Category: Columns & Opinion
What do Twitter's new international censorship rules mean for you?
As Twitter continue to expand their micro-blogging network globally, they've come into certain difficulties and cultural differences as they launch in new international territories. As a result, Twitter have announced new rules which could effectively mean Tweets in the…
SOPA and PIPA: What the bills mean for the Internet, pirates, Hollywood and YOU
Tried to get onto Wikipedia today? If you're from an English-speaking nation, then you were probably presented with the image above, and not the free source of community-built knowledge that the web encyclopedia is known for. And it's going to…
In defense of email (just think of the alternative)
Another day, another story about someone deciding to "quit" email. It seems it's very stressful, getting all these messages, and apparently this is a feeling "everyone" shares. Oh really? Yes, I know what it's like to have thousands of…
5 reasons why we love the Nintendo DS
Nintendo revealed today that over 10 million DS consoles have been sold in the UK so far. That staggering figure means one in six Brits now own a DS, and are happily catching Pokemon or training their brains. It makes…
Christmas Wishlist: Top Ten Games of 2009
In a bumper year for gamers, here's the best the past 12 months of gaming had to offer. Which will you find nestled under your Christmas tree?
Opinion: Do you still care about the Nintendo Wii?
It was once the king of the gaming pile, so sought after that you'd have to give a kidney on the black market to get one in your home. But recent months have seen the Wii fall from grace, with profits down as much as half over the same period a year earlier. Has the bubble burst for the Nintendo Wii? If so, what has caused it? Here's Tech Digest's five reasons why the Wii's star is falling.
Which games console should you buy this Christmas? Xbox, Wii or even a PS3?
To decide which console is worthy of your cash, we'll be looking at seven key areas that need to be of the highest quality in order to warrant your attention: Games, Exclusive Titles, Media Options, Online Gaming, Extras, Future Features and of course Value For Money. We'll then tot up the results to see who comes out on top.
Opinion: Does Microsoft's modded console ban really stop piracy? Or does it just alienate innocent tinkerers?
The move is an attempt to deter piracy and cheating in online games, two problems that obviously and validly need addressing. But have the bans hurt users with more innocent intentions for their modifications?
Five things Nokia must do to make the Ovi Store a success
The Ovi Store launched today, promising thousands of applications for a range of Nokia’s S40 and S60-based handsets.
What does Nokia need to do to give the Ovi Store the best chance of succeeding? Here are five for starters.
1. Create an easy to use Store
It’s inevitable that all mobile application stores are being compared to the one Apple implemented for iPhone users.
There’s no denying that the iTunes App Store offers a very slick and integrated system for the user, and Nokia needs to do exactly the same if it’s to encourage users to spend and download.
Some early reports suggest that the Ovi Store’s current layout is overcomplicated and difficult to navigate. Nokia would do well to make the store as easy to use as possible.
Does the Ovi Store really need a separate app to be installed prior to downloading other apps? If so, Nokia had better make that a seamless process. If not, scrap it and just give direct access to a WAP or web site.
Nokia also needs to make sure that it’s easy to pay for apps. Users will always be able to purchase using a registered credit card, but some will also be able to pay via their mobile network provider. I sense complications could arise from this.
Nokia may be thankful that a lot of its users, by nature, won’t have experienced other mobile app stores, because at present it’s not as good as it could be.
Nintendo DSi vs Sony PSP Go!
This morning we got some details on the the Sony PSP2, which they now seem to be calling the “PSP Go!”. I thought it’d be interesting to compare and contrast it with the Nintendo DSi, which is by far Sony’s greatest competition in the handheld market.
Storage
Sony’s completely dumping the UMD format, after it’s been such a massive flop. The new PSP will instead have plenty of storage onboard – 16GB or 8GB, and let you download content to the device over the air.
The DSi still relies on cartridges, though I suspect that’s for backwards compatibility more than anything else. The latest version of the handheld lets you download content over-the-air as well, and you can store the content on an SD card upto 16GB.
Game Catalogue
For the PSP Go! there’ll be 100 titles available at launch, including Gran Turismo. Any games you own for your PSP won’t work, as the UMD format won’t be supported. All DS games are still compatible with the DSi, though there’s far fewer titles available in Nintendo’s download store.
Controls
While the DSi’s much touted touchscreen has proved a bit of a headache for some games developers, others have used it fantastically. There’s no word yet on whether the PSP Go! will have a touchscreen but it will have an analog stick, a feature sadly missing from Ninty’s handheld.
Size and shape
We don’t know how big the PSP Go! will be, yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s rather more compact than the rather chunky original PSP. What we do know is that the slide-out screen will definitely be present.
The DSi, on the other hand, is a svelte 137mm x 74.9mm x 18.9mm and 214g. It folds in half like a book, and can easily be slipped into a coat pocket. Portability is obviously an important factor for these devices.
Release date
The DSi came out on April 3rd 2009 in Europe, and in November 2008 in Japan. The PSP Go! won’t be out until the last quarter of 2009, i.e. not before October. It’ll be shown off at E3 in June, though, so we should get some pictures of it soon that we can use in place of all the concept art that we’ve been employing up till now.
Conclusions
The most important things for Sony to get right are the look of the thing, and the game catalogue available. It’d be a good move for them to implement a system where you can get your old games on download when the PSP Go! is released, otherwise I think there’ll be a certain amount of consumer backlash.
As for me, though, I’m sticking with my DS Lite. I don’t feel the push, just yet, to switch to downloadable games – particularly as backing them up seems to be an issue. When the next generation of devices comes round, I’ll be ready.
