Hi all apologies for the recent downtime, seems we got mainpaged slashdotted and it killed the servers, must have been a lot on because it hammered our seperate database server, im not sure if me restarting all 4 servers did it or martin stepped in, but we are back, pity the server didnt hold out as we would have broke our record im sure.
Ill Work through the night to ensure we are 100% back up to date on the homebrew and gaming front
Flubba has released a new version of his NeoGeo Pocket Colour Emulator for GBA (DS via the GBA Slot)
Heres whats new:
A couple of fixes for NGPAdvance, some more games should be playable.
*Fixed copy protection in "Metal Slug 2" (SNK logo in VRAM).
*Fixed control problem in "Rockman Battle & Fighters" (MIRR opcode).
*Fixed background glitch in "Memories of Pure" (HCount register).
*Fixed problems with DMA probably affecting many games.
Flubba has released a new version of his NeoGeo Pocket Colour Emulator for GBA (DS via the GBA Slot)
Heres whats new:
A couple of fixes for NGPAdvance, some more games should be playable.
*Fixed copy protection in "Metal Slug 2" (SNK logo in VRAM).
*Fixed control problem in "Rockman Battle & Fighters" (MIRR opcode).
*Fixed background glitch in "Memories of Pure" (HCount register).
*Fixed problems with DMA probably affecting many games.
The next iteration of the Wii will bring HD visuals, as well as improved storage capacity and will see the light of day in 2011, according to recent speculative reports.
A report on What They Play, authored by ex-1UP staffer John Davison and picked up by Edge Online, cites multiple sources detailing the Wii's successor. It's expected to retain the Wii name that having been initially mocked is now a byword for the expanded market the console has carved out. The new console will also address key issues with the current Wii, namely the lack of true HD visuals and the lack of storage space, and will mark a generational leap similar to that of from the original Game Boy to the Game Boy Advance.
Nintendo's R & D budget has reportedly tripled since the launch of the Wii in 2006, providing compelling evidence that a new console is in an advanced stage of pre-production. Don't expect any announcement soon, however – with the Wii still enjoying phenomenal success, it would be unlikely that Nintendo would want to spoil the party any time soon.
Today Game Developer magazine announced Nintendo has been selected as the top videogame publisher for the second year in a row. The top 20 list is determined by a survey of over 300 game industry professionals and takes into account factors like revenue, average review scores, and number of releases. Electronic Arts (EA) long held the number one spot until Nintendo unseated the company last year, although EA is still at number 2.
"Nintendo's second chart-topping appearance in a row underscores the extraordinary popularity of the firm's first-party Wii and DS franchises – we congratulate them on their achievement," said Simon Carless, director, Game Developer Research.
Rounding out the top 5 are Activision in the third spot for the third year running, Ubisoft holding onto fourth, and Sony Computer Entertainment in fifth. Sony was able to leap into the top 5 by releasing more games, bettering its review scores, and preserving positive relationships with those surveyed.
Codemasters (Grid, Overlord) reappeared on the list at number 18 after a two-year leave, bumping last year's new addition, Atlus, off entirely.
As the world patiently waits for any news on Crystal Bearers, Square Enix has gone about announcing yet another game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series. The latest issue of Jump Magazine is home to first details on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time.
Described as a sequel to DS's Rings of Fate, Echoes of Time promises multi-player play with up to four players selecting from four different character classes.
Here's the big catch though. Echoes of Time is coming out on simultaneously on both the Wii and DS, and the game will be cross-platform playable. DS players use the stylus for control, with Wii players using the Wiimote.
Jump reports that Echoes of Time makes use of a new cross platform system called the "Pollux Engine." Wii and DS players connect to one-another via Wi-Fi. In addition to chat features, the cross-platform play allows DS players to import their Miis over from the Wii.
The Jump article also mentions that the game can be played with friends throughout the world over Wi-Fi.
Outside of this, specifics are a bit scarce. The game's storyline centers on a main character who's approaching her 16th birthday. At the outset of the game, she ventures out of the village for the first time and encounters a massive tower.
This unexpected entry in the Crystal Chronicles franchise will hit the Wii and DS in Japan on January 29. Both versions will be priced at 4,800 yen, which is normal pricing for a DS title but about 1,000 yen less than most Wii games.
As the world patiently waits for any news on Crystal Bearers, Square Enix has gone about announcing yet another game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series. The latest issue of Jump Magazine is home to first details on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Echoes of Time.
Described as a sequel to DS's Rings of Fate, Echoes of Time promises multi-player play with up to four players selecting from four different character classes.
Here's the big catch though. Echoes of Time is coming out on simultaneously on both the Wii and DS, and the game will be cross-platform playable. DS players use the stylus for control, with Wii players using the Wiimote.
Jump reports that Echoes of Time makes use of a new cross platform system called the "Pollux Engine." Wii and DS players connect to one-another via Wi-Fi. In addition to chat features, the cross-platform play allows DS players to import their Miis over from the Wii.
The Jump article also mentions that the game can be played with friends throughout the world over Wi-Fi.
Outside of this, specifics are a bit scarce. The game's storyline centers on a main character who's approaching her 16th birthday. At the outset of the game, she ventures out of the village for the first time and encounters a massive tower.
This unexpected entry in the Crystal Chronicles franchise will hit the Wii and DS in Japan on January 29. Both versions will be priced at 4,800 yen, which is normal pricing for a DS title but about 1,000 yen less than most Wii games.
Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healy has outlined his vision for a handheld LittleBigPlanet, revealing how gamers could create content on the move to add later into the PlayStation 3 version.
"There's definitely scope for a PSP version," Healy told Eurogamer TV, in an exclusive interview to be broadcast next week. "We've had discussions and talks, [but] nothing concrete at the moment."
He went on to describe how he saw the innovative title transferring onto Sony's handheld. "It'd be great to make - for the people who are really into the Create side - some kind of companion products that allow you to create things while you're on the train," he said. "One thing that I'd love to add is the ability to create you're own music, for example, that you can import into the game. That seems like an obvious one to do and it'd be quite easy really."
Healy also hinted that any spin-off products in the franchise could be handled externally, "because we're very keen to keep this very tight core of people."
"If we need to expand for extra content, for whatever reason, maybe we'd be more likely to outsource it."
Further evidence of a PSP version of LittleBigPlanet emerged this week with the discovery of a job ad for a "PSP Game Engine Lead", seeking "a senior level programmer to work on the development of exciting new LittleBigPlanet projects".
The Guildford-based developer's debut title releases on PlayStation 3 on 24th October.
GeeXboX is a media player software. It can play videos, play music (with visualization) and display photo slideshows.
Major new features: bluetooth (remote control, obex file push, networking and audio partially working), USB storage, USB Ethernet, http/telnet/ftp server, netstreaming, image viewer, goom visuals for audio playback, .... Most of the new features are fully or partially tested, some are not, yet.
20081001: 0.1alpha3. Bugfix release.
Implementation of optional 'vsync' to improve screen tearing in certain cases
Support for on-the-fly aspect ratio change
Fixed DVD-VIDEO aspect ratio error when switching between menu and movie
Disabling libass to fix lagging and freezing caused by text subtitles
Disabling colored spu to fix DVD-VIDEO/vobsub subtitile display
Support for vobsub subtitles in rar archive format
Support for optionally lowering subtitles into blackbars
Fixed subtitle charset conversion
Update to MPlayer r27630
Mail for Exchange, Nokia's Microsoft Exchange client for S60 powered Nokia phones, has been upgraded to version 2.7. Updates include support for Exchange Server 2007 Autodiscover (enter your email address and server settings are automatically provisioned), updated mapping of data fields in Contacts and a number of bug fixes. As was recently announced the new version can also now be installed on any Nokia S60 3rd Edition phone.
The Exchange Server 2007 Autodiscover functionality must be enabled and configured by your system administrator. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Mail for Exchange you will need to perform a full resync in order to take advantage of the new Contact field mapping (middle name, car phone, department, spouse and anniversary).
We're still waiting for full folder support in Nokia's Mail for Exchange. The application is in continual development so there's a good chance we'll see improved functionality in future versions. However if folder support is a feature your require you may wish to look at DataViz's RoadSync.
Digia have today announced the immediate shipping of @Web, their Webkit based UIQ 3 browser. This application, which has been in fairly open beta testing for the last few months, brings full S60, iPhone & Google Android style browsing to the UIQ 3 platform.
@Web is designed to run on touchscreen UIQ 3 phones, so does not support the Motorola Z8 or Z10 handsets (which is a pity), but it's a great advance over the built-in Opera based browser included in most UIQ 3 phones and will work for those of you with Sony Ericsson P, M, or W series phones. @Web uses an intuitive, almost gesture based interface, which in some ways resembles what Apple have done on the iPhone's version of Sefari.
@Web features include:
Browser UI features
Full finger touch UI
Page control with finger
Accelerated panning
Automatic full screen browsing via auto-hiding Address bar and Navigation bar
Page rotation for portrait and landscape browsing
Four zoom levels
Intelligent Bookmark functionality (auto-sorting)
Bookmark folders
Bookmark favicons
URL auto-complete (from history)
URL auto-complete (from history)
"Page loading in progress" indicator
Browser Engine features
HTML 4.01
True web page rendering
JavaScript(tm) 1.5
HTTP 1.1 with support to secure and non-secure browsing
HTTP cache
HTTP cookies
AJAX support
Embedded audio (wav, mp3 and midi)
Netscape compatible Plug-in interface
External launch API
@Web engine is based on the open-source S60 webkit engine version 3.1 ported to UIQ platform by Digia. Other users of the webkit browser engine include Apple Safari browser, iPhone, Google Android and Nokia S60 browser. Digia will contribute source code modifications of the webkit engine to open-source.
It seems that the BBC's version of iPlayer for S60 has gone live, download it here. It has been implemented as a web runtime widget that kicks off streaming in RealPlayer. And it's also, naturally, a bit fussy about which devices it installs on. It seems happy with the N78, N95 and N96, obviously, other success stories welcome. Screenshots and more comments below...
The iPlayer application / widget opens a mobile version of the main iPlayer site. A number of shows are featured on the front page or you can browse for shows via channel or category. There's also a search function for tracking down shows by name.
If there was a contest for developers keeping the UIQ 3.x platform alive then AnotherGuest would win the first prize hands down. He has just released another port of a classic game, this time Kobo Deluxe, an enhanced version of XKobo, a scrolling space shooter. Enjoy and stay tuned for more.
It's been only two weeks since AnotherGuest released four ports of classic games and here comes another one: Kobo Deluxe, an enhanced version of XKobo, a scrolling space shooter. Freeware & open source, as always.
An easy way to install a Danish keyboard layout (with ć, ř and ĺ) and a Danish dictionary to Illume's keyboard. Dictionary from http://da.speling.org/ under GPL.
Sony will be kicking off a new initiative for SingStar tomorrow with the arrival of two Queen-themed SongPacks.
Each will cost GBP 4.49, and include five tracks from the legendary semi-dead rockers.
The first, Ultimate Queen 1, contains "Bohemian Rhapsody", "One Vision", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Killer Queen" and "Bicycle Race".
The second, Ultimate Queen 2, has "We Will Rock You", "Another One Bites The Dust", "Who Wants To Live Forever", "I Want It All" and "We Are The Champions".
Sony has more of these themed SongPacks planned for the future, although there's no telling what will be in them or when they might strike.
Apple has threatened to shut down the iTunes music store if an obscure three-person board appointed by the Librarian of Congress increase the royalties paid to publishers and songwriters by six cents per song. The Copyright Royalty Board is scheduled to hand down its decision on these rates Thursday. As part of their general muscle-flexing of late, music publishers asked the board to increase royalties paid to publishers and songwriters from 9 cents to 15 cents per track. Apple -- which has mightily resisted tampering in any way with its 99 cent price point for tracks -- said that if the rate hike goes through and the labels refuse to absorb the entire resulting increase, the iTunes music store will become unprofitable."
Microsoft plans to continue charging licensing fees from handset makers for Windows Mobile operating system and not follow the free offerings of Google and Nokia, reports Reuters. Microsoft charges $8 to $15 per phone, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, which sounds like shockingly high amount for a mobile operating system that's less than stellar, especially when you could get Android's decent (but not great) OS for free
A list of supposed PlayStation 3 Trophies for Grand Theft Auto IV has appeared on the internet - and it's almost identical to the 360 Achievements.
In fact the list only features one new task over the Xbox 360 version; the Platinum trophy "Taking a Liberty," which carries the explanation "Sorry for taking liberties with your time!"
For that reason it could well be some cheeky prankster copy and pasting the list and slapping on 'bronze' and 'silver' labels, so we're a bit cautious to call it legit.
Xbox 360 achievements are commonly leaked onto these sort of sites before launch, but the PS3's unlockables have thus far been a tighter kept secret.
We've left a message with Rockstar to see what we can get. We'll let you know if it gets back to us.
Apple this morning decided to completely drop the NDA for released software created from the official SDK.
Looks like all the commotion lately did in fact have an effect...
Quote:
We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.
We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being
Sony has announced that it will show off 11 new PlayStation 3 games in playable form at the Tokyo Game Show, along with three new titles for the PSP.
Of the new PS3 games, nine have been developed by internal Sony studios, with new titles from Konami and Irem making up the numbers.
As for the PSP, all three games are internal productions.
There's no word on what any of them are, but with the Tokyo Game Show taking place between 9th and 12th October next week, we won't have to wait long to find out - and we'll be there to bring you our thoughts on as many of them as possible.
Elsewhere on the Sony stand, we'll be treated to the likes of Street Fighter IV, Lumines Supernova, PlayStation Home, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2 and SOCOM for PS3, while PSP fans can check out LocoRoco 2, Patapon 2, Kingdom Hearts and many others.
Adobe has once again announced that they are working on Flash for the iPhone. In the past they have gone back and forth between we are doing it and we can't do it etc. so who knows if they are serious or not this time around.
At this years On the Beach conference during the Town Hall meeting sessions Paul Betlem, Sr. Director of Engineering at Adobe Systems, answered a direct question by the audience concerning Flash on the iPhone.
His response was some along the lines of "My team is working on Flash on the iPhone, but it's a closed platform." Hopefully they are really working on this and plan to go back to Apple for approval of whatever they come up with sometime
The two popular cracked app spots known mostly as "the place to get it and get out" (No forums, just cracked apps for miles) have fallen to retaliation against app crackers.
Appstorecracked lost all of its links to cracked apps this morning. Themobileapps.com fell last week and has shown no signs of re-emerging.
The two large cracked app spots are the first "big" spots to show retaliation against cracked apps. While themobileapps seems to have been completely stripped from the server, appstorecracked simply had it's app database removed this morning from 4shared and I'd bet you will see the site itself fall very shortly. With two sites falling we are probably just on the cusp of the tidal wave of actions against cracked apps.
As Apple continues it's fight to keep the iphone under their financial control, the war between users and Apple has seemed to spark almost a challenge for users to beat Apple at their own game. Crackers after all are not thieves, they...
The latest Famitsu has some info on one of those nine unannounced PS3 games coming from Sony and to be shown off at TGS next week. Demon's Souls is a single-player, fantasy-themed action-RPG being developed by From Software (and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, of Armored Core fame), and published by SCEJ. Though it's a new IP, the game's director and SCE producer mention From Software's RPG series King's Field – perhaps a spiritual successor of some kind? Demon's Souls will be playable at TGS, so we'll find out then, okay?
Zodttd has released a new version of his Genesis/Megadrive Emulator for Apple Iphone, heres whats new:
* A port of Notaz's continued support of PicoDrive.
* New interface/GUI similar to mame4iphone.
* Sound has been heavily improved! To enable sound, goto Now Playing and turn up the volume slider before entering a game.
* Save state support is now working.
* Supports zipped ROMs, and they happen to load much faster than unzipped ROMs...still!
* Sega CD support is implemented though currently untested by me.
TJHooka has released the first version of FreeSCI for the GP2X:
A first public release of freesci. This still may have a few problems (like on the F200 I drop the sound as low as possible off the start cause it's WAAAY too loud )
Other than that seems to be shaping up quite nice
The success of the Wii has landed the platform yet another franchise. Valhalla Knights, now with two installments on the PSP, is making the move over to Nintendo's console through Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga. Famitsu has a first report.
Eldar Saga tells the story of a world in a panic with the revival of magic thought long dead. Many lives are lost until four races, human, elf, dwarf, and hobbit, form a commonwealth whose armies push the magic to the far western land of Eldar.
The game is split into two chapters. You're free to select which chapter you'd like to start off with, and once you've cleared this, you go on to the next chapter, carrying your data over to the new quest.
You play as a character of your own creation. The game lets you set hair style and color, job, and other parameters like strength, vitality, intelligence, luck, and dexterity. Your choice of weapons also affects your character, with visible changes to your appearance.
Strangely, you're not able to set your race or gender initially. The game defaults to a male human for the first chapter. Once you get to the second chapter, however, you can select to be a female and choose from four races.
Famitsu didn't manage to get details on the game's battle system, but did note that the action feel of the battles appears to be retained with this new installment, and perhaps even heightened. The game will now put players in battle with some giant beasts.
Also, as a big bonus for players who don't like to play alone, the game will support Wi-Fi Connection for cooperative play. Two players will be able to team up.
Developed by K2, and featuring music by Motoi Sakuraba, Valhalla Knights Eldar Saga will be released in Japan through Marvelous Entertainment some time in 2009.
If you love your games not quite 2D and not quite 3D, Namco Bandai has your back. The company has announced via the latest Famitsu a a new entry in the Klonoa platforming series, and it's coming to the Japanese Wii later this year!
Fully titled Kaze no Klonoa Door to Phantomile, this Wii entry in the series is a remake of the original PlayStation Klonoa game. But the word "remake" should get a giant footnote here, as the visuals have evolved so far that you probably won't even recognize the game.
For its appearance on the Wii, Namco is also putting use the Wiimote to good use -- although not for any of that motion jive that you'll find in other Wii games. The Wiimote is held horizontally here, with the game making use of just the D-pad and 1 and 2 buttons. The 2 button is used to jump and fly through the stages. The 1 button is used to grab enemies and either throw them or use them to leap higher.
Outside of this, Namco is promising fine-tuned difficulty and possibly some other Wii-style elements.
Japanese Wii owners can look forward to Klonoa's revival on December 4.
New Xbox 360 models have been spotted using upgraded components, said to make the infamous Red Ring of Death a thing of the past.
The newest 360s are fitted with new 'Jasper' motherboards, says a report on Joey Gadget, as well as a new and improved graphics chip.
The upgraded components are smaller and emit less heat, according to the techies, which in turn should mean no more red lights on your 360, and less postman visits to send your console off to Xbox repairs.
To be honest, we've not experienced or heard of anywhere near as many RRoD incidents over the last year anyway (apart from our launch office 360 which died last week and is now being used as a prop to raise Gav's monitor).
The problem behind the infamous 360 hardware failures, which cost Microsoft $1 billion in warranty extensions, has never been officially disclosed.
According to Gartner analyst Bryan Lewis though, the defect was down to Microsoft's decision to manufacture the 360's graphic chip itself, rather than paying a third party.
If you're keen to find one of the new 'Jasper' 360s, you should look for a manufacturing date as early as June 8, 2008, 'Lot 8031' and up, and 'Team CSON' on the back of the console - though you'll probably have to bribe the bloke behind the counter to see it.
Lazy 1 posted some screens of his Wolf3D port to DS:
Here are a few new images, I'm not sure about the graphics on the bottom screen though.
That text on the left looks out of place but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to remove it.
Jayenkai has posted a new version of JNKPlatDS, heres the release details:
The Game
A simple puzzle platform game. Get to the exit to complete each level.
Be aware, though.. This game is more a Puzzle game than it is a Platformer. There are many weird grid-based things that are leftovers from that style. Most noticable is Platdude's very specific Jump. One up, Three across.
The Blue Circles (Super Precious Gems!!) are collectable. You don't need them, but there's a total on the main menu. Get 'em all, and you get to say "I got 'em all!"
The Controls
There's two jump buttons, and a hold button.
The hold button, B, can be used to dangle from hooks, vines and red floors. It can also be used to drag red boxes.
The two jump buttons, Y and A, jump left and right respectively. It's easy once you try. If you really dislike it, you can switch to single button jump on the main menu, but I wouldn't recommend it! Some things happen too quickly to stop and turn around!
OK, quicky bugfix release.
All those who already uploaded the last version it to their websites are going to have to go back in, download this one, and upload it instead of the last one.
Those who linked to my link are automatically linking to the new one.
So, lots of uploading for folk who didn't!
JNKPlat DS 08
Platdude Goes Fourth (again) Same link as always!
Same files as above, same description, same everything..
Except the two bugs that Sir Voe found are fixed!
EA has abandoned work on Command & Conquer shooter Tiberium.
"It is confirmed that Tiberium has been cancelled, as the game was not on track to meet the high quality standards set by the team and the EA Games Label," the publisher told Eurogamer. "Work on all other projects is continuing as normal."
The result will be sackings for a fair amount of the EA Los Angeles staff, although the publisher has promised to try and reposition them internally.
Tiberium last hit headlines in July when EA held the title back for quality purposes. The shooter had been poised to grant players control over ground troops, vehicles, air squads and ion cannon strikes in order to fend off nasty aliens.
Tiberium's demise follows a much more stringent EA quality control policy put into effect by silver-haired boss-fox John Riccitiello.
Worryingly, the move also suggests shooters based on the famous RTS series will never really work, as Command & Conquer: Renegade proved in spectacular fashion back in 2002.
It has been a mad mad day or two in the homebrew scene and many sites like here, gp32x and the Openpandora site have been down due to sheer numbers of visitors, I myself spent 2 nights ago sending emails to promote pandora to 50 of the worlds biggest gaming sites and thankfully many have posted about the pandora console and as we know its going to be an awesome ride.
So my question to you, did you preorder a Pandora ?
Avid CVG readers may remember our flurry of excitement last week when Capcom turned up at our office with two Street Fighter IV arcade machines.
We played, took pics and filmed it too. Better late than never, here's that footage featuring three of the game's new fighters: El Fuerte, Crimson Viper and Abel.
All three were used against one cowardly Ken player who refused to venture out of his comfort zone with a new player, and so he clearly romped through the more experimental competitors.
There's over five minutes of footage there though, which should give you a good idea of how it all moves and plays (very nicely, btw).
You can also listen out for a certain CVG team member celebrating 'nutshots' in the first fight.
Soon 3000 or maybe a lot more than that will have their hands on Pandora, but what emulators are you looking forward to most on Pandora ?, what emulators are suited to the Pandoras controls ?
For me i yearn for full on full speed Nintendo 64 emulation
Speaking to my buddy craigix of Openpandora/GBAx fame, he has told me it has been one of the maddest days of his life and it has been non stop work on websites and telephones with preorders, i cant give any more details away but get those preorders in while you can
Pandora looks to be the future of Homebrew as i expected. Wraggy hopes to get one for xmas i hope, come on Santa
Call us paranoid, but we got all nervous when MS put out an XBLA update announcement yesterday that only spoke of War World's arrival, making no mention of Mega Man 9.
It turns out MS had decided to break the trend of listing every XBLA game for the week in a single press release, because Mega Man 9 is coming today, as MS has now confirmed.
It costs 800 MS Points (which is around Ł6.60), and is so hard it'll hurt like a hammer to the nuts. But you want it anyway. Fact.
* Add the select mode for support old R6 more better, you can hold "R" or "L" key when power on NDS, it will show "C0" on the R6 menu title after enter the old R6 working mode.
* Add the bookmark function, it'll help you choose the same game directly in next time, it's very useful when you have full files in your R6 64G.
* Add one "B" key start game option, if you press "B" to start the game, menu will force erase the eeprom before enter game. we suggest user use "A" key to start game for backup/restore save data automatic.
* Change the save type select method, now use the MK5 same way to select game save type, just need hold "SELECT" + "L"/"R" to swap the save type, normally you don't need change it because the default "A" (AUTO MODE) save type can support over 85% games correctly.
* Update the R6 CHEAT CODE database to 2008-09-29 version
Square Enix grabbed pretty much all the top headlines at Japanese game websites today with the announcement of a more specific time frame for the release of Dragon Quest IX.
The DS entry in Japan's number one RPG series will arrive in March of 2009, the company confirmed. Pricing has yet to be set.
DQIX has endured somewhat of a rocky path before arriving at this final release time frame. The game was originally announced back in late 2006 as being due for a 2007 release. That was later pushed to 2008 as the game saw some changes to its battle system from the originally announced action-oriented system to classic-style menus.
Recently, in interviews with the mainstream media, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada said that a Dragon Quest game would make it out around the new year. He was either misquoted, or he was referring to another Dragon Quest game (or, just maybe, Square Enix celebrates New Years in March).
DQIX will make it to the Tokyo Game Show this year, but only in non-playable form. Square Enix will hold a stage show for the game, sharing the first details following a long period of silence.
Phantasy Star Zero is set to make Christmas very merry for Japanese DS owners (the game arrives in Japan on Christmas day!). To find out just how jolly everyone's going to be, we checked the latest issue of Famitsu, which offers a new update on the game.
While the magazine has already covered the basics, most notably the visual chat system, the new issue shares first details on the game's storyline. PS0 is set on the planet "Earth" 200 years after a great war destroyed all civilization. Only the race of humans remains. As they build cities and attempt to revive their past, however, enemies attack from all around.
To defeat these enemies, humans make use of ancient weapons that they've unearthed. These weapons run on an energy called "Photon" and are wielded by Hunters.
While the storyline has humans being the last remaining race, you'll actually have access to three races: human, numan, and caster. Combined with the various jobs and male/female varients, and you'll find at least fourteen unique types that you can select from when creating your character.
Also mentioned in the story is the term "Photon." This energy form plays a direct role in the game. Players make use of "Photon Points" to perform charge attacks with their weapons and techniques (magic). In the case of weapons, using your photon points results in the weapon performing a special attack known as Photon Arts. With techniques, photon points can expand upon magic, turning, for instance, a solo heal spell into a group heal spell.
Outside of the photon point techniques, the magazine also reveals a new evasion move. Pressing the evade button on the action palette sends your character dashing in the direction that you're pressing at the time on the d-pad, allowing you to avoid attack and get behind your enemy for some easy damage.
Phantasy Star Zero will be playable in Sega's booth at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, offering players a chance to face off against a giant dragon. We'll be sure and let you know how this particular series translates over to the touch screen.
Goto Hiroshige has received PSX4 spec info from Japanese developer sources who received preliminary spec from SCEI for developer feedback(whom Goto refuses to name due to NDA).
- SCEI has sent rough PSX4 spec to 3rd party developers for feed back. Based on the description, PSX4 is a Wii-tized PSX3, no more than 2X as powerful.
- SCEI wants to beat Xbox 3 to launch. 2011 is the deadline, or sooner.
- SCEI pulled all its engineers from IBM Texas, and there is no new CELL architecture being developed. PSX4 will use same CELL architecture with improvements.
- SCEI will dump XDR and use standard JEDEC memory type(GDDR3/DDR3) for main memory.
EP has released a new version of the Launchelf app for the PS2, heres whats new:
LaunchELF v4.30 (2008.09.30)
-Fixed HDD mountpoint issues in HddManager (due to changed methods from v4.23)
LaunchELF v4.29 (2008.09.25)
-Fixed a new bug in the CNF parser, introduced when fixing the previous one. That bug cause the character after the equal sign in a variable assignment to be skipped. This should not matter for uLE or FMCB CNF files, where that character will always be a space. But it does matter when parsing SYSTEM.CNF for PS2 discs, since those files sometimes have no space in that position. This caused some discs to fail booting, both with the uLE MISC/PS2Disc command, and with the disc launcher of FMCB.
-Minor changes to CDVD checking
-Added DVD-Video launch capability for MISC/PS2Disc
There's a new Metal Gear Online expansion on the way, and it's set to debut at next week's Tokyo Game Show. Famitsu got an early look.
Titled Metal Gear Online Meme Expansion, this second expansion for the online counterpart to Metal Gear Solid 4 will add three new stages to the game: Silo Sunset, Forest Firefight, and Winter Warehouse. New characters for the update include Liquid Ocelot and Mei Ling.
Pricing and release information for the expansion was, sadly, not provided by the magazine, but it did confirm that TGS attendees will get a chance at directly sampling the new elements.
One of Sony's nine first party PS3 surprises from the Tokyo Game Show appears to have been let out of the bag a bit early. Famitsu got the first word in its latest issue on Demon's Souls.
Players start off this action-RPG with a "dark fantasy" theme by creating their very own character, setting name, gender, hair style and other areas. They then set off on a journey deep into the heart of Voletaria, a kingdom of warriors that was destroyed with the appearance of beasts and demons.
While described as an action-RPG, Demon's Souls appears to be heavy on the action component. Players face off against huge beasts, some many dozen times the size of their character, making use of a variety of weapons. Depending on your weapon of choice, the feel of the action will change accordingly. Even individual weapons will offer play style changes depending on if used with one or both hands.
Demon's Souls is being directed by From's Hidetaka Miyazaki, who served as director on Armored Core 4, and produced by Sony's Takeshi Kaji. The two shared a few insights with Famitsu into the game's creation.
Kaji explained that he's personally a big fan of From's games, in particular the King's Field series. The project started when he ended up visiting From's offices and asked if they might consider making a sequel. They ended up deciding to work on a project of some form together.
The two made particular note of the level of freedom the game offers players. Outside of creating their character, players are also pretty much free to approach the game as they please. There's only a limited purpose to the game. Even if a character asks you to save the world, you can ignore them and still progress.
Demon's Souls is set for a 2009 Japanese release. A playable version will be on display at TGS.
Resident Evil 5 is set to be one of the main attractions at next week's Tokyo Game Show where co-op play will make its playable debut. Ahead of that, the latest issue of Famitsu got the full word on this new addition to the RE world via an interview with producers Jun Takeuchi and Masachika Kawata.
The two gave a bit of background on the co-op mode. While co-op play was unveiled late in the RE5 development time frame, it's actually the base for development, explained Takeuchi.
That's not to say that the game is best only when played online. Takeuchi made the distinction that RE5's online play is really just the game's story mode played either by one or two players. The development staff is putting a lot of effort in that story, added Kawata.
Those who are looking to enjoy the game as both Chris and Shiva may be out of luck. Players take control exclusively of Chris as they work through the game. It's only in co-op mode that players who join in can take control of Shiva. The host player always controls Chris.
At TGS, Capcom will have a total of 50 playable kiosks split 25 to 25 between the Xbox 360 and PS3. This could rise as high as 70 when including demo units in the Sony and Microsoft booths. This is the highest number of demo units Capcom has ever given to one of its games, said Kawata.
After a five minute theater video presentation explaining the game's control system, players will be able to play a short demo that can be cleared in just about 15 minutes.
The developers also shared a few details on Wesker, whose appearance in the game was confirmed in last week's issue. He's quite strong in this latest appearance, explained Takeuchi, noting that he was a strong character in Code Veronica, and it would be unacceptable to make him weaker here. TGS attendees will get to see Wesker in an all new trailer, and Takeuchi thinks fans will make note of his strength.
Development on RE5 is currently at 75%, said Takeuchi during the interview. Actual game content is at 99%, but the next few months will be spent fine tuning the product.
RealNetworks seemed quite excited about the upcoming release of its RealDVD software but we were rather sceptical about its potential.
The company had allegedly found a way around the Digital Millennium Copyright act by packing rips full of DRM and CSS protection and on its website claims that RealDVD is '100% legal'.
It seems as though someone hasn't done their research properly though as it is currently being sued by six major movie studios.
Concerned that consumers would simply rent and rip DVDs rather than buying them, thus stealing from their already overflowing coffers, a lawsuit has been filed with the US District Court in Los Angeles to recoup losses and have the software taken off the market.
"The incentive for the consumer is obvious and all but overwhelming." say the studios. "Why [he or she may ask] should I pay $18.50 to purchase a DVD when I can rent it for $3.25 and make a permanent copy?"
Real's response? "This is not a product that enables Internet piracy." Bob Kimball, general counsel for RealNetworks.
This one should be interesting then, and assuming Real has a little more clout to their argument than that offered by Mr.Kimball we'll let you know what happens next.
We are happy to announce the Fable II game is in manufacturing and confirmed for Oct-21 in North America and Asia, Oct-24 for Europe.
However, due to supply chain issues, we are revising the Fable II Limited Collector's Edition and the estimated retail price will be reduced from $79.99 to $69.99* USD in North America or as applicable in your market. *These are estimated retail prices; actual retail prices may vary worldwide.
The premium box, five printed fate cards, and Hobbe figure will not be available as part of the Limited Collector's Edition. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Fable II Limited Collector's Edition will now include the following content at this discounted price:
Fable II game disc
Bonus DVD with new 'Making-of' Feature
Bonus in-game content (requires Xbox Live)
'The Hall of the Dead' Dungeon
'The Wreckager' Legendary Cutlass Weapon
Spartan armor and energy sword
To further show our commitment to the faithful fans, we have created a special Fable album for free download for a limited time! This includes a wonderful selection of Fable 1 music and 3 brand new tracks from the upcoming Fable II soundtrack.
Go to http://www.sumthingdigital.com, and enter "FableCollection" promotion code. This will be available beginning October 6, 2008 @ 9am PST.
Demo version containing only the party establishment and testing of cards
IMPORTANT: - Only use the same resources and same format
dimensions as those of Lao origin in order to avoid any risk of crash.
Only the "Autotiles can receive resources since RMXP
the program automatically converts these resources if it finds.
- Do not especially starting a project with serious
this demo because the card format may be saved
change.
- The buttons and icons do not work because it all
is a demo version. So do not be surprised to encounter
time to time.
- Do not rename any files manually RDP.
KEYS:
- Joystick to move the cursor
- Maintained R (+ joystick) to accelerate the cursor
- Maintained L (+ joystick) to slow the cursor
- Cross to confirm or select one or component (s) on the chipset and
to draw on the map.
- Round to remove a tile on the map
- Square maintained (+ joystick) to make a scrolling in the area
- Start to access the menu card management of the project since
the publisher and to validate any window or message appears
Hello,
After a small break in programming me again with a plug that I have appointed ExEc_You.
ExEc_You can launch a eboot, cso, internet link from a few icons of predefined xmb from a configuration file named "ExEc_Youcfg" in the seplugins, consisting like that:
There’s a new strangely sycophantic article on Slashdot, regarding the start of pre-orders for Pandora, a new open-source handheld console that a number of gaming sites have already mentioned. The article spawned a number of comments regarding the other handhelds currently available (such as the PSP and the GP2X), and the “openness” of those systems to “homebrew” development. I left the following comment, which I feel fairly well summarizes the state of development on the PSP:
I’m a PSP developer, and I must admit that while getting documentation for the SDK is tough, there are more than enough examples around for anyone with common sense to pick up on the API fairly quickly. Plus, the folks at the ps2dev.org forum are exceptionally helpful (as long as your question isn’t along the lines of ‘what’s a for loop?’)
PSP development at this point (and probably forever) is very much an exercise in reverse engineering, even for the client C/C++ developer (as opposed to the brilliant minds who reverse-engineered the SDK). This explains the handful of applications/emulators that actually make use of WiFi and/or the ME processor. That said, PSP development is highly rewarding, if only in a personal sense.
That said, I wish the Pandora folks good luck. I’m a huge proponent of open-source software, and if Pandora succeeds, perhaps Sony will be persuaded to make the PSP more open to development, and maybe release an SDK.
Hudson plans to finally offer Bomberman on the PlayStation Network this winter.
The familiar ticking package comes with online multiplayer battles for up to eight and heated local bouts for up to four.
There will be 14 stages to mix things up, plus around 50 different costumes amounting to something like 150,000 possible outfit combinations. Just off the top of our head. Oh OK from the press release.
Classic Bomberman, then, where little men try to blow each other up and use funky power-ups to make proceedings more hectic. We'll let you know when a more specific date and a price appear.
Hi guys,
I've been working on a file browser last summer, and now, it has been finished for quite a while, and I haven't a clue of what I could use it for...
So, I just thought I would release the source code under GPL, so that other people can use it.
Here are the few features that makes it a little more than a basic fil browser:
-It has different themes you can change into the option menu
-The display is made in a Rolodex style presentation, dunno if it means what I mean, but that's basically the same idea as Art used in his xflash (but coded from scratch). So, I like it
-Other small stuff you'll discover.
So, for any non developer, this is kind of a useless stuff, because if you run the eboot which is in the zip, you'll have a very nice file browser, but which won't do anything when you select a fle...
So, if you do are a dev, just modify it a little, just adding the action you want to apply to the file selected, or modify it a lot, just remember to release it under gpl too, and to quote the author (myself )
Of course, It'd be great if anyone using the source coud send a little mail to show me how they used it, I would love that!
Its been a while since I have posted here, but I was going through some of my old Lua code, to try and find a project I was working on eariler on in the year, and stumbled accross my Lua-Slyder game I was toying with, so I thought i'd post a demo of this, is not anything fan-tas-tic but it was a bit of fun.
Controls:
D-Pad/Analog: Slide the objects/player in the direction pressed
For those that are interested, I wrote a small homebrew to receive wireless frames from a webcam plugged into a PC.
clarification, it is only a test version so please do grumble, explained the problems you encounter, I would be happy to try to solve them!
Wificam PSP v0.4
Gates PC Server v0.1
Use:
1 Download 2 above archives.
2 decompress the archive wificam v0.4 at the root of your memory stick
3 Gates Extracting the server on your computer and launch the executable "Gates.exe"
4 On the Settings tab, select the location of your PSP, which will be connected to the USB port of your PC, then click on record
5 Configure your router with the port
6 Start wificam homebrew on your PSP
It is now possible to take pictures with the printer right, and zoom in and zoom out with the arrow keys and selected an area of the webcam with the printer left.
There are still a lot of bug, every time you disconnect a mistake when you quit the program, this is normal, this is not the program where I work now!
Elsewhere in if you want to try it, just hold down the triangle button during the connection to access a menu, I let you discover it, you just need to press start to return to the menu!
Toini and I thank them for Kiscool graph
For those who haven't seen previous versions, PSP-FTPD is a simple FTP server for the PSP.
It permits to send and retrieve files or complete directories to and from
your PSP without any cables, using your Wireless connection (WIFI), with a FTP
client on your PC such as Filezilla (http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/).
So what's new then in this version :
- Improve speed transfert
(tested at home with 500k for download, 250k for upload)
- Tested on PSP slim with fw4x-m33
- New graphics for EBOOT & background
- Add music for EBOOT
- Bug fix in battery status display
It has been tested using gFtp on Linux, with both PSP Slim and FAT with cfw 4.01-m33-2
SHIFT my PSpaint version 1.5 and soon 2.0 if you help me
So my problem is that to display the letters I have found no way a part of that select the letters one hand
I imagined using a virtual keyboard, but I already use the buttons to the mouse
quelqun if a solution will thank you .....
Connect your PSP to your computer via USB,
Spend your PSP in "USB Mode" through the "USB Connection"
Right-click on the file you downloaded,
Choose "Extract files ...", (WinRAR must be installed)
Choose the destination letter by your PSP in the workplace,
Press OK and wait extraction files,
Quit the "USB Mode" on your PSP
Go to the menu Thursday> Memory Stick to launch PSpaint v.2.
The game is simple, and is in its beta version, still has several bugs that will be improved in future versions. Our goal is to get as I said before 1000, but we must be careful because kurenais appear out of nowhere that we can remove life
Sorry for the delay in this week’s show, a touch of (ahem) jet lag after the weekend in Las Vegas at the Blog World Expo, but it was great meeting some of you out there - glad you liked the stickers. Right then, on with today’s show. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is up for review, and as last week, I’m reviewing this title on its own, not comparing it to Tiger Woods 08. And the weekly news, with highlights including the weekly US sales figures and the Spaced connection to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, plus Sony reminding us the PSP will be big in 2009. Honestly.
An unplanned outage hit Microsoft's Xbox Live service starting Tuesday night, leaving online gamers unable to connect.
Microsoft said the outage was due to an unexpected issue following the maintenance work. Visitors to Microsoft's Xbox Live support page have been offered the following status update.
"Users will not be able to connect or log into Xbox Live," Microsoft said. "We are aware of the problem and working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause." http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10...547-1001_3-0-5
New figures announced today by ChartTrack saw sales of the Microsoft® Xbox 360 increase by 214% in the last two weeks[1], outselling Sony's PlayStation 3 by more than two-to-one and reaffirming its strong momentum in Europe in the wake of its recent reduction in estimated retail price (ERP).
A reduction in the Xbox 360 ERP last week has brought the entry-level price point for Xbox 360 down to Ł129.99. The reduction is only part of the story though, as the largest marketing campaign in the history of Xbox also launches, inviting everyone to live their music, movies and family gaming 'moments' with Xbox 360 through new television, print and poster ads as well as a totally new look for Xbox.com. Combined with new launches to add to its already impressive line-up of games, movies and wider entertainment content, Xbox 360 is set to drive forward the success that saw sales reach over 6 million in Europe last week.
Through an incredible line-up of games in time for Christmas, including the new singing game Lips and the chance to star in your own B-movie with You're in the Movies among many others, an ever-growing library of downloadable movies, a revolutionary new interface and new interactive games soon to be available through Xbox LIVE, the Xbox 360 is truly becoming the home of mass-market entertainment with something to offer every interest and budget.
Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: "This data shows that the Xbox 360 trajectory continues upwards, and not just in the UK. We've seen uplift in all countries in Europe and are confident that even at this rate of growth we can keep retail satisfied with a steady supply of consoles throughout the Christmas season. Our commitment to continuously improving and innovating new content, our new high-profile marketing campaign and the fact that we're now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of Ł129.99 combine to make Xbox 360 the right blend of gaming and wider experiences at the right price to offer unparalleled entertainment for everyone. And these figures prove it."
From last Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, has an ERP of Ł169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace as well as their own music, has an ERP of Ł229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, has an ERP of Ł129.99.
This holiday season, Xbox 360 fans are invited to accessorize with Microsoft's award-winning Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers, now available for a limited time in red with newly designed black accents. Experience wireless gaming from up to 30 feet and enjoy uninterrupted play with the included Play & Charge cable and red rechargeable battery, which provides up to 25 hours of play on a single charge. Additionally, when the battery runs low, you're given ample warning so you can connect the included Play & Charge cable for continuous play.
Available in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Red Wireless Controller and Play & Charge Kit with red rechargeable battery now come together in a never before available color and at an exceptionally low price of just $64.99 (U.S. estimated retail price (ERP)). This product is the newest addition to Microsoft's line of Xbox Authentic Products and further reinforces Microsoft's commitment to enhancing the way people experience games and entertainment.
According to the Xbox 360 DVD Drive Database, it appears Xbox 360s outfitted with the much-anticipated Jasper chipset have finally started showing up in stores and at online retailers.
The key things to look for when buying a new Xbox 360 with the Jasper chipset is a manufacturing date (MFR) as early as 2008-08-06, Lot 8031 and up, and Team CSON.
from http://openpandora.org/
Well, wow, you guys killed our servers in a spectacular frenzy of preordering.
The forums are still dead at the time of writing. There is no doubt that once things calm down and everyone is able to place the final orders we will have sold out of the 3000.
We sold 2000 Pandoras in 6 hours even with the server totally besieged. Truly astonishing. Thank you all for supporting this project, all the emails, all the comments all, all the phone calls, all the news posts, everything.
Today we moved to a somewhat faster server which is why things were off line during this afternoon.
We are quickly looking in to if it is possible to increase our planned first batch to 4000 units.
It is the PS1 emu Emu_kidid of WiiSX, Sepp256 and TehPola appeared. The games run, but still quite Ruckler and for me is Final Fantasy VII, crashed when I wanted to fight. Moreover, there is no sound output. Will be controlled only with the Game Cube controller. It can only ISOs are loaded on the SD card in psxisos in root folder of your SD card.
Ok this as you have guessed is the Playstation emulator for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Gamecube.
Try your PSX Games and let us know what works what doesnt and speed.
Download and Give Feedback & Compatability Reports Via Comments
It is the PS1 emu Emu_kidid of WiiSX, Sepp256 and TehPola appeared. The games run, but still quite Ruckler and for me is Final Fantasy VII, crashed when I wanted to fight. Moreover, there is no sound output. Will be controlled only with the Game Cube controller. It can only ISOs are loaded on the SD card in psxisos in root folder of your SD card.
Ok this as you have guessed is the Playstation emulator for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Gamecube.
Try your PSX Games and let us know what works what doesnt and speed.
Download and Give Feedback & Compatability Reports Via Comments
You know how it goes -- first comes the far-out rumor, then comes something a touch more believable, and then the company itself issues an all-too-familiar non-denial denial. According to MCV sources, the next step in the process will happen tomorrow, as a revamped DS storms into action at 5:00AM GMT on the 2nd of October. As for specifics, we'll have to wait for Iwata's supposed announcement to find out more, but we'd be utterly shocked to see this ship after Christmas. That is, if this isn't just some elaborate scheme from the Big N to distract us all from realizing that Wiis will still be impossible to find this holiday season two full years after launch.
After the great success of our previous competition, we are delighted to announce our second competition
This time around the Competition is taking a fairer route, you can only enter Games into this competition. The rules are changed too. The games you can enter are no longer tied to being "Retro themed", no. You can now enter whatever type of Game you like, but you can still gain a 15% judging bonus for having "Retro elements/level" in your Game.
The Prizes this time around are a little different but still awesome. First place is Rock Band 2 + Drums, Guitar, and Microphone! The other places are Retro Consoles all in there Original Boxing and complete with games & controllers! We decided to offer these as the additional prizes due to the nature of our "Retro" orientated site.
As an added bonus the top poster here between now and the end of the competition (staff excluded), will receive a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox + a mystery gift!
The Competition Starts Now (October 1st 2008) & will run until January 1st 2009.
So without further delay, here are the Prizes on offer this time around.
1st Place:
Rock Band 2 for the console of your choice.
Includes game, drums, guitar, and microphone.
2nd :
First pick from the Retro Game Systems listed.
3rd Place :
Second pick from the Retro Game Systems listed.
4th Place :
Remaining Retro Game System listed.
2nd > 4th Place Prizes:
Nintendo 64 Console + 1 Controller & Games.
Games include : Super Mario 64, Goldeneye 007, Zelda ocarina of time, Diddy Kong racing & Castlevania 64.
All games are boxed.
Or :
Sega Dreamcast Console + 2 Controllers, 1 VMU, 1 Dreamkey & Games.
Games include: Fighting Force, Sonic Adventure & Sega worldwide soccer 2000.
All games are in cases.
Or :
Sega Saturn Console + 1 Controller & 6 Games.
Games include : Destruction Derby, Command & Conquer, Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship & Loaded.
All games are in cases.
5th Place:
Final fantasy VII for PSX.
Top Poster (From Oct. 1 to Jan. 1) Prize:
Halo: Combat Evolved for Xbox + A mystery gift!
Competition Start Time & Closing Date :
The Competition will run from October 1st until January 1st.
Platforms Allowed :
We accept entries for the following consoles :
Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (XP/Vista).
Programming Languages Allowed :
You may use any programming language you wish. However, you must make sure to include any additional data files needed
in order to run your game (ie. .dll's).
Competition Rules :
1) You MUST include the RetroEmu Winter Coding Competition 2008 Splash screen in your entry. There is no exception to this, if your entry doesn't include it, it isn't entered.
2) There is a 10% Judging bonus for the quality of the Splash screen implementation.
3) You may post about your entry at other sites, but you may NOT upload the file to any other site bar RetroEmu during the duration of the competition (if you are having issues uploading your entry please contact me).
4) You can update your game as much as you like during the competition.
5) There is a 15% Judging Bonus for having "Retro Themed Elements/level" in your Game.
6) The Competition runs from now (1st of October) until January 1st, 2009.
7) The Judges are Zack & HardHat while users will account for 10% of the overall judging.
8) Both open source and closed source entries are allowed.
9) Your entry should include a screenshot and sufficient information regarding your Game.
10) The deadline is set to the date specified above, unless there is significant demand for this to be extended it will not be changed.
Splash Screen Images :
The Splash screen images, including PSD and Font files used are available to view/download Here
Entry's :
Please submit your entry or comment on other entry's Here
Spread The Word :
Help the competition grow & help RetroEmu at the same time by DIGGING This Story
Remember that PlayStation Eye you purchased way back when? You know, that PS peripheral you used for all of 12 minutes before shelving indefinitely? It's time to break that bad boy back out, as a detailed hack from the NUI Group shows how to convert it into a working webcam within Windows. Make no mistake, this isn't the simplest hack in the whole wide world, but the long-winded instructions ought to guide you right through. What are you waiting for? Head on down and get to work!
Microsoft couldn't let the gory, highly-anticipated launch of Gears of War 2 (chainsaw duels! Rhhhahaararggg!) pass without bloodying a Zune or three in the process, Halo 3-style. Specifically, Microsoft has laser-etched that pesky little "Crimson Omen" onto a glossy black Zune 120, pre-loaded the device with 244 pieces of "Gears of War" media -- the soundtrack, concept art, behind-the-scenes vids and so forth, nothing you won't be able to find elsewhere -- and squeezed it all into some "collectible" Gears packaging, featuring our testosterone-addled protagonist pondering the meaning of life. The whole kit will run you $280, with pre-orders at Walmart.com and Amazon.com (and a whole mess of Canadian shops) starting at 3AM PT / 6AM ET. It'll start shipping on November 7th. And still can't sync to your Xbox.
Eurogamer breaks news that German games publisher DPT Entertainment will be making an MMORPG based on Tad Williams' Otherland series of books. As anyone who has read the books will know, this could be an interesting new spin on virtual worlds. Quoting:
"For want of a better soundbite, let's call it the first cyberpunk MMO: a virtual world about virtual worlds, in which your avatar is an avatar, the NPCs play NPCs, and you explore a multiverse in which you might be in realistic historical surroundings one minute, and cartoon fantasy ones the next. Everything changes, even your own appearance, and nothing is even pretending to be real. ... You start the game as one of those consciousnesses in a place called the Land of the Lost, a nightmare scenario which you're trying to escape. You'll run, be killed, and reborn in a 'baby' state as a simple, low-rent sim (though we suspect the game won't be using that term, for obvious reasons) - a blank, featureless avatar that can be male, female or even neither."
The makers of MMOGlider have been found in breach of the World of Warcraft terms of service and are forced to pay Blizzard $6M in damages."
There's a lot of sticky issues on this one. Mostly I'm amazed that MMOGlider had that kind of cash.
Hello, internet. We (by which I mean "I") have obtained access to the Little Big Planet beta.
First impressions: it's kind of fun! You can run, jump, and grab!
Though it's the Japanese beta, all the in-game text is in English! Wacky! (Might be the PS3 system settings.)
The tutorial voiceover is a slightly gay Japanese man -- "slightly" as in you'd not only let him watch your children, you would beg him to. He'd probably teach them something valuable about shoes!
The level tutorials are exhaustive and exhausting!
The final word: we used to think that beta tests were mythological things, because we applied for literally dozens of them during our serious careers as gamers, and never got in. Now, we got in on the Little Big Planet beta. On the one hand, this kind of sucks, because it's basically been spelled out for us that we were wrong all this time: beta tests are real, and we just never got into one before because everyone hated us. With Little Big Planet, it's quite possible that someone somewhere has started to either stop disliking us or (possibly even better) start actually liking us. Either way: hey! We get to play a videogame before some (most?) other people!
We made a YouTube video to commemorate this.
We were too tired and perhaps disinterested to make any rocket penises or penis-shaped moving platforms or grabbable penises made out of burlap or swinging penises made out of dark matter or stalactite penises made out of rock -- or even flaming stalagmite penises made out of pink bubble bath foam. So, instead, we just used the penis in our imagination. We hope you forgive our unwillingness to do work with our videogame. :'(
This post was brought to you by Sony and dry-roasted almonds!
With Nintendo's press conference kicking off later tonight the rumors have been at full speed about what the profitable console maker may announce.
We've heard about a new media-friendly DS with MP3 playback and a camera, we've heard about possible new peripherals, we've heard about some big much-anticipated game remake, we've even heard about a new Wii iteration, this one in high-def.
But unlike with Microsoft, not all Nintendo rumors are true. So what do you think will be happening tonight when Nintendo kicks off their presser in Japan?
With Nintendo's press conference kicking off later tonight the rumors have been at full speed about what the profitable console maker may announce.
We've heard about a new media-friendly DS with MP3 playback and a camera, we've heard about possible new peripherals, we've heard about some big much-anticipated game remake, we've even heard about a new Wii iteration, this one in high-def.
But unlike with Microsoft, not all Nintendo rumors are true. So what do you think will be happening tonight when Nintendo kicks off their presser in Japan?
Remember that stunning God of War-esque iPhone game shown off at the World Wide Developers Conference in January? The one that looked like a pretty amazing action game featuring a hammer-wielding barbarian? Well it's out on the App Store. I noticed Kroll last night while doing my semi-regular App Store check on my iPhone and immediately bought it.
In the game you play as a barbarian named Delon off to find Kroll, the Lord of Life, last of the seven mage lords, and use his power to return a loved one back to life. I'm sorta guessing here, because the plot is ultra light, though delivered inside the illustrated pages of a digital book.
I've played through the first two levels so far and it seems like your typical side-scrolling action fare. You play the game holding the iPhone sideways. To move you touch the transparent arrows at the bottom of your screen. To attack you touch one of four transparent hammer icons, two on each side of the screen. The top icon delivers a heavy attack and the bottom a regular attack. Touching the left ones attacks to your left and the right attacks to your right. I found that by tapping between the two types of attacks or repeatedly tapping the same attack you can pull off a couple of mini combos.
Ever since the PlayStation 3 QWERTY keypad was announced, we've been wondering (incessantly night and day) whether or not you could actually reach the thing as it sits perched on top of the DualShock 3. But according to some pics snapped by MTV, it doesn't look like you'll need grotesque, alien fingers to reach the buttons—though we're still a little worried that our palm fat is going to knock those analog sticks around a bit. And are palms are quite svelte. Really.
We've already seen the SpursEngine teased in laptops, but Toshiba is becoming vocal about bringing the SpursEngine—the same technology found in the PlayStation 3 Cell processor—to standalone video cards in 4-core configuration. The first will come from Leadtek later this month for $286, a 128MB card that can fit into a small form PC, and it will be followed in November by Thomson cards that will start in the high $300s. SpursEngine cards have built-in MPEG2 and H.264 codecs which equal smooth video playback and the ability to uprez SD content on the fly. And at least Leadtek's offering sounds like a solid alternative to small media PC packed with integrated graphics.
A new puzzle game made its appearance on DS, "Cogito DS" by Rom1. It is a variant of the Rubik's cube in which you must replicate the schema of the screen by sliding the top rows and columns of the bottom screen.
CoderX has stopped by our forums with a little treat for us today.
Since it is October it only seems fit for us to start seeing sesional themed games for the psp.
Penguin Bobsled Halloween Edition 2.0 New Features:
1. Improved Graphics
2. New Life System
3. Code is OpenSorce
4. Amazing Intro Application
This release is based on a build I started on a while back and where i told myself I wouldn't release without the Hearts.
So Enjoy, and btw Penguin Bobsled X-Mas is ready for a November / December Release.
Nintendo has unveiled the next iteration of the DS at a press conference in Tokyo.
The DSi, as it's called, will have 3.25-inch screens - that's 17 per cent bigger than the current model. It will also feature a 3-megapixel camera.
You'll be able to take pictures with the DSi, save them to SD card and view them on your TV via the Wii. The GBA cartridge slot is being done away with.
The DSi will have a built-in browser, and you'll be able to download games - known as DSiWare - and store them on the SD. Some titles will be free, while others will cost either 200, 500 or 800 Nintendo points (GBP 1.70 / 4.25 / 6.80). There will be a special deal offering customers 1000 points which must be spent before March 2010 - but it's not clear yet what the terms are, or whether the deal will be available in Europe.
A separate DSi Shop selling downloadable software is also being launched. Customers will receive 1000 free points to spend at the shop
The handheld's audio capabilities have been improved - you can now adjust the pitch and playback of sound. This is designed to help with language study and improve the experience of listening to music, apparently.
Nintendo's announced the DSi, the third iteration of its DS platform. But how does it stack up to the Nintendo DS Lite? We've crunched the numbers and got the data for comparison's sake.
• Size of Liquid Crystal Display
Nintendo DSi: 3.25 inches
Nintendo DS Lite: 3 inches
• Liquid Crystal Screen
Nintendo DSi: Possible to display 260,000 colors
Nintendo DS Lite: Possible to display 260,000 colors
• Portable Size
Nintendo DSi: Width 137mm, Length 74.9mm, Thickness 18.9mm (touch pen is approx. 92mm in length)
Nintendo DS Lite: Width 133mm, Length 73.9mm, Thickness 21.5mm (touch pen is approx. 87.5mm in length)
• Power Supply
Nintendo DSi: AC adaptor for Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DS Lite: AC adaptor for DS Lite
• Weight
Nintendo DSi: Approx. 214g (with touch pen)
Nintendo DS Lite: Approx. 218g (with touch pen, Game Boy Advance cover)
• Charging Time
Nintendo DSi: Approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes
Nintendo DS Lite: Approx. 3 hours
• Battery Life
Nintendo DSi: The lowest brightness (9-14 hrs), low brightness (8-12 hours), medium brightness (6-9 hours), high brightness (4-6 hours), highest brightness(3-4 hours)
Nintendo DS Lite: The lowest brightness (15-19 hrs), low brightness (10-15 hours), high brightness (7-11 hours), highest brightness(5-8 hours)
• Software
Nintendo DSi: Software for Nintendo DS, Software for Nintendo DSi.
Nintendo DS Lite: Software for Nintendo DS, Software for Game Boy Advance
• Input-Output
Nintendo DSi: DS card slot, SD memory card slot, AC adaptor connection, stereo headphone/mic jack
Nintendo DS Lite: DS card slot, Game Boy Advance cartridge slot, AC adaptor connection, stereo headphone/mic jack
Because RemoteJoy did not move normally with your own environment, compiling the source, causing investigating, however it hurt, when perceives, correcting various types, because it became large remodelling, because it is wasted, stealthily release.
The big difference with RemoteJoy usbhostfs function entirely it deletes making integrating being able to point clearly function simple, module of PSP side to 1 modules and it increases.
PSP-1000/PSP-2000 (CFW 4.01 M33-2) with only doing, increase the operation verification it is.
Want verifying first when it does not operate well
Is the version of CFW after the 3.9?
When plug in other than RemoteJotLite is used, please try making those invalid.
When contents “of the PSP” tub of the setting picture are modified, please try resetting to initial value. Because the setting file increases being retained in “RemoteJoyLite.dat,”, deleting, it is quick to start, is.
When it upgraded, it became not be able to start
It tries turning off RemoteJoyLite.dat.
Drawing up the new folder, it tries executing from there.
It tries restarting Windows.
One time invalidity -> it tries making plug in with VSH-MENU effective.
“Direct3D Error” appears in when starting
When the version of DirectX is 8 or less, please update 9 or more.
Please update the graphic driver in up-to-date ones.
Using “DXdiag”, please try diagnosing DirectX.
“Direct3D Error2 (0x????????)” “0x in parenthesis????????”The [gugu] [tsu] [te] you see with what there is information.
Even then in useless case the possibility where it cannot start the graphic board and because the efficiency of PC is low is high, is.
Although with XMB the picture comes out normally, when it becomes the game, the picture does not come out with while it is WAITING
When “vsh.txt” was drawn up, drawing up “game.txt” “game150.txt” “pops.txt” in the same way, from the recovery mode of CFW please make plug in effective.
In regard to pops.txt “notice when POPS is used” in reference.
One time deleting “game.txt” “game150.txt” “pops.txt”, please try rewriting.
ms0: Deleting /seplugins/conf.bin, please try resetting plug in.
Mostly you made a mistake in file name that, you made a mistake in the description to the txt file that, that plug in was not made effective because trivial mistake is cause, please verify prudently.
It freezes in saving and the load picture etc of the game
Pushing the F3 key, operating in picture transfer OFF state, when it freezes, when it can have reporting the game name where problem happens whether it is delightful. In case of the game which you can investigate at your own place it tries inspecting once.
In case of PSP-1000 if luck avoids, if “picture retention address” “of the PSP” tub is changed, when you improve, it is, but possibility is rather low, is. Because it is the limit of PSP-1000, you will abandon.
Petite petite noise rides in the sound from PSP
When value of thread priority “of the PSP” tub of the setting picture is enlarged, there are times when you improve.
When it enlarges too much remainder, because scene it becomes easy to do to fall, please find optimum value according to the game.
Operation of the game is slow
When the operational clock of PSP is not designated as 333, please try increasing up to 333.
Because with the game which uses the efficiency of PSP to very limit how it will do any where operation becomes slow it is not to be please abandon.
Animated picture it cannot videotape normally
Not setting Codec, in case while it is non compression, size of the AVI file exceeding 2G in several minutes, because it cannot videotape just, please set Codec.
Animated picture video recording function to be something which was inserted be defeated, until it stabilizes operates with various environments because there is no intention of improving when it moves, please think luckily. (^_^
Because there is excellent [kiyapuchiyasohuto] in other things, we recommend that you use there.
Sound you cannot record
Please connect the head phone output of PSP and the line input of PC with the audio cable.
When “WAV [kiyapuchiya] is used” “of the Capture” tub of the setting picture inserting check, if sound is output from PC, it is all right.
The kind of noise where echo depended on voice response rides
If the stereo mixer of sound recording control of the sound property is designated as the mute, it is the expectation which is solved.
+++
POPSを使用する場合の注意事項
POPS 起動時 USB モジュールを読み込んでくれない為に RemoteJoyLite が起動できませんでした。
以下の手順で USB モジュールを RemoteJoyLite 起動前に読み込むようにすれば解決します。
Although acknowledging the improved evolution of Nintendo's DS series, Team 17 studio director Martyn Brown has told GamesIndustry.biz that he's cautious of the new features of the DSi model.
Nintendo unveiled the new console today, with new features that include a camera, built-in web browser and an SD card slot to enable users to purchase content and download directly to the hardware.
However, it's exactly these additions that have worried the veteran developer of DS hit Worms: Open Warfare.
"Adding an SD slot makes a bunch of sense for downloadable content given the way things are going," offered Brown. "I just hope they've done something to counter the mass piracy that exists via the R4 on the Lite. It scares me that with an SD card input, that might leave it even wider open that it was on the original device," added.
Brown would also like to see online shopping for DSiWare improved over Nintendo's current WiiWare interface, and a more sensible approach to storage on the handheld - as Nintendo has now promised to do with the Wii console.
"I think the SD storage and downloadable content will help tremendously although I hope it's a better experience that the Wii's online store and system," he said.
"I have a lot of affection for the DS Lite as a device and given it's an iterative improvement, bigger screen, lighter, it would appear to make sense - even if it's not got me chomping at the bit to rush out and grab one."
Admitting that some of his reservations can only be put to the test once the device is in the hands of users and developers, Brown was still cautious of adding so many features to a console, and that it could come up short when compared to other electronic gadgets.
"I'm sure that the photo option will be good fun for kids, but I think that's straying into phone territory and since it's 0.3 megapixels, it's hardly setting the world on fire.
"I'm sure the device will have a wider appeal, but most people I know who have a DS Lite tend to already have a phone and MP3 player with similar functions. Many manufacturers tend to be chasing the nirvana of having 'one device to rule them all' and I'm not sure that the DS's screen resolution - and camera resolution - puts it into an area where it can compete, say, for web-browsing."
Although Nintendo has been widely credited with opening gaming up to new audiences, the DSi may not entice new consumers, noted Brown.
"This is pretty hypothetical until I've seen the device for myself. I'm not sure if it will reach new gamers since all the new features have been present in other devices, if not a gaming device, for a while now," he added.
"Still, looking back at the launch device, the original DS, it's come a long, long way."
New titles have dominated the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended September 28, taking up six of the top ten places, according to data provided by Media Create.
Super Robot Wars Z for the PlayStation 2, by Namco Bandai, broke into the chart at number one by selling 366,000 units. Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS has fallen to second place, followed by Rhythm Tengoku Gold, also for the DS, maintaining its spot at third.
Sega's World Destruction for the DS debuted on the chart in fourth place with 56,000 units and Namco Bandai's Kinikkuman for the PS2 secured fifth place at 35,000 units. Dragonball DS came in seventh, preceding another new title, X-Edge, for the PlayStation 3, selling 22,000 units.
Wii Fit dropped two places from last week to eighth, while the chart was closed by two new titles, Aquanaut's Holiday for the PS3 with 18,000 units at nine and Disaster: Day of Crisis for the Wii with 14,000 units at ten.
Japanese software chart follows:
01. Super Robot Wars Z (PS2)
02. Pokemon Platinum (DS)
03. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS)
04. World Destruction (DS)
05. Kinikkuman (PS2)
06. Dragonball DS (DS)
07. X-Edge (PS3)
08. Wii Fit (Wii)
09. Aquanaut's Holiday (PS3)
10. Disaster: Day of Crisis (Wii)
BioShock and Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 demos lead a meaty PSN update this week.
They're followed by PSN game GEON, which costs GBP 4.99 and received 6/10 on Xbox Live Arcade last September.
Those FIFA 09 Adidas Live Season subscription packs are also available, either at GBP 4.99 for one league, or GBP 12.99 for all seven. The idea is that EA watches real matches to determine player performance and then allows you to download updates that replicate this in FIFA 09's exhibition matches, ranked online and Interactive League games. Don't get in a huff about the cost though - you get one free sub with the game.
Other additional content comes in the form of soundtracks for PixelJunk Eden and PixelJunk Monsters (GBP 1.49 each), plus loads of Rock Band songs.
These are Megadeth tracks "Wake Up Dead", The Conjuring", "Devil's Island", "Good Mourning/Black Friday", Bad Omen", "I Ain't Superstitious" and "My Last Words". These cost GBP 0.99 each, or GBP 4.99 as a pack.
Other songs for GBP 0.59 each include "One of THOSE Nights" by The Cab, "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional, She's a Handsome Woman" by Panic at the Disco, and "Natural Disaster" by Plain White T's.
Then for GBP 0.99 come "Sorrow" by Bad Religion, "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult, "Bandages" by Hot Hot Heat, "Shoot the Runner" by Kasabian, "You're No Rock N' Roll Fun" by Sleater-Kinney, and "Love Spreads" by The Stone Roses.
There's also a GBP 4.99 Moving Pictures pack bundling Rush songs added last week: "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta", "YYZ", "Limelight", "The Camera Eye", "Witch Hunt" and "Vital Signs".
Elsewhere are some themes and wallpapers for Fallout 3 and Prince of Persia, plus a spattering of trailers.
Konami has popped out a PC demo of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 to go alongside the previously announced PS3 and 360 versions, also out today.
The sampler weighs around 1GB, and lets football fans jump into the collective boots of Man United, Liverpool, Madrid and Barcelona. Italian and French national squads are also playable. But no Arsenal 1/10.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, we're promised, has been rebuilt to sport new visuals, models, animations and more. Konami certainly talks a good game.
We'll see just how good when the game appears on PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 and PSP on 17th October.
Nintendo showed off a pretty good games showreel at its all-revealing conference in Japan this morning. Trouble is, there were so many games in it you may have had a job keeping up. Here's a helping hand.
Crazy internet people have sifted through the footage, listing every single title that cropped up, including the crazy long-winded Japanese one's that no-one's heard of.
It included the first ever peek at the new Punch Out and Another Code Wii games, among others.
The list is below (thanks to NeoGAF), and the Wii showreel can be seen right here.
2008
Wii Music (Nintendo) 10/16
Animal Crossing: City Folk (Nintendo) 11/20
The Melancholy of Haruhi (Kadokawa Shoten) 11/27
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes (Capcom) 12/11
428 (Sega) 12/4
Samba de Amigo (Sega) 12/11
Let's Tap (Sega) Dec. 2008
Cooking Mama 2 (Taito) 12/4
Rygar: Muscle Impact (Tecmo) Dec. 2008
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Activision) 10/16
Karaoke Joysound Wii (Hudson) 12/18
Sky Crawlers (Bandai-Namco) 10/16
Happy Dance Collection (Bandai-Namco) 10/23
Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard (Bandai-Namco) 11/13
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (Bandai-Namco) 12/4
Taiko Drum Master Wii (Bandai-Namco) 12/11
Tenchu 4 (From Software) 10/23
Harvest Moon: Exciting Animal March (Marvelous) 10/30
Rune Factory Frontier (Marvelous) 11/27
Shape Boxing (Rocket Co.) 10/30
2009
Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) Spring
Start w/ 100 Conversations! English Conversation (Nintendo) 2009
Punch-Out!! (Nintendo) 2009
Trace Memory: R, Gateway of Memory (Nintendo) 2009
Kensax (Nintendo) 2009
Cosmic Walker (Nintendo) 2009
Spawn Smasher (Nintendo) 2009
Dynamic [illegible] (Nintendo) 2009
Takt of Magic (Nintendo) 2009
Sin & Punishment 2 (Nintendo) 2009
Forever Blue 2: Beautiful Ocean (Nintendo) 2009
Everyone's the Star on the NHK Red-and-White Quiz Battle (Nintendo) 2009
Line Attack Heroes (Nintendo) 2009
Castlevania: Judgment (Konami) Winter 2008-2009
Dead Rising: Zombies' Sacrifice (Capcom) Winter 2008-2009
With all of the furor whipped up in the wake of Spore's restrictive digital rights management system, DRM is a hot-button issue with PC gamers the world over. In an interview with Shacknews, Bethesda spokesman Pete Hines reveals that Fallout 3 - one of the year's most anticipated games for the PC - won't come with any sort of DRM at all.
Pretty similar to what we did for Oblivion, which was—we basically don't do any—we do the mildest form possible. I actually don't know if I even want to get into what it is that we exactly do, but we try to be really noninvasive when it comes to that stuff.
Note that Oblivion only required the disc in the drive, a restriction that even players who buy a copy are likely to overcome with a hack for the sake of convenience. Not as good for Bethesda as something more secure, but the fans will surely appreciate the hell out of it.
But wait, fans of Miyamoto-style gardening. The Pikmin Wii whose first screenshot you'll find in our media gallery below is actually just the GameCube version upped a bit to Wii spec.
Pikmin is just one game in Nintendo's new Wii De Asobu Selection lineup, which translates to "Play on the Wii Selection." This series will consist of GameCube games updated with Wiimote controls.
Seven titles are currently on the way for the lineup. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat kicks things off on December 11, and will be followed by Pikmin on December 25. In 2009, Nintendo plans on releasing Chibi Robo!, Pikmin 2, Mario Tennis GC, Metroid Prime, and Metroid Prime 2 Dark Echoes.
These titles will be offered at budget pricing. While we're not sure just yet of the prices for all the games, Pikmin will sell for 3,800 yen, making it 2,000 yen less than your typical first part Wii title.
So it's not quite Pikmin Wii to be sure, but at least it's Pikmin running on the Wii! Get your first look in our media gallery.
As expected, Nintendo has announced three new Wii games that'll have you hardcore gamers teeming with excitement.
Top of the list, we reckon, is Sin and Punishment 2 - a sequel to the incredible Treasure-developed, Star Fox-style shooter on N64, which was recently released in UK for the first time via the Virtual Console.
Punch Out was also confirmed - the first sequel of Nintendo's classic boxing series since the Super NES game. And last but not least, Another Code - a brilliant investigative story adventure on DS - will get a Wii sequel too.
Expect more info and screens for all three soon.
Update: Nintendo has released a software showreel video which features the first ever footage of the new Punch Out and Another Code, plus Street Fighter and some other bits and bobs on its official site. Just hit the Wii link over there.
SEGA will be releasing Valkyria Chronicles on 31st October, a fortnight earlier than expected.
This is the PS3-exclusive turn-based and real-time strategy game painted in a pretty watercolour way.
There's a PSN demo on the way next week, which is helpful, given as we know relatively little about the title so far. What we do know is stuffed handily into our Valkyria Chronicles gamepage.
Expect our thoughts rather soon. Unless we're preparing our Halloween costume: do we go traditional or for something slightly more off the wall? Or perhaps just cross-dress?
The Sony PlayStation Portable was the fastest selling piece of hardware in Japan between March 31 and September 28, according to Famitsu, and reported by Kotaku.
Mario Kart Wii was named the highest selling software title for the first half of the year. However this came as news broke that the Japanese home videogame market shrunk 21.3 per cent during the same six month period.
Anyone remember the PlayStation Eye? You know, Sony's PS camera for playing some average 'wave-at-the-TV' games'? It was largely blasted out of existence when the Wii arrived but still, it was different and now someone has figured out how to give them a new lease of life.
I avoided the PS Eye since I recall buying the PS2 Eyetoy cheap a couple of years ago in Computer Exchange, thinking the kids would get a kick out of swinging their arms in front of the TV but then, along came the Wii and the Eye never left its bag.
Over at the NUI Group, there's now a hack to allow you to setup the PS Eye - if you bought one - as your Webcam, with some easy to install drivers.
According to AlexP:
"I started thinking to myself: "This camera is awesome and it will be such a great and inexpensive replacement for Firefly MV and the like. If we could just get it to work under Windows..." Initially, I started poking around with the USB trying to send some commands to the PS3Eye and see what happens...
After many long nights I'm bringing you the result:
- Full VGA (640x480) 60fps video capture test app that features uncompressed high quality raw video
- Low CPU overhead (since there is no decompression involved on the PC)
- Very low latency (1 frame time period)."
Developer Mythic Entertainment has released patch 1.01 for its popular MMO, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The update "contains enhancements and fixes that you have rightly identified and brought to the forefront of our attention. Target Nearest has been revamped, the pesky "Target Out of Range" bug has been squashed, we've fixed bugs with /ignore and your friends list, resolved an issue with disappearing pet windows on zoning - and more," wrote the game's Live Producer Destin Bales.
Highlights for the patch are posted below
Players no longer need to scroll down through the EUALA when logging into the game. The window now defaults to the bottom, and players need only check the Agreement box and click accept.
The war against the gold sellers continues! We have made improvements to the Appeal system to allow players to report spam messages from gold sellers more quickly.
TAB-targeting should now more consistently select the nearest enemy in the player's field of view.
Corrected an issue that was preventing players from adding new friends to their friend list even while the number of existing friends was below the list's size limit.
Fixed the issue that was causing players to sometimes get stuck in a particular animation state.
Monsters which change velocity while moving in combat should no longer return "Target is Out of Range" sometimes when attacked by players.
The /ignore command will now work more consistently.
In response to player feedback, we have made improvements to player pet movement and behaviors.
The Pet window should no longer disappear when its master is zoning or entering the game.
We made many UI fixes including a new "autoloot" feature requested by many players.
Guild cloaks will now display their heraldry properly.
We have made several improvements to the chat window, and it should now be more intuitive to use and set up. A number of chat window issues were resolved in the process. We are continuing to work on your requests about chat, with more improvements to come in the future.
For a more comprehensive list of patch notes, visit Warhammer Online's official web site.
As one of the last two announcements for their fall media summit, Nintendo has announced the Wii Speak Channel for use with the Wii microphone (pictured, from E3 2008). According to Cammy Dunaway, up to four people can chat together, and the microphones will come with a coupon to download the channel.
Of course, this leads to a plethora of other questions, such as: release date, price (if not buying with the microphone), can a USB mic be substituted, what else can we do with the channel besides speak? We're not holding our breath waiting for answers anytime soon.
Nintendo announced at the Media Summit in San Francisco that Club Nintendo, the popular reward point system in Japan, is coming to America by the end of the year.
Club Nintendo has been a feature in Japan that gives people points when they register their Nintendo games online. The points can be redeemed for exclusive merchandise.
The announcement was short and did not go into whether the registered Nintendo games users have already entered in on the Nintendo official site would earn points, or whether it's only titles released after the Club opens.
Apple's App Store, with its millions of downloads, is clearly a hit with consumers. But with developers? Not so much. Like a dashing hero to a scorned mistress, Google's Andy Rubin is pledging a different, more loving and respectful relationship with those who would fill his company's Android Market with selections -- and his pockets with royalties. He indicates that the Market will enable free downloadable trials, something that Apple is stubbornly refusing to add, and that those downloads would not be subject to any arbitrary bandwidth caps. Meanwhile, T-Mobile at least will be levying a $2/month fee on developers of free apps expected to use more than the (somewhat arbitrary) amount of 15MB of data per user per month, though how they'll be keeping track of that data outside of their own content stack is unclear -- our guess is that they can't.
We heard last night that we wouldn't be seeing the DSi in the States until next year, and now Reggie has confirmed the damage: no DSi until "well into calendar year 2009," which sounds disturbingly like the holidays to us, but hopefully he's just implying a few months in. We would hope Nintendo would be following the pattern of the DS Lite, which hit Japan in March of 2006, and made it Stateside in June, but Reggie says DS Lite sales are still strong in the US -- which means it's basically our fault that we don't get a shiny new toy for Christmas.
Yeah, the solution seemed pretty obvious to us, and now it looks like Nintendo's willing to admit it. Nintendo will be solving its little Wii Shop game storage overflow problem by opening up the SD card slot for storing and playing games from (with DRM galore, we're sure). The update will hit in the Spring of next year, and don't forget that 2GB maximum when stocking up on the little buggers. It's not exactly as exciting as a new DS, but we're really glad Nintendo's going to do the right thing here, instead of building yet another peripheral to clutter our lives with.
Forget the lames waiting for a New Xbox Experience to bring Netflix streaming to the console, the latest edition of Media Mall's PlayOn Media Server beta includes Watch Instantly support right now. An update notification should be on the way to anyone already testing things out, the impatient can grab it from the website. Also streaming Hulu, CBS, YouTube, ESPN and others to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, HP MediaSmart TV or other DLNA hardware (Nintendo Wii's still on the coming-soon list) the presence of Netflix (and the recent Watch Instantly additions) gives even more reason to check it out. Since its still in beta don't be surprised to find a few issues, but considering our smooth sailing so far, the list of reservations over its $30 price tag (after the 60 day free trial period is over) is rapidly shrinking.
Forget the lames waiting for a New Xbox Experience to bring Netflix streaming to the console, the latest edition of Media Mall's PlayOn Media Server beta includes Watch Instantly support right now. An update notification should be on the way to anyone already testing things out, the impatient can grab it from the website. Also streaming Hulu, CBS, YouTube, ESPN and others to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, HP MediaSmart TV or other DLNA hardware (Nintendo Wii's still on the coming-soon list) the presence of Netflix (and the recent Watch Instantly additions) gives even more reason to check it out. Since its still in beta don't be surprised to find a few issues, but considering our smooth sailing so far, the list of reservations over its $30 price tag (after the 60 day free trial period is over) is rapidly shrinking.
iPhone-Backgrounder (available for jailbroken iPhones via Cydia) brings another much-desired functionality that Apple's not allowing for legit apps—the ability to run in the background. After installing the extension, simply hold down the home button on the app you want to preserve, and it will keep running until you tell it to stop with another home button press. Looks like those jailbreak folks aren't done innovating just yet...
Bad news, folks. We totally missed it in the wake of poor battery life specs, but Nintendo's new DSi will completely ditch support for GBA titles. That not only means no more playing GBA backups (they only loaded from the now extinct GBA slot), but even if you were to load some sort of GBA emulation through the DS slot, chances are that the DS's processor wouldn't be fast enough to handle it (integrated GBA hardware processed these games before). Also, no GBA slot means that the lightly supported but excellent DS rumble pack and similar accessories are dead too. I can't speak for everyone here, but the DSi is becoming a bigger disappointment by the second.
Rare's taken another stab at everyone who reckons Banjo-Kazooie has abandoned its roots, with a new video showing the BIGGEST platforming playground we've ever seen.
This is the game's hub world, Showdown Town, where the only vehicle you can use is essentially a big trolley with wheels - everything else is on foot.
you pay close attention you'll also spot a suspicious (and familiar) '?' egg at the end of the video, likely to do with the Stop 'n' Swop cross-over between 'Bolts and the XBLA re-release.
Watch the trailer below (and to the right a little) and read our recent hands-on for more.
my laptop went down last night and now half the keys arent working and whilst i do have a spare laptop its as old and slow as they come, i will get my pc that i havent used in a year up and running tommorrow but for tonight im going to have to give up, took me 45 mins to post about 5 items, and i cant take anymore of the crap laptop.
anyone who can submit news into our submit news forum that would be great,hopefully an admin with some spare time will be able to move to correct forum.
thats all from wraggy tonight,
imm going to email the wan...s about my laptop and hope they will get it repaired as soon as poss
Microsoft's released the fourth instalment in its Gears of War 2 vidoc series, which lets you watch Cliff Bleszinski, Mike Capps and co speak over gameplay footage. It's the latter we're interested in.
This one's about the baddies, showcasing enemies we already know about (the preist-like Kantis and hulking Brumack) and also some new ones (a Locust bloke riding a sort of demented horse...)
Unless our heads are making up lies, there's also a bit of a story spoiler near the beginning regarding the Locust's origin. So close your ears if you're that bothered.
Watch the previous videos on the plot, the guns and the sound, plus our hands-on and interview with Cliff Bleszinski for more.
We will continue to accept Pandora orders for the first batch until SUNDAY - we will increase the first batch manufactured to match these orders.
After that it will be from the second batch in 2009.
We recommend you order as soon as possible as we must start production next week.
We are also answering as many emails as we can, but if possible can you check the new forum we have set up (see blog) as the old forum is still dead from being overloaded.
Via :http://www.gamedaily.com
Today, EA Sports announced a special version of the latest Madden called Madden NFL 09 Pink. The game will be available at retail exclusively through Target during the month of October – to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Consumers can also purchase the game online through Target.com and NFLShop.com. Proceeds from the game, which features a special pink ribbon cover, will contribute to a donation to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation.
Release Notes:
Here you have it, an all-in-one solution for your Pandora Needs.
This program is designed to prepare your PSP Memory Stick to be used with the Pandora Battery. Unfortunately this program can not change your Battery to Pandora, however it will copy programs to the Memory Stick in order for you to do this yourself.
Software-wise there are no updates this time around, however the PPD Application itself have been majorly tweaked. It now has a feature to check the internet for new versions as they are released, and take you to a download page where you can either grab an Update or a Full version of the latest program.
There has also been a configuration system added too, so now you can Load and Save your configurations. It also comes with nearly 20 Preset configurations to make it easy for beginners, or for people who want to create a Memory Stick quickly and easily.
I hope you enjoy this new release...
WARNING: THIS PROGRAM WILL FORMAT AND INSTALL THE IPL LOADER TO THE DRIVE LETTER YOU SELECT AS YOUR PSP DRIVE, SO MAKE SURE IT IS THE CORRECT DRIVE BEFORE PROCEEDING. I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR FORMATTED USB HARD DRIVES ETC...
Requirements:
- A PC with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista and .NET Framework v2.0.
- A PSP with USB Cable and 1.50 or 3.xx/4.xx M33 Custom Firmware Installed.
(This is needed for creating the Pandora Battery, not the Memory Stick).
- The official Sony Firmware EBOOT files for 1.50, 3.71, 3.80, 3.90, and 4.01
What it does:
- Formats your PSP Memory Stick with or withour MSPFormat.
- Installs the TimeMachine IPL to the Memory Stick.
- Checks the Internet for any new versions.
- Loads and Saves Configurations.
- Allows you to select which buttons to use to boot your PSP.
- Copy Official Firmwares 1.50, 3.71, 3.80, 3.90, and 4.01 to your PSP.
- Installs jas0nuk's Pandora ELF+PBP Menu to access all the programs.
- Installs Hellcats Pandora Installer to your PSP.
- Installs the M33 1.50 Kernel Addon Installers to your PSP.
- Installs POPSLoader (with POPS 3.30, 3.40, 3.51, and 3.72) to your PSP.
- Installs the Noobz Pandora 1.50 Downgrader to your PSP.
- Installs Despertar Cementerio v3 to your PSP.
- Installs Despertar Cementerio v4 to your PSP.
- Installs Despertar Cementerio v5 to your PSP.
- Installs Despertar Cementerio v7 to your PSP.
- Installs Time Machine v0.1 to your PSP.
- Installs Support Tools executable from either Pandora or XMB.
Alternative VSHMenu 6.1
Config Cleaner 3.00
CXMB 3.2.1
FuSa screenShoot
FuSa SD 1.0.47
Hold+ 2.71
JoySens 1.42b
KeyCleaner 1.4
MemoryStick-Tool v1.5
nandTool 0.40 Final NEO
NetConfBackup
PSP Filer 5.6
RSPSARDumper 3.5
UMDumper 3.00
Dark_Alex USB Version Fake
How to use it:
1. Start the Application and load in the Eboot files.
2. Select your PSP Drive to be formatted and prepared.
3. Select the "Installation Options" and choose the installers, programs, and other options you would like to do to your Memory Stick.
4a.(Optional) If you selected to install the XMB or Pandora Support Tools, you will need to go to the "Support Tools Options" tab and select the programs that you want to install.
4b.(Optional) Go back to the "Firmware+Pandora Options" and use the Pandora Button Configurator to set up the buttons to your liking.
5. Press the "Start" button to start formatting and copying files to your PSP.
Changelog:
v2.2 (2008-10-03)
- Added Internet Update function
- Added Load and Save functions for Configurations.
Credits:
Programming and Logo by: DJB
Thanks:
- Forahobby and Klutsh for their help with this Project in the early stages.
- Dark_Alex and Team M33 for all their work with PSP Custom Firmware.
- Team Noobz / C+D for initially making the breakthrough with the Pandora Battery.
- Hellcat plus the other homebrew developers for the great programs.
This application does require .NET 3.5, so running it via wine can't be done (that I know of, .NET 3.0 is the highest I can run). It also requires a decompressed PRX, and will not compress when you save. Goto offset 0x150 and delete everything to that point, save as vshmain.prx.gz and uncompress.
It's that time of the week folks and again sales for consoles in Japan have another miserable week as the data and rank changes below imply:
Nintendo DS Lite: 57,847
Nintendo Wii: 26,314
Playstation Portable: 25,671
Xbox 360: 11,291
Playstation 2: 9,848
Playstation 3: 8,275
In rough figures, first off: the DS Lite stays on top, down 4,000. The Wii is 2nd, down 3,600. The PSP goes down 3,000. The Xbox 360 comes 4th, down 2,500. The last 5th and 6th places see a change; the PS2 increases by 1,700, swapping places with the PS3 which slides downwards into 6th by 500 units. Stats via Media Create
UK publisher Codemasters is to shut down the servers for the massively multiplayer online game RF Online in Europe and North America.
The company said that it was unable to reach a deal with Korean developers of the title CCR, and will not be renewing its contract.
"Our licence for RF Online is due to expire shortly and unfortunately, despite several weeks of negotiations with CCR, the Korean developers of the title, we have not been able to reach an agreement to renew the contract," said the company in a statement.
"This means that Codemasters will no longer have the right to operate the service in the Western territories it currently provides service in and therefore we are obliged to shut down all associated game services before the licence expires."
The last full day of service for the game is November 9, with servers shut down for good on November 10.
New accounts can no longer be opened, and the company will not be selling any more in-game credits.
RF Online was Codemasters first MMO title and has been running for three years.
It seems like EGM editor-in-chief James Mielke visits Japan every other week to get the scoop on the biggest games coming out, and few are bigger than Resident Evil 5. The Milkman recently visited the Capcom offices overseas where he had a chance to chat with RE5 producer Jun Takeuchi, who had more than few interesting things to say about the latest in the popular zombie-slaying series. One particularly interesting note: The typewriter save system from previous games is completely gone in Resident Evil 5. "Actually, I really like typewriters; they're really typical of the Resident Evil series," Takeuchi explains. "But this time, the save system will be a combination of checkpoints and chapters."
Later in a one-on-one interview, Takeuchi goes on to explain five of his favorite things about the Resident Evil series, the possibility of Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy showing up in the same game, and the idea of making another EGM April Fools joke -- Akuma in Resident Evil -- a reality. "That's a pretty good idea," he says. "Maybe we can make something out of that."
Check out the November issue of EGM for the Resident Evil 5 blowout and the full interview with Takeuchi. This issue also contains all of the latest on Ubisoft's open-world FPS, Far Cry 2, and a first look at the co-op campaign (including class-specific abilities) in Insomniac's Resistance 2. The issue should be arriving for subscribers now and will hit newsstands in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has topped the US PC sales chart for the week ended September 20, according to data provided by NPD.
Mythic's MMO was followed by Spore in second place, which dropped a place from last week, and Warhammer Online Collectors Edition at third. Crysis: Warhead debuted on the chart in fourth place and The Sims 2 Apartment Life took fifth place.
World of Warcraft: Battle Chest came in at number six, Spore Galactic Edition came in seventh and The Sims 2 Double Deluxe secured a spot at eighth place.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky took ninth place and closing off the chart at number ten was World of Warcraft.
US PC chart follows:
1. Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning
2. Spore
3. Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning Collectors Edition
4. Crysis: Warhead
5. The Sims 2 Apartment Life
6. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest
7. Spore Galactic Edition
8. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
9. Stalker: Clear Sky
10. World Of Warcraft
Byte Back is a UK classic gaming convention that will be taking place on the weekend of 7-8th March 2009 in Stoke-on-Trent. All profits from the event will be donated to charity.
The event aims to unite gamers of all ages in a celebration of the entire history of video games, from classic arcade machines and 8-bit home computers, to consoles from Atari, Sega and Nintendo, all the way up to the latest generation of systems such as the XBOX 360 and Wii. The event will feature numerous competitions, guest speakers from the gaming industry, showcases of homebrew games and dealers offering a range of gaming merchandise. And don't forget there's a bar too!
We are trying to set up an extensive homebrew showcase area in one of the two rooms, to include new games written for old systems, modern remakes of classic games and gadgets that allow you to attach new technology like card readers to old systems. We already have confirmed exhibitors in the form of Retro Software, Cronosoft and The Retro Clinic but we're looking to expand this area further to include other homebrew developers. We're also hoping to have at least one homebrew discussion forum during the weekend where developers can show off their coding techniques, share ideas and generally network with one another.
Anyone interested in attending the event to demonstrate and perhaps sell your homebrew software, please get in touch via the website or by email to matcorne@byte-back.info - there's no charge for being an exhibitor apart from the regular ticket price, though donations of software to be given away as competition prizes are most welcome!
Here's a few new screens for Animal Crossing Wii. I like Animal Crossing as much as the next guy who likes Animal Crossing, but really, Nintendo, you could have tried a little harder.
It was the surprise of Nintendo's show this morning and here are the high-quality screens for Treasure's Sin and Punishment 2.
Yep, it looks fricking ace. The first game, in case you don't know, was a Treasure-developed masterpiece on N64, and one of the import favourites for the platform because, sadly, it was never released over here.
Not until it hit the UK virtual console, however. That was great, but with the Wii Remote pointer functionality - surely used to aim and shoot - this is guaranteed to be better.
By the looks of it Nintendo stockholders weren't too impressed by Nintendo's redesigned Nintendo DS, as shares in the Japanese giant dropped 3.7 percent following the DSi announcement yesterday.
"Nintendo's announcement on the DS didn't exceed investors' expectations," Yoku Ihara, head of equity research at Retela Crea Securities Co. told Bloomberg. "The stock market was so bearish that the news didn't help the shares gain."
Overall Nintendo's stock has dropped a huge 41 percent in 2008 - and Sony dropped an even more massive 51 percent - as that damn dirty credit crunch scares off everyone's confidence in money being spent on consumer electronics. That's what the London Paper told us, anyway.
The new DS features wider screens, a built-in camera and MP3 support plus an SD Card slot for downloading games... apparently not enough to impress the men in black.
To be fair, unless it unveiled a time-bending box that went back to 2006 and moved all our mortgages out of Northern Rock, stockholders would've thrown a wobbly whatever it showed.
The only thing we're not impressed about is the removal of the sexy DS logo from the top of the console. Why Nintendo? Why?
These are the first three screenshots of Another Code on Wii.
Little is known about the gameplay, but the screens show the DS game's main character, Ashley Mizuki Robbins, returning on Wii, and by the looks of the map you might also be stuck to a set path, Killer 7-style.
Yesterday's announcement that Pikmin would be re-released for the Wii? It was, as you no doubt expected, just the start. Nintendo have big plans for this line, with many, many more games planned. And yesterday, they even announced a few of them. First up is Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, which will actually be out before Pikmin (on November 11), though with the game eschewing bongo controls in favour of standard (ie nunchuk + Wii Remote) ones it's hard seeing the point in it all. The other announced GameCube games make a little (OK, a lot) more sense, and are Pikmin 2, Mario Tennis, Metroid Prime 1 & 2 and Chibi Robo. All will ship with updated Wii controls, and all will sell for budget prices.
A 16:9 Wind Waker with Wii Remote bow and grapple aiming would be great, Nintendo. Just sayin!
PlayStation 3 racing fans are advised to hop into Gran Turismo 5 Prologue today, where a game update adds three new cars to the game's stable, along with various gameplay tweaks to help tighten up the experience. The three new rides include the Ferrari California will go for 300,000 credits, the Lotus Evora for 100,000 credits, and finally the Citroen GT, weighing in at a hefty 1,000,000 credits.
Along with the new cars comes difficulty tweaks for races, increased rewards for winning, and some changes to the penalty system that I, as someone who has yet to take advantage of the highly-priced demo, couldn't possibly understand. Hit the link for more details, or just turn on your PS3 and load up the game, which I am sure will explain everything.
We regret to inform you to that Mr. ESC has again ran, jumped, and slipped through the fingers of modern retail, keeping the escapologist's touchable adventures in Exit DS unrestrained, at least for a little while longer.
Not to fret, however, for while the game will miss its previous release date on October 7, publisher Square Enix seems confident that the escape artist's puzzle-adventure exploits will be on store shelves on November 4. No reason was given for the delay, though we like to think that when it comes to Mr. ESC, sometimes you just can't keep a good escapologist down.
There's a few months left until the latest title in the 100 million selling Sims series releases, but just in case you'd forgotten, EA's released a bunch of new screens.
Built on a new engine and three years in development, The Sims 3's initial feature-set will include a new "seamless, open neighbourhood". This ,coupled with fresh environments including a beach, mountains and town centre, and a new Create-A-Sim mode allowing for "unlimited" character customisation.
The game's out at stores and via download worldwide on February 20, 2009.
Official PSP Slim and Lite accessory set for Phantasy Star Portable Fans! It comes bundles with 1 crystal case, 3 UMD cases and a headphone, all featuring Phantasy Star Portable.
Compatible with PSP Slim or NDS Lite console, this special soft rubber cupule allows you to appreciate programs conveniently. All you need to do is to adjust the stand to appropriate angle then put the console on, you can now watch movies freely.
Compatible with PSP Slim or NDS Lite console, this special soft rubber cupule allows you to appreciate programs conveniently. All you need to do is to adjust the stand to appropriate angle then put the console on, you can now watch movies freely.
Anti-Globalism writes with this excerpt from AFP via Yahoo! News:
"Seoul-based 'free-to-play' computer game titan Nexon on Wednesday blasted into the US videogame arena with a 'Combat Arms' online first-person shooter title that makes its cash from optional 'micro-transactions' by players. The game makes its money from players that buy animated helmets, outfits, emblems or other virtual items to customize in-game characters. To keep the battlefield even, players earn experience or advanced weaponry by skill so people essentially can't pay for power. ... Startups and established game makers including Japanese goliath Sony are venturing into the free computer game market, according to DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole. 'It looks like it could be very big,' Cole told AFP. 'It's one of the things everybody seems to be looking at. The challenge is it is a very new model and it remains to be seen whether customers used to a free model will be tight when it comes to actually spending money on it.'"
Massively takes an interesting look at the server model used by EVE Online. It's unusual for a MMOG because it doesn't divide the player load among different servers or "shards." Instead, the same cluster handles the entire EVE universe and all 300,000 subscribers (total; record concurrent load is around 40,000). The EVE Dev Blog recently announced some upgrades to keep things running smoothly and allow for battles involving over 1,000 ships. They call the technology StacklessIO.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
The tide of games are still coming in, flooding our warehouse. Raiden IV, the highly anticipated newest installment to the exhilarating shooter Raiden has arrived on your Xbox360™ consoles. Fly your craft, shoot down enemies, save the planet from invasion and admire the cutting edge graphics displayed by your 3rd generation system.
Eeriness is permeating the air even before Halloween arrives. Come home to Silent Hill and rediscover the resort town's disturbing history and residents as you search for your brother. With the graphical and audio capabilities of the PlayStation3™, the line between your nightmare and reality will be forever blurred.
Quite a lot of Japanese adventure games spot engaging storylines and by localizing them for English speaking audiences, more people can enjoy them. Time Hollow is a good example of such games. Stepping into the shoes of the protagonist, you right the errors that happened in the past in order to retrieve your disappeared family.
Aside from Time Hollow, the comedic RPG Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure and Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness [Nintendo DS™, Sony PSP™]are also localized for English speaking audiences. Save Prince Charming from the witch's clutches and claim your rightful place as the overlord of the netherworlds.
Although this summer has already passed us by, it is never too late to spend time at the beach with a team of pretty girls.
Rito, plagued with bad luck in the romance department is finally getting a break in To Love Ru Trouble: Rinkaigakkou-Hen [Limited, Standard Editions]. He is sent by the school master to spend time at a seaside academy. But again, paradise can always turn into a nightmare and vice versa with the team of alien girls around.
Namco Bandai Games has released fighter compilations for PlayStation2™. Namco Classic Fighter Collection and Shonen Jump Naruto: Ultimate Collection both feature three exciting games. It is your great chance to try out the games you have meant to play but missed and save some cash in the process.
Besides classic games, new fighters are released on Sony's newest portable console. Ikkitousen the hit manga is converted to Eloquent Fist [Limited, Standard versions] for Sony PSP™. The voluptuous girls are rebirths of warriors from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era and their conquests have just begun, enjoy the fan service provided along with the adrenaline pumping combat.
After pummeling the living daylights out of your opponents in fighters and destroying enough air crafts in the shooters, its time to contruct something. In SimCity Creator [Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™] you have absolute power over a city, after all, as its creator you can make additions to it and destroy it at will.
Last but not least, something for the whole family. The high ranking quiz show Buzz Quiz TV came out on PlayStation3™, complete with 4 buzzers. Test who is the most knowledgeable person in your family by challenging each other in the game show. Aside from using the TV, you can take your favourite program with you wherever you go as Buzz! Master Quiz is available on Sony PSP™.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week, followed by a quick preview of what is expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
Baja: Edge of Control US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Lego Batman ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 (en Espanol) US US$ 64.90
Raiden IV JPN US$ 64.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 64.90
Warriors Orochi 2 US US$ 54.90
PlayStation3™
Baja: Edge of Control US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway US US$ 64.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway [Limited Edition] US US$ 79.90
Buzz Quiz TV (w/ 4 Wireless Buzzers) US US$ 79.90
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PlayStation3 the Best) ASIA US$ 39.90
Madden NFL 09 (en Espanol) US US$ 64.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 (Chinese language Version) ASIA US$ 64.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming ASIA US$ 59.90
Warhawk (PlayStation3 the Best) ASIA US$ 29.90
Nintendo Wii™
Brothers in Arms: Double Time US US$ 54.90
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 44.90
Jikkyou Powerful Major League 3 JPN US$ 59.90
Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! US US$ 34.90
Margot's Word Brain US US$ 34.90
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition US US$ 44.90
Samba De Amigo US US$ 44.90
Sim City Creator US US$ 54.90
de Blob US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Jikkyou Powerful Major League 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou JPN US$ 64.90
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.00
Kanuchi: Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou [Special Limited Edition] JPN US$ 99.90
Namco Classic Fighter Collection US US$ 34.90
Pac-Man Power Pack US US$ 34.90
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special JPN US$ 64.90
Shonen Jump Naruto: Ultimate Collection US US$ 34.90
SingStar Pop Vo.l 2 US US$ 34.90
The Magician's Academy (eb! Kore) JPN US$ 34.90
Warriors Orochi 2 US US$ 34.90
Nintendo DS™
Babysitting Mania US US$ 24.90
Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4 US US$ 34.90
Dinosaur King US US$ 34.90
Disgaea DS US US$ 34.90
Drop Cast US US$ 24.90
My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Party US US$ 24.90
My SAT Coach with The Princeton Review US US$ 34.90
My Secret World by Imagine US US$ 34.90
Nakamura Sumiko Tettei Shidou: Shin Toeic Test 1-hi-1-fun DS Lesson JPN US$ 29.90
Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase US US$ 34.90
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure US US$ 34.90
Shaun the Sheep US US$ 34.90
Sim City Creator US US$ 34.90
Time Hollow US US$ 34.90
Unknown Soldier: Mokuba no Houkou JPN US$ 48.90
World Destruction: Michibi Kareshi Ishi [ebten DX Pack] JPN N/A
Sony PSP™
Buzz! Master Quiz US US$ 24.90
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness ASIA US$ 14.90
Dragoneer's Aria ASIA US$ 14.90
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist JPN US$ 48.90
Ikkitousen: Eloquent Fist [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 95.00
Lego Batman US US$ 34.90
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen JPN US$ 48.90
To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 74.90
PC Games
Mount & Blade (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90
The Settlers VI (Gold Edition) US US$ 34.90
Video Game Soundtracks
Ayakashi No Miya Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Crest of Z's Toshin No Monsho (Super Robot Taisen Z Intro Theme) (~Jam Project) JPN US$ 11.90
Fate / Tiger Colosseum Upper Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 19.90
Hakuoki - Shinsengumi Kitan Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 27.90
Knights in the Nightmare Perfect Audio Collection Plus JPN US$ 29.90
Neo Angelique Abyss Neo Angelique Abyss Second Age Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 30.90
Tears To Tiara Kakan No Daichi Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Yuu Kobayashi's Monthly Fumiaki Kobayashi Radio CD October Issue (~Yuu Kobayashi) JPN US$ 32.90 Game Guides and Magazines
Aoikuro no Kusabi: Hiiro no Kakera 3 Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 38.90
Arcadia Magazine [November 2008] JPN US$ 12.90
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Codes & Cheats Fall 2008: Prima Games Code Book US US$ 9.90
Dengeki PlayStation Final Fantasy XI Dengeki Ryodan Chronicle 2 2004.6-2006.12 JPN US$ 29.90
Famitsu Connect! On "Connect! On" Vol. 23 November JPN US$ 11.90
Famitsu PSP + PS3 [November 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [November 2008] JPN US$ 16.50
Famitsu Xbox 360 [November 2008] JPN US$ 10.90
Guilty Gear 2 -Overture- Setting Sourcebook JPN US$ 43.90
Hoshizora no Comic Garden Official Visual Fan Book JPN US$ 33.90
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 Perfect Guide JPN US$ 26.90
Labyrinth City Night Wizard 2 Source Book JPN US$ 32.90
Lego Batman: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Maple Story Master Book 2008.1 Version JPN US$ 23.90
Maple Story Master Book Ikusei Hen 2008. 01 Version JPN US$ 23.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave Visual Guide Book JPN US$ 36.90
Nobunaga no Yabou Online Souha no Shou 2008.8.27 Official Guide Vol.1 JPN US$ 32.90
Soul Calibur IV Perfect Guide JPN US$ 29.90
Street Fighter IV Master Guide JPN US$ 23.90
Super Robot Taisen Z Player's Bible JPN US$ 18.90
Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk Perfect Tour Guide JPN US$ 31.90
Tech Gian Brilliant 2008 Vol.1 JPN US$ 35.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1033 (2008 10/10) JPN US$ 7.90
Here is a quick outlook what's expected to be hot next week.
Xbox360™
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 44.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
NBA Live 09 US US$ 64.90
NBA Live 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Silent Hill: Homecoming US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts '09 US US$ 34.90
Onimusha: The Essentials US US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™
Kirby: Super Star Ultra US US$ 39.90
Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood US US$ 39.90
Sony PSP™ Macross Ace Frontier JPN US$ 48.90
Valhalla Knights 2 US US$ 44.90
Welcome to this week's Movie/Music news roundup, containing new Japanese and Hong Kong Video and Music releases from this week listed at Play-Asia.com. Around 330 new items are covered in this week, including new J-Pop, Anime as well as Japanese, Hong Kong and Western movie releases and much more.
Happy Birthday [Limited & Standard Editions] is a new, relaxing and catchy pop song by News. As image boys for Kose, a famous toiletries brand, the band spots a clean and refreshing image. To all those who are choosing gifts for loved ones' birthdays, inside your prettily wrapped up luxurious toiletries, you can attach a copy of News' single.
To those who prefer something more exotic, we recommend the Hakuoki - Shinsengumi Kitan Soundtrack. As a soundtrack for a dating game, romance permeates the whole disc, aside from that, since the plot of the game takes place in the Bakumatsu period, expect the music to be somewhat nostalgic.
Aside from the above mentioned darkly romantic game soundtrack, the cute and fun Chocobo Racing OST will raise your spirits. Previously released exclusively for Japan, this album is now available for the whole world to enjoy. Listen to the familiar themes from Final Fantasy and discover what miracles remixes can do for them.
After the interesting Jpop releases and soundtracks it is time for the movies. The superhero film Iron Man is available on Blu-Ray Disc, 2 Disc Steel Box and 2 Disc Iron Mask Packages. The film spots a star studded cast and brilliant special effects that are best displayed on your HDTV with a Blu-Ray Disc.
Here's a summary of all new releases that were published between Saturday, September 27th and Friday, October 3rd. If some specific item that you are looking for is missing, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service with your request.
J-Pop Music releases (93)
ENKA Music releases (27)
Anime Soundtracks & Drama CDs (20)
Video Game Soundtracks (3)
Hong Kong Version Music releases (7)
Blu-ray Disc Movies (31)
Anime & Animation (18)
Hong Kong Version Movie releases (31)
Japanese Movies (11)
Non-Japanese Movies / Japanese Version (46)
J-Pop DVD releases (9)
Idol DVD (37)
A Christmas Visitor (~William Devane, Meredith Baxter, ...) US US$ 14.99
Angel In The Family (~Meredith Baxter, Ronny Cox, ...) US US$ 14.99
Angela Aki Concert Tour 2007-2008 (~Angela Aki) JPN US$ 57.90
Bellini: Norma (~Hugh Smith, Giorgio Giuseppini, ...) US US$ 45.98
Can't Hardly Wait (10 Year Reunion Edition) (~Lauren Ambrose, Ethan Embry, ...) US US$ 28.95
Cirque Du Soleil: Corteo (~Igor Issakov, Mauro Mozzani) HK US$ 28.90
Daredevil - The Director's Cut (~Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, ...) US US$ 39.98
Dawn of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut) (~Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, ...) US US$ 29.98
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (~Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, ...) US US$ 39.98
Halloween Starter Pack (~Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, ...) US US$ 59.98
Hollow Man (~Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, ...) HK US$ 28.90
Into The Blue (~Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, ...) HK US$ 28.90
Iron Man (~Jeff Bridges, Robert Downey Jr., ...) US US$ 39.99
Jethro Tull: Live at Montreux 2003 (~Jethro Tull) US US$ 24.98
Knocked Up (~Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, ...) US US$ 29.98
Land of the Dead (Unrated Director's Cut) (~Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, ...) US US$ 29.98
Next JPN US$ 46.90
Puccini: Gianni Schicci (~Alessandro Corbelli, Massimo Giordano, ...) US US$ 45.98
Redbelt (~Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alice Braga, ...) HK US$ 34.90
Salem Witch Trials (~Kirstie Alley, Henry Czerny, ...) US US$ 14.99
Six Degrees Could Change The World US US$ 28.99
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (~Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, ...) US US$ 14.98
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (~Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, ...) US US$ 29.98
The Godfather The Coppola Restoration Box (~Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, ...) JPN US$ 159.90
The Man Who Saved Christmas (~Jason Alexander, Kelly Rowan, ...) US US$ 14.99
The Patriot (~Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, ...) HK US$ 28.90
The Sixth Sense (~Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, ...) US US$ 34.99
The Thing (~Kurt Russell) US US$ 29.98
The Ultimate Unrated Comedy Collection (~Jason Segel, Kristen Bell; Seth Rogen, ...) US US$ 89.98
Verdi: La Traviata (~Angela Gheorghiu, Ramn Vargas, ...) US US$ 45.98
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions US US$ 69.98
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has dominated the Spanish and German software sales charts for the week ended September 21 by taking up seven places across the two regions' top ten, according to data provided by Media-Control GfK International.
PC MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has assumed the top spot of the German chart, followed by Crysis: Warhead in second place and Civilisation IV: Colonization at third, also for the PC.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PlayStation 3 took fourth place, Mario Kart Wii secured fifth place, Wii Fit took sixth place and Spore for the PC came in seventh.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360 closed off the chart at eighth, ninth and tenth places respectively.
Nintendo's Wii Fit topped the Spanish software sales chart, preceding Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the PS3 in second place and Warhammer Online in third.
Wii Play came in at number four, Mario Kart Wii at five, and Star Wars the Force Unleashed for the PS2 and Wii came in at six and seven respectively. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction for the PS3 came in eighth, Play Chapas: Football Edition for the PlayStation Portable came in ninth, and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? for the DS took tenth place.
German software sales chart follows:
1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
2. Crysis: Warhead (PC)
3. Civilisation IV: Colonisation (PC)
4. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
6. Wii Fit (Wii)
7. Spore (PC)
8. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
10. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
Spanish software sales chart follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
3. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
4. Wii Play (Wii)
5. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
6. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
7. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
8. Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
9. Play Chapas: Football Edition (PSP)
10. Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (DS)
Are ten multiplayer maps in Gears of War 2 not good enough for you? How about fifteen? Epic Games is packing a special treat into every retail Copy of Gears 2 - a coupon redeemable via Xbox Live good that allows players to download five additional maps for the game, each one a slightly more polished version of a map from the first game. The Flashback Map Pack includes newer versions of Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway, and Tyro Station, and will only be available to folks who purchase the game new, making buying a used copy a bit less attractive.
Epic has also revealed to the folks at GamePro that people who attend midnight launch events around the country will also be able to snag a code for a gold-plated Hammerburst assault rifle, the perfect companion to the gold-plated Lancer that comes with the special edition.
Bite-sized games developer Ninja Bee and Real Networks have announced Boingz! The WiiWare title was just announced at Nintendo's press conference, so all we've got at the moment is initial impressions, which give us a smaller LittleBigPlanet feel.
The 2D-3D puzzle platformer has players controlling elastic creatures -- we believe are called The Boingz -- that can be grabbed, stretched and flicked around the level. We've contacted Ninja Bee's PR team for more details and images.
Today sees the formal unveiling on S60 5th Edition. The new version of S60, built on Symbian OS 9.4, adds touch enablers to the platform, which means it is possible for licensees to create devices that use finger touch and/or stylus interaction. Other additions and improvements include the new sensor framework (adds easy integration of sensors, such as accelerometers into the platform) updated web technologies (WebKit version updated, Flash Lite 3 as standard) and enhanced multimedia functionality (support for widescreen displays, image and video editors as standard). Read on for more details.
"Today sees the introduction of S60 5th Edition, the latest release of the world’s leading, open smartphone platform, S60 on Symbian OS. The S60 5th Edition has the most advanced set of features that enable new innovations and new experiences for consumers that want to fully embrace the use of smartphone products.
With S60 5th Edition, the user interface is extended by the introduction of touch and with full support for tactile feedback. Enhanced display resolution support and a new Widescreen mode further compliments the touch UI and enables engaging visual experiences. Also, for the first time, the platform includes a framework for the use of advanced sensor technology. This all allows S60 device manufacturers to create innovative new device concepts for a wider range of user segments, while preserving the rich capabilities of the existing software platform."
The first device to use S60 5th Edition is the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic which was announced today, see other news items.
Developers can download the S60 5th Edition SDK and tools from Forum Nokia from today.
Thank you Obama. While I tend to lean a little right during presidential elections my vote has been swinging back and forth between you and McCain so far this election. In fact I do have a minor lack of confidence latey in Palin as the right person to lead this country in the case that McCain's health fails (hes old with some health issues ya know) and it was going to make Election '08 a tough choice for me.
My day goes something like this. Phone calls right when I wake up feeding me some one-sided view. On the way to work I ride the light rail and read the newspaper, usually containing some biased opinion about you or McCain which I attempt to avoid reading. Some more phone calls from one side or the other trying to get my vote. Then I go to lunch. Walking down the outdoor mall to buy food I get harassed by nice young people (usually from the democratic party) telling me whatever BS sounds nice trying to win over my vote. Then I go back to work and usually have a phone call or...
iTunes 8.0 included a whole boatload of features. 8.0.1 which is available now includes a whole boatload of much needed bugfixes . . .
Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist.
Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano.
Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading.
Improves checking for updates from the App Store.
Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.
Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod.
Head over to Software Update to grab the newest version. If you have any issues with the update please shout out and tell us!
edit: first issue reported. Error 13014.
fyi windows users a windows mobileme interface update was also released. You need iTunes 8.0.1 for the update.
Resco, one of the leading companies in software development of applications for mobile devices, announced today the availability of a brand new version of its award winning Resco Pocket Radio application for the Pocket PC platform. Version 1.90 now fully supports Bluetooth stereo head-sets and thus allows users to listen and tune into thousands of internet radio stations cable free. Moreover, with the new version it is possible to install a touch-optimized player to the Today Plugin and operate the radio directly from there. Easy radio importing, scheduled recording and a very friendly user interface are some of the many other features that made Resco Pocket Radio a sought-after application
Ballmer: At the end of the day, one of the big trends is that all content is going digital. And if we don't have the software and services that are useful, helpful and valuable for the consumption of music and video, we are sort of not really a player. Now, we built the Zune hardware with the Zune software - and what you'll see more and more over time is that the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc."
What can I say other than IT'S ABOUT FREAKING TIME. I feel like I've told this story 1000 times by now, but here it is again: about four years ago I was at a Mobius or MVP event (I can't remember which) and a Microsoft person came up to me and asked me if I thought they should scrap Windows Media Player Mobile on the device and instead implement the Portable Media Center interface as the way end users would access their photos, videos, and music. I said "Yes, absolutely" before he was even finished talking. The first generation PMC hardware might have been pretty suck-tacular, but the UI was easy to use. The Zune is an evolution of that UI, and while the Zune still needs improvement on a number of levels, the Zune UI is very easy to use - easier to use an an iPod in my opinion. If Microsoft really cared about the consumer market, they would have implemented that media UI years ago and we'd be having a different discussion today. They didn't because they're focused on the enterprise market first and foremost, but that's slowly (oh so slowly) changing.
Putting the Zune software onto Windows Mobile gives Microsoft a bunch of advantages: first, it lets them stop developing Windows Media Player Mobile, a piece of software that has sadly languished for years, hardly getting any updates or improvements. Secondly, it gives end users a great UI for media consumption, and assuming they go all the way with this, it gives users a media management solution (the Zune desktop software) that enables them to easily manage music and podcasts, and somewhat more easily manage photos and videos.
I see this as a win-win all around if implemented properly. I can't see a single down-side to this - what do you think about it?
Unless you’re Google, these look like rough times to launch a mobile operating system. That puts Palm (PALM) in an awkward position. Things have not been going well for the beleaguered smartphone maker, whose founders arguably kickstarted the smartphone revolution 12 years ago. Eighty percent of its sales come from the troubled U.S. market, its Treo phone has given up market share to the BlackBerry and it has lost buzz to the iPhone."
The article goes on to list a number of reasons why it makes sense for Palm to consider using Google's Android as the basis for its next platform rather than sticking with its homegrown OS, code named Nova. Had Android come out a year earlier, I am sure Palm would have given it serious consideration, but now that they are relatively close to releasing Nova (9 months is close when you consider their last OS was released in 2002) could they really switch now? I think long term that would be a good solution, but short term it would be a very rocky road.
Console collectors know good and well that Sega dished out a few less-than-easily-attainable versions of the Dreamcast back in the day, but only the hardest of hardcore fanatics are apt to have one this bad boy. Just 1,800 of these limited edition bundles were made, which feature an atypical Code: Veronica box, a translucent red version of the Japanese console, a matching controller, a copy of Biohazard Code: Veronica (Japan's version of Resident Evil Code: Veronica), all the traditional connection cables and a huge dose of bragging rights. Number 280 out of the 1,800 units can be yours right now for the low, low asking price of $800, and believe us, we don't foresee this one hanging around sans an owner for too much longer.
So you've got a spare Microsoft Surface and Wii Balance Board laying around, whaddya do? Well, you could try stacking them on top of each other and hope that big-ass table doesn't crush your little plastic Nintendo toy, and with some code slapped on what you'd end up with is pressure-sensitive surface computing. This clever little concept was cooked up by Josh Santangelo from "Stimulant." In his demo, featured after the break, he rocks Surface from side to side while colored spots roll back and forth, using a physics engine he developed for MS Silverlight. It's a great start and we would love to see this resourceful hack put to good use -- beyond that of a totally awesome yet ridiculously expensive tilt-a-maze game, minus the maze.
So here I'm in Neeeew Yooork. Teeeeerrific! (That's my Andy Warhol impersonation). One of the first things I did this week was to get a US cellphone contract, and since I was there, what the heck, I replaced my broken-screen iPhone with a brand new iPhone 3G—which required a $500 deposit because I have no credit history in this country. But I digress. The important thing is that I discovered that one of the best things of this phone—the one that truly made it a BlackBerry killer—didn't work after I tried it: Push notification services are not working yet.
America will soon join Europe, Japan and some other lucky folks and have access to the elite Club Nintendo...club. Sure, it's a Nintendo marketing ploy to get users to register products and fill out surveys, but Club Nintendo is also the only outlet to buy the most sacred, extra limited edition Nintendo gear. We'll keep our ear to the ground and let you know when registration begins, but until then, check out this awesome SNES Virtual Console controller that was offered earlier this year by Club Nintendo Japan. Pretty great, right?
America will soon join Europe, Japan and some other lucky folks and have access to the elite Club Nintendo...club. Sure, it's a Nintendo marketing ploy to get users to register products and fill out surveys, but Club Nintendo is also the only outlet to buy the most sacred, extra limited edition Nintendo gear. We'll keep our ear to the ground and let you know when registration begins, but until then, check out this awesome SNES Virtual Console controller that was offered earlier this year by Club Nintendo Japan. Pretty great, right?
Nintendo has confirmed the existence of their rumored pedometer with the release of a Wii Fit meets Brain Training meets Nike+ game. Your Life Rhythm, as it is called, uses the little pod to record your physical performance, and it looks a bit weird to me.
Today Nintendo unveiled their follow-up to the crazy-successful DS Lite, the DSi. Its form factor is much unchanged, but the new version has a larger screen, SD card slot, 3MP camera and access to an upcoming downloads store.
But the battery life is significantly lower and it's no longer backwards compatible with GBA titles. Unlike when the original DS transition to the DS Lite, major compromises will have to be made by gamers looking to upgrade. So, we want to know...
Microsoft's Ballmer has just confirmed that Zune software will be coming to Windows Mobile devices as well as other phones, as sort of a really late follow-up to Robbie Bach's comments on the same subject. Ballmer goes one step further than Robbie, who just made vague comments on the platform,
In the wake of Nintendo's announcement of the DSi, Sony reached out and asked if we'd like to discuss the event and get their side of the story. Sony talking about Nintendo? How could we resist??
So we asked John Koller, Sony director of hardware marketing, what he thought about the DSi. Was it an aggressive enough refresh?
Nintendo has kind of a history of these [moderate] kinds of updates, and even with DS Lite, there was a lot of discussion, "Is that enough?" And they seemed to do pretty well there.
True, Nintendo sold a lot of DS Lites. So how will the DSi do compared to its predecessor?
I can see the DSi being successful. The DS lite was obviously very successful. Will DSi do well with [the DS's] demographic? It probably will. Will it be a product that expands their user base [beyond] under 12? I'm not sure.
Verdict: If you play DS you wear diapers. And drool.
I'm not usually one for posting about the European Wii Shop Channel releases, but this week's offerings have me completely jealous and it's just not fair at all. Today sees the release of two of the best games the Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive, if you prefer) had to offer, and I am going to hold my breath until the come to North America. Not only do you Europeans get the Shiny classic platformer Earthworm Jim, they're also getting Shining Force II, Sega's tactical role-playing gem, possibly the sweet spot in the entire series. Dammit. Both are going for 800 Wii points, and they're both eventually coming here, but still.
And yes, I do own both cartridges for my Genesis, but that's hardly the point. You guys have better food, better women (with notable exceptions!), and better VC games. Next World War we're staying home.
While Japan is getting the DSi this November, the U.S. isn't. In fact, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the company won't be bringing the DSi to North America until late 2009 because it wants to continue selling the DS throughout the holiday season. Nintendo Co., Ltd. president Satoru Iwata is even more vague, telling business paper Nikkei, "The DSi will probably [our emphasis] be launched in the US and Europe next year." Outlining his vision of the DSi, he adds:
Because users can now download and save software, they can personalise the DS. By downloading subway maps and other things, for instance, the DSi can be useful for applications other than playing games. We wanted to create an offering that would fit naturally into people’s everyday lives.
The DSi is venturing into PSP territory, touch pen in hand. But can it compete? The Japanese stock market didn't exactly give the DSi the warmest of receptions...
Kirby Super Star Ultra for Nintendo DS re-imagines one of the most beloved Kirby games of all time. Kirby Super Star Ultra features new graphics and fully rendered animated cut scenes. With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight. On top of the main modes, there are also three new touch-screen-controlled mini-games that can be played with up to three friends via DS Download Play. Not only that, but players can go on Kirby adventures with a friend via local wireless as well
The RPG of the Year is back - in a Premium Edition packed with Powerful Extras!
Assume the role of The Witcher, Geralt, a legendary monster slayer caught in a web of intrigue as he battles forces vying for control of the world! Make difficult decisions and live with the consequences in a game that will immerse you in an extraordinary tale like no other!
Representing the pinnacle of storytelling in role-playing games, The Witcher shatters the line between good and evil in a world where moral ambiguity reigns. The Witcher emphasizes story and character development in a vibrant world while incorporating tactically-deep real-time combat like no game before it.
A classic side-scroller for the Wii console stars Wario, the smelly, bad-mannered alter ego of Mario. With the Wii Remote controller turned sideways like an old-school controller, veterans and newcomers alike can run, jump and smash their way through hectic side-scrolling stages. Players shake the Wii Remote to help Wario take down his enemies, empty bags of treasure or cause earthquakes. Best of all, there are numerous stages each offering multiple missions to keep players coming back again and again to unlock everything, collect more coins or just improve their best times.
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2009 puts players in bone chilling, pressure-packed hunting situations as they seek out savage animals in the world's most dangerous locations.
Players will face raw danger as they encounter the fiercest animals on earth, including lions, grizzly bears, jaguars and more. Accurately modeled Cabela’s equipment in the game means the firearms, tactics and gear are all realistic and precise – but this won’t always help in the face of an unpredictable, open environment packed with avalanches, elephant stampedes, and piranha infested waters. If you do miss a shot and fail to stop a charging man-eating animal, you will be forced to fight it via a melee defense – but pay attention; it's likely another nearby animal will join the attack.
features
Official Wireless Guitar, suitable for EA's Rock Band 2 video game
Sturdier, more precise strum bass
Built in Sensor allowing quick and seamless calibration
Retooled tilt sensor for improved overdrive deployment
More realistic neck and body design
Quieter buttons
Join alfonso junior and his sister fawcett in a race against time to save their paradise island
Home from pollution and cowboy plumbers. Pipe mania is a frenetically charged puzzle game that will challenge your mental skills to the maximum across intense, fast-paced levels. Beat the puzzles set by the island residents and become a pipe mania puzzle master.
Based on America’s #1 Educational Best Seller, Brain Quest is now available for the Nintendo DS. Test your skills with 6,000 curriculum-based questions from 6 exciting categories!
Meet Margot, the new video game Queen of word play! Margot has devised a set of six fiendish and compelling word based puzzles to test your vocabulary, spelling, and general vocabulary skills. No two games will ever be the same as you wrack your brain against the clock to create words from randomly generated letters in order to score maximum points!
features
250+ levels across 4 game modes: world, arcade, bonus and the Updated classic pipe mania game
Enhanced visuals & a host of characters to help and hinder attacks & damage
New pieces, new play mechanics, multiple floozes
description
Join alfonso junior and his sister fawcett in a race against time to save their paradise island
Home from pollution and cowboy plumbers. Pipe mania is a frenetically charged puzzle game that will challenge your mental skills to the maximum across intense, fast-paced levels. Beat the puzzles set by the island residents and become a pipe mania puzzle master.
features
Solve a series of eight mystery cases
Five separate action games related to the over-arching kidnapping storyline
Integrates quizzes, 3D investigation and action into the gameplay
Innovative use of the Nintendo DS stylus – players can move about each of the environments, find clues at crime scenes, solve puzzles, answer questions, trace and mark routes, and note memos on suspicious items discovered at the crime scenes
description
In Unsolved Crimes, players will take the role of a rookie detective as part of the New York police department homicide division. An aspiring model, Betsy Blake has disappeared and a social outcast and loner is the prime suspect. The case is a lot deeper than it appears on the surface. Crime is rampant in the city and Blake's disappearance is the latest in a frightening series of events that are slowly bringing New York to its knees. The local police department is having a hard time cracking the case and Blake's safe return lies in the detectives' hands to solve the mystery before it's too late.
Unsolved Crimes integrates three gaming elements - an action game, a 3D crime investigation and a crime quiz - to provide players with an unique, absorbing experience. The game fully utilizes the DS' unique Dual Screen, allowing players to immerse themselves in the New York environments. The innovative use of the stylus will allow players to trace marks, routes and memos on suspicious items discovered at crime scenes, all allowing players to move closer to solving the kidnapping mystery. The engaging storyline runs throughout the game, fully immersing players in the world of Unsolved Crimes with more than eight independent cases to solve in the diverse and fully interactive environments.
features
CLASSIC PUZZLE gameplay with enhanced visuals and a host of characters
NEW PIECES, NEW PLAY MECHANICS, multiple floozes and damaging attacks
300+ LEVELS SET ACROSS 7 THEMES
5 game modes, including bonus game
MULTIPLAYER GAME SHARING play for 2 players head to head (competitive)
QUICK LEVELS & SIMPLE CONTROLS – ideal for handheld, on-the-go gaming
description
Join alfonso junior and his sister fawcett in a race against time to save their paradise island
Home from pollution and cowboy plumbers. Pipe mania is a frenetically charged puzzle game that will challenge your mental skills to the maximum across intense, fast-paced levels. Beat the puzzles set by the island residents and become a pipe mania puzzle master.
King’s Bounty: The Legend is a knight saga, an exciting blend of role-playing adventure and tactical battles reviving glorious traditions of the legendary “King’s Bounty” game.
A hero (warrior, mage or paladin) and a whole army of his loyal companions in arms travel across a huge continent made up from dozens of linked locations. Setting kings on the throne and overthrowing them, saving princesses from the claws of dragons, searching for pirates’ treasure chests, vanquishing villains who are attempting world domination. These are the everyday challenges the player will face in the game.
It's the Ultimate! For the first time ever, all the animals and all the thrills of Zoo Tycoon 2 and its four fun-filled expansion packs—Extinct Animals, Marine Mania®, Endangered Species, and African Adventure—are combined into one most excellent zoo. Welcome to Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection!
Make way for more than 100 of the most awesome animals ever—from the aardvark to the zebra. And don’t forget those dinos, from the toothy T. rex to the spiky doedicurus. Play minigames galore, create marine shows, and more in this zoo of zoos. It’s the ultimate and it’s yours!
features
This Signature Series guide features a comprehensive walkthrough of the entire game
In-depth area maps
Extensive character coverage
Detailed items listing
Signature Series guide includes bonus content, exclusive foldout and more!
Platform: Xbox 360
features
Signature Series guide includes bonus art section, exclusive foldout and more!
This Signature Series Guide features a comprehensive walkthrough of the entire game.
In-depth area maps
Extensive data on available weapons and items
Character listing
Detailed bestiary
Coverage of all five alternate endings
Platform: PlayStation3, Xbox360
features
Signature Series guide includes bonus art section, exclusive foldout and more!
This Signature Series Guide features a comprehensive walkthrough of the entire game.
In-depth area maps
Extensive data on available weapons and items
Character listing
Detailed bestiary
Coverage of all five alternate endings
Platform: PlayStation3, Xbox360
Damon Caskey has released a new version of Openbor the Beats of Rage fighting game engine for the Dreamcast, gP2X and PSP, heres whast new:
Release 2.2017
New features:
continuescore{1/2}
Goes in levels.txt on a per set basis.
1 = score is reset to 0 when you continue.
2 = 1 point is added to your score when you continue!
subject_to_minz {int} - Model header command. Toggles minimum Z bounding for model on playfield. Available to script methods getentityproperty and changeentityproperty as "subject_to_minz".
{int} - Default 1 for all except panel type models.
1: Entity cannot move beyond current minimum Z boundry.
0: Entity can move freely beyond current minium Z boundry.
subject_to_maxz {int} - Model header command. Toggles maximum Z bounding for model on playfield. Available to script methods getentityproperty and changeentityproperty as "subject_to_maxz".
{int} - Default 1 for all except panel type models.
1: Entity cannot move beyond current maximum Z boundry.
0: Entity can move freely beyond current maximum Z boundry.
Damon Caskey has released a new version of Openbor the Beats of Rage fighting game engine for the Dreamcast, gP2X and PSP, heres whast new:
Release 2.2017
New features:
continuescore{1/2}
Goes in levels.txt on a per set basis.
1 = score is reset to 0 when you continue.
2 = 1 point is added to your score when you continue!
subject_to_minz {int} - Model header command. Toggles minimum Z bounding for model on playfield. Available to script methods getentityproperty and changeentityproperty as "subject_to_minz".
{int} - Default 1 for all except panel type models.
1: Entity cannot move beyond current minimum Z boundry.
0: Entity can move freely beyond current minium Z boundry.
subject_to_maxz {int} - Model header command. Toggles maximum Z bounding for model on playfield. Available to script methods getentityproperty and changeentityproperty as "subject_to_maxz".
{int} - Default 1 for all except panel type models.
1: Entity cannot move beyond current maximum Z boundry.
0: Entity can move freely beyond current maximum Z boundry.
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