Late Night Consoling

June 13, 2003 8:00 PM

A few days ago, Spong.com (whose previous "exclusives" included this wonderfully silly story about Half-Life 2 being an NVIDIA exclusive) ran a story in which they cited sources who told them that Microsoft has dropped NVIDIA for the Xbox 2, and will instead use an ATI chipset. Now this is nothing new, and in fact, anyone could have run a similar story months ago based on general information floating around online. Regardless of this, ATI's stock actually rose today when this story got picked up by some larger news outlets. Now I'm not saying whether or not I think ATI will provide the hardware for Microsoft's Xbox follow-up, but I put absolutely zero stock in Spong.com's sources. Neither did any analysts who were contacted about this, and the general consensus is that nobody expects any kind of information on this until at the very least the end of the year. I could make some really nasty comments about Spong, but I'll refrain from doing that. The bottom line is this...don't count NVIDIA out. There's a lot of things up in the air for Microsoft's next console, and they're still very much in flux. Until SDKs get sent out, nothing's even remotely locked in (and even then it's not, as we learned with the current Xbox system).

	PS3 Logo Fake The other big rumor this week was the supposed PlayStation 3 logo that was floating around the web and was mentioned here the other night. Well, it's been confirmed as a fake by Sony, which should come as a relief to those of you who thought it was a bit craptacular.
	Nintendo Admits Poor Sales Now here's something that never would have happened under Nintendo's old guard...Ken Toyoda, the head of Nintendo PR has gone on record with Kyoto News, saying "Our software has not been widely accepted by consumers," and admits that they have had a difficult time making games that appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers.
	Next Oddworld Game to be Revealed, More Halo 2 According to GamePro, a documentary titled "The X Factor: Inside Microsoft's Xbox" that will air next Friday will feature among other things, a new look at Halo 2 and the first glimpse anywhere at the next Oddworld game from Oddworld Inhabitants.
	Metroid: Zero Mission Actually a Remake Hey, go fig...Metroid: Zero Mission, the new Metroid game for GBA that was announced and showcased at E3 last month, is actually a remake of the original NES Metroid. It's not a port of course, but rather a remake, which features the map system used in more recent Metroid titles, and new areas to explore (on top of radically redesigned graphics).
	Crystal Chronicles to Include GameCube/GBA Link Cable SquareEnix has announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles will include a GameCube/GBA link cable when it ships in Japan this August. No word on whether or not this will be the case with its domestic release, which is set for November 3rd, ride alongside Final Fantasy X-2.
	Sonic Adventure DX Details Some details on Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut can be found at GamerFeed tonight, which were gleamed from a conference call with Sega's product manager for the game. There's not a whole lot of new info here, just a basic rundown on the game and its extras (there are indeed 12 unlockable Game Gear Sonic games included), but there's also a brief chat about Sonic CD, which everyone wants, and will hopefully be re-released as an extra with a Sonic product someday (but not yet).
	PSX Affordable After All? A story at Gamers.com reports on a recent Japanese news item on Sony's upcoming PSX media center/console, in which they say "Sony will be able to sell it for less than rival devices and still turn a profit." What rival devices they're talking about remains to be seen. I mean, I don't know about you, but I haven't seen any other game console/DVD & CD burner/DVR/internet terminal/photo library/MP3 & DVD players out on the market to compare prices with.
	Return of the Intellivision The recent 10-in-1 Atari Joystick that was released to much fanfare not too long ago, and so it's only natural that others would follow suit...according to MCV, Character Options is readying the release of two versions of a joystick/system which will have either 10 or 25 classic Intellivision games. Those hoping for the goofy Intellivision controller to make a comeback will be sorely disappointed by the news that this one bares little resemblance to the original, although the games are intact, and that's all that really matters in the end. Thanks Slashdot Games for the tip.
	DDRMAX 2 Secrets A list of the unlockable stuff in Konami's upcoming DDRMAX 2 is up at Gamers.com tonight, including just how much you're going to have to work to get to all of this stuff. Yikes. If you really want to see it all, just get a GameShark.
	Another GameCube Online Middleware Provider Just a week after GameSpy revealed that they were providing middleware for getting GameCube games online, a second company has stepped forward with a similar product. Access Corp. has announced that their NetFront package will soon be available for widespread use. Apparently this is what Sega is using for Phantasy Star Online Episode III.
	500 Cars in GT4? According to Computer and Video Games, the upcoming Gran Turismo 4 will feature upwards of 500 cars and over 50 tracks. Anyone care to guess how many of those the average person will actually ever use?
	Fighting Force Online? Also at CvG tonight is a rumor that Core Design, which has just polished off Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, is working on an online-enabled installment in their Fighting Force series. No specific platform is named.
	Henry Hill's Gaming Odyssey Gamers.com has reprinted a very strange article from Electronic Gaming Monthly, where Henry Hill, whose real-life exploits served as the inspiration for the film Goodfellas, sits down with GTA: Vice City, Hitman 2, The Getaway and...Animal Crossing.
	Misc. Media/Previews GameSpot has a look at the special limited-edition GBA SP (and its coffin-carrying case) that's being released alongside Konami's Boktai, shots from Billy Hatcher & The Giant Egg (GameCube), a first look at X-Treme Beach Soccer and new shots from Starsky & Hutch (both GBA), along with new shots from the PS2 games Resident Evil Outbreak and Onimusha 3 and their hands-on impressions of Argonaut's Xbox title SWAT: Global Strike Team (with screenshots). Over at Cube.IGN they have new screenshots from F-Zero GX, new shots from Rogue Ops, and footage from Killer 7 (all GameCube, of course). Elsewhere in the IGN-verse is a good roundup of Metal Gear Solid 3 information and a first look at Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction (both PS2), and new stuff from Battlestar Galactica and Otogi: Myth of Demons (both Xbox). On the cross-platform IGN front they have new artwork from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and a trailer for XIII. CvG has a link to a Hungry Ghosts trailer at Sony's Japanese site and new shots from Kirby's Air Ride (GameCube), and GameSpy has new shots from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2). And finally, Square has launched their official English-language site for Final Fantasy XI, and Gamers.com has linked to a True Fantasy Live Online trailer at Microsoft's Japanese Xbox site, although the page they link to doesn't seem to like my browser very much (it closed the window!) so I can't verify this.

Console Game of the Evening: Secret of Monkey Island for the SegaCD. "One of the few times "laugh out loud funny" and "video game" can appear in the same sentence without shame, though I'd be amazed if anyone got any enjoyment out of the unbearably slow Sega/MegaCD port." (submitted by jake2000).