Akin to the dreaded ‘Blue Screen of Death’?

No, it isn’t. Well, according to Microsoft it’s all rather simple. Before I go any further, let me give you the full details. There have been a series of misleading stories in the UK’s mainstream press that suggest the Xbox 360 Elite has been experiencing ‘red ring’ problems (no, it’s not curry related).

Gamers have apparently seen hardware failures following three flashing red lights being displayed on the console. Fortunately, any hardware failures are coverd by a 3 year warranty.

Microsoft responded by saying that they have “conducted extensive investigations into potential sources of general hardware failures,” and that after “identifying a number of factors which can cause the general hardware failures, Microsoft has made improvements to the console.”

It has been suggested that the red ring represents an overheating issue. Not so, say Microsoft - “The three flashing red lights error message does not signal a single issue and can be caused by a combination of factors. For competitive reasons, we do not provide specifics about hardware components.

There you have. Are you any the wiser? I’m not! I suppose the answer is simple - it’s broken, I have a warranty, give me a new Xbox!

Popularity: 44% [?]

Huge development costs hurt Sony.

Poor Sony. I mean, what’s wrong with wanting to dominate the gaming world? That’s effectively what Sony tried to do by pouring huge sums of money into the PS3. It looks like their plans may have backfired…just a little. Figures just released show losses of £1.09 billion (I bet Bill is chuckling to himself right now).

Typically, consumer electronics companies sell at a loss when a new product is released. They then rely on subsequent high-volume sales to make up for the initial losses. The problem for Sony lies with the huge R&D costs associated with the PS3 development.

In all, it looks like there’s no way the PS3 will ever be as profitable as version 1 and 2.

But there is hope. Every PS3 sold effectively seeds homes with Blu-ray players. This means Sony can then sell Blu-ray DVD movie titles at much higher margins. Cunning plan or just lucky?

Popularity: 44% [?]

Hand to disk combat with Sony and Nintendo.

According to Trusted Reviews, the 60Gb Xbox will be unveiled on July 15th at E3 followed by an August launch.

As yet, this information is just a rumour but the announcement is logical. The disk requirements for many Xbox games is constantly growing and the standard 20Gb capacity may soon be insufficient for storage hungry games and gamers alike.

You also have to consider the competition. Sony and Nintendo are working hard to advance the capabilities of their consoles. The PS3 now has features similar to Xbox Live - but Sony give you this for free. The Nintendo is fasting becoming THE games console with its unique control device and levels of face to face interaction.

Will bigger hard disks = bigger market share. We’ll see.

I’m off to do some circuit training on my Wii Fit!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Xbox and PS3 take a right hook.

Do you have a Wii? If not, why not? I have to admit that it’s a seriously addictive console. True, I wasn’t overly impressed with the Wii fit but the pulling power of head to head games such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 is indisputable. Looking at the sales figure it would appear that many people agree with me. US figures released on Friday show that the Wii outsold Xbox 360 and PS3 figures combined. Full figures are at the end of this article, if you’re interested (I know you are really).

It would be fair to say that much of sales performance has come on the back of the recent Super Smash Bros. Brawl release. So, testosterone fuelled death matches are still all the rage in the gaming world.

The figures are a slap in the face for Microsoft and Sony. The Wii popularity could be behind the post I edited recently: Console wars goes nuclear. It makes sense to me. Enough rambling, sales figures below:

March 2008

Wii 721,000 consoles sold

Xbox 360 262,000 consoles sold

PS3 257,000 consoles sold

Click here to go to the home page.

Popularity: 58% [?]

Pump those pixels, feel the burn.

Do you remember this article? Based on the controller, I questioned the ability of the wii to push deeper into the general gaming market. Well, it looks like Nintendo have other ideas. The Wii Fit is a new approach to keeping fit. Take the concept of Wii Sports and cram it into four new categories: Aerobic, Balance, Muscle and Yoga. Plug in the Balance Board and you’re off.

Can I rip up my gym membership?

Not just yet. Admittedly, putting in the effort will pay dividends but is no substitute for the real thing. Yes, you can definitely work up a sweat through activities such as push ups, boxing, running around the park or simply attempting to maintain some crazy yoga positions. Ski jumping and step aerobics certainly did remind me that I’d been neglecting some of the muscles in my legs (did I really admit to doing step aerobics?). In addition the device tracks your ‘Wii Fitness Age’ - I ranked as ‘knackered old bloke’! This gives you the added incentive of trying to improve your score over time and, consequently, your overall fitness.

 The greenhouse effect.

Sit in the greenhouse on a hot summers day and it starts to pretty hot and sweaty after a while. Think about this: If you’re going to try and improve your fitness using the Wii, where are you going to put the box? In the living room? Well, unless you want towels on the floor and the smell of sweat hanging in the air, it’s not a great idea? It’s a point to think about. On the plus side, it’s great entertainment for the family and will certain bring out the competitive streak in you.

Popularity: 57% [?]

Here wii go again.

We love the wii. Some companies don’t. Rumours are flying that Microsoft is about to launch a clone of the wii hand held controller. According to MTV this is part of Redmonds campaign to muscle in on Nintendos share of the gaming market.

Horses for courses.

Apparently, the Xbox controller will have a similar design and functionality to the Wii remote, but feature fours control buttons, a stick and a microphone - hmm, sing-a-long-a-Gears-of-War anyone? There are also plans for the controller to interface with the Xbox Live Vision Camera. Many images are filling my head!

Good idea?

The introduction of such a device would, in theory, allow Microsoft to gain some ground in the face of recent reports. The major downside that we see is one of usability. Yes, the Wii controller has captured a large market share but this is based a playing sports oriented games. In the general gaming category the controller has faired less well due to the layout of the function keys.

When?

Despite some delays in development work the new Xbox controller is due to released later this year. So what happens in the mean time? It’s not unrealistic to think that Nintendo will release a control unit more suited to needs of us everyday gamers. In fact, in light of the Xbox news, they’d be mad not too. Let’s see, eh?

Popularity: 81% [?]