Buena noticia de UBISOFT para XBOX 360, 1080p, 1080i, resolucion alcanzada :D

Parece que el nuevo título saldrá para 1080p, 1080i en XBOX 360.

Our first clue was that the pre-release version of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, which installs to the Xbox 360 debug hard drive, contained an option for 1080p support. The option was buried under the system options in the console Dashboard -- easily overlooked.

Once we noticed the new option, we immediately followed up with Ubisoft. Would the retail version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent also support 1080p output on the retail Xbox 360?

A Ubisoft representative's answer was short and to the point: "Yes."

No creo que esto sea casual, me da a mi que esta noticia un mes justo antes de la PS3 tiene un efecto publicitario enorme a favor de la XBOX 360, de nuevo pienso que Microsoft está pensando muy bien los pasos que está dando. Sony tendrá que espabilar mucho...
(Informacion sacada de aqui)

Update: al parecer el ejecutivo de Ubi metió la pata y confundió 1080p con 1080i!! :D desde luego.... en fin, está claro que la PS3 seguirá siendo la dueña de esa marca ;), la XBOX360 no parece que de para tanto...

UPDATE: We've finally tracked down the Ubisoft representative, who misunderstood our question about the game's support of 1080p. He apologized for the confusion, noting that the game currently supports only 1080i.

Nonetheless, we're still trying to track down the reason for the pre-release review build of Splinter Cell: Double Agent enabling 1080p support on our debug Xbox 360. We expect further updates on this story soon; the original story remains intact below, but is no longer representative of the situation.

La PS3 le cuesta mucho dinero a Sony

Parece ser qué Sony va a reportar los peores resultados económicos en cinco años, en parte debido a la salida de PS3. Más información aqui.

Sony reported a second-quarter operating loss of 21 billion yen, compared with a 66 billion profit a year ago.

Battlefield 2142, ahora dicen que no tiene SpyWare

Ahora dicen que no, pero lo cierto es que quedaban bastante oscuras las intenciones de esta gente, como ya comentamos aqui.
El caso es que ahra dicen que la publicidad se mandará siempre dependiendo de la region (IP) y nunca haciendo un estudio de las paginas que se visita. Pego lo que comentan textualmente.

The advertising program in Battlefield 2142 does not access any files which are not directly related to the game. It does not capture personal data such as cookies, account login detail, or surfing history. BF 2142 delivers ads by region. The advertising system uses a player's IP address to determine the region of the player, assisting to serve the appropriate ads by region and language. For instance, a player in Paris might be presented with ads in French. The information collected will not be repurposed for other uses. Battlefield 2142 also tracks "impression data" related to in-game advertisements: location of a billboard in the game, brand advertised, duration of advertisement impression, etc. This information is used to help advertisers qualify the reach of a given advertisement.

Tampoco es que me haga demasiada gracia, pero nada que ver con lo que se incluye en el juego como "advertencia".
Aclarado queda, entonces.

Los juegos en PS3 son enormes

Leo en esta noticia que algunos de los títulos para PS3 estan llegando al límite de Blue-Ray (25 GB)... a mi personalmente esto me parece una aberración y pienso que estan dejando de lado la optimización de espacio precisamente por que tienen muchísimo!... no creo que un título (de los actuales) pueda ocupar 25GB habiendole optimizado el espacio.
Es posible que la mayor parte de ese enorme espacio este ocupado por Videos en 1080p y sonido 7.1. como comentan en el artículo, por que lo que es en código y texturas me pareceria de locos ;).
De todas formas, ahi queda la informacion.

Bethesda anuncia "Knights of the Nine" para Oblivion tambien para PC y XBOX360

Parece que finalmente se cumple lo que ya dijeron los chicos de Bethesda cuando anunciaron Knights of the Nine para PS3, pero comentaron que tambien estaría para el resto de plataformas.
Aquí esta la nota de prensa:

New Faction and Quests to be available for Download and at Retail on November 21

October 17, 2006 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks® today announced plans to make its new Knights of the Nine™ content for The Elder Scrolls IV®: Oblivion™ available for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows via download and a new retail Windows product. Knights of the Nine will be available through Xbox Live® Marketplace for Xbox 360 and www.OblivionDownloads.com on November 21st.

Knights of the Nine will also be available as a Windows boxed product at retail on the 21st. The retail version of Knights of the Nine is a compilation that will include all the other Oblivion downloadable content released to date: Horse Armor, The Orrery, Wizard’s Tower, Vile Lair, Thieves Den, Mehrunes’ Razor, and Spell Tomes. Bethesda Softworks will publish and distribute Knights of the Nine at retail directly in North America and through a co-publisher arrangement with Ubisoft in Europe.

“We’re pleased to bring this new content to Xbox 360 and to Windows gamers who have been so supportive of Oblivion,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “To date, the response to our new downloadable content has been terrific – it’s easily the most popular downloadable content on Xbox Live Marketplace for Xbox 360and has been very popular for Windows as well – and we think the opportunity to enjoy an entirely new faction and quests is something our fans will be eager to try.”

Knights of the Nine features an all-new faction and quests for noble characters and answers many of the questions surrounding the Ayleid ruins found throughout Oblivion. Players can join a new faction and found their own order of holy knights – leading them into battle against a sorcerer-king and his demonic minions while exploring massive dungeons and searching for legendary relics – the holy armor and weapons of the Divine Crusader.

Released in March 2006 for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows, Oblivion is currently the highest rated game available for the Xbox 360 according to MetaCritic.com and GameRankings.com. The game has won countless awards and accolades to-date including G4’s “Best Game of 2006” and the #1 ranking on PC Gamer’s (UK) list of the top 100 games of all time.

In addition, Bethesda Softworks announced in September that Oblivion will be coming to the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in North America, and that a version for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system is also in development for release next year. The PLAYSTATION®3 system title will contain the Knights of the Nine content.

For more information on Oblivion, Knights of the Nine, or Oblivion downloadable content, visit the official web site www.elderscrolls.com.

Supongo que era cuestión de tiempo

Cobrar impuestos en juegos para las transacciones reales, para ventas y compras de vienes Virtuales en juegos Online como WoW o Second Life... aquí más.

"Users of online worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft transact millions of dollars worth of virtual goods and services every day... People who cash out of virtual economies by converting their assets into real-world currencies are required to report their incomes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or the tax authority where they live in the real world... 'Right now we're at the preliminary stages of looking at the issue and what kind of public policy questions virtual economies raise — taxes, barter exchanges, property and wealth,' said Dan Miller, senior economist for the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress."

Linux sobre PS3

Si lo veo no lo creo, dos noticas positivas para PS3 y seguidas :D...
Linux sobre PS3, se llamará Yellow Dog, aqui teneis más datos.
Para mi, este puede ser uno de los puntos a favor más grandes que tenga la PS3, aparte de gráficos, Cell, BlueRay y todo lo demás... el que la PS3 se comporte como un ordenador puede ser un gran punto a su favor.

GTA IV, contenido en exclusiva para PS3

Al fin noticias positivas para la PS3, en este artículo, leo que parte del contenido de GTA IV será exclusivo de la consola de Sony.

We're told to expect much the same deal on PS3, except unique to the platform. Interestingly, the downloadable content, our source maintains, will take the form of brand new areas which will link into the main GTAIV game world.

"Think of the world as a large island - the new downloadable areas will be like smaller islands linking into it," the source explained. (Which is a structural analogy, rather than a suggestion that the game is set on an island, we hasten to add.)

How many additional areas or episodes Rockstar is planning is anyone's guess at this juncture, but it seems the game is at least being structured to accommodate a number of expansive new content releases in the weeks and months after release, while also satisfying platform holder - and console owner - demand for exclusive material.

Steven Kent piensa que XBOX 360 ganará estas navidades

Para los que no lo conozcan, Steven Kent es un periodista especializado y bastante celebre, semi-retirado que está preparando un libro sobre videojuegos. Digamos que sus palabras suelen resonar bastante en el mundillo de los juegos.
Pues bien, Steven comparte sus opiniones con nosotros desde su BLOG en donde nos comenta lo siguiente:

"Why is this a no-brainer? Look, Sony and Nintendo are going to come to market with a few hundred thousand consoles to sell. Microsoft will have millions of consoles in inventory. Microsoft has worked out the manufacturing glitches. This is not a question of quality, it is a fact of quantity. Microsoft is simply going to have more boxes on store shelves"

Estoy bastante de acuerdo con él, yo mismo he posteado cosas similares en el blog TheNeedForGaming, y creo que XBOX 360 se va a llevar el gato al agua estas navidades, por el tiempo que lleva en el mercado y por lo descuidado que está siendo Sony en lo que a Marketing se refiere.

PD: El mismo Steven se corrige en su blog diciendo que Wii no saldrán con unos cientos de miles, sino con millones y pide disculpas por el "desliz".

Tiene Battlefield 2142 SpyWare integrado?

Creo que esta es una de las noticias más absurdas que he leido últimamente. No entiendo como se puede incluir "SpyWare" en un juego. EA debe haber perdido la cabeza o simplemente no quiere que nadie compre el juego. Os pego un estracto que podeis escuchar vosotros mismos a partir del minuto 50 del último podcast de CGW. En Shacknews hay un thread sobre el mismo tema.

When you open the box, a big slip of paper falls out first, preceeding any discs or manuals. The slip of paper says, essentially, that 2142 includes monitoring software which runs while your computer is online, and records "anonymous" information like your IP address, surfing habits (probably via cookie scans), and other "computing habits" in order to report this information back to ad companies and ad servers, which generates in-game ads.

De confirmarse sería motivo más que suficiente para no comprar el juego, espero además que, si es cierto, tengan ventas tan bajas, que al resto de estudios no se les vuelva a ocurrir esa bonita idea.


Update: Me he encontrado lo siguiente, que viene en el mismo juego Battlefield 2142 (via Shacknews).

The Software may incorporate technology developed by IGA Worldwide Inc. ("IGA") (the "Advertising Technology"). The purpose of the Advertising TEchnology is to deliver in-game advertisements to you when you use the Software while connected to the Internet. When you use the Software while connected ot the Internet, the Advertising Technlogy may record your IP address and other anonymouse information ("Advertising Data"). The Advertising Data is temporarily used by IGA to enable the presentation and measurement of in-game advertisements and other in-game objects which are uploaded temporarily to your personal computer or game console and changed during online game play. The Advertising Technology does not collect any personally identifiable information about you, and EA will ont provide IGA with any of your personally identifiable information. The servers used by the Advertising Technology may, from time to time, be located outside your country of residence. If you are located within the European Union, the servers may be located outside the EU.

By installing and using the Software, you agree to: (i) the transfer of the Advertising Data to servers located outside your country of residence and, if applicable, outside the European Union; (ii)the collection and use of the Advertising Data as described in this Section; and (iii) the delivery of advertising and marketing content by the Advertising Technology. IF YOU DO NOT WANT IGA TO COLLECT, USE, STORE, OR TRANSMIT THE DATA DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, DO NOT INSTALL OR PLAY THE SOFTWARE ON ANY PLATFORM THAT IS USED TO CONNECT TO THE INTERNET.

Imagenes de Fight Night Round 3

Los grágicos, te quitarán el hipo... de golpe ;)

Quieres ahorrarte 100$ en tu XBOX 360?

No es coña!, aquí podeis encontrarlo, se llama tanga.com y es nuevo :D.
Yo me lo estoy pensando ;)... ahora eso sí, tiene 90 días de garantía nada más ¿eh?, ojo con eso :D

Dice el jefe de Sony en UK que está muy contento con UMD

En fín, esto demuestra que hay opiniones como colores :), aquí os dejo el artículo en donde Ray Maguire comenta lo contento que esta con UMD...

Releases de la semana

A mi siempre me ha interesado saber qué juegos van saliendo y no esperarme a las Reviews de las principales revistas, aquí tenemos las Releases de esta semana:

Lunes
Bully (PS2)
Family Guy (XBOX, PS2, PSP)
Nintendogs: Dalmatian and Friends (DS)
Sid Meier's Civilization Chronicles (PC)
Sid Meier's Railroads! (PC)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (GCN, PS2, GBA, DS)
WTF (PSP)

Martes
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP)
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs (PC)
Battlefield 2142 (PC)
Brigade E5: New Jagged Union (PC)
Cabela's African Safari (PSP, PS2)
Destroy All Humans! 2 (XBOX, PS2)
Eureka Seven Vol 1: The New Wave (PS2)
FIFA 07 (PSP)
Ford Bold Moves Street Racing (PSP)
Jampack Volume 15 (PS2)
Justice League Heroes (XBOX, PS2, GBA, DS)
Lineage II: The Epic Collection (PC)
Microsoft Flight Simulator X (PC)
Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock (PC)
Sims 2: Pets, The (PC, GCN, PS2)
Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberryland Games (DS)
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2 (GBA)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (XBOX360)
Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri (PS2)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent (XBOX360)
UFO: Extraterrestrials (PC)
Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania (PC)
Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection (PC)

Miercoles
Flushed Away (GCN, PS2, GBA, DS)

Jueves
Contact (DS)
Disney's Kim Possible: What's the Switch? (PS2)
Evidence: The Last Ritual (PC)
Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Caper, The (GBA)

Detalles de RainbowSix Vegas

Ubi ha dado más detalles sobre el esperado RainbowSix Vegas para XBOX 360.
Lo que me ha llamado la atención de la noticia, es la importancia que se le da a la IA, lo que ellos llaman IA de nueva generación, veremos como es esa "nueva IA". Pongo un extracto:

Integrating Xbox Live Vision functionality to allow face-mapping, Vegas will also include new features such as the ability to 'tag' an enemy (which is then assigned to one of the other Rainbow team members), together with new gadgets, and an emphasis on Observe-Plan-Assault (OPA) tactics. Enemy AI will also be improved as a result of the series' shift onto the next-gen platforms.

Una encuesta da como más buscada a la PS3 junto a MG4, en Japón

Yo creo que no hacía falta ninguna encuesta :) . Sin embargo cuelgo esta noticia por que me parece interesante esta parte del artículo:

...56.5 percent of respondents noted that they felt the 20GB PlayStation 3 model was too expensive at 49,800 yen, while 35.7 percent felt it was just right and 7.8 percent noted it was inexpensive. Looking to the 60 GB version, which will carry an open price, 64.6 percent of those surveyed felt the price was “extremely high”, while 20.1 percent noted that it was just right and 15.3 percent who felt it was cheap...

Hasta los porpios Japoneses ven cara la consola, un 56.5 y un 64.6 ven demasiado caras la versión 20GB y la 60GB, pues si allí piensan que es cara, entonces aquí que hacen el factor de conversion Europeo :) , ni te cuento.

Las ventas en U.S. en septiembre suben un 38%

Hace unos días las predicciones eran del 20%, pero se han superado ampliamente, como se puede ver en este artículo.
La ventas de XBOX 360 aumentan con Saints Row.

Software sales rose by 29 percent to $446 million, with sales of accessories up 21 percent to $88 million. The best selling game of the month was Xbox 360 exclusive Saints Row, followed by Lego Star Wars II and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.

Me parece especialmente interesante esta parte del estudio:

Through September, NPD data shows that Xbox 360 hardware sales in the U.S. were 2.7 million units, and sales in September were in line with our 250,000 units estimate. We expect Microsoft to sell approximately 400,000 hardware units in October, between 750,000 – 1 million units in November, and between 1.5 – 2 million units December. Sell through of Xbox 360 hardware could be higher if the supply situation for the PS3 falls well short of demand, with many holiday gift givers likely substituting purchases of the 360 in place of the PS3.

Parece que los porblemas de Sony le vienen como anillo al dedo a Microsoft (como era de esperar) .

(Via Gamasutra).

La Wii doblará las unidades en su salida

No me extraña en absoluto ver esta noticia en donde se anuncia el doble de unidades disponibles de Wii para su lanzamiento, es decir 2 Millones de Unidades.
Ya comentamos el otro día que iban con adelanto en la construcción de Wiis, así que me parece totalmente natural el nuevo anuncio.

Los pre-pedidos de la PS3 en USA se agotan en minutos.

Leo en este artículo que los pre-pedidos de la PS3 se han agotado en unos minutos en USA, había que dar 100$ de reserva...
A quien no se le habrá ocurrido revenderla a precios desorbitados?...
Yo, sinceramente no me compraria una consola recien salida, y sino que miren la XBOX360, los problemas que tuvo aun sin la presión para salir que tiene la PS3.
Yo creo que la PS3 tendrá problemas, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta este artículo (de hoy) en el que se comenta que en el recentísimo TGS (septiembre pasado!) el SO que se uso no era el definitivo (¿aun lo estan desarrollando?¿?, espero que no).
En relación a todo esto, ya posteé en TheNeedForGaming una entrevista con Rob Pardo (diseñador jefe de World Of Warcarft) en la que dejaba bien claro que la calidad depende del tiempo de pulido final para el producto (el debe saberlo, los juegos de blizzar son famosos por estar bien acabados y con muy pocos BUGs).

La construccion de la Wii va mejor de lo esperado

Repasando por Gamasutra, me he encontrado que en un informe de la firma financiera UBS se concluye que la Wii va muy por delante del calendario para su despliegue.

Nintendo’s plans had called for 4 million units to be available end of the calendar year and a total of six million shipped by the end of the company’s fiscal year on March 31st, 2007. The UBS report now speculates that the company may be able to deliver as many as eleven million units by the end of 2006.