Can Nintendo success with Wii & DS last through global recession?

Nintendo is having all the success this generation, with both the Wii and DS managing to completely dominate the home and hand-held console markets respectively. But will the Japanese gaming giant be able to keep this incredible success going through the global recession?
The level that Nintendo has dominated by during this generation really cannot be overstated. The Wii has managed worldwide sales of 35 million units to the end of September, 2008. While the DS has managed an incredible 84 million units sold to the same point.

The Wii is completely decimating the opposition consoles of the PS3 and Xbox 360, and this despite being underpowered and almost last-gen in terms of graphics and gameplay. While the Sony PSP has at least offered some competition in the hand-held sector, the DS has sold double the quantity of its rival.

Nintendo also recently revealed that the Wii had overtaken the Nintendo 64 in terms of sales, while the DS has managed to overtake lifetime sales of the Game Boy Advance. So the question is, with figures as good as these, will the company be able to continue its domination through the economic slowdown or will the credit crunch put an end to the Nintendo surge?

According to Business Week, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata recently predicted that the recession will not affect its business in the near future. He foresaw the company achieving its third straight year of record earnings and told a press conference in Tokyo why.

“In the near term, we don’t expect the gaming business to be affected by economic trends. At the Nintendo store in New York, people are still lining up in the morning before it opens.”

That may well be so but there’s the argument that the recession hasn’t quite reached consumers yet, so while this Christmas may see people spending the same way they have been doing, 2009 may be a whole different matter. If that happens, then would gaming in general, and Nintendo specifically be able to ride the storm?

I think consumer spending will inevitably fall for a period of time but gaming may well be protected due to its unique stature as something which is actually quite a cheap pastime for a family to enjoy together. Compare the price of buying a console and a few games, which could give many people hours of fun, to the cost of going to a sporting event or going on vacation and gaming will inevitably emerge victorious.

In terms of which console people will choose to buy in a recession, Nintendo again seems to be sitting pretty. Not only are the Wii and DS the most affordable consoles available, the Wii has more scope for offering family fun to a wider spectrum of family members than the PS3 and Xbox 360 do.

Nintendo’s hold on this generation doesn’t look to be coming to an end anytime soon, even if the economy is in a mess.

from: GameConsolesStore.com

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Can Blockbuster on PS3 compete with Netflix on Xbox 360?

There is a rumor doing the rounds on the Web indicating that Blockbuster may be making its service available on the PS3 in the same way Microsoft partnered up with Netflix on the Xbox 360. If Sony does indeed partner up with Blockbuster, the service may give Netflix on the Xbox 360 a run for its money.

Last E3, Microsoft made a huge announcement about its new partnership with Netflix to bring Watch Instantly to Xbox Live. Blockbuster recently announced a new service called OnDemand, which is a revamped version of the old MovieLink service. The MovieLink service was Blockbuster’s version of Watch Instantly, where you could stream and download movies via PC.

With the new OnDemand service, users will be able to stream movies through a set-top box. According to MSNMBC, Blockbuster Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Keyes indicated that they are actively seeking an alliance with video game console makers and Blu-ray manufacturers.

There would be only two video game manufactures capable of this service, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PS3. Since Microsoft already has an exclusive partnership with Netflix, it seems that the PS3 would be the likely candidate.

There are two distinct differences between the Netflix Watch Instantly service and Blockbuster OnDemand. Netflix Watch Instantly does require a monthly subscription to the DVD by mail service. On Blockbuster’s service, users without a subscription can download off OnDemand, א la carte.

Keyes also indicated that unlike their competitors [Netflix], users will be able to download from over 2,000 of the latest movies, such as The Dark Knight. The executive blasted Netflix by indicating that it would take competitors two to three years to even offer new movies like The Dark Knight through their download service.

However, the a'la carte model seems a bit inferior to the Netflix subscription model. I like the idea of paying $20 and getting unlimited movie downloads. Although, I can see the benefits of an א la carte service to consumers who only watch a couple movies a month.

Alas, I have my doubts that Sony will end up partnering with Blockbuster on the PS3. Sony has invested quite a bit into the video section of the PSN store and parenting up with Blockbuster will only provide fierce competition to itself. Sony has been aggressively adding movies to the PSN video store by signing on studios one by one as well as offering its internal library.

However, partnering up with Blockbuster would be a brilliant marketing move on Sony’s part, but considering how misguided I feel Sony’s marketing team is, I have doubts that they have the insight to see the benefits.

from: GameConsolesStore.com

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Know About Some of the Exclusive Computer Games

Being a computer lover, you will be fond of playing and searching for new computer games. Online search is the best medium to search for exclusive computer games. But would you like to take our help in exploring the great computer games you have not played yet? Reading out this article can save your time in the sense that you will not unnecessarily search the websites. You simply can put up the name of the game in the search box, and get to play a new game.

Some of the great computer games that you have not played yet may be Snowboard Challenge, Space Dude, Bistro Stars and others. These games are very much appropriate for children as they are free from fast track stages and aggressive music. While Snowboard Challenge is about climbing a snowy mountain peak in a limited number of attempts, Space Dude deals with the space journey where a player gets only two chances to survive. These games have very soft color contrasts and a child can play it quite easily.

Similarly, if you are a female, there are various great computer games that you have not played ever, like Nicole running on the beach. This is a very soft game in which the computer user plays as Nicole (a famous Hollywood actress) and she has to chase all computer players. This is just like other racing computer games with the difference that in this game there are only female players and they have to run barefooted on the sands of the beach. This feature makes it glamorous and popular as well.

For boys there are a number of great computer games that they have not played yet. For example, there are a number of car and bike racing games. However, these are old games but new games keep developing with new set and background in which a player has to fight against the villain while racing against other players. These games are more preferable in the computer games parlor where there are all devices attached to the computers.

Youngsters will also love to play games like love Line and Trijinx that are some kind of mind games where everything depends on clever startegies. These games do not require much equipment. Just a keyboard and normal mouse will be enough to play the games. But in other games, there need to be additional devices like console and pedals. You can also purchase them as second hand for small amounts.

If you are really interested in any of the above mentioned games, you can search them on your Internet or simply go to a computer game parlor. If you like them, you can download them in your system. Internet is packed with information about other great computer games that you have not played yet. Search for them and enjoy the spare time that you occasionally get.

from: GameConsolesStore.com


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Is It Worth Buying The Nintendo Wii Fit?

There's change happening in the gaming world. Many games love a thrilling game loaded up, when they can take on the universe, shoot anything that moves and, at the same time, die several times in a safe way. And this is all from the comfort of the lounge chair.

But whatever type of game you are playing, whether it is tennis, golf, boxing, or chasing the monsters you are sitting relaxed on the sofa. The only real movement is the short trip for the packet of popcorn at the microwave. It's hardly the most sweat producing type of activity, is it?

Enter the Nintendo Wii Fit. The Nintendo Wii Fit aims encourages you to get up and active while still playing your favorite games.

The Nintendo Wii Fit -the next fitness tool?

You've probably heard of Nintendo, they have been in gaming consoles for a long time, but you might not have heard of this addition. You will need to part with some extra cash to get it, but is it worth having for and what do you get?

The Nintendo Wii Fit is simply a board that you are supposed to balance on while playing the game. It comes complete with a games pack, that has been specifically designed to be played with the Nintendo Wii Fit board, and the idea is that instead of sitting playing games, you'll be getting up and actually moving by using the board itself.

Is it worth it?

This depends on the type of person you are. If your idea of getting active is to get out and about on a walk, or go swimming or cycling, then the Nintendo Wii Fit board is probably not going to be of interest to you. After all it doesn't supply the fresh air ;) .

If on the other hand if yoga and other activities you do in your home appeal, then the Nintendo Wii Fit might just fit your needs. Take a good look at what you get first though, and visit a shop before you buy, to give you the best idea of what its all about.

This will enable you to work out whether it's worth spending the money on something you might only use a few times. If the novelty doesn't wear off it could be a good way to help you get fit. Who knows it could be a good way to get other family members to use it and we could see future short commercials on how " John lost 20 lbs in 3 minutes a day playing games" - Maybe a rival to Subway ads?

from: GameConsolesStore.com


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How To Play the iPod on Your Computer's Speakers?

Sometimes you want to fill the room with your iPod's music but don't have any speakers. If there's a computer with iTunes handy you can play your iPod on computer speakers -- problem solved! Read on for quick how-to tips and tricks for living with your iPod.

How to Play iPods on the Computer: You'll love this. Open iTunes and click on your iPod from the left-hand menu (the device list). The main part of the iTunes screen should show your iPod and a bunch of tabs. Make sure the "Summary tab is selected. You should see a checkbox called "Manually manage music and videos" on the screen -- click the checkbox. Ready to play? Select the song or play list you want to hear (from the list below your iPod on the left-hand menu) and hit iTunes play button. Okay, this may all sound a little confusing. I've put some pictures on my website to help you out if you're still not quite sure.

Alarm clock: I use my iPod nano for my alarm clock. Have you ever had to spend the night in a hotel and worried about whether the alarm clock would go off? I used to travel 4 nights a week for work and carried a travel alarm clock -- until I figured out my iPod could handle it. No more waking up in the middle of the night worrying about whether you'll wake up! Here's how.

Navigate to the Extras menu and choose Clock > Alarm Clock. Your first step is to make sure the Alarm is toggled on. Next, choose Time and scroll to set when the alarm should ring. Now choose the Repeat menu and decide if the alarm should go off once, daily, weekdays, weekends, once a month, and so forth. Now for the bigger decision: Sound. You will set the iPod to Beep or to a Play list. Play list sends the sound through earphones or an external speaker -- which is what I use at night. Beep uses iPod's built-in speaker. Ok, your alarm is set up and ready. Enjoy!

Using the Sleep Timer: If you like to fall asleep to music, there's another section in Extras you'll like: the sleep timer. When I go to bed I plug my iPod into speakers in the bedroom and set the sleep timer for 60 minutes. Now you have music to fall asleep by.

Setting the Volume limit: Does your iPod seem too loud (or not loud enough)? Head over to the Settings menu and select Volume Limit. Use your click wheel to adjust your iPod's maximum volume up or down. You can also adjust the mix of sounds by adjusting the equalizer. It's listed as EQ in your Settings menu.

from: GameConsolesStore.com


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How to Find Unique PSP Themes

Feeling bored with your old PSP themes? Sick of the same old sites that are offering the same PSP themes? If you are going to an official Playstation site, you are likely to find any fresh unique themes. There are places which offer unique PSP themes made by PSP gamers.

Places such as Groups and Forums are the best place to find unique themes because almost everyday people are making and sharing their own PSP themes. To join Groups or Forums, it's free and you can search for it on Google.

One of the ways to have a unique theme is to create your own PSP themes. Yes, it may seem complicated. But recently, there are releases of PSP custom theme freeware that you can download on the internet. The freeware is to easy to use even your grandmother can do it. The only thing is, if you're sharing your PSP themes, make sure the pictures are yours and not copyrights. You don't want to get any trouble just for a PSP theme.

Usually you'll see normal theme layout which changes the icon and wallpaper, but do you know that you can change the whole layout of the theme? Even the boot scene of the PSP can be changed. It is the coolest customization from what I've seen so far. There are more high end themes which some people are selling for their unique themes. It's not that easy to change the whole layout, but with the help of developers, I'm sure anyone can do it.

from: GameConsolesStore.com


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How To Choose The Best PC Gaming Headset

A good PC gaming headset is almost a must if you want to have the best gaming experience. Most games nowadays are embedded with high definition audio effects. To really enjoy the game and be in the game, a good gaming headset is necessary.

So what constitutes a good PC gaming headset?

Comfort

A good computer gaming headset must be able to provide comfort to the user. This is necessary since you will be wearing it for a long period of time. There is only one way to test whether a headset is comfortable or not, and that is to try it out before you make your purchase.

Most of the time, the comfort factor is dependent on the:

Padding - Is it thick and soft enough to protect your ear?

Ear cups - Is it big enough to contain your ear?

Headband - Is it freely adjustable to suit the size of your head?

Weight - Is it too heavy for your ear to carry?

Put it on for 15 minutes and you will know whether it is suitable for you or not.

Sound Quality

A good PC gaming headset must have the ability to produce great sound quality. While different people perceive sound differently, you can use these few guideline to distinguish a headset with good sound quality from a bad one.

Bass

A gaming headset with a powerful bass will show significant differences in first person shooting game such as Counterstrike. You will be able to hear clearly the bullets flying around you and distinct explosion in the background.

Surround Sound

Surround sound effect is necessary to create the realism in your gameplay. Those PC gaming headsets with 5.1 digital audio encoded will be useful to help you identify the enemy that is sneaking behind you or shooting at you

Noise Cancellation

Some gaming headset uses an external microphone to pick up external noise and invert them to cancel out any unwanted noise. This is extremely useful if you are always playing in a noisy environment, such as an Internet cafe.

Cable Length

The cable length will determine how far away you can stay behind the screen. A typical gaming headset should have a cable length of 2m. Anything shorter than this length will restrict your movement and cause inconvenience to you. If you are playing game console, such as Xbox or PS3, in your living room, you might consider getting a headset with longer cable or an extra extensible cable to connect to your headset.

Wireless Headset

If you always move around and do not wish to be bothered by the cable, you can choose the wireless gaming headset that makes use of Bluetooth or RF technology. A word of caution, wireless headsets might be more prone to noise interference and/or loss of signal during the transmission, which can lead to static, pops or annoying noise.

Microphone

Some of the PC gaming headsets are geared with a microphone to allow interaction during gameplay. This might be a useful feature that you want to include in your gaming headset.

Volume Control

This may seem a trivial feature, but it matter a lot when you are far away from your sound system. For a gaming headset with surround sound feature, it would be useful to have an inline volume control to control the individual speaker levels. You can customize the volume setting for each speaker to enhance your gaming experience.

Vibrator

Force feedback gaming headsets make use of vibration to try to recreate the physical sensation of bass frequencies. The headset can vibrate in sympathy with the low frequencies in the audio signal, so that listeners both hear and feel the bass.

These should sum up most of the features found in a good PC gaming headset.

In conclusion, choosing a good PC gaming headset can be a very personal thing. A headset might fit comfortably on others, but not on you. You will have to try out the headset before deciding whether it is suitable for you.

from: GameConsolesStore.com


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