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Let’s face it: the music game genre is so muddled with peripherals now that it’s hard to keep straight just which ones will work for what games on what systems. To make matters worse, there’s a whole new batch of peripherals along with new games — Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Rock Revolution — set to hit store shelves later this year. At this rate, it was looking like anyone wanting to play all three games was going to have to buy all three sets of fake instruments. Thankfully, someone has finally stepped up to sort out this whole mess, and that someone is Sony.

Director of Public Relations with SCEA, Michael Shorrock, recently announced that they had reached an agreement with Activision, Neversoft, Harmonix, and Konami regarding the compatibility of their peripherals with each game. The result is — for the PS3 at least — universal compatibility between all new games and all new peripherals. That’s right: your Rock Band 2 drums and guitar will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution and vice versa. In addition, the SingStar microphones will also work for all these games. Sony’s still also “working hard to ensure compatibility between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles currently on the market.”

It’s nice to see some of this bickering finally put aside, since it really only seems to hurt the consumer. We’ll have to see if this same level of compatibility remains true on the Xbox 360 side.

Via Playstation Blog

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The American Library Association is conducting a study involving twelve libraries from across the country to see if videogames improve literacy and make kids smarter. A video excerpt from Tucson’s News-4 on the program shows kids playing Singstar Pop and Guitar Hero III at their local PimaCounty Library:

“Pima County’s library system is one of a dozen in the country participating in a study to find out if video games improve literacy…

…Luis Aguilar, 11, helped organize a video game club. In the process, he learned filmmaking skills to create a five minute movie about it. Luis believes the games are making him smarter, “Because it helps you with memory, memorizing stuff and hand eye coordination.”

If national research verifies these kids’ experiences, the American Library Association would like to create a video game curriculum for all libraries to use.”

Running across this article on GamePolitics inspired me to look up my local library in Westerville, Ohio. Although the Westerville Public Library isn’t involved in the study, according to the Director’s blog, videogames have had a profound effect on the library circulation. Since the introduction of gaming at the library, circulation has increased by over 22%. Director Don Barlow also claims that kids are coming to play videogames and staying to use the library’s other resources.

Yes, it is true, once teens come to library because of gaming, they also find time to study, to check out books. Most importantly, they also find time to learn. They learn about information technology, they develop research skills that will serve their life-long learning needs.

Gaming in libraries? You Bet! with an investment of about $900, (less than 1 tenth of 1% of budget) we have over 3,000 new young adult library users.

Last month the rumor that Microsoft would try to take on SingStar with a singing game of thier own was not really much of a rumor at all, but until it was confirmed we could not post it as a fact. It saves us from having to wipe egg off our faces. However, with E3 confirming the details of the game, we can now say it is a fact, and we have a video from E3 featuring hipster dorks singing along to the game and screens of the good clean and wholesome version of Amy Whinehouse, Welsh pop singer Duffy (whose first name just happens to be Aimee).

Lips will offer wireless motion-sensitive microphones with the game disc and the ability to sing from your own music collection of DRM-free songs. This is the first and only singing game that offers interactive motion-sensitive microphones to make your party rock all night long,  whether you can sing or not does not matter. Lips encourages players to toss apprehensions out the window, which if you have ever been to a karaoke bar you would know that apprehensions have nothing to do with it.

Features:

• Two wireless interactive microphones. Featuring stylish interactive motion sensors and lights, the microphones respond to singers’ actions and can be used as percussion accompaniments. With the freedom and encouragement provided by the high-quality wireless microphones, everyone can live their singing dreams in style.
• The best music. “Lips” will include a diverse selection of songs, including your favorite blasts from the past such as “Bust a Move” by Young MC, as well as new songs from breakout artists such as “Mercy” by Duffy and “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John.
• Sing your music collection. “Lips” allows people to customize their experience with the songs that matter most to them by singing along with friends to the music from their personal collection.
• Play along. Using the standard Xbox 360 controller, up to two people will be able to join the fun and choose from a variety of percussion accompaniment to play along with the music in “Lips.” By placing control of various tambourines, claps and of course the ubiquitous cowbell at the fingertips of anyone with a controller, “Lips” creates a social entertainment experience for friends, co-workers and kids alike.
• Constant flow of new music. From the songs that will come with the game, to your own music collection and the ability to download new tracks from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, “Lips” will continually provide new music to bring people together and keep the party going.

Lips will be out around Christmas this year. Click here for the screens.

Microsoft kicked off E3 with a press conference not unlike a firecracker that has been dipped in water: it starts off exciting, but then the fuse runs out and all you get a a little “pop” if you’re lucky. Similarly, they brought out the big guns for an opener, leaving everything but the last few minutes pretty unsurprising. Read on for a play-by-play of Microsoft’s big E3 announcements. Read the full article

Just as soon as I get done complimenting them, a lawsuit pops up against Harmonix, MTV Networks, and parent company Viacom. Konami is suing the makers of Rock Band over what it alleges to be patent violations by the ultra-popular rhythm game.

Konami’s patents were filed in 2002 and 2003 and relate to simulated musical instruments and a “musical-rhythm matching game,” reports Bloomberg.

The wording of that makes me think it’s only a matter of time before Activision and Sony face similar lawsuits, as both Guitar Hero and SingStar match those descriptions pretty fully. And quite a lot of other games, for that matter.

Konami is apparently seeking both cash considerations and an order to block Harmonix from using the various instruments. The suit was filed yesterday in Marshall, Texas, but Viacom spokesperson Kelly McAndrew claimed the company hadn’t received any complaint, and thusly had no comment.

It’s worth noting that Konami is scheduled to release Rock Revolution later this year. The company originally released GuitarFreaks and DrumMania back in 1999, the former of which is considered to be the precursor to Guitar Hero (and, by extension, Rock Band). They never brought those series over to the Unites States, a fact which you can bet Konami shareholders cry themselves to sleep over every time they see the money that Guitar Hero and Rock Band have brought in.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops. With the release of Rock Band 2 just two months away (on Xbox 360), Harmonix will have to move swiftly on this.

Thanks to MTV Multiplayer’s Patrick Klepek for pointing this story out.

We are well aware that the rumor of Microsoft’s Lips rumor has been circulating the net for some time now, but no one was really sure if it was indeed a karaoke game or not until recently.

According to Xboxfanboy, Lips is a karaoke game that utilizes a “specialized microphone with built-in lights and a limited motion detector”. Two microphones will be included in the package, the game consists of 30 songs and features the ability to import music from one of your CDs or your iPod to sing along with.

The neat part about it though is that the game redduces the vocals of the imported songs, and allows you to input the lyrics so that they will scroll across the screen just like the actual karaoke machines you see in dank, smoke filled bars across the world.

Lips will also have “hundreds of music videos” available for download and more songs will also be made available via the download service. However, I have to agree with Xboxfanboy that with the ability to download your own music, the likelihood of that happening seems pretty slim. If you can download a song you have already paid for and input the lyrics, why pay for it twice?

This is, though, a Microsoft game therefore they will find a way to force you to pay for it and you would be naive to think otherwise. Most likely, you would have to be logged into XBL to download your own tracks and to be able to play them, be logged in so that if you are violation of the rights to the song, you will either a) not be able to download it in the first place, or b) be forced to purchase it from Microsoft.

With that being said, it sounds like Lips would definitely give Sony’s SingStar a run for its money, which is MS’s intention anyway.

Via: Xboxfanboy

Shuhei Yoshida, the recently appointed replacement for Phil Harrison as head of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, has had a lot to say this past week with regards to how things have changed since Ken Kuturagi’s departure, what his plans are for Worldwide Studios, and what the deal was with the cancellation of Eight Days and The Getaway.

“[O]ne focus that has been and will be key is how we use the online technology and PlayStation Network to involve more consumers in participating,” Yoshida told Develop Mag. “LittleBigPlanet is a major, major step forward in that this year. Prior to that we released SingStar, and I’ve been checking out people’s videos – it’s been very interesting to see that people enjoy publishing their performances. And the Buzz channel – I can’t wait to see the strange questions people come up with for that! So that’s the major common theme that we are trying to enforce with all our projects.”

A major thing that Phil Harrison always focused on was products like EyeToy and SingStar that had a broad appeal, and Yoshida believes things won’t change under his guidance. He said, “We have always been a fan of adding new interfaces to the core platform to create some unique experiences, so we will definitely continue do that. But there are also new users coming into the space – many of them choose Nintendo Wii for the first platform as it is easy and fun, but when they have fun, some of them will think ‘Perhaps there is something more out there I can play.’”

You can check out the full interview with Yoshida at Develop.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced today that it will halt production on Eight Days and The Getaway 3 (tentative title) which were both PS3 exclusives being developed at Sony’s London Studio.Sony has issued the following statement:

“It has been agreed that production of both Eight Days and The Getaway will cease immediately due to the redistribution of resources and budget. This decision was made following an internal review of all games and it was deemed that with the incredibly strong list of exclusive first party titles coming up both this year and in the near future, resource should be reallocated to enhance those projects closer to completion.

“Worldwide Studios has a reputation for innovative and entertaining games, with titles such as LittleBigPlanet, SingStar,Buzz, EyeToy and Eye of Judgement, and will continue to push the boundaries on all PlayStation platforms.”

The Getaway 3 was the third chapter in the Getaway saga and was supposedly to deliver a game based on a  next-gen graphics engine which would capitalize on the storage capacity of the Blu-Ray disc drive. 

Eight Days however, was much more anticipated due to the awesome demo of an exploding gas station shown at E3 2005 and the demo of a car being shot up at CES 200.  Eight Days was a crime epic set in the desert of Arizona and featured open environments that you can run in, with fully-modeled buildings that you can exploit when the action gets too heavy on the streets and outskirts.

Originally scheduled for an October 2008 release, the entire game took place in a time-line of eight days and during the course of the week and a day, you must achieve all of your goals. The biggest part of the game was the map system, which includes states that you must cross and was reportedly one of the largest game maps for any console to date. You would never have time to linger in one place too long, and once you visited a spot on the map you would never go back to it again. The neatest thing about Eight Days was the incorporation of the Google Maps system which would “tie into a real-life clock” which basically meant that whatever time of the day you were playing the game, the same time frame will be occurring in-game as well.

Hopefully these games will not be canceled indefinitely, especially Eight Days - but as soon as any news pops up regarding either one, we will be sure to let you know.

Thanks: StrategyInformer

Harmonix is still stubbornly claiming the huge discrepancy in the price of Rock Band for the US and the UK is justifiable. Design director Rob Kay attempted to sympathize with disappointed UK gamers in a recent interview.

The price is worked out in collaboration between us, distributors and retailers. I’m from the UK, I understand the whole ‘Why is it that all consumer electronics I buy have the same number, but with the dollar sign replaced with a pound sign?’ thing. I feel the pain: the price is kind of frightening. I don’t mean to make excuses, but there’s VAT, prices in the US don’t include tax, and things like that. We wanted to give people a choice, though: splash £50 on the game and use any USB microphone to sing. Or you could get drums or guitar.

The retail for Rock Band with all the peripherals included is $169 in the states, so UK gamers would be getting a better deal if, as Kay said, the pound sign merely replaced the dollar sign. The game is being retailed at £200 which is $392.92.

Personally, the very thought of buying Rock Band without any of the peripherals, even if I owned a USB microphone, is ludicrous. SingStar’s a better buy on the wallet and comes with two microphones. Harmonix isn’t fooling anyone but themselves.

via Next Generation

Okay, with Microsoft out of the way, it’s now Sony’s turn to give their spin on the NPD Group’s data for last month. Of the three current-gen consoles, PlayStation 3 sold the least in April (albeit by an extremely slim margin) and, overall, Sony platforms didn’t have a particularly good month. So what angle would Sony take?

The main talking point focused on year-over-year sales growth. The PS3 sold 127% better than last April, which isn’t huge, but software sales were up 410% to over two million units, thanks in large part to Grand Theft Auto IV.

Sony was also proud that, with 1 million copies of GTA sold, 23.6% of PS3 owners in the U.S. had purchased a copy, which is a 29% higher attach rate than GTA had on Xbox 360. (According to their math, the game had an attach rate of around 16.75% on 360.)

I found it somewhat amusing that the press release claims the PS3 “continues [its] blockbuster year” when, from a hardware standpoint, it really had a poor month. But that’s a minor gripe; what else do you expect from a press release.

Hit the jump for the full press release. Read the full article

Sony’s Singstar has never been a franchise were you can rock out and to be honest with you, it never even reaches the drunken bar karaoke level because at least in a bar you can sing a Whitesnake song or two, and maybe even a little Blur. This week, the SingStore has been updated, and like the title of this post says, it is full of more cheese than Wisconsin. And what goes better with cheese than wine? If I were to have to suffer through a bunch of people screeching to these songs, there better be a few bottles of it lying around. Seriously.

• Avril Lavigne - Complicated
• Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack - Tonight I Celebrate My Love (OMG!!!)
• Good Charlotte - I Just Wanna Live
• The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
• Shocking Blue - Venus (no Bananarama?)
• Golden Earring - Radar Love (decent)
• The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
• Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat
• Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending
• Erik Faber - Not Over
• Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms (anyone else remember dancing to this at the freshman dance in High School?)
• R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
• Wilson Phillips - Hold On (someone pop my eardrums quick!)
• Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You shouldn’t've)?
• Alphabeat - Fantastic 6
• The Vines - Get Free
• Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)
• Westlife - Queen Of My Heart
• The Hoosiers - Cops N Robbers
• Coldplay - Shiver
• Coldplay - The Scientist (deserves to be on a better list)
• Duran Duran - The Reflex
• Moloko - Sing It Back
• Aslan - This Is

Ok, my snarky commentary aside, some of the songs on this list are ok. The majority though, are pure unadulterated cheese whiz. This is of course because I am a music snob through and through and just in a very bad mood this morning.

You can check out the full list of the SingStore offerings by logging on via your PS3. The latest Singstar title is expected to hit shelves on May 20th.

Def Leppard’s Guitar Hero III outing and the obligatory weekly dose of Rock Band tracks (now finally with a full album!), there’s a ton of great new content now available on the PlayStation Store. The biggest release is certainly the Variety Map Pack ($10) for Call of Duty 4 which naturally includes four new multiplayer maps.

A new PS one Classic was also released today with R-Types ($6), ending that particular drought. (Even though you and I both know we probably won’t see another Classic for weeks.) There’s also the Biolith Rebellion 2 expansion set for The Eye of Judgment, whichs adds more than 100 new creatures, spells and abilities, so that sounds like a must-buy for fans of The Eye.

There’s also plenty of videos, demos of both echochrome and Iron Man, a map pack for Army of Two, downloadable songs for Karaoke Revolution, and more. So hit the break and check out everything now available for download.

Read the full article

SingStar fans are in for a treat this summer with the launch of SingStar Vol. 2 for the PS3. The new addition to the franchise features 30 new tracks, a new harmony duet mode, PSP remote play functionalities, increased levels of personalisation and an entry point to My SingStar Online.Artists featured include The Killers, Eminem, Kaiser Chiefs, Gorillaz and more will all tracks featuring the original music video for you to enjoy.

The harmony duet mode is a new way of playing that allows two players to sing different lines to a song at the same time, and special tracks have been included to showcase this new mode such as Kool and the Gang: Celebration, the Paul McCartney & the Frog Chorus: We all Stand Together and The Mamas & The Papas: California Dreamin’.

SingStar Vol. 2 also includes Remote Play functionalities with PSP. Using PSP and a wireless Internet connection, players will be able to access various areas of the game such as:

• SingStore: browse, select and download new songs, from SingStore remotely. This is really your chance to get your favourite party tracklist ready before you’re heading back home
• My SingStar Online: browse and participate in all areas, rate media, leave comments, take part in polls, etc.). You can now continue to be part of the SingStar community on the go: share and show off hilarious and killer performances to your friends and family

SingStar Vol. 2 gives players instant access to SingStore, where extra tracks can be purchased, allowing players to add to their collection of songs and create their own SingStar playlists to suit their mood. There are currently over 300 tracks in SingStore.

Game features are listed after the break and when Sony decides to give a concrete release date for this, we will be sure and let you know.

Via: Press Release

Read the full article

Sony announced today the release of SingStar ’90s, the latest installment in the SingStar franchise, available exclusively for the PS2. SingStar ’90s brings a list of Grunge, R&B, Rap and Pop music from artists that defined the decade including Paula Abdul, En Vogue, Vanilla Ice, Boyz II Men, Nirvana and more.

Available both as a stand-alone disc and packaged with two high-quality USB microphones, SingStar ’90s is the fifth installment to the SingStar catalog and provides fans with over 150 songs and music videos to sing, compete, and have fun with friends and family. Players can easily access any of the song lists while playing and the disc swap feature allows for seamless transition between titles.

Aspiring singers can select from 30 songs to sing along with while watching the actual music video on screen via solo mode or multiplayer where you can do duets or battle. In addition, SingStar ’90s is compatible with the EyeToy which allows players to watch themselves belt it out as the main act and record their performance for playback. Players can also save their favorite vocal performances onto a Memory Card for future audio playback and customize and enhance playback with numerous effects.

Here is the full list of songs for SingStar 90′s, and while some of these songs technically came out in the eighties, my main concern is having to sing or do a duet with your Granny when “I Touch Myself” or “I Wanna Sex You Up” comes on.

• Arrested Development - Tennessee
• Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
• Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
• Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
• Divinyls - I Touch Myself
• En Vouge - Free Your Mind
• Extreme - More than Words
• Gin Blossums - Hey Jealousy
• Hootie and the Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You
• Jesus Jones - Right Here Right Now
• Len - Steal my Sunshine
• MC Hammer - U Can’t Touch This
• Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
• New Kids on the Block - Step by Step
• Nirvana - Lithium
• Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract
• Poison - Unskinny Bop
• R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts
• Santana feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth
• Savage Garden - I Want You
• Seal - Kiss From a Rose
• Sir Mix A Lot - Baby Got Back
• Sixpence None the Richer - Kiss Me
• Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
• Spin Doctors - Two Princes
• Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
• Technotronic feat. Felly - Pump up the Jam
• The Cranberries - Zombie
• Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
• Wilson Philips - Hold On

For more information check out the official website.

As if the March content for SingStar did not give you enough to cringe about, rejoice in your own crapulence that Sony will be releasing SingStar Summer Party on April 25th. Like usual, SSP turns your high-tech gaming console into a karaoke machine and will feature songs by Blondie, Amy Winehouse, Blur, Rihanna, and Dirty Pretty Things included in a 30 song set.

No word yet on whether the new content will be added to the PS3 SingStore, so just check back with us every once in a while if SingStar is your thing. Of course, with this new content, Sony would still love for you to record and upload your SingStar antics for all the world to see on the game’s website.

Here is the full list:

Adele - Chasing Pavements
Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
Blondie - The Tide is High
Blur - Girls & Boys
Booty Luv - Shine
Chesney Hawkes - The One & Only
David Bowie - Let’s Dance
Diana Ross - I’m Coming Out
Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You’re Dead
Dodgy - Good Enough
Elton John - I’m Still Standing
Five Star - System Addict
Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
Klaxons - It’s Not Over Yet
KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)
Madness - House of Fun
Mel & Kim - Respectable
Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl
Plain White Ts - Hey There Delilah
Pulp - Disco 2000
Razorlight - In The Morning
Rihanna - Umbrella
Sugababes - Red Dress
Texas - Summer Son
Toto - Hold The Line
Wham! - Club Tropicana
Yazz - The Only Way Is Up

Thanks: Eurogamer

I don’t personally know anyone who owns SingStar, but if they did they would be happy to know that Sony’s SingStore has 48 new tracks coming on March 7th to give fans more of what they crave - Britney Spears, Spice Girls, and A-Ha.
Here is the list:

• Aha “The Sun Always Shines On TV”
• Alice Cooper “Poison ”
• Big Brovaz “Nu-Flow”
• Bill Joel “Uptown Girl”
• Blu Cantrell “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”
• Blur “End of a Century”
• Britney Spears “Baby One More Time”
• Coldplay “Speed Of Sound”
• Crash Test Dummies “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”
• David Bowie “Heroes”
• Dragon “April Sun In Cuba”
• Elvira Nickolaisen “Egypt Song”
• End Of Fashion “Oh Yeah ”
• Fairground Attraction “Perfect”
• Feeder “Buck Rogers”
• Five “Keep On Movin’”
• Jamelia “Superstar”
• Jamelia “Stop”
• Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
• Lemar “It’s Not That Easy”
• Lordi “Hard Rock Hallelujah”
• Maria Mena “My Lullaby”
• Maxïmo Park “Graffiti”
• Maxïmo Park “Going Missing”
• Natalie Imbruglia “Torn”
• opus X “loving you girl”
• Paddy Casey “Saints and Sinners”
• Paddy Casey “Whatever Gets You True”
• Reamonn “Supergirl”
• Roachford “Only To Be With You”
• Rooster “Come Get Some”
• Roxy Music “Love Is The Drug”
• Shannon Noll “What About Me”
• Spice Girls “Wannabe ”
• Spice Girls “Who Do You Think You Are? ”
• Steps “Deeper Shade of Blue”
• Stereophonics “Dakota”
• Stereophonics “The Bartender And The Thief”
• The Darkness “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”
• The Hoosiers “Goodbye Mr A”
• The Screaming Jets “Better”
• The Thrills “One Horse Town”
• The Thrills “Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far)”
• The Undertones “Teenage Kicks”
• Trio Rio “New York, Rio, Tokyo”
• Whitney Houston “I Want To Dance With Somebody”

Uptown Girl? Seriously? I could think of many different Billy Joel songs to include instead, and the only time I EVER liked that song in the first place was when Homer and the Hippies used it as their song of protest against the establishment and to “blow some minds”. To bad Homer didn’t have the discipline to be a hippie.

Thanks: Dark Zero

It was just days ago that Phil Harrison aired his frustration over his colleagues in Japan who shot down his vision of social gaming. He referred to it as “a very interesting and frustrating thing for me to experience,” noting that he had been “banging the drum about social gaming for a long time, with SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz.”

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced the resignation of Harrison, effective February 29, 2008. Kaz Hirai will see yet another promotion as he will assume the responsibilities of Harrison as head of SCE Worldwide Studios in addition to his current position as president and CEO of SCEI. From the press release:

Prior to the launch of the original PlayStation, Phil Harrison joined Sony Electronics Publishing, Ltd. in 1992, which later evolved into Sony computer Entertainment Europe, and since then, he has made a tremendous contribution to the company playing a strategic role in the launch of four PlayStation platforms, as well as building strong relationships with game developers and publishers throughout the world. Since his appointment to the position of president, SCE WWS, Harrison applied his considerable skill, knowledge and expertise to lead SCE Group’s first party game development as well as aggressively pursuing the development of new online entertainment experiences.

Given the timing of his recent statements, it’s hard to imagine that the two aren’t somehow connected. There’s no word on what his future plans are or if he’ll be doing any sort of exit interviews, but with NDAs and all, we might never know what the cause of his departure was for sure. Wherever he does end up, though, I’d like to wish him the best.

via Evil Avatar

Sony’s head of worldwide studios, Phil Harrison, is understandably frustrated with the Sony execs over in Japan. Long before the Wii came along and made a fortune for Nintendo off of the social gaming scene, Sony had a trio of social games in Europe that were tremendously successful – SingStar, Buzz, and the EyeToy. And despite Harrison’s insistence, Sony execs in Japan were hesitant to adopt social games, stating that there was no market for the genre in Japan.

“It’s a very interesting and frustrating thing for me to experience because I have been banging the drum about social gaming for a long time, with SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz,” he said at GDC.

“And our Japanese colleagues said that there is no such thing as social gaming in Japan – people do not play games on the same sofa together in each other’s homes. It will never happen. And then out comes the Wii.”

“What’s interesting with Nintendo adverts – and they are the same the world over – they always show the view from the television back to the sofa, which is very clever. And what do you see? A family or friends all on a sofa.”

Harrison also said he admires Nintendo’s success and thinks Wii Sports is a truly next generation game. I can understand where Harrison is coming from; Nintendo is clearly dominating the market right now with its casual approach, which is apparently a direction that Harrison wanted to go in. Having your colleagues say there isn’t a market for something – and then being proven completely wrong – is a formula that is bound to get under anybody’s skin.

via GamesIndustry.biz

Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim has been doing a lot of talking at DICE, which of course means lots of interviews. One such interview was conducted by Wired, with Kim being prodded about how Microsoft foresees itself continuing to fight in Europe, which he acknowledged is a much more key battleground for the Xbox 360 than Japan is.

He didn’t pinpoint any one thing, but instead pointed to a variety of factors – GTAIV’s launch being “owned” by Xbox 360, the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, Rock Band and Guitar Hero – as what would collectively fight Sony.

Okay, so, video marketplace, GTAIV — what are some other ways, when you talk about focusing on Europe. What does that consumer want and how do you do it better?

Something like Scene It was a very important property for us, and in terms of driving that into Europe with local content, because Buzz is popular there. So content is very important, and we’re trying to address some of those things. But we’ve known music has been important in that market in the past, with Singstar’s success, and that’s why it’s so important for us to really make sure that from a consumer perspective, they look at Guitar Hero and Rock Band as the best experiences that they could possibly get are on our platform. So when Rock Band launches in Europe… There’s no one silver bullet. You have to do all of these things and you have to be patient and ply away at it, because it’s going to take time. But we know that it’s an important market that we have to succeed in if we want to win the generation, which is still our aspiration.

Kim also talks about the possibility of motion control making an appearance on 360, as well as Mass Effect exclusivity, the audience for Halo Wars, and how Microsoft is working on a game that rhymes with “Deers of Lore.”

Read the full interview here.

First it was the news that Japan would be getting DMC4 PS3 bundles this month that made me envious, now comes word that Europe will be getting their very own cool bundles as well during January. These new bundles include the 40GB PS3 with a ‘Pick N Mix’ option of two games and the choices range from stellar to mediocre. Folklore, Formula One, Genji: Days of the Blade, L.A.I.R, Motorstorm, Ratchet and Clank: Tools Of Destruction, Resistance: Fall Of Man, Singstar PS3 with microphones, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Warhawk with headset are the games available to mix and match.

The bundles will only cost the consumer and extra £50, so if you were planning on purchasing that 40GB PS3 for £299, you can now get two games included, which will save you an extra 50 quid. If the a deal like this were to hit the States, maybe I could finally persuade my domestic partner to let me drop around 700 American dollars on a PS3 bundle- MAYBE. The likelihood of that occurring though, would the be equivalent of my waking up one morning looking like Sophie Marceau.

European gamers can look forward to the ‘Pick N Mix’ launch on January 18, and this deal is expected to run until further notice.

Thanks: MCV