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Critical News Rundown

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The aftermath from the PS3 and Wii launches produced so many fascinating stories that some news editors were reported to have broken down and taken a short leave of absence as a result of the pressure. Perfectly understandable, I would say.

Anyway, from out of the chaos of sales figures, underwhelming reviews and fanboy spittle, a few pieces managed to linger in the memory.

  • Xbox 360 vs. PS3 vs. Wii Comparison
    First up was an interesting video comparison (look under 'Features') between Call Of Duty 3 on the 3 now current-gen systems. They come across in the order you'd expect, with PS3 and Xbox360 coming close and perhaps only comparable at a glance by preference: PS3 looks oddly washed out and the 360 more dark and glossy (although presumably these contrast levels were chosen to aid in viewer differentiation). The Wii is of course sporting last-gen graphics. That said, without inspecting the visuals so closely on first viewing (as during play itself, ironically), you'd be forgiven for thinking that ultimately the differences don't really make that much difference, especially when factoring in the arguably more prominent discrepancies in control (note the moment when the player struggles with an enemy for control of a rifle, for which both Wii and PS3 have a neat motion-sensing trick up their sleeves).
  • A Wii Workout: When Videogames Hurt
    Not that gesture-based control is necessarily the saviour of gaming; in fact it's probably better off for all involved if it remains more of a tasty side-dish. I mean, I'm big fan of Nintendo's Wii (please blame any splelling merstakes in this piece on the Zelda case currently in my peripheral vision), but players will have to learn some self-regulating rules pretty damn fast if they want to stay fit. Wall Street Journal's article on "When Videogames Hurt" made it painfully clear (pun intended) that I'm not the only one feeling disomfort after an hour or two in the 'pointing position'. What gets me is the Wii Sports manual advising players to swing their baseball bat "gently" even though the trick to getting home runs is patently encouraging the opposite. Don't overdo it guys, it's not worth that "one more go".
  • God Of War Creator David Jaffe – HighTimes at Playboy Mansion
    Speaking of overdoing it, God Of War creator David Jaffe caused an entertaining stink the other week in a candid and 'confidence'-fuelled interview with GT TV. Ultimately the guy comes off pretty well, even if his admission that he "f***ed up" the game he had been developing on PSP before being moved onto dream project God Of War will make every rival designer hate him for eternity.
  • Sony Admits That Wii Is ‘More Fun’
    And whilst we're tackling unwitting sound bytes, how about this cracker from Nic Foster of Sony, a man who really needs to think about how his comments will be read online. If you're reading this Nic, the answer is: they probably won't be, unless you accidentally praise a competitor's product as more fun and intuitive than your own, which you describe in the dullest terms possible. The "broader entertainment solution"? Does this guy write toaster manuals in his spare time?

There's plenty more good stuff in the headlines below, but I'll have to leave you to pick through them at your own leisure; my Miis are bugging me for painkillers.

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Andrew Fletcher
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