LittleBigPlanet was recently released, and I picked up my copy yesterday. So the question of the day week is: are you going to buy LittleBigPlanet?
Vote in the sidebar as always.
Oh, and BTW, LBP does have profile support.
Last poll’s results:
Are you looking forward to home?
* Yes, I think it will immediately provide a huge benefit.: 36% (81)
* Yes, but I think it’ll need to mature.: 36% (82)
* No, but it may suprise me.: 21% (48)
* Home? Junk!: 7% (15)
Sony is planning to create a new optical disc format for music based on Blu-Ray technology that is compatible with traditional CD players but provides expanded quality and features on Blu-Spec capable players. This format is extremely reminiscent of SACD, which was a music optical disc format that used DVD disc technology to provide higher quality and extra features on SACD capable players, while providing a hybrid CD compatibility so that audio discs would work on regular CD players as well.
This is very surprising for two reasons: Obviously, music has been moving away from physical media and towards Internet distribution and secondly, SACD was mostly a disappointment which even Sony seems to have deemphasized (even new PS3 units won’t play SACD content outside of the CD compatibility mode).
I don’t see many users moving back to optical discs for music storage, but there’s one thing that would make this a very cool development: lack of DRM and full rip/burn support. There are still a few things missing from existing music download stores that this could fill:
High Quality: Supposedly everyone is completely satisfied with standard .mp3 quality. I’m not. And beyond merely ripping CDs with a higher bitrate compression, I’d like to see genuinely higher quality source audio.
Multi-Channel: I’d like to be able to buy multi-channel (surround sound) electronica music.
Extras: I’d like my digital music data to come with all the extras: name+genre tags, lyrics, album artwork, and other bonus feature content.
Album Format: Does all audio have to be delivered in 70 minute albums broken up into 3-5 minute tracks? How about multi-hour productions such as operas or electronica landscapes?
SACD (and DVD-A) had most of the above, but they killed it by successfully preventing users from ripping/burning and using the massive convenience of digital music jukebox technologies. If a new format gave us all the benefits of SACD and more and gave us the full flexibility and freedom of moving that content across devices, and got full support from the recording industry, then this could be a big development.
From today, at 9AM GMT (2AM PDT), you can play Activision’s Vigilante 8: Arcade on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360. Vigilante 8: Arcade will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points (that’s US$10 / €9.60 / £6.80 / CAN$12.40 / AU$13.20).
Take the wheel as fully-loaded auto combat revs into high gear with Vigilante 8: Arcade. It’s a down and dirty war on wheels where everyone’s riding shotgun. This brand new re-make of the classic Vigilante 8 game lets you choose from among eight tricked-out retro-fine ‘70s vehicles with some serious firepower. Multiple special weapons let you wreak havoc on five newly-designed and destructible arenas. Complete the single player Quest story mode or test your car-crushing skills in local and LIVE multiplayer versus or co-op modes. Rebuilt from the ground up, V8: Arcade is modern vehicular warfare at its finest.
Also available on Xbox Live Marketplace are: A LEGO Batman: The Videogame Demo that was added today and a Naruto: The Broken Bond Demo became available earlier this week.
Like every week, there were also various downloadable Rock Band tracks released for the Xbox 360 version of the game in addition to 2007’s downloadable Rock Band content. Below’s listing shows the new tracks.
The following content is now available for Rock Band. Remember, this content can be used in both Rock Band and Rock Band 2.
Content: Presidents of the United States of America Pack 01
Price: 440 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text: [[ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Presidents of the United States of America Pack 01. This pack includes “Dune Buggy,” “Feather Pluckn,” and “Ladybug” by Presidents of the United States of America.
Content: “Ladybug”
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: “Ladybug”–Presidents of the United States of America.
Content: “Feather Pluckn”
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: “Feather Pluckn”–Presidents of the United States of America.
Content: “Dune Buggy”
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: “Dune Buggy”–Presidents of the United States of America.
Content: “I Don’t Care”
Price: 80 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: “I Don’t Care”–Fall Out Boy.
Content: “Use Me”
Price: 80 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in Asia
Dash Text:[ESRB: T (Teen) LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: “Use Me”–Hinder.
* PLEASE NOTE: Many Rock Band song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
Forget about Mike and Jim promoting cleaning products on your local shopping channel. Electronic Arts hired David Hasselhoff to do their Red Alert 3 infomercial spots and it’s so deliciously corny that you’ll want to see all four on conquerthislife.com.
The Hoff says to play Red Alert 3 and “stay classy!”
PS: David Hasselhoff even has a role in Red Alert 3!
In an interview with Tez Okano, director of Thunder Force VI (PS2), the Sega creator said he hopes to work on new sequels to the Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone series.
To quote: “Well, there are two dormant Sega licenses which I would love to work on, Space Harrier 4D and Fantasy Zone 3. …I’d really like to work on Space Harrier. This is a unique game in Sega’s history that projected us into some incredible worlds and experiences. But the success of Thunder Force VI is the key to any future projects.”
When asked why arcade shooters are struggling so much nowadays and selling so little, Mr. Okano replied: “The reason is very simple, and similar to the situation with fighting games. They became too maniac. There is no way you can enjoy those games as they are done today. I see people ready to buy Rhythm Tengoku Gold on DS but very few that would go for Dodonpachi. We are very far from the time people wouldn’t hesitate to buy something like Star Fox and enjoy it: most developers who used to make arcade shooters strangled themselves gradually by going too complicated, becoming too maniac oriented. Many people enjoyed Street Fighter II but less and less enjoyed Street Fighter Alpha or Street Fighter III.”
He suspects titles like the scrolling shooter Thunder Force VI might be released outside of Japan via download distribution (on Xbox 360).
Paul Oughton, Bethesda publishing executive, had this to say: “At the moment we’ve got Fallout 3 for this year and potentially there’s a new Elder Scrolls title in 2010. At the moment we’re not that interested in the Wii. We’re going to stick to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. We’ll continue to pursue three or four titles a year and go for big titles,” he told GI.biz about the company’s publishing plans for the future.
Last month Bethesda also indicated they wish to release Fallout 4 by 2011.
Activision was kind enough to send the “complete band version” of Guitar Hero World Tour to Infendo HQ yesterday. For any who still don’t own the game, here’s what physical goods you can expect for $190 plus tax. Quick impressions after the break. Full review pending.
My three-year-old helps peel away the layers to reveal the guitar box and game.
Best guitar controller ever made. Period. Although I’m not a fan of sunburst.
Close up of the body.
Snap on the neck for face melting pleasure.
What good would hardware be without software?
The drum box awaits…
Sticks, cymbals, and mic.
High-hats in da house.
USB mic. Check.
Guitar Hero sticks. Would Chad Smith approve?
The drum kit. Snare left, high tom middle, low/floor tom right.
Stand and kick pedal.
Kick pedal up close.
Nothing to see here. Empty box. Go play the game already.
Initial observations
Best band game money can buy on Wii, compelling multiplayer and track list
Upgrade to Guitar Hero III in every way (graphics, sound, features)
Very polished game, great online store, excellent hardware
Purple solo notes are difficult to distinguish from regular notes, unlike 360 version, but not a big deal
Forget about Mike and Jim promoting cleaning products on your local shopping channel. Electronic Arts hired David Hasselhoff to do their 
