Shane Kim on PS3 Home

Microsoft Game Studios head, Shane Kim, has given his thoughts on Sony’s online strategy, and as we would expect, MS and Sony are not going to be kissing and making up anytime soon…

I doubt [Sony’s] ability to implement it and execute it in a really rich and compelling way. PlayStation Network is not Xbox Live, it’s not even close. To think about layering [Home] on top of that–wow. The hardest part is not even creating the system, it’s regulating the behavior and all of that too. Boy, that’s a massive investment in infrastructure. I actually believe that most gamers will always find more value in what we have on Xbox Live and now Games for Windows Live and how we’re building that out, which really started all about gaming features and now has added more like instant messaging, Video Marketplace, etcetera. That’s what I think is a much better approach, and that’s what our approach is going to be.

Ouch. Those are fighting words. We’ll see how it all plays out this year.

Virtual Console Monday: Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting!

It’s a Ninja themed Virtual Console Monday. Nintendo will release three new classic games on the Wii Virtual Console at 9:00 AM PST, 11:00AM CST & 12:00 PM EST. Check’em out:

Pac-Man® (NES®, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Move Pac-Man through the maze, avoiding ghosts and eating all the Pac-Dots. Beware, each of the ghosts behave differently. When Pac-Man chomps a Power Pellet, he becomes invincible and is able to eat the blue ghosts. The more ghosts Pac-Man eats in a row, the higher the score. Don’t forget to eat the bonus fruit too. Released in 1980, Pac-Man is the most well-known video game on Earth and is also commonly acknowledged as one of the most successful coin-operated games in history. Enjoy this masterpiece of gaming history today.

Ninja Gaiden™ (NES®, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Players take on the role of Ryu Hayabusa, a rising warrior in his family’s clan whose main role in the world is to protect the Dark Dragon Blade from falling into the hands of evil. Ryu travels to America to seek vengeance for his father’s death. Players fight their way through 14 challenging side-scrolling levels while defeating gangs of street thugs, battling evil ninjas and fighting barbarian bosses by using the deadly Dragon Sword, ninja skills and Ninpo (ninja magic). Players can run, crouch, jump and climb as they make their way through each stage and collect items to gain points, strength and weapons.

Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points): Ninja Spirit is a side-scrolling action game that amazed the gaming world with its precision graphics and quality game play. Play as the ninja Moonlight and engage in a fierce battle to avenge his father’s death and unlock the secrets of his birth. Select between the original ARCADE MODE and PC-ENGINE MODE, which includes a life gauge. Use four types of weapons: katana, shuriken, bombs and chain and sickles to battle your way through the enemies. Pick up power-up items and switch between weapons to give you the advantage. You’ll need to consider the enemy attacks and your weapon’s abilities in order to deftly make it through all seven stages. Use your skills and attacks to get through the game’s boundless enemies and traps. That’s what ninja action is all about.

[Source]