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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. |
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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! |
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...a real faceful. Seriously, ouch, ouch, ouch. I mean, how do you recover from things like: "Gabe Newell suggested that Sony should scrap plans to release PS3 and develop an entirely new system." This from the daddy of Half-Life. NOT small potatoes. Also, notably: "'The happy story is the Wii,' he added. 'I’m betting that by Christmas of next year, the Wii has a larger installed base than the 360. Other people think I’m crazy. I really like everything that Nintendo is doing.'" So basically, Sony gets a beatdown, Mario gets a handjob. |
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In the recently released 4th Quarter 2006 numbers (compiled by the research firm NPD), Nintendo pretty much mopped up the competition. Kotaku has done a rather thorough analysis of the numbers, and while the Xbox 360 outsold the Wii in December, Nintendo totally hit their target and sold 1.1 million Wii units in 2006 from launch to Dec. 31st! In the same story, the DS Lite kicked the living crap out of the PSP, which should be surprising to no one, but the lead they've established is shocking: 2.5 million more DS/Lite units sold than PSPs. Ouch. In fact, the DS and (of all the darndest things) the PS2 were the real winners last month, with Nintendo selling 1.6 million new DS units, and the PS2 selling an impressive 1.4 million. This over the "next-gen" console sales for December, which clock in at 1.1 million for the Xbox 360, 604,200 for the Wii and an anemic 490,700 PS3s. So, in short, Nintendo hit their launch goal (1 million by year end), and sold more DS systems than any other system. Microsoft won December, and has sold 4.5 million Xbox 360 units since its launch in 2005 (though this means in a month and a half, the Wii sold enough systems to make up 25% of the 360-owner market). Sony sales are in the shitter - PSP losing badly to DS, and the PS3 is finding more of a home back on store shelves rather than in people's homes or selling like hotcakes on eBay. But the PS2? Sony's saving grace? What could be up with this? I've got an idea, but I'll talk more about that later... So at any rate, because all of Sony's current systems are falling short of everyone's expectations, Microsoft is now taking note of the real competition: Nintendo. Bill Gates himself acknowledged that Nintendo is their "toughest competition," even though the company isn't directly aiming at any of their users. This is an interesting admission, and is a double-slap in the face of Sony, especially after such a smackdown on the PS3's nascent online service by MS reps recently. Poor Sony. My heart breaks, and yet my Wii elbow throbs on... |
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This hilarious Wii sex video reminds of something that was WAY more real life from a while back, a launch title for the PS2 to be specific. The game was Rez, and the sexy back came in the form of a "Trance Vibrator" which was supposed to be used for... well, I'm not sure what. Basically, it gave Japanese girls something to do while their boyfriends played countless hours of PS2:
"We sat side my side on our makeshift couch, I with the trance vibrator and Justin with the controller. As the levels got more advanced, so did the vibrations... revving up to an intense pulsing throbbing..." Read the entire story here! |
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The PS3 is NOT doing well. In fact, the 360 is making a strong comeback, and happily the Wii seems to be kicking everybody's ass. Down under, the Wii is shattering sales records as well, and is causing fights and riots in stores by the typically peaceful (?) Dutch. When it's this fun, how can you blame em: Anyhow, back to the PS3. Analysts are taking note of the PS3's sales numbers, launch follies and long term potential, and with Sony's fate hanging in balance, this is serious stuff. Not to mention growing Blu-ray gripes: most owners either don't care or resent the fact that it's in there, and many analysts have pointed out that integrated drive ultimately won't matter in deciding the format war, and may in fact be hurting Blu-ray's chances, if it's having any effect at all. And speakaing of games, that's another area the PS3 is surprisingly lagging in: the leading game in the PS3-vs-Xbox360-tug-of-war-FPS-shooter-genre is on Xbox, Japanese sales of the PS3 are down by half, and in addition to already getting its butt kicked by Xbox 360 and Wii, the Wii might get even cheaper, which would only blow the doors off of Sony even harder. Combine that with the fact that most PS3 units are now moving off of eBay at cost, and... Not to mention that sketchy cops and violence still dominate the PS3 headlines. Wii owners, on the other hand, are beating the crap out of themselves, but they seem to be having a blast doing it. Meanwhile, on a completely different note that draws a stark contrast to the grim PS3 forcasts, the Wii is being heralded as a potential savior of a long-lost genre that based on recent re-releases for download services, people are quite hungry for. At any rate, it'll be interesting to watch this continue to unfold as more PS3 units become available. Wouldn't it be sad if they ended up gathering dust after all that launch-related chaos? |
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My personal favorites from the Japanese Wii launch: you've got the most dedicated Wii fan ever, Wii Man, going to get his Wii and getting featured on TV. Also, a totally FAKE Luigi poses as a Yodabashi Camera employee, sells Wiis, gets kicked out. Without hurting anyone or stealing anything. Only in Japan. Danny Choo, famous for covering major console launches, Covers the Wii launch dressed as a Stormtrooper. Woot! And finally, the votes are in, and Wii owners are more attractive than PS3 owners... ...especially this one... (last link maybe not safe for work on second thought) |
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The innovations for the Wiimote just keep on coming. Announcing the Wiisaber, aka mock-Jedi fun with your computer and Wiimote. Currently pointless, but very fun. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Also, don't forget, if you registered for a Wii or PS3 on Amazon.com, today is the day to go see if you were one of the lucky ones! |
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Lines can be fun, can be dangerous, and ultimately take a lot of time and energy away from the rest of your life. Plus they don't guarantee you the system you want, since quantities are always limited, and it's basically a crapshoot anyhow. So since it's a crapshoot, why not do it in your slippers from home? In front of your computer? With no frantic reload clicking? Just sign up, come back on Tuesday, and order one if you want it! Register to eligible to purchase a 20 GB or 60 GB PS3, or a Nintendo Wii at Amazon.com! It costs you nothing to sign up, so why not? |
