Sony confirma las tarjetas prepagadas en América

El título tiene la liga a la nota, pero le dejo el link aquí.

Wii entra al mundo LIVE. Wii gets into the LIVE world.

Jugar en línea con CV y chat con vozEl presidente de NOA, Reggie Fils-Aime posiblemente esté planeando una significativa actualización a la Consola Virtual de Nintendo; “no nos sorprendería” si la opción de chat con voz llegara al Wii. Por Tom Magrino
Pokémon Snap, llega esta semana como parte de la agenda de la actualización de la Consola Virtual, permitiendo a los jugadores compartir las fotos que ellos tomen en el juego y enviárselas a sus amigos vía internet gracias a la funcionalidad de compartir fotos que tiene el Wii. Viendo estas capacidades traspasar un juego de la Consola Virtual es tangible. Ahora se corren los rumores de que pronto le agregaran una nueva funcionalidad de jugar en línea con títulos de la CV así como tablas de puntos o algunos modos multijugador como se puede encontrar en selectos títulos de Xbox Live Arcade classics.
Sin embargo, esos rumores se eliminaron el día de hoy durante una charla telefónica con el presidente de Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime. Aunque la principal preocupación que tiene en estos momentos Nintendo es la falta de consolas en los almacenes para la temporada navideña, Fils-Aime dio algunas pequeñas pistas acerca de los planes a futuro que tiene la consentida consola de Nintendo.
"En términos de la Consola Virtual, nuestro principal objetivo es dejar esos juegos legendarios intactos justo como fueron lanzados hace muchos años,” dijo.
"Una de las pequeñas excepciones de eso fue que hicimos unos mínimos cambios con Pokémon Snap, por ejemplo. No nos anticipamos haciendo la compatibilidad en línea para juegos de la Consola Virtual. Sólo realizamos modificaciones para el intercambio de imágenes."
Además de darnos puntos interesantes con respecto a los planes de la Casa de Mario. Fils-Aime también nos hizo algunos comentarios con respecto al servicio de chat con voz que posiblemente será algo que tenían pensado desde hace tiempo, una vez que el apropiado periférico de comunicación esté listo.
"En términos de chat de voz en línea, como tú sabes, estamos haciendo constantes cambios," dijo el ejecutivo. "Ciertamente nuestro sistema tiene la compatibilidad para chat de voz en línea; lo que estamos finalizando es el periférico que permita hablar al usuario mientras se encuentra jugando, de hecho es algo que se encuentra disponible en el DS ciertamente es algo que nosotros valoramos y algo que nosotros constantemente estamos viendo y no me sorprendería ver esa capacidad en nuestro sistema."

Fuente: Game Spot en Español

Source: Game Spot in Spanish

Sales Charts in Japan

Now, let's have a look to Japan :)

Here are the latest console hardware sales in Japan for the week of December 17 - 23.
NDS Lite - 279,551 [6,948,478]
Wii - 232,907 [3,544,308]
PSP - 171,804 [2,908,095]
PlayStation 3 - 58,167 [1,131,412]
PlayStation 2 - 20,391 [746,609]
Xbox 360 - 7,908 [234,335]
GBA SP - 100 [50,634]
GameCube - 31 [10,526]

- Here are the latest console software sales in Japan for the week of December 17 - 23.

Mario Party DS (NDS, Nintendo) - 329,826 [1,156,000]
Final Fantasy IV (NDS, Square Enix) - 287,697
Wii Fit (Wii, Nintendo) - 214,334 [749,000]
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo) - 113,831 [664,000]
Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Accel 2 (PS2, Bandai Namco) - 108,717
Mario & Sonic at Bejing Olympics (Wii, Sega) - 104,948 [317,000]
Dragon Quest IV (NDS, Square Enix) - 94,425 [963,000]
Dorabase: Dramatic Stadium (NDS, Bandai Namco) - 84,639
Wii Sports (Wii, Nintendo) - 83,882 [2,425,000]
Layton Kyouju to Akuma no Hako (NDS, Level 5) - 83,293 [527,000]
Hajimete no Wii [Wii Play] (Wii, Nintendo)
Mario Party 8 (Wii, Nintendo)
Taiko no Tetsujin DS (NDS, Bandai Namco)
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (NDS, Nintendo)
Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero (NDS, Nintendo)
Mario Kart DS (NDS, Nintendo)
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (NDS, Nintendo)
Pawafuru Kun Pocket 10 (NDS, Konami)
Powerful Pro Baseball 14 Final Edition (PS2, Konami)
Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi (NDS, Bandai Namco)

Source: The Magic Box.

Top Sellers this season eve based on Amazon info.

GamePro examines the top selling game products from the world's largest online retailer.

Quickly after gamers and non-gamers unwrapped their gifted Wiis earlier this week for Christmas, they have flooded the internet to buy peripherals, accessories, and Mario Galaxy. Behold the current best sellers this week:
1. Wii Play with Wii Remote
2. Wii Nunchuck controller
3. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360)
5. Rock Band (Xbox 360)
6. Nyko Wii charge station
7. Wii Remote
8. PS3 Sixaxis Controller*
9. Nintendo Wii
10. Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training

Source: Amazon (updated hourly) * denotes promotional price cut.

Source: GamePro

Microsoft and their plans to have a Wii alike controller?

Will Microsoft release a first-party motion controller for Xbox 360? The company isn't talking.

"Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation. And I have nothing further to share," a Microsoft official told Next-Gen on Friday, when asked if the company would be releasing a motion controller add-on.
Rumors of a 360 motion controller surfaced on Wednesday, after XboxFamily.com reported that Microsoft would release a Wii-like peripheral this fall with the help of Gyration, the same company that first worked on prototype designs of the Wii Remote for Nintendo.
Microsoft is currently the only console maker not supporting some form of motion controls.
In May of 2006, Microsoft founder Bill Gates told MTV News that motion controls are "not mainstream for most games," before adding, "there's a lot to be learned about these controllers."

Source: GamePro

GamePro's most significant news

GamePro published what they think are their most significant new of 2007. Here is the link: http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/international/games/features/154488.shtml

Otherwise, you can read it here:

GamePro lists the biggest stories of the year - some shocking, others far-reaching, everything you need to know.

PlayStation 3 strugglesAfter a dismal launch in 2006, PlayStation 3 continued to stumble in 2007. While running the public relations gambit, Sony denied soft-demand for the console in January, derided the competition in July, before conceding a first-year defeat in November saying they'll need "to play catch-up." The future shows promise, however, given a recent price cut and some solid year end games. But Sony has its work cut out if they wish to keep the PS3 from becoming the GameCube of this generation (read: a worthy system unable to realize its full potential).

Bungie leaves MicrosoftLess than two weeks after the release of Halo 3, Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios jointly announced the disolution of their partnership. It wasn't a bitter break-up, however, as Microsoft retained long-term Halo rights and a minority stake in the newly-formed independent developer. While the Halo-maker is only working on 360 titles for now, the possibility of Bungie-made games on non-Xbox consoles still exits.

The Father of the PlayStation retiresKen Kutaragi, the mastermind behind every PlayStation system ever made, relinquished the driver's seat to Kaz Hirai in June, leaving behind a brilliant yet tarnished legacy. His most noticeable contribution was in taking video games to the mainstream with both the PlayStation and PlayStation 2, each which sold an unprecedented 100+ million units worldwide. But despite his heavy influence, Kutaragi may unjustly be remembered as the man responsible for the PS3's controversial design and high launch price.

Grand Theft Auto 4 delayedThe Grand Theft Auto series is on the verge of surpassing total Tetris sales of 70 million. Tetris people -- the game that everyone and their dog played in the Eighties! But all-time sales don't do the franchise justice. Over the last six years, combined GTA sales have made it the most popular series in recent history, by far. So when the latest sequel gets delayed for development issues, gamers panic, and panic they did. You can only wait so long for sand box tyranny.

Review integrity called into questionLong-time GameSpot editor Jeff Gerstmann was abruptly fired in November for what his employer called "internal reasons." That didn't stop numerous reports, however, from speculating that the seasoned game critic lost his job due to his negative review of Kane & Lynch. A recent Kohnke Communications' court filing saying the PR firm was successful "in convincing reviewers to write positive reviews" didn't help to simmer the incident. The real story, however, was in the examination and subsequent scrutiny of video game coverage. While allegations of payola and advertiser pressure are nothing new to the industry, Gerstmann-gate helped redraw the lines for both the gaming press and publishers seeking favorable review scores.

Xbox 360 failures go criticalMicrosoft says, "the best games are on Xbox 360." But what difference does it make if you can't play said games due to unreliable hardware, aka the Red Ring of Death? This fatal error, said to be affecting some 33 percent of all Xbox 360s in existence, just won't go away, despite Microsoft's promises and the hopes of patience gamers everywhere. While on track to outsell its predecessor (extended warranties be damned), think of what the 360 could accomplish with dependable hardware. Microsoft needs to nip this one in the bud, or else.

PS2 stays relevantSince first launching in 2000, Sony has sold more than 120 million PS2s worldwide, making it the best-selling system of all time. The six-generation console celebrated its seventh birthday in October, and shows no signs of slowing. Amazingly, this last-gen platform outsold the Xbox 360 in seven of the last 12 months according to NPD figures (20/25 when considering life-to-date 360 sales); the PS3 has never outsold the PS2. So even though it no longer has that new car smell, the PS2 still gets the job done.

DS finishes as top-selling system overallPortable or not, the DS is the most popular video game system in the world. It may not be the most glamorous news item of the year, but never before has a handheld dominated video games (including consoles) like the DS. It's home to a ton of great games (traditional, quirky, and innovative), and it appeals to both gamers and non-gamers alike. Given its current sales rate, Market researcher DFC Intelligence even predicts that the DS will end up being the most widely purchased platform ever.

Wii catapults Nintendo into the spotlightAs of this year, Sony no longer leads the video game industry -- that honor currently belongs to Nintendo for a second time. Here's why: the Wii outsold both the Xbox 360 and PS3 every month this year save only the Halo 3 release in September, it uses a radically new controller, it's still hard to find more than a year after its launch, it has the most exclusive games in development, it has the largest selection of downloadable titles, it overtook total Xbox 360 sales in less than a year, it helped Nintendo displace Sony as the largest software maker, it sorta helps fat people lose weight, it's inexpensive, and even your mom likes it. Never mind who's buying the thing, Wii is exciting people. Welcome back, Nintendo.

Video games go pop culture (and the rise of casual games)Casual games became something of a movement, not to mention a dull buzzword this year. EA formally joined the party at E3, as did Ubisoft, Midway, Activision, THQ, and a slew of others when endorsing the initiative. Even Microsoft showed Wii-envy before releasing a casual-friendly controller and a trio of games this fall. But not only did casual awareness help make games more mainstream this year, Halo 3 created a pop culture riot by selling millions, and the industry recorded its biggest year ever since Atari first started selling games (read: more people play games today than ever before). And don't be fooled; the courtship of non-gamers doesn't come at the expense of fewer conventional games, so long as you and I keep buying them.
MOST OVERRATED NEWS

Activision merges with BlizzardNothing to see here (for now) as each brand will independently run as usual -- the move was merely a stock name change that hardly affects gamers, only people who wear suits to work. The bigger news (though still of little relevance to gamers) is that Activision overtook EA as the largest game publisher in 2007 before the merger, fueled largely by the success of Guitar Hero 3 and Call of Duty 4 across multiple platforms.

Source: Game Pro.

Xbox Live with intermittent problems during Christmas

We hear a lot of people are having problems with Xbox Live today (we're not, for the record), but if you're feeling a bit sheepish about giving the gift of a 360 + Live service to a loved one, just imagine how Microsoft must feel. The service -- which we'd like to remind everyone is paid, unlike the competition's -- has been up and down since Christmas weekend. And it's not some surprise that there would be an influx of users today, nor is it any mystery to Microsoft how many Live accounts and Xboxes were sold over the past couple of weeks -- which is precisely why this kind of thing is so annoying. Thankfully, it seems to be a bit less widespread than last weekend's outage. Feel free to shout it out in comments.

Source: Engadget

Top Ten Games of the Year based on Wired Magazine

The Wired Magazine published its Top Ten Games of the Year list. The link below:

http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/multimedia/2007/12/YE_games_2007?slide=1&slideView=11

Source: Wired.

Final Fantasy IV The After goes mobile

Square Enix revealed new info on Final Fantasy IV The After for mobile phone in Japan:
The protagonist is the son of Cecil and Rosa named Cedore
The story takes place years after FFIV
Returning characters include Cecil, Cid, Kain, Rydia, Edge and Yang
The game will have 2D graphics like in the original version of FFIV.
The game uses an altered Active Time Battle system, where you can see enemies inputting their attacks while you enter your own.
FFIV The After will be distributed in multiple episodes, which are downloadable from the mobile network.
The prologue episode will be free of charge

Source: The Magic Box.

Hardware and Software Sales Chart in Japan

Here are the first day sales of new games released in Japan on December 20, 2007:

Final Fantasy IV (NDS, Square Enix) - 180,000
Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Hero Accel 2 (PS2, Bandai Namco) - 45,000
Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero (NDS, Nintendo) - 30,000
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri: Kakera Asobi (PS2, Alchemist) - 23,000
Powerful Pro Baseball 14 Final Edition (PS2, Konami) - 17,000
Time Crisis 4 (PS3, Bandai Namco) - 10,000
Hajimete no Ippo Portable: Victorious Spirits (PSP, D3P) - 6,000
Patapon (PSP, Sony) - 5,000
Powerful Pro Baseball 14 Final Edition (Wii, Konami) - 4,000
Medal of Honor Airborne (PS3, EA) - 2,500
FIFA 2008 (PS3, EA) - 1,700
FIFA 2008 (X360, EA) - 1,200

- Here are the latest console hardware sales in Japan for the week of December 10 - 16:

NDS Lite - 222,132 [6,665,838]
PSP - 184,610 [2,736,291]
Wii - 170,558 [3,311,301]
PlayStation 3 - 63,720 [1,073,245]
PlayStation 2 - 18,025 [726,218]
Xbox 360 - 8,561 [226,427]
GBA SP - 103 [22,023]
GameCube - 32 [10,507]
GB Micro - 28 [27,814]

- Here are the latest console software sales in Japan for the week of December 10 - 16:

Mario Party DS (NDS, Nintendo) - 180,042 [826,000]
Wii Fit (Wii, Nintendo) - 124,238 [535,000]
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3, Sony) - 115,748
Layton Kyouju to Akuma no Hako (NDS, Level 5) - 74,378 [444,000]
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo) - 74,113 [550,000]
Dragon Quest IV (NDS, Square Enix) - 73,061 [868,000]
Mario & Sonic at Bejing Olympics (Wii, Sega) - 64,228 [212,000]
Wii Sports (Wii, Nintendo) - 55,102 [2,341,000]
Hajimete no Wii [Wii Play] (Wii, Nintendo) - 54,696 [1,921,000]
Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Toki Wasure No Meikyuu (Wii, Square Enix) - 40,580
World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS2, Konami)
Mario Party 8 (Wii, Nintendo)
Power-Pro Kun Pocket 10 (NDS, Konami)
Kirarin Revolution Tsukutte Misechao! Kime*Kira Stage (NDS, Konami)
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Toki no Tankentai (NDS, Nintendo)
Mario Kart DS (NDS, Nintendo)
Taiko no Tetsujin DS (NDS, Bandai Namco)
Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon: Yami no Tankentai (NDS, Nintendo)
Minna no Golf Portable 2 (PSP, Sony)
SD Gundam G Generations Spirits (PS2, Bandai Namco)

¡¡Felicidades!!

A nombre de todo el equipo que trabajamos en la elaboración de este Blog queremos desearles una muy felíz navidad y un próspero 2008. Que todos sus sueños, deseos, anhelos y que jueguen mucho!!! :)