The Honeymoon is Over, Nintendo!

Throughout E3, I think many game enthusiasts will agree that Nintendo had a pretty easy time. With the horrible PS3 controller and pricing, Wii had no problem stealing the show. Is it really all that snazzy though? It turns out that the technology that the Wiimote uses is pretty old and so the input isn't as 3-dimensional as you may expect. Hence, it won't sense things as pixel-perfect as you may need for FPS games. Also, it can only detect motion, not where you're actually moving or how much you've moved it by, and so you couldn't box or anything that would require such functionality. However, they have allied with a company that could provide sensor tracking to the Wiimote, which may suggest that they're still fixing up the controller. This is not far from likely since the console won't ship for quite a while yet, which would be enough time for finishing touches like that and debunk the concerns that article brings up. However, the PS3 and Xbox 360 may still try to replicate Wii features with technology from GestureTek that could do much of what the Wii can with your body rather than a controller. In fact, if the Wiimote at E3 was final, it can do much more. All developers need now is a camera peripheral and they'd be all set to do Wii-like stuff on the Xbox 360 and, presumably, the PS3. Looks like the Wii isn't a lock-in yet, and still has a long journey ahead of it.

Sony is trying to react to the bad press regarding the PS3 price by asserting that the core system is upgradeable to the full-fledged PS3, except for HDMI output (which I think is a biggie). As for wireless controllers, it turns out that both versions will support Bluetooth. My opinion on the absurdity of the lesser console hasn't changed. Analysts are looking favorably on the MacBook as being a strong seller for Apple praising its competitive price, great timing, and smart planning. What makes it so much better than an iBook? You can see the side-by-side specs here and see for yourself, and I'd say that it's a pretty big disparity. Oh, and some Mac geeks have discovered that it supports right-clicking as well! That will come in handy for running Windows on it. Apple has now decided to close the OS X kernel, which means that developers are no longer free to modify it as they see fit. Why? Mainly because they fear increased piracy due to the Intel switch, but I'm not convinced that the concern is all that warranted. If you're not sure what to make of new Yahoo home page preview, you can read this for a better idea of what all it actually provides, and it'll probably impress you more. If you're still confused on the net neutrality debate, then you have to watch this video. I'm going to keep hammering you guys with this until you understand just how important it is. Lastly, the RIAA is suing XM for their portable devices that allow users to digitally record songs from XM. This is pretty dumb and I have faith that XM will win since normal radio has already set a precedent for this.

We finally have a trailer for World Trade Center, and it didn't look as good as the United 93 one (I still need to see that movie), but I still think it has a chance. While I'm on trailers, IGN has the English version of the Casino Royale one, but I'm still going to need more convincing to believe in this Bond flick. Meanwhile, Yahoo has some character trailers for X3 and IGN has a few clips to boot. We may soon see another trailer for Superman Returns as reported by a fan who saw such a trailer in the UK. It's possible that this was just a European version of the trailer, but it's more likely that it'll come here. Lastly, View Askew has come up with a great idea: in theater commentary. Kevin Smith is going to record a commentary track for Clerks 2, which you can then download to your iPod and keep with you in the movie theater. No word on whether it'll be free or not, but it's an interesting idea.

Now for Wednesday's Mind Hump:

Name five things you can do with a rubber band. Get as creative as you like!
1. Punish those younger than you.
2. Wear them on your wrists and pretend that you're so poor that you can only afford rubber jewelry.
3. Send it to Maguyver with a paper clip and a pencil and see if he can solve your problem (I'm referring to Family Guy for those who are confused).
4. Try teaching yourself some magic tricks.
5. Make rubber band art!

P.S. The ACL lineup is finally online! It's not as star-packed as I had previously expected, but still nothing to scoff at.