Late Night Consoling

As promised previously, a significant Xbox 360 dashboard update is indeed on the way. Specific details regarding the changes came out today, including the much desired active download feature. While there is not yet a specific release date for the patch, it is expected in the coming weeks.

- Active download will allow users to download files in the background while performing other tasks on the console. Up to six files can be queued up at one time. When using the online component of a game, the current download will be paused for the duration of play. Upon completion of a download, users can immediately play or activate the file without having to navigate back to it.
- Another frequently requested feature is the upcoming option to boot up directly to the Dashboard, rather than straight to the game inserted into the system's DVD-ROM drive.
- Xbox Live Marketplace will be receiving a badly needed organizational revamp. Demos will be searchable by genre. Media files will be appropriately sorted by type, rather than having, for example, movie and game trailers lumped together.
- By default, when DVD playback is resumed after being stopped, it will resume from the last watched scene.
- Gamers who have left their machines idle will be labeled as such on friends lists.
- The update will be a patch to the system's firmware, meaning no hard drive or memory card is required.

In the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, PlayStation head Ken Kutaragi firmly defended PlayStation 3's recently announced price point, first pointing out that PlayStation and PlayStation 2 sold extremely well at launch despite higher price points than their competitors. "If you consider the PlayStation 3 a toy, then yes, it is an expensive toy. However, it is more than a toy," he said. "It is a PlayStation 3. And it is the only PlayStation 3. I hope that those who understand this will gladly purchase it." Kutaragi has frequently spoken on the multifaceted functions of PlayStation family devices, most famously claiming in an interview with Impress PC Watch, "The PlayStation 3 is not a game machine. We've never once called it a game machine."

In other PS3 news, trade publication MCV spoke with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss David Reeves, who confirmed that Sony's European division "hope[s] we will be day and date with the US [launch] and I hope that we'll get the same quantities as US as well." He also stated his belief that the first machines being manufactured are slated for Europe. However, he did admit that, at first, PS3 may be present in "small seed quantities" throughout European territories, due to the difficulties of a worldwide launch. Like Kutaragi, Reeves made a point to defend PS3's price tag, comparing it to expensive early Blu-ray players. He also pointed out that it is in fact a games machine. "599 Euro for a Blu-ray player--which is what a PS3 is--and a games machines with lots of good titles coming out as well is actually a steal," he said. He claimed the 499 Euro machine is "even better value," though SCE UK's Ray Maguire recently stated that the less expensive model may not be headed to the UK at all.

Nintendo's UK always-vocal boss David Yarnton was confident in the choice of the "Wii" name for Nintendo's upcoming console, in an E3 interview with Eurogamer. Perhaps displaying a bit too much optimism, Yarnton claimed that criticism of the name has completely evaporated, following the company's strong E3 showing. "That's dead and gone," he declared confidently. "If you look at Nintendo, which has been around for over 100 years, there's always been very much a philosophical approach to what we do, very much a holistic approach to gaming, and we're looking to be all-encompassing for everyone," stated Yarnton, referring to the intended inclusive meaning of "Wii," which is of course a homonym of "we," as well as of something else.

PSP fans hoping to get in touch with their old school puzzle adventure side will be pleased to hear that Midway has announced that it will be bringing a remake of Cyan's seminal Myst to the portable system. The game is coming courtesy of Sega, which will be publishing the remake in Japan. Midway is handling European distribution. There are still no currently announced plans to bring Myst on PSP to North America, but Midway has not ruled out the possibility.

Q-Games' upcoming Star Fox title for DS, announced just recently at E3, has been officially named and dated by Nintendo. The space shooter will be called Star Fox Command and is slated to ship August 28, 2006.

Music4Games has an interview with Jesper Kyd, who most recently finished up the score for Io's Hitman: Blood Money.

IGN has a chat with game designer Evan Wells about Naughty Dog's as yet untitled PS3 game.

Videos showing features from the upcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update are available at 1UP and GameSpot.

FiringSquad reflects on some of the games that weren't at E3.