MICROSOFT CONFIRMS ZUNE PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE

Gamasutra is reporting that Microsoft has finally confirmed their long rumored portable media device which should run as direct competition to Apple’s ipod;

“Today we confirmed a new music and entertainment project called Zune, Under the Zune brand, we will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year. We see a great opportunity to bring together technology and community to allow consumers to explore and discover music together.” -Chris Stephenson, Microsoft gm of marketing

So why am I telling you this? Because while the initial device seems to be just a mp3 player, Microsoft hinted that future devices in the Zune line could include the capability of playing games and will eventually feature the integration with Xbox Live that Microsoft showcased at E3. Check out the Gamaustra article here for more details. Just imagine – soon you’ll be able to take the blue screen of death with your wherever you go!

DOES THE DS-LITE HAVE A CRACK PROBLEM?

It seems there’s a crack in the armor of Nintendo’s handheld juggernaut. Reports are coming in from all over the web that the hinges on the DS-Lite are prone to cracking. The story began with a few posts over at MaxConsole and quickly spread to other sites as they picked up the news and started hearing about their own readers crack problems.

In a poll over at Kotaku, nearly 14 percent of the respondents that owned a DS-Lite reported some type of crack around the hinges. Nintendo has not officially commented on the crack epidemic it’s latest handheld is facing at this time, but I somehow doubt they’re going to give it the same loving attention they recently gave a man who claimed his dog ate his DS-Lite.

Now I haven’t played with a DS-Lite yet, so I don’t know how sturdy the plastic it’s made out of is, but if it’s anything like the hinges on the GBA:SP or the fatty DS, I’d have to assume there’s something more to it… like people “snapping” the screen open, pressing down on it/over-extending it or the like. Why? Because if my GBA:SP can still be intact despite the things that have happened to it, I can’t see the crack just forming from normal wear and tear.

Click here for the MaxConsole forum post, here for the Kotaku DS-Lite crack poll and here just because I can’t come up with something witty to write here despite the billions of possibilities the term crack allows for.

MOMMY LOVES YOU MORE THAN ME

Kotaku reports that Nintendo has announced that 2 new models of the ever so sleek and shiny DS-Lite will be made available in Japan.

The first of the 2 new models will be the Final Fantasy III branded DS-Lite. This model will be released on August 24th and should retail for 22,780 Yen (appx $199). The unit will come bundled with a copy of the remake of Squaresoft’s classic game Final Fantasy III which releases on the same day.

The second model will be colored Jet Black, exactly as the european DS-Lite is. This model will go on sale on September 2nd at a cost of 16,800 Yen ($146). As this is just another new color DS-Lite, the contents of the box will remain unchanged from other regular edition DS-Lites.

Nintendo currently has no plans to bring either model to the United States. While I’m sure we’ll eventually be seeing the black DS-Lite, my guess if that if you want the FF3 branded model, you’d best get to your favorite importer real soon – with the demand the DS-Lite has drawn in Japan, I can’t see that model lasting all that long on the open market.

Check out the FF3 edition DS-Lite article at Kotaku here and the Jet-Black DS-Lite article here. I guess now we all know how Jan Brady felt, don’t we? Japan, Japan, Japan – all I ever hear is Japan. *sniffle*

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS SECRET GAME MODE

4 Color Rebellion is repotting that there’s a hidden game mode in New Super Mario Bros for those that have finished the game;

“Gamers who’ve already finished the game will be able to access this secret Challenge Mode by hitting Start in the world map and pushing the following combination of buttons during the Start Menu:

L R L R X X Y Y

So what sort of obstacles does the game set against you for this challenge mode? Tougher enemies and tighter level design? A white, disembodied head that doesn’t just chase you in the game, but stares at you from outside your window while you sleep at night? Having to beat a castle while your mother bangs on your bedroom door, yelling at you to give back her nightgown?

Unfortunately, it’s nothing too fancy like the examples above. Challenge Mode puts a forced scroll on all the levels just like with the original Super Mario Bros. game. Players will no longer be able to backtrack, picking up coins and power-ups that were left behind.” -4 Color Rebellion

So there you have it. Those of you with a Nintendo DS and a copy of New Super Mario Bros have some work to do, so get moving – what are you waiting for? Click here for the linkage.

DS-LITE: IS THERE A PROBLEM, OFFICER?

There are a lot of reports coming in from around the ‘net about fresh out of the box DS-Lites with dead pixels on screen. Whether this is a case of a widespread problem or just the fact that those who wind up with dead pixels are going to gripe while those with perfect units remain silent remains to be seen, but it certainly casts a slight pall over the DS-Lite launch. The good news is from most of the sites I read about people trying to return their DS-Lite’s for a replacement, no one seems to be giving consumers a hard time yet. However, I’m sure as the available supply of DS-Lite’s gets lower, that could change pretty fast.

My advice? If you wound up with a less than perfect DS-Lite, and feel the problem is bad enough that you want a replacement, do it as soon as possible, otherwise you may run into hassles. If you’ve got a story about your return experience at a particular retailer, be it good or bad, please feel free to share it in the comments section – I’m sure people would like to hear about it.

Nintendo hasn’t made any official comment on the situation as of yet, but if you read this article over at Kotaku, it appears that retailers aren’t exactly thrilled with the situation.

NINTENDO GETTING READY TO PUT THE GBA OUT TO PASTURE?

With the wild success of the Nintendo DS and the related drop in Gameboy Advance sales, the fact that the Gameboy Advance’s life cycle is beginning to come to an end isn’t really in doubt. It’s not a question of if the GBA is going to be put out to pasture, but more a question of when it will happen.

Along those lines, I received an e-mail from Nintendo today asking me to participate in a survey regarding both of their handheld consoles, and most of the GBA questions seemed to revolve around if I thought it was still a viable option and whether or nor I planned to make any purchases for it in the coming months. The feeling I took away from the survey was that Nintendo is trying to gauge exactly when the best time to kill off the GBA will be by referencing how much more money GBA owners plan to put into it balanced against their plans regarding their next handheld purchase.

Keep in mind this is just pure conjecture on my part, but I think we all know the GBA has to die sometime, and I’ve got the feeling Nintendo is beginning to try and set a timeframe for it that will minimize any damage done in the transition. That shouldn’t be a major revelation to anyone, as it would simply be good business practice, but I figure it was worth a comment or two.

DS-LITE STREET DATE BROKEN?

CheapAssGamer is reporting that both Target and Walmart have broken the U.S. release date for the DS-Lite and have begun selling them to the public via their retail outlets. If you have either store near you and are planning on grabbing one without a preorder, you may want to head on over and see if your store is “participating” Check out the CAG story here.

MICROSOFT TO RELEASE PORTABLE GAME CONSOLE?

An article over at Gamasutra takes a look at a report entitled “On the Future of Portable Game Consoles: Analysis & Forecasts” from the consulting firm, The Diffusion Group, which states that they predict that Microsoft will be entering the handheld game business sometime in 2007 or 2008 once they fully stabilize the console end of their business.

By piecing together that report with recent comments made by Bill Gates as well as the noticeable absence of J. Allard from the public scene since the Xbox 360 launch, it’s easy to further support the concept that Microsoft is at the very least looking into the possibility of entering the portable market. One thing I like about the supposed approach Microsoft would be taking this way is waiting until they can focus on the handheld entirely, rather than trying to fight two battles at once.

Check out the Gamasutra article here, and a Gamasutra article regarding Bill Gates earlier comments on the portable market here