Archive for October 17th, 2006
If you needed a sign that the Nintendo Wii is going to belie its ridiculed name and challenge both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, then take a look at the news from the States where games retailer Gamestop has already sold out its preallocated supply. It did so on the very first day that preordering opened.
Preorders for the PS3 are still open, several days after they commenced.
So, at a glance the news looks extremely good for Wii. Anecdotal reports from across the pond suggest queues for Wii were longer than for the PS3 and more diverse as well. However, the headline stat does not provide the complete picture. Because of production delays with the PS3, Sony has reduced the number of PS3s available for preorder by a fourth. Each Gamestop store may only be getting a number of units in the low teens. At least Sony is being open about the figures.
Wii is suffering no reported production problems, but even so, Nintendo has not yet confirmed store by store availability. So each Gamestop manager has to guess, and with the prospect of sobbing children and angry parents on their threshold if they get it wrong, most will be guessing on the conservative side.
So Wii’s selling out its preorder allocation is not too surprising, as no one is entirely sure what that allocation is.
Most analysts expect Wii to be a plucky loser to the PS3 and today’s news only goes a little way to challenging that expectation.
October 17th, 2006
NETGEAR today announced that Maximum PC magazine has awarded its “Kick Ass Product” designation to the NETGEAR Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters (HDXB101). Published in the October issue, the HDXB101 received Maximum PC’s highest honor which, according to the publication, “is bestowed only upon products worthy of the editors’ personal recommendations.”“The bottom line is that the HDXB101 is fast enough to stream video – even high-definition video – from your media server to your living room,” stated Will Smith, editor-in-chief of Maximum PC, in the product review. “We successfully streamed video content – including 1080i WMV movies – across the powerline network. UPNP packets even cross the powerline segment flawlessly – our UPNP-dependent streaming boxes worked without a hitch. Even the bandwidth hungry Media Center Extender and Xbox 360 worked with nary a hiccup or dropped frame.”
In another review published by PC Magazine, Technical Analyst Oliver Kaven stated that the NETGEAR Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter (HDX101) proved impressive in his tests. “It’s the first power-line product I’ve reviewed with the ease and speed to be worthwhile,” wrote Kaven. He stated that the HDX101 delivered throughput speeds that, on average, were comparable with what the faster wireless technologies delivered at distances of around 20 feet and was faster than wireless when distances exceeded 60 feet. “Overall, I was impressed by the Netgear HDX101 Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter,” he concluded.
“The receipt of these strong editorial reviews of our Powerline HD Ethernet adapters is further validation of NETGEAR’s strategy to design and deliver innovations that enable the adoption of cutting-edge networked products and technologies in homes and businesses,” stated Kartik Gada, NETGEAR Product Line Manager. “Powerline HD is the ideal solution for providing high-speed network connectivity in locations such as home entertainment centers and family rooms where wired connectivity is desirable, but where Ethernet cabling is unavailable. This will become an increasingly attractive solution with the emergence of streaming media devices, such as NETGEAR’s Digital Entertainer (EVA700), that deliver digital content to home entertainment systems.” NETGEAR’s Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter Kit (HDXB101) is comprised of two Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters (HDX101), an Ethernet cable and set-up CD. By simply plugging one of the elegant white Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters to a router and the other to any Ethernet-ready device — such as a PC, game console, print server, digital video recorder, or the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer (EVA700) — consumers can enjoy data speeds up to 200 Mbps speeds without interruption or complicated set-up. The NETGEAR Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter can also make large file transfers to networked storage devices like the NETGEAR Storage Central (SC101) up to 12 times faster than previous Powerline networking products. Its smart design also aptly blends into any home decor with ease, and does not take up any floor or desk space. Furthermore, the Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter easily co-exists with NETGEAR’s other Powerline technologies, so that consumers can use their existing powerline devices for basic applications, and Powerline HD as an exclusive network loop for high-definition video and gaming. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter is available now through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. It’s backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support. The Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter Kit (HDXB101) containing two devices has an MSRP of $199.99. For consumers needing to connect additional devices to the network, a single adapter (HDX101) is sold separately at an MSRP of $99.99.
October 17th, 2006
A Florida judge has struck a blow against the needless censorship of games, by throwing out a complaint against Rockstar’s, soon to be released, Bully.
Attorney Jack Thompson has demanded a ban on the sale of Bully in Florida, claiming that it breaches a nuisance law that prohibits activities that can injure the health of the community (yes, even if you argue successfully that Bully is a disturbing premise for a piece of entertainment, it’s hardly a nuisnace to the community).
Thompson referred to Bully as a “Columbine simulator” which doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny. For a start, Bully doesn’t involve firearms. The most dangerous weapon that the protaganist has access to is a baseball bat. Columbine involved a group of reclusive youths from a firearms obsessed society living out a violent fantasy. Bully is about a downtroden pupil at a private school using his fists to firstly defend himself, then to rise through the ‘ranks’ until he’s the biggest bully in the school. And a bully is all he remains, not a murderer.
Judge Friedman said that, although Bully contains violence, the video game exposes players to less violence than they would encounter watching television. He spent an hour and a half watching a Rockstar employee playing the game before coming to a decision.
October 17th, 2006