If you’re reading this news report on a PC, chances are you also play games on the same machine. If so, UBS analyst Benjamin Schachter believes you’re part of a shrinking minority. In a 92-page report on the video game industry, Schachter predicts gloom for the PC gaming market, Game Daily editor James Brightman reports:

“PC gaming has been declining in importance over the past few years as sales have been falling about 10%-15% per year in the U.S. Aside from high profile hits such as the Vivendi’s MMORPG, World of Warcraft, there have simply been fewer drive titles. As the console gaming experience continues to improve versus PC gaming, we expect continued slow growth in the PC space. With Internet connectivity growing among the consoles, better graphics, and access to large HDTV’s, there are fewer areas where PC gaming can offer consumers a superior experience. At the end of the day, there will likely always be a market for PC games, but we do not look at the PC market as a growth driver.”

With the typical budget of a PC game ranging from $1 million to $20 million, according to Wikipedia, the risks are high for publishers and developers. Does this mean we’ll see a return to the days when small-scale teams produced more modest titles? Will PC game fans have fewer Triple A games to enjoy? What other ramifications exist? Discuss below.

Source: Game Daily

Microsoft is giving Xbox 360 Elite consumers something they should’ve had when they bought the machine: a free data transfer cable. TG Daily reports that complaints from consumers who had trouble transferring data from their old 360 to the Elite model convinced Microsoft to offer free transfer cables to those who request one.

According to the report on TG Daily, Microsoft didn’t include a transfer cable with the Elite because it was marketing the newer console to those who didn’t have one of the two base models. But when some game enthusiasts bought the Elite as an upgrade, users lost the ability to play media files and Xbox Live Arcade titles on the Xbox 360 Elite because of Microsoft’s strict digital rights management. Users can apply for a free cable by downloading a PDF form available on the official Xbox Web site.

Source: TG Daily

Nintendo’s president acknowledged Friday that the shortage of the company’s Wii game machine was “abnormal,” and promised production was being boosted to increase deliveries by next month.

The comments came a day after the Japanese manufacturer of the Wii — which comes with a wand that can be used as a sword, tennis racket or fishing rod depending on the game — reported that sales nearly doubled for the fiscal year, lifted by robust sales of the Wii and the DS portable.

The Wii has pummeled its rivals in a head-to-head battle in next-generation video game consoles involving Sony’s PlayStation 3, which has been plagued with production problems, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Iwata refused to disclose the monthly production capacity for the Wii, and said it was too early to say by how much the production was being raised.

But he said efforts were under way to increase production, and more machines will get delivered to stores around the world.

The Wii’s motion-sensitive remote control wand has made it hit even with people unaccustomed to playing video games. It faced some minor problems early on with its wand, which flew out of the hands of some zealous players, snapping the strap and at times crashing into TVs. But that hasn’t dented profits, and the console is still flying off store shelves.

Nintendo is planning to sell 14 million Wii machines for the current fiscal year through March 2008, having sold 5.84 million Wii consoles worldwide in the five months since its release late last year.

Sony has sold just 1.84 million PlayStation 3 machines so far worldwide, while Microsoft has shipped more than 10 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide.

The PlayStation 3 went on sale late last year in the U.S. and Japan, and in March in Europe. Xbox 360 beat rivals to market in 2005.

Source: Casper Star Tribune

The Xbox 360 has gone Elite, as Microsoft launched yesterday the high-end version of its video game console. With a larger storage capacity, a sleek matte-black look and a high-definition video port, the Xbox 360 Elite will retail for $479.

Although the price tag is about $80 more than the Pro version of the Xbox 360, it’s still slightly less expensive than the lower-end model of Sony’s PlayStation 3. Both are substantially more than Nintendo’s popular Wii.

The Elite includes a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), component video cables and the Xbox Live headset, as well as a wireless game controller. The HDMI connection is a single cable which combines both high-definition video and digital audio output. Both the headset and the controller come in Elite black.

The Elite’s detachable 120GB hard drive, six times larger than previous 360 drives and twice the size of the PS3′s, is available for sale separately to owners of existing Xbox systems.

Some initial reviews of the Elite have expressed disappointment over whether the machine delivers more than current models. They note that the WiFi adapter and HD DVD must still be purchased separately.

But Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research, said features are “always a balance” against costs. “Wireless can easily be added on,” he noted, “and HD DVD is still available if consumers want it.”

Source: Sci-Tech Today

NeuroSky, Emotiv Systems, and CyberLearning Technology are doing everything they can to sell the idea to game companies that brain wave technology can sell video games. CyberLearning has already been able to create a module for the PS2 and Xbox. They’re currently working on systems for the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360.

The purpose of the technology is to read your brain waves. These brain waves are read when you are concentrating. Actions in the game happen when you are concentrating.

This is a form of treatment that has been used on children with extreme cases of Attention Deficit Disorder or Hyperactivity. These three companies are doing what they can to bring the technology to the mainstream.

The player would wear a contraption on their head that would detect brain waves. This device would attach either to the video game console, or to a module that would attach to the console.

According to these companies, game modification can be made to current games that would be affected by concentration. In a racing game, the car would move faster if the player was concentrating to the best of their ability.

All three companies are currently focusing on shooting games and sports offerings. If a player was more at ease while playing Tiger Woods Golf, that player would be more likely to sink a put.

If a player were to have Madden Football on their console, the quarterback would be more responsive if the player were more at ease. A receiver would be able to run faster if the player was not stressed.

For a shooting game, aim would become a major factor if a person were able to concentrate more. If a person were to become stressed, it would be more difficult to shoot at a target.

Currently, the price for this equipment is expensive. A module that connects to a PS2 will run about $600. Granted, if interest in this technology catches on, the price will decline.

Source: Associated Content

New statistics are shattering that stereotype of teenage boys being the only ones who play video games. According to experts, women over 40 actually make up the largest percentage of gamers who play online games. According to the Entertainment Software Association, about 23 percent of gamers are boys under the age of 18. They are easily outnumbered by women over the age of 18 at 30 percent. In fact, many parents increasingly see gaming as a family affair. Sixty-six percent of those who play video games themselves said games have brought their families closer together.

Source: NBC

Sony garnered an unexpected prelaunch marketing blitz for its PlayStation 2 title, God of War II, after it was reported that the company invited media at a European launch event for the game to reach inside the carcass of a decapitated goat and eat the offal from its stomach.

But Sony Australia spokesman Adrian Christie said the event, held in Athens and attended by about 20 non-English speaking journalists, included a dead goat sourced from a local butcher. He said while he considered the stunt – which was condemned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare – to be in “poor taste”, only the butcher had any contact with the animal. At no point was anyone else allowed to touch the goat, and the only food that was served was a “traditional Greek soup” staged so “the inference was that the guests were eating goat”.

The dead goat, along with topless women wearing body paint, was intended to convey the game’s Ancient Greek setting and mythological themes.

Sony is unapologetic about the game’s high level of violence, boasting in its advertising materials that it is an “adult-rated, fast-paced bloodbath”. The game is rated M for Mature, meaning the content might be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.

Source: smh.com.au

Review by: Jason Purdy
Published: May 26, 1999

Ehrgeiz is a title that has been a long time in the making. It spent several years rampaging in arcades in Japan before making the trip overseas to find a slightly cooler reception in arcades on this side of the ocean. Regardless, Square and Dream Factory were undaunted and took on the task of bringing Ehrgeiz to the PlayStation. Now that it’s finally arrived we have to ask, “Was it worth the wait?” The answer is yes … and no. ( read more… )