Is the PS3, like, totally fucked, dude?

Just a quick note to clarify my points about the PS3 in the next post down:

It is the fastest-selling console ever in the UK, shifting 165,000 units in the launch weekend. Isn’t it weird how seeing brand new games consoles on the shelves makes it seem like they’re not very successful, even when they are? [source]

But the machine is being outsold 2:1 by the Nintendo Wii in Japan. [source]

And in the US, 127,000 PS3s were sold last month, compared to 295,000 PS2s and 335,000 Wiis. Ouch! [source]

Meanwhile, people who queued up for a PS3 hoping to sell it for profit on eBay are actually making a loss. Double ouch! And [source]

Is the PS3, like, totally fucked, dude?

Just a quick note to clarify my points about the PS3 in the next post down:

It is the fastest-selling console ever in the UK, shifting 165,000 units in the launch weekend. Isn’t it weird how seeing brand new games consoles on the shelves makes it seem like they’re not very successful, even when they are? [source]

But the machine is being outsold 2:1 by the Nintendo Wii in Japan. [source]

And in the US, 127,000 PS3s were sold last month, compared to 295,000 PS2s and 335,000 Wiis. Ouch! [source]

Meanwhile, people who queued up for a PS3 hoping to sell it for profit on eBay are actually making a loss. Double ouch! And [source]

I still love Wii-ing

Last December, it seemed like every other post on here was about the Nintendo Wii and how much I was looking forward to getting my hands on one. Then it arrived and, one paltry review of Zelda later, everything went quiet. Here’s what’s happened since:

Everyone who plays Wii Sports wants to take the console home with them. It’s the most intuitive and addictive game since Tetris.

While playing Wii Tennis, at least one guest has come close to throwing themselves through the window with a rather overzealous backhand return.

The tutorial videos on Wario Ware: Smooth Moves made me laugh chips out my nose.

Mrsdiscopop-in-law got overly competitive on Wii Play’s shooting range, making everyone a little more nervous on Christmas Day.

If you like the internet smaller, blurrier, and more difficult to navigate then the Wii’s Web Browser is the product for you.

I completed Zelda in 50 hours, and was smug for approximately the same amount of time.

Lots of people who are better at computer games than I will ever be posted their high scores to Flickr. Does the phrase “too much time on your hands” mean anything to the youth of today?

The PS3 came out. Nobody bought it. We all laughed.

Although it’s a bit too early to claim victory for the tiny white console – especially as Nintendo can’t get enough stock to the UK while the PS3 sits winking coquettishly at people on the shop shelves.

Added to which – can we have some new games please, Nintendo?

Actually, I’ve just come across the following trailer for Wii Sims. Once mrsdiscopop gets her hands on this, I won’t be able to get her off the sofa for weeks. Which could be a problem, as we’re supposed to be moving house…

I just want to be Mii

One of the best things about the Wii is the little application that lets you make a character based on yourself (called a Mii) which can then be dragged into games, sent to other people’s Wiis over the internet or loaded onto your remote so you can bring it round to your mate’s house and beat up his Mii on Wii Sports Boxing. It’s quite a simple application, but I’ve already spent about six hours messing around with it.

It seems I’m not the only one. A blog called kottke has been running a competition to find the best celebrity Mii. Here are some of my favourites:

Left to right: Charlie Brown, Hannibal Lecter Jack Black, Woody Allen,

If anyone wants to send their Miis to, erm, me you can register my console with the following details
Wii number: 1009 2440 7878 8115
Nickname: mrdiscopop

Wiiview*

I’ve had my Wii for a week now and, while I haven’t been able to spend as much time getting used to it as I would have liked, my initial impressions are very favourable indeed.

When it arrived last Friday, Amazon had kindly omitted to include the games I ordered, so my first experiences were solely based on Wii Sports – which is bundled with the console.

The five sport simulations are more proofs of concept than in-depth gaming experiences, but they showcase the versatility of the Wii’s motion sensitive controllers perfectly. Playing tennis, in particular, is incredibly intuitive. A flick of the wrist makes your on-screen character thwack the ball and there is an instant sense of connection and immersion that I’ve never experienced before with a video game. This is Nintendo’s unique selling point, of course, but I do wonder whether it will give grist to the mill of campaigners who say video games encourage violent behaviour in children.

While the tennis game is pleasantly broad in it’s interpretation of your movements, the golfing game require a bit more precsision. I have to say the controls seem somewhat more fiddly and less responsive in this scenario – and it can prove frustratingly difficult to make delicate putts. It seems that subtlety is not the Wii’s strong point.

After a brief weekend visiting the in-laws, I returned to find two more games on my doorstep. The first of these, Zelda: Twilight Princess, is Nintendo’s so-called “triple-A” title for the console’s release. Now, I’ve never really gelled with the Zelda series before – it always seemed a bit to dungeons and dragons for someone who prefers the company of humans to that of orcs and elves. But I have to say this installment has won me over. The plot is typically geeky (someone steals the daylight and you have to get it back) but the game draws you in like a seductive whisper.

The graphics are superb, too, drawing on a beautifully muted colou palette. It’s hard to see why people are complaining about the Wii’s graphical inferiority when you look at this game which, to my mind, is on par with early Pixar films.

Zelda also puts paid to any qualms about the Wii’s control mechanism in traditional games. Control stick movements are smooth, while the energetic sword-play fits in seamlessly. I still find myself searching for the second analogue controller on occasion as I attempt to swing the camera round, but I expect I’ll lose that instinct very quickly.

The final game, which I’ll only mention briefly, is Rayman Raving Rabbids. It’s basically a collection of mini games, in the style of Wario Ware, with a Python-esque sense of mischief. It had me laughing so hard I was unable to hold the controller.

So is the Wii the future of gaming? To be honest, it’s not going to please everyone, but it is a brilliantly capable machine. I’ve never played games this accomplished so early in a console’s lifetime – so it’ll be interesting to see how things develop, particularly when it’s multiplayer online games launch (that’s you, Mario Kart). Hardcore gamers will probably want an Xbox or PS3 sitting under their TV but this is the machine you’ll be coming back to with your friends.

* Enough of these dreadful puns for now, yes?

Wiiview*

I’ve had my Wii for a week now and, while I haven’t been able to spend as much time getting used to it as I would have liked, my initial impressions are very favourable indeed.

When it arrived last Friday, Amazon had kindly omitted to include the games I ordered, so my first experiences were solely based on Wii Sports – which is bundled with the console.

The five sport simulations are more proofs of concept than in-depth gaming experiences, but they showcase the versatility of the Wii’s motion sensitive controllers perfectly. Playing tennis, in particular, is incredibly intuitive. A flick of the wrist makes your on-screen character thwack the ball and there is an instant sense of connection and immersion that I’ve never experienced before with a video game. This is Nintendo’s unique selling point, of course, but I do wonder whether it will give grist to the mill of campaigners who say video games encourage violent behaviour in children.

While the tennis game is pleasantly broad in it’s interpretation of your movements, the golfing game require a bit more precsision. I have to say the controls seem somewhat more fiddly and less responsive in this scenario – and it can prove frustratingly difficult to make delicate putts. It seems that subtlety is not the Wii’s strong point.

After a brief weekend visiting the in-laws, I returned to find two more games on my doorstep. The first of these, Zelda: Twilight Princess, is Nintendo’s so-called “triple-A” title for the console’s release. Now, I’ve never really gelled with the Zelda series before – it always seemed a bit to dungeons and dragons for someone who prefers the company of humans to that of orcs and elves. But I have to say this installment has won me over. The plot is typically geeky (someone steals the daylight and you have to get it back) but the game draws you in like a seductive whisper.

The graphics are superb, too, drawing on a beautifully muted colou palette. It’s hard to see why people are complaining about the Wii’s graphical inferiority when you look at this game which, to my mind, is on par with early Pixar films.

Zelda also puts paid to any qualms about the Wii’s control mechanism in traditional games. Control stick movements are smooth, while the energetic sword-play fits in seamlessly. I still find myself searching for the second analogue controller on occasion as I attempt to swing the camera round, but I expect I’ll lose that instinct very quickly.

The final game, which I’ll only mention briefly, is Rayman Raving Rabbids. It’s basically a collection of mini games, in the style of Wario Ware, with a Python-esque sense of mischief. It had me laughing so hard I was unable to hold the controller.

So is the Wii the future of gaming? To be honest, it’s not going to please everyone, but it is a brilliantly capable machine. I’ve never played games this accomplished so early in a console’s lifetime – so it’ll be interesting to see how things develop, particularly when it’s multiplayer online games launch (that’s you, Mario Kart). Hardcore gamers will probably want an Xbox or PS3 sitting under their TV but this is the machine you’ll be coming back to with your friends.

* Enough of these dreadful puns for now, yes?

Reading material and pop trivia

Pitchfork runs through the worst album covers of 2006. Including this one:

Shakira is finally coming to play a concert in the UK, after winning every Latin music award available – plus three more she invented in her mind. Tickets go on sale at this address tomorrow at 9am.

The world’s tallest man has saved a dolphin by ramming his arm down its throat and retrieving a bit of plastic it had swallowed. It’s really true. Scout’s honour.

Download an MP3 of Beyonce‘s Irreplaceable in Spanish and convince your housemates the stereo has gone on the blink. Altogether now: “Ya lo ves, ya lo ves”.

Popjustice is giving away Lily Allen‘s Chopper.

Girls Aloud run through their political views in The Spectator. They’re anti-war, pro-grammar school and support high taxation, apparently. Cheryl’s going to get some flak for saying she only votes for Labour because “me mam does”, but isn’t that how most people choose their political affiliation? Except Hitler, of course.

Get some free mash-ups courtesy of Hop’s MP3 Thingamajig. Regardless of their quality, the titles are ace: 99 Voodoo Children and Control, Bloody Control are my two favourites.

After all the reports of gamers breaking their TV screens, lampshades and faces with their Nintendo Wii controller, this guy has found a way to make the wrist strap more secure. Handcuffs.

PS: I’m hoping to get round to writing a proper review of the Wii tomorrow. But I doubt you’ll be surprised to hear me say this: It is fabberoo.

Play safe, kids

Which of the following two images from Nintendo’s saftey manual for the Wii console is real and which is fake?

Wrong! They’re both for real! Quite why Nintendo thinks anyone would be willing to put a shamrock in their gamehole is quite beyond me, but maybe the Japanese are more litigious than I previously imagined.

Kotaku has grabs of all the illustrations from the safety manual, while theiconfactory has created some fake ones and loaded them up to Flickr. They are almost as funny as the real ones.

PS: 2 days to go! 2 days to go!!

2 wiiks to go

I’ve now placed two pre-orders for a Nintendo Wii, just to make absolutely sure I get one on release day (8 December).

Does that seem a bit excessive? I admit that when I woke up this morning I was beginning to question my own sanity… Then someone sent me this video of a small child playing the boxing mini-game on Wii Sports and I realised why I’m so excited all over again.

How could you not want something that makes you do that in front of your tellybox?

Europe release date for Wii

It seems my cynicism yesterday was unfounded – gaming giant Nintendo is releasing its new games console in Europe in time for Christmas. Called Wii, its available on these shores from Friday, 8th December.

In a neat bit of pricing synchronicity, it costs 25000 yen in Japan, $250 in the US and €250 in Europe. The bad news is that the console will cost £180 in the UK (£10 more than the rest of Europe and a full £60 than the US). The good news is that a free game is bundled with the console.

The European Wii site is now live and available here: www.wii.com