PlayStation Arc to Have Nunchuk Accessory?

NeoGAF poster “ichinisan” claims to have seen Sony’s motion controller, known as the PlayStation Arc, and revealed that the device has a nunchuk-like add-on. Sony is holding a presentation on Wednesday during Game Developers Conference 2010 and all signs point to the company focusing on the PlayStation Arc during the presser. With that in mind, it’s possible that ichinisan has seen a pre-production model. Here’s what he/she had to say:

Nunchuck has an analog stick at the front, below that X and O and below that a D pad. Underneath is L1 and L2. Its actually long, not like the Wii Nunchuk.

As for the Wand it has one very big button on top and then all four facebuttons (X,O,Square and Triangle) and underneath is a big trigger called T.

I’m guess the doubling up of X and O across the two is to keep full compatibility with single Wand set-ups.

The description sounds totally plausible. Assuming that it’s accurate, what do you think of the Arc’s setup? Are you more or less interested in it after hearing about its (rumored) control scheme?

Source via VG247

Apple iPad Advertisement Hits the Oscars

I didn’t watch the Academy Awards last night, but a bunch of friends sent me texts and Twitter messages when a new iPad commercial aired during the show. I’ve posted it as a conversation piece and would love to hear your thoughts on it. It definitely has the usual Apple slickness, but does it make any of you want the product more? The iPad is launching on April 3, so expect the media blitz to continue!

Final Fantasy XIII Mega-Post!!!

With Final Fantasy XIII being released this week, I thought it would be nice to collect all the videos and stories on the game in one mega-post. For your convenience and entertainment, here they are!

Final Fantasy XIII Announcement Video (the one with the massive tool)

Final Fantasy XIII trailer with English voice actors

Leona Lewis (aka Reona Rewis) plays Final Fantasy XIII

Wired.com’s Chris Kohler Talks Final Fantasy XIII


Blog Posts

FFXIII graphics comparison

Poll: Which version of FFXIII are you buying?

Coffee Talk: What’s your favorite Final Fantasy game?

20 FFXIII screens

FFXIII Xbox 360 limited edition bundle details

FFXIII special edition details

Read FFXIII Zero Promise in English

13 FFXIII screens

FFXIII Japanese television commercial

FFXIII soundtrack sampler

Yoshitaka Amano’s take on FFXIII

Coffee Talk: Create your own videogame beverage

FFXIII Suntory beverage commercial

Mega 64 makes fun of the FFXIII launch date announcement

FFXIII North American box art revealed

How weapons level up in FFXIII

FFXIII Crystallium system explained

FFXIII gestalt mode: Bahamut and Brynhildr

Nokia 5230 Nuron for T-Mobile: A Compelling Cheapie Alternative

If you’re looking for a capable phone, but don’t want to shell out big ducks on a Google Nexus One or pay premium service for an Apple iPhone or Motorola Droid then you should consider Nokia 5230 Nuron for T-Mobile. I’m rarely interested in budget phones, but the Nuron offers consumers great value and great capabilities (in addition to a remarkably stupid name). The handset costs $69.99 with a two-year contract or $179.99 unsubsidized. Where it gets really interesting is that it will not require a premium data plan; the $10 a month Web2go option is all you’ll need.

In addition to the a low handset price and inexpensive service, the phone comes with free turn-by-turn GPS navigation and access to Nokia’s Ovi Store. The phone uses a Webkit-based browser, though it’s not as good as the ones found on the iPhone, Android phones, and Palm WebOS phones. The good news is that you can find a browser that’s more to your liking in the Ovi store, as well as a slew of other apps.

The downers include the lack of WiFi, a low-resolution camera, and the…not-quite-so-smooth experience of Symbian. Still, for the price you’re getting a ton of capabilities. Heck, I’m even thinking about going with this phone and spending the money I’d save on a monthly iPad service plan.

Let me know what you think of the Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile and if it interests you!

This Week’s Videogame Releases

Final Fantasy XIII is obviously the big deal this week, but there are actually quite a few interesting games that you should keep your eye on. Also coming out for PlayStation and Xbox 360 is Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. The PS3 returns to the Japanese underworld in Yakuza 3. On the other end of the spectrum is the lighthearted Sam & Max 2: Beyond Time and Space for Wii.

The handheld systems have some cool things going on too. The DS has Foto Showdown (the game with these awesome promo videos) and Spectral Force Genesis. The PSP has BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.

As always, let your fellow RPadholics and me know if you’re picking up any new games this week!

Coffee Talk #101: Giacchino’s Incredible Career Started in Games

Last night at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Michael Giacchino snagged an Oscar for best original score for Up, adding another accolade to his phenomenal career. While he’s gained fame for his work on Lost, The Incredibles, Ratataouille, and more, Giacchino got his start in games. From The Lost World: Jurassic park to numerous Medal of Honor titles to several Call of Duty games, he has composed some of the best soundtracks in gaming.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Oscar Awards, the outstanding HBO documentary on Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird, or wrestling’s Monday night wars, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

New Coffee: Totally forgot about this, but I opened a bag of Colombia La Piramide Reserva from Stumptown last week.

Last night at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Michael Giacchino snagged an Oscar for best original score for Up, adding another accolade to his phenomenal career. While he’s gained fame for his work on Lost, The Incredibles, Ratataouille, and more, Giacchino got his start in games. From The Lost World: Jurassic park to numerous Medal of Honor titles to several Call of Duty games, he has composed some of the best soundtracks in gaming.

As someone that’s followed his career for more than a decade, I’m thrilled for Giacchino’s success. Every time he snags an award, he creates an opportunity for people to learn about the gaming world. His success brings attention, prestige, and legitimacy to the relatively young business of videogames. I know he’s busy with movies and television, but I hope he still has time to create music for the medium that helped get him to where he is today.

Out of curiosity, do you have a favorite Michael Giacchino soundtrack? I absolutely love the score for The Incredibles. Giacchino’s music is one of the reasons The Incredibles is high on my list of all-time favorite movies. Let me know some of your Giacchino favorites when you have a chance.

Will Future Sony Demos Degrade Over Time?

Sony has filed an interesting patent for software that will cause game demos to lose functionality over time. Siliconera reported:

Sony appears to be working on a new kind of video game demo. A patent filed by SCEA details a system that gives users a full or nearly complete game to play with, but slowly removes features until you buy it.

The software has customizable triggers that disable features after a set number of plays or lapsed play time. Let’s see some theoretical examples of how this could work.

The good news is that gamers will get try more of a game before they make a purchasing decision. The bad news is that the practice is a little evil. The first thing that I thought was, “Great! Sony is following the crack-cocaine model. The first time is free!” Seriously though, depending on how it’s used, the software could be fantastic or it could piss of millions of gamers. I can’t wait to see it in practice.

What do you think? It this kind of software smart of evil? Clever or devious?

Source via Gamasutra

Portal 2 Confirmed for Holiday 2010

Game Informer has revealed that the sequel to Portal — one of the most unique and creative games I’ve played in the last few years — will be released this holiday season! Here’s what you can learn in the latest issue of GI.

Our 12-page cover story gives you the first details on Portal 2’s new gameplay mechanics, storyline, and some surprising new twists.

I’m super-psyched for this game! How about you guys and dolls?

Source

Microsoft Allows Xbox Gamertags to Reflect Sexual Orientation

Gamers that want to express their sexual orientation, religious belief, and race on Xbox Live will be able to do so thanks to a Gamertag update from Microsoft. According to Gamasutra:

Microsoft is making changes to its Xbox Live Code of Conduct to expand the kinds of Gamertags it allows — which means users can now have tags that indicate their sexual orientation, religion or race.

I love this move. It gives gamers more choices in how they can identify themselves to other players.

Are you guys going to reveal more information? Do you like that Microsoft has allowed this? Or are you all “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to race, religion, and sexual orientation?

Source