(I should probably save this for Pipeline as it comes close to being comics-related, but I think the video game stuff trumps that.  Besides, I’ve got plenty of stuff lined up for Pipeline next week already.)

E3 happened last week.  It’s the video game convention that’s in the midst of a transition.  What was once a giant spectacle has been toned down in the last couple of sessions to something closer to a series of press conferences aimed at the media.  It’s not consumer-focused.  It’s there for the press.

Sadly, not everyone gets that.  Some think E3 is still the E3 of old.  They think it still has glitz and glamour and should have the biggest announcements of the year.

Take, for example, Nintendo watchers.  Both those who decry the most successful gaming console on the market today as a fad, as well as its fans, have lamented Nintendo’s announcements this year at E3. It’s to be predicted from the usual throng of detractors who think “gaming” means “buying 10 first person shooters per year and spending all your spare time with them.”

But from Nintendo fans?

I can’t be the only one annoyed at all the whiners who say in one breath that they are upset with Nintendo for not announcing anything new for them, before saying in the next breath that they wanted a new Zelda, Mario, Kid Icarus, or Pikmin game.  Right?  They’re just as bad as the comic fans who want something “new” in comics when they mean they want a new “Superman” or “Spider-Man” mini-series.
The timing this year didn’t work out right for Nintendo to make blockbuster announcements.  They never promised any, really, either.  They had a few new things to talk about, including a whole room mic and an extension to the Wiimote.  They didn’t come empty handed.  Heck, they officially announced Wii Sports II, fer godness’ sakes!  It’s the most popular game the Wii has. Many posit that the game is responsible for sluggish sales on other games — many are just happy playing that one. Why buy more?

Nintendo didn’t rush anything to force an announcement they couldn’t back up. Bully for them.  When the time comes, they’ll tell us what they have ready to go next.  I’m a patient man; I can wait.  I suppose that puts me in the minority.

• Sometimes, the technicalities of rules can lead a sports team to do funny things. This 1994 soccer game takes the cake! It ends in a team scoring on itself in order to win.  Fascinating!

• Is this the look of the new MacBook Pro?

• Fans of reality TV are well aware of how aware the shows’ contestants are of the fact that they’re on reality shows.  Very meta, don’tcha think?  It also means the cliches have crept up.  Note this video of “I didn’t come here to make friends” pronouncements.   I hope someone follows this up with a video of losing contestants saying how happy they are to walk out as themselves, and not lose their souls to win.  ::sigh::

• Mike Tyson’s Punch Out — as played with Donkey Konga bongo drums.  Cool!

• Now THAT is a sandstorm! It looks like something out of “The Mummy.”

• Squirrels hide in the darnedest places.

• Is Mercedes phasing out gasoline in the next seven years?!?  Seems very quick, but I suppose it’s possible. Gotta love modern technology!

• While we’re on the topic: Solar-powered Prius. The ultimate vehicle?  Right now, they’d only power the air conditioning.  But, hey, it’s a start.

Oh no he didn’t: Microsoft man dubs Wii a novelty - Nintendo Wii Fanboy

[A Microsoft executive] compared Wii buyers to “the same people that buy a karaoke machine,” and suggested that the console was simply “something [to] break out when people come over, and it’s maybe a fun thing […] They’re not really buying it for games, they’re just buying it as a novelty.”

It really is sad that they still don’t get it. The Wii has outsold the 360 every month save one for the last 18 months or so, and all MS can do to lick their wounds is say, “It’s a fad.”

Fads don’t last TWO Christmas seasons, coming on very strong for a third.  Sure, it’s a different type of gamer entering the market for the Wii.  That has to scare Microsoft.  They failed to broaden their market, so someone else did it for them without MS having a plan to capitalize on it.  Instead, MS seeks to marginalize the new or returning or casual gamers.

Screw you, 360.  I don’t need you.

(Now, comic fans, sub in Marvel/DC for “Microsoft” and manga for “Wii.”  Interesting.)

• The most amazing stat I’ve seen in a while: 62% of dial-up users have no interest in upgrading to a broadband connection.  In related news, 62% of horse owners want nothing to do with the internal combustion engine.

• Video of 100% score on the hardest Guitar Hero song.  Looks painful.

• Download Firefox 3 builds optimized for the Mac.

• Michael Bay’s rejected “Dark Knight” script.

New month, new movies.

And, honestly, I can’t get excited about any of them.

So, instead, I present to you this:

Rock out. Yeah, it’s mostly Aerosmith songs, but any new Guitar Hero songs are good Guitar Hero songs at this point.

• The new O.A.R. single, “Shattered,” has a music video up on MSN.  The first thing I noticed is that they used a LensBaby to make the video.  That was confirmed by their YouTube “Making Of” video.

• The complete Guitar Hero: Aerosmith track list.

• Guitar Hero: The Beatles?  Maybe.  I doubt it, but it would be cool.

• The Simpsons map for Quake III.  (YouTube video at the link.)

• The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries are coming to DVD, too!  That was an overlooked gem. Beautiful TMS animation, too.

Forget about the drums and mic. Check out the new guitar.

IGN: Guitar Hero World Tour Preview

The biggest addition to the new guitar is the touch pad located on the neck. While playing a song, this touch sensitive strip allows you to alter notes during sustains by sliding up and down the strip (giving more freedom and options than what you had before with just a whammy bar). It can also be used for tapping to play notes, particularly awesome if you want to mimic a slap bass. The real power of the touch pad comes in the music creator. We’ll get to that soon.

I tried this and it worked for me.  You can’t have played “Contra” for the original Nintendo system without having tapped this code in dozens of times. Now, you can do it in Google Reader, too!  Crazy.
‘Konami Code’ Appears in Google Reader | Game | Life from Wired.com

By typing the code, sans the NES’ occasional “Start” and “Select” additions, (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A) at the initial Google Reader screen a shrugging ninja pops up in the left-hand sidebar, as if to say … something. Honestly it’s a bit of a baffling easter egg.

It’s been way too long since the last link dump, hasn’t it?  Welcome back!

• Have you wondered how “Guitar Hero” might be played on the Nintendo DS?  Wonder no more.  But be afraid.  Be very afraid.  It’s one scary video.

• For my fellow webheads: Mahalo is the new Wikipedia.  Interesting.

• The new iPhone is likely only a week away, and here’s a nice round-up of the unconnected nuggets of news related to it.  It’s the first I’ve seen of Steve Jobs’ increased corporate jet expenses.  That man’s been flying around the world a lot in the last year. . .

• I am a “longtime comics reader and prominent columnist.”  I am so adding that to my resume and business cards. (Thanks, Tom!)

• These are some crazy bookshelves.  I’ll probably be buying mine for the new house at IKEA this summer, thanks.

This week, the DVD release list will appear on Tuesday.

Activision Unveils Guitar Hero World Tour, First Screens | Game | Life from Wired.com

The latest title in Activision’s Guitar Hero series has been officially announced via official press release, and to the surprise of no one, it sounds like Activision is blatantly copying Rock Band’s style.

Shame, but I suppose it’s necessary.  That said, I’d be more than willing to give it a try if Activision wants to pass along a copy. ;-)

In the end, really, it’s all about song selection.  Just like IDOL.

I’ve picked up two WiiWare games in the last week.  Both are interesting. Neither are worth the money in the end.

The first game is Pop.  It’s a simple game.  The screen fills up with four different colored bubbles, and you have to point and shoot them down.  Stick to one color, string ‘em along, don’t miss, and your score climbs.  Special bubbles cost you points or pop nearby bubbles.  The last trick is that you have a time limit.  Each bubble you pop adds on to the time, so there is a certain speed element.

It’s fun for the first minute.  As the game stretches on five and six minutes and my eyes start to burn from staring at the TV screen without looking away for so long, I get itchy.  Then, I get bored.  The game has a couple different variations including one in which you just pop bubbles for the heck of it. No points, no time limits, no rewards.  I guess it’s the Wii version of bubble wrap.

It’s nice to look at for thirty seconds, but will lose its luster in less than 15 minutes.  Not a good way to blow $7.

Star Soldier R, on the other hand, lasts longer than 15 minutes.  You might get a good solid 30 minutes out of this one.  It’s part Galaga, part — well, it’s like Galaga.  The screen scrolls.  You’re a ship.  Blast everything up efficiently.  There are two levels — one is a two minute game.  The other lasts five minutes.  You compete for the high score, and can compare your score on-line with other people in your neck of the woods.

It’s a very pretty game, but pretty redundant, too. It’s the same level over and over and over again.  You can fine-tune your strategies to get better at that level, but that’s about it.  And this one is $8.

I have $5 worth of Wii points left.  I think I’ll buy a classic NES game via the on-line store and get a lot more gameplay for my dollars.

It’s a been a busy spring of releases for the Wii, and it’ll only get worse with the Wii Fit next week.

But available right this very instant:

DECA SPORTS!  One disc, ten games.  What other console gives you curling game, for goodness’ sake?!?  Has anyone picked this up yet?  What didja think?

This is the highlight, a new puzzle game of sorts from Steven Spielberg.  The press on this so far has been generally positive.  Anyone out there taking a chance on it today?

No, I don’t have time to play it, but it certainly looks like a lot of fun:

Anyone pick it up?  What didja think?

For those keeping track:

• RockBand is coming to the Wii officially on June 22nd. Oddly enough, they say it won’t use Wiimotes. Interesting.

• Wii Ware is coming on May 12th.

• From the same link: Wii Fit is coming May 19th