Yikes. It's like someone popped the lid on the Wii hacking party, and now people can't get enough. There's now a second Wii modchip en route, this one being of the "quicksolder" variety (no wires). The chip developer's website is quite sparse with details for now, but I'm frankly amazed at this second release.

Now I wonder if either of them actually work.

Whoa. That was fast:

So the first Wii mod chip was announced, and is purportedly on its way to resellers. While several reputable sites are listed as confirming its authenticity, I have be skeptical of the official YouTube video:

There's a tape in the VCR. So.....

Regardless, it's going to be a different game this time around. While the Dreamcast was split wide open courtesy of M$oft WinCE, and the PS, PS2 and Xbox were all successfully modded, none of them bore the same invaluable security device as the current "Next Gen" consoles:

The internet. My Wii connects to the net nightly, gets mail, checks for firmware upgrades, etc. Given what happened with the PSP once Sony caught on to homebrew apps running on their portable, I think that it's safe to say the modding community may have a more difficult challenge this time around. Similar to what Xbox modders faced when trying to play Halo 2 on Xbox Live, any next-gen console has the capability to download mod-checkers, execute them, and report back to the mothership, if the firmware is so coded. Provided Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft know what weakness the mod chips exploit, there should be a way to detect them and block their functionality, if not bricking a console altogether. Like the Dino Crisis startup scan on the PSOne, but constantly evolving.

In a way, it might end up being similar to viruses vs. anti-virus software. The irony being that the roles will be reversed - the gamer who mods their console is going to be fighting the software, not the virus!

Got a DS? Got WiFi? Got friends? Then you've got a ready-to-go VoIP phone!

The DS really has still only yet to tap its hardware potential - WiFi, mic and touch screen should make for some amazing homebrew software eventually, and releases like this are still just scratching the surface. iPhone? Screw that. You've got a touch screen, WiFi and voice-recognizing doodad already! C'mon Nintendo (or h4X0r fellas), unleash this puppy!

The Dreamcast is the best video game system ever made. There, I said it. I'll take on anyone who disagrees in a barfight or walk-off. I'm not fucking around.

So with that in mind, you can now appreciate the pain I feel when finally (though it's been a long time coming), Sega pulled the plug on GD-ROM development, ending all official production for the Dreamcast. While the units are able to run software with self-booting code on normal CD-R media, this console could have, should have been Sega's saving grace, but because of the fucked launch on both side of the Pacific and Sega of America having its head in its ass for all time, it was never meant to be.

That said, it brought a glimmer of hope to my eye when I read this article: good consoles never die, they just go to homebrew heaven. I mean, the Jaguar and the 3DO? If they're still kicking, then the Dreamcast is still only just beginning to stretch its legs!

So while the top dog at Sony is lyin... er, boasting his way through press conference after press conference:

"I think Kutaragi-san (PlayStation chief Ken Kutaragi) said that it would be break-even by the end of the year, at the end of '07. PS2 was not profitable in the first year. You make it up on the content as the content gathers momentum, the licensees from that and so forth..." - Howard Stringer, CEO (full text)

Look man, I love Sony. I really do. But no way. I'm calling you out on this one.

So, with lines and sales numbers like these, is it any wonder that the PS3 launch is the defining example of consumer FUD regarding an appliance? That's Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt to you and me, and it's the 3-letter name for what's keeping the PS3 on shelves and $600 clams in everyone's pocket...

Only 11 more months till my Birthday...

Holy christ. Seriously:

1up ran an outstanding article that compared American and Japanese video games recently. Not just what's what, but what kind of games we're making as cultures, and why. A very good read.

Comic legend Stan Lee weighed in on the merit of games in a recent interview. Most noteworthy was the fact that he appeared to regard them as a better medium for excitement and fantasy than movies:

"'In a movie, you just sit and watch. (In a video game) you're not only seeing the story but you're participating in the story,' said Lee, who admits he has neither the time nor the skill to play video games."

It makes sense. Despite some awful, truly wretched videogame to movie crossovers, I remember playing FFVIII and thinking "man, that shit was better than any movie I've seen in ages."

Same with Metal Gear Solid, same with Halo, and on, and on...

Anyhow, go Stan! 85 and still awesome!

Wired magazine had an outstanding and beautifully illustrated story on the rise and fall of Gizmondo a few issues ago. Not only was the story totally better than fiction, but the dark, dark graphic-novel style illustrations really made the story pop. A real gem, better in print than online, but see whichever version you can.

At any rate, a recent trade show booth auction that popped up serves as a nice additional tombstone/reminder of the giant vapor-implosion big bang that the company ultimately represented.

Back in the day, waaaaaay back in the day, there used to be a Nintendo-funded spin-off cartoon that would air on weekday afternoons, just as the kids were getting home from school. My memories are fuzzy, but I think it would be a combination of live action and cartoon, and for the life of me, I can't remember what it was called (BIG props to the reader who does - hit me in the comments!). At any rate, Mon-Thurs the cartoon portion centered around some Mario theme, with Motherbrain (from Metroid) as the bad guy and King Hippo (Punch Out) and the Eggplant Wizard (Kid Icarus) as the henchmen.

But on Friday.... ZELDA! Little stories, and that awful catchphrase: "Excuuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!"

Now, the entire thing is all right here! Here's a taste:

This is not that surprising, but truly shocking in the degree of obvious similarity. I mean, I know that game box art has been terrible since the dawn of time (the stinking, shit-covered white elephant in the room for most systems, Genesis in particular), but to see that it's essentially plagiarism... jeez. Anyhow, J. R. Antrim has compiled entire website that reveals videogame lookalikes, some dead-on (like this one), others a bit more random. Enjoy!

Ho. Lee. Crap. Look at this little Japanese tyke go:

And as if that wasn't enough, if you want to see some BONKERS Taiko no tetsujin (Taiko Drum Master) and Pop N'Music superhuman reflexes... just hit the jump (click the "read more" link) for some serious über-human gaming prowess.