Pictochat signal permeated the entire convention, as anyone who attended was probably aware of, and from time to time naughty images would appear within that clean interface. I don't have a problem with that sort of... expression, but then I am possessed of a magnanimous character. Not everyone shares my view.

I will tell you that I saw perhaps 10 PlayStation Portables the entire weekend, and we gave five away during the show, so the amount of brought hardware could have been half that. They were easy to pick out against the sea of dull platinum they bobbed in, the contrast you understand. I think it'd be difficult to enumerate the DS population at the event. As I've said, I think the systems are for different people, and so comparing them straight across is goofy at best. And I hold to that high-minded view when I look out from the parlor of my manor house, gently tapping my pipe against the cool window. So, basically never.

I try to be fair about it, but I don't feel any particular compulsion to analyze any group but avid game players, and outside of some extremely classy titles available at launch the PSP has lurched to a stop. There's good stuff coming, Virtua Tennis springs energetically to mind, but the fact that I'm now in a position to recommend a piece of hardware that costs a hundred and twenty dollars less than the other is something that makes me hear the Twilight Zone music.

Before Advance Wars: Dual Strike, the system was building toward a solid first party lineup, but many of the titles were clever games that were situated too deeply in a niche. Excellent, provided you owned the hardware. Advance Wars completes the shift that games like Meteos and Canvas Curse started - to the degree that I can wholeheartedly recommend the hardware. I didn't know that I'd ever be able to, and it took a while, but they've really learned to make the machine sing.

I still believe that the PSP is an amazing piece of hardware, but it's a sentiment I'm not entirely sure Sony shares. It's clear that there is a kind of tug-of-war going on internally about the level of multimedia power they should expose to customers, and it's really diminished my perception of the company's stature. Their lineup is anemic. UMD movies are apparently moving briskly, but as a game system all that initial momentum has evaporated. You'll recall that the PlayStation 2 entered a phase like this as well, its multimedia prowess taking the fore. I wouldn't be without it on a plane, but that's got nothing to do with games.

I would never have called it, indeed, I remember that it was once the uniform, unassailable belief that the DS was proof Nintendo had gone out of its fucking mind. I didn't want to subscribe actively to the position, but all the same I feared it was true. It's also widely held that innovation is either dead or, at the very least, bad business where videogames are concerned. It's refreshing to see the counterexample.

(CW)TB out.

only to be with you

Our friend Steve over at Hypothermia has helped us with Child's Play in the past, and he asked me what we could give for a Katrina fundraiser - I offered up my own CTS print. You can find out how to donate at his site.

(CW)TB

Penny Arcade, you just succeeded in throwing the greatest video game convention ever. What are you going to do next? We’re going to…uh…Baltimore!

That’s right east coasters we’re finally coming out to see you guys. We’ll be at the Baltimore Comic Con on September 17th and 18th. This is only the second time we’ve gotten out to the east coast and we’re really looking forward to it. I may even sample one of your "tasty cakes"!

When we get back from Baltimore we’ll be attending the Foolscap Sci-Fi convention in Bellevue. We’re guests of honor along with Harlan Ellison which is, well, quite an honor. From what I understand it’s a pretty small con. I guess everyone has dinner together and the whole thing has a very "big group of friends" feel to it.

At the end of October we’ll be heading out to BlizzCon. As you can imagine we are super fucking jazzed for this event. The details are still kind of sketchy but it’s safe to say we’ll probably sit in on a couple panels and there may even be some kind of PvP vs. PA exhibition match played. We’ll also have a booth there with a bunch of our shirts and stuff. In fact we even made some new shirts just for BlizzCon. Here’s a peek at one of the new designs you’ll be able to pick up at the show.

So that’s our con schedule. I hope you’ll be able to come out and say hello and one of these events.

-Gabe out

I neglected to mention them, but a couple shirts went up this week. I thought I should probably do that.

We have a new CTS shirt that is similar to the other new character ones, I think it looks pretty cool. In addition, we have an I Hate Jack Thompson shirt I think you gon' enjoy.

(CW)TB

You can now bid on the original artwork for the PAX 2005 program. The winner will get the drawing as well as a color print of the finished image. 100% of the money will go to the American Red Cross - Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter - Mobile, AL.

-Gabe out

I figured I'd just wait until the entire week's worth of content was there, but I've really enjoyed 1up's "Cover Story" on Valve, their online platform, and their future plans. Pretty inspiring stuff. And it took a bit, but we're starting to see other companies who want to deliver content through it - Pirates of the Burning Sea and Sin Episodes leap immediately to mind, but I do wonder what's en route.

Another great movie just hit for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, developed by Arkane Studios using the Source engine, but published by Ubisoft. I wonder if they're considering Steam? If Ubisoft flirted with online delivery, it would cease being a novelty pretty quick.

(CW)TB

Unbelievable. Have any of you seen what Gabe's PAX art is going for on eBay now? I'd urge you to take a look.

(CW)TB