According to Game Informer, who heard it from Neil Schneider, who heard it from Blitz Games Studio… Sony’s PS3 may be getting a BIOS update sometime in 2009 that will allow the console to support stereoscopic 3D for both movies and, potentially, games.

Am I the only person that thinks this is just a really dumb idea? Or at least a really pointless one…

Maybe I’m jaded because I’m old enough that I was able to suffer through the headache-inducing 3D nightmare that was Nintendo’s VirtualBoy (and I still own one…), but the thought of console gaming in 3D makes me cringe.

Even when 3D doesn’t leave me queasy and needing to lie down for a few hours, I don’t really find it all that interesting. The idea behind it is to make you feel more immersed in the experience by making things “pop out” and look more real. For me, it’s always had the exact opposite effect. The 3D effects always look hokey and staged, they interrupt the cinematic flow instead of complimenting it, and usually it’s just some random object flying out of the screen at the audience, intended to get a shock reaction from those watching. It’s like a cheap boob shot in a slasher movie… cliche and there just because it can be.

Which begs the question… will this even catch on with game developers (beyond a handful of early titles attempting to capitalize on it before the inevitable hype let-down kills the whole thing)? For that matter, will it catch on with gamers this time around?

And perhaps most importantly… are we still going to have to wear those stupid cardboard glasses?

At last, something I really wanted to hear… Square Enix has finally announced a release date for the North American version of Dissidia Final Fantasy. Well… alright, a release range. Sometime mid-year, 2009. But at least they’ve finally confirmed that we’re getting the damned thing.

Dissida looks to be the Smash Bros. of the Final Fantasy world, bringing together the heros and villains of nearly the entire series into one fighter mash-up.

The PSP title released today in Japan. Along with it come the Suntory-produced Potions. This round comes in grape and grapefruit flavors, but each can bearing a Yoshitaka Amano illustration of one of 16 characters on it. There’s also a nifty commercial for the potions over on YouTube

… although it doesn’t even come close to topping the commercial for the FFXII branded potions awhile back.

And about time.

Nintendo launched Club Nintendo for North America today. So what does this mean? The “club” is more of a rewards program, in which gamers register their Nintendo-published games (and certain WiiWare titles) and fill out surveys ‘n such to receive Coins, which can then be cashed in on the site for prizes.

So what can you get? Lots of nifty stuff if you’re a DS owner… not so much for us Wii people yet. You can check out the current rewards here.

The sites seems to be getting slammed pretty hard right now, so don’t be shocked if the registration process doesn’t go quickly for you.

Another sluggish week of releases… unless you were waiting on Rock Band 2 for Wii, or the new Strong Bad WiiWare title, stay away from the stores (and the holiday shopping crowds) and finish up those games from a couple weeks ago.

For Consoles

Rise of the Argonauts | PS3 | 360
In this action RPG, the King of Iolcus, Jason, vows to take revenge on his fiance’s killers. To accomplish this, Jason must seek out the Golden Fleece and with the help of Greek mythology’s greatest heroes, set sail on the most epic voyage of all.

Rock Band 2 | Wii | PS2
For you Wii and PS2 owners out there who have been waiting for your chance at Rock Band 2, well… here ya go.

Deer Drive | Wii
An arcade-style, multiplayer hunting game. Grab a gun, hunt some deer.

New on WiiWare

Strong Bad Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough (1000 Wii Points)
The dragon Trogdor has has escaped from his video game and is running through the countryside, “burninating” everything in sight. With a dragon on the loose and 8-bit classics leaking into the real world, Strong Bad must send the menace back into his arcade cabinet once and for all.

Big Kahuna Party (700 Wii Points)
Embark on a tropical adventure in this unique multiplayer experience in which you can choose to work together to complete the challenging levels before the timer runs out, or go head-to-head and compete in a frenzy of fun.

For Handhelds

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled | Nintendo DS
In this RPG, Bel Lenora is a world where people are born with magic at their command. Years ago, a single man walked the land with no magic in his veins and single-handedly brought death and tragedy. He was banished by a brave General at a great cost. It has been fifteen years since his banishment and once again, a young man with no magic walks the land of Bel Lenora.

Learn Math | Nintendo DS
In an attempt to make the hellish nightmare of math seem “fun”, they’ve made it into a video game. For grades 1 through 4.

Matchstick | Nintendo DS
A game featuring puzzles with matchsticks. Players must rotate or add matchsticks to make certain shapes within a time limit.

Mystery P.I. Portrait of a Thief | Nintendo DS
Priceless paintings have gone missing, and fakes are in their place, but there are no leads to the crime. Uncover clues to paint the thief into a corner in 70 seek and solve puzzles.

Sony finally announced this morning that the open beta of Playstation Home will be available worldwide on December 11. And that’s even December 11 of 2008. Yes, that would, indeed, be tomorrow. So it looks like PS3 gamers long wait is finally over, and those who weren’t fortunate enough to dive headlong into the closed beta will finally have their chance.

Not yet owning a PS3, it’s sort of anti-climactic from my end, as it’s not really something I’ve been able to look forward to. But for those who have been looking forward to it, the service will be available as a free download, and basic access will also be free of charge.

If you’re interested, Kotaku has Sony’s press release from this morning.

It’s a sleepy week in video game land… Even the DS isn’t getting it’s usual slew of new titles. Just to give you an idea of how meager the offerings are, the most promising title this week is probably Persona 4 for the PS2.

For Consoles

RYGAR: The Battle of Argus | Wii
Battle of Argus is a port of the PS2 title, Rygar: The Legendary Adventure… which, itself, was an update of the original Nintendo title, Rygar. More or less an hack ‘n slash action game.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 | PS2
Chronologically the sixth in the Persona series, Persona 4 is an RPG that takes place in the town of Inaba, where murders have been occurring in the fog following every heavy rain.

Story Hour: Fairy tales | Wii
Not so much a game as an interactive book, Story Hour is geared towards preschoolers and parents. Frankly, it’d be a lot cheaper to just buy a book of fairy tales, but it this is your kind of thing, Story Hour contains The 12 Dancing Princesses, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Cinderella.

Word Jong Party | Wii
Something like a combination of Mah Jong and Boggle, you have to form words in order to clear the board. WordJong supports up to four players, and has a solo story mode.

New on WiiWare

Bruiser and Scratch (1000 Wii Points)
Bruiser and Scratch are stranded in a strange world and their only hope in finding a path home is to unravel the mystery of this place, one puzzle at a time.

Hockey Allstar Shootout (500 Wii Points)
Use the Wii Remote as a hockey stick and take the shot as you compete in Head 2 Head, Two-player, and Sharp Shooter modes.

For Handhelds

Build-a-Lot | Nintendo DS
Become a real estate mogul and take over the housing market. Kind of like Flip that House, on your DS.

Dungeon Maker II: The Hidden War | PSP
Something of an action RPG/construction sim title, the gameplay in Dungeon Maker II is a mix of dungeon creation and monster slashing, wherein you must delve deeper into the ground in order to lure monsters to fight.

Driver’s Ed Portable | Nintendo DS
Drivers’ Ed Portable aims to prepare your for the written portion of the driver’s license exam, customized to the country, state or province in which you live. Considering the way most people in this town already drive, the idea that some of our future drivers might be studying for their license on the DS frightens me.

Left Brain Right Brain 2 | Nintendo DS
Designed to train both your weak and dominant hands, and at the same time train both the left and right sides of your brain, this game features mini games based on speed, accuracy, association, recognition, memory and strategy.

It’s 20 degrees out there right now, with a wind chill of something like -3 (though it felt more like -20 during my 2 block walk from my car to the office…). So here’s some games to help keep you nice and toasty now that winter seems to be settling in to stay.

10. Beyond Good & Evil for PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. Explore the world map in your hovercraft, race, photograph wildlife… and as a bonus, sneak around, break into places, and head out to expose corruption and stop and evil invading force. Besides… with Jade wearing that outfit, it can’t be too cold.

9. Mirror’s Edge for PS3 and 360. Ok, so there’s nothing very “summery” about this per se, but the fury you will feel after having fallen from a 50 story building to your untimely demise should heat things up.

8. Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube. Head to the beach with Mario, enjoy the sand and surf… and squash some goombas along the way.

7. Rockband 2 for PS3 and 360. Work up a sweat on drums, or get into the groove on guitar or vocals. Either the physical activity will warm you up, or the utter humiliation will.

6. Tak and the Guardians of Gross for Wii. Spend some time with Tak and the rest of the Pupununu villagers in the jungle. Jungles are warm, right?

5. Donkey Konga 2 for GameCube. Or, if you prefer, spend some more time in the jungle with DK and Diddy, and play the bongos, instead.

4. Mario Kart Wii for Wii. The many races tracks of the Mario Kart circuit should take your ming off the fact that frostbite is setting in… as long as you avoid those ice-covered raceways.

3. Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party for Wii. Advertised as the first video game you can play with your butt, this one makes optional use of the Balance Board to get you up and moving.

2. Endless Ocean for Wii. Strap on your scuba tank and go for a swim in warm tropical waters.

1. Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3 for 360 or Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 for Wii. If you’re not sweating after a few rounds of DDR, there’s either something very wrong with you, or you’re in way better shape than I am.

In my efforts to make your holiday shopping a little easier (at least for the gamers on your list…) here’s another round of gaming discounts.

Today’s Amazon GoldBox deals feature Wii games. The deal of the day is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for 48% off, and lighting deals will be popping up every few hours.

You’ll find more Wii-related discounts over in the 15 Days, 15 Deals section… both games and accessories today.

Also, GameFly is offering holiday discounts on on gift certificates, if you would prefer to let that special someone choose their own games.

I’ll be sure to let you all know if I find any more.

I really do. Not because of all the Christmas spirit and family gatherings and whatnot… because of the shopping. You don’t often see better deals than during the period between the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas (except for maybe the after-Christmas clearance sales…).

On that note, today marks the beginning of Amazon’s 15 Days, 15 Deals promotion, and the video game section is off to a promising start. Today’s deal features Guitar Hero World Tour (Guitar Kit version… the game and one guitar) for about 40% off the regular price, your choice of system.

14 more deals will be coming, so keep an eye out.

Counting the hours before Re: Chain of Memories is in your hands while simultaneously doing what you’re actually paid to do requires a break every once in awhile, right? See how you do on this…

Can you name the Video Game Systems (released in the U.S.)? quiz where you must name every U.S.-released gaming console you can think of in 12 minutes.

My best was 39 out of 69.