Whether it be the DS Lite or the DSi, Nintendo has announced a spate of Nintendo DS hardware spin-offs in the last few years. The Nintendo 3DS is not a spin-off. It's worth pointing out, you know.

Nintendo released its Game And Watch series of handhelds in the early 1980s. Following that, the company released the Game Boy in 1989 and then the Game Boy Color in 1998. The Game Boy Color's successor was the Game Boy Advance in 2001, and it was spun off into the laptop style Game Boy SP and the smaller Game Boy Micro.

Following that line, Nintendo released the Nintendo DS in 2004 and followed that with the Nintendo DS Lite, the Nintendo DSi and the Nintendo DSi XL.

The Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with the Nintendo DS line, Nintendo has announced. This means that the Nintendo 3DS is expected to have at least two digital cameras like the Nintendo DSi. It is not yet known whether they will be of a higher than the DSi's current 0.3 megapixel cameras. The official Nintendo announcement simply suggests this.

While Portal's clean white rooms were the visual star of the first game, Chell, the player's character in the game, was also memorable. For Portal 2, however, that trademark orange jumpsuit has gone straight out the window.

A feature over on Game Informer has revealed a number of pieces of concept art for the game (which were only teased in the recent magazine reveal), showcasing the redesign currently underway on Portal 2's main character. Gone is the "prisoner" look of the jumpsuit, replaced this time by a look more suited to a lab rat than a criminal.

Chell now has, in these pictures at least, a dainty little lab cap, a suit that's part-test subject, part-Tron survivor, and at this stage at least, her famous spring-heeled contraptions are still attached to her legs.

This design isn't final, so don't go crafting your Portal 2 fan fiction or machinima epic around them just yet, but at the least they give you an idea of the direction Valve is taking with the visual design of this game.

Redesigning Portal: Valve's Artist Speaks [GameInformer]

So, there's new Nintendo hardware on the way. It's a 3D handheld system. How, though, will that 3D work? Maybe a recent obscure DSi release offers some clues.

Since we know absolutely nothing about the new handheld other than the fact it will employ 3D and won't need glasses, all we've left on how it actually works is speculation. So, let's speculate!

The game in the clip above is called 3D Hidden Picture. It's a DSiWare puzzle game, available in Japan, that uses the DSi's camera to track the movement of the console, and adjust the image accordingly to make it appear "3D".

It's entirely feasible - taking into account Nintendo's obsession with keeping the cost of its hardware down - that Hidden Picture is a pointer towards how the 3DS will work.

I mean, take a look at the current technology that allows 3D viewing without glasses. It's expensive. Nintendo don't do expensive anymore, since the average consumer won't buy expensive.

So, like the Wii, Nintendo may well "fudge" it. The Wii, while impressive in 2006, cut a lot of corners in terms of responsiveness and accuracy when it came to motion controls, something that's only been recently rectified by the release of the Wii MotionPlus. Why? Not because Nintendo lacked the tech; it was because Nintendo had to keep the cost of the console and its peripherals down.

The 3DS could do something similar. Sure, it could use expensive, advanced technology to display 3D on a handheld, but that would drive the cost of the device up. So it won't. Instead, Nintendo could employ the same basic technology used in Hidden Picture, only using a combination of more advanced cameras and a boost in performance (which would be necessary for the 3D tech) .

After all, Nintendo stated specifically that the 3DS would be compatible not just with the DS, but the DSi as well, suggesting it has cameras. And Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said it himself, when stating that when it came to designing his company's next handheld, it would "be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing". When we first heard that it seemed like the handheld would be using motion controls, but it could just as easily be referring to the means by which the console displays 3D images.

As for the rest of the handheld's specifications and abilities, aside from the "DS" part suggesting a return to dual screens, we know even less. But we've already provided our wish list on that, so we won't bother with that again.

[thanks for the vid link, AchromaticMagus!]

Not the device itself. The Natal peripheral is a small, slender add-on. But Microsoft has apparently told a group of journalists, including Techflash.com, that some space is required to use the motion controls.

To quote Techflash:

To be precise, you'll want to clear an area extending at least 4 meters (a little more than 13 feet) away from the television. That's the back edge of the space to be taken into account by the Natal sensors. In terms of width and height, the field of vision naturally expands as it moves from the Natal device to that back edge, ending up a little more than 4 meters wide and 2.7 meters high (about 8 feet, 10 inches).

Those were among the tidbits passed along by representatives of the Natal team during a briefing for a group of reporters and bloggers Monday on the company's Redmond campus. The session was part of a day-long technology discussion held by Craig Mundie, the company's chief research and strategy officer.

The Japanese internet has taken particular notice of the "area extending at least 4 meters". The below image has appeared online:

The image is from Microsoft's original Xbox days, but it does show the disparity in the size of livings. The American living room is considerably larger than the Japanese one. The Japan abode shows a kitchen and a six-mat tatami room. This is actually a small apartment for either one or two inhabitants. It is not for families like the American house above, so the comparison isn't quite correct.

What's more, depending on location and price, Japanese houses and apartments can increase significantly in size. While in big cities Japanese people are packed into small dwellings, those living in the suburbs or the countryside have far more spacious (and comfortable) housing — at often, lower prices.

I now live outside Osaka City, and my current house has a large living room. But still, it is large for Japan. And the only reason it is large is because it was actually two separate rooms, but a wall was knocked out, turning it into one large room. Clearing a space to play Natal should pose no problem.

That being said, it is not large compared to American living rooms. Friends of mine who own apartments and houses in Osaka City will be hard pressed to clear out the aforementioned 4 meters between themselves and the television.

At this past year's Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft had small booths where those in the Japanese game industry could check out the device out. Honestly, I don't know whether or not the boxes had four meter space between the television and the player, but the booths were not that large.

Kotaku has reached out to Xbox Japan regarding this.

Project Natalはテレビから4メートル近く離れるのが理想のプレイ環境らしい [はちま起稿]

At E3, Nintendo will be introducing new hardware, the Nintendo 3DS.

In an official release, Nintendo describes the portable as allowing games to be "enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses". It is not yet known how the 3D effects will work, but it is possible that it could work like this Japan-only DSiWare game.

According to Nintendo, the product will go on sale between April 2010 and March 2011.

The Nintendo 3DS will succeeded the Nintendo DS series and will have backward compatibility for Nintendo DS and DSi games. It is important to stress that the Nintendo 3DS is a new hardware series.

In early January, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata gave an interview with Japan's second largest newspaper The Asahi Shimbun in which he apparently said the Nintendo DS successor will have "highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing".

Nintendo of America later told Kotaku that the Asahi Shimbun had "misinterpreted" Iwata's remarks. "Mr. Iwata did not make any comments regarding the functions of Nintendo's future hardware systems," Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America's senior director of corporate communications told Kotaku. "The answer to the reporter's question was misinterpreted."

The Asahi Shimbun stands by its reporting and issued a statement to Kotaku Japan that read: "The article quoted Nintendo President Satoru Iwata's comment accurately." The actual quote in the article is a fragment of a longer sentence.

At a Nintendo quarterly Q&A, the exec addressed the issue with the Asahi Shimbun, asserting that the reporter stated, "The graphics for the next DS will be highly detailed and it will contain a motion sensor, right?" Iwata claims he then replied, "Those things are naturally being required. But do you think it would sell with just that?" Iwata emphasized that this last part was left completely out.

It appears that the extra element Nintendo believed was necessary to really sell the DS successor is 3D.

Regarding 3D, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has previously stated that Nintendo would need to look into the "possible health effects" of playing video games in 3D for prolonged periods of time.

Here is a handy summary of what we know about the Nintendo 3DS (and what we think we know).

Launch of New Portable Game Machine [Nintendo Japan]

Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a dude with a sword fighting evil spirits. He has powers of the Soul Reaper (think Grim Reaper). Bleach debuted as a manga in 2001 and has since been adapted into an anime.

Hollywood has optioned Bleach for a feature film. Warner Bros. is developing the project, which will be produced by Peter Segal, Michael Ewing and Bleach's U.S. manga publisher Viz Media. Peter Segal and Michael Ewing are responsible for films like Get Smart, The Longest Yard remake and 50 First Dates.

Yeah. The guys responsible for the film version of Get Smart, The Longest Yard remake and 50 First Dates.

No word on whether this is live-action or animated, so everybody chill out and enjoy this Bleach opening.

To date, there are nearly 20 video games based on Bleach, including DS fighting game Bleach: The Blade of Fate.

Ghosts Abound in Bleach Adaptation [ShockTillYouDrop.com]

Steampunk may be growing a little long in the tooth as far as internet crazes go, but that doesn't mean we turn our backs on it completely. Fancy steampunk Game Boys, for example, are worth a second look.

Designed by Game Boy modder Thretris, it's an original 1989 model, and comes with not just a fancy new exterior, but also a new audio output so that budding chiptune artists can use the handheld to record Game Boy music (note the regular headphone jack still works, though, so you can game as the 80s' intended).

[eBay]

Nintendo DSi XL Delivery Comes With a Five-Foot Surprise
Comment by: Nobuyuki
Nominated by: Slatz_Grobnik

Look at that sandwich. All that lettuce and tomato, not a single jalapeno or slice of salami. I've been eating sandwiches for 20 years and now Nintendo is pumping out this crap to appeal to people who used to ignore or laugh at us. Fucking casual sandwiches man, they're killing the industry.

Fable Designer On Not Getting Avatar (And Then Getting It)
Comment by: DataShade
Nominated by: AchromaticMagus

News headline from the day after time machines are invented: "Molyneux Meets Christ, Not Convinced Second Coming Marketed Correctly," and in the article there'd be an interview. Peter'd be quoted as saying something that borders on eerily self-aware, like "I hope Jesus isn't setting the bar too high on this sequel of his, if his fans get too excited and he fails to deliver he'll have a credibility problem," and then veer off from anything worthwhile into naked self-promotion for a few paragraphs, like:

Christ's crack development team are already leaking trailers for the sequel in what Molyneux calls the most exciting social networking of the time. "You've got these guys, and they're actually writing letters! That's something we wanted the player to be able to do in Fable 2, write letters while trapped in the tower away from your family, but without full 3-D motion sensors to capture the penmanship it's just not visceral enough to test well. It's a concept we're very excited about for Fable 3."

Molyneux also drew comparisons between himself and Jesus, saying "I feel like, for both of us, our work is misinterpreted and really requires time to understand in the proper context." The game developer didn't have any advice except to look on the bright side, and hoped Jesus knew that everyone gets treated poorly by the press when they try something too new. "Golly, I thought some of the reviews my games get were over the line, but they've all but crucified this poor fellow."

Mario Creator Has Never Called Video Games "Art"
Comment by: senselocke
Nominated by: puresewas1de

I would have to counterpoint deanbmmv, and state that games can be art in several ways. There are the obvious aspects of dialogue, acting, visuals, and music, but games also offer an interface that in and of itself can feel inspiring and pull you in to an experience in ways other media can't.

I know the general concept of art is different to every person, but I don't think that much artistry can go into something and yet the whole not be so. In addition, if modern art, sometimes nothing more than squares of color, sculptures of human feces, or pictures of urinals can be considered by some as art, then games definitely are.

To me, and to most artistic friends and musicians I've worked with, anything that can inspire, can share an experience, anything that has love and attention put into it, anything that can tell a story or create a world or move you is art, and in that way, games have been since their inception. There will always be those that point to particulars as what is or what isn't but to ignore the potential not yet created and the achievements already earned, and to deny games the possibility of being called art, is to deny art itself.

Five Health Care Games to Make You Healthy (Or Get You Sick)
Comment by: HowMuchBetter
Nominated by: BryanH

Phew, alright, I think I can do this. I am about as liberal as it gets. It frustrates me that even the most "liberal" politicians in Washington are, by any conversational standards, fairly moderate. Despite this, there are many conservatives who I respect, both in public service and who I know personally. I think that "liberal" and "conservative" is a safer set of terms than "democrat" or "republican," because both political parties are led by people who are thoroughly bought out, self serving and prone to misinforming their bases.

Alright, getting that bit of peacemaking out of the way, no, I, and most true progressives (so... not the ones on television or making asses out of themselves on anonymous forums) do not believe that opposing the health care bill automatically makes one ignorant, intelligent, or even uncaring. There are opposing philosophies that cannot help but come to a head on certain issues, the boundaries of public service being chief among them. As the only people who will see substantial tax increases are in the higher brackets of our society (which does include much of my own family), I do not feel any sympathy towards those who will experience increased taxes to benefit the needy in this regard. Let us not forget the laundry list of tax breaks that this portion of the population enjoys anyway, allowing them to "offer up" a smaller percentage of their total income than those who are less wealthy.

Putting that aside, I believe that all citizens should be allowed to have the kind of coverage that I am lucky enough to have had throughout my life. I do not think that people opposed to the bill are simply heartless. I understand that it this fissure is caused by differing social philosophies rather than a lack of compassion. Most conservatives advocate an absolutely free market, moderated itself by that damned "invisible hand" concept. I wholly disagree with just about all assumptions made by this theory, but whatever, it is good for a society to have a diverse range of ideologies accepted by its population.

The end fact is, Obama's presidential campaign focused heavily on the need for health care reform and a majority of American's believe that it is necessary. True, there is not a majority of American's who approve of this specific bill, but that is because it is a multifaceted issue that is impossible to please all with one single set of approaches. People in support of health care reform want slightly different things, there isn't going to be any ONE bill that fits what everybody would like.

With health care being a cornerstone of his campaign, Obama won the popular vote. A majority of Americans are in favor of this type of aggressive health care reform. For you, I'm afraid this means that you are on the losing side of this issue and have to deal with the fact that our country is going to try this out. Do you think that the last eight years were easy for us? Argue it all you want, because that is exactly what you should do. In the same way that I felt (and continue to feel) it my responsibility to protest the two wars we are involved in or the allocation (and encouragement) of gross financial "big business" misconduct, you should feel it your own responsibility to argue against what you do not agree with, just ::please:: argue it responsibly.

The opposing force to the bill has, sadly, been characterized by misinformation and manipulative tactics. I know that this is not a fair generalization of the conservative population and anyone who actually knows thoughtful people with a wide range of beliefs would surely agree with me on that. Republicans (switching over from "conservatives" now) are getting a lot of shit right now, but maybe they deserve it. Almost every prominent vocal member of the republican party is seen spouting some bit of inflammatory and factually inaccurate information on a weekly basis. Sarah Palin. Michele Bachman. John Boehner. Dick Cheney. These are the worst offenders, in my opinion. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh aren't doing much to improve the perceived validity of the modern conservative voice in America, either. If conservatives are sick of being represented in this way, then for god's sake stop supporting these kinds of political figures.

There are plenty of big name Democrats who are awful public leaders as well, but at least they do not come across quite so shameless in their ways of misleading the public, even if this is only managed through a different set of tactics. I would love to see all of those clowns replaced by a mix of conservative and liberal politicians acting with integrity and with the interest of the American people, not insurance lobbies (which both parties are shamelessly guilty of), in mind.

You clearly object to any system that "pushes the costs of insuring all those poor people to the states themselves," but it would probably help your case to word it in a less inflammatory way. Unless, of course, you truly are devoid of any respect for those less fortunate than yourself. I doubt that this is the case, but that is how you made yourself come across.

I do not blame you for finding insult in Kyosen's comment of residing in one of those "backwater" states themselves, but you then insinuate that all democrats place themselves on a higher level than republicans...
Shallow accusations of republicans being backwater-type citizens vs. shallow accusations of democrats being elitist snobs. I fail to see how you are being any more mature in this situation

A Rare Argument For More Linear Video Game Stories
Comment by: TheMightyEthan
Nominated by: Outkastprince

I've experienced what he's talking about, and agree that it can be frustrating to make the "wrong" choice because you didn't have all the information you needed when you made the decision. Granted, that's how real life is, "It seemed like a good idea at the time" and all that, but I play games to ESCAPE real life, and I don't want to miss out on something awesome because of a choice I made without knowing the consequences.

There are really two ways around this, though, while maintaining branching story-lines: 1) telegraph REALLY LOUDLY to the player what's going to happen when they make one decision or another, so you know you're picking the "never encounter the dragon" option; 2) make something equally awesome happen no matter which decision you make, so you don't feel screwed either way.

It seems like these are some pretty obvious solutions, and I don't know why Molyneux isn't talking about one of these. Granted, some people don't like it when the game telegraphs what will happen with each option, and what is "equally awesome" is a really subjective determination, but IMHO it's better than eliminating the forking altogether.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.

Here's a handy guide to commenting. Read it, learn it, live it, love it.

A new service launches tomorrow, called GameCrush, where men can pay money to play over Xbox Live with an "attractive girl" (Warning: NSFW)

Yes, this is real. Xbox Live prostitution, if you will.

Interested, lonely men (or cashed up pranksters) can sign up to the site, and once there, choose from two options: play a simple Flash game (checkers, etc) against a "PlayDate", where you get face-to-face time with one of these "attractive girls" over a webcam, or join them for a bit of multiplayer over Xbox Live.

A single game of either will cost you $8.25, with Xbox Live matches running for 10 minutes, and Flash games for 6.

Girls somehow interested in this should know there's money to be made, with 60% of the proceeds from a match going to the "PlayDate", who at the conclusion of a game can be rated by the user on her "hotness, gaming skill, and flirtiness".

GameCrush is restricted to those 18 years old and over, and players can select one of two kinds of match/date. I'll let the site's FAQ explain. "We have created two broad categories, "Flirty" and "Dirty" to help the PlayDate define and match her mood of gaming interaction and experience with those of the players. You can choose either option or both depending on how you feel!"

There are already 1200 "PlayDates" registered on the site, some of whom are serious about the whole thing, others less so, while others were born in former Communist states, caught whiff of the scent of internet money and stuck out their tits accordingly.

It's so hard trying to decide whether this is the best thing we've ever seen, or the worst. Might need to flip a coin.

There are four Xbox 360 games supported so far, those being Halo 3, GTAIV, Modern Warfare 2 and Gears of War 2. If this somehow takes off, you can expect more platforms, as well as MMO titles, to be supported.

To your left, you'll find a selection of some of the ladies (well, mostly ladies) who will be sitting by their computers tomorrow, waiting just for you. Big boy. (WARNING: Some of it's a little NSFW).

[via IGN]

BRENDA - "Hmmm lets see about me...I'm 31, single, no kids, and a great career. I love video games, but I mostly play Wii and PS2. I love to bike ride, go out dancing, and I absolutely LOVE to cook. I also enjoy movies, concerts, plays, and comedy shows. Although I'm 31, I'm still a party girl and I love to have a great time out being wild and crazy. I'm also laid back, fun loving, and very freaky! I love to flirt and meet new people so make sure you say hi!!!!"

INKED - "I love gaming co-op! There are NOT enough co op games :( I am really into zombie games and enjoy playing Left 4 Dead 1 & 2! I can have a foul mouth on occasion when really into gaming, but I still have fun and enjoy myself a lot more when chatting with others! I'm no expert at games but I like to have a good time!"

DRIFTBBY - "I spit that lyrical imbound &you know Ima smoke your car &send it to the impound. I'm the mutha fcukin realist. Best respect &bow down! :]"

BAMBII303 - "Hi there Im Faith. I live in Denver,Co and just turned 18.
Im a really cill girl who loves playing videos games, hanging with the guys, and having a good time : ) I love talking to guys and kicking ass in the fine art of gaming . lol. I enjoy compliments, im very flirtatious and very easy to get along with. I may be small, but i pack a powerfull punch"

DIRTYCUMSLUT - "Turn Offs: not cumming for me"

ZOMBUNNY - "I'm a gothboy/gamer and I love the dark side of life. I love putting on makeup and pretty clothes and going out to dance and party with other pretty boys and girls. I also love to tear it up on Gears of War 2..I love blood and chainsaws.And I love pale geeky guys."

HOTSHOT - "I love Xbox Live! To be quite honest, I am an online junkie. I barely even consider a game if it doesn't let me duke it out over the Internet with my friends. I have even broken up with boys who did not know how to handle a controller let alone a Scorpion MBT! Besides gaming I love my cat Freskels - and I am not kidding - he even has a few moves of his own on the battlefield (ok, maybe with a little help!)"

MIDMOWHISKEYGIRL - "Well I kick A$$, HAH! You cant beat me at Medal of Honor...Halo...or Texas Hold em' GARUNTEED"

As with other classes in the game, there are two gender options for Diablo III's Witch Doctor. We saw the male one months ago, but the female one has only been revealed today. So let's take a look.

While her feathered in-game model looks a lot like that of her male counterpart, the Witch Doctor's less armoured side shows someone about as far removed from your typical fantasy dungeon setting as you can get.

With all those feathers and white body-paint, it's hard not to think about Monkey Island's Voodoo Lady.

To your left you'll find some artwork depicting the female Witch Doctor, along with her in-game model and some new screenshots.