Wii Friend Codes to be Title Specific

Looks like no unified online system for the Wii according to a interview with Gamespy

Falafelkid: Just one last question to make absolutely sure I have got this right, please. If I have a friend roster in one game, that roster will not be available to me in any other game. I have to build up an entirely new list for each title, right?

GameSpy: The answer to your question is yes, for the Wii friend lists are game specific.

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3158027

Man I was hoping the Wii would ditch the friends code system but it doesn’t look like that will happen

Crippled European PS3?

Before you guys go off and call me a Sony fanboy, let me tell you that I am not. I criticize Sony for their mistakes as much as the next guy. However, I do support the system and I do think it is right to stick up for the PS3 when people are getting worked up over nothing.

Ok, so I was going through my RSS feeds, and EVERY single gaming blog that I went to had coverage of the European PS3 being “crippled”. For those of you who haven’t heard (which is highly unlikely), the Inquirer got hold of a PAL PS3, which of course will support software backwards compatibility. They tested 12 PS2 games and only one, Eragon, worked. This set off a mass hysteria of panic and calling Sony liars, you know, the usual bashing.

Let me clear things up a little bit. PAL PS3’s came 3 to 4 weeks before launch. They came with the current firmware, which is 1.5. Now, Sony has promised that their support for 1000+ PS2 titles will come with the 1.6 firmware update. 1.5, 1.6…see the difference? Of course the PS3 is not going to support any PS2 games because well, it doesn’t have the software to. I’m surprised that even Eragon worked. Fact of the matter is, backwards compatibility will be here come the European launch. Whether or not we will truly have 1000 PS2 games supported, we’ll find out next week.

This news came out this morning and I still see blogs posting it, without even mention of the 1.6 firmware. I know my fellow bloggers are just trying to spread news (or more hatred for the PS3 ), but please, provide all the facts before posting something.

Sony is “still the one to beat”, says Epic Games boss

GamesIndustry.biz has posted part of their interview with Epic Games VP Mark Rein. Here is some of what he had to say:

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz in an interview at GDC last week, Rein said, “Sony has a very, very strong brand, so in my opinion, they’re still the one to beat.

“The Wii is an impressive piece of hardware, but as you get the visually more impressive games coming out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as the marketing dollars get turned up to support the larger quantities of machines, with potential price drops and titles like Singstar which appeal to the larger market… Those machines will ignite, they’ll take off, and they’ll sell just fine.”

Rein’s comments came after Phil Harrison’s GDC keynote speech, during which the Sony Worldwide Studios boss unveiled PlayStation Home and exclusive title LittleBigPlanet. “It looks like they’ve got some pretty cool stuff coming,” Rein said.

“As the big titles come out, they’re going to sell a bunch of machines. When PlayStation Home comes out, they’ll sell a bunch of machines… Yeah, it’s a high price, because it’s a new, high-end piece of equipment, but history shows that price will come down. They’ll sell lots of them, it’ll be fine.”

Rein questioned some of the criticisms which have been levelled at Sony in recent months, particularly with regard to the amount of PS3 stock currently available in US stores.

“So wait, if they don’t have enough machines in stores, that’s a bad thing? If they do have enough machines, that’s a bad thing? Pick one!

“People just seem to want to take a smack at [Sony], and I can’t figure it out. They’re the leader, so I guess they have a target on their back.”

He also had strong words for those who have accused Sony of following in others’ footsteps. “I read on a developer forum, one of the guys who worked on PlayStation Home said they started designing it in 2004. So when people say things like, ‘Oh, they announced this new piece of software! They just copied so-and-so!’. What, you think they just made it last week in their basement?”

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23503

Very good interview. I agree with Rein.

Nunchuk-only Game for the Wii?

Here’s some interesting bit of news for you guys. A game with an intriguing, simple control system. It’s an RPG called Opoona. According to WiiFanboy:

Opoona is a new game from Koei that casts players in the title role, as a visitor to planet Landroll who must earn job licenses to gain access to areas of the planet and investigate the incident that injured his parents. These licenses correspond to jobs, which the player is free to choose.

Opoona is also a game that is controlled entirely with the Nunchuk. The game uses an “Active Bombom” combat system wherein players whip projectiles with the nunchuk. Movement outside of battle is also controlled by the Nunchuk, leaving your poor, neglected Wiimote dangling lamely from its tether.

I’d like to see how this game plays out. It doesn’t seem like you can do much with only the nunchuk, but we’ll see.
Source: Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Released on XBL Marketplace

Major Nelson posted at his blog:

Arcade: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
Price: 400 Points
Availability: Not available in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore or Taiwan
Dash Details: A blast from the past! Help the Turtles save their friends April and Master Splinter, and defeat the evil Shredder once more in this classic arcade brawler!
Size: 44.1 MB (approx)

Source: http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007/03/14/arcade-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles.aspx

Once my 360 gets back from the repair center I will be buying this game.

Phil Harrison Interview Part II

Next Generation has posted part two of their interview with Phil Harrison. HEre are a few quotes from the interview:

Harrison says, “There’s no reason why a hundred percent of the connected users wouldn’t download it and try it. There’s an opportunity to give a sampling to every connected PS3, which is very, very exciting. Beyond that, how long people use it for, how often they use it, what kind of engagement they have with it culturally and commercially are questions that I have no idea how to answer. But I’m really looking forward to finding out. What are the hooks that make it sticky for people? What are the things that give people satisfaction when they’re using Home or hanging out in Home? It’s emergent and we don’t quite know yet.”

He adds, “The reaction that we got from the media preview on Tuesday night was extraordinary. You’ve got a hundred and something journalists in the room who are not all known for their spontaneity. They see a lot of games and I don’t mean to be disparaging to the media but the truth is they can sometimes sit there with their arms folded, quite rightly because they see a lot of stuff. But to have a hundred people spontaneously applaud at the end of the Little Big Planet demo made me realize that, yes, this is going to quite likely resonate well with a larger audience on Wednesday morning but no where near to the reaction that we actually got. I had no idea we were going to get that reaction. So of course it makes me happy, it’s what we do, you know, create entertainment and try and share it with people. So for that approach to be validated in such a clear way, that sends a shiver down my spine.”

To read the rest of the interview click here. To read part one of the interview click here.

Personally I am very excited for HOME and LittleBigPlanet. Hopefully I can get into the beta.