This morning we got the good word on Nintendo's new 3D handheld, and we'll have plenty of Bitmob-style coverage to help you get a different perspective on all of the latest news. In the meantime, I'm going to channel Joe Friday with just the facts, ma'am...and a Michael Richards joke.
News Blips:
Nintendo wants $249.99 for a 3DS on March 27. I'm pretty sure Congress is drafting a law mandating the purchase of the 3D handheld as we speak. The company unveiled the price point and launch date at a press event in New York City today, where they also revealed that the system will be available in two colors, Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black at launch. Of all the amazing things Nintendo has accomplished with the 3DS, perhaps the most impressive is that they got Cosmo Kramer and the color black back together again.
There are nearly 30 games planned for the Nintendo 3DS "launch window." Games will cost between $39.99 and $49.99 here in the U.S. Note that the launch window is anytime between when the system first goes on sale -- March 27 -- and June 7, so don't expect to pick all of these puppies up on day one. The Big N only has three first-party games ready for that time frame, but third parties will pick up the slack. Here are the highlights:
- Nintendogs + cats (Nintendo)
- Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)
- Steel Diver (Nintendo)
- Crush 3D (Sega)
- Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars (LucasArts)
- Rayman 3D (Ubisoft)
- Resident Evil: The Mercenaries (Capcom)
- Madden NFL Football (EA)
Hacking has rendered the PlayStation 3 version of Modern Warfare 2 nearly unplayable, and there is nothing Infinity Ward can do. As anyone who has spent significant time with Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360 can attest, it only takes a few cheaters to ruin the experience for everybody. Well, cheating has invaded the PlayStation 3, thanks to hacker Fail0verFlow and his jailbreaking method. It's hitting Infinity Ward's popular FPS particularly hard. Cheaters are using aimbots, god mode, super jump, and infinite ammo, all of which ruin the experience for innocent players involved. "Games rely on the security of the encryption on the platforms they're played on," lamented Robert Bowling Infinity Ward's community manager. "Therefore updates to the game through patches will not resolve this problem completely, unless the security exploit itself is resolved on the platform." [Industrygamers]
Google pulls GameStop's Kongregate Arcade for Android app from the Android Market. Much has been made about Google's Android platform and its lack of gaming, so the release of an app version of Kongregate's Flash-based game website met with much fanfare from the thousands of people who downloaded it on its first day. Unfortunately, the app was pulled nearly 24 hours later for violating the Android Market's Developer Distribution agreement, which prohibits the download of apps within an app itself. Supporters of Android often point to Google's openness with the Android Market as a reason they prefer it over Apple's iOS, but that perception could take a hit in the wake of eliminating the Kongregate app. The good news is that the app is freely available at http://www.kongregate.com/android -- where it can be downloaded and installed directly to your Android device. [Joystiq]
