Nintendo Wii Micro Machines Possible
October 28, 2006
Micro Machines have been on Nintendo consoles since 1991 when the series first debuted on NES. Will the series make the next-jump to Wii? Codemasters was recently interviewed and did not rule it out.
Cubed3: Are there plans to bring the Micro Machines franchise to the Nintendo Wii? And what are your thoughts on the control system for racing games such as MM?
Jamie Firth Of Codemasters: I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a Wii version. I’d guess that everyone’s looking at their titles and seeing how the controls could be adapted for the Wiimote and Nunchucks at the moment. Given the uniqueness of the way that Micro Machines works I think we’d want to be 100% sure that we could make the same massively fun experience translate successfully to the control method.
Maybe “pushing” the cars around? Maybe an accelerator and then you “turn” the cars with your chucks? I’m sure all budding games designers out there would want to chip in with some ideas!
I’m working on my list o’ ideas this very second.
Source: Cubed3
Sony: Unlike Xbox 360, PS3 Won’t Use Gamerscores
October 22, 2006
No Gamerscores or Achievements for PS3
You can always identify an obsessive Xbox 360 gamer by their obscenely high Gamerscore, but it’ll be a tad harder to detect the same behavior in a PS3 owner. Sony is leaving Achievements and all the like to Microsoft; PS3 isn’t having any of it.
When asked about the Gamescores and Achievements, Sony executive vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment America responded: “We didn’t mention that, but it is our intention that we would have it–although I think it would be game-centric. It’s very difficult to draw analogies [between] your success on SOCOM and your success on Madden. Madden players care about peoples’ success on Madden.”
Rather, the company is going with a game-centric leaderboard system. However, this ranking system will not be included in the launch games.
“So the publisher [of each game] will have the flexibility to have a robust ranking system, on a game-by-game basis,” said Tretton. “The intention right now is not to have something that is pan-platform. We do intend to do that with our [first-party] stuff.”
At least that’ll put a damper on black market sales of such items.
Source: Gamespot
Jobs Digs Into Zune, Prefers iPod
October 18, 2006
Steve Jobs prefers iPod to Zune
There is no love lost when it comes to the upcoming battle between Apple’s iPod and Microsoft’s Zune. In a recent interview with Newsweek, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took time out from talking about his own handheld to get a few digs in at the Big Z.
Newsweek: Microsoft has announced its new iPod competitor, Zune. It says that this device is all about building communities. Are you worried?
Jobs: In a word, no. I’ve seen the demonstrations on the Internet about how you can find another person using a Zune and give them a song they can play three times. It takes forever. By the time you’ve gone through all that, the girl’s got up and left! You’re much better off to take one of your earbuds out and put it in her ear. Then you’re connected with about two feet of headphone cable.
We’re not quite sure about why he used an analogy about picking up women in this scenario or what the ramifications of sharing earbuds are. But we’ll let you know the second we figure it out.
Source: Newsweek