E3: Nintendo 3DS Not For Young Children?

Source: Kotaku

So when you think of Nintendo users who do you think of first?

Children of course!

Especially when you think of Game Boys and other handhelds kids are definitely the target demographic. But now the Nintendo 3D handheld 3DS, due out by the end of next March, is going through some serious safety tests right now. The conclusion this far is that young children should not look at 3D images.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime had this to say on the matter, “We will recommend that very young children not look at 3D images. That's because, [in] young children, the muscles for the eyes are not fully formed... This is the same messaging that the industry is putting out with 3D movies, so it is a standard protocol.”

This seems to be a standard way of covering themselves from any liability issues that may arise, and it should not be a problem for most gamers. Such as the lucky ones that got a chance to try out the 3DS at the Nintendo E3 booth, who only got sick of waiting in the ridiculously long lines and not from playing with the 3DS itself.

I suppose just like all of the finer things in life 3D should be enjoyed in moderation, so try not to go on a 5 hour bender that only stops when your retinas start bleeding … unless you are hardcore!

E3: Goldeneye Is Back!

Source: Kotaku

Damn it ... I am going to have to finally buy a Wii because the greatest video game of all time (no hyperbole necessary) is coming back.

Goldeneye was the video game of my childhood. I did not own an N64 (I was still rocking the NES!) but looking back I almost feel sorry for the friends I mooched off of for untold countless hours of Mountain Dew fueled deathmatches.

Enough of the nostalgia! Time to get into some details:

• Goldeneye will exclusively be for the Wii.
• It comes out sometime in November.
• The game will feature 8 classic Bond playable characters. (Yes, Oddjob is one of them for you d-bags out there.)
• It will have both classic split-screen and online multiplayer and it looks like the original single player campaign is back.
• There will be 16 game modes including such classics including; Paintball, Melee Only and You Only Live Twice

And here is the kicker: Pierce Brosnan’s Bond has been replaced by Daniel Craig!

This does not make up for the disorder in MGM that has delayed the next 007 adventure from hitting the big screen anytime soon, but it sure doesn't hurt!

If you can stop dancing around from childish ecstasy for a moment you can check out the E3 teaser for Goldeneye yourself:

What other classic games would you guys like to see get re-released, if any? I was going to say NBA Jams, but apparently that too is on the way! BOOM-Shakka-lakka!

E3: Sony Move

Source: Crunchgear

Well everyone is officially in the motion controlled video games business. The Nintendo Wii started the party while Microsoft and Sony chose to be fashionably late.

We all got to see the unveiling of Microsoft Kinect (formerly known as Project Natal) for the Xbox 360 yesterday at the E3 expo and it was really impressive. The thing that set itself apart on is the fact that no controllers are required as a camera just motion tracks your body for a whole new gaming experience.

Now Sony is in the fray with the Playstation Move. The move is much more like the Wii setup, where you have a controller (read: ice cream cone) in your hand that tracks full 3D movement. But before you think that it is nothing more than a Wii clone (I admit the article pic doesn't help matters) there are some differences in quality and functionality. So while it is similar to the Wii controllers but is far more accurate and has a wider range of motion sensing capabilities.

Totally nothing like the Wii ... we promise!

It is also worth noting that Playstation Move still has buttons, unlike the Xbox Kinect, which should be a relief for more traditional gamers who were starting to get concerned about actually getting off the couch to go to war or play in the Rose Bowl. It will also have a secondary attachment for "navigation" much like the Wii has the little nunchuk.

If the PS3 is your console of choice Move will be hitting shelves on September 19th. The pricing is pretty standard as the primary Move controller will cost you $50 and the optional navigation controller will put you back another $30, but that is just over half of what Xbox Kinect costs so it is fairly reasonable I guess. There will also be a bundle that comes with a Playstation Eye (camera) and the game Sports Champions for $100. There will initially be about 20 games that utilize Playstation Move but they hope to have at least 40 available by the time the holiday’s role around.

As a PS3 owner, not fanboy, I will be interested to try this out come September, especially if they can put together a halfway decent lightsaber dueling game. But I will probably be doing it when no one is watching ... just in case.

E3: Microsoft's Monday

Source: Engadget

Today Microsoft has owned the E3 Expo. Here are the Monday highlights from the Microsoft E3 camp:

• Microsoft Kinect: (Pictured above left) Hey potential Project Natal users there are some solid facts in now for you to salivate over. First off it has a price tag now, looks like it will put you back $149 but there are some bundlle deals already popping up at retailers like Gamestop that will pair the Kinect with an Xbox Elite for $399. Microsoft Kinect will officially launch November 4th, along with a first wave of games that will utilize the motion tracking technology. The last Kinect related news for today involves video chatting. Yes. You will be able video chat while watching movies together for starters. Nifty feature that will be both Xbox Live and Windows Live Messenger compatible.
• New Xbox 360: (Pictured center) Yup, that is apparently what it is called "The New Xbox 360" no clever name yet, but man it looks pretty slick and it starts shipping out today! Major changes from the existing Xbox 360 models, besides actually looking cool, is that it has one internal fan. This is supposed to reduce the noise considerably which is one less distraction. The power source is internal, which means no more unsightly brick attached to your power cord. And it has integrated WiFi, so you essentially it takes some of the former Xbox accessories and just compiles them into one sexy package.
• ESPN3: No it isn't ESPN8 "The Ocho" but it is coming to an Xbox near you! Microsoft now has an exclusive deal with ESPN3 that will be available for no extra charge if you have an Xbox Live Gold Account and have a TV/Internet provider that will participate. You will be able to watch replays, highlights, participate in polls and will of course have Kinect capabilities.
• Xbox Netflix: The Xbox version of Netflix is finally getting an essential upgrade in November. You will now be able to search the entire Netflix Instant Watch and add videos to your instant queue, all directly from your console. Xbox is the first console to have this unrestricted Netflix access with out actually needing a computer. I would expect the other major consoles to follow suit eventually as well.

That about sums up Xbox news for the first day of E3; be sure to keep checking in for more updates from the E3 gaming front all week!

New PS3 to be Unveiled at E3?

Source: Engadget

Don't worry, that isn't it. That was actually one of the original PS3 designs a few years back, how about that controller? I apologize for the scare.

With the week long E3 Expo starting next Monday developers and companies will surely have announcements and surprises in store.

For the past several years E3 has been the place to announce the launches of new gaming systems and this year may not be different.

Some rumors are floating around that we might be seeing some new or updated version of the PS3. This speculation is backed up with an FCC report that confirms that they were testing some type of PS3 system with a new debugging unit.

What does this mean?

Well, you would generally need a new debugging unit only if you are using new hardware. If the new PS3 has significant hardware differences than the current model who knows what we will see? My guess is something involving 3D.

All this speculation on the new PS3 and more should be revealed next week during the E3 Expo; be sure to check back in then for updates!