Market research firm iSuppli published a chart that revealed that the Apple iPad costs between $229.35 to $346.15 to make. The initial price of the device ranges from $499 to $829. Take a peak at this nifty chart.
If iSuppli’s numbers are accurate then Apple will be making a pretty penny off each iPad sold right out of the gate. Considering that none of its parts are bleeding edge, the estimates are totally believable.
The first fifth-generation Pokemon has been revealed by CoroCoro magazine and its name is Zorua/Zoroark. After revealing what is essentially the god of Pokemon (Arceus) in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, The Pokemon Company and Game Freak are going with a dark-type for the latest “feature” Pokemon. Serebii.net revealed:
First, the pre-evolution Pokémon is called Zorua/ Zoroa (???) and is a Dark-type Pokémon. Its classification is Evil Fox Pokémon, it is 0.7m tall and 12.5kg.
Secondly, the Pokémon in the sihlouette is said to be called Zoroark/Zoroaaku (?????)and is also a Dark-type Pokémon. Its classification is Monster Fox Pokémon, it is 1.6m tall and 81.1kg.
As I mentioned at the end of last month, there will be a new Pokemon RPG released by the end of 2010 in Japan. Unless you can read Japanese, I wouldn’t count on catching Zorua or Zoroark until 2011.
In its ongoing effort to take over the world (would that make Eric Schmidt and Sergey Brin tech’s Pinky and the Brain?), Google has announced that it’s launching an experimental fiber Internet service that will be available to 50,000 to 500,000 people. Product manager James Kelly stated:
We’re planning to build and test ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. We’ll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We plan to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.
To get your community involved in the project, head here.
Man…1Gbps Internet that’s not in Korea. I never thought I’d see the day. If services like this become the norm — and hopefully Google’s effort will force cable/phone companies to improve their offerings — then digital distribution will get here sooner than expected. From Google’s perspective, ridiculously fast Internet would make products like Chrome OS, Picasa, Gmail, Google Maps, etc. seem like native desktop apps. Cloud computing would seem like local computing.
Google’s new service could be huge for gamers and Internet junkies alike. I want it now!!!
Disney CEO Bob Iger is bullish on the Nintendo DS and Wii for Disney properties and doesn’t see the company going large with the more powerful consoles. For Marvel Comics properties, it’s an entirely different story. According to Develop:
CEO Bob Iger said yesterday that Disney Interactive would be “very, very judicious” in how many high-end console projects it will green-light, focusing instead on more casual platforms such as the Wii and DS.
However, with Disney having just acquired Marvel Entertainment in a $4.3 billion deal, the firm is likely to leverage the comic brand’s recognisable IPs. “We have some interesting opportunities with Marvel,” said Iger, “and that would be a brand that we think would do extremely well on the higher end consoles.”
For traditional licensed games, Iger’s strategy makes sense. For a game like Epic Mickey
That aside, are you surprised Disney hasn’t become a powerhouse in gaming yet? Do you think it’s a traditional company that was slow to adapt to an emerging form of entertainment? Or is Disney’s poised to become a giant in the immediate future?
Sony Computer Entertainment of America has announced that the demo for Heavy Rain
This PlayStation 3-exclusive demo will feature two full chapters from the game, in which players will immerse themselves in the roles of Norman Jayden, a FBI profiler brought in to help local law enforcement find and capture the Origami Killer, and Scott Shelby, a private investigator hired by families of past victims to bring their killer to justice. Gamers will finally get the chance to try this psychological thriller where players make choices that will determine their story, all in the hopes of uncovering the mystery of Heavy Rain.
I hope everyone has a chance to download and play the demo on Thursday because Friday is going to be like book report day! I can’t wait to compare experiences with y’all. This is, by far, the most excited I’ve been for a downloadable demo. Is it Thursday yet?!?
“They don’t make ’em like they used to,” is a pretty common phrase. In gaming, that usually doesn’t apply. Better technology and smarter development almost always make current games superior to their predecessors. There are exceptions to the rule…though sometimes it’s simply a matter of taste.
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, poor Taylor Swift getting bashed for her singing skills, Ellen’s debut on American Idol, or robbing arcades with coffee mugs, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
“They don’t make ’em like they used to,” is a pretty common phrase. In gaming, that usually doesn’t apply. Better technology and smarter development almost always make current games superior to their predecessors. There are exceptions to the rule…though sometimes it’s simply a matter of taste.
To me, Super Mario Kart for SNES is the best game in the series. While I’ve enjoyed several of its sequels, none of them come close to the original, in my opinion. I will defend the game’s clever design and simple controls all day when someone tells me that the sequels had more complex tracks and more intricate controls. To me, Super Mario Kart was the most fun.
That said, I have to admit that nostalgia might have something to do with it too. I had a blast playing the game with my brother for hours and hours. Perhaps I’m fooling myself, but I believe that’s a minor part of it. I honestly believe that as technology improved and game design became more complex, the Mario Kart series became less fun.
Are there any games that make you feel the same way? Is there a series that became worse over time instead of better, in your opinion? Am I nuts about thinking Super Mario Kart is the best in the series? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!
The Superman movie franchise is headed for another reboot and rumor has it that Chris Nolan will be supervising Big Blue’s return to the silver screen. Deadline Hollywood has reported:
The studio has turned to Chris Nolan to mentor development of the movie. Our insiders say that the brains behind rebooted Batman has been asked to play a “godfather” role and ensure The Man Of Steel gets off the ground after a 3 1/2-year hiatus. Nolan’s leadership of the project can set it in the right direction with the critics and the fans, not to mention at the box office. Besides, Nolan is considered something of a god at Warner Bros and has a strong relationship with the studio after the success of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
I’ve enjoyed loads of Superman comics over the years and I loved the first two Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. The problem with Superman is that it’s hard to make him interesting and vulnerable in a two-hour film. His weaknesses include kryptonite, magic, and bossy newspaper reporters. Kryptonite is too easy and has been done to death. Magic seems silly to most mainstream moviegoers (though Superman vs. Voldemort would be funny). Superman II worked because he faced off against three people with the same powers and General Zod was frickin’ awesome. How do you top that?
I’d love to see a Kingdom Come
N8R sent this one in and I’m still struggling to understand how a man armed with a cup of coffee robbed an arcade in Hamelin, German. Here’s the 411 from Reuters:
“He wasn’t going to pour coffee over her, he was going to hit her with the cup,” a spokesman for local police said.
Brandishing the steaming cup he had just ordered, the thief forced the 26-year-old to open the till and fled with cash.
I suppose a coffee cup is an inconspicuous object, but it still seems like a lame weapon for “armed” robbery. Personally, I would have gone with a pint glass. Hopefully this doesn’t start a beverage-based crime wave.
Astute observers know that after the alpha and beta builds of Google Android, the company has been going down the alphabet and naming builds after desserts — Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, etc. Let’s play a game and name upcoming builds of Google Anroid ourselves! Does anyone know a dessert that starts with the letter “H”?
Nippon Ichi Software has announced that it has changed the name of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! for Sony PlayStation Portable to What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?! So instead of a title that uses an Adam West Batman pun, the game will now make people think of The Pet Shop Boys.
Check out the box art below.
