Is World of Warcraft a Social Network
I have been playing a lot of World of Warcraft lately, purely for a writing assignment you understand. My first thoughts are that it was going to be relatively easy to put down, but it’s suprisingly addictive. One thought occured as I chatted to other players is that World of Warcraft is basically a social network. OK, it’s not the primary purpose of the site but it is definately a spin off benefit.
The makers of the game could easily knock up Facebook type system where they could expose players to advertising messages or simply improve retention rates. People could stop playing the game and yet still use the social site. The problem with any such social site is that it would be very insular and heavy with jargon, creating a barrier to new members, but would that matter as most people would come though the game.
Second Life is definately a social network, having not used it I do not feel empowered to comment further, however what I have read about it seems that social interaction is its primary function. Personally I am not attracted to such systems, the best social network I know of is the pub, but I doubt they are going to replicate that experience online anythime soon. I think the media are in love with Second Life more than the general public.
Maybe I will give second life a go and report back, but what’s the point when you can’t kill an orc with your trusty axe?
Seaman 2 Tops Japanese Sales Charts
Illustrating both that the PS2 is still a relevant gaming machine and that the Japanese gaming public adores weirdness, Seaman 2 debuted at the top of the Japanese sales charts this week, edging out DS Bungaku Zenshuu.
One other PS2 title, Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor, cracked the top ten, but for the most part it was a DS party, with six of the top ten sellers being for Nintendo’s portable.
Will Seaman’s success be enough to convince Sega to bring the title Stateside? Probably not, more’s the pity.
We need more virtual pet Neanderthal man sims, don’t you think?
[Via: The Japanese Software Chart]
Microsoft Cutting Xbox 360 Price In Japan
Microsoft said it would cut the Japan price of its Xbox 360 game gear by 13 percent to 34,800 yen ($305.00 USD) on November 1 in a bid to shore up demand for the console struggling in a home turf of Nintendo Co Ltd and Sony Corp.
The move follows a Sony announcement earlier this month that it would cut the price of its PlayStation 3 game machine by 10 percent in Japan and launch a new, lower-priced model.
The new Xbox 360 price compares with a 39,980 yen price tag for an upcoming PS3 model with a 40-gigabyte hard disk drive, which will go on sale on November 11.
Although popular in the United States and Europe, the Xbox 360 has been lagging behind Sony’s PS3 and Nintendo Co Ltd’s Wii in monthly sales in Japan.
PS3 Ratchet and Clank May Arrive Sooner
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction was originally slated for an October 30th release, but “due to some unexpected quickness at the factory a vast majority of retailers have already received the game,” and are planning on making it available next week.
The official release date is still the 30th, but PS3 owners who want the game (which should be pretty much all of you) should swing by retailers next week to see if you can snag it a bit early.
Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. The Ratchet & Clank series delivers some of the most consistently enjoyable gameplay out there, and it’s pretty darn funny, too.
Source: PlayStation Blog
Guitar Hero III Soundtrack
Want all the songs for Guitar Hero III on Xbox 360? Then you’ll have to pony up for the game’s official soundtrack.
The $14 Guitar Hero Companion Pack, which will be released by Interscope Records on October 23.
It will contain a unique download code that can be redeemed on Xbox Live for a three-song download pack, which includes:
- “Carcinogen Crush” by AFI
- “Tina” by Flyleaf
- “Putting Holes In Happiness” by Marilyn Manson
The track list of the soundtrack CD is below:
- “Game Intro” - Slash
- “Mass Murder” - AFI
- “Kool Thing” - Sonic Youth
- “3’s and 7’s” - Queens Of The Stone Age
- “Cherub Rock” - Smashing Pumpkins
- “Slither” - Velvet Revolver
- “Cult of Personality” - Living Colour
- “Prayer Of The Refugee” - Rise Against
- “Tina” - Flyleaf
- “Putting Holes In Happiness” - Marilyn Manson/Nick Zinner
- “Devil Went Down To Georgia” - Performed by Steve Ouimette
It doesn’t include every Guitar Hero III song, but it does feature some of the more memorable ones.
Sony Launching Internet-Based TV Service for PS3
Sony Computer Entertainment Korea and KT, Korea’s big telecom operator, will be joining forces to bring internet-based TV service to the PS3 in November.
KT’s Internet Protocol TV service, called Mega TV, allows viewers to download shows from the Internet and watch them whenever they like.
Microsoft announced it was working on its own IPTV service earlier this year, but has yet to follow through.
KT already provides IPTV services in Korea. Lee Young-hee, chief of the Media Center at KT, sees great potential in his company’s alliance with SCEK:
With this partnership, Mega TV will include high-definition games and Blue-Ray media in its periphery. We will seek more cooperation with SCEK to create synergy.
The PlayStation series is the world’s best-selling video game platform, however the PS3 has been struggling in the U.S. and Japanese markets while its rival Nintendo is faring well with the cheaper Wii game machine.
Source: Korea Times