Saturday Edition: E3, iphone rumors and "where's the Magic Vodafone?"

By Benedict Wee

Nothing much to report about the NZ mobile scene this week except for the blunder Telecom made with their prepaid add-ons. The HTC magic is still not out on our shelves which I think is a big mistake on the part of Vodafone because should the WWDC announce the new iphone on monday (and they will), people might end up holding off on an android phone purchase which would be a pity. It's kinda hard to market the new android platform when it'll be overshadowed by everyone talking about the new iphone in the upcoming weeks till its launch and even if it does get advertised it'll be viewed as a "wannabe iphone" because of the timing of the news. 

Oh and Sony gets an application store too but it's nothing worth getting all excited over (yet). 

A lot of exciting news from E3 though, which will make gamers save up their cash: 

Microsoft has announced sequels to their games (Lips:NOH, Crackdown 2, Dead Rising 2, Forza 3) with 2 new Halos (ODST and Reach) and a new Metal Gear Solid series. They've also announced a better New Xbox Experience with the incorporation of a free music streaming site (Last.FM) as well as social networking sites; facebook and Twitter to the dashboard. 

The highlight of the event of course was Project Natal; the Xbox 360's new camera which provides seamless gameplay and a Minority Report-like interface. 

Nintendo finally showcased games staring their famous mascots (Metroid: Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros.) proving to jaded fans that the Wii is a console for them too and not just non-gamers (they'll have WiiFit Plus and Wii Sports Resort to look forward to). 

Other major announcements include a new Golden Sun game for the DS which many people have demanded for, facebook photo uploads from the DSi and two other Wiimote extensions to clutter up your already full drawer of Wii periperals; the Wii motion plus and Vitality Sensor. 

Sony too announced their exclusive sequels (Uncharted 2, God of War 3) and surprised everyone with the MMORPG sequel; Final Fantasy XIV as well as debuted new titles (MAG, Agent, The Last Guardian). The highlight of their show however went to the new PSP iteration; the PSP Go which didn't surprise many as it was leaked out last weekend. I just thought of a major reason why it is a big mistake to buy this new model but I'll save it for my Buying Guide segment in the future. 

What I was more interested in were the new games for the handheld (MGS: Peace Walker, Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo). Sony also previewed their new motion controller which seems like it's caught between the Wiimote and Project Natal. 

In addition to the Big 3 conferences a whole lot of other games were seen on the show floor and I've got some of the highlights in part 1 and 2 of my blog.  

And what do we have to look froward to next week?

Well the new iphone announcement at the WorldWide Developers Conference of course! The event will start with a presentation by Phil Schiller where he'll announce the new iphone and its many new and shiny features as well talking about the new Snow Leopard OS for the Mac, a new ipod touch/iphone firmware update, new ipods and ipod touches and (mayhaps) an Apple tablet? 

Nothing is confirmed for sure (cept the new iphone) but whatever they're gonna announce, it'll be awesome as always. In the meantime -since we're on speculation- let's compile the list of rumors floating around on the internets. 

The new iphone will:

• change its shiny back to matte
• have cheaper (US$99) models
• have slightly different components
• have a better camera with autofocus and (finally!) video recording
• have improved RAM to run better games and applications 
• have a better processor to run applications faster and more efficiently 
• have VoiceOver like the iPod shuffle
• have bigger memory. Expect it to have at least 32GB to 64GB. 
• have an OLED screen
• have a glowing Apple logo on its back
• have a magnetometer
• have a front camera for video conferencing which will work with the ichat application in the new firmware update. 
• have a 3D graphics chip for better looking games and applications
• work on a faster network
• have better Bluetooth support so it'll be able to pair with 3rd party peripherals like keyboards and game controllers. 
• be released on the 17th of July

That is a long list of rumors. How many do you think are true? Of course nothing is certain till the actual day so stay tuned as I'll be waking up early to watch the live blog and posting the news as soon as it hits. Till then have a great weekend!

E3 Highlights (the other stuff) Part 2

Star Wars: The Old Republic

for: PC
Why I like it: The previous Star Wars MMORPG rubbed people wrongly with it's archaic control scheme and overall *bleah* gameplay but the series might redeem itself since the people at Bioware (Mass Effect, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: KOTOR) who are experts in all things role-playing are taking the project. Personally I don't do MMORPGs but anything that Bioware has created so far is good stuff so I might give this a second look. And speaking of milking franchises for all their worth...

LEGO: Rock Band

for: PC & PS3 & Xbox 360 & Wii
Why I like it: I don't. There's no reason why LEGO has to whore itself off to every franchise that moves. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman and the recently announced Harry Potter all have LEGO video game versions which are decent but having it on Rock Band doesn't make any sense. Is there a LEGO genre of music that I'm ignorant to? I don't even like the normal characters in Rock Band (would rather see the music video of the song I'm playing in the background), so what would be different when you replace an 80s rocker with over-processed hair with a 80s mini-fig with over-processed hair? This gets mentioned here cause I do really want someone to explain this phenomenon to me. 

Assassin's Creed 2 

for: PC & PS3 & Xbox 360
Why I like it: While I found the first game to be repetitive and couldn't wait to finish it, I nonetheless appreciated its plot and was keen to see how Ubisoft's new series might take off. This sequel is set in a later era (the Renascence) than the previous game and sets you up as an assassin-in-training in order to take revenge on someone or another. To help you out you've got the world famous artist/inventor Leonardo Da Vinci providing you with his inventions to aid you in your search for vengeance so that is a plus point in my book. The game is out November 17th (US).

Invizimals

for PSP
Why I like it:It's an argumented reality game for the PSP that allows you to collect monsters in your own surroundings. The game comes with a PSP camera which you use to "search" for monsters around you. Once they appear on the screen you'll be given prompts to try and catch the aforementioned monsters such as blowing into the mic or using a special disc to slap them so they'll be stunned. There are over 100 to collect, grow and fight with and different species appear only in certain conditions so that's a perfect excuse to go out and get some on that sun. Like all Digimon copies many might be put off by the kiddy game but it looks pretty decent and I just might fork over my hard-earned cash to play with the invisible monsters that roam my room. I always knew that they were there!

Video Games | Invizimals | E3 09: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

E3 Highlights (the other stuff) Part 1

So we've seen pretty exciting stuff from the big 3 console makers in their respective conferences, although they've mostly talked about the games and peripherals that are exclusive to their system. So what about the rest? Here's a quick highlights rundown of the other games that you should look forward to. 

Muramasa The Demon Blade

for: Nintendo Wii

Why I like it: It's a side-scrolling beat-em-up published by Ignition Entertainment exclusively for the Wii and it's graphics are gorgeous!!   Seriously, its art style is so well done you get entranced looking at it (which in hindsight might be bad cause you won't notice the bad guys beating up on you). It's like playing a video game in a painting which reminds me of the similarly beautiful Odin Sphere by Vanillaware on the PS2. Give the trailer a look. 

Metal Gear Solid Arcade

for: Arcade

Why I like it: People who did not get the chance to play the PS3 version of the game (Metal Gear Online) can now pop on by to their local arcade to see what's this popular series is all about. It's a good call on Konami's part because it does help break the "looks pretty difficult and only for hardcore gamers" barrier which means you can bring down a couple of mates and enjoy the game together. 

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

for: PSP

Why I like it: I've always been a fan of the Soulcalibur series and squeezing it onto the handheld makes it easier to bring on trips. Plus the game follows its tradition of adding extra characters into its titles and this time we get Kratos from God of War! That is pretty cool. 

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

for: Ps3 & Xbox 360

Why I like it: I don't like it, I love it. Ever since the critically acclaimed Symphony of the Night for the PS1, I've been following this series faithfully (except the abomination; Judgement for the Wii). This time however its designer (and the dude responsible for making the game famous) Koji Igarashi has passed the baton to Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima to take the franchise into current generation territory which is something to look forward to. My primary concern is that 3D Castlevanias have never sat well with gamers (Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness for the PS2 being perfect examples) so I'm hoping this third time's a charm. Also, Patrick Steward is voicing it so having Professor X's in any game is cool. Take a look at the trailer. 

Video Games | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow | E3 09: Kojima Announcement

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Sony's E3 Expo highlights

Sony is the last of the big 3 developers of E3. The Playstation 3 has had a tough time trying to break into the console market. What with losing exclusives to the Xbox 360 or having games being available on both consoles (hence leading consumers tend to go for the cheaper of the two) Sony has still a long way to prove that their current-gen console is worth the purchase. The PSP however has had more success (though not as much compared to the phenomenon that is the DS) which has led to the development of 4 different iterations of the same handheld, the latest being (a badly kept secret) the PSP Go. 

With so many mistakes so far can Sony still manage to eke a portion of the gaming market? We'll take a look at what they offered in their conference this year to find out. You can only go up once you hit rock bottom. 

PS3 Games

Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves

• Stars the hero of the original Uncharted; Nathan Drake
• Will have multiplayer 

MAG

• 1st person shooter
• Play with 256 players at once
• Releasing Fall 2009 (US)

God of War 3

• Last game in the God of War series 
• Releasing March 2010 (US)

Final Fantasy XIV

• Sequel to Square-Enix's MMORPG: Final Fantasy XI

Agent

• Developed by Rockstar North of Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt fame

The Last Guardian

• Developed by Team Ico of Shadow of the Colossus fame

PSP Games

Little Big Planet

• No information

Gran Turismo

• 35 Tracks
• 800 Cars
• Game will be played at 60 frames per second
• Releasing October 1 (US)

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

• Set 10 years after MGS 3
• Releasing in 2010 (US)

Resident Evil (Working title)

• No information

Sony Hardware

PSP Go

• No new information, read more about it here. 
• You can watch the hands on demo here.

 

Motion Controller

• Two-part controller which the PS3 camera tracks while the player is holding them
• I don't really know how to explain this but watch the video to see what it does
• Releasing in Spring 2010 (US)

Video Games | PlayStation 3 | E3 09: Motion Controller Demo Part II

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Nintendo's E3 Expo highlights

Microsoft's conference yesterday was a hard act to follow. With many surprise announcements of exclusive games as well as Project Natal they've set the bar to which Nintendo and Sony have to live up to. 

So do they? Nintendo's E3 conference last year was a huge disappointment, with none of their franchise mascots staring in a game of their own. This year however seems more promising with the announcement of sequels to many of Nintendo's popular games. Click the game titles for trailers or more info. 

Wii Games

Metroid: Other M

• Developed by Team Ninja, the guys who brought you Ninja Gaiden
• Mix of 1st and 3rd person shooters

Super Mario Galaxy 2

• Only Nintendo console to have a 3D Super Mario sequel
• Releasing 2010 (US)

Wii Fit Plus

• 6 new training exercises
• 15 new balance board exercises
• Releasing Fall 2009 (US)

New Super Mario Bros.

• 2D game play in 3D
• 4 player simultaneous action
• Out this holiday season (US)

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles

• Arcade shooter
• Sequel to RE: Umbrella Chronicles

Dead Space Extraction

• 1st person horror survival
• Releasing September 29 (US) October 2 (UK)

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

• Latest game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series
• Exclusively made for Nintendo

Wii Periperals

Wii Motion Plus

• New attachment to the bottom of the Wiimote makes it more sensitive and accurate
• Many future games will be using it including:
• Wii Sports Resort (out soon)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (out soon)
• Virtua Tennis 2009 (out soon)
• Red Steel 2

Wii Vitality Sensor

• Finger pulse reader attached to the bottom of the Wiimote
• Measures stress levels and pulse
• Might integrate with games (i.e. Horror)
• Honestly no information about this thing

DS/DSi Games

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

• 3rd game in the Mario & Luigi RPG series
• Releasing this Fall (US)

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

• Kingdom Hearts for the DS
• Releasing September 2009 (US)

Golden Sun DS

• GBA's most celebrated RPG comes to the DS
• Releasing 2010 (US)

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

• Sequel to Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS
• Fully playable with only the stylus

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (for DSi Ware)

• 3rd game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series
• Puzzle solving gameplay
• Releasing next monday on the DSi Ware store (US)
• Costs 800 Dsi points

Facebook Dsi

• Upload your pictures to facebook using the DSi
• Releasing this Summer (US)

Up Next: Sony's E3 Expo Highlights

Microsoft's E3 Expo highlights

Gaming's biggest event, the Electronic Entertainment Expo has kicked off with Microsoft's press conference announcing new and exclusive games as well as a new game control method and NXE integration of social sites. Here are the highlights (click game titles for more info/trailers):

Games

Lips: Number One Hits (new songs including..) 

• Mc Hammer - You can't touch this
  
• Rihanna - Disturbia
• Marvin Gaye - Heard it though the grapevine
• Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Rockband: The Beatles

• 45 songs
  
• Full albums available as Downloadable Content
• 'All you need is love' exclusive to the Xbox 360 with money donated to Doctors without Borders.

Tony Hawk : Ride

• Using a skateboard peripheral to play

Modern Warfare 2

• 2 map packs will be coming to the Xbox 360 first

Final Fantasy XIII

• Releasing in Spring 2010 (US)

Joyride

• Xbox Live Arcade racing game featuring avatars from your account
• Free to download and play
• Purchase cars, upgrades and more

Crackdown 2 

• Plays your Crackdown team against an infected city
• Developed by Ruffian

Dead Rising 2

• Exclusive to the Xbox 360 & PC
• Releasing on November 17 (US)

Left 4 Dead 2

• Releasing end of the year (US)
• Xbox 360 and PC exclusive

Splinter Cell: Conviction

• Releasing in Fall 2009 (US)
• Exclusive to the Xbox 360 & PC

Forza Motorsport 3

• Developed by Turn 10
• Released in October (US)
• Exclusive to the Xbox 360
• New 'Cockpit' view where you can see the gauges, driver's hands and be able to look around while driving
• Car customization
• Create, edit and upload hi-def video online
• Cars look very real

Halo 3 ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper)

• A spin off from Halo 3
• Play as other characters in the Halo universe
• Set weeks before the events of Halo 3
• Release date September 22 (US)
• Purchase the game for a key to upcoming multiplayer game Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach

• New game by Bungie studios
• Releasing in Fall 2010 (US)

Alan Wake

• You play a horror writer whose work has come to life and has to find his missing wife
• Xbox 360 exclusive
• Releasing in Spring 2010 (US)

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

• First Metal Gear Solid game to reach the Xbox 360
• Main character will be Raiden instead of Solid Snake

Social Software Integration

Last.FM

• Music listening and discovery service
• Available for free later this year for Xbox Live Gold subscribers
• Browse and listen to music while discovering new bands based on your music choices
• Check out their website here

Facebook

• Status updates, photo sharing, email etc.. on your Xbox 360
• Xbox avatars are integrated with facebook profiles as well as news feeds
• Save screen shots of your game and upload them online for everyone on your account to see

Twitter

• Status updates via Xbox 360
• Xbox avatar integration with Twitter profile

Check out both programs here

New peripherals 

Project Natal

• A camera for the Xbox 360 that detects faces, body movement and sounds
• Motion control without a controller
• Play games without the need to hold onto anything
• Watch the trailer to see what I mean

Video Games | Project Natal | E3 09: Project Natal Intro

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Saturday Edition: The weeks summary and what to look forward to next week

By Benedict Wee

It's been a pretty hectic news week for mobile providers:

• Telecom launched their 3G XT network. you can read the review of their price plans, mobiles and the reaction of competitor 2degrees.
• Vodafone has given away credits and is giving away mobiles in order to distract people from the launch.
• 2degees calls Telecom a bully cause they don't wanna share.
• Nokia's version of the iTunes Application store -Ovi- is launched. 

And I finally get to review the DSi and compare its price. 

So what do we have to look forward to next week?

• Vodafone might release information and price plans on the HTC Magic. New Zealand's first phone running the Android OS. 
• Video game expo E3 opens it's doors in LA. Teaser announcements from Square-Enix (new game NIER, preview of Final Fantasy games), Lionhead (the people who brought you Fable) and Edios (Tomb Raider and Hitman, recently acquired by Square-Enix) are only a tiny fraction of the major news that'll we get. Look out for the new a UMD-less PSP and previews of eagerly anticipated games: Dante's Inferno, Batman: Arkham Asylum, White Knight Chronicles, Fragile and tones more. Can't be there? Well neither can I but check here for constant updates. 

This'll be enough to whet our digital appetite until the announcement of the new iphone the week after at WWDC. Have a great weekend everyone!