM by evermore
    Today's news is all about new consoles and new games and old gamers. We do a little name-dropping (Clint Eastwood). Sony does a little drop in launch numbers. And Microsoft simply drops the ball. Did GameStop foil the console profiteers? And will a simple de-frag cause your numbers to go up? All of that and less is answered here.




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    Daily News: Microsoft Loves Numbers

    posted @ 11/01/2006 12:43:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Xbox Live gets 85 enhancements
    • EA awards NBA title early
    • Nintendo doubles Sony on launch titles
    • Gotta travel? Here's help
    • It's back to nature with the Nature Girls


    Xbox Live introduces 85 enhancements: Yesterday Xbox Live users were able to download a system update that gives them 85 new features and enhancements, including support for native 1080p games and movies, faster Xbox Live Arcade game list display times and even more choices when it comes to video playback options. The update requires no disc or hard drive. Read more here.

    Mavs win E(B)A title: The NBA 2006-07 season is just beginning and they've already crowned the new champion: the Dallas Mavericks. At least, that's according to EA, creators of the NBA Live 07 video game. According to a story on the Canadian Broadcasting Company's website, the Mavs win in six games over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki is the MVP of the championship series. Losing in the conference finals are San Antonio and Miami. Last year's EA simulation correctly predicted Miami would advance to the NBA finals, but chose the Heat to lose to San Antonio.

    Nintendo wins war of launch titles: Nintendo's Wii will start its life with 32 new launch titles, almost double the number that the Sony PlayStation 3 will have out before Christmas. The initial Wii titles will be: Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Rapala Tournament Fishing, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Madden NFL '07, Need for Speed: Carbon, Elebits, Happy Feet, Rampage: Total Destruction, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Ant Bully, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Metal Slug Anthology, Super Swing Golf, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barnyard, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab, Far Cry: Vengeance, GT Pro Series, Monster 4X4 World Circuit, Open Season, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.

    Anime gypsies get help: Traveling to Anime Expo in Long Beach next June? Now you can get help traveling to a variety of anime conventions through the AX Travel Store. The store provides discounted airfares, hotels and auto rentals on trips to anime conventions. Surf here for details.

    Green Green -- Nature Girls (Vol. 3): Midori has one final chance to make Yuusuke fall in love with her. She bets it all on one kiss, and Yuusuke's memory returns! They are finally together, but fate has decreed them unhappiness no matter what. As the guys prepare a special farewell party for the girl's class, violent thunderstorms shake the school. Influenced by his old memories, Yuusuke's personality changes completely. Ignoring his friends, he becomes blunt and decisive. He begins to wonder if the real Yuusuke is actually a good person. Midori has overcome fate to get this far, but Yuusuke's real personality maybe what finally sends her back to the future. Back to the future? I loved that first movie.


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    Poor, Poor Sony

    posted @ 10/31/2006 01:49:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    That poor company just can't catcha break. First the exploding battery recall, then all the bad press about the PS3 [a few negative words have even come from us] and now the DOJ is on their ass.

    Damn Sony, sucks to be you right now.

    Allow me to explain. See, the DOJ is doing an industry-wide investigation into sales of SRAM memory chips, which includes Sony's chips. See Sony claimed that they sold $27.7 million dollars worth of the ram chips, but didna say who made the chips for them, or who they sold them to. I assume [since I don't know much about big ass business] that there are a lot of things that companies don't disclose, so the news in and of itself is not a huge deal. But here's the thing: Sony's already had some problems with financials this year. All those batteries being recalled, the PS3 blue-ray laser issues, the inability to produce all the boxes originally promised for launch, the failure of the Connect music service... Sony can't really afford any more failures that result in them having to hemorrhage more money.

    You can debate me if you like, but posting a $366 million dollar operating loss for the July-September quarter in the division you pin all your hopes on to bring in close to the lion share of profits for the company as a whole, being on the "tightrope of failing hope" is NOT where you want to be. Now, as I stated before, Sony is not the only company under investigation, and there may be absolutely nothing amiss with their ram production and sales, but in the precarious situation Sony's in right now, I'm sure they weren't too pleased to find out that the DOJ wanted to take a look through their books so-to-speak.

    It does however, make the Do The Math article we wrote look a little less like speculation, and more like premonition. ;)

    What do you guys think?

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    Daily News: WoW! I Lost 41 Pounds!

    posted @ 10/31/2006 12:31:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Big WoW loser a big winner
    • Get the inside numbers on the PS3
    • Oops! Amazon did it again
    • Scientists blinded by games
    • Devlish, yet beatific


    Just like Jared and Subway: During the past three months, a blogger named Greg has been Warbiking to lose weight. Warbiking? That's playing World of Warcraft while pumping away on his stationary bicycle. How much weight did he lose? A whopping 41 pounds -- 15 percent of his body weight. He says, "Warbiking is the best of both worlds. I get to do 2-plus hours of cardio without being aware that I'm really doing it. And as I can only play Warcraft while doing cardio (that's a self imposed rule - no cardio, no Warcraft), it's self regulating -- no way am I going to play for 6 hours or something, my legs wouldn't do it."

    How many PS3 consoles will your local Wal-Mart get? Blogger dsthunder writes on digg.com: "simply print out the barcode and take it into your local walmart and ask an associate (in electronics) to scan it with the telzon, they can then tell you how many they will get, how many they have, and how many are in their warehouse."

    Amazon.com does an oopsie: Friday's short pre-order session on Amazon.com for the Nintendo Wii was just an accident. That's the word from Amazon.com, at least: "During system maintenance on the morning of Friday, October 27, the Nintendo Wii was briefly made available on our Web site for test purposes only and was not intended to be available for pre-order." The posting continues to say that Amazon.com will honor the pre-orders that were successful -- for only one unit per household. The posting adds: "Once we officially begin to take pre-orders, you can be assured that all customers who have signed up to receive e-mail confirmation of Wii's availability will be notified." I can guarantee you that NinJaSistah is not convinced.

    Scientists LOVE video games: "It's like hiring an individual tutor for every student. There's a big argument going on now about whether kids are being tested too much or too little. In a game, you're continuously being tested and you don't mind it." That's no fanboy talking -- it's Federation of American Scientists president Henry Kelly, whose organization is hot about using videogames to teach children. According to Newsweek, a report by the distinguished group calls for a new generation of educational games that are as immersive and graphics-intensive as megabudget titles like Madden NFL 07 and Battlefield 2142.

    This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, Vol. 3: Red Swarm: Takeru is your typical teenage average Joe -- until he meets Hikari, a beautiful girl who fell from the stars. Immediately Takeru's life turns upside down, as strange creatures and dark forces converge on the unlikely pair. But even while adversity brings them closer, Hikari's mysterious past threatens an even greater danger to Takeru and everything he's known. It's a cosmic love affair with Earth hanging in the balance. Dontcha just hate it when that happens.


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    Are These People Having Fun?

    posted @ 10/30/2006 03:05:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    From the bowels of moving hell, I take this break to ask a question...

    Are these people having fun?

    A lot of gaming news websites and blogs have been going ga-ga over the Wii experience videos that are popping up on the official Nintendo Wii website. And after watching the videos, I found myself asking the question, "Are these people having fun?" Obviously the answer is yes. Do you see how into that bowling game g-pa is over there? Dood, G-Pa's gonna spank your ASS in that game, and from launch day on will only be inviting you over to the house so he can tap dat ass! I digress.

    I only pose the question to you because I'm curious as to what you think about the Wii experience videos. Do you really thing the people testing out the games and controllers for the first time are really having fun? Do they look like they are acting? Now, compare those videos to the few video commercials and snippets that you have seen for the PS3. Do the PS3 video at any time convey to you the idea of fun? What about the overall feel, do the videos feel light, or charismatic? Have you seen any people in the videos actually use the system? And what about the XB360 videos. You find any fun ones going around?

    Just a question for ya to let pop around in your head. I'm curious as to your takes on the media being created and pushed around by the big three. What gets your attention and what doesn't?

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    Daily News: Circuit City Giving Away 10 Ultimate Game Packages

    posted @ 10/30/2006 12:25:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Become the ultimate fanboy/girl
    • Here are 22 PS3 launch titles
    • Nintendo entering Russia
    • Anime Tour goes to Seattle, Vegas
    • New Guyver series hits stores


    10 winners will have it all! You can become the ultimate fanboy or fangirl by being one of 10 winners in Circuit City's Ultimate Gaming Giveaway. Winner will get a prize package that includes a 60GB PS3, Xbox 360 Pro, Nintendo Wii, a home theater setup, two Xbox games, two PS3 games and a Wii game and wireless controllers for all three consoles -- a package valued at $2299.88. You have only until Nov. 4 to enter and you can enter only once. Go to www.circuitcity.com and follow the prompts. Here are the official rules.

    PS3 to have 22 games at debut: The list of games available at the launch of the PS3 (according to NamHuy.org) will be: NBA 07, Resistance: Fall of Man, Genji: Days of the Blade, Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII, Call of Duty 3, EA Sports Fight Night Round 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, F.E.A.R., Full Auto 2: Battlelines, Madden NFL 07, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, NBA 2K7, Need For Speed Carbon, NHL 2K7, Ridge Racer 7, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Untold Legends Dark Kingdom.

    Nintendo to compete in Russia: Japanese business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that Nintendo's European unit has already appointed an agency to start selling its hardware and software in November, according to a story carried by Reuters.

    Anime Tour for the Cure announced: A nonprofit convention to help raise up to $250,000 for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Anime Tour for the Cure has announced tour stops at Seattle, Wash., Jan. 6-7, and in Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 13-14. For more information, go to animeff.com.

    Guyver, Vol. 1: Days of Future Past: The original Guyver is one of the first big anime series to become a hit in North America, and it helped create anime fandom as we know it today. Now we have a brand new Guyver with all the bells and whistles and mayhem that otaku have come to expect from an A-list title! Featuring electric action sequences, this timeless tale of a boy who discovers an otherworldly suit of armor and becomes caught in the crossfire of an interstellar war comes to life as you've never seen it before. Or maybe you have.


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    Rumble On Wii Warriors

    posted @ 10/29/2006 09:11:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    NinJaSistah in the spot to be on a fine, fine, football afternoon to share with you some news about the Wii. [Don't get all in a tizzy, I wrote this originally at 2 in the afternoon... Blogger was havin' issues again so just be glad I finally got this thing posted.]

    Moving on.

    In between beers [Guinness if you're curious] and football games [can't BELIEVE New Orleans lost to Baltimore, dammit Reggie, you're a receiver, not a QB!] I've spared a few moments to share with you some wonderful news I've heard about the Wii. Well, more directly, the Wii Nunchaku remote.

    There seems to be a debate about the Wii Nunchaku [the little analog stick dongle for the Wiimote] having a rumble feature. There was a post on the Gaming Tengoku blog that linked to a quote from the NeoGAF forum about a quote from the British magazine EDGE. The forum post didn't link directly to the EDGE article, but I'll help them confront all the naysayers out there. Nintendo's own website SAYS the Wiimote has a rumble feature. This should not be any big news. It's good to know, since SIXAXIS won't have the feature, and makes me curious if the lack of force feedback will be a big noticable difference or not. Now, from the looks of all the attention that this got on Digg with people calling this wrong, inaccurate, and a rumor, I thought I would run with my very own flaming rumors and unconfirmed speculative thoughts through untraceable links and pure flights of fancy, in order to show people what actual bullshit looks like. Maybe that way, when the real info hits, it won't be mistaken for bullshit. Let's test it.

    What is to follow is totally unconfirmed, in all liklyhood never going to happen and as such, should be regarded as incorrect, impossible, or as blatant lies for the sake of entertainment only.

    Not to be outdone by Nintendo, Sony has decided to add in the ability for your PSP to operate your PS3 wirelessly, anywhere. Got to pee? No need to stop the gaming fun, bring your PSP along and you can continue playing your game as you "drop the kids off at the pool." Gotta go to work? Again, not an issue as Sony has you covered with their new PLAYONOYALP system, you can continue to play your PS3 games from your cubical computer, LP2 printer, or fax machine! Sony really means it when they say "Play B3yond!" I heard this over at the forums on the d00dI'mJokin.net website

    Not to be left behind in the race for next-gen game console dominance, Microsoft and Take 2 Interactive in a joint partnership with Dairy Queen are going to create a new XBlive experience for the Gold level members. The new "Just Dip It!" program, not to be confused with Nike's "Just Do It" campaign, will reward XBLive Gold members that (1) pre-pay for 4 years of the XBLive service and (2) can teabag Jack Thompson in public with free small Blizzards, Single-Dipped cones, or Sundays each Friday during their tenure as an XBLive Gold member. Dive right in to the fun with XB360, Take2 Games, and Dairy Queen, and "Just Dip It!"

    You see my friends, THAT is what you can list as being "inaccurate" or "unreliable." Something that is listed on a manufacturers website that you can find by Googling the words "wii controller+rumble" and get in the FIRST FREAKIN RESULT... not bullshit.

    You all my now return to your previous gaming playing, anime watchin', and general geekin' out.

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    Daily News: The Short List

    posted @ 10/29/2006 12:29:00 PM by evermore
    For those of you on the go, here are a number of links to stories we haven't been able to give more coverage on. We hope you enjoy them.




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    Daily News: Want a Cheaper PS3? Sony Says Wait Til 2007!

    posted @ 10/26/2006 11:27:00 PM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Sony shoots off mouth
    • Midway shoots wrestling fans
    • Philips shoots light and wind at gamers
    • Shoot, I'll go to this kind of prom
    • Shooting silver bullets


    Should you wait on a PS3? Sony says so! The following doesn't come from a fanboy site -- it comes from the New York Times, who spoke to Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony's chief financial officer: "Mr. Oneda said he expects the company to mark down PlayStation 3 prices in 2007 once the supply problems are solved." See? Even Sony thinks the PS3 is priced too high.

    Midway shoots wrestling fans: If you were at a pro wrestling match in Orlando Monday night, you might be immortalized in an upcoming video game. The staff of Midway Games filmed crowd footage and recorded noise and chants for the upcoming debut Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling video game. According to PWInsider.com, "The level of detail (in the game) was said to be so precise you could see a scar on (wrestler A.J.) Styles' lip that he suffered from a Samoa Joe bout."

    Philips' amBX immerses you in game: Know how Philips' Ambilight washes the wall behind the TV screen in a light whose color is complimentary to what's currently on the screen? Now imagine that along with sattelite lights, sounds, wind and rumble features for your keyboard and your wrist. It's called amBX and is due out early next year for PC games. To get everything will set you back $399 and requires games that are specifically coded for amBX to get the full effect, but if it catches on, it's gonna be hot. Ryan Kim of the San Francisco Chronicle played around with it a little and says, "It makes games seem a little more cinematic and full. And when done right, a software developer can use the lights to help cue players as to where to go by lighting up one light."

    Kids bored with prom come up with anime theme: The teen services director of the Tecumseh District Library in Michigan was listening to kids in the library's anime club talking about the prom. "They didn't know if they were going," she said, "because it's the same all the time." That gave her the bright idea of incorporating an anime theme in a prom party. According to the story in the Tecumseh, Mich., Herald: "Attendees were encouraged to come dressed as their favorite anime character.... Regular prom traditions were preserved, including the crowning of a king and queen. In a wry spoof on the royalty ritual, the crowns were cardboard and came from Burger King."

    Trinity Blood: Chapter 1: In the distant future after the destruction brought about by Armageddon, the war between the vampires and the humans continue to persist. In order to protect the humans from the vampires, Vatican has to rely on other allies to counter the situation. The protagonist, a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, travels through the countries as a representative for the Vaticans. However, he is also part of "Ax", a special operations group controlled by the Cardinal Catherina. His encounter with a young girl called Esther will determine the struggle and survival between the human race and the vampires. So there.


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    Don't Panic

    posted @ 10/24/2006 05:48:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Seriously, I'm not trying to stir up any trouble here, but I saw this article on the Destructoid site [y'all are the bomb!] and my heart missed a beat.

    Ok, more than just one, but you get the general idea. Assassin's Creed [as well as that Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway game have been delayed by Ubisoft. Not indefinitely, but have been delayed in order to help strengthen fiscal year 2007-08. Now, as Dtoid writer Robert Summa reminds us,
    "keep in mind that a delay is often a good thing. I'd rather see a polished game than a rush job."
    and he's right... but damned if I still ain't twitching over the fact that I'm not going to get my Assassin on as early as I had hoped.

    Right now there are not a whole lot of games that I am looking forward to this season like Assassin's Creed. I am not ashamed to say that I want to play Viva Pinata,Rayman: Raving Rabbids, or even that Super Swing Golf game on the Wii, but I have almost been desperate in lust for games like Assassin's Creed and even Devil May Cry 4. Mostly due to my lack of satisfaction with the games I have been playing up until now. You know how disappointed I was with Samurai Warriors 2, and N3 if I'm honest, so my saving grace was the upcoming months with the Wii and PS3 a few weeks out from launch. "Bated breath" doesn't begin to acurately explain how exciting and trembling with an-ticccccci-[SAY IT!]-pation I've been the last couple of days as the nearness of launch day 06 comes closer. How could any gamer not be excited right now? The KOTOR 2 restoration is underway, Phantasy Star Universe drops in three days [3] while Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will beat it to the shelves by a day.

    Oh yeah, can't leave out:
    Need For Speed Carbon, F.E.A.R,
    Gears of War, Tony Hawks Project 8,
    Heavenly Sword, Strangelhold,
    Ridge Racer 7, Genji: Days of the Blade,
    Red Steel, and the hotly desired Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess*
    *note, this game list included in depth to aid any and all folks that want to buy, gift, or provide a title to the hard working NinJaSistah.

    These are good times to be a gamer... if you have a shugah daddy/momma, six figure job, come from money, or have recently had a winning trip to Las Vegas. When I say I'm broke, I do mean it people. No mon, no fun.

    But I, like Mr. Summa over at Dtoid, will hope that this delay will give Ubisoft the time they need to really blow the lid of the action genre on all three next-gen platforms... else I'll be broke-assed and pissed-off which is neither fun for you or my shugah daddy!


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    Lik-Sunk

    posted @ 10/24/2006 04:30:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    The gamers best buddy and pal Sony has effectively put the best place on the web for getting your grubby little hands on imports Lik-Sang.

    Sony says, it's for our own good. The British don't need Japanese PSP's or video games that will never be ported to England for the English, so places like Lik-Sang don't need to exist, right?

    Wrong. Here's why. Sony pushed back the roll out of it's PS3 system in Europe to 07. [March of if'n I remember correctly] so the only way for many people in Europe to get there hands on the system before then would be to grab an import from someplace like Lik-Sang... which had already taken pre-orders for the PS3 before the Gamestop shenanigans. Yeah, you heard me, I said shenanigans! Hundred non-refundable bucks for a pre-order that won't even put a box in my hand launch day deserves no other name. But it's not just PS3, but our European sister and brother gamers were also getting boned on the price of their console and hand held systems. As much as I bitch and moan about the price of the high end PS3 box here in the states, that 599 euro box in Europe would run you nearly 752.12 USD. I shall cease my bitching for a bit on that one. OUCHIES!

    But why now, and what really is the deal? Well Sony claims it filled the lawsuit against Lik-Sang arguing economic harm to itself and dishonest selling tactics. Now, I'm not sure exactly what "economic harm" defenseless lil Lik-Sang had [they didn't even have representation during the hearings, poor lil guys...] but I'm not sure how you can claim dishonesty. There was an adapter that was listed on the Lik-Sang site that was supposed to be auto-sensing as far as power wattage went, and I haven't been able to tell if that product was bunk or not, but still... there are a lot of sites that list a lot of products that don't actually do all of what they promise.Oh, by the way, isn't this "dishonest selling tactics" the pot calling the kettle black coming from Sony? Didn't they make that next-gen console comparison sheet that in all "honesty" to label as "bullshit" a fair statement?

    Now look, I never actually bought anything through Lik-Sang. Not because I felt they couldn't be trusted, or were overpriced, but because I personally didn't have much want or need for an import game or gaming system. However, I always thought it was a good idea to have a source like Lik-Sang out there for the people who did not have as many options or choices as I've had here in the US. There are a bunch of games each year that ship in Japan and in the US and Canada, but never make the distribution cut for Europe. I didn't like that idea, but at least places like Lik-Sang helped level the playing field for gamers in Europe. I liked that. I'm almost 100 percent sure that this maneuver by Sony had less to do with protecting the "hordes" of folks clamoring for the PSP in Europe and more to do with the [eventual] roll out of the PS3 in Europe.

    I do feel for you poor bastards in Europe, not even having a shot at a PS3 until waaaaay into 2007. You gotta wait until after us Americans and Japanese have all our fun before you can even think about joining the party.

    Y'all have been fucked, and I do mean proper fucked, by Sony. The only difference between us and you, is that Sony took us out to dinner first.

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    Daily News: Play All That You Can Play

    posted @ 10/22/2006 01:28:00 AM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Army gives good game
    • Happier battery news from Sony
    • Microsoft comes to Halo's rescue
    • Iraqis love anime character
    • Got any Gundam?


    U.S. Army bears gifts to gamers: A U.S. defense contractor and the U.S. Army are teaming up to offer a free videogame that helps demonstrate warfare of the future. F2C2 is described as a real-time tactical strategy game that lets player learn about the Army's Future Combat Systems program by assuming command of a Mounted Company Team in the year 2015. Through game play, F2C2 showcases how FCS can provide the 21st century soldier unprecedented situational awareness, and the ability to see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively. F2C2 can be downloaded for free on the U.S. Army's public Web site.

    Sony reassures PS3 owners about controllers: Sony faced another public relations nightmare when it was discovered that the new Sixaxis wireless controller for the PS3 didn't allow users to change batteries, making the entire controller useless when the rechargeable batteries finally died for good. Once the word got out, Sony was quick to say that any controllers that died could be exchanged for a new one. GamesIndustry.biz quotes a Sony representative: "The latest generation of Lithium Polymer batteries hardly suffer any memory effect at all, so it'll be many years before there's any degradation in terms of battery performance. When and if this happens, then of course we will be providing a service to exchange these items."

    Microsoft to save Halo movie? That's the word according to Variety. When it looked like the movie was going to exceed the $135 million pricetag, Universal Studios and Twentieth Century Fox pulled out of the project. Ken Kamins, who represents executive producer Peter Jackson, said Microsoft is already in talks with other distribution partners.

    Anime character used to provide Japanese goodwill in Iraq: A truck rolls up in the scorching midsummer heat of Iraq emblazoned with the image of Captain Tsubasa, from the anime series of the same name. "I figured if we had a picture of Tsubasa on the side of the water supply trucks Japan had provided, maybe people would understand that the anime was actually from Japan," Yasuyuki Ebata, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official, told the Daily Yomiuri newspaper. The Iraqi-language version of the anime is aired in Iraq as "Captain Majed."

    Wars and Rumors of Wars: Two years after the war Between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT, conflicts between the two nations heat up again in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny, Vol. 5. Shin Asuka, the new Main Character's eyes are full of sorrow as his family was killed in Orb during the war. Meanwhile, Athrun is torn between protecting Cagalli in Orb and doing something about the war. With new moble suits being developed by ZAFT and the abduction of three new modles by 3 Earth Alliance Pilots, the new story begins. If you understand all of that, then you really need this one.


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    Daily News: All I Want for Christmas...

    posted @ 10/20/2006 11:32:00 PM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • The mother of all shortages
    • The top 10,000
    • Out like a Lamb
    • Just some good ol' boys
    • Another Case Closed


    Want a Wii or PS3 before Christmas? Forget about it: "This is going to be the mother of all shortages," said Larry Haverty, associate portfolio manager of Gabelli Global Multimedia Trust. He and others have told Reuters that purchasing this year's new consoles at the regular retail price before Christmas might be impossible.

    The 10,000 most important gamers in the world: Are you part of the Nielsen 10,000? If you are, you're one of the most important gamers in the world. Nielsen, the folks who measure TV viewership, will be measuring videogame usage in its Nielsen GamePlay Metrics. Some 10,000 gamers have been chosen to represent the worldwide audience of videogame fans. "We are not targeting homes of gamers specifically," said Jeff Hermann, VP of Nielsen Wireless and Interactive Services. "The panel represents the media consumption habits of the US consumer. Since the panel is statistically representative of all U.S. consumers, the gaming population is a subset of the overall panel and statistically projectable to represent game title and duration of play of the entire gaming population."

    Noise of "The Lamb": Tokyopop's animated production of its long-running manga series "Lament of the Lamb" will be spotlighted at the 2006 Tokyo International Film Festival next week. Described in Tokyopop's press release as "a gut-wrenching horror story of a young man who shockingly discovers he may be the last in a bloodline of vampires," the manga version was created by Kei Toume and originally published in Japan by Gentosha. While TOKYOPOP'S popular manga properties, "Priest" and "Pet Shop of Horrors", have been recently acquired for film adaptation by Sony Screen Gems and Focus Features, respectively, "Lament of the Lamb" signals the company's first move into theatrical feature film production.

    Why I don't live in Alabama anymore: James Wilson and Lance Borchert, both of Athens, Ala., were playing their favorite teams in a Playstation college football game Sept. 30 -- a game that became a little too serious. With Borchert's Tennessee team leading Wilson's Auburn team, Wilson became upset when Borchert quit the game and went to bed. Wilson, Borchert's wife's cousin, allegedly entered the Borchert's bedroom and stabbed Borchert in the back with a butcher knife. Although the knife punctured Borchert's lung, it did not kill him. Wilson ran from the Borchert home into the nearby woods and was tracked down by dogs from the Limestone Correctional Facility.

    Exploding Skyscrapers? Don't Blame Godzilla: The city is in the grip of a crazed bomber in Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper - The Movie and nobody is safe as a crushing wave of terror washes over the innocent citizens. Planes, trains and massive towers all threaten to light up the night sky -- the sick whims of a brutal lunatic played out in sudden balls of fire. Conan Edogawa finds himself in a desperate race against the clock, an explosive game of cat and mouse with a deviant madman, and every second counts. Can he unravel the maniacal malcontent's scheme before the next timer reaches zero? Awww, probably, but you should check it out anyway.


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    Daily News: Microsoft to Apple: Get Zuned

    posted @ 10/19/2006 11:20:00 PM by evermore
    In today's news:
    • Microsoft tells Apple to Zune itself
    • A feature no one asked for
    • Wii and PS3 kiosks heading to stores
    • The week's best quotes
    • One of those anime things


    READ MY LIPS:
    When General Motors tried to sell the Chevy Nova in Mexico during the 1960s, they discovered an unfortunate problem. In Spanish, the word "nova" means "no-go." Well, the brainiacs at Microsoft didn't seem to care to check out the name of their new MP3 player against the world's major languages. When told the meaning of the word pronounced Zee-yoon in Hebrew, the conversation with Bill Gates undoubtedly went something like this:

    Microserf: Uh, Mr. Gates, there's a problem with the new Zune.
    Bill Gates: A problem? Is it that damn brown color?
    Microserf: No, it's not that, sir. It's... it's... it's the name.
    Bill Gates: The name? What's wrong with the name?
    Microserf: Well, uh, in Hebrew it means... it means...
    Bill Gates: Spit it out, boy. It couldn't be that bad.
    Microserf: It means FUCK!
    Bill Gates: FUCK? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

    HERE'S A FEATURE NOBODY ASKED FOR
    Last week, Sony introduced a new Walkman MP3 player to compete with Apple's iPod. The big, new, iPod-killing feature of this one? The ability to upload music directly from a compact-disc player. Think about this for a moment: Most CD players run at 1X speed, meaning a 45-minute-long CD will take exactly 45 minutes to upload the songs to the player. If you let the batteries run dry, you'll have to upload the whole thing again.

    And, as NinjaSistah asked when I told her about it, who owns CD's anymore?

    RUMORS:
    Sony's not worried about the PS3 overheating, right? Then why are they installing an extra cooling fan in their store kiosks? Read about it here.

    Speaking of kiosks, Wii and PS3 kiosks are already winging their way to Best Buy, Wal-Mart, GameStop and EBGames stores. Call your favorite store to see if it has already arrived. More...

    Don't play the Wii in direct sunlight. That's the word of a blogger on the Nintendo Gal website: "That's right, if you have the sun beaming right onto the sensor bar, it doesn't work." More...

    QUOTES:
    "For this Christmas I think the price for what it specifically does as a video games machine [it] is a bit pricey..."
    -- Sony Computer Entertainment Australia Managing Director Michael Ephraim, talking about the Wii's price. From Australia's Age newspaper.

    "E3 is not a place where product is sold anymore. The industry is recognized as a big part of mainstream culture, so the need for a big glittering event to validate the industry is not what it used to be," he said. "What is needed ... is to focus on the fact that E3 is much more about media-related opportunities. The question is what is the most efficient way to create those opportunities."
    -- Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, the trade association that owns E3.From SFGate.com

    "When building a house, traditional Japanese builders start with the tiniest detail and gradually expand from there. Western builders are the opposite. They start with the picture of a whole and add details to it. When Westerners look at old Japanese buildings, they often wonder how the builders drew the blueprint for such a complex shape. But the secret is that there never was a blueprint. It is this fundamental difference in approach that makes Japanese buildings fascinating to their eyes. The same thing can be said about animation. The way we create large images for movies is similar to that traditional architectural method. I think that explains the appeal Japanese animation can have, particularly in the western world."
    -- Toshio Suzuki, president of Japan's Studio Ghibli. From the Wall Street Journal

    Naruto, Vol. 5 - Shinobi Weapons: As I was saying yesterday, join three young ninjas -- Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno -- as they continue their training. Sort of like Pokemon without all the dang cards, eh? Get the thing here.


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    Sixaxis Battery Woe No

    posted @ 10/18/2006 11:40:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Sure, I'm a little behind, but I HAD to go to the damn hockey game. I do more than just game you know. [I also love football, and professional boxing. I am what you many would refer to as a "down ass chick"] But this little tid-bit of info did not escape my radar.

    So the PS3 controller known as "SIXAXIS" has a flaw. Imagine that, some part of the PS3 has some kind of flaw. While most of the sites that have been writing about the controller specs, they haven't really focused on just how much of a problem this flaw presents.

    So here's the deal on the Bluetooth controller. It has a rechargeable lithium ion battery built in, as in the rechargeable battery can not come out of the controller. Now while the battery is rechargeable, to fully charge it through your PS3 via USB will take about 2 hours. Once the battery is charged it should get about 30 hours of use before requiring a recharge. Not bad performance if it's true, but the estimated battery life number have never been all that universal. I know you are saying, "sounds ok to me, where da prob Bob?" The "prob" is that anyone that has ever used a device that has a lithium ion battery knows that over time and usage, lithium ion batteries decay and die. With each recharge, a little less of the battery can actually recharge and soon, your battery will shuffle off it's mortal coil and move on to battery heaven... and since this battery is hard wired into your remote, it means that your remote is a paperweight in waiting. [hehe, I crack myself up sometimes]

    Maybe we should have a "how fast can you turn your PS3 controller into a paperweight" sweepstakes here at ESH. I figure a year of Final Fantasy and Socom playing ought to do it. I mean, not for nothing but at least you have the option of rechargeable battery PACKS with the XB360, or regular battery powered battery packs... if a pack dies, you just replace the battery pack which is cheaper than buying a new controller.

    Pay for the potential folks... through the nose. Fuck you Sony for making me sound like an Xbox fangirl. No lube either.

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    Lumines Live on XBLive Tomorrow

    posted @ 10/17/2006 06:05:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    A Friendly NinJa FYI...

    The port of probably the most entertaining PSP game that I've every played [Lumines] hits XBLive tomorrow. Yeah boyeeeeee, grab your gamertag, get some MS points, and have a ball.

    Lumines Live will hit the arcade starting at 1am PDT so you might wanna snag it before you head off to class in the morning.

    Thus ends the Friendly NinJa FYI. [So would that be a FNFYI?]

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    PS3 Online Details

    posted @ 10/15/2006 01:43:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Back from New York, with a few tidbits to share with you.

    First off, I found some details on the net about the PS3's online capabilities. You may already know about this stuff, but I did not, and was pleased [finally] to see all of this stuff.

    So here's the list of stuffs:
    • Multiple User Profiles
    • Master Accounts
    • Web 2.0 Compliant Web Browser
    • The majority of the online experience is free!


    Now lets examine these talking points.

    Multiple User Profiles
    For anyone that will be sharing a system [like a frat/sorority house, roommates, family homes, this is going to come in handy. The PS3 will support multiple user profiles on the system [saved to the hard drive] so each individual user can sign in to their profile and have their account settings and preferences on hand. No worries about saving stuff over on other people's profiles by accident here. Oh joy!

    Master Accounts
    Tied in with the multiple user accounts above, you will be able to set a master account on the PS3 when you get it. Think of the master account as root [geeksters only] the master account gets to set boundaries and admin all sub or associated accounts. This will be a big help to parents as they can set themselves up as the Master Account and allow their kids to setup associated accounts. With their Master Account, parents can limit the amount of time an associated account can spend in the Online Store, or even online I would imagine. This may be a big selling point on the PS3 for families in this day and age of shielding the chillrens from the world and whatnot.


    Web 2.0 Compliant Browser
    This was an interested one to see, a full blown web browser. No crippled browsing capabilities here folks, which is long over due I think. Read your GMail, check out what's going on here at ESH, watch some viral videos, it's all here. I think this feature will prove to be invaluable if Bluetooth keyboards can be used easily with the system. Give me a box that I can game on and take time out to check my email, Myspace, and update this site all at the same time, and I'll be spending a LOT of time in front of the tube on the regular.
    - and finally, my fav -

    The Majority of the Online Experience is Free!
    Yes, I'm not stuttering... it's free... well most of it is, anyway. All of the online services [which include voice/video chat and normal multiplayer gaming] are free once you sign up. The only things you have to fork over some dollahs are when you decided to buy items from the Playstation Store, downloadable content crap or subscriptions to MMO games, which, I think is fair.

    Now, there's a lot more going on in the article I read that mentioned these nuggets of info from, but I found these things to be the most interesting to me because if implemented well these elements will make the PS3 box a strong entertainment box. What? Surprised I said that? You shouldn't be, I'm a gamer first and foremost... so any news on tech implementations that will make my experience as a gamer more enjoyable or easy to manage will get my positive attention. My objections or negative opinions of the PS3 box have always been on Sony's attitude towards the consumer, the price point, and lack of forethought on the launch. I think once the lasers are fixed and working properly, box production is up, development for the box becomes a little easier for game developers, and the price comes down a bit, that the PS3 will be a strong gaming box... just not before then.

    Seeing these few facts about the online aspect of the box gives me hope that at least some forethought and conversation about making the gaming experience better for gamers has been going on at Sony in some marginal way. It doesn't wipe out all the previous condescending comments, or superiority complex things that Sony has been inflicting on the gaming community of late, but it's a step toward mending that bridge.

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    SAY WHAAA???

    posted @ 10/12/2006 06:13:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Dude, I'm confused. I've been looking forward to the PS2 God Hand for some time now. It's currently at the top of my Gamefly queue followed by Okami and Saints Row. So the news that the company behind the first two games is out of business and about to be liquidated kinda made me say WTF?!?!

    To say that I was caught a little off guard would be an understatement of epic proportions. When I read about it earlier today I bit my tongue, literally. I was chewing gum and was so floored I lost my chewing rhythm, missed the gum, and bit my tongue. This added to me puzzlement and anger.

    As you may [or may not] know, Clover Studios are the mad men and women behind Okami, God Hand, and Viewtiful Joe. If you haven't played any of these games, you've done yourself a disservice. I have yet to play the full versions of Okami or God Hand but I have played a demo of Okami and both of the Viewtiful Joe games. These games are unique. Within the first few moments of playing them you understand by instinct alone that these are the brain children of some creative ass people. Search the interweb for any of these titles or hit up the IGN website and look them up. You won't find any negative things being said about these titles. [Except for God Hand which gets dismissed for being a simple brawler that pokes fun at itself]. So why close up the Clover Studios shop on us Capcom?

    I guess it's the same answer as always: creative does not always equal profit while missed profits always equal termination. It turns out that Capcom [Clover is a subsidiary of Capcom] has decided that although Clover Studios was productive, evidently they were not lucrative [enough]to continue on. While Viewtiful Joe is fun and interesting, it mostly has a cult following much like "Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "The Blair Witch Project" films, and if you remember, it was a long time after the RHPS movie came out and BOMBED before it became a cult classic. In the game industry, the present is all you have to make a great impression, good doesn't cut it any more... do blockbuster sales, or go home. The more I write this, the more I ask myself why am I surprised at this turn of events.

    One of my favorite games top play is a game called Ico. Don't feel bad, if you don't know it... many gamers have never played or heard of this game. In this game, you play a boy who is born with horns on his head. These horns are a sign that you are to be sacrificed to ward off evil spirits from your village. People from your village take you to the sacrifice sanctuary and entomb you, but you manage to get out. You meet a girl in white, who doesn't speak your language, [ain't that always the way?] find a stick, and try to escape from the evil shadow spirits inhabiting the castle. What is intriguing about Ico is it's sense of style and atmosphere. The environments are carefully detailed and grand. The mechanic of having to call out to your female companion in order to lift her to high areas or catch her when traversing great distances was, IMHO, ingenious, but very few people were interested in the game. No one knew how to market it over here, so few people ever heard of it. But those that did, loved it. The loved it so much that the fine folks that created Ico got a second chance and produced a game you probably heard of called Shadow of the Colossus. I am almost sure that the reason Shadow existed was because the fans of Ico were so vocal about their feelings for the game as well as all of the glowing reviews critics gave the game and it's design team.

    Clover Studios sure wasn't lacking on praise for Okami nor was Viewtiful Joe a disaster, but I don't think either game has the kind of niche that Ico did, and that's why the panning that God Hand has been getting I think fueled the impending dissolution of the company. I think this is a mistake. As a creative person myself, I hate it whenever something creative gets rubbed out because the profit side of the deal was decent as opposed to being spectacular. Personally, I find it short-sighted to scrap a game, or developer studio because the titles they create do appease the large chunk of the gamer market. The market is diverse: give your audience time to find you and love you. You would be amazed by the length a devoted series fan will go to in order to show their support for the title, but you have to have the ability to accept "good" or "decent" sales in return for the loyalty. Many companies I think ask, "Why spend the time and resources to reach only this part of the market?" Simple, because that part of the market exists and NEEDS to be serviced. In all honesty, how many "flagship" titles can any company have or really need?

    I guess I have to just find some solace in the fact that the Clover Studio folks might just turn around and start their own company and continue being creative. I hope they do... I'll be waiting.

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    Daily News: Nintendo -- No. 1 With a Bullet?

    posted @ 10/10/2006 11:11:00 PM by evermore
    In today's news:
    -- Nintendo's heading back to the top
    -- Live a little behind the videogame counter
    -- There's lots of rumbling, but not from the Sony camp
    -- A new Ghost volume is crawling out of its Shell

    Will Nintendo Win the Next Gen Wars? It's been generally accepted that Microsoft will win the next-generation console wars for 2006, selling about 10 million by years' end, compared with about 4 million sold by Nintendo and fewer than 2 million sold by Sony. But according to UBS analysts Alex Gauna and Steven Chin, Nintendo will have as many as 9 million Wii consoles available for sale before the end of 2006, which could vault Nintendo to the top of the next gen heap this year.

    Life Behind the Counter: I always hate going into record stores. The people who work there always act like they're the rock stars. Videogame stores always seemed a little different, though. And now you can find out why in the DayintheLifeofVideogames blog. One of the site's bloggers, Postman, describes a fight in the store that spilled out into the street: "It was over pretty quick, and the leader came back to grab his CD's that fell, and apologized for what happened. I watched as they left, and here's the kicker -- they all get in the same car and drive away together!" Perhaps Kevin Smith is already checking out the site and taking notes for Clerks III.

    Let's Get Ready to TILT!: To rumble or not to rumble -- that's the big question about Sony's PlayStation 3 controllers. Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai is quoted as saying, "If we have to come up with technology... to isolate the vibration from the sensing, but if that means that the controllers are going to be so expensive, then we're doing the consumer a huge disservice by coming up with a controller that is not very affordable." Meanwhile, Victor Veigas of Immersion Corporation, the company that holds the patent on the rumble technology, insists, "I'm ready to meet with them and try to work out this issue because at the end of the day it's the gamer that really seems to be suffering."

    Friendly Ghost in the Shell: The release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2nd Gig, Vol. 7 marks the end of the second season. According to the synopsis, "Things are starting to go Section 9's way, but the nuclear missile is still being prepared for launch!" This version includes the collectible tin cast, music soundtrack CD and collectible GITS toy, er, action figure.


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    Zilch

    posted @ 10/10/2006 05:41:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Yeah, I stood in line this morning [like many other people across the country] praying that I would be one of the chosen few to pre-order a PS3... that didn't happen. I got zilch, zero, nada, denied... I got nothing but love fo ya honey!

    I even tried calling around to other Gamestops in the area [most of which I couldn't have gotten to even if they did have any pre-orders left as I don't have a vehicle] but my inquisition was all for naught. Every place I turned, every avenue I tried turned up nothing but a bunch of "Sorry's" and "Nope's" from the more than exhausted folks on the other end of the line.

    Aw, I tell you man, it sucked... it sucked worse than I thought it would because there were other people around me that were just as disappointed, if not more so, at not making the cut for the pre-ordering. It was sad to see the twinkle leave their eye as they confronted the sad news... some even refused to accept their "potential" denial and resorted to fist shaking and cussing. [You should be very proud of the NinJa... she did not cuss, out loud, at any person! Nor did she kill anyone, so, double bonus!!] But I will share the thing about the whole "No PS3 Fo U" bullshit that went on today: as soon as the pre-orders ran out, so did the people.

    At the first Gamestop that I went to, the MOMENT the dude at the register said they were out of pre-orders the majority of the folks headed for the door. They didn't stay and shop. They didn't trade in any of the items they brought along... they just started towards the next Gamestop. A few folks stayed a couple of minutes longer to share their displeasure with the goings on and I'm sure one or two folks me were hanging around in hopes that the employees were just joking and that they had one more pre-order that they could have for sticking it out. Some of the people who lack tact or taste, even tried to flex their "I have a podcast and a website, can't you hook a sistah up" muscle. [me again]

    None of it worked. But I do know this: this morning was a taste of will come to pass over the next few months. I pitty the Gamestop employees, and weep for those who will be aggressively seeking a PS3.

    Write to me if you need a shoulder to lean on... I feel your pain.

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    Daily News: How to Win Friends and Influence Microsoft

    posted @ 10/08/2006 02:15:00 PM by evermore
    In today's issue, influence Microsoft with your smooth prose, discover the similarity between Sony's PS3 wireless controller and Nazi Germany, revisit the Old School and try to decide why today's stuff just isn't as fun as it used to be.

    Want to Affect What Happens At Microsoft? Blog About It: Former Microsoft employee Robert Scoble told CIO Insight of the company's unscientific approach to feeling out its customers: "We used blog-search engines to find anyone who wrote the word 'Microsoft' on their blog. Even if they had no readers and were just ranting, 'I hate Microsoft,' I could see that and link to it, or I could participate in their comments, or send them an e-mail saying, 'What's going on?' And that told those people that someone was listening to their rants, that this is a different world than the one in which no one listens. It was an invaluable focus group that Microsoft didn't have to pay for."

    The Sixaxis of Evil: During World War II, the troika of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan was called the "Axis Powers." In his 2002 State of the Union address, President G.W. Bush said North Korea, Iran and Iraq "constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." So it's no wonder that Sony, with all its ultra-intelligent decisions thus far this year, would finally give a name to its new wireless controller for the PlayStation 3: The Sixaxis. The folks at Sony must be hoping it will take over the world.

    Old School Will Be Represented Well on the Wii: Several games defunct gamemaker Epyx made for the Commodore 64 will be emulated on the Nintendo Wii, according to Nintendo Power magazine. Initial titles include Impossible Mission, California Games, The Last Ninja, Gottlieb Pinball Classics, Super Fruit Fall, Puzzle Ball, Leaderboard and Tennis Masters.

    Star Fox Command Comes to the Nintendo DS: Originally released as an SNES title in 1993, the Star Fox series has gone through several iterations. In a review of the newest version, Slashdot reviewer Zonk says, "[Star Fox] Command offers some simple strategy elements, an innovative control scheme, and the tried and true dogfighting gameplay the series is known for. It also dwells on one of the series' weaknesses, plot, to the detriment of the game."


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    Daily News: Days of Our Lives

    posted @ 10/07/2006 12:19:00 AM by evermore
    In today's issue, get a Second Life, get a Half Life and get much more.

    Adding More Lives to Second Life: Second Life fans will be glad to know there are some new tools to create new shapes to import into their virtual worlds outside of Second Life. Some IBM researchers have found a way to use Google's free 3D modeling application SketchUp to create basic shapes. In addition, there's an app to import a 2D structure from PowerPoint. Also, there's a standalone 3D modeling tool called Prim.Blender.

    Like Episodic Gaming? You're Going to See More: Valve Software, creators of the Half-Life saga, says it's going to distribute upcoming chapters in shorter, more frequent episodes. "Steam gives us a real time connection with our customers," Gabe Newell, Valve's founder and managing director, told CNNMoney.com. "Rather than guessing how people are playing our game, we can watch and see them navigate through the game. We can see them get stuck at various points and say 'oh, that's not what we designed' and work to correct that (in our next installment)." Newell revealed that a regular character would be killed in Half-Life 2, to be released in the first quarter of 2007.

    The Burger King of Games: Starting in November, Burger King will offer three restaurant-related Xbox 360 games for $3.99 with the purchase of a value meal. The three games are "Big Bumpin'," "PocketBike Racer" and "Sneak King," which will feature the restaurant company's iconic King character. The Wall Street Journal asked Burger King marketing head Russ Klein why videogames. Klein answered, "We know that the eyeballs in the increasingly fractured media world are harder to get, and gaming is one of the places they are going." Fractured eyeballs? Now that's a video game.

    Hitachi Recalls Sony Batteries Hitachi became the sixth computer manufacturer to recall Sony batteries in the company's ever-growing battery scandal. Hitachi said it would recall 16,000 batteries in two different models of laptops. In a statement printed in the Wall Street Journal, Hitachi said it is undertaking the recall "for its customers' peace of mind." Here are the current recall numbers, as of Friday, Oct. 6:

    Dell...........4,200,000
    Apple..........1,800,000
    Toshiba..........830,000
    Lenovo...........526,000
    Fujitsu..........287,000
    Hitachi...........16,000
    TOTAL..........7,659,000


    Popular XBox 360 Title to Launch PS3: Bethesda Softworks' blockbuster role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be a launch title for the PlayStation 3 this November in North America, and next March in Europe when the new console is expected to be released there. In addition, The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion will be released on the PlayStation Portable in Spring 2007 in North America and Europe. The highly regarded game was initially released on the XBox 360 in March.

    Alchemy? You Don't Want My Opinion on That: Just released, Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: The Conqueror of Shamballa focuses on two boys who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and now we're all paying for it. Go ahead -- buy a copy. See if I care.


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    It's Gonna Be Ugly!

    posted @ 10/05/2006 04:00:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    That's what a Gamestop manager revealed to Ben Kuchera over at Opposable Thumbs there at the arstechnica website. And by the way, "Opposable Thumbs" is an awesomely clever name for a blog... wish I had come up with that one. But I digress...

    Again, having some time to bop around ye olde interweb to catch up on all the news that's out there in between working for the day job, and I came across this article on the arstechnica website. The people that Kuchera talked with paint a very bleak PS3 roll out next month that's for sure. I know it seems like I'm picking on Sony yet again, but I swear I'm not. It's just every time I hit up my regular game sites for news, most of the Sony stuff gives me pause. I don't have to make Sony out to be a bad guy or create a scenario to make them seem like they are out of step with the rest of the next-gen console makers, they do that all on their own on what seems like a daily basis.

    From the arstechnica article what sticks out to me at least is this continuing theme of Sony seeming to be less prepared for what is coming than it's competitors. While Nintendo comes across as having a well defined ramp up to roll out and subsequent roll out plan for the Nintendo Wii. Even though at this point I think the code name of "Revolution" will prove to have been a better choice if the system can reach it's potential. Same with the XB360. I make no bones about the complaints I have with the XB360 system [from the pay for tier of the XBLive system, or the freezing issues] but game development is picking up on the platform, and they have adapted to new technologies to try and be even a tiny bit cutting edge. And while I think Sony is well meaning, I can't escape this horrible feeling. To use a sport analogy [because I didn't get to watch any boxing this past weekend] lets say that the next-gen console war that's about to start is a heavyweight boxing match. Well, instead of taking their opponent seriously the "undisputed champ" Sony has come into the ring without going through training camp and having a wild orgy the night before the fight with 4 hookers and some dude that was down at the bus depot: ill-equipped and unprepared.

    But hey, it's just my opinion.

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    Daily News: Sony's Hot -- Not the Good Kind of Hot

    posted @ 10/04/2006 11:16:00 PM by evermore
    In today's issue, find out if you can fry an egg on the PlayStation 3, find out if GameTap deserves so much ink, find out if a certain senator is thinking straight and find out just why you're suddenly feeling so old.

    More Sony Woes: Two Wall Street Journal articles Wednesday expressed more bad news about Sony. In one article, the Journal revealed that Sony shares had fallen 5.3 percent during the previous week. The company closed down 2.7% to 4,600 yen ($39.09 in U.S. dollars) Tuesday, a day on which the Nikkei Stock Average was nearly unchanged. In a report issued by Macquarie Securities analyst David Gibson, PlayStation 3 units on display at the Tokyo Game Show suffered overheating problems and had to be reset several times. A Sony spokesman told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that the company was unaware of any technical problems with the PS3. In another WSJ article, Fujitsu announced that it would recall 287,000 Sony battery packs from its computers. That brings the total in the Sony battery scandal to more than 7.6 million batteries. Here are the current recall numbers, as of Tuesday, Oct. 3:

    Dell...........4,200,000
    Apple..........1,800,000
    Toshiba..........830,000
    Lenovo...........526,000
    Fujitsu..........287,000
    TOTAL..........7,613,000


    Is GameTap Evil or Just Stupid? That's the question asked in two different recent stories. Manifesto Games co-founder Greg Costikyan tells Gamasutra, "I'm skeptical that their business model is sustainable." Meanwhile, on his own blog, Costikyan says that while a $60 price for a video game is too high, $10 is just too low.

    Senator Wants to Impose Government Regulations on Game Ratings: U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, last week introduced a bill, The Truth in Video Game Rating Act, S.3935, that would direct the Federal Trade Commission to require that reviewers consider the full content of a video game before issuing a rating. Brownback's press release stated, "Currently game reviewers do not play the games before determining ratings, and their reviews are based on taped segments of the game submitted by the game's producer to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Such taped segments may or may not fully represent the game's content. The bill would prohibit video game producers and distributors from withholding or hiding playable content from a ratings organization." Brownback said, "Game reviewers must have access to the entire game for their ratings to accurately reflect a game's content." Want to comment to the senator directly? Just call his office at 202-224-6521. Tell him the Sistahs sent you.

    Brings Out the 1986 In You: Just released, Voltron: Defender of the Universe Collection One focuses on five lion robots and their pilots as they defend the galaxy and planet Arus vs. the forces of King Zarkon and Prince Lotor from planet Doom. You're going to want to own this one, I bet.


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    Want a PS3 Badly?

    posted @ 10/04/2006 03:47:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    I know you do... you and every other fanboy/girl on the planet, but if you think that just pre-ordering will help get you a shiny box on launch day it looks like you're wrong.

    I was bopping around the internet while enjoying my afternoon snack [today was green apple jello day, if you must know] and came across this post on the Kotaku website. As the author quotes a Gamestop manager as saying
    Each Gamestop store will receive an average of 6 systems (more for higher volume stores, less for dead stores). 1-2 systems can be given to employees at the store manager's discretion. The rest are given out to the store's "regulars." If a manager feels he has a customer who is very loyal (shops there often, reserves many things), they call them and ask them if they want to guarantee one of the remaining 4 consoles...and apparently all 4 of the remaining consoles are handed out in this fashion.
    After reading that I thought I would warn the rest of you out there who, like me, don't pre-order every game on the planet or stop into your local Gamestop on a daily basis. Just having cash in your pocket [or plastic as the case may be] won't be enough any more to purchase an instrument of gaming pleasure... no, now you have to know a guy, that knows a guy, that works as a manager for Gamestop in order to get in on the fun on November 17th.

    So not only do you have to "work harder" to earn the money to buy a system and a few games like Ken Kuturagi said, but you also need to dust off your networking skills [and I don't mean Myspace here people] in hopes of befriending every Gamestop manager and employee you can find. And I do mean every single one folks. Best to hit the stand alone stores as well as the ones implanted in the malls. Put the store number in your cell phone and land line speed dials. Ladies, if you are single and want to pick up a PS3, date a manager. [First make sure he's single, don't want to accused of being a home-wrecking wench now do we?] It might sound like a bad idea, but if you really want a PS3 system before 2007 and don't care that it will probably have a bad laser [and some cooling problems evidently] then do what must be done. You are loyal to Sony after all, aren't you?

    As for me, I have no clue how the hell I'm going to get my hands on one, or if I really should take out renters insurance before I bring it home and plug it in.


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    Final Fantasy Game Leaked?

    posted @ 10/03/2006 12:54:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Ok, I remember when KH2 was leaked over the interwebs before its official release last year, so when I heard about the new Final Fantasy game being leaked I took it with a minor grain of salt. I knew that it was *possible* but figured that it was not probably because Squenix, er Square Enix, wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

    I really need to stop presuming and assuming things.

    Upon double and triple checking, it seems that the files of the Final Fantasy XII game that people have been finding on ye olde interweb are actually viable and people have been downloading them. Now, unless you have done naughty and illegal things to your PS2 [you naughty, dregs of society you] getting the file won't do you much good.

    I just think that the timing of this "leak" is suspicious... the game is accidentally leaked to the public a few weeks before the release? I dunno, maybe it's the hidden conspiracy theorist in me, but it seems to me all this "leak" has done is put a whole bunch of focus on the Final Fantasy game pre-commercial release that it may not have had otherwise.

    FFXII was leap-frogged in the hype press by the trinity that is FFXIII which probably didn't go over well with the people who make the real money over there at Sony and Squenix. If people are waiting and looking forward to games that are slated for 07, they might overlook the game coming out now in 06. That statement has to send shivers down a stockholders spine. So how do you get some quick publicity for a game that you have coming out at the end of the month? You can't put together a contest or sweepstakes fast enough, and it might not reach your intended audience. A email newsletter won't do you much good either because between junk mail filters, and people just throwing out emails before reading them if they are low on time [or lack focusing brain power at the moment] your message still won't get out. But if you say, accidentally leak out a fully function version of the game that only a limited amount of your existing base can play, that will get the attention of the blogosphere and the fanboys, or that will get people focused on trying to find this pirated treasure of free gamitude so that your game name recognition goes up in the search engines, well, you might be on to something there. Get the people talking about the game, looking for it, and those slight few that have it and can play it will go on and on about how good it is [even if it sucks] because they have it and can play it before everyone else.

    I call shenanigans on the whole thing!


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