Koei = next GameFly in Japan?

Posted on April 25, 2006 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming.
Koei, says that they are going to start a game rental service in Japan. Until right now, the Japanese game industry has successfully blocked efforts to introduce game rental services, stating that such services would hurt game sales and reduce revenue for companies.

Koei believes that just the opposite of that statement is true. According to Koei, rather than destroying game sales, its game rental service will bring in high amounts of additional revenue for publishers, resulting in higher total revenue. Koei also mentioned it’s pricing style which is like the usual way we do it. High prices (way higher then ours) on newer games, and lower prices on slightly newer games. But an odd strategy is added in. New games will not be offered until they’ve been on the Japanese market for at least one month. After one month, and until a game is about three months old, the game will be available to rent at about 2,800 yen ($24.40) for a five-day rental. For older games we would see prices more often like the ones you would see in video stores around the nation: titles that are three months to one year old will rent for 800 ($6.95) or 900 yen ($7.85), and titles more than a year old will rent for just 500 yen ($4.35).

But what method will gain more money? Are the prices for rentals to high for japan? Will gamers wait until it becomes available to rent one month later? The game industry will find out soon which side is right. The new service by Koei, called “RentaNet,” will launch in the second half of May.

Oklahoma Senate and the Game Restriction bill

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: Gaming.
Today, the Oklahoma Senate passed the House Bill 3004 today with a vote of 47-0. This bill would make it illegal for stores to sell games with “inappropriate violence” or even allow minors to view games with such content. But the bill has not headed to the governor’s office yet.

The bill is being held for any reconsiderations the votes then after three legislative days, it will be sent back to the House of Representatives so they can vote on any amendments that were made by the Senate.

PSP 2.7 released

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PSP.
PSP 2.7 firmware upgrade released today for users to now download and update. The new upgrade is available for download at www.yourpsp.com. And offers features such as Macromedia Flash and the ability to play it, a new podcast player with a RSS reader, and the AAC audio support (normally used by iTunes). The update also includes compatibly with Sony’s new LocationFree TV Service that will launch this May.

The downside? The Flash Player can only play Flash 6.0 which not very many sites support, so that feature isn’t such a great pro.

The LocationFree TV service will act like a portable Tivo that can save recorded TV shows. It will also be able to watch live TV through Wi-Fi. But the downside to that is that you must be in an area with good connection to get a good picture.

Microsoft Kids Game Studios

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, Xbox360.

Today, Microsoft and 4Kids are joining forces and creating a new department called….4Sight. The basis of the new joint operation is from the game Viva Piñata, the silly game about beating the heck out of a, Piñata. The new joint operation is mainly to make more money. The branch will deal with new kids games, TV shows, movies, and stupid little plastic toys for the new games they will make.Hm….A TV show about smashing Piñatas…that could flop….

Final Fantasy XI goes live

Posted on April 19, 2006 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PC, PS2, Xbox360.
The online game, FF XI goes online tonight, like right now, actually, for Xbox 360, PC, and PS2. FFXI is now the first “triple-cross-platform, triple-region” massively multiplayer online game, according to Square Enix. In addition to the Xbox 360, FFXI is available on the PC and PlayStation 2 in North America, Japan, and Europe. Treasures of Aht Urhgan, an expansion pack for FFXI, was also made available today for the PlayStation 2 and PC (all available expansions, including Treasures, were included in the Xbox 360 version of FFXI). The add-on features adventures in the land of Aht Urhgan, as well as two new modes, besieged and assault.

Final Fantasy XI Online for the Xbox 360 is rated T for Teen and retails for $49.99.

A mini-Gun (PSP)

Posted on April 10, 2006 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PSP.
A PlayStation Portable version of the Gun was finally announced during a November earnings sheet, when it was revealed the would be released sometime this year. But that was it. Activision was being quiet on the game’s development.
But today, Activision revealed information about the PSP port of Gun. The PSP title is “Gun Showdown”
which will be released this fall and is being developed by Neversoft (Tony Hawk Series) and Rebellion Studios (Dead to Rights: Reckoning). Activision says that Gun Showdown will be loaded with all of the action and features from the the console versions. The PSP version will also get a few new missions, as well as quick play and multiplayer modes designed strictly for the handheld.

A Novo-ty Table

Posted on April 9, 2006 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming.
A new product called the “Novo Infotainment Table” (or NovoTable for short) is offering to bring spine-curving videogame action for yesterday’s hits and today’s PC and console titles right to our homes. The Novotable is really just a 32-inch LCD mounted horizontally onto an articulating stand, with built in pair of arcade joysticks, thrown togther with a subwoofer, a PC (built on Windows XP), and your choice of a PS2 or Xbox. You also get a a stainless steel keyboard to swap out controllers in case you want to use your own device (it flips just hit the button and push down, the controllers will switch with the keyboard). The machine comes with the features from the Shuttle PC, (WiFi, Bluetooth, FireWire and USB ports). While this would be fun to have in maybe a retro room or something, I can’t really see any other place you can have it. As of now there is no known price but I assume that it is really high. The computer ships with iTunes and IE.

For more info and pricing you can go to: http://www.novotable.com/index2.html

The DS is rumbly

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: DS, DSL, Gaming.
Nintendo has finally shipped the DS rumble pak. Which most gamers who own a DS have been waiting for because gamin’ just ain’t gamin’ unless the controller is buzzing and vibrating in your hands. It is compatible so far with games such as Metroid Prime Hunters and Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time. The Rumble Pak fits nicely into the DS’s GBA cartridge slot, and you can own it today for the low price of $10 from Nintendo.

The Gizmondo Guy is arrested…finally.

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: Gaming.

Someone was playing abit too much GTA. The chief president of the Gizmondo project, Stefan Eriksson was arrested today for driving too drunk and for stealing a 1,000,000 dollar car, and then wrecking it. The wrecked Ferrari Enzo was believed to be from a Scottish Bank. Stefan is arrested without bail.

April Fool Joke is finally taken as a joke

Posted on by MASA.
Categories: Gaming.

BoxesYou may have read about the 5 teenage girls from Ohio, who on April first placed seventeen Mario Bros. ? blocks around town?After HAZMAT, the Fire Dept. and the five-O were called in to settle the matter, one could assume that it looked like those girls were in for some serious trouble.

But the town is dropping the case against them, the case prosecutor is stating that he believes that “they didn’t have any bad or malicious intentions.” Gee, ya think?

Follow the Rainbow to the Casino

Posted on April 8, 2006 by MASA.
Categories: Gaming, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas, is going to be the next latest game in the counterterrorism franchise from Ubisoft. The shooter was announced in early March, but gameplay details have just recently hit us.

The game will be handled entirely by Ubisoft Montreal, the same studio that worked on previous Rainbow Six games, as well as Far Cry Instincts Predator and the Prince of Persia series.

A new team will be introduced along with a new leader. Each character will have their own specialty, and Ubisoft emphasizes that tactics will play a major role in the game (they have said that before).

Missions will have multiple ways of being completed, and teammates will suggest alternative methods of reaching objectives, including busting through walls or hacking computers. Multiplayer has also been tweaked, with persistent characters and new weapons and achievements to unlock.

While not much more on release of systems and it’s rating is given we assume that the game will be released on the PS3, PS2, and Xbox. We already know it is releasing on the XBOX360 and most likely the PS3.

Tune in for more.