Hours before the iPhone 5 went on sale Friday, thieves in two countries were busy filling their swag bags with the new handset.

The iPhone 5 certainly has its fans, with millions pre-ordering Apple’s new handset when it went on sale last week. Thieves in Japan and the UK also appear to like the look of it, with nearly 450 phones taken in raids at a number of stores in the two countries.

In the western Japanese city of Osaka, police said that early Friday morning – just hours before the new phone went on sale in retail stores there – 191 new iPhone 5 handsets were taken from three phone stores located around the metropolis.

One had its entire stock of 116 nabbed in a raid that reportedly lasted just four minutes. Camera footage from the scene showed three people taking part in the theft. The value of the stolen goods was put at 7.5 million yen (around $96,000). The store stayed closed Friday, leaving 116 iPhone customers sorely disappointed when they turned up hoping to pick up the latest iteration of Apple’s smartphone.

In a separate incident, 42 of 44 new iPhones were taken from a phone store in another part of the city. A third store had 33 taken. The three raids occurred within two hours of each other, though investigators said they won’t know if the crimes were carried out by the same culprits until they view camera footage from all three raids.

Meanwhile, police in the UK said they want to speak to an employee of a London phone store who hasn’t been seen since 252 iPhone 5 handsets went missing from the premises. The handsets were reportedly taken at around 1.30am Friday.

Theft of a new iPhone on the morning of its launch is probably another first for Apple, though not one the tech giant will be particularly proud of. Perhaps it’s simply another indicator of the level of buzz and hype surrounding its new handset, one which is likely to sell in huge numbers in the coming months.

[Source: WSJ, BBC] [Image: Yayayoyo / Shutterstock]

You may not have an iPhone 5, but you can still get the latest Apple operating system by updating your iPhone or iPad to iOS 6. Here's how.

Are you keen to get your hands on the over 200 new features in iOS 6? Here’s our guide to a smooth update for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

Which devices get iOS 6?

The new iPhone 5 ships with iOS 6, but you can also upgrade a few Apple devices to take advantage of the latest version of the iOS platform. Here’s the complete list:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4S
• iPod Touch (4^th generation)
• iPod Touch (5^th generation)
• iPad 2
• The New iPad (3^rd generation)

You can get a closer look at some of the new features in our hands-on with iOS 6.

Limited features

Before you get too excited, there are some features that will only work certain devices. For example, Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd generation), and iPod touch (5th generation). Turn-by-turn navigation is only available on the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPad 2 or later with cellular data capability. Panorama is only available on the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation).

How to update to iOS 6

You have two basic options for updating your device to iOS 6, either wirelessly over-the-air (which will take a while) or hook it up through iTunes. Before you begin do a backup.

If you want to update to iOS 6 OTA then go to Settings > General > Software Update and pick iOS 6. Tap through the setup screens and wait until the device restarts (it would be wise to plug it in, especially if the battery is low). Click through another few setup screens and you’re done.

It will be much faster to use iTunes. Simply load it up and click iTunes > Check for Updates to get the latest version. Connect your device, select it in the left hand column and click Check for Update. Choose Download and Update, continue through the setup screens and wait. Leave your device connected until it restarts and then run through the setup screens and you’re done.

Make sure you don’t unplug the device or turn it off during the update and it should be plain sailing.

Problems updating to iOS 6

Every big rollout like this inevitably results in a few problems. If you encounter any hassles updating to iOS 6 then please post a comment, and if you find a fix then let us know. We’ll post a list and some possible fixes.

Cannot connect to iTunes store

If you encounter this message when you click on the App store link in Passbook then don’t worry. You can try the following fix:

Go to Settings > General > Date and Time > Set Automatically > Off.

Now set the date one year ahead to 2013. Go back and try to update the app again. If you get an error message, go back to Settings and turn Set Automatically back on again.

Wi-Fi issues

Some users found they had problems connecting to Wi-Fi networks after updating to iOS 6. The problem was caused by a Web page that went down on Apple’s website (it has now been restored). If anyone is still encountering issues with this, toggling Wi-Fi on and off should resolve it. If not, then try turning Wi-Fi off and restarting the phone before turning Wi-Fi back on again and you should be good to go.

Missing music

A number of users are reporting a problem with missing music after the iOS 6 update. Apparently Playlist, Album and Artists names are all present and correct, but attempts to play the tracks fail. It appears the Music app is having trouble finding them. Siri can’t find the tracks in question either.

You can find a discussion of this issue at the Apple Support website, but there is no solution yet other than restoring. That means deleting the content and then restoring it from a backup. The problem seems to be linked to iTunes Match.

We’ll keep you posted on this one.

The release of a new Apple iPhone, the collapse of service for BlackBerry users. Last October's 4s meets 4 days of outage for BlackBerry? No, today's latest failure in service for Research in Motion's mobile device.

As if to add insult to injury, on the morning of the day when the iPhone 5 went on sale internationally, BlackBerry users across the world woke up to discover that their devices didn’t work anymore.

Well, kind of.

What actually happened was that users throughout Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East had connectivity issues with the BlackBerry Messenger, email and Internet access for around four hours from 8am BST onwards. It took some time for BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion to acknowledge the problem – almost two hours, in fact, before the company Tweeted that “some users in Europe, Middle East and Africa are experiencing issues with their BlackBerry service,” updating around ten minutes later with “We are investigating and apologize for any inconvenience.”

Around two and a half hours later, service was fully restored.

An official statement from RIM offered “our apologies to any customers impacted by the BlackBerry service issue today,” going on to add that “We can confirm that services have been restored and are now operating normally.” It’s not known exactly what the problem was at this time; according to a spokesperson in London, the issue only affected users using specific carriers, with Vodaphone being named in a statement to the Guardian newspaper. John Jackson, a wireless analyst at CCS Insight told Reuters that the outage may be connected with a similar problem that befell the device last October, and suggests that it’s a bad sign of thing to come. “That RIM has experienced another outage is worrisome,” he said, adding that it could be seen as a hint that “something hasn’t been put right” after last October.

Oddly enough, that particular October 2011 outage – which lasted for four days and affected tens of millions of users across the world, embarrassing the company and leading to a public backlash against both Research In Motion and the BlackBerry as a device – also coincided with a major Apple release, this time the release of Apple’s iPhone 4S. While it’s a step towards conspiracy theory to suggest any connection between iPhone releases and BlackBerry outages, it’s definitely a very strange coincidence. Joking about the outages being some inept attempt to divert attention away from the iPhone sales, it’s perhaps woth suggesting that RIM should consider beefing up resources as soon as the next iPhone release is announced, just as a precaution, based on past experience. If nothing else, it couldn’t hurt.

In a public apology to users, RIM’s chief executive Thorsten Heins said that the company is “conducting a full technical analysis of this quality of service issue and will report as soon as it concludes.” The emailed statement ended with Heins adding “I again want to apologize to those customers who were impacted today.”

If you want to pre-order a Wii U console from Gamestop, you're going to need to be a member of the store's PowerUp Rewards program.

If you’ve purchased anything — literally anything — from a Gamestop over the past few years, you’ve undoubtedly been subjected to a lengthy sales pitch about the benefits of the company’s PowerUp Rewards program. For just a few dollars more, the eager teenaged salesperson claims, you’ll gain access to an exclusive club that can partake in the best deals, huge savings and a number of other offers that are dubiously useful. Well now the company has one more bullet point to add to the pitch: PowerUp Rewards members are henceforth the only people who might possibly be able to pre-order a Wii U console from the retail chain, assuming you’re willing to drop your name onto a waiting list of unknown length.

In a press release issued earlier today, Gamestop president Tony Bartel claimed that interest in Nintendo’s next console has been unprecedented, and that this waiting list scheme is the only way the store can hope to keep up with demand (or, more accurately, temper consumer expectations in the face of imminent hardware shortages). “Demand for Wii U has been off the charts and we know many of our PowerUp Rewards members are anxious to get their hands on one,” Bartel said. “We’re happy to offer our customers this exclusive opportunity to join the wait list for this must-have item.”

As we reported a few days ago, Gamestop had stopped taking pre-orders on the $350 Deluxe version of the console, though at the time it still seemed as if the company would be able to field all orders for the more basic models of the system. That is no longer the case, but Gamestop’s press release helpfully points out that those of you who are already PowerUp Rewards members can visit any Gamestop location and ask to have your name added to the waiting list without any monetary deposit required. According to the release, the store will then issue an automated phone call whenever your console comes available. That said, there is no firm window on when that might happen, or as the press release puts it, “enrolling does not guarantee a Wii U on or by a specified date or at a specific price.”

Currently it is unknown if those desperate for a Wii U pre-order can create a new PowerUp Rewards account specifically to add their name to the waiting list, but we are attempting to contact Gamestop’s representatives and will update this piece once we hear some solid confirmation one way or the other. In the meantime, we suggest pre-ordering the system at a retailer with a bit more market clout. Wal*Mart, for instance. If anyone can ensure people get the next hot gaming system on time, it would be the world’s largest retail chain.

Even on launch day, Apple's iPhone 5 costs as much as $3,000 on eBay.

Standing in line for Apple’s new iPhone 5 may have been worth the wait: The device is currently going for as much as $3,000 on eBay — approximately 15 times what you’d pay for a 16GB version with a wireless contract.

Of course, $3,000 for an iPhone 5 is an anomaly, even in the super-inflated eBay market. A quick search shows many in the $700 to $950 range (for the 16GB, carrier-locked version). An “unlocked” iPhone 5 will generally cost you between $1,000 and $1,500 on eBay today, which could be worth it to people who are want the device now, and plan to do some international traveling in the next month.

The iPhone 5, which sports a 4-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity, a faster processor, iOS 6, and (for better or worse) a new “Lightning” dock connector, typically starts at $200 for the 16GB, up to $400 for the 64GB version, with a two-year contract from AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. But considering that many stores have reportedly sold out of the device, and shipping time for an online order is up to a month away, the jacked up eBay prices may well be worth it.

Fully unlocked versions of the iPhone 5 are not officially available, though Apple will eventually sell the device for $650 and up. However – this is a big however — iDownloadBlog has confirmed that the Verzion (CDMA) version of the iPhone 5 is GSM unlocked, meaning you can pop in an AT&T Micro SIM card, and use it on AT&T’s network.

If you ask us, it’s best to just take a deep breath, and wait for the excitement to calm down and the kinks to work themselves out. But if you’re the impatient (and rich) type, then hit up eBay. There are plenty of iPhone 5s over there.

Check out our full iPhone 5 preview here.

Nintendo's track record supporting indie devs is spotty, but a new partnership with Unity Technologies suggests that will change with Wii U.

Nintendo didn’t illuminate its plans for the Wii U’s eShop at its event in New York last week, nor did it detail what kind of opportunities independent developers would have to sell their wares through it. The Wii and its WiiWare program were a bust for developers since Nintendo barely promoted games in the store and they were difficult to find. Word on the street, though, is that Nintendo is offering indie developers “insane incentives” to publish downloadable games on Wii U. Is Nintendo finally getting serious about getting indies on its machines?

A new partnership with Unity Technologies suggests it is.

The company’s Unity engine has been used by myriad indie developers to create complex games for PCs and web browsers, and now it will power Wii U games as well. Unity already has tools in place for developers using the platform to export their projects to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and even Wii, but this new deal marks the first time that Nintendo has worked directly with Unity to ensure that the Danish company’s tools will be made available to all of Nintendo’s first and third-party developers.

“The details of how this is all going to play out are not yet announced, but basically, we can bring a lot of awesome developers, both big and small, and a very large number of indie studios with very creative games and game ideas to the Wii U ecosystem,” Unity CEO David Helgason told Edge Magazine.

“We supported the Wii, and that was fairly open. There’s an approval process, obviously, and it’s heavier than, for example, the mobile market today. But we had really small, fresh developers publishing Wii games, so [Nintendo] wasn’t that closed… [Without] putting words in Nintendo’s mouth, I feel pretty confident that they feel excited about having access to the very big, sprawling, chaotic, and awesome ecosystem of developers using Unity.”

It’s a far cry from the company that said it “wasn’t looking to do business with the garage developer” just 18 months ago. Before indies can really start focusing on leveraging the Wii U as another venue for their games, Nintendo still needs to explain how its eShop and online Miiverse service is going to work. WiiWare seemed like a good opportunity for independent developers when it was first announced, but Nintendo’s terrible online services prevented it from reaching its potential.

Square-Enix talks up the negligible changes made to the Wii's first MMO in Dragon Quest X Wii U.

If you needed any more evidence that the video game industry has irrevocably changed, look no further than Dragon Quest X. The latest entry in Yuji Hori’s foundational role-playing series released on Nintendo’s Wii in August after more than four years in development and sold just 367,000 copies on its first day. Most AAA games don’t sell 367,000 copies in their first month on shelves, but Dragon Quest is different. A cultural institution in its native Japan, most Dragon Quest games move millions in their first 24 hours. Dragon Quest IX for Nintendo DS sold 2.3 million copies in Japan on day one.

What happened? It’d be easy to blame the Wii. Dragon Quest X is an MMORPG and playing it on the underpowered Wii, with its finicky online play, requires players to buy a pricey USB drive alongside the game, not to mention a subscription fee. The other reason? Dragon Quest X is expected out on the more online-capable Wii U this fall.

You’d expect that the Wii U version of Dragon Quest X would be the premiere version of the game since it’s on an HD console, but based on Square-Enix’s first demonstration of the game at the Tokyo Game Show, it’s no great shakes. According to a report from Siliconera, Dragon Quest X on Wii U is the exact same game as the one on Wii with minimal graphical upgrades. Are there better character models? Better enemies and environments? Nope. Just improved shadows for the player characters.

In fairness, it had to be this way, as both Wii and Wii U Dragon Quest X players will occupy the same servers. It will also carry the exact same monthly subscription fee.

Dragon Quest X is an odd duck in the modern video game landscape. The Wii U could certainly use an online role-playing game early in its lifespan. MMOs are in a state of transition on PC, but the entire genre is still relatively unexplored on home consoles. Since Dragon Quest has always been a series built with casual and hardcore players alike in mind, it would be a perfect introduction to both the genre and to the Wii U’s nascent online community. Even if the game released outside of Japan though, there’s no way an American audience would be willing to be a monthly fee.

Sleeping Dogs will be seeing new story missions, but you'll have to wait for the New York Comic Con for more info.

When publisher Square Enix and developer United Front Games released open-world sandbox action title Sleeping Dogs in August, they claimed that the game would see regular DLC updates for at least the next six months. At the time it seemed an audacious claim, especially given the game’s intensely troubled development history, yet the two firms have remained true to their word so far. However, to date the additions released for the game have all been in the form of additional weapons, in-game clothing and vehicles, leaving those players who have already completed the game with little to do but roam the streets, punching random thugs, and hoping that some day the developers would get around to adding a few new missions to the game.

As of this morning, those gamers’ prayers have been answered. As part of the announcement of what fans can expect from October’s DLC releases, United Front Games’ claimed that Sleeping Dogs’ “first story-driven game extension” would be revealed at the annual New York Comic Con. The conference is scheduled to be held October 11 through 14, so we expect more information to emerge then.

In the meantime however, the company has divulged pretty extensive details on the guns, cars and clothes that will be released for the game throughout the month of October, including a totally gratis Community Gift Pack. While not quite as enthralling as new story missions, they should pique the interest of anyone who has yet to finish the game’s original missions.

First up is the Street Racer Pack which includes three brand new races throughout Sleeping Dogs’ stylized Hong Kong: “Kamikaze, a race up and down the winding tracks of the city’s Victoria Peak; Cross Island Enduro, an epic endurance motorcycle race; and the high-speed Harbor Run boat race.” Additionally, the Pack offers players a new motorcycle, as well as a new racing jacket and helmet.

Next, the SWAT Pack offers a new SWAT team vehicle, full SWAT team riot gear (pictured above) and 20 additional police missions for players to undertake. Unlike the story expansion missions we mentioned above these are relatively minor diversions, but should prove helpful for anyone looking for something extra to do.

Assuming you somehow get tired of kicking people in the face or impaling them on swordfish heads, you can download the Tactical Soldier Pack which gives you instant access to the game’s most powerful armor and weapon (an assault rifle with an attached grenade launcher).

Finally, the Community Gift Pack, which United Front Games describes as “our special thank you to the community.” As we mentioned above, this one is going to be totally free of charge, and will grant players access to United Front Games-branded t-shirts, a United Front Games car, and, most crucially, a luchador-style mask that may be out of place in inner-city Hong Kong, but looks pretty cool regardless.

While the developers were kind enough to detail all of these upcoming DLC additions, they offer no word on when these DLC packs might be available, nor how much they might cost (aside from the free Community Gift Pack). Expect more info as we inch closer to October, and keep your fingers crossed that the Comic Con announcement includes a sizable amount of extra story content. We greatly enjoyed Sleeping Dogs, but really wish it had played out for a few more (dozen) hours.

Microsoft guided us through an early mission in Master Chief's new war, but this Halo 4 preview felt a whole lot like Chief's old war.

At some point, Master Chief is going to pull a Murtaugh. He’ll load up his rifle, recharge his shields, face down an encroaching horde of Covenant grunts and mutter, “I’m getting too old for this sh*t.” Then again, giant, biomechanically engineered super soldiers don’t have a whole lot of career options. What’s Spartan John-117 going to do? Just sleep in stasis forever? Sign autographs at Comic Con every year? Become an accountant? Taking on new extraterrestrial threats is pretty much all he’s got going on.

Who is getting too old for this sh*t, however, is Cortana. In sitting down with Halo 4’s single player campaign at a recent Microsoft event, a 343 Industries representative talked up the sequel’s story-centric development. This approach is common in the masses of Halo comics, novels, and tie-ins but not in Bungie’s original game trilogy. At the start of the game’s third mission—the campaign has 10 chapters from what I could see in selection screen—Cortana’s mission for Master Chief this time out is personal. She’s dying, on “year 8 of 7” as it was described to me. She’s anxious for Chief to explore the Forerunner (those crazy cats responsible for the Halo doomsday weapon) planet Requiem before she goes completely insane from AI degradation.

A brief cutscene on the steely interior of the planet—Requiem is an artificial world—gives way to chief being warped to the surface in a rocky canyon area. It looks good, a nice visual upgrade over even 2010’s Halo: Reach, but it’s also overwhelmingly familiar. Master Chief has fought his way through many a canyon floor with an alien night sky above him, so this sample portion of Halo 4 doesn’t exactly excite with new vistas.

The Forerunner enemies are a bit different though. This demo sported some of the usual “it’s too quiet” suspense that the series has always traded in, but the bad guys that surprise you here are nasty techno-organic wolves rather than lizard soldiers. When they first attack, they surround Master Chief, bounding around him in a tight circle. It’s not an uncommon scenario in video games, but it does at least suggest that 343 is reconsidering how encounters work in Halo. After five games of Covenant enemies, vehicular combat, fights with heavies, giant tanks, and Flood plant monster blitzes, it’s nice to see a change, however small it might be.

Speaking of the Flood, the new “hardlight” Forerunner guns that make up Halo 4’s expanded arsenal were apparently created to kill the Flood way back before Master Chief wiped them out. As gameplay elements though, they’re an unknown quantity. In the demo, they just seemed like the same old variety of ranged and short burst firearms, only with orange and blue lights coming out of them rather than the pink lights of  Covenant guns. Those blue and orange lights apparently say a lot about the Forerunner enemies themselves, who emit the same colors. 343 refused to elaborate on the colors’ meaning, but since it’s suggested in the demo that the Forerunners are an artificial intelligence civilization that uses other species’ bodies, the colors may indicate factions or sub-species within their culture. Seems like a good bet based on the Cortana/AI tale woven so far.

As I said after spending time with Halo 4’s multiplayer modes at E3 2012, 343’s game feels very much the same as its Bungie made predecessors albeit with subtly significant changes. We won’t know until November whether those changes equate to a revitalized franchise or not. Even if it isn’t a revolution though, another adventure with Chief shooting some aliens in a canyon sounds a-okay.

Capcom isn't finished with the world of Dragon's Dogma. Not by a long shot.

So you’ve clung to a griffon as it flew through the skies above Gran Soren, and you’ve stabbed countless ogres in the face. You’ve even managed to retrieve your heart from that smug red dragon. Congratulations, you’ve seen everything Dragon’s Dogma has to offer — at least for now.

This morning Capcom issued a press release announcing a number of upcoming, downloadable additions to the open-world fantasy title. At an as yet undetermined date (though we’re told it will be before the end of the year), the publisher will launch two new downloadable game modes at a very attractive $0 price point. The first, dubbed “Speedrun,” is exactly what it sounds like: You’re tasked with completing the game as fast as possible. The quicker you make it to the end, the better your reward. Though the press release doesn’t specify exactly what rewards are available, it does indicate that in-game equipment will be the primary motivator here (and, we would presume, a spot on some kind of Speedrun-specific leaderboard).

The second game mode on offer is appropriately dubbed “Hard” mode, and like Speedrun is exactly what it sounds like. The game’s enemies have all been enhanced, offering greater challenge for those who find the original version of Dragon’s Dogma too easy. As with Speedrun, completing Hard mode will reward players with special equipment.

The biggest news however, is word that a new expansion for Dragon’s Dogma is on the way. Though Capcom is very coy with details on the thing, we know that it’s called “Dark Arisen,” and that it should be available at some point in 2013. No pricing details have yet been made public, and for that matter we don’t even know if this is going to be a downloadable expansion or an entirely separate boxed addition, but Capcom promises that Dark Arisen will be both “exciting” and “massive.” Given the small number of screenshots Capcom issued alongside the press release, we’re also convinced that the decrepit dragon you see in the image above will play some part in the expansion.

Oddly, the press release makes no mention whatsoever of the game’s pawn system. Capcom spent months leading up to Dragon’s Dogma’s release trumpeting its revolutionary create-your-own partner mechanics, and the system itself is actually a pretty addictive component of the gaming experience as a whole. We won’t jump to any conclusions based on the very short PR blurb we received, but it just seems curious that the company would completely neglect that aspect of the title when announcing its plans for the future. 

Grand Theft Auto 5 and BioShock Infinite are going to give Take-Two a lucrative 2013, but it's hurting in 2012 as a result of their delays.

The future is bright for Take-Two Interactive. Borderlands 2 had a strong first week, with critics raving and financial analysts predicting it will be the fourth best-selling game of the year, trailing only Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Halo 4. XCOM: Enemy Unknown‘s got good buzz and NBA 2K13 will enjoy the series’ perennially great sales. Next year? BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V. Those two games though, the shining stars of 2K Games’ 2013, were supposed to come out in 2012. They’re the root of Take-Two’s low revenue expectation woes.

As reported by GamesIndustry International, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick explained during a meeting this week why the company saw a $107.7 million loss in the last fiscal year. “This was primarily due to our decision to postpone the release of several titles in order to allow for additional development time,” said Zelnick, “Although our commitment to quality may occasionally affect near-term results, we believe it’s the right approach for maximizing revenue and profits over the long-term.”

BioShock Infinite, by all accounts, needed the extra gestation time to be the success that Take-Two wants it to be with gamers. Irrational Games announced ahead of E3 2012 that it would push BioShock Infinite into 2013 and that it wouldn’t show the game to the press until it was close to finished. In August, though, numerous key staff members working on Infinite left Irrational amid reports that the game was in deep trouble. Cut multiplayer modes and broken play systems were just a couple of the alleged problems facing the game.

Grand Theft Auto V meanwhile didn’t come out in 2012 because Rockstar Games is, as the studio is wont to do, taking its time making the game perfect. “Grand Theft Auto V is in full development and making substantial progress,” said Zelnick in the meeting. There were rumors that GTAV might see a surprise release in October, but the game’s now a lock for the beginning of the next fiscal year.

A year that will prove markedly better than 2012. Take-Two saw sales during the April to June quarter drop to $226 million from $334 million during the same period in 2011. Max Payne 3 simply didn’t hit in the way that past spring Rockstar releases like Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire did. Grand Theft Auto V shouldn’t have the same problem, and BioShock Infinite should help Take-Two close the fiscal year in March strong.

Sony explains why neither there's no PlayStation 3 price drop for the new or old slim models this year.

No PlayStation 3 model is getting a price cut this holiday season. Not the new ultra slim models. Not the old slim models.

Speaking with Engadget, Sony VP of marketing John Koller, said that the lack of a price drop at the suggested retail price level is because retailers are already running promotions that lower the price of the console significantly.

“There’s no price drop formally, but the thing that’s been happening in the market over the last year or so is that there’s been so many retail price promotions, and so many different gift card offers, and all those things, being done by all of us (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony), that we’ve heard from our consumer, ‘Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value,’” said Koller.

That’s right: Having two models of PlayStation 3 on shelves, in more than 5 distinct hardware and game bundles, priced everywhere between $250 and over $300, is exactly the sort of clear pricing and value that customers so badly want.

If you squint real hard, you can see a layer of logic in Sony’s decision to release the brand new PlayStation 3 models at higher prices than what’s already on shelves. The company is reeling from two years of profound financial losses, the mediocre launch of a new handheld gaming system, and the cost of purchasing Ericsson’s half of its mobile phone business and trying to relaunch the line in an Apple-dominated market. Kaz Hirai, former head of SCEA and new Sony CEO, needs the PlayStation division to make some cash. Releasing a new system designed to save on production costs at a lower price won’t earn Sony that paper.

Sony desperately needs to expand the PlayStation 3’s audience, though, before the market ceases to exist. If Sony thinks that it can keep people interested in its console for another two years, no matter how full its release schedule is with games like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, it’s in for a rude awakening. The only thing that can revitalize the PlayStation 3 at his juncture is a price point below $200. If Sony doesn’t want to lower the price of the new models, why not clear out old stock at a $199 price point? Why not release the 12GB flash memory PlayStation 3 in the United States at $199? “The smaller flash drive isn’t coming to North America, and a lot of that reason is the digital consumer. We really want to make sure, out of the box, that there is an option for them to be able to download that content,” said Koller. Then release a branded hard drive expansion along with it, Sony!

This is the face of holiday sales suicide.

Jet Set Radio HD is not one of the best retro releases of 2012, but one of the best period. Strap on skates, grab a can, and hit the city.

Jet Set Radio, like most video games, is aspirational. You play Call of Duty, you want to feel like a badass, no matter how morally dubious that badassery may be. You play Skyrim, you want to feel like a destined hero; Madden, you want to feel like a tactical genius of the gridiron. Jet Set doesn’t trade in those usual modes. What you aspire to in Jet Set Radio is coolness. You’re no hero here in one of Sega’s defining Dreamcast games, now reborn in HD. You’re just trying to be the coolest rudie in Tokyo-to, placing your tags around town and shutting down your violent, unsavory competitors while sticking it to the fascistic police force.

For those that missed Jet Set in its first go around at the dawn of the century, here’s the scoop: You control the GGs, one in a number of graffiti artist gangs (i.e. Rudies) kitted out with magnetic inline skates vying for dominance of Tokyo-to’s districts. You’re allied with Professor K, the DJ of a 24-hour pirate radio station called Jet Set Radio, whose mission is to expose the corrupt rulers of the city, the Rokkaku Corporation, and their police force cronies.

Fighting the power in the world of Jet Set Radio mostly entails grinding rails and tagging everything in sight. Most levels in the game give you a time limit to enter a city district and spray down a set number of marked locations. You choose small, medium, and large tags for your skater — you can design your own or collect them in a tough to reach spots throughout the levels — and mark up the town appropriately. Small tags go up with just a quick pull of the left trigger on your controller, but medium and large tags require you to slide the left analog stick in time with onscreen prompts. You’ve got to be quick, though. Mess up, and your score multiplier is broken. Plus, you’ve got cops bearing down on you and they will literally kill you if given the chance (the authorities’ murderous nature is part of what makes being a vandal okay in Jet Set’s world).

Adventures in graffiti are only as interesting as the town they take place in. Luckily Tokyo-to is one hell of a city. Each district is a glorious tiered structure of train tracks, banisters, scaffolds, and billboards, all of which can be used to keep your skater moving fast, and gaining air. The skaters you unlock — rivals will periodically challenge you to trick-offs and races, joining the GGs if you win — have varying skills, but those that are fastest are the best because of how hard it is to move through the city. Jet Set Radio isn’t forgiving, and you have to learn both the rhythm of skating, how to properly line up a landing, and the layout of the sprawling neighborhoods if you hope to succeed. When you do, the flow of Jet Set is unlike any other. The first time you hug a corner, perfectly time a jump onto a billboard edge, and grind down a skyscraper, tagging as you go while the cops trail behind, you’ll cheer out loud.

You’ll be bobbing your head too. Hideki Naganuma’s songs and the other tunes compiled by sound director, Fumitaka Shibata, still make up one of the best soundtracks ever in a game. The fusion of late-90s J-Pop and sample-heavy hip-hop has aged marvelously. Jet Set’s sound is more indebted to Shonen Knife, post-Paul’s Boutique Beastie Boys and The Avalanches than Kool Keith, and it still works. The HD remaster is only missing a couple of tracks from the original release, one of which was only featured in the PAL version of the game anyway.

Taking down Poison Jam in the Tokyo-to sewers, spray painting Captain Onishima in the face before he shoots you, designing your very own tag in the game’s editor, grinding a rail—It’s cool. Very cool.

Conclusion

Nostalgia can be poisonous for a game. Jet Set Radio isn’t without problems. The camera has as much trouble following you in the HD version as it did in the past. Niggling technical issues like that are barely worth mentioning though. This is the definitive version of the game, a big, beautiful presentation of one of Sega’s greatest creative achievements. It makes you aspire to coolness, and stands as an inspiring work in the tapestry of 2012’s games.

Score: 9 out of 10

(This game was reviewed on a PlayStation 3 copy provided by Sega)

The upcoming Mozilla Firefox OS is slated for a Q1 of 2013 release, but how is the development coming along? Here's our hands-on preview.

In attendance at the Pepcom Holiday Spectacular in New York City last night was Mozilla Firefox, and we got some hands-on time with the operating system the open-source web browser is currently developing. The Firefox OS (working name, as far as we know) is still in a heavy beta mode, and is built entirely on HTML5. The rep we spoke to demoed the OS using an unbranded ZTE phone, noting that Firefox has stripped the Android out of the phone and created its own operating system from the ground up.

What what we can see, the OS is fully web-based in that every app and functionality runs off the web browser. Making phone calls is equivalent to calling on Skype, taking pictures is akin to snapping flicks with Apple’s Photo Booth, searching straight from the homepage is like having a shortcut to the Firefox search tool bar. There’s also a cartoony game built into the phone that uses a tap to perform actions interface, and it’s clear that the OS still has a bit of a way to go before its scheduled release date early next year.

Mozilla even tried to build a glasses-less 3D rendering that you can see, touch, and move… but this feature was still a bit buggy and did not respond too well to touchscreen interface just yet. We’ll cut it some slack considering it has several months to go, but web developers should definitely gear up for some fun programming time once the open source OS becomes available for your modding pleasures.

The Firefox OS is all part of a collaboration between ZTE and Mozilla to roll out its own system that doesn’t rely on Windows or Android. The finished OS is slated to arrive overseas first, with mobile network operators Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Smart, Telecom Italia, Telenor, and Etisalat backing the experimental platform, reports Reuters. We hope to catch up with the development team in a few months and see how their work comes along, and whether it’s got something entirely different to offer that truly distinguishes it from the rest.

There's been heavy backlash to the new Apple Maps, and if you're one of the angry hoards, check out some of the best alternative GPS options available in the App Store.

Now that iOS 6 has forced Google Maps off the… well, map, and infiltrated our home bar with Apple Maps, it’s time we stake some claim over the ecosystem. Word is that Google is trying to get its proprietary maps app out the door and onto the iPhone as quickly as possible, but there’s some holdup. In the meantime, here are a few alternative mapping options that could easily give Apple Maps a run for its money.

MotionX GPS Drive — $0.99

This GPS app has a 4+ rating and features a pretty deep social integration – if that’s something you’re into. You can check-in directly from MotionX GPS Drive as well as use Wikipedia and Local Search directly. There are lots of little extras like a parking spot marker and live compass as well. Now the maps – what actually matter – aren’t really the most aesthetically pleasing. They’re busy and a little childish-looking, but they get the job done: The app has live traffic maps, turn-by-turn voice directions, and active lane guidance for confusing routes. 

MapQuest – Free

Mapquest is a veteran (albeit an ailing one) of the mapping market. That said, its app has been a popular one even before Apple Maps came in and blew the door wide open for new competitors. Its turn-by-turn functionality won it plenty of users even when Google Maps had top billing, and its price – free – made it a popular choice among more expensive options. The app also has live traffic integration, re-routes you in real-time if need be, and while the maps aren’t as easy-on-the-eyes as Google or Apple Maps, they are fairly familiar and do a good job cutting down on clutter and keeping things simple and clean.

Waze – Free

You may have heard the name Waze mentioned a handful of times within the last few days: The social maps platform has been working with Apple on iOS 6’s Maps, and apparently, has some not-so-flattering things to say about the new product. But all that aside, Waze has made a name for itself as an iPhone GPS alternative. It includes real-time traffic information, route learner (so it knows your common destinations,) and even a feature that finds you the cheapest gas on your trip. The UI isn’t going to win many style points, but it’s hey — it’s free and feature-full, so you’ll have to take what you can get.

GPS by Telenav — Free

First things first: If you’re used to the clean-cut look of Google Maps, you’ll have to forgive this app’s cartoonish look. After you’ve gotten over this hurdle, start looking a little deeper below the surface. Turn-by-turn directions, cheap gas spots, and traffic info are all here. It’s a fairly simple little app, but the location plotting should be more accurate.

Garmin Street Pilot — $0.99

Garmin brings you quite a bit in this affordable app. In addition to 3D imaging, turn-by-turn, and social network check-ins, the app also has public transit information available for major metropolitan areas. This is arguably the biggest flaw in new Apple Maps feature, and luckily most of us can use this to replace that serious oversight. Of course, there are subscription fees enforced after your first 30 day of use, but if you’re seriously missing the functionality but loving the look of Apple Maps, Street Pilot might be worth the extra buck.

Forever Map by Skobbler — $2.99

The Skobbler platform uses the OpenStreetMaps for its data set, a company that’s been getting increasing attention for the work it’s doing with mapping the world we know. Forever Map is the premium version of what the Skobbler team has been able to do with all that information. Maps load incredibly quickly, and you can save maps as well, so no more worrying about losing directions during travel (an especially big coup for international travelers). The maps themselves look rather plain and ordinary, but it’s an upgrade from some of the child-oriented products we’ve seen.

AirPlay and WiDi made big promises of screen mirroring made easy, but both were too closed to succeed. New Miracast technology could finally give consumers an easy, wireless way to stream content from a laptop or smartphone to a TV.

Few things make me feel like I’m living in the future as much as wirelessly beaming movies and music from a mobile device to a big-screen TV or home audio component. Oh, you haven’t heard that song yet? Let me stream it right through your speakers! Missed the latest episode of Top Chef Masters? I have it here on my laptop, let’s pop the high-definition video up on your TV — no wires necessary. That’s right up there with hoverboards and robot butlers in my book, folks.

One problem: It’s not that easy yet. The two major wireless media streaming technology options available today — Apple’s excellent AirPlay and Intel’s, um, improving WiDi — struggle with major flaws that majorly limit their usefulness.

The best hope for a wire-free mobile future rode in this week in the form of Miracast, a new standard backed by the same organization that watches over Wi-Fi itself. It’s an innovative technology that’s backed by a bunch of big-name players and breaks many of the chains holding WiDi and AirPlay back, but Miracast has some hurdles to leap before it becomes a household name.

The problems with WiDi and AirPlay

The biggest issue with WiDi and AirPlay is that they’re proprietary and available on very limited hardware. Only Apple devices broadcast AirPlay signals, and only the Apple TV set-top box or select home theater equipment can receive that signal. WiDi’s restricted to select laptops and notebooks with Intel Core processors inside, plus you have to pay about $100 for a WiDi adapter for your TV. Bleh.

On the positive side, that adapter allows WiDi broadcasters and receivers to talk to each other directly; AirPlay has to piggyback on an external Wi-Fi network. If you don’t have a Wi-Fi network set up, you can’t use AirPlay. (Apple’s rumored to be working on “AirPlay Direct” to ditch the reliance on outside Wi-Fi, however.)

Another issue lies in actually using the wireless streaming technologies. AirPlay’s a model of clean engineering and pretty much works like a charm every time you use it, but WiDi is another matter completely. Intel’s technology frequently suffers from horrible lag, and it didn’t support 1080p video or Blu-ray streaming until earlier this year. A scheduled October update could help things, but we won’t know until we see it.

Finally, WiDi and AirPlay are only kinda wireless. Both require the use of a box that connects to your TV via an HDMI cable, if you want to stream video from your phone or tablet.

Miracast basics

Miracast, on the other hand, requires no additional hardware or external Wi-Fi networks. It uses the Wi-Fi Direct standard to create a direct wireless network between the sending device and the receiving device. In other words, just pair your mobile device with your TV or stereo and you’re good to go. Both devices need to be Miracast certified for the technology to work, but if you want to stream music and movies to a non-certified device, there will be Miracast adapters available that plug into HDMI or USB ports.

Even better, the Wi-Fi Alliance has ensured that the protected content woes that plagued WiDi’s launch won’t happen to Miracast; anything you can see or hear on your mobile device can be streamed to your television. That includes full 1080p HD video and yep, even DRM-protected media like DVDs or Blu-rays.

Everyone can join this wireless party

Like Wi-Fi itself — and unlike WiDi and AirPlay — Miracast is an open, optional certification that any manufacturer can apply for if their products meet the standard. That alone gives it a big potential leg-up over already-established technologies.

In fact, a number of big-name technology manufacturers are already onboard the Miracast bandwagon. Samsung — the world’s most prolific smartphone maker — is signed up, and Nvidia has pledged to certify its Tegra mobile processors — found in scores of smartphones and tablets — to the Miracast standard. Sony, LG, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm have all publicly issued statements of support.

Even Intel wants in on the action: All WiDi products have already been Miracast certified, as have LG’s Optimus G smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S III, the Samsung Echo-P Series TV, and a number of various chips and adapters.

The sending and receiving gadgets don’t have to be from the same manufacturer, either. A Samsung phone should stream content to a Sony TV just fine, provided both are Miracast certified. Spiffy.

An AirPlay rival at last?

Things look pretty good for Miracast. Many would-be technologies die on the vine due to a sheer lack of adoption, but with the Wi-Fi Alliance and its assorted manufacturer partners on board, that doesn’t seem likely to happen to Miracast.

The biggest potential pitfall, as I see it, lies in customer confusion; it’s great that Intel certified its WiDi devices, but some of WiDi’s more advanced features won’t work if one of the two devices is “only” Miracast certified. That could confuse some people, but I don’t foresee it becoming a major issue because frankly, Intel’s WiDi isn’t in the hearts, minds or laptops of most people yet. A successful Miracast very well could kill it off in short order.

WiDi-esque lag could slow Miracast adoption as well; we’ll have to see how well the first wave of devices play together.

Will Miracast be successful? That’s the million-dollar question, but all signs point to yes. It’s more flexible and more universal than current wireless display technologies, and even better, you don’t need to pay extra for additional adapters or wires unless you want to stream content to a non-certified TV. With the big names backing the standard, Miracast should theoretically pop up in a large number of TVs, smartphones, tablets and laptops in short order.

If you ask me, Miracast is here to stay. Folks who haven’t bitten into Apple will be able to get a taste of mobile display mirroring that’s hopefully as easy-to-use as AirPlay. Who knows? If Miracast takes off, maybe Macs and iDevices will one day ditch the proprietary AirPlay and embrace the open-standard goodness. (Hey, it could happen.)

Now, someone needs to start working on those robot butlers.