Banzaii - The blog of online games and games of Jorge Mediavilla

As you know, and it is customary when they celebrate a European Championship finals or in the sports world, EA Sports always launches its official video about this event and this time they do the World Cup South Africa 2010 , to as only 2 months of its conclusion.

Since yesterday, April 8, is now available on PSN and Xbox Live demo of this game that will delight those fans of the game and those gamers who still enjoy FIFA 10 . The demo consists of a simple match between Spain and Italy, but is a great game graphically.

EA Sports has decided to market this game in physical form as a new game instead of out in addition to FIFA 10 because of improvements and new features including:

- The number of playable teams, while in FIFA 10 are the "core" in this edition we have 199 teams.

- Control "2 buttons" or "Dad pad", it is controlling play just two buttons, such as passing and shooting, as well as move our player with the joystick steering, the rest is done by the machine ... A novelty for the kids to play with his father or mother, EA always thinking of the family.

- Improved graphics and new animations, much like FIFA 10, but with a touch sharper and more colorful, more like sincerely, welcome addition to the coaches who will see them every 2 to 3 gesticulating in the band and from time to when we will suffer or rejoice with our game.

- Shooting and improved stops, compared to FIFA 10 shots on goal are more potent and effective, as the gatekeepers to this time seem more intelligent.

- Innovative launches penalties, here have been redefined and innovation comes into play when we play an important game, the pressure will increase as we move towards the end, as the responsibility of the players will not be as marked easy.

- New game modes and online, something new will be able to import our player from FIFA 10 to create this from scratch, to become captain of our team and fight for the World Cup scepter. Also an online mode with the tournament to make more realistic the fight between countries.

The game's official World Cup South Africa 2010, goes on sale later this month, on 30 April, at the hands of EA Games for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. With this game we satisfy our desire to secure for Spain to lift the cup, if not finally consiguiese. Good luck to the red!

Dear friends SEGA : We are in luck! And is that Sega has announced the launch of the next adventure of our beloved blue hedgehog, and yes, is the return that many were waiting for many years, the new "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" .

16 years (which are few) have passed since the last Sonic the Hedgehog (version lifelong platforms), namely Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , released by Sega in 1994 for Mega Drive and sold over 4 million copies, at that time was a success (shame that Sega plummet years later ...).

The return of the new Sonic The Hedgehog 4 is scheduled for summer 2010 download in various systems (Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Wii Ware). We do not know its price, but we imagine will be between about 15 to 18 euros.

As for the game, but only have a video, we know Sonic The Hedgehog, we know what we're going to find. For those who do not know them, it is a platform on which stand the speed, jumps and scenarios.

Come graphically improved over older versions (obviously), but still do not know if we expect some surprises. This summer we'll find out.

My impressions. The first negative that's why we are in crisis:

• Make payment when 10 meters of the console on the PC, I have free. Tb I have it on the blackberry "free."
• It takes a USB keyboard to make the most of. Insert the command text is a pain.
• Twitter takes a while to load. You can not see the people you mentioned (which posted @ jorgemediavilla) in a single click. That does not facilitate discussions.
• Can handle multiple accounts at once?
• No connection between games and the new social services, which it itself is doing with Twitter Sony (Uncharted 2) and Facebook (that's precisely the approach). Isolated applications.

Now the positive, which Hayles if any:

• The design of Facebook and Twitter is very clear, simple and aesthetic. Accessibility is very good. The navigation is very accurate.
• Interconnection between Facebook and the Xbox has enabled me to know the gamertag of many people who were on Facebook, but I knew your Xbox gamertag. I've added them all!
• That gives MSFT a few days free to try Facebook and Twitter.

Then there is the issue of missing last.fm in Spain. This has left a feeling of disappointment in the fall update, as the functionality to the Zune, we are still waiting in Spain ...

This week has been an unprecedented event in the history of videogames. About one million Xbox owners have been "banned", ie added to the blacklist of consoles can not access Xbox Live because Microsoft has detected that they have modified to run pirated games or indie games , among other reasons.

What does that mean? Basically you can still install whatever you want in it, but do not count on connecting to the Internet to play online or enjoy online services such as avatars, the bazaar or social networks. Come on, Microsoft turns your console into a brick for a player. Social factor is over the console ...

The mass ban has biblical proportions. It is estimated that Microsoft has sold 33 million consoles worldwide, 10 million of them in Europe and have now been banned around a million, which means that they once banned from 3 % of users (could be up to 5%), plus those who had already cast for playing Xbox multiplayer before the game they were playing a pirated copy, went on sale.

But what will they do who have suffered the wrath of Microsoft? I know they will claim the price of Xbox Live that had been paid and no longer will enjoy. Although some will buy a second console, which remain free hack for big multiplayer games, I know that many will do "pineapple" to switch to PlayStation.

One of the things that hurt them is that Microsoft has banned just before the departure of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a highly anticipated game. The time oozing pretty bad idea from Microsoft (and surely Activision, which certainly is in the garlic ...), which has taken just at the peak of the year. Many are not going to forgive easily. And then there's the feeling you've bought a console and not yours ... Microsoft's operating distance and watch what you do ... Puff, this sounds a bit like Big Brother.

Anyway, this is what you get. I of course I have not pirated, but we all know friends who have been banned in an unprecedented decision. To all this, the version of Microsoft is to modify the console is illegal and violates terms of service usage and ends with the warranty. We also aim to prevent the illegal sale of video games. What they have not clarified the method although many have taken to mean that all those with a specific firmware, which was once used to "hack" the console ... If this is the method, the thing would smell even worse, since not everyone had that firmware would be pirates ... Without commenting to modify your console is not a crime, it would be hacked, but not modify the console for other uses.

What will happen now? ¿Super Skills or of stupidity? I predict that console sales will rise as there will be people who buy a new one to play certain video games legally, but I think that a measure has been a bit radical and desperate. Apart from sales figures, what is certain is that decisions like this, instead of getting the community in the pocket, which is a key to the future of video games thanks (games created by the community or created levels by users), the fact is that the community will go elsewhere. In the short term Microsoft can make some sales, but medium to long term I think they are digging their own grave.

Ah! And careful with the Xbox you to buy secondhand. Like you sell a mazacote that is worthless ...

As promised, I bought the PS3 as a way of rewarding Sony for the redesigning and price drop. I bought it for 320 euros plus the console plus Fallout 3 WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 and first impressions are positive, albeit with some caveats.

Let the good. It really makes less noise and run cooler, which is appreciated in the summer. The new buttons I like. The touch was fine, but these are a success because the touch is important. Another thing I loved was the return to have a controller with vibration in my hands, and I had forgotten that feeling. The savings in electricity will also be considerable, which I love.

One of the big reasons also to update the console was on the hard drive, which now is 120 Gb Although you could easily replace the hard drive, as it uses a standard laptop, I preferred to wait and directly change the entire console. I want more space especially for television recordings. I try not to see anything that does not pass before the Play TV, to save the ads. After updating the console (not supplied with the latest firmware 3.0) and install the software on Play TV, I still had 92 GB free, which means it eats nearly 30 operating system ...

Among the bad, which is less taller and thinner, but has more depth. In any case occupies less volume. I miss connections for USB, because with the Play TV all day because you really only available to load the USB command, the pen drive and keyboard, etc.. In addition, USB is still inaccessible.

Also missing is the card reader and the ability to install Linux. If I'm honest I never used the reader and although I installed Linux, I did not do anything decent with it because it was a bit complex to install and discourage me.

They say that the PS3 is a bit slower than the old. To me it has given me that feeling, but circulating out there that compare videos and yes it seems to be a tad slower, but hey, I think they spin too fine. I have not appreciated a big difference.

In any case, I mainly want the console games. The extras are fine, but what I want is a good machine to play at an affordable price and that is finally, several years later, Sony has finished getting.

The guys at Xbox are going to have a little bad for a while, I guess that until Project Natal with a new redesign, because I believe they will not want to reach a mass audience with the current design of the console ... I for my part the I have a little pissed because I published the Xbox failed as a gun show ... Maybe the comparison was not very successful, but you can not tolerate that from 2005 until now have not had time to fix the console hardware. Some studies claim to half the consoles fail, others speak of 25%, in any case more than 10% is nonsense.

A friend put me on the trail of increasingly common E74 error, which would be first cousin to the red ring of death which involved a trip to the console with all expenses paid to Germany. Apparently, the new plates would have ended with the red ring of death, but would have brought this new problem.

It appears, though not confirmed, that the arrival of the New Xbox Experience, the new operating system console, has exacerbated the problem. Continued use of the console force the video upscaling chip ANA, which may overheat due to its position within the plate to get all the hot air from the CPU and GPU. This failure would occur only in the Xbox with HDMI output as mine ...

The big problem with this ruling is that Microsoft is a general hardware failure and, as it would with regard to the red ring of death, are not covered by the warranty extension to 3 years, although it would be covered by warranty "normal" console.

How do you know that I am experiencing this bug? Very easy. You'll see in a lot of languages ​​on the screen as the image and also you a red light in the LED panel of the console. As an overheating problem, turn off the console and wait for work, but if the ANA chip suffers too, could become a chronic problem.

If you see this screen, you have a problem friend

For now I refrain from contacting press on this issue because I assume that Microsoft neither can nor wants to talk about these issues for legal and competitive. Now you just leave a link on the description of the problem in the Microsoft support page .

My experience with Xbox includes the problem of the three red lights. The console went to Germany and returned as new. Now have a friend who did not pray much force just in case ... Now I have a normal Xbox HDMI output, so far, has not given me problems and that they have given good "tute" with FIFA.

* You can get more information at Joystiq

Update 14-April-2009: Leo on Joystiq that Microsoft has just released a statement that assumes that this error has something to do with the red ring of death and therefore will take care of repairs in the same way took over the three red lights.

Today it is impossible to keep a secret, at least for a multinational. If the other day we talked about the list of discounted games EA had leaked , we now know through New Zealand stores there will be a red Xbox 360 , though Microsoft denies it.

The same thing has been a typographical error Zealand store, but I what I think, as a lover of conspiracy theories that I am, is that it is an evil plan by Microsoft to camouflage the red ring of death ... hehehe

Sorry about the evil ... I have not been able to endure ...

Update to the second conspiracy of the day, this time contrasted (is true): Complete this "post" conspiracy with the curious observation that, for some reason, GTA IV The Lost and Damned does not go down as God intended if you have broadband connection Telefónica. With Telefónica paid the higher rate of the market and get what you deserve, the best product on the market: I have 3 days downloading (weighs less than 2 Gb) and I'm still waiting. Timofónica God bless!

Nothing was published that the final number of layoffs at Microsoft would be 5,000 worldwide and that the Xbox division would not be little affected, but nothing was said about the Games for Windows ... In fact I just learned that Microsoft would be reduced in this area, whose goal was to revitalize the Titanic PC games for Windows Vista platform failed.

Specifically talking about the dismissal of general manager of Games for Windows Live and the dismantling of the team responsible for a classic, the Microsoft Flight Simulator, which does not mean you stop editing this game, is now aged 27, but take to the people and then see who will see it encasquetan. It also ends with the unemployment of many of the games testers.

The truth is I never understood the intent of Games for Windows. Video games have been essential in the past for one operating system to succeed and to modernize and renew the computer equipment, but today things have changed. The "gamers" have come to consoles, which is a cheaper way to get a newer machine for games (and in most cases just as easy to hack) and the PC remains the monopoly of strategy games in real time, some great players who play Crysis, versions of The Sims for laptops and little else. You do not need a new, more powerful PC, with one office and the Internet serves to let it kill us to play consoles already, whether domestic or laptops.

The Games for Windows brand and platform DirectX 10 was born burdened by the high piracy is on the PC, the integration of graphics cards on motherboards, the proliferation of portable configurations unsuitable for games and little or no acceptance Windows Vista. Attempts to cross the Xbox to the PC and make players play both platforms together not succeeded. Anyway, little positive can be taken out of the subject.

In any case, as they also say the guys at EA, layoffs for the company will emerge strengthened. I love this phrase! How cool is that?

Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Xbox Live at Microsoft, better known by his gamertag and Blog Major Nelson, has released the top 10 first tasks you should do about updating your console and receive the New Xbox Experience (NXE, in their acronym in English) which has just been released. If you know English, go directly to your article . If not, I'll quickly summarize:

1) The brikindance! Out of silicones, step 1 is logically create your avatar. After you create do not forget to take a picture that will appear in your profile.
2) Explore the new system a bit.
3) Check out the holidays and talk up to 7 friends at once. You can also organize your own party.
4) Topics: See if any of the new you like. Among other topics you will find Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and night ...
5) Bazaar: Check out the new bazaar. Maybe there is some new demo available or movie that you like.
6) Netflix is ​​the new supplier of High Definition movies. Currently only available to U.S. users, so skip to step 7.
7) Try to install a game on the hard disk to see if you notice less load times. It can be done from My Xbox. While copying, you can keep browsing and even go to a party.
8) Delete the games you have not managed to score. Has occurred to me that I have started a game, I was hooked and just tried it. In this case you have not gotten gains or punctuation and you may want to delete from your list of games played. Now you can do.
9) If at any time you press the button on the remote Xbox 360, you'll go to a new menu with more options.
10) Check out the games created by the user community.

Well, NXE is now available. Now the ball is on the roof of Sony, which should counteract the NXE with PlayStation Home now, without further delay.

Update: What I liked most of all is the possibility of installing the entire game on the hard disk. With FIFA 09 is very noticeable difference and could go even faster if not for the logos of autopromo do not know why force me to watch again and again. The rest, including avatars, extra.

El Dorado exists and is in Japan, specifically Kyoto, home of Nintendo. As the mythical American city, which was believed at the time of the conquest that was paved with gold, Nintendo is a money machine. No shares are expected to be weakened by the crisis, analysts say, and as proof they can wield the great success of the redesigned Nintendo DS, the DSi, in Japan. Release 200,000 units have flown in a breeze, as shown in noticiasdot.com . The result of this success, even if they wanted, no consoles available to land in other areas, so their releases are not expected outside of Japan until the summer of 2009 (Seen on Reuters ).

Leo also in Anait already running around in pirate sites that I'm not going to suggest (at least the decency to find count it yourselves ... hehe), the New Xbox Experience, which, if someone lives on the moon (or in Yahoo! Planet! like me), I remind you that the new operating system with avatars and other improvements which can be downloaded (legally) on 19 November. Install it, try it, but will not connect to the online system occurs because Microsoft announced it will take painful measures a feather duck walk by foot. Quedáis warned.

(Irony mode: ON) On the other hand, the Spanish sector of the game is still going strong. Following the launch of PlayChapas, gets ONE , the legendary game N-Gage, which becomes the new N-Gage, which is no longer a console software ... but a mess! (Irony mode: OFF). Seriously, given the hardships of the sector in Spain, which will leave quite an achievement. Hopefully the presence of the Minister of Education in the presentation of Wii Music was not a mirage and that really starts to help a sector that is the present and the future of the entertainment industry.

And now, one of tears and sobs. It has long been industry people railing against video games second hand. For the user is something great to get the games cheaper, but the reality is that business only profiting Game center and the like, not distributed profit. In Belgium, a country that is not in football but are "visionaries" with these things, have decided that it hurts the industry and have banned it. Flipa! Gentlemen, instead of prohibiting it, share the benefits and do not prevent users from enjoying the games at a better price ... Needless to say may be the first step. Today, Belgium. Tomorrow the world! ( The news in Vandal ).

And finally, in my section "Pongo Skate because you accept me cool and aquatic boat as" I remind you that the same November 19 with us and we can skate it , the Wii version, and Skate 2 coming to U.S. in January , 2009 . I hope this does not take much more.

Paul told me Grandío, director of Vandal, at PlayStation Day that he liked my blog because it was a kind of "insider" of videogames. The truth is that it is easy to keep up. Lately there are a lot of movement, perhaps due to the crisis. My opinion is that there is no crisis in videogames , but I know that there is fear and uncertainty in the video game companies. Whatever the reason it is quite moving:

Ana Lafuente is no longer in Take-Two responsible, among other titles, Grand Theft Auto 4. It has gone to Digital Bros with Rodrigo de la Pedraja, a guy I do not know much except for telling me a presentation found in the previous stage of Atari. Ana, a very great professional in my opinion, certainly brings a lot to a company that seems to be settling in our country. Surely the OPA hostial EA Take-Two has greatly influenced this change, which seems a tempting challenge. The first information that has sent us his new position is a free update for ARMA.

With the departure of Alberto tables Ubisoft, was a vacancy for a Product Manager and has covered a product manager for EA. . Thus, if anyone is interested, there is a vacancy for PM in Electronic Arts , which binds to another that is in Ubi of community manager . Try your luck if you want to enter the scene.

También me consta que ya hay sustituto de Oscar del Moral como product manager de los juegos de Xbox en Microsoft, Xbox Live y la relación con “third parties”. Aun no tengo el placer de saber quién es, pero seguro que no tardo en averiguarlo.

Por último, pero no menos importante, Warner Bros ha entrado de lleno en los videojuegos. Ya no quieren que otros gestionen los juegos basados en sus películas dado que hasta el mismísimo Spielberg ya afirma que son más rentables que el cine. El nuevo equipo ha llegado fuerte y estará liderado por Olivier Wolf, quien ha fijado a Antonio Greppi, de Proein-Eidos, y una product manager de Virgin Play a la que no tengo el placer de conocer.

Con la salida de Oscar y Alberto hay 2 “gamers” puros menos en tareas de marketing y aumenta el porcentaje de gente que se encarga del marketing de videojuegos sin ni siquiera jugar habitualmente. No me cabe en la cabeza que vendas productos que no usas y que ni siquiera te gustan, pero la cosa es así. En fin, como dijo Fernández Pujals cuando llegó a Jazztel, es igual vender pizzas que adsl. Al menos Oscar ha retomado sus colaboraciones en mi otro blog con fuerza.

Actualización : Justo acaba de llegar un mail de José de Take-Two. Parece que también abandona la empresa pocos días después de Ana. Para mi que es el que va a cubrir el puesto de Oscar en Microsoft. Venga, hacer vuestras quinielas

Sé que a veces parezco un fanboy de Xbox 360, pero otra vez les tengo que aplaudir. Mientras Sony tiene a los usuarios europeos como de segunda categoría, poniéndonos todo mucho más caro que en Estados Unidos y Japón, Microsoft considera a los europeos primordiales, un mercado en el que no se pueden permitir el lujo de fallar (En Estados Unidos les. Al contrario que Sony, Microsoft ha bajado 80 euros todas sus consolas solo aquí, en Europa, dejando al resto de territorios sin rebaja.

Aquí ahora te puedes hacer con una Xbox 360 por 199 euros, si bien es la versión más económica sin disco duro y otros accesorios. De esta forma se queda 50 euros más barata que la Wii, que además te obliga a comprar nuevos mandos porque sus juegos son sociales y al final te puedes haber gastado otros 120 euros fácilmente.

El gran talón de Aquiles de esta consola son los fallos que dan. Se calientan demasiado y hay piezas que se funden dejando la consola inservible y con tres luces rojas en el frontal, el llamado círculo de la muerte. Yo lo vi con la mía y la consola estuvo en Alemania, en el servicio técnico. Volvió perfectamente arreglada. Al menos se hacen cargo del problema como Dios manda.
Sobre este tema os puedo decir un par de cosas. Lo primero que pongáis vuestra consola en un lugar bien aireado y que no hagáis el tonto comprándoos ventiladores especiales y esas cosas. Se trata de un fallo de diseño que no vais a evitar con una mejor ventilación y que Microsoft conocía en el momento del lanzamiento y que asumieron con tal de lanzar antes que Sony. Creyeron que con la anterior Xbox perdieron por lanzar la consola tarde y por eso con la 360 se han apresurado, tanto que han lanzado un producto que da más fallos que la media de la electrónica.

Ahora la pregunta es: ¿Cuánto tardará Sony en rebajar la PS3? ¿Esperará un poco para ver cómo reacciona el mercado o se tirará a la piscina directamente? ¿Ha rebajado los costes lo suficiente como para afrontar ya una nueva rebaja de PS3? Y Nintendo… ¿Reaccionará o con eso de que su público es diferente y como venden bien seguirán como hasta ahora? Hay que recordar que Nintendo es la única empresa que gana dinero con su consola desde el primer momento debido a que su hardware no es muy avanzado.

Se llevaba tiempo rumoreando y es ahora cuando se ha confirmado. En Europa, toda la gama de Xbox 360 (premium, arcade, etc) rebaja su precio en 80 euros de forma que la consola de Microsoft se puede adquirir en su versión más económica por 200 euros. Siempre he sido pro Xbox 360 y ahora lo soy aún más. Con este precio no hay excusa para tener una. Me parece además un precio ideal justo antes de la salida de Grand Theft Auto IV, un juego que se rumorea es mejor en Xbox 360 que en PS3 y que además tendrá contenido descargable exclusivo.

A partir del 14 de marzo, la versión Premium de Xbox 360, que incluye un disco duro de 20 GB y un mano inalámbrico, costará 269.99 euros. Por su parte, Xbox 360 Elite, que incorpora un disco duro de 120 GB para poder guardar cientos de horas de contenido descargable desde Xbox LIVE, pasará a costar 369.99 euros. Finalmente, Xbox 360 Arcade, pensada para todos los que deseen tener un primer contacto con el mundo de Xbox, costará 199.99 euros, convirtiéndose en la consola de nueva generación más asequible del mercado.

Las consolas ya no son lo que eran en la anterior generación. Antes podías tenerla aislada del mundo sin conexión a Internet. Ahora es obligado usar el wifi y cable de red y no solo por los servicios multijugador (yo concretamente he estado mucho tiempo jugando con el Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 en multiplayer y me lo he pasado genial), sino por las actualizaciones.

Muchas de ellas tienen como objetivo que no piratees la consola. Eso está claro, pero otras son de obligada descarga. Las últimas actualizaciones de Xbox 360 y PlayStation 3 permiten reproducir Divx, pero no solo eso. Las 2 últimas de Xbox 360 y la más reciente de Wii aumentan la velocidad del sistema operativo de la consola y os puedo asegurar que van mucho más rápido.

Conclusión: Si no vas por la vida con parche en el ojo y loro en el hombro, mira de vez en cuando las actualizaciones, sobre todo la tienda de Wii, que no avisa de que las descargas están disponibles, aunque tengo entendido que muy pronto lanzarán un nuevo canal Nintendo para tenernos al tanto de todo lo que lancen.

Do anything that I have received the Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom and as you have not a role-playing game I decided to give it a try. I have found a special Ninety-Nine Nights Dynasty Warriors mixed with some new ideas. The game system is to give the button like crazy until there is not one, not a game to be filled or strategist. This is to mount the most powerful weapon you can, if you have level to use it, and pounding the button. I do not know why, but these games hooked me.

As for the gameplay, you can assign weapons you want two of the buttons on the pad. The smart thing is to mount a sword or similar and the other button a weapon as a ninja star or something. The jump itself does not exist, but to give is unleashing a new attack. There is a blue bar at the interface is what allows you to attack. Each attack consumes the bar, which is automatically retrieved when you rest, so there will be times when if you mount a gun that you consume too many points, you can run out of options to a large group.

In the midst of a venture there are points where you get an idol, which may be of love, lust and death. You can trade them and sell what is left you synthesize two items and also to make them more powerful. In the area where the idol appears you also sleep and appear in dreams in a parallel dimension in which you will communicate with your dead father. The father of the character (I have chosen the vampire) will teach you special techniques if you get certain objectives in combat. These techniques may be new forms of attack, healing, etc..

In the game you have to follow a marked path and go defeating the enemies that come your way. It's a game Dynasty Warriors less open in this regard. The pity is that graph is not equal to, for example, Ninety-Nine Nights, although it does offer more options typically "roleras" as change weapons or costumes. The story is less epic than also N3, is intriguing, but it might take more cinematic at the beginning, which should be one of the climax of the game near the end.

One of its virtues seem to be offering many hours of play. Yesterday I spent the whole afternoon, many hours, and just happened to me the first zone. I have encountered a final enemy 4 heads fairly easy to remove.

In short, there is the great role-playing game Final Fantasy overshadowing and the like, but it is entertaining as long as you do not mind the gameplay of pounding the button until you fall all.

- Analysis Meristation .