PS3 Thumps Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 Down Under
June 29, 2007
It appears that the Wii is not dominating PS3 and Xbox 360 in every corner of the globe. In fact, PlayStation 3 has been the numero uno console in Australia, outselling its competition almost every week since the next-gen console launched on March 23, 2007.
“Based on GfK since launch, PS3 has been the number one next-gen console, outselling Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 every week, except for last week,” said Sony Computer Entertainment Australia’s managing director Michael Ephraim to Gamespot.
“Since March 23, PS3 has been the number one-selling next-gen console in Australia, and this is GfK figures. We’ve now sold 50,000–and we’re very excited about the fact that it’s being sold in retailers that are gaming retailers as a gaming device and other things, but as you’ll notice it’s now being sold in Harvey Norman consumer electronic stores as a Blu-ray player.”
It’s a phenoma that’s only taking place down under, at least for the time being. In Japan, Nintendo’s phenom has outsold PlayStation 3 by a margin of five to one.
Barack Obama Slams Supreme Court Segregation Decision
June 29, 2007
U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s diversity ruling.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling has placed a serious obstacle in the way of achieving the vision of America first outlined in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, where we see racially integrated education as the best way to reflect our great diversity, unite our nation, and make real our promise of equal opportunity for all.
“Though we have come a long way in those fifty years since Brown, our schools remain segregated by race, as well as resources and opportunities. Three-quarters of black and Latino school children attend predominantly minority schools and white children are even more likely to attend racially isolated schools. And yet, hundreds of school districts across the country have taken noble, yet modest, steps to address this problem, while still accommodating parental and student choice. They have done so because they too believe that our nation’s prosperity depends on our children learning to understand each other better, work together, and solve problems together
“This wrong-headed ruling underscores the critical importance of a President’s appointments to the Supreme Court and a Justice Department’s commitment to civil rights enforcement. It is the but the latest in a string of decisions by this conservative bloc of Justices that turn back the clock on decades of advancement and progress in the struggle for equality. Chief Justice Robert’s opinion reflects a disturbing view of the Constitution that equates voluntary integration with Jim Crow segregation – a view that is both legally and morally wrong. The policies that led to racially diverse schools in Seattle and Louisville are a far cry from the policies of racial subordination that led to blacks-only and whites-only schools in the pre-Brown era. To equate the two is to turn a blind eye to our nation’s history.
“I filed a brief in these cases, along with several of my colleagues in the Senate, which explained to the Court that a racially diverse learning environment has a profoundly positive educational impact on all students, and I remain devoted to working toward this goal. The Congress has the constitutional power and responsibility to address the resegregation of our schools, and I am committed to using that authority. I will immediately call for hearings to determine the most effective steps that Congress can take to move forward. And as President, I will appoint Supreme Court justices who understand the constitutional importance of Brown. Those Justices will ultimately vindicate Brown’s promise, as Justice Breyer and today’s dissenters put it, of “one law, one Nation, one people, not simply as a matter of legal principle but in terms of how we actually live.
Source: BarackObama.com
LucasArts Confirms Nintendo Wii Lightsaber Game
June 29, 2007
There have been whispers that LucasArts has been working on a Wii title that would include using the Wiimote as a lightsaber for quite a while. Now, the company has come out to confirm that not only are the rumors true, but they’ve already played such a title internally.
LucasArts’ Jim Ward was recently asked by N’Gai Croal of Newsweek: “What would it take to make a lightsaber game for the Wii?”
“We’re all over that, and internally we have already played a lightsaber game on Wii. It’s a lot of fun, and we’ll get there,” Ward responded.
The title is already “…in place! There’ll be some stuff out this Fall - it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he continued.
It’s still unknown whether he is referring to a title that has not yet been revealed, or the previously announced Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Source: Gamasutra