Bill Gate’s gave his last keynote CES earlier tonight. How was it? What giant revelations did he have? Is he still as boring and un-charismatic as ever? Read on to find out. Oh, but yeah, he still can’t deliver on the charisma thing.

It all started with some of the crappiest music I could endure, Paulson, whatever. That led into the much hyped reveal of Mr. President and CEO of CES, Gary Shapiro, yeah no Gates yet. Once he was done pimping CES he introduced Bill Gates. (Note: this is his 12th and final CES). The Xbox was announced at CES some years ago, as well as a number of big Microsoft products. Mr. Gates walks onto stage to a funky remix of the ‘If you believe in magic’. He starts with talk about hopes and dreams. The technologies that have grown in the past few years.

It’s all about the first “Digital Decade”. He claims all media will be software, not hardware driven in the future. All about customizing your experience wherever you are. The TV meeting the Internet, i.e. their very own Windows Media Center.

Holy crap, then they did this crappy montage, skit thing about what Bill Gates last day will be like. I think they’re trying to make him lovable or something before he goes. They had him rapping with Jay-Z, working out with Matthew McConaughey , rocking out with Rock Band while on the phone with U2 singer Bono. Steven Speilberg, George Clooney, John Stewart, even Hilary Clinton, Obama, and Al Gore make cameo’s. All of the guys at Microsoft like to let their hair down and have a good laugh. They’re people just like you and me, not a gigantic, retarded, monopoly, right? More…

While earlier stories had pegged the Wii as a novelty workout and not really much good for fitness or losing weight, it seems some doctors have found a great way to use the “game” machine for rehabilitation purposes. You could call it “Wiihab”. Get it, like rehab. Looks like the PS3 isn’t the only console helping (you know about their Folding@Home thing).

I’m just happy to see someone finally get some use out of the Wii. What’s kind of funny is that they’re still just using the Wii Sports games. Seeing as how those are the only games anyone plays on the Wii.

Boom!

Source: GameTrailers, CNN

Well 2007 is gone and 2008 is here with a vengeance. To be honest I’m a bit bummed that 07 is gone. It might have been the best video game year ever. I’m saying that it was. I’ll admit that most of the year was somewhat weak and it didn’t pick up until later in the year. But it was so good in November that I can over look the slow summer. With that said here’s what I loved and didn’t love about 07.

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It’s confirmed, as if anyone didn’t think it would happen, we’re getting a sequel to one of the most successful launch titles on Nintendo’s Wii. The announcement was spotted, scanned, and posted by Nintencast.com. The original article was in the Official Nintendo Magazine. No screenshots yet, however, the basics are all confirmed, ie. Red Steel 2 will include better controls, better AI, better graphics and the feature everyone wanted in the first game; Online! Sweet

Now all they have to do is look at what some great FPS games on the Wii have done since launch and copy/improve upon them. Let’s see, Metroid Prime: Corruption did a pretty great job. Then their’s also Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. Just add in some 1-to-1 ratio swordplay and boom, the game is ten times better.

Once they’ve improved the controls, all they need to work on are the graphics. Ah, graphics. As you may recall, the original Red Steel was done using a hybridized Wii version of the Unreal Engine 2.5. If you also remember, a story back a little while back about a developer purchasing the right to develop a Wii version of the newest Unreal Engine 3. Now we get the official announcement from Ubisoft about Red Steel 2. Coincidence? I’m not sure. How about you?

Boom!

I remember analysts originally saying how the PS3 would dominate the next-gen console wars. Well, it’s been over a year now, and, not so much. Analysts and industry “experts” still claim a comeback. Some say as early as 2008 the PS3 could bring Sony back into the next-gen war.

Media analyst firm Screen Digest is feeling confident in the media capabilities of the PS3. They think it’s going to make a strong increase in 2008. Senior games analyst, Piers Harding-Rolls, says “Now that these multi-media services - online video, IPTV, digital terrestrial TV and PVR functionality - are now available or poised to come on line in different markets, this ‘hub’ strategy is emerging as a key console battleground for Microsoft and Sony.” [Computer And Video Games]

Other sources have said it may take as long as 2011 before the Playstation 3 catches up with the runaway success of Nintendo’s Wii. Me, well, I think it’s gonna remain in third place as long as the price remains higher than competitors and the console’s library consists of more than a few decent Blu-Ray movies and one or two good games each year.

What are your thoughts? We love to hear what everybody thinks. Comment below and let us know.

Boom!

That’s right, Nintendo is losing billions of dollars a month on all the Wii’s they’re not making and selling. On another note, Sony is still losing billions on all the PS3’s they are making and not selling.So, is it a conspiracy or not? Are the guys over at the big N holding back on purpose? According to Reggie Fils-Aime, the company is not holding back. Why would they? I have to admit, I was a skeptic. I thought they might’ve been holding back. They have been in the video game hardware/software business for over 25 years now and you’d think they, more than any of their competitors, would be able to keep up with demand. Guess not.

[Via GamingToday]

On another note, Nintendo will be teaming up with GameStop to help people deal with the Wii shortage. They’ll be offering customers rain checks. According to Yahoo!, the rain checks will be available at the regular Wii system price, $249.99, on Dec. 20 and 21, and will entitle buyers to get the Nintendo console before Jan. 29. Fils-Aime said “many tens of thousands of rain checks” would be available.

[Via Yahoo!]

Boom!

According to an article from Reuters, Activision had the top-selling video game in November with Call of Duty 4 which “killed the competition” by selling more than 2.01 million copies for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

And while we’re talking numbers, Nintendo’s Wii had the best month of it’s life to date with some 981,000 units sold.

Boom!

There’s a Mario energy drink, and we knew there was for over a year. Suddenly, after over a year of this story being out (see: Kotaku for the original post), the story resurfaces as new.

Here’s what went down. Some chick, by the name of Scuzzi, a chunky, 5′7″, chinese girl with a quick tempered dragon personality, (I didn’t say it, her Flickr profile did), posted a picture of the Mario energy drink (described only as “blue-raspberry” in flavor) to her Flickr account. Someone Diggs it (FameMoney on Digg). The Diggs pile up, currently numbering 1036. Then, everyone and their brother write a post about the drink. Seriously, check out some of the more prominent links I found:

http://technabob.com/blog/2007/12/09/super-mario-power-up-energy-drink-just-add-vodka/

http://www.destructoid.com/super-mario-power-up-energy-drink-contains-cocaine-58969.phtml

http://www.geekologie.com/2007/12/super_mario_energy_drink_its_a.php

http://www.complex.com/blogs/2007/12/12/power-up-with-super-marios-energy-drink/

http://static.flickr.com/79/222480103_3f1fd05448.jpg

So, CounterAgent, in the spirit of not wanting to be left out, is also posting about this story. Why, because Super Mario is awesome, and so is Energy. And when you put the two together it doesn’t matter how old the story is, it just rocks! Oh yeah, I almost forgot, you can buy the drink online at gkworld.com for $2.95 a can, if it’s still in stock that is.

Boom!

Everyone knows the best place to play the Nintendo DS is in the bathroom while you rest and think about your day. Who needs a newspaper when you can blast aliens and save princesses? Not me. Why do you think the DS is the most popular system around? It’s not because of the Pictochat, I can tell you that much.

Anyway, let’s get to that countdown thing already. The Top Ten Toilet Titles! I had to use the word “titles” because games doesn’t start with the letter “t” and that’s no good. So here it goes.
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About the only thing I know about Greenpeace is that Russell Dalrymple from Seinfeld went off to join them after Elaine dumped him. It looks like Greenpeace is pretty big though and they care about the earth or something. They released their list of big time companies impact on the environment.

Every year Sony of course is subject to their wrath, and this year Microsoft and Nintendo finally have to face the Greenpeace fury. The study consists of two different types of criteria:

1 The clean up of their products by eliminating hazardous substances
2 Takeback and recycling of their products responsibly once they become obsolete. The two issues are connected. The use of harmful chemicals in electronics prevents their safe recycling when the products are discarded.

Seeing as how its Microsoft and Nintendo’s first time on the list they both come in towards the bottom of the list. In fact you can’t get any lower then Nintendo, they come in dead last with zeros across the board (congrats that’s a first). Check out the whole list here at Greenpeace.