Square Enix has released the box art for the North American version of FFXIII. Here’s the PS3 box:
And here’s the Xbox 360 version:
Continue reading “Final Fantasy XIII North American Box Art”
Tag: PS3
Coffee Talk #37: Console Wars XXVIII — Black Friday
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 Saints beating up on the Patriots, banning Canadian boxing judges Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel, or the Shakespeare play you want to see in videogame form, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
As expected, it was a huge week for the “big three” console companies. All three did well during Black Friday weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the (American) results.
- Nintendo claimed that it sold more than 550,000 Wii systems. Adding in the DS and DSi, the company said that it sold more than 1.5-million pieces of hardware. To steal a line from Shelton Benjamin’s music, “Ain’t no stoppin’ me, now!!!”
- Sony claimed its best week ever (not EVAR!!!) for the PlayStation 3, selling more than 440,000 units. With a recent price cut and the introduction of the PS3 Slim, Sony has a huge opportunity to gain marketshare. It looks like the company is making the most of it.
- Microsoft hasn’t cited numbers yet, curiously. The company is putting on a positive front, claiming that it has its best week of 2009 and sold twice as many Xbox 360 systems during Thanksgiving week than it did the previous one.
Nintendo’s continued success isn’t surprising. Most people expected Sony to do well, but the company probably exceeded many expectations. Microsoft’s statements were the most curious. By not citing numbers and using the “we did better than last week” stance, the company looks lame. Maybe its number crunchers are behind and it will put out a strong press release later today, but for now MS looks like a chump.
What are your thoughts on the latest round of the console wars? Will Sony be able to continue its momentum this holiday season? I know you Wii haters out there are hoping for a sharp decline from Nintendo, but do you really think that’s going to happen? And what’s up with Microsoft’s weak-sauce statements?
Today’s Poll: Are You Buying a New Console on Black Friday?
There are a lot of great gaming deals to be had this week and I was wondering if any of you are planning to bring home a new system on the busiest shopping day of the year. So….
[poll id=”12″]
Rock Band Kiosks Invading Old Navy Starting November 26
In an interesting crossover, MTV Games is setting up Rock Band
Consumers will be treated to a rockin’ shopping experience when Old Navy unveils Rock Band game play kiosks in close to 700 stores in the United States and Canada. The kiosks will be featured throughout the holiday season, giving families a fun outlet during their busy holiday shopping trips.
In addition, six of the Old Navy flagship stores will install 10 x 10 fully equipped Rock Band entertainment stages providing consumers the chance to perform like rock stars. Families are invited to come down and play on Thanksgiving Thursday as part of the Gobblepalooza weekend. Customers will also get a chance to win a $200 shopping spree, Rock Band song tracks and other great prizes.
I absolutely dread holiday shopping and try to do most of it online to avoid the crowds. Somehow, I always manage to get roped into at least one shopping session, which almost always gives me a migraine. Being able to play Rock Band while my friends shop would be much better than Excedrin.
NY State Wants to Use Consoles for Emergency Contact
The New York State Emergency Management Office wants to reach gamers that might be too absorbed in the latest shooter or RPG to notice catastrophic events. Fearing that its citizens, particularly youngsters, will miss out on emergency broadcast messages on television or radio, the state is trying to communicate through online services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live as part of its Empire 2.0 initiative. InformationWeek has reported:
State authorities are testing a plan that would see the Emergency Management Office issue alerts over online gaming networks in addition to regular channels.
The goal, said New York State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton, is to reach younger residents who spend more time on the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii than with television or radio.
While I’m pretty sure I’d notice a hurricane or nuclear attack while playing a game, I’m happy that my home state (born in the Bronx!) is being forward thinking. Also, the Yankees won the world series so NY rules even more.
Today’s Poll: Which Dragon Age Country Do You Want to Play In?
The excellent writers of Dragon Age: Origins
Leliana’s home country or Orlais once ruled Ferelden. It’s still the most powerful nation in Thedas, full of political intrugue and sexy bards. If gay elf assassins are more your thing, the lawless world of Antiva might be for you. Although it’s fronted by royalty, criminal organizations and merchant guilds are the real powers here. The island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron are home to the Qunari — giant people that are driven by war and a strict code of honor.
Which of these lands would want to invade in Dragon Age 2? Leave your answer in the poll and your reasoning in the comments section (please)!
[poll id=”11″]
Revenge of the Wounded Dragons Brings Chilean Kung-Fu to PSN
Wanako Studios’ Revenge of the Wounded Dragons is being released for PlayStation Network this week. This old-school arcade game serves up some classic beat-’em-up action for your PS3. Really though, I’m just amused that a Chilean developer made a game that’s set in China. That would be like Rumble in the Bronx being filmed in Vancouver…waitaminute.
Here are some bullet points, for those of you interested in more 411 on this PSN title:
Continue reading “Revenge of the Wounded Dragons Brings Chilean Kung-Fu to PSN”
PlayStation 3 to Get Firefox?
According to PlayStation Insider, Sony is negotiating with the Mozilla Foundation to build a version of Firefox for the PlayStation 3. The site claimed:
We recently received a tip from a source very close to Sony who says that they have been in talks with Mozilla lately about possibly porting firefox over to the PS3. That said, our source made sure to point out that they were unsure if any deal had actually been reached at this point, but it is great news none the less considering the complaints Sony has been getting about the lack of reliability with their current built in PS3 web browser.
This would be a welcomed addition to the PS3. The current browser isn’t very good — it can’t even render this simple site properly — and Mozilla is the hotness. That said, I’ve never heard of the sourced site or the writer, so I’m taking the rumor with a boulder of salt. Besides, it would make more sense for Sony to build its own browser with open-source code. Whether it’s Mozilla or WebKit, it would be simple for the company.
Btw, do any of you use the PS3’s web browser?
3D Dot Game Heroes Launch Trailer
Atlus has released the launch trailer for 3D Dot Game Heroes
Final Fantasy XIII Prologue Getting the Novelization Treatment
Final Fantasy XIII fever is set to run wild on Japan next month( Hulk Hogan says things run wild “on” and not “in”). Along with the game, its special edition soundtrack, and limited edition Suntory beverage, FFXIII will have a book based on its prologue. Andriasang has reported:
Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero Promise serves as a prologue to the events of the main FFXIII game. For the past month, Square Enix has been gradually releasing chapters from the novel at the FFXIII official site. The official site is currently up to the fourth chapter of the third volume. Just three more chapters remain.
The print version of the book is hardcover and sells for ¥1,470 at Amazon. Pre-orders are now being accepted at the retailer.
I’m often jealous of all the excellent goodies available to Japanese gamers. This is another instance of my jealousy.