[Update: And don’t forget that MGS4 will be shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Hopefully we’ll get a rain of new details.]

The Metal Gear Solid series, one of the reasons to buy Sony game consoles, is coming to the PS3 in the form of Metal Gear Solid 4 (MGS4). The exclusive PS3 game is currently in development by Kojima Productions. This title is being created by Hideo Kojima, who is in charge of many aspects of the game. We know that the theme permeating the game will be “no place to hide”, presumably altering the gameplay a bit from previous MGS games.

In an interview with Gamespot, when asked about MGS4 Mr. Kojima said this:

I do not want to create a set anymore. I want to create the environment from scratch. So if I were to continue the example of a jungle, I don’t want to create fake jungles anymore. I would like to plant a tree, put a life-form in there, life program in there, so that in the game, when you water the plant, it will grow. If you don’t water the plant, it will die. What I would like to present to the user is now play our hide-and-seek game in this real world, not the set jungle that everyone competes on.

I wonder where he’s going with this, and what it will mean for the MGS franchise. Sounds like a lot of fun.

PS3 IGN - MGS4 Main Page
Gamespot - MGS4 Main Page

Say your car’s stereo is a little bit lacking. So you replace it with a different one. You also give your ride a new paint job, new rims, hubcaps, and velvet seat covers. Say even further that all those people that sold these things for you to use on your car had to pay the manufacturer a fee to do so. Crazy? Or smart?

This kind of thing is a little bit more common in the video game industry, and Microsoft will be getting their nickels for peripherals. Anyone who wants to sell a peripheral for the Xbox 360 will have to have it certified by Microsoft, include a secret code so that it works with the 360, and give Microsoft a share of the money.

Microsoft claims that this is a way to increase the quality of the peripherals sold for the platform. And you know, it may end up being true. Though, it must be said, we don’t know this for sure yet.

But I just don’t like it on the principal of the thing. Microsoft doesn’t get permission from Dell to sell their keyboards and mice for use with Dell computers, do they? Microsoft doesn’t have to go through a Dell certification process, or give Dell a percentage of their hard earned cash, do they?

But this is exactly what Microsoft is asking Xbox 360 peripheral makers to do. And the killer? Microsoft doesn’t even give them the option to be a non-official product. A peripheral maker can’t just create a plain controller with no Microsoft logos or anything, and sell it for use with the Xbox 360. Why? Because the peripheral maker has to add a special something to the controller for the Xbox 360 to recognize it as legitimate! Whatever happened to the free market? Free economy? Free will? The land of opportunity? Microsoft will give you opportunity, as long as you pay for it.

Crazy, just crazy.

Link: News.com - Digging profits out of Xbox

Nvidia, the designer of the GPU for the PS3, recently announced quarterly results for their second quarter of fiscal year 2006. Net income was up at $74.8 million, a large increase over the same quarter last year. Revenue for the quarter went up 24% to $574.8 million.

“Strong year-over-year revenue growth in our desktop GPU, MCP, and workstation product lines, combined with our intense focus on gross margin improvement led to our highest quarterly net income in three years,” said CEO Jen-Hsun Huang.

I mention this because Nvidia is a vital partner to Sony, creating their GPU wonder, the RSX. Nvidia’s continued good health is good news for Sony and for PS3 fans.

Link: Gamasutra - Nvidia Posts Second Quarter 2006 Profit

It’s a fact of my life right now: covering the war. The war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray has produced interesting thrusts, counter-thrusts, and feints from both sides.

Part of the war is the assumption that Microsoft will use HD-DVD eventually. After all, Bill Gates said that they might do just that. Plus, Microsoft and Toshiba has teamed up on the technology. Headlines like this one saying “Xbox 360 and Playstation 3: Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD” only reinforce the wide-spread belief. Or take 1UP.com’s statement that “Clearly [Microsoft] won’t support Sony’s proprietary Blu-ray technology.” (See my thoughts on recent HD-DVD and Blu-ray happening in this post over at HDBlog.net. I also discuss this statement made by 1UP.com.)

So of course Microsoft will choose HD-DVD. Right? But really, why shouldn’t Microsoft choose Blu-ray instead of HD-DVD? Let’s think up a couple reasons why Microsoft should use Blu-ray.

1. It’s got more storage capacity, and has more potential for more.
2. It’s backed by the biggest name computer manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Apple. And Microsoft software runs on machines by two out of those three. Standardization is a good thing, and if all computer companies get behind one standard, the consumer wins.
3. It would make HDTV enthusiasts happy. If both the PS3 and Xbox 360 supported Blu-ray, then a Blu-ray victory is virtually assured. This would make the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD mercifully short, and will let us get on with our lives. (Though it might give me less to talk about on HDBlog.net.)

Okay, so I could only think of three. But each of those three points are major reasons why Microsoft should adopt Blu-ray. Now, let’s think up some reasons why Microsoft should go HD-DVD.

1. To be contrarian. Since when does Microsoft do what we want them to do?
2. It would annoy Toshiba not to.
3. Bill Gates likes Paramount, Universal, and Warner Brothers better than Columbia/Tristar, MGM, Disney, and Fox.

Okay, only three again.

So there ya have it. I guess it’s really a tie. Three reasons for each side, so it’s a wash. Microsoft might as well do what everyone expects of them, and stay the course.

From what I understand, this list is not comprehensive. So take it with a grain of salt. But here is a summary of the titles to be shown at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, by platform:

• Mobile: 57
• PC: 42
• PS2: 27
• DS: 8
• PSP: 5
• Xbox: 5
• Xbox 360: 2
• PS3: 2
• GC: 1
• Etc: 18

Notice anything? The PS2 to Xbox game ratio is 27 to 5! This is just another example of how strong the PS2 is in Japan. But the PS3 to Xbox 360 game ratio is 2 to 2. Can we infer something from that? You could say that Microsoft has caught up in the next generation. Or you could argue that an even showing is actually quite good for the PS3, considering that it’s launch it up to 10 months away vs 3 months for the 360.

Or, like me, you could stay out of this one. I don’t think much can really be read into these next-gen numbers, the sampling size isn’t large enough. Now if the numbers were 27 to 27, now that would be something.

Something to ponder at any rate.

Link: Gamespot - Tokyo Game Show 2005 releases exhibitor and game lists

For a really long look at the Cell processor, take a really long look at this article over at CoolTechZone. Part of the summary:

The problem with Cell is not the power because evidently it’s more than enough for regular day-to-day tasks, but it’s the willingness and acceptance of users, manufacturers and vendors to write code optimized for it. If they do, the results will be astonishingly realistic and only then will the true potential of the Cell be unleashed.

Link: CoolTechZone - Cell Microprocessor: An In-Depth Look at the Future

Do I even need to try to refute this one? Or is posting a link to the article to give y’all a good laugh good enough? I think I’ll go for the latter, though I’ll give a small comment.

This post quotes TransGaming, which makes Windows games work under Linux. Then it postulates that since Linux will run on the PS3, that these games could also run on the PS3.

The main reason why this won’t work? PS3 uses a Cell processor, not a Pentium. So the emulation would have to emulate both Windows AND the Pentium, and that is (a) way too slow and (b) fraught with so many pitfalls it’ll probably never work. There’s a reason why emulators have never done that well, and I just mentioned them!

But hey, they could always prove me wrong. I dare them.

Link: The Console Wars - Could PlayStation 3 Play PC Games?

Fully destructable cars, smashing and crashing, flipping and flying. Motorbikes, ATVs, dune buggies. Oh, and normal cars too. Dust, dirt, and debris zipping every which way. An ATV and its rider crashing into a house, splintering it apart. Fire, smoke, and dust trails mucking up the air. And just plain muck on the windshield.

Utter mayhem. Take a look at the trailer linked below, and you’ll see utter mayhem.

If MotorStorm is even half as good as the preview video shown at E3, it’ll be a hit. A big hit. A hit like no other.

Evolution Studios has a lot to live up to.

PS3 IGN - MotorStorm - Main Page
Gamespot - MotorStorm - Main Page

I posted an article on HDBlog.net about the content protection announced for Blu-ray discs. Quite a bit of work to keep you from copying movies or games. Hopefully it all works out okay, the measures seem somewhat draconian.

Link: HDBlog.net - Blu-ray Content Protection Revealed

If you’re an F1 fan, you know that this time of year starts the “silly season”, where rumours run amuck about which drivers will go to which team. It looks like something similar is hitting the next-gen console circuit, as crazy rumours fly everywhere. OS X on the PS3! PS3 in 2007! Xbox 360 price to increase!

Yup, that’s the latest one. The Inquirer quotes their very reliable source “many”. As in, “many are thinking that Microsoft will raise the as yet unannounced price of the Xbox 360″. Now I don’t know who these “many” are, but I’d sure like to know how they came to that conclusion. Oh, wait. The Inquirer helps out there with a little bit of postulation.

One, since the price of the PS3 will be so high, Microsoft can raise their price too and still undercut Sony. Two, they don’t want to look cheap next to the PS3. Everyone knows that a more expensive console is better, right? *COUGH*

Now, The Inquirer is thinking in terms of the UK market where the original Xbox came out at £300 while in the US it retailed for $300 (quite a price difference). But I know people will read the INQUIRER and think about the possibilities for a price increase in the US, so I’m addressing those of you who are thinking like that.

So, let’s think up a couple reasons why Microsoft won’t increase their price above $300:

1. Microsoft doesn’t know for sure that Sony actually will come out with a more expensive console. Sure, Ken (I’m on first name basis now) has said that the PS3 will be expensive, and that you’ll have to save for it. But the word “expensive” is relative. Maybe Sony is planning on $350. If Microsoft comes out at something at or above that, they wouldn’t have the more affordable console anymore. (I think it unlikely they’d raise the price by less than $50.)
2. It leaves Sony the option of decreasing their price to match Microsoft’s. If Microsoft increases their price, Sony might just think it worth the gamble to match the price. Then, again, Microsoft wouldn’t end up with the more affordable console. They could change their price once Sony announces theirs, but that would look to reactionary. And everyone knows a leader isn’t reactionary.
3. Microsoft has already given very strong hints that the price would be around $300. If they change their tune there will be some backlash at launch.
4. “Many” have been known to be unreliable or just downright wrong in the past. “Many” bought the Russian-built Lada, for example. “Many” also like Michael Jackson. “Many” seem to like really hot humid weather where clothes stick to ya. “Many” put their life savings into Enron or Nortel stock. And they’re all wrong!

Link: the INQUIRER - Xbox 360 price could rise to match the PS3

Nothing to see here folks.

It seems like the folks at the INQUIRER are giddy at having taken a snapshot of the back of the Xbox 360. It reveals that, besides the power cord, there are three other connections in use. One, a network connector. We knew about that one already. Two, a USB connector. We knew about that one already. And three, a VGA connector. And gosh, we knew about that one already too. Oh, and also: the 360 will support resolutions up to 1080i! Oh, we knew that too.

So what’s the big deal?

I dunno, maybe the INQUIRER folks just don’t know how to read E3 coverage. Beats me.

Link: the INQUIRER - Xbox 360 connector pics reveal inside story

Factor 5, known for its lush Star Wars games for the GameCube, is developing Lair for the PS3. Basically, it’s a game with lots of slimy looking dragons. The trailer is brief, and just shows a very icky looking dragon flying about, fighting another dragon, and joining a legion of other dragons (not necesarily in that order). SCEA has learned their lesson from E3, and at the beginning of the trailer it says that everything therein consists of in-game footage.

The Factor 5 website has no information about Lair, just pointing to the IGN website.

PS3 IGN - Lair - Main Page
Gamespot - Lair - Main Page (no info yet)

It’s the story that just won’t die. I’ve been trying really hard not to comment on it because it’s such a ridiculous thing I didn’t think it was worth the trouble. But when even News.com gets into the act, I figure I have to say something.

Some analyst somewhere said something about Sony delaying the release of the PS3 if the 360 does poorly. This analyst’s name is Michael Pachter, and he works for Wedbush Morgan Securities. He suggests that Microsoft’s launch of the Xbox 360 will not go as well as Microsoft hopes, and that Sony has options. And included in those options was slipping the PS3 to an early 2007 launch.

I am about to go outside and drive to Staples to buy some desk organizers because my wife thinks my desk looks too messy. One of the options I have is to pile my kids into the minivan and drive through the park, knocking over all the mini-trees trying to become adult trees. It’s an option, sure. But is it going to happen? Nope. [Update: I just came back. It didn’t happen.]

Sony is currently gearing up for the launch of the PS3 in spring 2006. The Xbox 360 is launching in November 2005. Even if sales are lackluster in November (which I doubt), they could rebound in December and January. Which begs the question. How many months of sales data do you need to determine if the Xbox 360 launch was a success or not? Certainly not one, two, or three. And that would be about how much data Sony would have before being able to abort a launch. Because otherwise they’d have started production of actual PS3 hardware. Especially if they are considering an early spring launch, for which there are some hints.

All of Sony is gearing up for a spring 2006 launch. Software tools. Game software. PS3 hardware. Peripherals. Marketing. Sales. Manufacturing. How easy is it to turn a behemoth like Sony on a dime? Tanker ships literally take miles to make turns or to slow to a stop. A major console launch is like that tanker. Slow, ponderous, and magnificent.

Link: News.com - Analyst: Sony could delay PS3

Mr. Moore. Not Michael Moore, but Peter Moore. He’s Microsoft’s head of Xbox marketing. And he did an interview with Famitsu magazine including the topic of the Xbox 360 in Japan. (Famitsu gets it all, it seems.)

About the PS3 vs Xbox 360: “while the public sees them as very similar, he thinks Microsoft’s concern lies more in the expansion of the games industry but Sony is trying to push in a different direction”. Eurogamer fails to mention what this “different direction” was. Maybe Moore just didn’t say. The Gamespot coverage of the same interview failed to indicate Sony’s “different direction” either.

According to Moore, Sony’s aim is not the “expansion of the games industry”. Hmmm. Well. Gosh darn it, I guess I can’t buy a PS3 then. Sony doesn’t want to expand the games industry! What a major bummer. I mean, if your aim isn’t to expand the games industry, then what’s left?

Since Moore didn’t say, let’s speculate. What could Sony’s real aim be? Well, they could be trying to make a lot of money to finance a dig to the earth’s core. Or to raise awareness for the plight of three-legged cats. Or say, I think they might just want to rename themselves SEGA. What could Sony’s aim be? Maybe, just maybe, could it be to sell a great gaming console with fun games, making both consumers and Sony’s shareholders happy? Nah…

Link: Eurogamer - Moore on Xbox 360
Link: Gamespot - Moore talks more Xbox 360