Box News Channel

WE ARE BACK!!….well maybe

Nedward James Almost — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:12:29 +0000

After I dont know how long we (mostly I) have decided to bring this page back. Yes it was just starting to get going when we pulled the plug. At the time we were all too busy two writers were in college and I was busy working on NCAA Footbal 2008. But now that my most recent game has completed, passed 3rd party and is on its way to manufacturing I have the time to pick this up again. At this point I am not sure if I will continue here at Box News or if I will start a new endeavor. So check back in a few days to see what happens.

Box News’ Next Generation Console Comparison Part 2

Nedward James Almost — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:10:52 +0000

After a brief hiatus, we return to continue our next generation console comparison. This time, as promised, we compare the three consoles graphic capabilities.

Xbox360: They look gorgeous and really bring digital worlds to life. Being the first console to bring real high-definition gaming, the Xbox360 does very much to impress. Having 512MB of unified RAM really allows for huge draw distances and spectacular textures. Current Standout Titles: Gears of War, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Lost Planet.

Playstation3: For the most part, the PS3 is on-par with the Xbox360 (which are great). I have read arguments back and forth on which is more powerful and which has the capacity for better looking games. But in the end, the difference will be small and relatively unnoticeable. Current Standout Titles: Resistance: Fall of Man and Fight Night Round 3.

Wii: Well, what can be said other than last place. This point is reinforced further as the Nintendo Wii is the only next gen console not to support high-definition. So far, not even Nintendo themselves have really pushed the little white box; so far, what it is really capable of is relatively unknown. Almost all of the games have either been quick ports or the left-overs from the last gen. One thing is known and that is that the Wii will never compete with the Xbox360 or PS3 in terms of graphics. With that in mind, I would say that we are certain there will still be some visually impressive games headed to the Wii in the somewhat near future (Mario Galaxy and Metroid 3 come to mind). Current Standout Titles: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Sonic and the Secrete of the Rings.

Next time, tune in for our comparison of the consoles’ controllers and interface.

Box News’ Next Generation Console Comparison part 1: Price

Full DICE 2007 Coverage

Nedward James Almost — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:19:42 +0000

GameSpot gives total coverage to the 2007 DICE Summit including awards, game previews and interviews with a few industry executives. Lots of great information on what to expect this year as well as some of the highlights from 2006.

Read

Head of Factor 5 Calls Early Wii Graphics “Disappointing”

Nedward James Almost — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 06:38:49 +0000

In an interview with IGN, when the head of Factor 5, Julian Eggebrecht, is asked about Wii graphics so far he says “I’m so disappointed knowing exactly what the Wii can do…” Factor 5, known for such titles as Star Wars Rogue Squadron, is responsible for some of the most impressive visuals to ever come out of the GameCube. More over, they did it on the console’s launch day! So why have Wii games up until now been graphically lacking? The Wii has much more power than the GameCube; yet all of the software fails to indicate this. Judging from the screenshots of titles due to release this year, however, this is likely to change. Games such as Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Metroid Prime 3.

Read for the complete interview

Is the Xbox Live Marketplace a blockbuster? “Yes,” say consumers.

Ian Bowers — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 06:00:32 +0000

The success eradiating from the Xbox Live Marketplace is growing due to the enormous popularity it gains from the movie download service it offers. Consumers can download full-length movies and TV shows in High Definition straight to their hard drives for a low price using the service. The usability of this service is causing a stir in the digital movie distribution industry causing former cinematic flops to become profitable. Movies such as Poseidon, which had a huge budget and didn’t earn back much money from the box office, are now raking in money through the Xbox Live movie marketplace. So far, it is proving to be more successful and profitable than some of its competitors such as Unbox (which is Amazon.com’s answer to digital movie distribution). The success of high-def movie downloads is proving to be another excellent reason for consumers to buy an Xbox 360 as opposed to a Sony PS3 or Nintendo Wii.

Read

1.8 Million Wii’s Sold This Holiday Season

Ian Bowers — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 05:44:59 +0000

Launching just in time for the holiday season, the Nintendo Wii sold a reported 1.8 million units of the unique console this holiday season. Although it did not beat out the Microsoft Xbox 360 which sold a reported 2 million units, it did cause a stir and the demand caused it to be “sold out” in nearly every store. The Sony Playstation 3 didn’t fair as well as Microsoft or Nintendo only selling a measly estimated 750,000 units. Primarily due to a lack of resources, Sony was prevented from making enough PS3′s to meet demands. The success of the Xbox 360 this holiday season may have been a result of the critically acclaimed and popular game Gears of War and the fact that its competitors, Sony and Nintendo, couldn’t provide enough consoles to meet demands causing disappointed shoppers to pick up another console that was in-stock and at a reasonable price (compared to the sold out PS3).

Read

Box News’ Next Generation Console Comparison

Nedward James Almost — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 01:49:07 +0000

Yay! We have three new consoles; but wait - which one is the best? We have put together a breakdown of each system’s pros and cons which we will be posting in sections over the next week. The final piece will be our overall choice as the best console. The section we will start with will be the price.

Xbox 360: Two different price points $300 and $400, but with only one real choice. You either get the $400 one or you do not get the full package, meaning no hard drive and no wireless controllers. At $400, the Xbox360 is a fair price since you get a High Definition, next-gen console that comes in a nice, little package including component cables and headset. Despite these inclusions, $400 is still a large chunk of cash to play some games for anyone but the hardcore.

Playstation3: Just like Microsoft they too have two price points. This time, $500 and $600. The difference is that here, both are viable options as you only lose nonessential features when you buy the “cheaper” of the two. The fact still stands, however, that this is a lot of money for a video game console and will probably cause a lot of parents and many gamers to shy away.

Wii: Proving it is small in more than just size, the Wii comes in at the lowest price, $250 with a packaged game, Wii Sports. Compared to the other consoles, this price feels like pocket change and will probably convince a great many parents to decide to throw it into the shopping cart.

Next time, tune in for our comparison of consoles’ graphic capabilities.

Review – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Nedward James Almost — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 01:27:22 +0000

As far as video game franchises go, few, if any, are able to compare to the Legend of Zelda series. From its inception on the NES, The Legend of Zelda has taken players into a world of unparalleled fantasy and adventure; Twilight Princess aims to continue that trend. As most people undoubtedly know, Twilight Princess was originally developed to be a GameCube title scheduled for release last fall. As you probably also already know, this did not happen as Nintendo decided to delay it a year and turn it into a launch title for their new console, the Wii. This upset some gamers (c’mon, who doesn’t hate delays?), but to others, the delay gave hope that perhaps this adventure would become more of a revolution for the series and not simply another evolution.

Since the game was originally developed for the GameCube, and then given less than a year to adapt it for the Wii (while also maintaining a version to be released on the Gamecube), nothing outside of the controls was changed. That means that the GameCube and Wii versions look identical besides the 16×9 widescreen support the Wii gets. This is admittedly slightly disappointing; having a brand new piece of hardware with visuals that do nothing to take advantage of it. That said, the real question is “does this detract from the game?” NO! Yes, it has for the most part last-gen graphics, but they are still stunning. Link, the dungeons, the NPC’s, the field, the buildings, the whole world of Hyrule look so incredible that it is hard to believe you are not really there. And just to kick that immersion level up a notch, you have the Wii’s motion controls.

The Nintendo Wii was designed with two things in mind, immersion and truly bringing gaming to the masses. The later part of that cannot be examined yet as the console has only been out for a month. Immersion, on the other hand, can be examined the first time you play a game. Twilight Princess, while not originally designed around the Wii, is a shining example of this immersion and an excellent way to transition from the old way to the new and improved way to play video games (Sorry Microsoft and Sony). Maybe this was Nintendo’s master plan to show how Wii can make games better; or simply they know Zelda would sell a lot of consoles. Regardless of the reasoning, it was a smart move. The simple gestures that translate into Link’s on-screen action feel very natural and very quickly, one begins to wonder if you could ever go back to the old way of playing. With each new weapon or attack gained, the improved way of playing is further reinforced by making actions that were once chores as simple as pointing and clicking (literally).

If there was ever one area in which The Legend of Zelda has ever tripped up, it has to be in its story telling. Often times, you went from dungeon to dungeon searching for items to save Zelda, collect the Triforce and thwart Gannon with little-to-no reason why. This is no longer the case as Twilight Princess has such a compelling and dark storyline that you will find yourself sacrificing work and family to see what will unfold next. From the absolute start of the game the user is given much more insight into our hero Link and the world he comes from. To keep instep with all the other games in the series thus far, there is no voice acting and Link is ever silent; all story elements and dialog is conveyed through the use of text. This, for some, could take away from the immersion, but to others, it will take them that much closer like reading a great book.

In the end, this is the single greatest launch title ever as well as one the finest games ever made. From start to finish, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a piece of art in the truest sense. The only thing keeping this game from being perfect are the GameCube graphics which do not even take away from the actual game. If you have a Wii, go get this game. If you don’t have a Wii, get one, then get this game.

Overall Score: 98%

Attention “Browncoats”

Osmodiar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 03:08:24 +0000

The Multiverse Network has announced its cooperation with Twentieth Century Fox to create an MMORPG based on the Firefly “‘verse.” Joss Whedon’s sci-fi television series, which has enjoyed a huge cult following after the cancellation of the series and the release of the movie Serenity, continues its life in another new medium.

Link

Nintendo Power Glove Now Wii Compatible

James Green — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 20:05:25 +0000

This is the best mod for the Wii ever. You want retro Nintendo? We’ve got retro Nintendo! The classic Nintendo Power Glove has been modified for the Wii! See the video.
Read more at Engadget.