(News by White-haired Journalist)

Kaz Hirai, Sony President and CEO, graced the Tokyo Game Show by talking in front of a large crowd consisiting of press members and the general public, with his theme as “A Look At Expanding Our Business Strategy Toward New Growth: The Expanding PlayStation World.”

It seems like the PlayStation 3 (PS3) would be using the PlayStation Portable (PSP) as a key player in it’s desperate attempt to compete in the console wars.

The PSP, a well loved portable console by the masses, is nearing 30 million units sold worldwide. The games Midnight Club II, Monster Hunter 2, and Grand Theft Auto: Libertiy City Stories brought success to the console even more when they achieved platinum titles. Now, the PSP has evolved even more because of the launching of its new version, the PSP slim that is to be launched in Japan today.

Hirai explains that aside from the 300 titles that are scheduled to be released for the PS3, The PSP will be playing a key factor for the PS3 in the sense of having a somewhat symbiotic relationship with each other. Hirai revealed that a future plan for the PSP was to be able to play PS3 games.

“Users will be able to play their game on the PS3, and when they have to leave for work, continue playing it on their commute on their PSP.” Hirai said. “PSP will make use of these extended functions to expand the world of PlayStation, and will be a very important part of the platform’s growth.”

This function is probably done in such a way where the PSP can be remotely connected to the PS3 through the use of Wi-Fi. After all, there are many Wi-Fi spots in Japan so this feature may be loved by the public.

W-h J: The PSP has proven to be a very powerful portable console because of the features it boasts. It now has a camera (for Europe and Japan), the “1 SEG Tuner”, it can be used as a remote for the PS3, it can play movies and mp3s, and it may also carry in the future an e-mail service, televison streaming, and picture and video services as asserted by Hirai that users were asking for these during their presentation in Leipzig. However, I also think that Sony should focus more on making superb games for the PS3 instead of strenthening their console capabilities. After all, a console may be groundbreaking but if it doesn’t have good games, it would just fail. And to quote my friend Stone Butterfly, also a contributor to Sumodownload, Sony will indeed face tight competition if they focus on doing multi functions for the PSP. She’s right when she said “…instead of having to compete with other gaming devices, now they’ll have to compete with the iPod, with radio, portable TVs, etc.”

Well, at least Hirai’s doing something. I just hope Sony can pull this one off.

Nintendo is like an Aikidokan. It may not pack a ground breaking graphics feature but it found it’s way how to counter and defeat the mighty entertainment giant with its Nunchuck and Wiimote.

(Source: Gamespot)

(News by White-haired Journalist)

Lots of fans were dissapointed when Konami announced that the release date of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, one of the company’s top games, was pushed back to the first quarter of 2008. However, it seems like Snake himself can’t wait anymore as Konami’s site posted that the release date is “Winter 2007.” The only thing that can solidify this change is when Konami officially announces it at the Tokyo Game Show.

W-h J: Can’t wait for this one to come out. According to Kojima, the things that sets this game apart from the first three Metal gears were the overwhelming sense of freedom the game gives you and the tension of the need to make decisions on the fly. Definitely sounds good to me.

Solid Snake: This my last installment guys.  I’ll definitely miss y’all.

W-h J: Shut up Snake! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

SS: Hey! Look at my hair. It’s as white as yours. Give me a break already! I’ve been signing contracts for 20 years for pete’s sake.

W-h J: Hey! I’m only 22.

SS: No kidding?! Hahaha. Foxdie reached you?

W-h J: Nah, it’s hereditary. But hey, seriously man, you’ll be missed. Take care, ayt? I’ll miss the times.

XD

(Sources: Gaming Today, Konami)

Technorati tags: Metal Gear Solid 4, Solid Snake, Hideo Kojima, Konami, PS3

(News by White-haired Journalist)

Hello kids! Since this is Sanriotown, I figured I should post a Sanrio game here.

Anyone remember the game made especially for My Melody titled, “Onegai My Melody: Yume no Kuni no Daibouken (Roughly translated as - Please My Melody: Adventure in the Land of Dreams)?” It’s about My Melody battling the mischievous rabbit called Kuromi. You see, Kuromi kidnapped My Melody’s seven precious friends and only My Melody can put an end to the evil rabbit’s act. Help My Melody traverse the seven levels of Dream Country and save her friends from the clutches of the evil Kuromi!

Check out these screenshots and see how cute My Melody is in the game.

(Source: NCSX)

Technorati tags: My Melody, Sanriotown, Sanrio, Nintendo, DS

(News by White-haired Journalist)

Pirate captain Monkey D. Luffy and his crew will set sail on Wii shores as they embark on a new journey to explore a mysterious, ginormous island that had suddenly emerged under their ship in their latest game called “One Piece: Unlimited Adventure.”

In this game, players may play as any of the Straw hat pirates (Luffy and his crew) in unravelling the secrets of the mysterious island. Enjoy the original moves made by characters as seen in the anime, like Luffy’s classic “Gomu Gomu” move or Zoro’s swordplay, all of which executable by motions using of the Wiimote and Nunchuck controller. What makes this game more intersting is its additional features like the Versus mode, survival mode, and tons of unlockables that will surely add spice to game play.

“We are thrilled to bring this one-of-a-kind television series into the hands of gamers on the Nintendo Wii,” said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO of NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “One Piece: Unlimited Adventure is the perfect blend of action and charm that will engage new gamers and series fans alike.”

Luffy and his crew are expected to ship their new game to game shelves on the first quarter of 2008. 

One Piece is one of the most popular anime in Japan that is still running on TV, already at its 324th episode as of September 16, 2007 (the show first aired on October 20, 1999). The series tells of an ordinary boy turned extraordinary after eating a fruit known as the “devil fruit” that grants him mysterious powers of elasticity, enabling him to inflate, stretch, and bounce back attacks. Luffy’s ultimate dreams are to get the ultimate treasure known as the “One Piece” and to become the Pirate King.

(Sources: IGN, Wikipedia)

(News by White-haired Journalist)

The wait is over! After the much awaited anticipation of Microsoft’s Halo 3 version of the Xbox 360, the company released the theme console yesterday, with the game itself predicted by Analysts to garner a total of $200 million in its initial sales.

The Halo 3 Xbox version will feature a Spartan Green color for the console, accompanied by a 20 GB hard drive, a wireless controller, headset, play and charge kit, Halo 3 theme and gamer pics, and an HDMI output. The package is sold for $399.

The most dissapointing thing in the package is that the Halo 3 game will not be included in it. The game is yet to be out on September 25th, sold for $59.99 and is upgradable to Collector’s Edition ($69.99) and Legendary ediion ($129.99).

W-h J: Nice move by Microsoft. I just wish those red rings of death are already fixed in the Halo themed console. I mean, Microsoft is such a big company and their software is almost always used in most companies around the globe. I wonder what’s the real story behind those red rings. Cost cutting? Hmm…

Master Chief: (Ratatatata tatatat ata….ta….dzzz…..dzzzzzztt!!!) *Game stops*
Xbox 360: (Red rings of death)

Not even Master Chief stood a chance against the invincible Red Rings of Death!

XD

(Source: Gamespot)

(News by White-haired Journalist)

Wii Zapper, Nintendo’s latest gadget, gets flamed by some people even before its release this November. Apparently, New Jersey parents seem to be mad about the new Nintendo accessory that holds both the nunchuck and the wiimote to make it look like a gun.

Here are some of the negative responses taken from New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger:

“Great, this is what we need. Children with guns learning how to aim and shoot. Then we can sit back and wonder what is happening to our country with kids killing kids……what’s next? Could we make it squirt blood, too”

“….Why don’t they enclose an application to the NRA in every box as well….the marketing person who came up with this brain child of an idea should be fired.”

“I think it’s irresponsible for Wii to come out with a controller that looks like a gun so kids can play games simulating shooting. What kind of message are we sending as parents when we buy these things for our kids?”

However, these responses may be the case of�misleading sentence construction of Star Ledger’s question. Originally taken from GamePolitics, according to them, this was Star Ledger’s original question: “Wii announced over the summer that it’s coming out the a [sic] gun-like remote, so kids can play shooter games, with, well, a shooter. What do you think about making a wand in the shape of a weapon so play is more realistic? …Is it harmful? …Will you buy one for your kids?”

White-haired Journalist: It seems to me that this is a case of misinformed information and the incorrect sentence construction leading to persuasion. First of all, the Wii Zapper is not focused on kids. I didn’t remember Nintendo saying something like “Hey kids, good news to all of you! The Wii Zapper coming in November is just for you!” Also, sentences like these are very biased: “What do you think about making a wand in the shape of a weapon so play is more realistic? …Is it harmful? …Will you buy one for your kids?” If one wants to really get an honest opinion of buyers of what they think of a product, a simple sentence will do the trick like “What do you think of the Wii Zapper?” There are many misinformations on the media right now regarding elements that affect a child’s growth so staying away from these kinds of issues will produce better answers from the masses. Unless of course there’s a hidden agenda as to why the question is constructed that way.

And as to the issue with children being violent simply by using guns in their game play? I don’t think so. If so, we should also stop production of Plato’s books as it sometimes lead to confusion and violence among people because they won’t agree with how they understood Plato’s statement� I saw one philosopher punch another one just because of an argument with one of Plato’s teachings� Does that make Plato’s book a fuel for violence?

Kid holding a Wii knife, a quasi-future gadget by Nintendo to make cooking games more realistic: Hey mom look at me! I can cook simple meals now!

Mom: No son! Don’t! You’ll be a serial killer by holding a knife!

XD

(Sources: GamePolitics, Nj.com)

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Technorati tags: Star Ledger, Wii, Nintendo, Wii Zapper

We’re the Sumodownload team and we write gaming news. Primarily, we write for Sumodownload.com but we would also like to post here because we’re avid fans of Hello Kitty. So fans of electronic games, come to our site for the freshest game news out there.