Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming: Yet more CES gaming goodies ...

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Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming (Subscribe)

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Yet more CES gaming goodies ...

As far as ongoing coverage of the gaming side of the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, GameSpot.com has a good CES-related coverage page, as does IGN.com. For non-gaming-specifc goodness, check out CNET's page.

TeamXbox.com coverage is unfortunately leaving me cold.

As far as a sampling of updates:

Xbox 360 price cut:

Rumored many times, and back on the table in Vegas. A couple of lesser know analysts are saying a $100 price drop isn't unreasonable, as Microsoft tries to disrupt the market. Maybe, but Microsoft's historically not into disruptive pricing -- they're more price takers.

And Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter (who is more well known), doesn't think there will be a price drop.

But here's something to ponder. What if Sony continues to get traction on PS3s? Arguably, they outsold what the 360 had in its couple launch months in 2005. And what if there is something to the rumor of a new Xbox 360, with a 65mm chip, HDMI, and maybe a bigger hard drive? Microsoft could drop pricing on the current Xbox in a "promotional period", then restore the price when the new 360 ships -- softening the blow for people who buy the older unit.

Want more? Pachter seemingly arbitrarily picked a July 11 date for Sony's price drop for the PS3. That would make sense, and could suck the wind out of the availability of Microsoft's new version of the SKU. But if Microsoft drops its price before that, they'll suck the wind out of Sony's sails, and potentially force Sony to a deeper price cut.

Hellgate: London

From "one-of-my-most-anticipated-games-so-where-is-it" department (or maybe it's my "why-haven't-you-returned-my-calls?" department), Flagship Studios announced Hellgate: London will ship this summer. CEO Bill Roper also said you can play Hellgate as a single-player game, and there will be an option to turn it into a multiplayer game (subscription-based) if you want. That flexibility is interesting, and we'll see how it plays out.

Sony PS3 Sixaxis controller gets an Emmy

I'm trying to track down more details on this, but Sony did get a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the PS3's Sixaxis controller.

As far as I can tell from the less-than-optimally-navigable Website, Nintendo wasn't even nominated. That seems odd.

And reading the back-and -forth comments from posters on this issue across the various Websites makes me said at the published lack of intelligence and maturity out there.

UPDATED: The sixaxis didn't get the Emmy, despite what Sony's press release said. Turns out the Emmy was given the previous evening at CES to Sony and Nintendo for "Peripheral Development and Technological Impact of Video Game Controllers". So it was the PS2 Dual Shock controller, not the rumble-less-Wiimote-light Sixaxis controller.

According to Sony:

"Due to miscommunication between the two organizations, this information was
incorrectly reported. SCEA won a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for the DualShock controller."

Wireless HDMI

This was demoed last year, but this year it's Philips doing the demoing, rather than some little unknown company. They're promising uncompressed HD signals up to 25 feet, without needing direct line-of-sight, and it's using ultra wideband that will not interfere with any other wireless devices.

Oh, and it will be available in May for $300.

That's what CES is about.

New Xbox 360 downloadable content

Content providers seem to be happy with the owners downloading TV shows and movies. Comedy Central and Warner Bros. (at least) are being vocal about it being a prime platform for moving their content (and are adding more), and Lionsgate has just jumped on board with a bunch of old and new favorites like Blair Witch Project and Crank.

Shadowrun delayed

Shadowrun has moved from "Early 2007" to "Spring 2007" -- no surprise, since I picked it earlier. But this multiplayer-only game sounds a bit light on the multiplayer modes. We'll see.

TVs TVs TVs

Hot on the heals of the SED delay, new plasma tech and bigger, better LCD TVs and projectors are all over CES. Some ridiculously low for great tech, some ridiculously high for great tech.

And, not surprisingly, a lot of 1080p sets.

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SOURCES: Gamespot.com, joystiq.com, kotaku.com, Xbox.com, IGN, GameInformer, Official XBox Magazine, CNN, gamesindustry.biz, and others.

Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming (Subscribe)

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Yet more CES gaming goodies ...

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