Why scientists love games consoles
Leading scientists are turning to the extraordinary power of games consoles to do their sums and simulate everything from colliding black holes to the effects of drugs.
Reprogram a PlayStation and it will perform feats that would be unthinkable on an ordinary PC because the kinds of calculations required to produce the realistic graphics now seen in sophisticated video games are similar to those used by chemists and physicists as they simulate the interactions between particles ranging from the molecular to the astronomical.
Such simulations are usually carried out on a supercomputer, but time on these machines is expensive and in short supply. By comparison, games consoles are cheap and easily available, says New Scientist.
“There is no doubt that the entertainment industry is helping to drive the direction of high performance computational science - exploiting the power available to the masses will lead to many research breakthroughs in the future,” comments Prof Peter Coveney of University College London, who uses supercomputing in chemistry.
Prof Gaurav Khanna at the University of Massachusetts has used an array of 16 PS3s to calculate what will happen when two black holes merge.
According to Prof Khanna, the PS3 has unique features that make it suitable for scientific computations, namely, the Cell processor dubbed a “supercomputer-on-a-chip.” And it runs on Linux, “so it does not limit what you can do.”
“A single high-precision simulation can sometimes cost more than 5,000 hours on the TeraGrid supercomputers. For the same cost, you can build your own supercomputer using PS3s. It works just as well, has no long wait times and can be used over and over again, indefinitely,” Prof Khanna says.
And Todd Martinez has persuaded the supercomputing centre at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to buy eight computers each driven by two of the specialised chips that are at the heart of Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.
Together with his student Benjamin Levine he is using them to simulate the interactions between the electrons in atoms, as part of work to see how proteins in the body dovetail with drug molecules.
He was inspired while browsing through his son’s games console’s technical specification “I noticed that the architecture looked a lot like high performance supercomputers I had seen before,” he says. “That’s when I thought about getting one for myself.”
The Wii, made by Nintendo, has a motion tracking remote control unit that is cheaper than a comparable device built from scratch. The device recently emerged as a tool to help surgeons to improve their technique.
Meanwhile, neurologist Thomas Davis at the Vanderbilt Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, is using it to measure movement deficiencies in Parkinson’s patients to assess how well a patient can move when they take part in drug trials.
via telegraph
Reference: A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or electronic device that manipulates the video display signal of a display device (a television, monitor, etc.) to display a game. The term “video game console” is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machines, which are designed for businesses that buy and then charge others to play.
‘Duke Nukem Forever’ release possible in 2008, coming to home consoles
Garland-based video games developer 3D Realms has said Duke Nukem Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to its revolutionary 1996 PC game Duke Nukem 3D, is projected to be completed in late 2008, with versions likely for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3 home video game consoles and personal computers.
“We haven’t formally announced any platforms for DNF,” wrote 3D Realms President Scott Miller in an e-mail exchange. “But, of course hitting the big three makes the most sense (PC, PS3, 360).”
Miller added a note of caution on the 12-years-coming sequel and its release window, claiming, “We can’t make an official announcement. Frankly, we may miss the mark by a month or two, but I feel very confident that we’re on target this time. Its definitely an internal push.”
Duke Nukem Forever is not the only 3D Realms title coming to home video game consoles in 2008. Miller also confirmed the existence of a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade version of Duke Nukem 3D, which will feature on-line multiplayer support, Xbox Live achievements, on-line score boards, and a co-op mode.
“We’re really excited about bringing classic Duke to the 360,” said Miller during an interview. “We’re talking to Microsoft about getting a release slot sometime this year.”
For more about Duke Nukem Forever, developer 3D Realms, and the North Texas video games industry at-large, pick up the Feb. 15, 2008 edition of the Dallas Business Journal for a special report.
An earlier version of this story said 3D Realms had “confirmed” the game’s release in late 2008. The current version also features an expanded quote from Miller regarding the possible release window.
by bizjournals
Duke Nukem Forever coming in 2008 alongside XBLA title
This just in: Duke Nukem Forever may see release in 2008. No, really. This unprecedented news comes by way of a recent email exchange between developer 3D Realms and the Dallas Business Journal.
While 3D Realms’ president Scott Miller notes that the company hasn’t “formally announced any platforms for DNF,” it does “make the most sense” that the title would be hitting “the big three,” referencing the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PCs. Miller does concede that the company “can’t make an official announcement” because it “may miss the mark by a month or two,” but confidence is high in the project due to an “internal push.”
Aside from the long-awaited release of the title 11 years in the making, 3D Realms also confirmed plans to bring Duke Nukem 3D to the Xbox Live Arcade with on-line multiplayer and co-op to boot. No date or priced has been confirmed yet.
It has been a long time coming, but there could very well be a day when the game that has been in development longer than the time it took to completely conceive, design, develop, and produce the atomic bomb will hit the streets. What a glorious era for gaming.
Ben’s Update: Well, the information may not be wrong, but it certainly wasn’t meant for public consumption. 3DRealms has just posted about this story on its official website, and George Broussard sounds just a little angry about the story. “In what appears to be an unfortunate turn of events, there seems to have been some confusion between what was ‘off the record’ and what was not. I suppose we’re used to dealing with gaming press and not mainstream press. Lesson learned,” he wrote.
The release date is still ‘when it’s done’, and will be until the appropriate moment. Platforms have not been finalized or announced. You can rest assured that we are moving toward a goal and that the recently released teaser trailer is the start of that process and seeing more of the game, sooner than later.
“We apologize to gamers and websites everywhere for this series of events. Sometimes, you can be too trusting of people and assume things that come back to bite you,” he finishes.
by arstechnica
CES: GPS peripheral coming soon to the US
The Consumer Electronics Show has been big for the PSP. Sony officially revealed plans for Skype on the PSP. Now, they’ve shown off GPS navigation for use with the PSP. The peripheral has been readily available in Japan for quite some time now, but this is the first official sign that the US will also receive the device.
The Sony CES website reveals that the peripheral will work with navigation software, provided on UMD. “Your PSP will provide 2D/3D locations, driving directions, POI’s, and even downloadable city guides. With an easy search feature feature and customizable settings, GPS on PSP is the easiest way to navigate new areas and new cities.”
An official release date and price have yet to be revealed, but we’re glad to see it’s finally coming.
by PSPFANBOY
Reference: The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time. Other similar systems are the Russian GLONASS (incomplete as of 2007), the upcoming European Galileo positioning system, the proposed COMPASS navigation system of China, and IRNSS of India.
Developed by the United States Department of Defense, GPS is officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Contrary to popular belief, NAVSTAR is not an acronym, but simply a name given by Mr. John Walsh, a key decision maker when it came to the budget for the GPS program). The satellite constellation is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$750 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, and research and development.
Following the shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983, President Ronald Reagan issued a directive making the system available for free for civilian use as a common good. Since then, GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, and scientific uses. GPS also provides a precise time reference used in many applications including scientific study of earthquakes, and synchronization of telecommunications networks.
Call Of Duty 4
(I apologize for that that have not specified a source for this info. The main artcle is http://www.2old2play.com/News/Call_of_Duty_4___The_Beta_First_Impressions )
For the past month and a half the gaming community has been chomping at the bit to get a look at anything that has to do with Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare.
This past week we got the chance to do just that when Infinity Ward opened up their Beta for COD4 to a select group of people in the press, as well as some lucky members of the CharlieOscarDelta.com community.
Here is what we saw and what we thought about the game that a lot of people are calling the Halo Killer.
The Call of Duty 4 Beta is only a touch of what you’ll see in the final version of the game when it’s released on Monday November 5th, but what you are able to see is going to make your mouth water for more of the tasty goodness. ( cashadvances )
Graphics
If you are looking for a crisp clear brightly colored game look the other way, because that is not what you are going to find in Call of Duty 4.
The graphics in the game are extremely gritty to give the gamer a feel of being in a real warzone. Everything looks drab and washed out, in a good way; it makes you feel like you are actually immersed into a modern day warzone.
All the buildings are broken and cracked so they look like they will fall over in the slightest breeze, with the help of an M16A4 bullet, or when the next chopper hovers over the top of them waiting to pick off the unsuspecting enemy.
The foliage is really where this game shines. It has to if you are going to be able to pull off being a sniper and wearing a ghillie suit.
Many times in game we would be running along trying to make it to a point of entry or cross a road without getting our heads taken off, only to be sniped down by someone camouflaged to the nines and hiding in the bushes.
All in all the graphics definitely compliment the game play and game style very well. Don’t be surprised though if you have to squint at your screen to spot an enemy on the other side of the map, they blend in that well.
Controls
The control scheme is very similar to that of Call of Duty 2 with a few subtle differences. So subtle in fact that if you have played a lot of COD 2 you shouldn’t have much of a problem picking up the controls for 4 in a short amount of time.
Most of the buttons are set up in the same place as they were in 2 with a few new additions. When sniping you can hold your breath with the left thumb stick as you could before, but when you aren’t scoped in this is the sprint button. Players can now sprint across open areas for short distances in order to help them better avoid getting gunned down when they click or hold down the left thumb stick.
The other addition is one that involves your kill streaks and you some of your perks, but we’ll get to those in a little bit. Let’s just say that one click of the button can cause a lot of damage to the other team and put a smile on your face as you watch the destruction.
All in all the controls have a smooth and familiar feel to them and you won’t be disappointed in how your movements flow from your fingers the screen.
Game types
There are four game types in the beta, and they all have their own areas of appeal. Here they are: Free for all, Team Death Match, Search and Destroy, Domination.
Free for All – Exactly what it sounds like. Players pick a load out and head out onto the battle field and try to prove they are the best of the best, (in that particular game).
Team Death Match – The tried and true staple for all shooters is back in COD 4 and it is just as much fun, if not more so, then it has ever been. Be prepared to feel like you are surrounded and constantly feel like you need to check your six as you battle it out in teams of up to six vs. six.
Search and Destroy – A new spin on the old version of Search and destroy from COD 2 in which one, player, from the attacking team, must pick up the bomb at the beginning of the match and then move towards the A or B objective, with the help of his or her team, where they must plant the bomb. After the bomb is planted the attacking team must then defend that area for 30 seconds.
If the defending team kills all of the attacking team’s members or defuses the bomb they win, if the bomb goes off then the attacking team wins. Each game is first to 4 wins and you only have one life so be careful when you stick your head around a corner.
Domination – This game type is a lot like Call of Duty 3’s war. There are three areas on the map, (A, B, C), which players must capture and hold for points. The more areas you hold the more points you will acquire and the quicker the round will be over.
Sounds easy right? Well it’s not. Each team ideally has six players each so you have to spread yourself out in order to attack or defend each territory making it easier for the attacking team to put all their effort into capture the area you are defending.
This game type is that will take the tactical side of what has been a more of a run and gun series to a new level of strategy and teamwork. So if you like to work and as a team and develop different strategies this will be the game type for you and your friends.
Create a Class
Taking a page from the Rainbow six series and other more tactical shooters Call of Duty 4 has added a new customizable option to its game play. The newest option allows players to create your own player class and customize your load out to compliment your own playing style.
Each player has five customizable slots to set up for different maps or game types. If you don’t want to spend the time setting up the custom classes, which we highly recommend you do, then you can choose from standard setup ala Call of Duty 2 with set weapons, grenades, and other goodies
The possibilities are endless for any type of play style.
Weapons and Special Grenades – Players will have the choice of a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, and a special grenade.
Primary Weapon – Players can choose from Assault Rifles, Sub Machine Guns, Light Machine Guns, Shotguns, or Sniper Rifles. There are five to seven choices in each area to choose from so you shouldn’t have any problem finding something you like.
After you pick your weapon you can also pick attachments that will help you get the enemy in your sites a little faster or help you aim a little straighter.
An example of this is the red dot site which puts a red dot, not a laser, on wherever you are aiming to help you get a better feel for where your bullets are going to end up.
Side Arm – Just like most other shooters you are allowed to take a pistol out with you onto the battlefield. There are four to choose from and they each have their pros and cons, but we’ll let you figure that out for yourself.
If you want to be sneaky you can hook up a silencer to the end of your pistol in order to get that stealth shot to the back of your head on your unsuspecting buddy.
Special Grenades – There are three types of special grenades. An upgrade from the older Call of Duty games where you only had smoke grenades. The three types are: Flash Grenade, Stun Grenade, and Smoke.
Each grenade serves a different purpose and can be helpful or deadly its own way. So choose carefully you don’t want to bring a smoke grenades to a room breaching party.
Perks - These are special abilities that let each player further customize your load to compliment your game play style. You are limited to three perks for each one of your customizable class slots.
Here is what you have to work with and get ready to put your thinking cap on because there are a lot of options:
Category 1 Perks:
Bomb Squad - Ability to seek out enemy explosives
C4 x 2 - Remote detonation explosive
Claymore x 2 - Trip activated explosive mine
RPG-7 x 2 - Rocket Launcher with 2 rockets
Special Grenades x 3 - 3 special grenades. No smoke
Category 2 Perks:
Juggernaut - Increased health
Sleight of Hand - Faster reloading
Sonic Boom - Higher explosive weapon damage
Stopping Power - Increased bullet damage
UAV Jammer - Undetectable on enemy radar
Category 3 Perks:
Deep Impact - Deeper bullet penetration
Extreme Conditioning - Sprint for longer distances
Last Stand - Pull out your pistol before dying
Martyrdom - Drop a live grenade when killed
Steady Aim - Increased hip-fire accuracy
Dead Silence - Movements make less noise
Modifiers
Ever wanted to call in an airstrike, find out exactly where the enemy is located or have a badass helicopter crew slice through the opposition? Well now is your chance and all you have to do is string together some kill, without dying, to be able to hook up your team with a little extra help to win the war.
This is where the D-Pad comes into play as all of your modifiers can be enabled by hitting right on the D-Pad after they have been activated. Also if you are in middle of launching a modifier and fall to your death don’t worry you can still use that option after you re-spawn, so all your efforts weren’t in vain.
3 Kill Modifier – UAV – The UAV enables you to see exactly where the opposing team is located so that you can advance on their position and take them down in which ever fashion you see fit.
5 Kill Modifier – AirStrike – Death from above is what this modifier is bringing to the battle field if you correctly determine where the enemy is or will be on your handy map that pops up to help you send in your planes anywhere on the map.
Friendly fire is turned off for the Beta so don’t worry about blowing up your own team, but you might want to practice letting your team know when you are about to launch one, because once friendly fire is enabled a lot of people could be really pissed off or happy depending on your aim.
7 Kill Modifier – Helicopter Support – This option lets you call in support from above that hangs around for a little while and can help you rack up some serious kills in a hurry.
The Helicopter hangs out above the map firing at the enemy whenever they come into view, and will do so until it is taken out. So when you see an enemy copter fly onto the screen you better run and hide or get someone with an RPG to take that thing out, or you’ll be in for a world of hurt.
Leader boards – Call of Duty 4 has added leader boards to its repertoire where you can track your final score for each match, how many wins and losses you’ve accrued kills and deaths, and also how well you can keep your sites on the target in the accuracy section.
Party System – I’m sure this will be fixed in the final version, but as of right now you can only have six people in your party if you want to get into a game. Add a seventh person and you lose all your options to start a match. Other than that the system is very promising and a little reminiscent of the Halo 2 & 3 party system.
Could it be that someone actually listened to the gamers and followed in the footsteps of Bungie to create a party and matchmaking system that actually works. Well we’ll just have to see when the final version hits shelves.
Pros
Great potential for a Match Making system that works, fast and furious game play, realistic battlefield action that is very immersive, the weapons seem to be on point there really isn’t anything that is super overpowered or underpowered except maybe the sniper, more options than you can shake a stick at and this is only the beta, the perks add a whole new level to the game, and the new melee is awesome (you whip out a knife).
Cons
In a couple of the games when the action was building to a crescendo with explosions going on all over the screen the game froze and everyone on my FL had to re-boot. With some much going on, on the battlefield will this be the rule more so than the exception, only time will tell.
The party system has the potential to be great, but as it stands right now is a little jacked up and need some tweaking. We’re not sure if the developers set it up this way for the Beta or if it is something that can be adjusted in time for the final release. Right now it’s a pain getting together with a group of more than six friends.
The Conclusion
This game has the potential to be one of the best games of the year. The game play is fast and furious, the visuals are beautiful, and the customization will add to the longevity of the games life.
Will it be the Halo killer I doubt it, but it will give the folks at Bungie a run for their money.
So if you have the chance to play the Beta do so, you won’t regret it in the least. If you can’t get your hands on the code you need to reserve your copy for rental or buying as soon as possible, because this is one that’s going to be hard to find come November 5.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, announced on April 25, 2007 for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, will be the ninth installment in the Call of Duty video game series and the first not to be set during World War II. It is currently due to be released worldwide on November 5, 2007.
Gameplay
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will introduce a variety of game play styles into the single player campaign completely new to the Call of Duty series. The game moves away from the standard three country-specific campaign style, and allows the plot to play through more like a film style plot with interlaced story lines from the perspective of the player as a member of the US 1st Force Recon and a member of the British 22nd SAS Regiment. There is also a variety of cameo-style missions where you play as various other soldiers such as an AC-130 Gunship gunner, or as one part of a two man sniper team behind enemy lines in a flashback style mission.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will focus on the variation of modern warfare as an infantry soldier by allowing the player to control soldiers in a vast amount of different scenarios, straying away from the constant “at eleven” action of previous Call of Duty titles and allowing for both heavy intensity fire fights and slower paced drama styled intensity. The developer, Infinity Ward, has so far told about a handful of such levels including where the player will be the gunner of an AC-130 gunship and the pilot of a AH-1 SuperCobra helicopter providing air support.
The series’ move to modern warfare has also introduced a variety of new modern weapons and technology to be introduced to the Call of Duty franchise. Such showcased weapons and attachments include M203 grenade launchers, IR laser pointers for use in conjunction with night vision goggles, silenced MP5SD submachine guns, and the FGM-148 Javelin portable anti-tank guided missile among many others.
Plot
A Russian nationalist by the name of Zakhaev is set on returning his homeland to the Soviet times. Zakhaev knows the United States would never allow this to happen, thus he funds a coup in the Middle East, organized by his ally Al-Asad, to draw attention away from Russia. The two men and their seconds-in-command gain the nickname The Four Horsemen. However, the British and US governments have been monitoring Zakhaev’s activities and discover his real intentions. The story is told from a perspective of a British 22nd SAS Regiment operative in Russia and American 1st Force Recon in the Middle East.
The game also features a flashback mission set 15 years ago in the Chernobyl Zone of Alienation, which features a new incarnation of Captain Price from 22nd SAS Regiment, the only character to appear in both of the first two games of the series. He needs to assassinate Zakhaev, but his mission fails because his Captain gets wounded and he has to get out him of the Zone of Alienation.[3] Whether this new Price will be confirmed to be a relative of the WWII era Price remains to be seen. It is also believed that the assasination attempt had left Zakhaev with only one arm.
The game features following as playable characters:
Lieutenant Price, 22nd SAS Regiment (15 years ago)
Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish, 22nd SAS Regiment (present)
Sergeant Paul Jackson, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (later Staff Sergeant as part of 1st Force Recon Co., U.S.M.C.) (present)
Their names are seen in mission info which is seen in published gameplay footage of the game. Further characters are unknown.
Multiplayer
Hardcore Mode
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been announced to have a new mode called Hardcore Mode. In multiplayer, users can choose to play standard game types such as Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch and others, or choose to play them in Hardcore Mode. In Hardcore Mode, damage received and inflicted increases, the heads-up display (HUD) is removed – the mini-map, ammo counter, and other on-screen indicators – and friendly fire is enabled.
Classes
For multiplayer, it has been confirmed that Call of Duty 4 will include a class system which has five preset classes with default weapon load outs and perks assigned to them as well as allows users to create five custom classes where the user can customize their weapon load out and three perks to assign to their soldier. The five default classes include Assault, Spec Ops, Light Machine Gunner, Demolitions, and Sniper class. Create a class will be unlocked through the user’s first few games after gaining enough Experience Points (XP) and ranking up to his first few ranks. Only two of the classes are available to a first time player; the rest are unlocked as he gains more experience online and gains higher rank.
Perks
Another introduction in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer includes Perks. Perks are special abilities which allow users to further customize their character to their personal play style. The amount of perks available in multiplayer has not been announced however it has been confirmed that the player will be limited to three multiplayer perks at a time which can be assigned via Create a Class.
Perks List:
Category 1 Perks:
Bomb Squad - Ability to seek out enemy explosives
C4 x 2 - Remote detonation explosive
Claymore x 2 - Trip activated explosive mine
RPG-7 x 2 - Rocket Launcher with 2 rockets
Special Grenades x 3 - 3 special grenades. No smoke
Category 2 Perks:
Juggernaut - Increased health
Sleight of Hand - Faster reloading
Sonic Boom - Higher explosive weapon damage
Stopping Power - Increased bullet damage
UAV Jammer - Undetectable on enemy radar
Category 3 Perks:
Deep Impact - Deeper bullet penetration
Extreme Conditioning - Sprint for longer distances
Last Stand - Pull out your pistol before dying
Martyrdom - Drop a live grenade when killed
Steady Aim - Increased hip-fire accuracy
Dead Silence - Movements make less noise
Double Tap - Greater rate of fire when using automatic weapons
Attachments:
Grenade Launcher
Vertical Grip
Laser Sight
Infrared Laser
Open Red Dot Sight
Cylinder Red Dot Sight
ACOG Scope
There may be other attachments. Only one attachment can be attached to your weapon at a time in multi-player.
Setting
The game’s main setting is the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Some locations seen in the trailers may be Cairo, Chernobyl, Prypiat, and Azerbaijan. The developers have indicated they may also utilize additional locations, according to Game Informer magazine.
Call of Duty 4 is not set in an existing conflict, according to Grant Collier, one of Infinity Ward’s co-leads:
We wanted an enemy that is going to give the player a stand up fight. When people hear modern warfare, is that driving in a Humvee until an IED blows your tire off, then people shoot at your Humvee and you shoot back at them and they run away? Strangely enough, that’s not Infinity Ward-style combat. So we are creating a robust enemy that is going to give the Western powers a run for their money. They use high technology just like we do.
PlayStation 2 the most-played console in June
Microsoft’s original Xbox took second place, according to Nielsen research
NEW YORK - More than 68 million people played video games on a console last month, spending much of it on Sony Corp.’s older PlayStation 2, according to Nielsen research.
Seven years after its launch, Sony’s PS2 was still the most-played console, accounting for 42 percent of video game use during the month. Microsoft’s original Xbox took second place with 17 percent, followed by the Xbox 360 with 8 percent.
The numbers suggest that older machines remain popular despite last November’s high-profile debut of Nintendo Co.’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3, which had 4 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. Nintendo’s GameCube ranked fourth with 5.8 percent.
Nielsen GamePlay Metrics has started tracking video game activity using data from Nielsen’s existing sample of TV viewers.
Nielsen Co.’s sample includes more than 12,000 U.S. households with about 33,000 individuals.
Nielsen also found that households that own the Nintendo Wii are more likely to earn more than $100,000 a year.
And summer break has meant kids play video games later: in April, the Wii’s peak usage hour was 5 p.m., during the summer, it’s at 8 p.m.
…And.. By the way:
Sony cuts PlayStation 3 price by $100
And announces new $599, 80 GB model coming in August
Sony Corp. slashed the price of its current PlayStation 3 by $100, or 16.7 percent, and introduced a high-capacity model in an effort to spur sales of the struggling video game console.
Starting Monday, the current 60 gigabyte model will cost $499, down from $599.
The Japanese electronics maker also said it is introducing a new version of the PlayStation 3 with a bigger hard drive for storing downloaded content such as video games and high-definition movies.
The new PS3 increases the system’s storage capacity to 80 gigabytes from 60 gigabytes and also includes a retail copy of the online racing title “MotorStorm,” a company spokesman said. It will be priced at $599.
The larger capacity machine won’t be available in the United States and Canada until August.
It plays into the company’s upcoming strategy of eventually offering downloaded high-definition movies, video games, movie trailers and demos, Sony spokesman David Karraker said.
Karraker said further details on high-def movies for download would be released at a later date.
The announcement comes two days before the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif., where dozens of industry heavyweights including Sony rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co. are expected to show off their latest games and related products.
Sony has said it sold 3.6 million PS3s in the fiscal year ending March 31 and expects to sell another 11 million in the current fiscal year. Microsoft said in its most recent quarterly earnings report filed in April that it had shipped 11 million Xbox 360s.
Nintendo, meanwhile, claims it has sold nearly 6 million Wiis worldwide as of March 31, and more than 40 million Nintendo DS handhelds. The company has predicted it will sell another 14 million Wiis and 22 million additional DS systems by the end of the current fiscal year.
The Wii and PS3 were released within days of each other late last year. Microsoft had a head start in the current generation of consoles, having launched its Xbox 360 in 2005. Last week, the software company announced an extension of the warranty due to the high number of systems suffering from hardware failure, also called the “red ring of death.”
In April, Microsoft began selling a version of its Xbox 360 with a 120-gigabyte hard drive and a souped up high-definition video connection. Called Xbox 360 Elite, the black-colored system sells for $479.99.
Xbox gamers who already own the $399.99 20-gigabyte model can buy a snap-on 120-gigabyte hard drive for $179.99.
Karraker said Sony would use the E3 show to focus on two areas: ways to increase the number of consumers who own PS3s and other products such as the PlayStation Portable handheld system, and expanding the system’s library of available games.
He said Sony would be releasing 100 new video games during the current fiscal year, including 15 titles that are exclusive to the PS3 such as the hack-and-slash action title “Heavenly Sword.”
Sell it and they’ll come…in droves, apparently, which makes Nintendo president Satoru Iwata’s contention last week that the Wii could someday surpass the PS2’s global sales of 100 million slightly more plausible. According to a New York Times article today (via GamePro), majors like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Activision are finally backpedaling on their initial “but it’s just not powerful enough!” dismissal of Nintendo’s little-console-that-could and embracing a counterintuitive comeback that continues to surprise even Nintendo stalwarts.
What’s really crazy? The Wii sold (and continues to sell) like gangbusters despite initially lukewarm media coverage and noncommittal developers and publishers. Nintendo’s where it’s at on its own steam, in other words, which is pretty remarkable when you consider the momentum both Sony and Microsoft had going in. Heck, the Wii doesn’t even have that many apps yet, and the one everyone tends to play the most comes with the base system for free. Just imagine how things might look sales-wise today if EA, Ubi, and Activision had the courage of Nintendo’s convictions to stand up and lead back in November, instead of sidling along in mega-millions sequel-vision behind Sony and Microsoft.
To be fair, don’t assume anyone’s “seen the light” just yet. The Gamecube did well out of the gate (not this well, of course) but it still tanked in the end. And there’s nothing stopping Sony or Microsoft from cheaply adopting the Wii’s kinetic approach with new peripherals and Wii-like games. There’s absolutely nothing wrong, paradigm or business-wise, with getting behind a competitor’s good ideas if the rest of the public’s giving it the big thumbs up. We’re the deciders, after all, right?
(Prediction: If the Wii’s still outselling the PS3 and Xbox 360 this time next year and after Sony and MS unleash their holiday game salvo, you’d better believe we’ll be seeing major price cuts and “casual” peripheral adoption — never mind the only kind-of interesting SIXAXIS controller, Sony’s Playstation Eye could hit a grand slam with the right developers…)
As for this latest realigning, money talks (innovation walks) and you have to assume someone simply woke up and smelled the honey pot. According to chairman and CEO of Foundation 9 Entertaiment Jon Goldman, “Publishers are saying: Instead of spending $15 million or $20 million on one PS3 game, come back to me with five or six Wii pitches.” That’s because (a) games take far less time to create on the Wii — 12 months versus two to three years for the competition, (b) it costs roughly $5 million per game in development scratch versus $10 to $20 million for a typical Xbox 360 or PS3 game, and (c) the Wii has been outselling every system except its own handheld DS Lite since November 2006, i.e. some eight or so solid months of market growth.
Think about it. Cheaper games, cheaper hardware, more games, more creative game ideas, and no need to go out and drop thousands of dollars on an overblown, probably underused HDTV or cable-up your living room with surround sound and potentially thousands of dollars of miscellaneous junk. Nothing wrong with that, but those of you who care about all the extras that unlock the “true” audio/visual value of the Xbox 360 and PS3 represent a niche (and quite possibly always will as video/audio-phile technology evolves).
There’s a reason the DS Lite, a considerably underpowered game system, has been rocking the socks off everyone by enormous margins since it debuted in June 2006. Everyone needs to take a page from Electronic Arts’ macho sports slogan, and remember: “It’s in the game.” And yep, it really is.
Adds THQ executive vice president Kelly Flock: “The Wii is a godsend. We are aggressively looking for more Wii titles.”
So are we Kelly, so are we.
In Battle of Consoles, Nintendo Gains Allies
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — In the competition among the makers of video game consoles, momentum is building for the Wii from Nintendo among its crucial allies: game developers and publishers.
Inspired by the early success of the Wii, the companies that create and distribute games are beginning to shift resources and personnel toward building more Wii games, in some cases at the expense of the competing systems: the PlayStation 3 from Sony and Xbox 360 from Microsoft.
The shift is closely watched because consumers tend to favor systems that have many compelling games. More resources diverted to the Wii would mean more games, and that would translate into more consumers buying Wii consoles later.
Jon Goldman, chairman and chief executive of Foundation 9 Entertainment, an independent game development company, said that he was hearing a growing call for Wii games from the publishers and distributors that finance the games that his firm creates. “Publishers are saying: Instead of spending $15 million or $20 million on one PS3 game, come back to me with five or six Wii pitches,” he said.
“We had one meeting two weeks ago with a publisher that was asking for Wii games,” said Mr. Goldman, who declined to identify the video game publisher that he met. “Three or four months ago, they didn’t want to hear Word 1 about the Wii.”
Nintendo said that titles would be coming from several major developers, like Activision and Ubisoft, that are making an enhanced commitment to the platform.
The interest in the Wii follows a period of uncertainty about the console by developers and publishers. They were initially cautious because the Wii was less technologically sophisticated, and they worried that consumers would not take to its unorthodox game play, which uses a motion-controlled wand that players move to direct action on the screen. For example, to serve balls in the tennis game, players circle their arms overhead as they would in real tennis.
History gave developers and publishers reason for caution, too. Nintendo’s last system, the GameCube, was initially a hot seller, but was ultimately outsold — and by a considerable margin — by the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Also, Nintendo has historically made many of the popular games for its own systems, in a way that has discouraged heavy participation by other developers and publishers.
The shift does not represent any shunning of the Xbox or Sony consoles, but rather an elevation of the Wii’s status — one that was clear in many conversations with developers and publishers at E3, the video game industry’s annual trade show in Santa Monica, Calif.
It is early in the current console product cycle, given that these machines are intended to be on the market for more than five years. Industry analysts say they do not expect to declare a victor anytime soon. Nevertheless, the trend is clear: Nintendo is getting growing support from game developers.
“We’re seeing a big shift at E3,” said John Davison, editorial director of 1UP Network, a network of video game Web sites and magazines, “and we’ll see more later this year.” He said he was seeing some game publishers putting less emphasis on the PlayStation 3. “But they’re not going to talk about that,” he added.
Since its first appearance in stores in November, the Wii has been outselling the Xbox 360 and PS3, which came out the same month, and it continues to be in short supply. The NPD Group, a market research firm, reported that as of May, Americans had purchased 2.8 million Wii systems, compared with 1.4 million PS3s. About 5.6 million Xbox 360 consoles have sold, but it hit the market a year earlier.
The Wii has clearly benefited from a price advantage; it costs $250, compared with $300 for the least-expensive Xbox 360 and $479 for the top-of-the-line machine. The PS3 sells for $500, after a price cut by Sony to clear inventory in advance of the Christmas selling season, when its new $600 device will be offered. Microsoft has been hampered of late by widespread product failures, and the company said it would spend $1.15 billion to repair individual machines.
While the growing size of the Wii’s customer base is attractive, developers are favoring Wii for other reasons. They are able to create games in less time than is needed for rival systems, because Wii’s graphics are less complex.
Colin Sebastian, a video game industry analyst with Lazard Capital Markets, said that in rough terms, it cost around $5 million to develop a game for the Wii compared with $10 million to $20 million to make a game for the Xbox 360 or PS3. Mr. Sebastian said that given the cost differences, a developer would need to sell 300,000 copies of a Wii game to break even, compared with 600,000 of a game for the PS3 or Xbox 360.
“Wii development costs certainly are cheaper than the other consoles,” said Scott A. Steinberg, a vice president for marketing at the game developer Sega of America. The company has a number of original Wii projects under development and uses 15 to 25 programmers to develop a Wii title, compared with 50 or more for a PS3 or Xbox 360 game.
Because of its simpler graphics, development times for Wii games are also shorter. A Wii game can be created in as little as 12 months, said Kelly Flock, executive vice president for worldwide publishing at THQ, a video game developer based in Agoura Hills, Calif. Games for the two competing consoles typically take two to three years.
He said that the budget for a Wii game ranges from $1.5 million to $4 million, compared with the $10 million to $12 million the company spends on a PS3 or Xbox 360 game.
“The Wii is a godsend,” Mr. Flock said. “We are aggressively looking for more Wii titles.”
By this holiday season, Nintendo will have added 100 games to its existing 60 titles. Sony has said that it will double the number of titles for the PS3 to 120 by the end of March, while Microsoft said it would have 300 titles for the Xbox 360 by the Christmas selling season. “I don’t think you’ll see any big shifts to one platform because you’re supporting so many,” said Kathy Vrabeck, president of the casual entertainment division of Electronic Arts. That said, she added that there had been a clear shift in mood at the company toward the Wii.
“There is a clear sense of excitement about the Wii at E.A.,” she said.
George Harrison, Nintendo’s senior vice president for marketing, said, “Electronic Arts is doing much more for us than they have in the past.”
Sony counters that, to some extent, Wii developers, publishers and game players will get what they pay for: games with less-complex graphics.
“There is some truth to the fact that you can make games for Wii for less than the PS3,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president for marketing at Sony. “But we still believe that our job is to develop big-budget games.”
