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News Blips: Pro-Gaming Combine, Gamers for Haiti Updates, Confusing PSP Go, and More

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

For serious gamers who love greasy controllers, Doritos and Xbox 360 are the perfect combination.

News Blips:

Doritos is sponsoring the first-of-its-kind Pro-Gaming Combine. The snack food company plans to have three-day events in four major US cities where aspiring professional gamers can test their might. Those who show promise in categories like "slaying power" and teamwork/communication will eventually get a shot at winning the grand prize, which includes a chance to compete in the Major League Gaming and Halo 3 Pro Circuit Events. Get ready to prove to mom that all this time you spend playing games while locked in your room can actually get you somewhere.

Gamers for Haiti fundraising updates: Various teams involved with the Complete Game-Completion Marathon 2010 are planning some daunting tasks in an effort to raise donations for Haiti. Marathon challenges include an all-white-mage playthrough of the original Final Fantasy, beating both Mass Effect games, a full 82-game season of EA NHL 10, and more. In other Haiti fundraising news: Developer The Behemoth (Alien Hominid HD, Castle Crashers) has pledged $57,816; Indie Relief, which was a one-day sale involving over 140 apps, collected $143,872; and Zynga (Farmville, Mafia Wars) raised $1.5 million. Bravo to all the gamers (and developers) who are helping out with this tragedy the best way they know how. [GamePro]

Sony admits that the PSP Go was confusing. Speaking with Industry Gamers, Sony Computer Entertainment America Senior Vice President of Publisher Relations Rob Dyer commented that though the PSP Go was intended to make buying games easier for customers and help combat piracy through downloadable games and content, the end result was likely bewilderment. He elaborated by asking, "Did the PSP Go confuse [consumers]? Yeah, I think the higher price point didn't help matters any either." Well, at least the handheld looks cool.

Speaking with IncGamers, Electronic Arts Los Angeles' Sean Decker emphasized that the new Medal of Honor game, set in Afghanistan, will not "be a big propaganda piece." He stressed that rather than looking at the politics behind the war, their goal for the upcoming shooter is to focus on the people "on the ground." Does this mean it'll be a video game depicting soldiers playing video games?


Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.

 
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Comments (2)
Franksmall
February 23, 2010
The PSP Go is an example of so many mistakes Sony makes on a regular basis. Not listening to your base and giving them what they are asking for, changing memory format, Not finding a solution for existing PSP customers, pricing way too high. I really think that Sony does some amazing stuff now. I wish they weren't so tone deaf so much of the time. I can see who they were aiming for with the Go, but they really overshot and not adding on the second stick was probably the biggest of those mistakes. I am sorry, but there is no way it is that hard for PSP games to offer two control options and not making games that feature better control playable on your older systems... you know, the one you have already sold... just killed the sales of your newer system... the one I think you probably want to be selling.
Photo-3
February 24, 2010

Great summary of Sony's problems with the PSP. On the plus side, the PSP Go didn't single-handedly kill their own UMD format like we thought it would. 

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