Hello again, and welcome to another term. As this is a new term I will add my usual disclaimer to the first article.
As an Xbox 360 owner and the sibling of a Wii owner, any perceived bias towards or against specific consoles is due to my lack of disposable income. If I could I would also buy a PS3, but as a student, that is not possible. Please forgive any disproportionate coverage; I do my best to cover issues that affect all consoles, not individual games, without focusing on or neglecting individual systems, don’t sue me or complain.
So, on to some news. CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, has now finished up for another year, taking with it many announcements from some of the largest tech companies about new computers/laptops, gaming accessories, and the buzz item this year, tablets. As for gaming there hasn’t been a very large showing, with Microsoft only announcing some new features for the Kinect, Sony missing a great opportunity, and Nintendo only showing off previously announced tech.
Sony has yet to announce the rumoured Playstation Phone, even though it has been leaked by tons of sites – releasing tech specs, numerous photos, and more recently a complete disassembly. CES would have been a great opportunity for Sony to announce the new system, as well as clear up rumours about its gaming capabilities, but they didn’t. Whether the system currently being analyzed by media outlets and taken apart by hackers is the legitimate Playstation phone is still up for debate. Sony should have taken the opportunity to set the media straight and clear up these rumours, all during a time when all eyes are on them. Even if the tech is not ready for mass production yet, or the release date is far away – the rumours and leaks that are coming out now can only detract from their eventual press release. When you want your new technology to break into this market you need to get people excited for the release, not have them turn away because they already read about it on a website months ago – especially if what they read was wrong, or you have made changes since then.
In development at the same time as the Playstation Phone is the long awaited and much rumoured Playstation Portable 2 (PSP2). While neither system has been confirmed there is some light at the end of the tunnel for the PSP2 at least. Sony has confirmed a business meeting that will be held on January 27, with limited press attendance. It is rumoured that this will be the point where the PSP2 becomes a reality – we will have to wait and see.
Also on the Sony front, the PS3 has been hacked again, despite the firmware upgrades to prevent it. Instead of the standard firmware upgrades Sony is following a different plan this time, filing a temporary restraining order against the hackers, specifically George “Geohot” Hotz. Sony claims that Hotz is circumventing the Sony Playstation 3 Technology Protection Measures (TMP) and distributing the method for monetary gain, breaching the MDCA, Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Hotz plans to contest the restraining order, saying that his lawyers have told him there is no basis for the lawsuit. Of course the Playstation 3 will still be hacked, just by someone else, which should be easier as the group that is being sued has released all of the tools they created in the process of hacking the PS3 to the public.
Nintendo’s main focus recently seems to be on the Nintendo 3DS, the new addition to the company’s portable gaming empire, leaving the Nintendo Wii in the dust. The Nintendo 3DS, which will sport 3D graphics without requiring special glasses, is still relatively shrouded in mystery. Questions include specs, as well as the one everyone is wondering about – price. UK retailers like The Hut, Best Buy, Woolworths, and WHSmith have all posted pre-order sales for the 3DS, citing a March 18 release date. The postings list the device for £249 ($388US), available in blue, black, and red. Based on past pricing, the system should retail here for approximately $250 US – if their price is accurate. Of course there are other predictions, stating a March 25th release at £200-230. Whatever it ends up being, the final price and release date should be announced at the European 3DS event in Amsterdam near the end of January.
Microsoft was able to bask in the glory of the huge success of the Kinect camera, while announcing a few interesting new features and games along the way. The first numbers are in for the sales of the Kinect during 2010, and they are amazing. One industry analyst predicted that Microsoft might be able to sell 4 million units by the end of 2010, while Microsoft predicted sales of 5 million, and they were both wrong. Since its launch on November 4 to the end of 2010 (only 2 months) the Kinect has sold 8 million units, 1 million of which were sold in the first 10 days.
While some people have complained about the quality of the Kinect games – I will point out that launch games are often inferior because they are developed on unfinalized tech, from the ground up with absolutely nothing for designers and programmers to base them on, how would you like to reinvent the wheel? – I am optimistic about the potential of future games. The first group to tap into this amazing potential has been the hacker community who have released open source Linux based drivers allowing the Kinect to be plugged into a computer by standard USB and use its tracking software. Mods already created include dynamic recognition of obstacles for both a model car and model helicopter, both allowing the machines to ‘see’ the world in 3D and detect obstacles in their way. An interface program has been created to allow MMORPGs to be controlled through hand motions, specifically shown with World of Warcraft. One university is developing a sign language interpreter, while others are developing programs for new computer interfaces when viewing and editing photos (like Minority Report) and when using Google Chrome.
One interesting new game, by Microsoft itself is based on the 1 vs. 100 game that was tested during 2009 and eventually dropped in 2010, the new game will be coming out in the spring: Full House Poker. FHP is exactly what it sounds like, a Texas Hold’em Style poker tournament, either against other people or computer characters. During scheduled games players would compete against real world players; win and you move up a table, lose and you move down, win the final table and you are tournament champion. The game will use your 360 avatar, so feel free to wear that jedi costume if you want. For an added challenge there will be several professional poker players at the tables, beat them for bragging rights and rewards.
So that is it for this issue, a lot to recap since the fall term. Keep an eye on the tech coming out, and the changes to the industry, I definitely will be. Until the next issue, Keep on Gaming
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