Over the past couple weeks, more details have emerged regarding Microsoft’s still-in-development, so-called “iPod Killer”.  The device now has a code name (Project Argos), and we know that the project is being headed by Vice President J. Allard. Furthermore, we know that a family of XBox-branded handheld, WiFi-enabled devices are in the works.  So could Gates’ iPod killer be not only a competitor to Apple’s iPod, but also to Sony’s PSP?  Hmm..sounds like a darn good possibility at this point.

The fabled device would potentially not only play music and videos, but would also be WiFi enabled and include the famed XBox gaming platform.  As of yet, iPod doesn’t have games, and the inclusion of such could sway a few consumers towards the Microsoft product.

It’s likely that we will find out something more official at the financial analysts meeting on July 27, after the Q4 earnings results.  While I don’t have any inside sources on this one, the Seattle Times seems to think that an annoucement will be made at the meeting.

Gamer girls, particular those who play Counter Strike, have put together a website to serve as “a place for female gamers of Counter-Strike to show themselves, their art/creativity and music while helping to eliminate negative stereotypes towardas female gamers.”

GirlsofCS.com features nude pin-ups of female gamers, and is currently in public beta.  A visit to the site insists that you need an invite to enter, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you don’t need one!  Follow this link, and you will then be taken to the public beta site.

GirlsofCS also have MySpace profiles, and a group.  You can check out the pics, chat with the girls, and play them in some CS games. 

If any gamer girls out there are interested in modeling for the site, Hillary at GirlsofCS says that they are actively seeking new models to add to their collection of photos.

Note: They seem to be having load time issues with the site right now, so you may want to try back later, or keep trying.  I spoke with the owner, and they aknowledge the problem and are working on fixing it. 

A survey carried out by popular Japanese gameing magazine Famitsu put Nintendo’s Wii console firmly at the top of the most-wanted list after E3. The survey first asked Japanese gamers which games interested them the most at E3; the top 10 are given below:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii/GC)
2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
4. Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen & The Tower of Mirrors (Wii)
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
6. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
7. Final Fantasy III (DS)
8. Monster Hunter 3 (PS3)
9. Biohazard (Wii)
10. Halo 3 (360)

The other important question was which console most interested them. The Wii was the clear winner with 68.8%, the PlayStation 3 came in second with 21%, and the Xbox 360 wound up third with 7.2%. The Nintendo DS got just 3% of the votes.

Most people said that the PS3 price was just too high (84.4%).

Wii is clearly the winner of E3, Sony has to get its marketing right to catch up and Microsoft’s advantage is that they’re live already!

While Sony’s Playstation 2 currently dominates the Japanese video game market,  it may not be for very long.  The console wars between the new Playstation 3, the Nintendo Wii, and the XBox 360 are heating up, and the latest polls show that Sony may have priced themselves out of the #1 spot.

A survey of Famitsu magazine readers in Japan revealed that 70% are most looking forward to the new Nintendo Wii, and 88.4% believe that the Playstation 3 has been priced too high.

What are you most interested in checking out?  The Wii or the PS3?

With a strong showing at E3 and a decent following already, Nintendo looks to be the number one next gen system in homes.

There have been reports that the Nintendo will cost around the $200 mark. The most recent guess at that price was by a Forbes analyst. Other rumors are abounding that one reason Nintendo has yet to announce a price is that they will be offering it free with the purchase of four games and an extra controller. Either way it goes it should run you between $199 and $249.

Now why would I say that Nintendo will be the number one system? Everybody is saying that Nintendo is slated to be number three… That the battle will be between Xbox (at $299 for the core system) and PS3 ($499 for the basic version). It’s also being said that most homes will be able to have 2 systems each and that Nintendo will always be the second purchase because it’s cheaper then the other two.

Now, maybe I failed math one to many times in high school… But if 50% of the people buy an Xbox and the other 50% buy a PS3… but all 100% buy a Nintendo as a second system, then I see that as Nintendo in the lead, and Xbox and PS3 fighting for 2nd.

However it turns out… Nintendo has stated that they still have Major surprises left in store before the release. And my guess is the price will be one of them.

Opera announced Wednesday that Nintendo will use the Opera browser on the upcoming Wii gaming console.  As internet connectivity is an integral part of the Wii experience, the console will showcase a Connect24 feature that keeps the system online 24 hours a day.

In February, Nintendo announced that Opera would be included on the Nintendo DS and DS lite.  The Opera browser is expected to roll out for the DS in Japan this summer.

“For our Wii console launch in 2006, we required a browser that was fast and secure with support for the latest standards including AJAX. Opera proved perfect for our purposes and is an exceptional addition to both the Nintendo DS and the Wii console,” said Genyo Takeda, senior managing director and general manager, Integrated Research & Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd.