Its the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and what is the perfect excuse for not going out shopping? A new Yabause release, of course. Other than the version number bump, there's not any groundbreaking changes to the Dreamcast port, but the other versions have some nice improvements to look at. Here's a summary of what's changed:
vdp2:
- Fixed a bug in software renderer with rotating backgrounds.
opengl video core:
- Added gouraud shading and mesh processing. This is not enabled by default.
software video core:
- Fixed user clipping.
gtk port:
- Added mouse support.
- Configuration dialog now displays key names instead of values. Also made it so each different configuration is saved. This broke compatibility with old .ini files.
windows port:
- Support for spaces in filenames when using CLI.
- Added mouse support.
- Added cheat search.
general:
- Added mouse emulation.
- Added de, es, it, pt-br and sv translations
- Support for "out of src" build.
- Fixed compilation for non supported platforms. For instance this should fix compilation on dragonfly bsd. Fixed compilation on GNU/Hurd too.
Its the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and what is the perfect excuse for not going out shopping? A new Yabause release, of course. The new version has a few nice improvements to check out. Here's a summary of what's changed:
vdp2:
- Fixed a bug in software renderer with rotating backgrounds.
opengl video core:
- Added gouraud shading and mesh processing. This is not enabled by default.
software video core:
- Fixed user clipping.
gtk port:
- Added mouse support.
- Configuration dialog now displays key names instead of values. Also made it so each different configuration is saved. This broke compatibility with old .ini files.
windows port:
- Support for spaces in filenames when using CLI.
- Added mouse support.
- Added cheat search.
general:
- Added mouse emulation.
- Added de, es, it, pt-br and sv translations
- Support for "out of src" build.
- Fixed compilation for non supported platforms. For instance this should fix compilation on dragonfly bsd. Fixed compilation on GNU/Hurd too.
If you are having trouble with the Wifi connection; or if the top LCD has been replaced and the screen is still flashing off, it may be the problem of the Wifi Antenna. This Wifi Antenna for NDS Lite connects to the top LCD and covers the speakers.
If you’re looking for something non-stick-like to control your Wii, then you might be interested in the Hori Classic Controller. This one’s all for the Wii and is actually pretty practical when you get right down to it.
On the Hori Classic, you get a 4-button setup that graced the SNES controllers along with two analog joysticks. By combining a bit of the old and the new, you end up with a controller that sports the look of a classic controller with the functionality that suits more modern games.
Dubbed Wii Speak, the new peripheral is a small semicircle-shaped add-on which was shown sitting on top of the Wii's sensor bar. Wii Speak allows players to chat online and undertake activities in the Animal Crossing: City Folk world. One example shown at the conference included a four-player fishing game in Animal Crossing, with players happily chatting to each other as well as engaging in some trash talk along the way. Another quick example shown was four players going into an in-game restaurant and talking to one another over a meal.
Let's face it: this year's recession-busting Black Friday sucked, featuring a few good deals but no single blockbuster worth getting up at 2:00 am to stand in the cold. Over the weekend we still maintained a bit of hope that Cyber Monday would bring something worth getting excited about, and while right now it looks like we're set for another disappointingly bargain-free day full of nothing but work and turkey sandwiches, one deal did catch our eye. Amazon has a Nintendo DS up for just $99; that's $30 less than you'll find it elsewhere -- if you can find it elsewhere. The catch is it's the "Limited Edition Pink Ribbon" version, and pink and white is not exactly the perfect color scheme for those about to rock. However, a deftly-placed AC/DC sticker might let you feel the joy of supporting a good cause this holiday season ($5 goes to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation) while also avoiding any embarrassing taunting from thoughtless friends.
In case you missed it, last week TechARP said that Vista SP2 is scheduled for an April 2009 release to manufacturing -- that means not you... not yet anyway. We're guessing that it will hit a month later for general release if the Vista SP1 rollout was any indication. So who's TechARP? Oh just the same group of Malaysian kids that like to boast about how they broke the Vista SP1 and XP SP3 release schedules to the world. That makes their "confidential source" worth listening to. The source adds that Microsoft will deliver a SP2 release candidate as early as February so we'll know soon enough how accurate this rumor is.
Few have been spared the satire of Matt Groening's long running animated sitcom. Last night, The Simpsons took on Apple, or uh, Mapple for a full 6 minutes of lampoonery -- a pretty harsh ride at a two-joke per minute pace. It all starts when the Springfield mall gets its very own Mapple store, "it's so sterile," gasps Lisa upon entering. Perhaps the best exchange comes from Bart's dubbing of a Steve Mobs' product announcement in front of a crowd of gaping nerds, "You think you're cool because you buy a $500 phone with a picture of a fruit on it. Well guess what? They cost 8 bucks to make and I pee on every one!" A Mapple store employee then angrily responds, "Who dares question the boss we fired 10 years ago and then brought back!" Yuk yuk. Videos after the break for as long as it takes for the copyrighters to wake up.
No matter how accustomed we should be by now, it's always jarring to see one of the Nokia N-series phones drop at some outlandish unsubsidized price -- if you think the $556 tag on this N85 is hefty, keep in mind that Amazon is claiming that's already been steeply discounted from an atmospheric $1,200 "list price." While the phone is available to "buy" right this second at Amazon.com, there's a 3 to 5 week ship time quoted, so there's no telling if this'll be the first spot to nab the hotly-anticipated, N96-besting AMOLED handset in the States -- though it might be the first to take your hard earned cash for such a purpose.
I'd say that I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I'll be honest, I spotted this 1697 sketch while looking through a UFO conspiracy site. And as far as I'm concerned, it's clearly an ink rendition of two Xbox 360 logos floating in the sky.
Adding to the already impressive pile of Vista-deflating features we're expecting to see in Windows 7 is WARP, a tech which will allow your PC's CPU to act as a graphics accelerator, possibly doing away with the need for integrated graphics hardware to render user interfaces and low-end games. Not-so-seductively described as a ‘fully conformant software rasterizer’, WARP requires nothing more than an 800MHz processor for complete—if comically slow—DX10 compliance.
[Matthew] sent us this Nintendo 64 stuffed into an NES. He did a great job really, everything looks nice and tidy. the presentation is decent with only the game ports visible on the front to tell you its not stock. The accent lighting on the side vents is not overpowering. Overall this was a really well done mod. Just like the Nintendo 64 in a Wii mod, this only plays Nintendo 64 games. OK guys, lets get some mods going that don’t involve cramming one Nintendo product into another Nintendo product.
Next week, we'll be switching formats so the WiiWare and Virtual Console posts will be combined. Let's take a quick look at the games that convinced us prompted the move: The final, breathtaking solo salvo from WiiWare Weekly.
Space Invaders Get Even (Taito, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): It's completely antithetical to the whole spirit of the WiiWare Weekly post, but we're going to going ahead and admit that, judging from this YouTube review, SIGE, which lets you destroy a city as the titular invaders, actually looks pretty fun. Thanks for messing up our last hurrah, Space Invaders.
Pit Crew Panic! (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points): In Pit Crew Panic!, an all-female pit crew fixes cars, trains, bridges and, of course, toilets. See, now, that's the WiiWare we remember.
Let's play the hot new game that's sweeping the nation: "No, Seriously, What's Coming Out on the Virtual Console This Week?"
Today's contestant is Metal Slug 2 (NeoGeo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points). Sure, it may look fine ... until you realize that for $10 more, you could go to your local GameStop and buy Metal Slug 1, 2, X, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Metal Slug Anthology, a Wii launch title.
So, we ask you: No, seriously, what's coming out on the Virtual Console this week?
Earlier this month, Capcom hinted at a "little" surprise they'd be dropping on the PSN during the holiday season, leading many fans to the conclusion that Street Fighter's iconic brawlers would soon be inhabiting LittleBigPlanet. RipTen recently spotted what may be the first images of the suggested costumes on Spanish PlayStation community site PSNow -- including adorable, Sackitized versions of Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief and Ryu.
It's unclear where PSNow dug up the images, but they certainly look legitimate. However, you should take time to view the rumored costumes while you still can, as SCEE has asked a number of sites to take the images down. Make of that what you will -- we're fairly certain it has something to do with the indecent nature of Sack-Zangief's exposed Sack-nipples.
Wii Music challenges players to use their imagination to make their Wii remote and nunchuck into musical instruments. Accessory developer ezGear says screw imagination, here's some plastic instruments.
The company that brought us plastic tennis rackets, golf clubs, and baseball bats for Wii Sports now brings us a plastic violin, saxophone, and combination drum sticks / conductor's baton in their Wii Music Pack. Each white plastic piece contains a little recess for you to stuff either your Wii remote or nunchuck into, completely ruining the whole imagination aspect of the title.
Still, at only $29.99, it's an inexpensive way to add a large package under the tree, which is sure to impress friends and family alike. The Wii Music Pack should be available in stores later this month
Wii Music hasn't set the world ablaze. Still, it is an "evergreen title" — to use the proper Nintendo lingo. That, and Shigeru Miyamoto developed it.
One cannot dismiss Miyamoto's impact on gaming. He's responsible for so much of gaming's basic grammar. So even when one of his games does not garner the expected interest and acclaim, it is worth giving those titles another look. They very well could be misunderstood. From an interview with game magazine Edge:
What’s your response to some of the poor reviews Wii Music has received in the gaming press? Did you expect it to be misunderstood?
...My hope is of course that a gradually increasing number of people will get access to Wii Music and understand its fun nature. I really don’t think that it will have the immediate and universal appeal around the world at all [laughs].
I really appreciate that the gaming media has a different view of anything as new as Wii Music today — it’s simply symbolises how different and unique Wii Music is. To tell the truth, I have this big ambition for Wii Music, that it can eventually be something very influential so that it might be able to influence what music means in the world.
Wii Music might age well. It might be one of those titles that we come back to and are able to appreciate at all that Miyamoto is hinting at. Then again, it might not.
Some retro games you buy to play, others you buy to play a couple times and then put them behind a glass case.
The Gentle Physics and Science of Hazardous Materials is less a game, more a collector's item.Developed by Konami in 1990 for petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan, the title is an instructional tool for employees and never offered for retail sale. To run the game, it's necessary to use an adaptor called a "Q-ta."
Developer Ensemble Studios has had a two part challenge: Make a solid RTS for consoles and make it in the Halo universe. No easy task by any means.
The result is the four-years-in-development Halo Wars, the last title from Ensemble. Microsoft is closing the Texas-based studio early next year. To create the title, Ensemble built Halo Wars from the ground up, setting out to make a RTS that pleases RTS players and Halo players.
Having heard from "sources", CVG are reporting that the next franchise to be given the Lego game treatment will be...well, whaddya know, Harry Potter.
And that's all they know. No further info given. Then again, being a Lego game, do you really need further info? They're all, largely, the same game. Running, jumping, shooting/punching, collecting Lego bits.
Just replace the IP, add a new theme song, then wonder aloud how long Traveller's Tales can get away with it before the buying public catches on.
To anyone and everyone hoping for Lego Blade Runner, Lego Kindergarten Cop or Lego The Italian Job, sorry. You'll have to maintain your silent vigils for a little while longer.
Yet, another DS game piracy arrest. A 57 year-old cram school manager has been taken into custody for illegally pirated Nintendo products. He was arrested after complaints from Nintendo.
The suspect, who resides in Ehime Prefecture's Imabari City, apparently sold Super Mario World burned on a CD-RI and Pokémon Platinum on a microSD card to a Matsuyama City man. Using Yahoo! Auctions, the suspect was selling bundles that included R4-style devices along with data on microSD cards and CD-RIs for ¥8,500.
After Nintendo complained to the Ehime Prefecture Cyber Patrol, police raid the suspect's house, where they found four computers, 5 R4-style devices and approximately 70 sales vouchers.
Bored with alarms firing in the wrong place? GPS-Action from SymbianGuru will fire reminder exactly when you reach the target place, no sooner and no later! Depending on your geographical location obtained from the GPS receiver, GPS-Action will fire alarm, open the application, change profile, launch the website, open a document or a certain application for you, Bluetooth status change included. And if you have no GPS inside your mobile, GPS-Action can also work with CellID information that is available to all devices. http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=565&faq=8
Online and High Street retailers are slashing the prices on high profile new releases in the run up to Christmas
Play.com is currently offering THQs Saints Row 2, Take-Two's BioShock for PlayStation 3, Ubisoft's Shaun White Snowboarding and Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV all for GBP 17.99, along with a number of other discounts.
High Street chain Gamestation is selling Microsoft's Fable II for GBP 19.99, with the promotion backed by a high profile TV campaign.
Amazon.co.uk is offering a number of titles for less than half price, including Bethesda's Fallout 3 for Xbox 360 and Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year for the Wii.
And while Sony has not officially cut the price of the PlayStation 3, the Sony Style site is currently discounting the 40GB model by GBP 40, retailing for GBP 249.
Online auction site eBay has revealed that the Nintendo Wii is the most searched for product on eBay across all categories.
The Wii has an average selling price on eBay of USD 349, USD 100 above the recommended retail price.
The site reported that on Black Friday – the shopping day following Thanksgiving in the US – 3171 Wiis were sold in 24 hours.
"Results from Black Friday show that shoppers continue to turn to the web for their holiday shopping needs, especially for consumer electronics," said Jim Griffith of eBay.
The second most searched for product was Wii Fit, with 1059 units sold on Black Friday.
Nintendo has struggled to keep up for demand for its home consoles and peripherals since release, with this year looking like shortages will once again hit retail.
Wii Fit sells on eBay for an average price of USD 100. Other popular videogame products on the site include the PlayStation 3 (average selling price USD 355) and EA's Rock band bundle (average selling price of USD 100), according to eBay.
PyMuse is media player written in python, using gstreamer and gtk libraries. Its main aim is to provide simple, touch-controllable UI for media playback functions.
Sony has updated PlayStation.com with new MyPSN features that allow you to track your friends' online status, create a portable ID and take part in various events.
Your portable ID "contains your PSN avatar, Online ID, current mood, favourite console and more", and can be embedded in forum signatures and elsewhere.
"Over time, the portable ID will evolve to include Trophies and achievements," the MyPSN website adds.
To take advantage of MyPSN, just head to eu.playstation.com/psn to sign up, after which you can register your PS3, PS2 or PSP and set up preferences.
Overall it looks similar to Xbox.com's Live integration, which is no bad thing. The Microsoft site offers online friends list management and Achievement comparisons, and now allows you to begin downloads from Xbox Live Marketplace remotely, even on premium content.
Long time no talk. Here are the latest news of the project.
Thomas Bertani has left the project. Thomas, one of the founders of the project has left it in favour of the SHR. Well, Thomas , good luck
There is a Neo meeting in Milan(Italy) in december. It's very probable to find there me and Federico Bombelli.
Fred has had a wonderful idea. What about a CD with installer for the telefoninux?
Now let's talk about the most interesting part. The roadmap. The goal is to arrive to a version 0.1 that is almost suitable for daily use. Here are the steps for us to perform.
Version 0.01 – A slimmer debian with some unuseful locales removed and no docs.
It will contain no X server, only base system and dropbear. The release will be a tar.gz to install on SD. It's easy to achieve and i think we'd be able to release it very soon.
Version 0.02 – E17 svn packages compiled for the arm920t.(that means illume)
Version 0.03 – Phone suite based on openmoko framework (Zhone? SHR?)
Version 0.04 – Various improvements and bugfixes. Last "debian"
Versions 0.05-0.09 – Intermediate versions. Completely recompiled systems. Opening telefoninux repo
Version 0.1 – A complete system, binary compatible with debian.. You will be able to install it on the rootfs.
Chinese company, QiGi, is offering consumers one thing so many of its competitors don't: choice. The i6 officially supports Android and Windows Mobile. Unfortunately, dual-boot isn't an option - you have to pick one OS and stick with it until you choose to install the other. OSes aside, it packs a Marvell 624MHz processor, 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM, a 2.8" QVGA (240 x 320) touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 2.0-megapixel camera. Of course, you're probably never going to see this one outside of China. Still, if you had such a device, which OS would you choose and why?
Rockstar has confirmed that the PC edition of Grand Theft Auto 4 will implement SecuROM measures to curb the game's susceptibility to being pirated.
"We invest a considerable amount of time and effort to release each title, and employ a large number of people in the process. Having copy protection allows us to protect the integrity or our titles and future investments," Rockstar told IGN. "But at the same time we have worked very hard to ensure that our solutions do not persecute the legitimate players of our games."
Those who have purchased the boxed retail copy of GTA IV for the PC will need an internet connection to activate the software. Furthermore, the game's disk will need to remain in the DVD drive in order to play.
"GTA IV PC also requires a number of software installations, including Games For Windows, Adobe Flash, Internet Explorer, SecuROM and our Rockstar Games Social Club application."
Rockstar has added that there is a way to install the game on a computer that isn't internet-enabled, though information on how this works is not yet available. Rockstar have commented that this process will require an internet connection, though it doesn't have to be via the user's rig. Once activated, the single-player game will not need an internet connection.
However, "to save offline gameplay and Achievement point progress related to a particular Games for Windows Live Gamertag, you must have logged in with that Gamertag at least once and saved your progress with it. Achievement points are not tracked in 'offline' accounts in GFWL games."
The good news is that GTA IV will have no install limits for the retail disc version of the game, and that version can be installed on an unlimited number of PCs by the owner. Rockstar added that it "rewards loyal, paying customers and will offer incentives and downloadable content that will only be available to registered users of the game, running non-hacked copies, via Rockstar Games Social Club."
DICE hopes to start an open beta for Battlefield 2 patch 1.5 before Santa stuffs himself down chimneys.
"The beta would be for everyone that wants to install it, the more people that do the better feedback we get and we don't have an update 1.30 again," said a spokesperson for the developer on the official forum (spotted by Blue's News).
"The plan is to get it out before Christmas yes."
There's no specific word on what will be in patch 1.5, although DICE has hinted at server stability and performance tweaks, plus plenty of fresh content.
The Swedish developer has come under fire for shonky implementation in the past, but then that's the point of public betas.
And yes, this is the same Battlefield 2 that was released back in 2005 when Tony Blair was still Prime Minister.
Fond memories of the online shooter include a Eurogamer (and EA) staff-versus-readers skirmish, which was quite embarrassing, particularly after our programmer drowned me and our designer in a lake. You lot never really stood a chance.
Retailers across the UK have yet to receive copies of the PlayStation 3 exclusive title Resistance 2, as distributor Entertainment UK struggles to supply stores before Christmas.
GamesIndustry.biz has learnt that EUK customers, Zavvi, WHSmith and Currys.digital are still awaiting their supply of the anticipated first-person shooter, originally released on Friday November 28.
Key Zavvi stores in Brighton, London and Manchester are yet to carry the game, with one staff member explaining: "We seem to be having supply problems at the moment."
A spokesperson from Deloitte, which currently serves as the administrator of EUK and Woolworths, commented: "Since EUK went into administration, the administrators have either met or spoken with the majority of customers and suppliers and constructive talks are ongoing."
The spokesperson further added that the company couldn't confirm when the stores should expect copies to arrive. However, non-EUK stores, such as GAME and HMV, are currently supplied with stock.
Failure to ship a triple-A title could hamper Deloitte's ability to find a potential buyer for the company and it is yet to be seen if EUK will be able to keep up with busy launch schedule in the run up to Christmas.
GamesIndustry.biz has contacted Zavvi, WHSmith and Currys for further comment.
Sackboy, your beloved player character from the creative adventure LittleBigPlanet has arrived in his full wool and yarn glory.
The simple design of Sackboy allows you to use your imagination when you decorate and personalize him.
See how your designs will look on Sackboy in real life, stitch and glue fabric together and dress him in the most up to date fashion.
For those who need inspiration, there are a number of decorated Sackboys available. With an eyepatch and a hook, Sackboy transforms himself into Captain Hook the renowned pirate from Peter Pan.
Those who prefers fantasy settings can get the swordsman Sackboy who comes with his red felt cape and sword, while the happy go lucky of you can make a fashion statement by attaching the sunflower Sackboy to your belongings.
Let loose your creative streak by getting your very own Sackboy now.
When you're finally able to grab a copy of Resident Evil 5 next year, you will find different goodies in the box depending on which console you buy it for.
Capcom has revealed a bunch of console-specific exclusive extras, giving multi-platform gamers a bit of a decision to make.
The PS3 version will come with a special making-of video feature, which was apparently made by Hollywood staff (so hopefully a little better made than some shaky cam footage in a dull motion capture studio).
On the other hand the 360 version will come in a metal case with a soundtrack CD included called the "Biohazard 5 Selection Track", according to Japanese translations of the official Capcom site.
The 360 extras will only come with an initial 'Delux Edition' allotment, and when they run out you'll just get the game on its own. Whereas the PS3's video comes on the same disc as the game, so expect that to be a permanent extra.
Capcom also revealed a special Limited Edition version of the game (pictured), which comes in an even fancier box, packing a 2GB USB memory stick, a 32-page art book, and a waist pouch that resembles one used in the game.
All very nice. Which version will you be opting for if you own both systems?
When you're finally able to grab a copy of Resident Evil 5 next year, you will find different goodies in the box depending on which console you buy it for.
Capcom has revealed a bunch of console-specific exclusive extras, giving multi-platform gamers a bit of a decision to make.
The PS3 version will come with a special making-of video feature, which was apparently made by Hollywood staff (so hopefully a little better made than some shaky cam footage in a dull motion capture studio).
On the other hand the 360 version will come in a metal case with a soundtrack CD included called the "Biohazard 5 Selection Track", according to Japanese translations of the official Capcom site.
The 360 extras will only come with an initial 'Delux Edition' allotment, and when they run out you'll just get the game on its own. Whereas the PS3's video comes on the same disc as the game, so expect that to be a permanent extra.
Capcom also revealed a special Limited Edition version of the game (pictured), which comes in an even fancier box, packing a 2GB USB memory stick, a 32-page art book, and a waist pouch that resembles one used in the game.
All very nice. Which version will you be opting for if you own both systems?
Marvelous is co-publishing most of their games with XSEED, but Atlus still seems to be taking care of some Marvelous titles. On top of Luminous Arc 2 Atlus picked up Steal Princess, Climax’s spiritual successor to Landstalker. Not entirely unsurprising news since an English version was already announced for Europe, but it’s good to have some sort of confirmation of a North American release even if it’s just an ESRB leak as of now.
I played the Japanese version of Steal Princess and it starts off slow as molasses with a bunch of training levels. Once you get past the first batch Climax has some brain bending platforming puzzles to solve. Post-game players can create and trade user created Steal Princess levels over via Nintendo Wi-Fi. There are six spots for user levels on one DS cart and if Atlus can do one thing to improve the game over the Japanese release its creating a community for Steal Princess map makers.
Steal Princess was an easy game to identify since it is using the same name as its Japanese counterpart. The Dark Spire is more elusive. Like Steal Princess it’s for the DS and the ESRB says Atlus is publishing it. However, I don’t recall any game from Japan with exactly the same name. It could be a European game since Atlus USA is publishing Trackmaster, but there isn’t a European developed DS game called The Dark Spire either. Fortunately, the ESRB database now comes with descriptions and this is a summary of the Dark Spire.
This is a role-playing game in which players traverse through a dungeon to look for a stolen treasure. Players encounter monsters throughout the dungeon and can choose from a list of actions such as “attack,” “defend,” and “run.” Some story elements have graphic descriptions of violence (e.g., “…cut his own wrists and sprayed his blood” and “the sword impaled her through the chest”). Character accessories can include “bikini armor” and a “frilled codpiece,” while one scene mentions an “erotic panda.” Expletives (e.g., “bastard” and “hell”) can be seen in the dialogue, as well as references to alcohol products (e.g., “breath that reeks of rum”).
Hmm… dungeon crawling with basic RPG commands? Could this be the English version of Elminage DS Remix? Anyone else have a guess? “Erotic panda” could be a big hint too!
Update: Kid Marin had a great guess Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite from Success. Since Atlus and Success have close ties the Dark Spire may just be this retro dungeon crawler.
Of course Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is coming to North America and it is getting a speedy localization too. Square Enix will release the Wii/DS game in Japan first on January 29 with a limited edition Nintendo DSi. A few months later in the spring Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time will cross the pond when Square Enix publishes it in North America.
The story is about a sixteen year old hero who just returned home from a monster filled forest and a rite of passage. In his village he finds a young girl with “crystal sickness” and only the hero is brave enough to leave home to find a cure for the weak girl. You play as the hero which can be any of the four races in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles universe: Clavats, Lilties, Selkies, or Yukes. The character you make can be further customized by changing equipment and using your Mii. Yes, Square Enix is publishing the Wii and DS versions in North America too. However, they haven’t announced a price for either console. Gamestop lists both games at $39.99 which sounds about right.
Of course Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is coming to North America and it is getting a speedy localization too. Square Enix will release the Wii/DS game in Japan first on January 29 with a limited edition Nintendo DSi. A few months later in the spring Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time will cross the pond when Square Enix publishes it in North America.
The story is about a sixteen year old hero who just returned home from a monster filled forest and a rite of passage. In his village he finds a young girl with “crystal sickness” and only the hero is brave enough to leave home to find a cure for the weak girl. You play as the hero which can be any of the four races in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles universe: Clavats, Lilties, Selkies, or Yukes. The character you make can be further customized by changing equipment and using your Mii. Yes, Square Enix is publishing the Wii and DS versions in North America too. However, they haven’t announced a price for either console. Gamestop lists both games at $39.99 which sounds about right.
With Sonic's latest outing receiving less-than-stellar reviews so far, Sega shifts focus over to Sonic and the Black Knight for the Wii with a host of colorful new screenshots.
Sonic Unleashed is failing to set the video game reviewing world on fire so far, so what better time to release a slew of screens for Sonic and the Black Knight, a game that still has the potential to be good? It has sword fighting in it! That's a good sign, right?
Come on Sega, do something, anything to prevent a Nintendo game from being the best Sonic the Hedgehog title of this gaming generation.
SuccessHK have today announced that they have a load of refurbished PSP1000s back in stock, those of you who are after consoles for homebrew only may find this a very interesting development, they are selling for $166
Next week, we'll be switching formats so the WiiWare and Virtual Console posts will be combined. Let's take a quick look at the games that convinced us prompted the move: The final, breathtaking solo salvo from WiiWare Weekly.
Space Invaders Get Even (Taito, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): It's completely antithetical to the whole spirit of the WiiWare Weekly post, but we're going to going ahead and admit that, judging from this YouTube review, SIGE, which lets you destroy a city as the titular invaders, actually looks pretty fun. Thanks for messing up our last hurrah, Space Invaders.
Pit Crew Panic! (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points): In Pit Crew Panic!, an all-female pit crew fixes cars, trains, bridges and, of course, toilets. See, now, that's the WiiWare we remember.
The DS Emulator for Windows has seen a new build released today, heres whats new:
SVN revision 1162
General/Core:
- Change SPU to run two spus in parallel. SPU_core is the official one. SPU_user produces output.
This lets us do inaccurate things with SPU_user which might sound better while being more accurate with SPU_core. [zeromus]
- Add RTC implementations (not fully) [CrazyMax]
- Rewrite VRAM mapping control and render [CrazyMax]
Windows port:
- Add AVI output [zeromus]
- Remove multithreading from user interface after finding several synchronization issues [zeromus]
- Rewrite input core & replace config input dialog [CrazyMax]
Speaking to VideoGamer.com at a recent press event in London, Wheelman creative director Simon Woodroffe revealed that Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV has changed what gamers expect from an open world action title.
"Our game was already quite different, but GTA 4 moved the bar in terms of what people expected from an open-world driving game," said Woodroffe. "Before GTA 4, open-world driving games generally had more accessible, more arcade-like, handling. Even the previous GTAs were like that. But GTA IV moved the bar towards realism - even super-realism, you know?
Woodroffe noted that this change from easy Arcade-style vehicle handling to something more realistic dramatically affected the feedback he was getting on his game.
"At first I found it fairly frustrating, in comparison with Wheelman, but it was different enough to make us say, 'Look, people obviously want a more realistic experience. They don't want to be given things for free'. They want to feel like the ultimate driving hero, but they don't want to feel like they're being given it for nothing - otherwise there's no sense of accomplishment," Woodroffe explained. "We started to get feedback from our focus testers, within weeks of GTA 4 coming out, that the basic driving was dropping in popularity. It had gone from being the most highly rated element, to one of the lowest on the list. And I'm looking at this and thinking, "There's only one reason for this. GTA 4 has changed gamers' expectations"."
He continued: "... our job is to be up-to-date with current expectations and to manage them well. I'm very big on choice, and I'm very big on design and control systems. All the physics stuff stays very close to me and the design team, so it was work for a few hours or so, and polishing things up for a week or two, to change the way Wheelman felt to be a little more realistic and a little more grounded, based upon the feedback we were getting, based upon the impact of GTA 4."
Woodroffe now feels that Wheelman has been adapted based on feedback from testers and is "right on the money in terms of what people expect from an open-world racer".
As someone who owns eight different video game consoles and spends as much as four hours a day "gaming," Rumen is all but a certified expert on today's video game market. Rumen knows something that no Wall Street analyst does - how today's video game audience thinks. He knows what games are on the cutting edge, and more importantly, what games and consoles are most playable and popular among his peers.]
Despite all of the uncertainty of 2008, video game sales have been booming.
U.S. sales of video game hardware, software, and accessories surged 36% in the first half of the year to $8.27 billion. That even outpaces the $6.1 billion grossed over the same period in 2007, which was a record year for the industry.
Indeed, the video game industry has acquired the reputation of being recession proof, and the statistics bear that out. In 2002, after the technology bubble burst, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22%. Meanwhile, video gaming revenue climbed 43%.
And after a banner year in 2007, in which industry sales soared 50% to an all-time high of $18.85 billion, 2008 - even with all of its misgivings - is shaping up to be a new industry standard. Worldwide revenue is expected to exceed $57 billion in 2008, up 35% from the 2007 record of $41.9 billion.
With 267 million video games sold, an average of nine games per second were carried out of retail stores across the country last year. But as remarkable as that is, video games are flying off the shelves even faster in 2008, with sales up 41% in the first half of the year.
As the world’s leading format of entertainment, the video game industry had global sales of $41.9 billion in 2007 - double the total sales of 2002, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. At this rate, global sales will hit $68.3 billion by 2012. That’s a 10.3% annual increase over the next four years.
The Video Game Cheat Sheet
Video games have come a long way from the days of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Pong…
There are gun-toting shooter games like Call of Duty, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto. There are fantasy, or role-playing games (RPGs), like Spore and Final Fantasy, that allow players to reshape an imaginary world in their own image.
And now, with recent advances in motion and sensory technology, there are games like Guitar Hero, MarioKar, and Wii Fit, that allow players to become active participants in the games they play, and physically control the onscreen action.
Here’s a quick look at the games that have sold the most copies over the past 12 months, in order of sales to date. (Note that the sales figures are approximate, and that the release date is the first date the game was released globally.)
1. Call of Duty 4 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC (10 million copies sold-Released November 6, 2007)-Activision, now Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI)
2. Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 (8 million copies sold -Released September 25, 2007)-Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)
3. Grand Theft Auto 4 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC (6.5 million copies sold -Released April 29, 2008)-Take Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO)
4. Mario Kart Wii for the Wii (6.5 million copies sold -Released April 10, 2008)-Nintendo Co. Ltd. (NTDOY.PK)
5. Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii (6 million copies sold -Released November 1, 2007)-Nintendo
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii (5 million copies sold -Released January 31, 2008)-Nintendo
7. Wii Fit for the Wii (5 million copies sold -Release December 1, 2007 (in Japan, later elsewhere)-Nintendo
8. Metal Gear Solid 4 for the PlayStation 3 (3 million copies sold -Released June 12, 2008)-Konami Corp. (KNM)
These are the games that have proven most popular over the past year. It’s important to note that all except one, Wii Fit, are sequels to previous releases. This is important because it shows that gamers are most comfortable buying and playing updated releases of games they’ve enjoyed in the past.
Likewise, the newest installment of the popular John Madden NFL football series is a sure-fire seller every year.
The newest and fourth instalment in the Fatal Frame (Project Zero) series may be out here on Wii as soon as February.
That's according to Official Nintendo Magazine (spotted by Aussie Nintendo), which aired the first non-Japanese date for the spooky game. We've asked Nintendo for clarification.
Retailer Play suggests a February arrival for Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. And, if the game kept that name, it would be the first time the US title was used for the series in Europe.
Little is known about Fatal Frame IV, released in Japan earlier this summer. In fact, all we've seen so far is a freaky trailer featuring the paparazzi heroine wandering alone through haunted houses and bumping into some supernatural surprises.
Better, brighter, faster games--and perhaps more profits--are in Nintendo's future
Hardcore gamers may still scoff at Nintendo's Wii for catering to casual gamers. But hidden behind its Clark Kent facade are some impressive financial muscles.
Nintendo rocked the gaming world when it brought out the Wii gaming console three years ago by turning an entirely new demographic of users on to gaming. Middle-aged and senior citizens stood in line to buy Wiis on the strength of games like Wii Fit, which audiences found more fun than workout DVDs.
To date, Nintendo has sold nearly 35 million Wiis, including 12.6 million in the U.S., Nintendo's biggest market. That's lower than Sony's (nyse: SNE - news - people ) PlayStation 2, which has sold 43 million units since 2000. But it's still pretty high for a console that, at launch, was technologically a generation behind its chief competitors, Sony's PlayStation 3, with 13 million units in users' living rooms, and Microsoft's Xbox 360, with 23 million units. This year, the Wii is expected to sell more than the best-selling PS2 sold in its best year, 2003.
Just as interesting as how Nintendo has changed the gaming world, however, has been its business approach. Nintendo sells games along the time-honored razor-razor blade model, namely pushing out the console and then enticing users to buy more games.
"More casual players aren't as likely to be attracted by hardware features, so it's all about delivering a fun, easy-to-use and addicting game experience," says Anita Frazier, toy and video game analyst at NPD Group.
Another factor in enticing those casual users is keeping its console cheap. "The key thing about Nintendo is they want their things to be at price points that anyone can respond to," says Hiroshi Kamide, director of research at KBC Securities Japan. Nintendo's strategy is to buy inexpensive components instead of making them in-house, allowing the Wii to sell for $260 while the PS3 costs $300.
But here's the winning point: Unlike its competitors, Nintendo has figured out how to make money from its console sales. Sony loses money on each Playstation sold. Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) might just break even. But every Wii brings in $6 of operating profit for Nintendo, says David Gibson, an analyst at Macquarie Securities.
Nintendo also sells 60% of Wii games itself, compared with 30% for Microsoft and 15% for Sony. Wii users are expected to buy the most games this year, 220 million, compared with 120 million PS3 games and 125 million for the Xbox 360.
The top three Wii games--"Wii Play," "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" and "Super Mario Galaxy"--are all Nintendo's own titles, but the top three for PS3--"Grand Theft Auto IV," "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" and "Assassin's Creed"--are all from outside developers, not from Sony.
By making most of its games itself, Nintendo (other-otc: NTDOY.PK - news - people ) risks sacrificing the chance to earn licensing fees from as many third-party developers as its competitors. It also prices games cheaper--at $50 versus $60 for the other two consoles. But so far the gambit has paid off: Wii locks in fans because many of its most popular games appear exclusively on the Wii. And Nintendo has a higher gross margin on game software than the others at 65%, compared with between 50% and 60%.
Those only-available-here games sell better than games that have been ported to other consoles because the Wii's unique features--the motion-sensor remote, for instance--make it hard to translate into other systems. PS3 and Xbox 360 games can be ported between those two systems fairly easily, but developers that want to make a game for all three consoles need a dedicated Wii team to write the Nintendo version.
Ubisoft's new "Shaun White Snowboarding" game, which shipped in late November, uses the Wii Fit motion board to simulate full-motion snowboarding; its Xbox and PS versions push online virtual snowboarding with friends.
AnyRegion Changer is an application which allows you to make non-temporary changes to various region and language settings on your Wii's SYSCONF and setting.txt files. You may call this a "Region Mod," i.e. the settings will persist. It also allows you to install the System Menu of another region if you so desire.
1.1b:
No longer cares whether EULA has been set or not
Now downloads the correct IOS35 from nus, a fix for post 10/23/08
Nintendo is finally realising its long-held literary aspirations with the announcement of 100 Classic Book Collection for DS.
The software, released on Boxing Day for GBP 19.99 in collaboration with publisher Harper Collins, features 100 classic (i.e. out of copyright) plays and novels compiled on a single cart.
According to Nintendo Europe's site, you read holding the DS like a book, and flicking through the pages with the stylus. There are search and bookmark functions - and additional works available to download via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Amazon has the full list of books included. You get 21 Shakespeare plays, 13 Dickens novels, and all the canonical corset-busting classics you'd expect from Jane Austen, Charlott Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Herman Melville and the like.
The collection has a lighter side too, though, with a couple of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries, some high adventure from Alexandre Dumas, Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, wit from Wilde, Swift and Twain, an Edgar Allen Poe collection, and even a bit of racy old D. H. Lawrence for bored housewives everywhere.
"This product does not require age classification, but some texts include expressions, themes or elements that may be considered inappropriate for young children," says Nintendo. No kidding.
We have a lot of good news here, a lot of major stuff has been solved, few issues remain, but you can be sure we'll solve them soon.
1. Craig's bank problem: ALL orders have been refunded now and cen be reordered. After that has happened, the bank stuff should be finished. Thank god!
2. Most devboards have been sent out to some nice devs. The secret discussion area is bustling with activity since a few days, as we're all working together to create a very nice firmware for you. One important dev is still waiting for his board (which is on the way already): The maintainer of the Pandora Angström distribution. Once he got it, it shouldn't be too long until the first NAND Images for the Pandora appear and we can show videos of the ongoing progess of developing the firmware.
skeezix made some nice unpacking pictures of his devboard on his site here.
zodttd got an MK2 board and did a quick recompile of PSX4ALL (including sound!). No hardware acceleration used yet (no 3D and not even 2D), so expect major speed increases once we finished coding the libraries.
A video running FF7 can be seen here (and YES, it HAS sound, it's just very very quiet as Zoddy only did connect small mobile speakers to the board...)
Now you too can "bend light". The Electrotwister provides safe, cool, flexible accent lighting for any Xbox 360 mod installation. Safely route the light around corners to trace major components, or use as an underglow or other indirect lighting. The Electrotwister is cool to the touch and can fit almost anywhere!
Specifications :
The electrotwister is the most versatile lighting mod on the market today. It is a wire whose insulation glows brightly when powered by low voltage current. It requires no soldering, it is extremely easy to install. Can be used for highlighting details, or indirect lighting. It is recommended that you cover the cable with heatshrink or electrical tape in places that you don't need to see it glowing. A perfect mod for people who feel that typical case mods are limiting or too standardized.
1.5m of glowing blue cable
1 5v inverter
1 Energyser Y cable included
Please Note :
This is the second version of the electrotwister which works with Xboxes that have both 4 pin and 3 pin internal power plugs.
Here's the ultimate Xbox 360 replacement case you've been waiting for to make all of your friends jealous - the white XCM 360 Chameleon Case with HDMI port. Just as the name suggests the XCM 360 Chameleon Case actually changes colour, well the cool fitted Led's do!
The Chameleon Case is based on top selling XCM series of Xbox 360 case. A see through X shape is cut out of the top of the case, with a light system that changes between various different colors (in rotation).
An extra button allows you to select a specific color (Red, Purple ,Green , Yellow , Blue, Apple Green or Orange). and keep it static on screen.
Product Features :
Looks great in the dark!
Possibly the ultimate off the shelf case mod.
All tools to dismantle your machine included.
Fits the latest Xbox 360 with HDMI slot.
They may be sleek and pretty as a picture but the latest Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops have been hit by a series of mysterious graphics-related issues.
The company has said that it is now investigating two separate graphics-related problems that are affecting its new MacBook line-up. The first one, ominously dubbed 'the black screen of death' by victims, occurs on MacBook Pros when users are playing games. Screens go black, the laptop freezes and the audio goes in infinite loop playback.
The problem affects models running Windows or Mac OS X while playing games like Call of Duty 4, World of Warcraft, Ages of Empire III, Command and Conquer, Oblivion, Company of Heroes, among others.
The second issue, which is affecting some MacBooks and MacBook Pros, manifests as wavy video distortions while scrolling Web pages and watching HD content. The issue does not occur on Windows based Macs and it thought to be an issue with nVidia's Mac drivers.
The Japanese coder known as "and" has released a technical demonstration of "Super Star Shooter", which he already previously released for other platforms such as the Gameboy Advance. The game is limited to two minutes of gameplay as it's just a playable technical demonstration yet.
Boeing and the US Air Force keep advancing in their airborne high-energy laser weapon, the modified 747-400F that is designed to shoot down missiles as they fly to their targets. Last week they fired the entire laser system for the first time ever at the Edwards Air Force Base in California.
While the laser has been tested before, this was the first time they actually operated the whole thing as if they were shooting down a real target. This test fired the laser from the back-mounted generator thought the beam control system, exiting the aircraft through the nose-mounted turret and hitting a simulated ballistic missile target.
The next test—to be executed next year—will be firing and shooting down a real airborne ballistic missile.
After Cogito DS, Rom1 just give us a demo of his new project, "Rabbits & Stones". In line with Boulder Dash but rabbit comic version, this demo contains 5 levels.
Quote:
In the spirit of legendary Boulder Dash, Stones & Rabbit offers direct a rabbit browsing the basement in search of precious carrots.
This is a demo of 5 levels, but already a lot of elements are already present, as well as 2 short cinematic purpose "humorous" (intro, outro).
The sounds were noisy party at the mouth by myself, so be lenient on this point.
It is a puzzle game accepting up to 4 players.
The puzzles should be file format. PNG and maximum size of 440x440 pixels.
When Arcade Jigsaw is launched if no puzzle is found on the SD card, a puzzle done everything is used.
Thank you for testing, I hope to resolve these memory issues in a future version. But in the meantime, I've released DSwiki 0.2alpha2. As always, go to http://code.google.com/p/dswiki/ and download the latest version from the list of featured downloads.
Here is a partial list of changes:
The long awaited bookmarks in an early version. They can be added and loaded, but not edited in DSwiki itself. But the bookmarks will be saved in a plain text file, so edit it as you like! (a must-have, but nonetheless, suggested by Sphere)
I got rid of most remaining ASCII-text-output and replaced it by a better looking dialog interface.
The display can be inverted (suggested by Sphere). Activate the option menu with "Start" or the left icon. The search looks ugly then, but that doesn't affect usability.
The search can be reached with an icon in the main window
I spent most of my time improving the new parser, and it's going to be great...
I hope you like these small changes. Please test them and report bugs here or at my Googlecode page.
Here we are once again talking of the "Made in Italy" ccpspita of our compatriot, and a member of the Forum and hardcore modder.
Whenever there to put a story on the development of the project MyPSProbotics being taken by a kind of euphoria combined with frustration.
Euphoria because this draft modding extreme we have followed the beginning, and besides promises brought concrete results and congratulated, however frustration because even if all the news in this project spoke MyPSPRobotics not suffice 3 sides to sum up all the infinite characteristics also implemented Only now, those already made and those in development queue!
This time Ccpspita delight us with a demo absolutely do not miss: the implementation of motion sensors on PSP!
In the full changelog and video.
Video and changelog:
Quote:
MyPSP 2Axis Accelerometer
Here's a news announcement of MyPSP: the 3-axis accelerometer.
This is a sensor that warns rotations "gravity" around the X and Y axis parallel to the ground.
The third axis (vertical) measure changes.
Aspects of implementation:
- Serial Tri-Axis Accelerometer v5 of Sparkfun (www.sparkfun.com)
- SIO PSP used as standard (see circuits SIO PSP)
- Required the shifter PSP powered by low voltage (MAX3232)
- Required calibration of the sensor (PC)
- Required power battery (CR2025) external
Evidence of concept shown in the video:
- Provisional position sensor on PSP
- Entry of ASCII string continues on values X, Y, Z in SIO PSP
- Input controlled values X, Y, Z and control "DOWN RIGHT UP LEFT"
- Example of use to rotate the screen: text that rotates depending dell'angolazioen the PSP. Could be used to rotate 90 degrees vertical screen, operate a remapping of VRAM
- Example of "3D mouse": a graph with axes 3d moves a video of the PSP depending on the angle. Could be used to "fly" in 3D with a flight simulator on PSP ......
Upcoming improvements:
- Span more 'states
- Positioning sensor in the PSP or PSP with precise detection of the position of the angles
- Rotating display 480x272 and 272x480 in a second vertical orientation of the PSP in your hands
- 3D applications, Joystick / 3D Mouse
- Games ...... 3D
And the "Robot MyPSP" continues to move with a sensor in the most '
We already explained here when the new D@tel battery came into play, that "To have a LED indicator ON, doesn't means that you can install cfw or hack anything."
Well, from the same maxconsole thread from where the battery was announced as the mayor salvation for 3k and 88v3 users to be able to "downgrade your PSP and pretty much do what you want with it!", it's confirmed that this over exalted battery will leave 3k at least like the 88v3, just with a flashing light, a black screen and nothing but that LED indicator, as we announced.
Therefore, that (strange blue colored) battery won't work for you, instead "someone" makes a bypass for the preIPL thing that Dark_AleX explained here. (Considering that the preIPL on the 3k has the same security) Looks like D@tel was hoping that Dark-AleX hacked it, so only their battery could be available for the hacking proccess. Bad luck, guys.
Now onto the 88v3 IPL. You might remember this post from where part of the signing (there were 2 functions missing) was hacked from Brokencodes; so being as partial as it is, it would be interesting now to say, after reading about it on all the PSP-related webpages, that is NOT conclusive or definitely, so please, be aware that a "hack" for this couple of mobos might need further and longer study.
Here is finally a real version of my Game Of Life.
I released a few weeks ago a demo which you could not interact with, and which generated noise.
Now, in this one, you can edit the life pattern as you want, and load some I already made, but there is no more sound because of some bugs I'll fix for next time.
Here is a quote from the readme about the changelogs:
Quote:
Originally Posted by THE README FILE
-A splash screen has been added (press any key to continue)
-A definition screen has been added: you can see an extract from wikipedia's definition of the Game Of Life
-Sound has been removed for two reasons: headaches and it didn't work. It'll be back in next version, with the possibility of shutting it off.
-A menu pops up when you press SELECT, and you can chose one of the three patterns (for the moment: empty, random, and Goper's glider gun). Keep SELECT pressed while pressing up/down/cross to navigate in this menu.
-You can see the number of generations that have happened since the beginning of the pattern by pressing L. This number is reset when you generate a new pattern, or edit the actual one.
-When you press START, you will pause the evolution, and see a "0" or "1" printed in red on the screen, this is your cursor, move it with up/down/left/right, and press Cross to give life to a cell, and circle to take life from it.
-When in pause mode, Square will clean the screen.
-To take a screenshot, press R. Screenshots are saved under ms0:/PICTURES/GoLX.png, X being the number attributed to the picture.
-If the Picture folder does not exist, the program will create it (to avoid annoying bugs).
-The icon has been changed (you can see Gosper's glider gun on it now).
For many visitors of New York's Houston St., the giant PSP has been a landmark for years. The billboard-sized PSP ran videos of the newest and best PSP games (when it worked). However, it looks like it's finally being taken down. Perhaps Sony's going to put a giant PSP-3000 system up there, which will be slimmer than the original giant PSP-1000. But ... that seems unlikely.
Stevewal released a new version of X-DSL on our forums - it's a small (about 50MBs) but fully functional Linux distribution for the Xbox1, based on Damn Small Linux:
Xdsl 0.7 beta is based on Dsl 4.4.3
Please list any bugs you encounter, and I will fix them for the next release.
Black Friday horror stories are inevitable, but nothing can compare to the trampling death of a 34 year old Walmart employee at the hands of a deal-crazed mob. To make matters worse, the police investigation of the surveillance tape is not turning up any leads. Naturally, an act this despicable is bound to result in finger pointing, and you have no doubt already formed a strong opinion on who is to blame here. Let us know in the poll—and feel free to vent.
You might think you're some kind of l337 h4x0r because you used software to unlock your iPhone. Big deal! You've got nothing on the Vietnamese hackers that'll unlock your iPhone for you the hard way.
Designers with a deathwish are pushing the boundaries of bicycle design far beyond the realm of practicality into preposterous new worlds. The following 10 bikes are some of the most outrageous concepts to spring forth from this movement, and should only be operated in a controlled environment by stuntmen and circus folk.
Ex-Capcom Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami has said that he won't play Resident Evil 5.
Speaking in a recent interview with Official PlayStation magazine, Mikami, who's now working on games with ex-Capcom studio Platinum Games, said that playing Resi 5 would "just cause me stress".
"I probably won't play it. I won't like it, because it's not going to be the game I would have made," he said. "It'll just cause me stress if I play it. I think it could be fun for gamers to play it, but not for someone who has developed Resident Evil games.
"If I see anything in Resident Evil 5 that isn't done well, I'll be angry!"
On number five's similarities to Mikami's fourth Resi, he says "that's fine, isn't it? I think Resident Evil 5 doesn't need to change the series, but Resident Evil 6 will have to reinvent the series with another full model change or else it won't be able to keep on going."
Mikami's current projects are a joint Suda 51 horror game with EA and an unannounced game for Sega.
Mikami calls working on two projects at once "difficult", "but I'm director on my game for Platinum Games and producer on the game for EA. So if Suda does his job properly, my workload will decrease."
A demo of Resident Evil 5 is due on the Japanese PlayStation Network next week, and "a bit later" everywhere else.
Just Scouting around Play asia tonight and found a load of Xbox 360 Games at Under 20 Dollars and Many that are region free, so are playable on any Xbox 360 Worldwide:
Description
Chess Clock aka Game Clock PSP 1.1 is an Analogue Chess/Game Clock Simulation for the Playstation Portable. It is written in C++ using the Phoenix Game Engine (PGE) by InsertWittyName and MK2k, and Chipmunk Game Physics library by Slembcke.
Features
Two connected clocks
Each clock containing:
a big clock pointer
a small clock pointer
a flag
a star-shaped wheel for activity indication
2D physics simulation on the flags
The pointers are rotating by an estimated angle velocity, so this app does NOT feature the most accurate clocks on the planet (it may vary by some seconds per hour)
New in this Version
Ported from JGE++ to the Phoenix Game Engine (PGE)
Some graphical glitches on Slim PSPs and FW 4.xx+ resolved
Enhanced accuracy
NOTE: Read the readme.txt for further details on how to use this app and how chess/game clocks are used.
When Pioneer first introduced its unicorn-like 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, we weren't sure if the thing would make it beyond the drawing board, let alone be compatible with existing BD decks. Over at the IT Month Fair in Taipei, Pioneer showed up to showcase the capacious disc, and better still, a DigiTimes report asserts that these are indeed compatible with Blu-ray readers already on the market. Currently, the 400GB disc is slated to hit mass production sometime between now and 2010, while rewritable versions won't hit until 2010 to 2012. Not like it really matters though -- a 1TB disc is on track for 2013, and you know you'll be waiting for the latest and greatest.
Revision3's own Daniel just couldn't sit idly by watching portable N64 after portable N64 pass him by while doing nothing, so he decided to gut his own console and shove it into a battery-powered unit that can be taken practically anywhere. Sure, it's one thing to read through a step-by-step guide that you barely understand, but it's another to see the whole process broken down for you on video. Check the read link for the perfect holiday project, and yes, you can actually play the re-gift card here and not got scorned.
Details are in, Nokia has a new flagship phone. The N97 packs a 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 pixel (that's a 16:9 aspect ratio) resistive touchscreen display with tactile feedback and QWERTY keyboard into this sliding communicator with an "always open" window to favorite internet or social networking sites. Nokia calls it the "world's most advanced mobile computer." To back up the claim they've dropped in HSDPA, WiFi, and Bluetooth radios, A-GPS, a 3.5-mm headjack, 32GB of onboard memory with microSD expansion (for up to 48GB total capacity), and a battery capable of up to 1.5 days of continuous audio playback or 4.5-hours video. 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss glass and "DVD quality" video capture at 30fps, too. The specs are certainly impressive, let's see if the S60 5th Edition OS can support it. The N97 will launch with a retail price set at around €550 ($693) excluding subsidies and taxes, phone to ship in H1 2009.
We're still not over Sony's trickeration -- which led us to believe the version 2.53 firmware update was hitting prior to the US Thanksgiving holiday -- but we're not ones to turn down a free update under any circumstances. As of now (as in, right now), Sony's PlayStation 3 can support full screen embedded Flash videos courtesy of the latest firmware, so there's really no excuse for you not firing up the System Update and sucking it down. Get to it!
Sure, some studies have shown that excessive gaming can lead to less interest in things like studying and doing homework, but it turns out that, pretty unsurprisingly, playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band might actually lead children to want to learn... to rock out on real instruments, anyway. That's right, according to a truly shocking report in The Times of London, roughly half of the 3 to 18 year-olds in the UK have played a music game, and one fifth of them have been motivated by their playing to give a real instrument a try, which has led to 2.5 million new budding Ted Nugents (or Jared Letos) springing up. So it's true, the kids aren't exactly studying, but at least they're doing something that could maybe eventually lead to them standing up or... something. School's out forever, dude.
Believe it or not, this is far from the first we've heard of bringing high-def video to cellphones, and it's not even the first application to dabble in mobile 1080p. Still, we'll take all the innovation we can get in this space, and when the real Touch HD ever arrives, we'll be ready and waiting with Full HD capabilities. Announced at ISSCC 2009 in San Francisco, Renesas Technology is showing off an application processor that enables handsets to process 1,920 x 1,080 resolution video at 30 frames-per-second; the processor's core has a maximum operating frequency of 500MHz and supports MPEG-4 AVC / H.264, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video formats. There's no telling when the 6.4- x 6.5-millimeter chip will be available en masse, but we need the HTCs of the world to get us a 1080p phone and a retina implant or two to read 0.2-size fonts before it even matters.
Each passing holiday season has become a critical, missed chance for Sony to catch up with the Xbox 360, and it's starting to become silly to say "maybe next year."
According to Microsoft reported retailer data, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 3:1 in the US on Black Friday. Needless to say, aside from sales on that particular day, it's probably an indicator of complete 2008 holiday sales for these two competitors.
Of course, the notably absent data was regarding the Nintendo Wii's sales on Black Friday. But our guess is that if Microsoft toppled that giant, even for a day, they would have mentioned it (at the top of their lungs from the tallest mountain they could find).
Like Wanted come to life, the Pentagon's now funding $22 million into researching bullets that could change course mid-flight to hit their targets. DARPA, the Defense Department's R&D office, is handing out $12.3 million to Lockheed Martin and $9.5 million to Teledyne Scientific & Imaging to design .50-caliber sniper rifles with guided ammo.
Financial apocalypse be damned! The Shanghai Tower, set to reach a whopping 632 meters by the time it's completed, broke ground over the weekend. With its zenith a full 140 meters higher than the Mori Building (currently the world's highest observatory), it'll grab the honors of the tallest building in China.
From the maker of handy iPhone landscape typing program TouchType, SMS Touch is an iPhone app that allows users to send unlimited text messages without paying for an SMS plan.
[SOC] posted this crazy real life Lancer, like those found in Gears of War, on the AR15.com forums. You are seeing it right, that is a chainsaw bayonet attached to his assault rifle. We thought these were pretty cool, but this thing actually works. It can be seen on an AR15, pictured above, as well as a giant shotgun. We think the shotgun one would be better fitting for zombie hordes. Barney Fife seems strangely fitting for this picture. Check out a video of it in action after the break.
Though we don't know much at the moment, CVG is reporting that Atari will release Ready 2 Rumble Revolution on the Wii in March of next year. In case you're among the sad few unfamiliar with the franchise, Ready 2 Rumble was a cartoonish boxing game ... really Facebreaker before Facebreaker was Facebreaker. (Oh, and before you panic, we captured the pic above from one of those older R2Rs.)
The series has typically featured mini-games to train your boxer like pill popping and weight lifting, as well as celebrity cameos like Michael Jackson and Hillary Clinton. They've been replaced in R2RR by David Beckham, Brad Pitt and John Travolta. Go figure.
Further evidence has arisen supporting claims that Xbox 360 consoles boasting the latest hardware revision, the 65nm-chip-on-the-solder "Jasper," are making their way through retail channels. An X3F tipster forwarded the above image of a new system's "Storage Devices" screen, which indicates the presence of the 256MB on-board flash storage, designated "MU." Unlike the previous batch of Arcade systems, the new console reportedly did not include a 256MB external memory card.
With Microsoft remaining mum on the specifics of internal hardware changes, images (and videos) like the one above represent our best means of finding Jasper. Are you out there, buddy?
Following a tepid Black Friday sale this past weekend, Major Nelson has announced the Xbox Live Marketplace "Holiday Deal of the Week." Launching tomorrow, the weekly promotion will feature one discounted item for, well, one week during this month of December. First up, the Halo 3 "Legendary Map Pack" will be offered for 400 ($5) -- marked down 33% from 600 -- tomorrow, beginning 12 pm ET, through next Monday. (Can't these maps go free already -- like the Heroic pack? Sheesh.)
The month-long run of deals will only be available to Xbox Live Gold members and is open to all Xbox Live regions. Major plans to announce a new deal every Monday, with the item going on sale the following day (Tuesday) for a full week. What goods would you like to see propped in the bargain window?
Despite what series creator Kazunori Yamauchi had to say to us on the topic during E3, Spanish newspaper El Financiero quotes SCEE executive James Armstrong as stating that Gran Turismo 5 (the full, real deal – not Prologue 2 or some-such) will be released in Europe "by Christmas 2009." This is, of course, concerning a series that's been historically fast and furious loose with release dates.
GTPlanet – which is part of the chain of custody on this rumor – speculates that, if true, we could see a summer 2009 release for GT5 in Japan and a late 2009 / early 2010 launch in the West. This scenario would certainly follow the staggered roll-outs of previous Gran Turismo titles to a (Model) T.
It's been a long, strange trip for Ghostbusters: The Video Game, but we're one step closer to the end today as Atari announces a June 2009 multi-platform release for the eagerly anticipated title.
Atari confirmed the narrower release window today at the Atari Live showcase event in London, England, earlier today, with simultaneous releases planned for the PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, Xbox 360, and PC. For those of you not following the Ghostbusters game saga, the title was picked up for publishing by Atari back in October, after the Activision Blizzard dropped the title along with a whole slew of planned Sierra publications. We'll know whether or not we should be thanking Atari in about six months.
What better way to mark a PS3 exclusive than with a PS3 bundle? The upcoming Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 gets just that. The SEGA PS3 exclusive will launch with an 80GB PS3 pack.
Priced at ¥45,980 (US$492.77), the bundle is cheaper than buying the game and console separately. Dubbed the Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 Rising Dragon Pack, it includes a copy of the game and an 80GB Ceramic White PS3 with dragon design on the console's body.
SEGA and Sony haven't yet released pictures of the 80GB dragon console, which is limited to only 10,000 units. No worries — they still have time. The game (and bundle) won't be out in Japan until February 26, 2009.
Background info: that sickeningly handsome young thing up there is Fernando Torres, Liverpool's star Spanish striker. At the moment, Torres is injured, and can't play. To pass the time, he's feeding his PlayStation addiction.
I use the word literally. Torres isn't just playing games. He's spent £35,000 installing three "PlayStation rooms" in his house, each complete with a giant plasma TV, surround sound and PlayStation 3 consoles.
Best/worst part? Guy's only going to be out three weeks. After that, it's back to round-the-clock training.
Across Japan, customers who purchase PLAYSTATION 3s will receive a welcome disc. There are two different discs, one red and the other white. Both discs include playable demos and game trailers.
The red disc contains only "E for All"-style family friendly titles. The white disc contains more mature titles. Here's a breakdown:
Special Demo Disc (Red)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Demo
Winning Eleven 2009 Demo
The Last Guy Demo
Gundam Musou 2 Trailer
LittleBigPlanet Trailer
Aquanaut's Holiday Trailer
Afrika Trailer
Special Demo Disc (White)
Resident Evil 5 Demo
Metal Gear Solid 4 Demo
Metal Gear Online Demo
Valkyria Chronicles Demo
Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 Trailer
Demon's Souls Trailer
White Knight Chronicles Trailer
Resistance 2 Trailer
Campaign starts on December 18. Discs available while supplies last
Thanks, Marshall Alexander! Were it not for your heart-meltingly cute papercraft renditions of 70s/80s game machines, we don't know how we would have made it through Monday. But make it we did, clutching that little C64 to our hearts all day long. Hit the link below for the papercraft templates in question.
Japanese people are buying the DSi. Lots of them. Nintendo sold over 500,000 DSi units (535,379 units by Enterbrain's numbers) during November, it's first month on sale. For comparison's sake, the DS Lite sold 550,000 units during its first month on sale in Japan.
The DSi's success has bolstered the DS platform's total sales to 24,239,590 units — a figure which includes the DS, DS Lite and the newly launched DSi.
In March, Nintendo sought to trademark the term "Wii Remote". As you'd expect, what with the device being theirs and all. But last week, a letter arrived at Nintendo HQ. The sender? The United States Patent Office. Their response?
"No dice".
Why? Because the word "remote" is too common to be trademarked. Can't own a word that the world already uses, guys. Seems somebody at Nintendo ticked the wrong box, and they'll now have to go back and try again, this time with the realisation they can only trademark the the name "Wii Remote", not both words individually.
From the publisher: In LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, play as Batman and his sidekick Robin as you build, drive, swing, and fight your way through Gotham City capturing escaped villains including The Joker, The Penguin, and Scarecrow and putting them back in Arkham Asylum where they belong.
Then jump into the story from the other side and play as Batman's foes! Enjoy the power you wield and battle Batman while spreading chaos throughout the city. There's no rest for the good (or the evil!).
Game Features:
Multiple characters: Fight for justice as Batman and Robin or create chaos as The Joker, Catwoman, and other villains, as you save or destroy Gotham City
Expansive environments: Rocket through sewers and bound across rooftops as you take the fight to the criminals across classic locations in Gotham City
Awesome vehicles: Fight on land, sea, and in the air using a number of powerful Batman, Robin, and villain-controlled vehicles, including the rocket-powered Batmobile, sleek Batboat, and stealthy Batwing
Super abilities: Master special superhero power suits and the new moves that come with them, using gadgets and weapons unique to each of the characters
Game rewards: Customize your characters, build and transform the game environment, and challenge yourself with multi-layered collectibles and rewards
The Lego battles continue into this week following Lego Indiana Jones. The Warner Brothers and Lego crossover title, Lego Batman is selling at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 19.90 only as a region free Xbox360™ Asian version.
The maximum amount of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer. You have to get your acts together soon, as we only have a very limited supply.
The Macworld Expo is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from January 5th to 9th, 2009 and is the most likely venue for Apple's next product announcements. While there are several rumors circulating about what new products will be announced and which existing products will be updated, one rumor indicates that Apple may unveil a 32GB iPhone at the MacWorld Expo.
Although this rumor is largely unsubstantiated, certain events coupled with the right timing have caused some to think this rumor could be true. The largest iPhone (16GB) currently only has half the memory of the largest iPod Touch (32GB) because the iPhone can only contain a single NAND Flash chip while the iPod Touch can house two. The extra space in the iPhone is consumed by necessary communications hardware. However, back in August Toshiba announced that they would mass produce the 32GB chips in the 4th quarter of 2008. These 32GB chips could possibly be used in a future iPhone model. Also, Intel interestingly...
DuDu from HongDi is a call recorder for S60 3rd Edition devices. It supports automatic recording and - according to the developer - records conversations without the annoying beep.
LinQuick comes from the terms Linked and Quickly: Linked because its aim is to allow people to keep in touch with friends; Quickly because communication is istantaneous. Its final purpose is to provide a simple GUI to FSO privileging instant messaging.
DVD Catalyst 3 converts movies quickly and easily into a format that can be played on a portable device (Apple iPod, Apple iPhone, Sony PSP, Creative Zen, Smartphone, PocketPC and more) It offers a multitude of different video types it can create, allowing it to even create video files for non-listed or brand-new devices. DVD Catalyst 3 incorporates an extensive feature list, with many unique, handy and industry-first options to make your conversions as easy as possible, while providing you with the best possible quality. DVD Catalyst 3 uses the award-winning open source mplayer/mencoder projects for detection and conversion, which allows DVD Catalyst to convert just about anything to any format without the need of having codec's installed on your computer.
DVD Catalyst 3 converts movies quickly and easily into a format that can be played on a portable device (Apple iPod, Apple iPhone, Sony PSP, Creative Zen, Smartphone, PocketPC and more) It offers a multitude of different video types it can create, allowing it to even create video files for non-listed or brand-new devices. DVD Catalyst 3 incorporates an extensive feature list, with many unique, handy and industry-first options to make your conversions as easy as possible, while providing you with the best possible quality. DVD Catalyst 3 uses the award-winning open source mplayer/mencoder projects for detection and conversion, which allows DVD Catalyst to convert just about anything to any format without the need of having codec's installed on your computer.
DVD Catalyst 3 converts movies quickly and easily into a format that can be played on a portable device (Apple iPod, Apple iPhone, Sony PSP, Creative Zen, Smartphone, PocketPC and more) It offers a multitude of different video types it can create, allowing it to even create video files for non-listed or brand-new devices. DVD Catalyst 3 incorporates an extensive feature list, with many unique, handy and industry-first options to make your conversions as easy as possible, while providing you with the best possible quality. DVD Catalyst 3 uses the award-winning open source mplayer/mencoder projects for detection and conversion, which allows DVD Catalyst to convert just about anything to any format without the need of having codec's installed on your computer.
If it's Tuesday, it must be time for yet another "revolutionary" motion sensitive game controller. Of course, 3DiJoy's FlingPC is no TrueMotion 3D or Wiimote -- at best, it seems to be the next wireless mouse. Consisting of an accelerometer-equipped Bluetooth remote and a USB dongle, and bundled with ten custom 3D games, this looks like the sort of off-brand toy that hapless parents inflict upon their long-suffering children. Interested? We bet you are. Shipping in December, packages start at $99 for both Windows and Linux versions. Of course, you can't play Mario Kart with the thing -- but don't worry, they do have a generic bowling game for you.
Apparently, developers have submitted over 10,000 apps to the App Store—which has motivated someone to create this wicked looking mosaic out of all the app icons (even the 9,900 or so crappy ones).
If you've been missing out on SFII Turbo HD Remix's amazing soundtrack because you're being hit by the New Xbox Experience's audio-killing HDMI bug, don't worry, Microsoft says a patch is coming.
Even if you have the still hands of Solid Snake on Diazepam, night shots with a cellphone camera will often turn out a blur. Night Camera detects motion and pulls the trigger when your shakies are at their steadiest.
features
Official Gears of War Toy
Motorized Chainsaw Sound and Vibration
Batteries required: 3 'C' (not included)
Length: approx. 36 inch
Height: approx. 12 inch
Limited availability
This is the ultimate mafia party. As if the actual series isn't comedic enough, the eccentric cast has to go out of their respective ways to make you laugh.
Get to know more about the characters and see the sides that they would hide with all their might in the original series.
Test your knowledge of the characters and play a game of spot the differences, see how skillful you are with the DS's controls when you chase a burglar down with a flash light. In this mini-game compilation, you'd get some simple fun that is suitable for everybody, from the primary school children to the elderly.
The top selling boxing manga Hajime no Ippo illustrates the growth of the pushover Makunouchi Ippo. Through the sport, the boy matured both in spirit and in body.
By meeting other boxers in the ring, he found both his way in life and purpose.
Now you don't have to be a passive spectator, step into the ring in the Challenge Mode with Ippo and experience the eye opening matches he went through.
Besides the matches in the series, you can arrange games with your friends through the wi-fi facility of the DS.
There is an abundance of minigames that will affect your player character's attributes such as reflexes and attack power, be sure to try them all out and max your stats before the great game.
Pick a fight with anyone in the roster in the Free Match Mode, you can expand the roster by defeating more and more opponents in the Challenge Mode.
Try out in boxing and see if you can find your way through life via the sport.
This is a rare occurrence where a visual novel game gets a full 40/40 score in Famitsu Weekly. Instead of using anime/manga like characters, this title makes use of real life people and mixed computer graphics with animations.
These all combined to seep you into the game world and bring you an excitement that you will not get in watching a movie or drama alone.
The story starts with a kidnapping within the Shibuya district. As the case gets more and more complicated, a number of unrelated people ends up being involved. There is a policeman, an ex-gangster, a virus researcher, a hothead veteran writer and a person dressed in a cat doll suit.
As the fates of these people interweaves tighter and tighter around each other, more dirty secrets are revealed and eventually everything gets out of hand. To clear up the mess, its up to you to make the right choices.
Depending on your selection, different storylines can be unlocked. With the complex and engaging plot and countless possibilities, this is a visual novel that deserves to be played repeatedly.
Phantomile is a world created out of dreams by the moon god, that's why as soon as people wake up, they forget their dreams. But what will happen when people have nightmares?
One day, Kuronoa, a boy who lives in Freegal, the village of wind had a nightmare, and for some reason, this did not disappear like the other dreams.
Just at that moment, he saw a space ship crash landed on the Bell mountains. His nightmare is coming true. Is that a bad omen after all?
But the curiosity in the boy won out eventually. With his friend, the Ring Spirit Hupo in tow, the two set off on their exciting action adventure. As the resident of the village of Wind, Kuronoa can do wind attacks and high jumps. Run, skip and leap, grab onto enemies and use them as a projectile weapons against others.
With simple controls and concepts, this is a game which the whole family can enjoy together.
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King expands the epic journey with an independent storyline, exclusive on DS.
Expanding the saga with an independent storyline, the Fallen King utilizes the unique stylus controls to deliver the extraordinary acrobatic and combat action of the Prince of Persia franchise
features
Platform: PC, PlayStation3, Xbox360
Pro-tips and strategies will teach you every combo, paired maneuver, and grapple.
Labeled maps reveal the location of every Light Seed and power plate.
Detailed walkthroughs will safeguard you through every puzzle and every trap.
In-depth explanations show you how each choice you make affects the outcome of each world. Interior
features
Platform: PC, PlayStation3, Xbox360
Pro-tips and strategies will teach you every combo, paired maneuver, and grapple.
Labeled maps reveal the location of every Light Seed and power plate.
Detailed walkthroughs will safeguard you through every puzzle and every trap.
In-depth explanations show you how each choice you make affects the outcome of each world. Interior
features
Platform: PC, PlayStation3, Xbox360
Beautiful artwork, renders, and concept art of all your favorite characters and much more.
Complete Prince of Persia strategy guide.
Exclusive high-quality concept art print.
Revealing in-depth interviews with key members of the team.
A detailed behind-the-scenes look at this year's biggest blockbuster. Interior
features
Enjoy the franchise's debut on next-generation consoles utilizing Ubisoft's proprietary Anvil engine, the same engine used to develop Assassins Creed
Utilize the Prince's old skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman's corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light
Escape to a fantasy world set in ancient Persia brought to life through masterful storytelling and sprawling environments and that rivals the blockbusters of Hollywood
For the first time in franchise history decide how the storyline unfolds by choosing the Prince's path in an open-ended game world
Wield the acrobatic and puzzle-solving power of the Prince's beautiful and powerful AI companion Elika as you explore the perils of ancient Persia
description
The critically acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise returns for the first time on next-generation platforms with an all-new epic journey.
Escape to experience the new fantasy world of ancient Persia. Masterful storytelling and sprawling environments deliver a brand new adventure that re-opens the Prince of Persia saga. Now you have the freedom to determine how the game evolves in this non-linear adventure. Players will decide how they unfold the storyline by choosing their path in the open-ended world.
In this strange land, your rogue warrior must utilize all of his skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light. Also, history's greatest ally is revealed in the form of Elika, a dynamic AI companion who joins the Prince in his fight to save the world. Gifted with magical powers, she interacts with the player in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, enabling the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.
features
Enjoy the franchise's debut on next-generation consoles utilizing Ubisoft's proprietary Anvil engine, the same engine used to develop Assassins Creed
Utilize the Prince's old skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman's corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light
Escape to a fantasy world set in ancient Persia brought to life through masterful storytelling and sprawling environments and that rivals the blockbusters of Hollywood
For the first time in franchise history decide how the storyline unfolds by choosing the Prince's path in an open-ended game world
Wield the acrobatic and puzzle-solving power of the Prince's beautiful and powerful AI companion Elika as you explore the perils of ancient Persia
description
The critically acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise returns for the first time on next-generation platforms with an all-new epic journey.
Escape to experience the new fantasy world of ancient Persia. Masterful storytelling and sprawling environments deliver a brand new adventure that re-opens the Prince of Persia saga. Now you have the freedom to determine how the game evolves in this non-linear adventure. Players will decide how they unfold the storyline by choosing their path in the open-ended world.
In this strange land, your rogue warrior must utilize all of his skills, along with a whole new combat system, to battle Ahriman’s corrupted lieutenants to heal the land from the dark Corruption and restore the light. Also, history's greatest ally is revealed in the form of Elika, a dynamic AI companion who joins the Prince in his fight to save the world. Gifted with magical powers, she interacts with the player in combat, acrobatics and puzzle-solving, enabling the Prince to reach new heights of deadly high-flying artistry through special duo acrobatic moves or devastating fighting combo attacks.
Falcom is going all out for their remake of Brandish. The overhead action RPG will be transformed into a full 3D for the PSP. Brandish: The Dark Revenant looks different, but the story sounds about the same. You play as Ares a swordsman that gets falls into a hole and into a dungeon. If you haven’t played Brandish before the game has a lot of holes that act as traps.
Visually, Brandish: The Dark Revenant looks better than the Super Nintendo version. Speaking of that we’re probably not going to see it on the Virtual Console now since the PSP remake is scheduled to come out in Japan on March 19. No North American release has been announced, but Atlus is working with Falcom now so they could pick this Brandish: The Dark Revenant in the future.
Tectoy, the company that brought licensed Sega games to Brazil, designed a console specifically for emerging markets. The Zeebo gives users access to a library of games that they can download for a fee, a plan Tectoy believes will thwart piracy problems. Tectoy has more companies than Sega signing up to have their games distributed via the Zeebo too. A product list on the Zeebo page shows Namco Bandai and Capcom supporting the Zeebo with a handful of titles. Tekken 2, Street Fighter Alpha, Sonic Adventure, and a mysterious version of Double Dragon are slated to come out on the console. Resident Evil 4 is sort of on the list too since you can see a link to a broken image in Tectoy’s HTML code, but the linked image says Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition. What?
One possibility is TecToy is distributing PC versions of these games since Resident Evil 4 and Sonic Adventure have PC ports. However, games like Alpine Racer 3 and Tekken 2 don’t. TecToy could distribute PlayStation ports, but that would require emulation for PsOne and PS2 games. It’s going to be interesting to see how Tectoy tackles the problem or if they’re going to use fancy mobile phone ports of console games like they’re doing with the Sims. Sure, all of these games are “last-gen”, but Tectoy’s distribution mechanism is so unusual it’s rather interesting. The Zeebo is close to a tangible version of the Phantom console.
Update: A tipster who wishes to remain anonymous shed some more light on the Zeebo system. The console uses BREW, a platform for mobile phone games and some of the titles listed like Ridge Racer and Pac-Mania are reportedly mobile phone games. Resident Evil 4 has a mobile phone version too so it’s quite possible that version will be distributed on the Zeebo. Some of the Zeebo mobile phone ports will be changed with new user interfaces, but it looks like the Zeebo is going to primarily deliver mobile phone games to a TV probably not near you.
Sometime before it was properly announced at Tokyo Game Show we discovered SNK Playmore was working on the King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match. Like the King of Fighters ‘98: Ultimate Match this is a revised and rebalanced version of KoF 2002. There are 66 playable characters in the game, a challenge mode for experts, and a renewed interface.
How does the King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match look compare to vanilla KoF 2002?
Some backgrounds and background tunes are getting refined for the King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match too before it comes out on February 26, 2009 in Japan. No release date has been announced for North America, but right now we’re still waiting for the King of Fighters ‘98: Ultimate Match. I bet we’ll see this game in North America though. Either Ignition Entertainment will pick it up or SNK will port it to Xbox Live Arcade a la King of Fighters ‘98: Ultimate Match someday in the future.
This Arcade Pack includes a 256MB Memory card and a component Cable to save games and provide high-definition graph as well as standard TVs.
It can connect to your Windows XP or Windows Media Center PC,let you enjoy your movies with progressive scan DVD playback too.
As of today, James "Ender" Brown has left the lead team of ScummVM.
Ender joined the ScummVM team back in February 2002 and became project co-lead already one month later. The original founders of ScummVM, yazoo and strigeus, were still active, but soon after left ScummVM for other ventures. Ender remained as the sole project leader until March 2003, when Max "Fingolfin" Horn joined him at the steering wheel. The long time leading triumvirate of ScummVM was completed in April 2006 with the addition of Eugene "sev" Sandulenko. Together, we went through many good and bad times.
Ender worked especially hard on the PR side of things, including tons of posts in the news section of this site (we really should post news updates more frequently again!), and many behind-the-scenes negotiations with companies regarding source code releases and other things. Not to mention repeatedly crossing swords with the legal department of LucasArts.
Recently, due to personal issues, Ender has had less and less time to work on ScummVM and related things. Not wanting to harm the project by being unable to devote enough time to take care of important tasks, Ender has graciously agreed to resign his post.
The remaining project leaders, Fingolfin and Sev, would like to thank Ender for his many years of faithful leadership, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
It came to my attention that some changes and bug fixes were needed in Doom for iPhone and iPod Touch. I have implemented these changes in the new Doom v1.1.0 available on Cydia in the Games section.
New in v1.1.0:
Added a rudimentary change weapon button to replace the unneeded top left turn button. The button simply rotates through each weapon (1 through up to 9). It currently is not a "next weapon" button as it attempts to switch to that weapon slot, and not the next slot with a loaded weapon.
Fixed the movement speed to match Doom for the PC. The game can now be played much easier as it was moving too fast before.
Fixed the saving & loading of games. Games are currently saved to /Applications/Doom.app/saves/
Fixed the lack of a backwards motion. Now if you tilt the device down, it moves backwards, as intended.
Fixed the lack of speed settings. Now based on how far you tilt the device, the speed key gets enabled.
That's all for now. Whew! Keep the feedback coming!
NetDragon Websoft Inc. , one of the leading online game developers and operators in China, together with The Walt Disney Company's Interactive Media Group today announced their first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) "Disney Fantasy Online" will be launched in Spring 2009. This fun and dynamic game is set to be the most highly anticipated game for the season.
Gamers of "Disney Fantasy Online" are immersed in a uniquely Disney-themed central world, created based on themes of magic, adventure and romance with non-playing Disney character hosts such as Mickey and Friends, preparing and training the gamers for the vast adventures that lie ahead. As gamers explore, complete quests, and level-up, they have the opportunity to acquire virtual items to personalize the gaming experience and enable them to explore additional worlds more extensively. Expansion packs with new adventures and maps will be constantly added to the game, providing endless opportunities for gamers to uncover new content and secrets.
"Disney is committed to providing gamers in China with the ultimate digital entertainment destination. Our characters and stories endure across generations, platforms and now immersive online experiences," said Mr. Stanley Cheung, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Walt Disney Greater China. "We are very pleased to be cooperating with NetDragon, to create a unique, fun, and brand-new entertainment experience for gamers".
Key game features include:
-- Gamers will explore vast fantastic lands, and can show off their skills
in turn-based battle mode
-- Fully customizable player avatars, premium accessories, and other in-
game items
-- Players will be able to "raise" Disney-themed companions or "Pets"
throughout the game. Companions can be won, purchased, and/or
discovered and will have various attributes that enhance the gaming
experience. Companions are expected to be nurtured and will grow and
mature through game play
-- Players can build their virtual castles within the game world, which
will act as the player's virtual personal space. These virtual castles
can be upgraded, assembled, traded, and shared
-- Leveling-up, team-play, raising companions, and building virtual
castles provide endless gameplay and community activities
NetDragon, renowned for its leadership in online gaming development and operating experience, is responsible for developing "Disney Fantasy Online". The Game consists of many virtual worlds based on some of Disney's most famous stories, providing an exciting environment for endless adventure.
Mr. Liu Luyuan, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of NetDragon said, "We have 9 years of rich experience in online game development, and operations in multiple international markets. Creating and sharing great entertainment experiences are common objectives of NetDragon and Disney. I'm very excited about being able to work with Disney's rich content to develop this exciting game".
"We assigned the best creative and production teams to this project and the end result is the creation of a totally unique gaming experience around unique stories that will delight gamers," said Mr. Liu Luyuan.
Rising out of the rich soil sprouts Gardening Mama, a new Nintendo DS(TM) gardening simulation that was announced today by Majesco Entertainment Company (Nasdaq: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market. Developed by Cooking Mama Limited, the team that created the award-winning Cooking Mama franchise that has sold 2.5 million units domestically, Gardening Mama brings back the beloved matron to cultivate a cornucopia of fruits, flowers and vegetables in her backyard.
"Mama has become a certifiable iconsince her original introduction in Cooking Mama DS," said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. "Her first brand offshoot captures those features that made the Cooking Mama series a best seller -- an innovative concept, full Touch Screen control, approachable gameplay for everyone and, of course, a charismatic mentor who pushes you in her own endearing way to give a gold medal performance every time."
Gardening Mama transforms the DS stylus into a universal gardening tool that players will use to plant, nurture and harvest flowers, fruits and vegetables. Gamers can manage their garden through the seeding, blooming and maturation phases, and then produce items from the plants they've grown (i.e. grow strawberries to make jam or raise pumpkins and then carve a jack-'o-lantern). A robust multiplayer mode lets up to four friends compete to grow the biggest harvest and Treasure Box mode lets players share items they've grown with online friends. Gamers can also decorate various gardens while creating goods like pergolas and hanging baskets. In addition, players can change Mama's outfit to their liking while customizing the screen design to their preference.
Just as millions of players enjoyed slicing and dicing with Mama in the kitchen, they can now move to the great outdoors -- planting, pruning, picking, and creating -- in Gardening Mama!
Gardening Mama for DS is expected to release in Spring 2009. For additional information about Majesco's exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com.
With so many great games to choose from, finding the perfect gift for the game fan on your shopping list can be challenging. For the second year GameFly, the leading online video game rental service, is offering shoppers everywhere a guide to the fifteen top-rated and most popular new releases.
This year’s list is based on the rankings, ratings and GameQ’s of GameFly members, one of the most active gaming communities. Go to GameFly’s Web site (www.gamefly.com) for more information on these titles and take advantage of GameFly’s special holiday offer, $6.95 for the first month. GameFly is also offering up to 20 percent off on gift certificates.
ALL PLATFORMS
Gears of War 2 (XB360)
Fallout 3 (PS3, XB360)
Fable 2 (XB360)
Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii, DS)
Resistance 2 (PS3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, XB360)
Little Big Planet (PS3)
Rock Band 2 (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii)
Guitar Hero World Tour (PS3, PS2, XB360, Wii)
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
Left 4 Dead (XB360)
Far Cry 2 (PS3, XB360)
Saint's Row 2 (PS3, XB360)
Prince of Persia (PS3, XB360)
Chrono Trigger (DS)
XBOX 360
Gears of War 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Fallout 3
Fable 2
Left 4 Dead
PS3
Resistance 2
Little Big Planet
Metal Gear Solid 4
Fallout 3
Prince of Persia
Wii
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Guitar Hero World Tour
Mario Super Sluggers
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
LEGO Batman
NINTENDO DS
Chrono Trigger
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Final Fantasy IV
PS2
Call of Duty: World at War - Final Fronts
Guitar Hero: World Tour
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Madden NFL 09
PSP
Star Ocean: First Departure
God of War: Chains of Olympus
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
LEGO Batman
A pleasant surprise will have greeted Japanese Wii owners when they awoke this morning: a brand new Wii channel! Spencer from Siliconera freed up the necessary 82 blocks of space to download the "Today And Tomorrow's Lucky Fortune-Telling Channel," and wrote about his experiences.
Truthfully, it sounds very cute and novel, if a tad pointless. Six Miis can be added to the channel, which uses each Mii's preset birthday to calculate how lucky they are -- as you can see above, Mr. Green Jumper will be enjoying some good fortune! If you're down on your luck, you can change clothes to a luckier color by holding down the A and B buttons. Click on a Mii, and you'll be able to read what the future holds in five categories: love, work, school, communication, and money; while this Mii is pretty loved up, she is also penniless.
There are other modes to play with, including a friendship compatibility test, the results of which change daily. You can also get your Miis to ask about a certain subject, and receive three random words for you to interpret yourself.
Craig here, I know some of you must be choking for news at the moment, so I thought I'd write another status update for you.
As you may be aware, in terms of the economy there could not be a worse time to be building the worlds first community driven
hand held device;
No credit on parts, banks who say 'no thanks' to your 4000 orders, long lead times on parts which only a few months ago were
plentiful, currency collapses and lots more.
But we prevail, the project must go on!
One of the saving graces of this project is of course you guys - the community, thanks to you we have no debts, continuing
support and a ready and willing user base. We are very aware of how lucky this situation is - especially in the current climate,
if we had done this with a loan from a bank we are well aware the loan would have been called in by now and the project canceled.
And it is your support which is making us try to make the Pandora as perfect as it can possibly be. I know some of you want us to
just release it already, some of you hackers would not care if it had flaws, but as some of you will remember the whole point of
the Pandora was to not make the mistakes of previous open consoles.
On that note I'm pleased to say next weekend we will be building the first fully working Pandora with controls and keyboard and
making some videos of it for you to see - this does not mean the work is finished - there is bound to be something which needs
adjusting, but it is a major near final milestone.
Also we know some of you are frustrated by the slow refund and reorder process - believe me so are we - this situation could not
be more of a nightmare for us especially as we had no idea it would happen, it's a good thing we now have a bank who understands
this project and supports us with it.
Those of you who are angry about the situation please understand that what happened was not our choice, someone who was clueless
to the project saw our bank balance, paniced without speaking to us, and set the wheels in motion for a pointless refund process.
Those of you who might think we could discuss this like adults with the bank in question are very mistaken - you may as well try
to talk to a brick wall, the whole banking world is in panic mode and we are small fry to them.
But even after all this we are still working away, finding routes around the problems all with one goal still in mind - making the
best and most powerful handheld ever.
As for new things to see some of you might like this render of the case top we went with:
It addresses the boxyness of the case which some of you didn't like, making the Pandora slimmer and more rounded, this is the
design we will be going with unless a major flaw is found.
On another note, those of you emailing asking if there will be any space for new orders after the refund process is complete I
can say there will be some available - I will post information when you can place a new order.
As for a shipping date - until we get the final delivery dates for some parts we still can't give an accurate time line but we
are working as hard as we can for it to happen as SOON AS POSSIBLE, it may be comforting for you to know another ~15 dev kits
went out to some of the best developers on the scene in the last few weeks who are furiously working on software as we speak.
One of the main problems with production is that parts are not available as easily as they were a few months ago - companies are
not keeping stock and only manufacturing to order, another pitfall of the global economy right now.
In slightly better news it's possible we might be able to ship some units reasonably soon to those of you who are more the hacker
type, these units may come without a battery and with a beta OS installed, the battery could be sent on at a later date at the
postage cost.
Nintendo secures an operating profit of USD 6 off of each Wii unit sold, according to an analyst at Macquarie Securities.
Analyst David Gibson explained to Forbes that while Sony makes a loss on each PlayStation 3 sold and Microsoft has the potential to break even with the Xbox 360, Nintendo makes a profit.
The Wii is expected to sell more software than any other console this year, with a target of 220 million units, compared with 120 million for PS3 games and 125 million for Xbox 360 titles. On top of this, the article details how Nintendo capitalises on its position by selling 60 per cent of Wii games itself, compared with 30 per cent for Microsoft and 15 per cent for Sony.
Part of this success is placed upon Nintendo's practice of keeping price down, with the console itself retailing for around USD 250, compared to the PS3 at around USD 400, while Wii games are priced around USD 50 rather than USD 60 on the other two consoles.
Hiroshi Kamide, director of research at KBC Securities, Japan, commented: "The key thing about Nintendo is they want their things to be at price points that anyone can respond to."
Resistance 2, the sequel to the PlayStation 3 launch title, has debuted on the UK software sales chart in tenth place, with sales only reaching two-thirds of the original.
Meanwhile, Call of Duty: World at War continues to dominate the region and came in again at number one, despite unit sales falling a further 30 per cent, having dropped 51 per cent the previous week. Need for Speed: Undercover jumped two places from last week to come in fourth, while pushing FIFA 09 down a place to third.
Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii dropped to number four, while the company's DS title, Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training, climbed a place to number five. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 moved up two places from last week to come in at number six.
Tomb Raider: Underworld also saw its sales rise, boosting the title from ninth to seventh place, as Wii Play also jumped to number eight from ten.
Activision's Guitar Hero: World Tour climbed up two positions from last week to come in at ninth place.
UK software sales chart follows:
01. Call of Duty: World at War
02. Need for Speed: Undercover
03. FIFA 09
04. Mario Kart Wii
05. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
06. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
07. Tomb Raider: Underworld
08. Wii Play
09. Guitar Hero: World Tour
10. Resistance 2
Developer Funcom says recent job losses at the company haven't impacted the development of MMO Age of Conan for Xbox 360.
"Our aim is for this to not affect development of Age of Conan, or any of our other games, at all," product manager Erling Ellingsen told MTV Multiplayer.
"We are sticking firmly to our plans. The Xbox 360 version of the game is still in production, but as before we are not committing to any specific dates," he added.
Although he was only willing to call it a "rough estimate", Ellingsen previously told CVG that the 360 version of Age of Conan could be released around 12 months after the PC version, which launched this May.
Late last week, From Software shared a final Japanese release date for Ninja Blade, its highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive action title.
Over in Japan, 360 owners can look forward to the game on January 29. It will carry a price point of 7,140 yen, which while high by US standards is pretty reasonable for a high profile game in Japan.
Joining the game's release across the Pacific will be a soundtrack. Released through Gem Impact, with production by Norihiko Hibino, the soundtrack will arrive on February 4 at 3,045 yen. Fans will find a total of 27 tracks on 2 discs, along with bonuses like a color booklet and color picture labels for each disc.
As for a stateside release for the game, Microsoft has a tentative release planned for Q2 2009.
Apple isn't exactly used to eating humble pie but took in a slice recently when it was forced to remove its iPhone advert for misleading consumers.
Knife and fork at the ready then since one of the companies most notorious claims, namely that of the lack of virus threats on its computers, is now something that must be confined to the past.
In late November an update to Apple's support site saw it recommending the use of anti-virus tools to protect Macs for the first time, following a string of malware designed to target its machines.
It seems like a rather knee-jerk reaction on the part of Apple since you're encouraged to use multiple applications so that "virus programmers have more than one to circumvent", which does sound a bit overkill both in terms of affecting the performance of your computer and your bank balance.
According to our tipster, taking your G1 abroad may not be financially wise. Apparently, his data roaming bill rang up at $102.85—even though data roaming, data sync and 3G were turned off.
How could this happen you ask? Well, after returning home from the UK, he called T-Mobile customer service to discuss his bill. After a lengthy series of conversations, a supervisor revealed that the G1 always accesses the internet whether you are sending text messages or calls—even when the data roaming features are off. In the end, his advice was that "the phone should have been left in the USA to avoid these charges."
Naturally, there was no mention of this when he made his initial call to T-Mobile before his trip to get international calling and text added. All they said was data roaming would be charged at $10 per MB and that if he did not access the internet everything would be fine. As it turns out, he was charged approx $.15 every 3-7 minutes on average—but not all of it was from calls and texts. In his words, it was "almost as if the phone is pinging."
In a situation like this I am compelled to ask whether or not any of you have experienced similar issues with the G1. Could it really be accessing the internet this much?
Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth has very nearly finished that patch to fix various multiplayer connection problems with the Xbox Live Arcade game.
This, we were told in September, would arrive "as fast as possible". Presumably they forgot to add "compared to a clumsy child".
"We're working with Microsoft to get the title update out as quickly as we can," The Behemoth told Xbox 360 Fanboy. "Sadly, we can't get into details about the certification process, but we've resolved the game's issues with data loss and networking in addition to other bugs.
"We can't really comment on the release yet as we're not allowed to talk about it because of Microsoft, but the update's release is definitely reaching the end of the process."
The Behemoth is thankful for and "honoured" by all the community support, however, and actually thinks you're all "awesome", which is nice.
The Behemoth is the same team behind Alien Hominid, and much of the visual style of that series carries over into Castle Crashers. But the two differ in gameplay; Castle Crashers is hackandslash, with a gentler learning curve, more bits to play with and a generally rounded assortment of goodies.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today unveiled comprehensive line up of software for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3), PSP (PlayStation Portable), and PlayStation 2 available during the 2008 holiday season. With 19 titles from SCEA and limited edition hardware bundles providing great consumer value, PlayStation aims to have fresh content for gamers this holiday season whether they are at home, traveling, or celebrating the holidays with family and friends.
In conjunction with the PS3 system's recently celebrated second anniversary, SCEA released the limited-edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3 system bundle. Featuring an impressive 160GB hard drive, the new PS3 system provides consumers with enough space to store a robust combination of games and entertainment content, such as 24 high definition movies, 8 standard definition television shows, 100 PlayStation Network games, 2,000 music files, and 2,000 photos(*1). The PS3 system has the strongest first party software lineup heading into the holiday season with titles like LittleBigPlanet from Media Molecule and its groundbreaking user generated content; Resistance 2 from Insomniac Games, with unprecedented 60 player multiplayer mayhem; Motorstorm Pacific Rift, with no holds barred racing action; and BUZZ! Quiz TV, the quiz game show with over 5,000 questions and easy-to-use wireless buzzers.
"This holiday season we have gifts of the highest caliber to suit the taste of every gamer in your household; from community based experiences like LittleBigPlanet, to first person shooters like Resistance 2 to racing games like Motorstorm: Pacific Rift to casual games like SingStar and BUZZ!," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing, SCEA. "We are dedicated to delivering entertainment of the finest quality to our consumers to help make this holiday a lot more enjoyable."
Winter travel is a bit brighter with the newly released PSP system (PSP-3000), which offers an enhanced LCD screen with a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio and a built-in microphone. The new PSP system is capable of displaying movies and photos in more natural and vibrant colors on its high resolution 4.3 inch wide screen. Available in Mystic Silver or Piano Black, the updated hardware is available in two limited edition Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters(R) PSP Entertainment Packs. Titles like BUZZ! Master Quiz, NBA 09 The Inside, and Secret Agent Clank will make the trip to visit family more enjoyable.
Family and friends can easily entertain at home during the holiday season with all new versions of the hit interactive singing experience SingStar for both the PS3 and PlayStation 2 systems. December 2 marks the release of the disco-centric SingStar ABBA which joins currently available the recently released versions of the hit franchise including SingStar Country, SingStar Pop vol. 22, and SingStar Legends for PlayStation 2. For PS3 owners, SingStar Vo1. 2 and SingStar ABBA add new tracks and videos for the rising star in your family to perform.
SCEA's Currently Available First Party 2008 Holiday Lineup Includes:
PLAYSTATION 3
BUZZ! Quiz TV
LittleBigPlanet
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
NBA 09 The Inside
Resistance 2
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Vol. 2
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
PlayStation Network
Linger In Shadows
Pain Movie Studio
Crash Commando
Savage Moon
PSP (PlayStation Portable)
BUZZ! Master Quiz
NBA 09 The Inside
PlayStation 2
NBA 09 The Inside
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Country
SingStar Legends
SingStar Pop Volume 2
(*1) Based off the average files sizes listed below:
-- High Definition Movies 6GB
-- Standard Television Shows (30 minutes) 1.5GB
-- PlayStation Network Games 100MB
-- Music Files (MP3) 5MB
-- Photos 5MB
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation and PS one game consoles, the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today unveiled comprehensive line up of software for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3), PSP (PlayStation Portable), and PlayStation 2 available during the 2008 holiday season. With 19 titles from SCEA and limited edition hardware bundles providing great consumer value, PlayStation aims to have fresh content for gamers this holiday season whether they are at home, traveling, or celebrating the holidays with family and friends.
In conjunction with the PS3 system's recently celebrated second anniversary, SCEA released the limited-edition Uncharted: Drake's Fortune PS3 system bundle. Featuring an impressive 160GB hard drive, the new PS3 system provides consumers with enough space to store a robust combination of games and entertainment content, such as 24 high definition movies, 8 standard definition television shows, 100 PlayStation Network games, 2,000 music files, and 2,000 photos(*1). The PS3 system has the strongest first party software lineup heading into the holiday season with titles like LittleBigPlanet from Media Molecule and its groundbreaking user generated content; Resistance 2 from Insomniac Games, with unprecedented 60 player multiplayer mayhem; Motorstorm Pacific Rift, with no holds barred racing action; and BUZZ! Quiz TV, the quiz game show with over 5,000 questions and easy-to-use wireless buzzers.
"This holiday season we have gifts of the highest caliber to suit the taste of every gamer in your household; from community based experiences like LittleBigPlanet, to first person shooters like Resistance 2 to racing games like Motorstorm: Pacific Rift to casual games like SingStar and BUZZ!," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing, SCEA. "We are dedicated to delivering entertainment of the finest quality to our consumers to help make this holiday a lot more enjoyable."
Winter travel is a bit brighter with the newly released PSP system (PSP-3000), which offers an enhanced LCD screen with a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio and a built-in microphone. The new PSP system is capable of displaying movies and photos in more natural and vibrant colors on its high resolution 4.3 inch wide screen. Available in Mystic Silver or Piano Black, the updated hardware is available in two limited edition Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters(R) PSP Entertainment Packs. Titles like BUZZ! Master Quiz, NBA 09 The Inside, and Secret Agent Clank will make the trip to visit family more enjoyable.
Family and friends can easily entertain at home during the holiday season with all new versions of the hit interactive singing experience SingStar for both the PS3 and PlayStation 2 systems. December 2 marks the release of the disco-centric SingStar ABBA which joins currently available the recently released versions of the hit franchise including SingStar Country, SingStar Pop vol. 22, and SingStar Legends for PlayStation 2. For PS3 owners, SingStar Vo1. 2 and SingStar ABBA add new tracks and videos for the rising star in your family to perform.
SCEA's Currently Available First Party 2008 Holiday Lineup Includes:
PLAYSTATION 3
BUZZ! Quiz TV
LittleBigPlanet
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
NBA 09 The Inside
Resistance 2
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Vol. 2
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
PlayStation Network
Linger In Shadows
Pain Movie Studio
Crash Commando
Savage Moon
PSP (PlayStation Portable)
BUZZ! Master Quiz
NBA 09 The Inside
PlayStation 2
NBA 09 The Inside
SingStar ABBA
SingStar Country
SingStar Legends
SingStar Pop Volume 2
(*1) Based off the average files sizes listed below:
-- High Definition Movies 6GB
-- Standard Television Shows (30 minutes) 1.5GB
-- PlayStation Network Games 100MB
-- Music Files (MP3) 5MB
-- Photos 5MB
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation and PS one game consoles, the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Someone has finally gotten around to giving the PSP the one thing that was missing from its lineup: a downloadable virtual hamster viewing game.
In Hamster Channel, you feed and interact with virtual hamsters. The game is set up like a variety television show with channels depicting different hamsters in a variety of environments.
Your furry friends are generated using random generation routines, giving unique fur patterns for all players. New-comer publisher HI Games & Publishing boasts that the game offers the highest level of 3D visuals for a virtual pet game.
Hamster Channel is a rare download-only PSP title. It will hit the Japanese PlayStation Store in mid December at 2,800 yen.
While a Japan-only release at the moment, HI says that it plans on bringing games to international audiences as well. These little easily-squashable critters could be US bound in the future.
This is a plugin that works BOTH IN-GAME, in XMB as well as Homebrew, consists of a 20 most Creative, Incredible set of effects put together in a small package to create a truly unique PSP experience.
You'll start to Love your PSP as if it's new (willing to trust me?) !
This is what has been in developement for months (with several sparing minutes every alternate weekends)
Since the beginning the main priority has been to create a very heavily optimized and tweaked product that everyone would like. With performance being maxed out; infact most of the effects including Flipped XMB run at FULL 60 FPS and with memory footprint being virtually ZERO - you can't go wrong.
TRIANGLE+VOL UP/DOWN - Change Effect
VOLUP + VOL DOWN = Toggle Effect
TRIANGLE + ANALOG UP/DOWN - Adjust Brightness
Requirements:
CFW 5.00 M33-3
PSP 1000 / PSP 2000
The Scoop:
-> Contrast Boost that mimics PSP-3000's improved contrast via Software.
-> Brightness Boost with variable adjustment
-> Physically Flipped XMB with natural keymapping (PSP 1000 Feels lighter than it is, if held this way )
-> SUPER Stylish Music Visualizer (for Bars Visualization)
-> Warm Tones, Cool Tones, Red tones...
-> Colour Filters (5+)
-> Inverted Colors
-> Mirror effects (2)
-> Oil Paint effect
-> Everything else you could think of...
GAME Compatibility:
-> Shawn White Snowboarding
-> Midnight Club LA REMIX (Doesn't work)
Homebrew Compatibility (99% Compatible with ALL Homebrew):
Tested:
-> Geomety Wawz
-> PSPKVM / Opera Mini
-> Powernoid v2
-> Jelly Car v1.1
Future / Notes:
Be surprised when you see another update
-> Read the README's
Minor Update Bld 729:
-> Increased Main thead Poll delay from 10 to 5000. (Possible performance improvement)
-> Removed remaining references to security checks.
This 0.9.8 Rebuild 2 includes the eccLive updates 00316 to 00332 and contains several bugfixes, new platforms, new features, ect.! You can see all changes in the changelog!
If you have any problem with this release, visit the emuControlCenter forum to get help.
TrailblazePSP now runs in Kernel 3.xx - 5.xx on any
m33 Custom Firmware Phat/Slim.
prx plugins should now work in /GAME from /seplugins
TweakDisplay.prx works very well in 5.00 m33-1
capture.prx can take a GIF video in 3.52 m33-4
Control mapping is adjusted for these two .prx.
Other Plugin/CFW combos are untested.
Portal: Still Alive
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Valve
Genre: Action
System: XBLA
Price:1200 MS Points
The first iteration of Portal we saw was attached to the sweet-as-a-nut deal The Orange Box. At the time I paid 60 quid for the Orange Box, and I was noted for saying that I'd have paid that for Portal alone. This was of course a lie, that would be mad, but Portal's quality and uniqueness stood out from the other parts of the Orange Box (Half Life 2 and it's episodes, and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box as a whole was great, Half Life 2 and it's episodes are a fantastic play, they age well and converted to the 360 nicely. Team Fortress 2 has a big following even today. The 'Box was full of Diamonds, and Portal was like a, Golden Diamond.
A number of things set it apart - for one it wasn't a First Person Shooter, it was an FPP (first person puzzler). Puzzle games until then had largely been restricted to 2D, with no real story to speak of. Portal showed us unique puzzle situations with a deep and often darkly humorous story, and a good game mechanic which was well realised. The way the game plays is simple enough, one trigger puts up one portal, the other trigger, a second portal. You can travel between the two. And that's it, but I can't explain in words how intricate this game mechanic makes Portal. It sounds simple, but when you take into account that you can use portals to redirect missiles, take objects through to use elsewhere, and that momentum and gravity are unaffected by portals, then the game becomes much more rich and rewarding.
Portal: Still Alive, is a hard one to figure out. To be brutally honest, it's a mutilated version of the original. There are puzzles I remember that are cut out (perhaps to fit the XBox Live Arcade maximum size limit). So you get the feel for what the game is, and you get a good taste for the puzzle element, and most of the story is here in tact. There are no new story bits that I noticed, but some of the puzzles themselves seemed to have small additions or twists I don't remember from first time around.
There are extra and new test chambers (puzzles) to be done individually (i.e. not featuring any of the classic Glados chatter or story). These are simply puzzles and that's it. So I found myself asking - what is this? It's not a prequel or a sequel, and it's not a remake, because a remake would warrant extra and updated content. It's more like a dowloadable content pack for Portal. But it included most of the original game so the only real extras if this were classed as DLC, would be the 20 or so extra puzzles, and if I paid over 5 quid for 20 short enough puzzles, even for what was and is one of the greatest games of all time, I'd cry blood. I'd want more than that for DLC!
But as it stands, Portal: Still Alive is not DLC, it's standalone Arcade game. So where does that leave my opinion? I love the original Portal, but for this review, I just had to play a bastardized version of the game I love. Why would I play this game? For the extra puzzles? I want more of the excellent story! For the achievements? It's a bit lame to be buying something you already completed just to get extra points (or just to be able to say "rub it up ye, Paddy, I gots more points than u!") There are also modes where you have to do each test using only a set amount of portals or footsteps but really, could you be arsed if you've already done them?
I seem to be giving this game a bollocking so far, but the best way I would recommend this game, and this is the important part of this review, this is what I want you to remember - If, AND ONLY IF, you have never played, and have no intention of ever paying for and playing, the full Orange Box package, Portal included, then you owe it to yourself to get this. This will probably be the case if you don't like first person shooters much. And that's fair enough, but Portal is not a first person shooter, not at all. The rest of the Orage Box however, is. And if indeed you are that small minority that doesn't like shooting the christ out of anything that moves, then you should opt for Portal: Still Alive on the Arcade.
It is a great game, even in this slimmed down arcade version, and if you are not a FPS fan, there's no point going for the full Orange Box, take this and enjoy it, because although it's not a complete version, it's enough to show you how awesome the world of Portal is, and you will get almost as much as enjoyment out of this version as the original.
Scores:
We have released a FAME/C Version of PSPUAE (Amiga Emulator for PSP), changes are listed below.
* Added FAME/C CPU core (Credits to UAE4ALL team as thats where Ric ported it from originally).
Im only releasing this, because people wanted it.
Be warned its unstable and can guru alot.
That said, it is faster.
Also old SAVESTATES are NOT compatible with this release.
Also, to get this to work with 1.50 you will have to convert the eboot yourself.
Please do not post regarding crashing issues with this release, as I have already pointed out its flaws.
Unless someone wants to improve the FAME/C CPU core, im done with it.
Red Bull is the first brand to sign up for dedicated space in Sony's online virtual world, Home.
According to a report by Brand Republic, Red Bull will have its own island within Home, and feature a racing game based on the real-world Red Bull Air Race.
"The game gave us the first opportunity to recreate in the gaming world what we try to do in the real world, which is to facilitate interaction, to give people stories, memories, experiences and a really good opportunity to interact with the brand," offered Red Bull's John Beasley, marketing manager for the company.
"It's an easy environment for brands to take that first step into gaming," added Beasley.
Home is expected to be open to the public by the end of the year, although thousands of PlayStation 3 users already have access to the service's beta test.
Atari has shed more like on AKI's Ready 2 Rumble Revolution for Wii, which the publisher said yesterday would be released in March 2009.
R2RR adopts the Wii Sports standard of remote and nunchuk for boxing gloves and serves up 18 caricatured boxers based on sports, music and film stars to punch your way through in the game's single-player Championship mode, where you also design your own boxer and build them up through mini-games.
Then there's multiplayer, and Atari promises "hilarious moves, detailed facial animations, damage textures and fighting techniques including special moves, combos, extreme knockdowns and special 'Rumble' combos". Meanwhile, the ring announcer is Michael "Let's Get Readyyyy To Rumble" Buffer.
Tekken 6, the latest in Namco Bandai's seminal fighting series, will be delivering a body blow to consoles next fall. Oh wait, you say, we already knew that. True, Microsoft confirmed last October that in Fall 2009 Feng Wei, Devil Jin and the rest would strike the Xbox 360 across the face. In addition, CVG reports that the game will get an equal bout on the PlayStation 3 at the same time.
The announcement was made during a recent event put on by Atari, which will publish the title in Europe on both platforms, adding yet another marquee feather in the once-struggling company's hat. Next year is shaping up to be a memorable one for fighting game fans with Street Fighter IV and Tekken 6 going toe-to-toe. So tell us, where do you place your bets?
Oh yeah, about that patch! Fable II developers haven't forgotten the bug-ridden masses, and are now finalizing a patch that should wipe out most if not all issues keeping players from enjoying the game.
Better late than never I say. The patch, promised in late October, is now nearing finalization, and will offer sweeping fixes for the game's most nagging problems. Targeted for elimination are bugs affecting the Monk Quest, the Guild Cave chest, the unresponsive ship captain in the Spire, the empty furniture shop in Bowerstone, and much more. No longer will your child be chosen as an assassination target, allowing you to leave them at home secure in the knowledge that they and the children from all of your other families are safe and sound.
Hit the link for more details on the patch, as well as a slew of freshly minted Pub Games activation codes.
With its aggressive pursuit of the casual market, it makes sense that Microsoft would want one of the most popular types of casual games -- seek-and-find -- to be represented on Xbox Live Arcade. Fans of the genre will finally be able to get their squint on when TikGames brings newly-announced Interpol to the download service.
If you've been chomping at the bit to stare endlessly at messy rooms, you'll get your chance this Winter for 800 [Microsoft Points] ($10).
Those would be "Gold" awards in Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's annual PlayStation Awards, not actual gold PlayStations. No, we think excellent sales are reward enough to render the composition of a congratulatory gong irrelevant -- the Gold award only goes to those games that sold over 500,000 copies in Japan over the last year.
This year's PlayStation recipients: Senior citizen stealth sim Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots; pointy-haired sword swinger Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII; and Sega's Phantasy Star Portable, which we failed to include in the headline. Similarly snubbed but given a fancy "Platinum" award was Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which sold over two million copies and completely messed up our Japanese hardware sales charts.
Those would be "Gold" awards in Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's annual PlayStation Awards, not actual gold PlayStations. No, we think excellent sales are reward enough to render the composition of a congratulatory gong irrelevant -- the Gold award only goes to those games that sold over 500,000 copies in Japan over the last year.
This year's PlayStation recipients: Senior citizen stealth sim Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots; pointy-haired sword swinger Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII; and Sega's Phantasy Star Portable, which we failed to include in the headline. Similarly snubbed but given a fancy "Platinum" award was Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G, which sold over two million copies and completely messed up our Japanese hardware sales charts.
Back in October Microsoft showcased a pre-Beta version of Windows 7 at its Professional Developers Conference, and it just recently been confirmed that the full Beta should be available next month.
Those who register for and attend one of the upcoming MSDN developer conferences will get a DVD with Windows 7 Beta 1 on it, though since these start this month the handout will only come into force during some of the later events in January.
Event blogger Keith Combs stated that "My understanding is that the DVD will not be ready for the first few show dates but will be mailed to each attendee. We are targeting to have the DVDs in the materials from 1/13/2009 on."
It was around 16 months between the launch of Windows Vista Beta 1 and the official release, so if we're to believe that Windows 7 needs a similar timeframe you could expect it in early summer 2010. Probably best not to put any money on this just yet though.
The demise of Woolworths is a sad day for those who see it as a staple part of the old
British high-street, not least for the thousands of people that stand to lose their jobs.
The knock-on effect of its supplier Entertainment UK going into administration has now reached Virgin Megastore metamorphosis Zavvi, who has been forced to stop selling CDs, DVDs and games online.
It also used Entertainment UK and is frantically searching for a new supplier after having to suspend and even cancel existing orders after issuing a formal statement of apology to its customers.
There may be a saviour on the horizon in the form of a rather familiar face to BBC viewers, with Dragon's Den guru Theo Paphitis apparently amongst a series of bidders who are showing 'substantial interest' in the company. Having specialised in turning troubled businesses into successes in the past, with Rymans and La Senza among his list of triumphs, good old Theo would certainly seem like a good choice on paper.
There are around 10 other bidders involved so far and though it does seem unlikely that no one buyer would take control of the entire business, things are starting to look a bit more hopeful.
If you remix something once, you're edgy, willing to let two styles careen into each other and just ride the resulting wave to cash and fame. If you remix something twice? Well, that's just a bit too much for our conservative Baptist upbringing, unless you've got mad, Puff Daddy (P. Diddy?)-level skills ... or you work for Namco Bandai, apparently. The same team that crafted a bold, fresh take on Galaga this year with Galaga Legions says it's itching to take yet another bolder, fresher look at the franchise.
As producer Nobutaka Nakajima told Gamasutra, "Because there are so many different ways of taking the Galaga franchise and many different aspects that could be created into the core fundamentals of the game, we do want to look at Galaga again." Sounds great, but could you maybe remix a few other classic franchises before you get into a rut with one? Hint, hint.
Sony isn't the only company that tried to rips its gear out of Circuit City's broke, zombie clutches. Samsung has been asking for the bankrupt company to return $74 million of merch from September.
In a bankruptcy court filing, Samsung said it believes "that Circuit City Stores was insolvent at the time it received the goods," and has requested twice that it return $74 million worth of merch shipped between Sept. 21 and Nov. 4. Even if Circuit does pay up or return this set of goods, if it were dealing with mob bosses instead of corporations, it'd still probably get its legs broken—Bloomberg reported it actually owed Sammy over $116 million all told, plus $119 million to HP. So that $1.1 billion loan it just got probably won't go very far after tiding over operating expenses.
Sony Electronics prez Stan Glasgow's gloomy observation that no one in the industry has come out of a Chapter 11 alive is looking more and more true everyday.
Majesco has revealed plans to release a Gardening Mama game on DS next year. 505 Games is the European publisher.
The Cooking Mama team will be at the helm [hoe? - Ed], turning styluses into green-fingered tools that plant, nurture and harvest flowers and fruit in the garden.
Tasks range from growing seeds into adults to collecting harvests to make jam - or perhaps you want to grow a pumpkin for Halloween. Who knows what you're thinking?
There's multiplayer for up to four chums, either battling to breed the biggest harvest, or sharing crops in a Treasure Box area. Garden decoration's also on offer, and features hanging baskets and pergolas and so on.
Mama's togs can be swapped to make her look pretty or less manurey, and apparently the user interface can be tinkered with until it suits you.
Offensively bright and colourful gardening, then, which will likely be an enormous hit. That said, the Cooking Mama games haven't been that bad, as our Cooking Mama and Cooking Mama 2 DS reviews point out.
Gabe Newell, Valve cofounder and managing director, has reportedly shared his feelings regarding data rights management. According to a LiveJournal post (via Gamepolitcs.com), Newell wrote, "most DRM strategies are just dumb."
Newell added, "The goal should be to create greater value for customers through service value (make it easy for me to play my games whenever and wherever I want to), not by decreasing the value of a product (maybe I'll be able to play my game and maybe I won't)."
"We really, really discourage other developers and publishers from using the broken DRM offerings, and in general there is a groundswell to abandon those approaches."
Following through on the philosophy of rewarding the legitimate consumer, Steam, Valve's digital distribution service, offers players constant inbuilt game updates and various community implemented features, such as friends lists.
Due to its rather restrictive nature, DRM has caused quite a controversy as of late. The highly-anticipated and critically-praised Spore has received much criticism due to it three-install limitation. Even though the unique simulator currently maintains an 8.3 average on game averaging site Gamestats.com, Spore has only garnered a one-point five out of five star rating from consumer web site Amazon.com. Several users from the web site's community shared their thoughts that Spore's DRM was draconian in nature.
There has been a recent storm of lawsuits against Apple by dissatisfied iPhone 3G owners who say that the advertisements that claim the iPhone is "twice as fast for half the price" are misleading. Apple has responded to one such lawsuit with a 9 page legal statement that claims their ads are truthful, but one paragraph basically says in legal speak that anyone who fully believes their ads is a fool.
The response is to the lawsuit filed by William Gillis, a 70 year old San Diego resident, who says he was mislead by untruthful advertisements when he decided to purchase an iPhone. The legal speak in question that Apple responded with is as follows:
"Plaintiff's claims, and those of the purported class, are barred by the fact that the alleged deceptive statements were such that no reasonable person in Plaintiff's position could have reasonably relied on or misunderstood Apple's statements as claims of fact."
Okay, so Denon wares aren't exactly "cheap," but you can't knock it for trying to innovate. Despite that fact that about eight people on this Earth still care about their beloved SACD / DVD-Audio collections, Denon has developed a Blu-ray player specifically for them. The DVD-A1UD is hailed as the world's first universal BD deck, and it features a black (shown after the break) or silver motif, SD / SDHC card slot, DivX support, HDMI 1.3, 1080p60 / 1080p24 output, internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD, 7.1-channel analog outputs, Denon LINK and all sorts of sophisticated pixel / audio restoration technologies. Better still, users who buy in can look forward to a Profile 2.0 update in the near future. Not surprisingly, the decked-out player will ship in Japan next month for a patently astounding ¥546,000 ($5,860), so you'll probably be stuck dreaming about it unless your ship rolls in.
To anyone even remotely familiar with Nokia's history, this tidbit won't come as a surprise at all. In fact, we've been hearing "Linux" and "Nokia" in the same sentence for years. At Nokia World in Barcelona -- the same place where the almighty N97 (pictured) was unveiled -- Ukko Lappalainen, vice president at Nokia's markets unit, informed Reuters that "in the longer perspective, Linux will become a serious alternative for our high-end phones." Potentially more interesting was his followup line: "I don't see anything in Android which would make it better than Linux maemo." Quite frankly, we'd be entirely more interested if this was some revolutionary epiphany, but it's basically just more of the same song and dance. Now, if an N98 pops out next month with a freakishly awesome and nimble mobile variant of Ubuntu, well -- that's a horse of a different color.
Seriously, how many spare Xbox 360s does Benjamin Heckendorn have laying around? By our count, this is the third instance where the modder extraordinaire has shoved Microsoft's latest console into something that's theoretically playable on one's lap, and obviously, this one is the best one evar. Dubbed the Xbox 360 Portable, the unit is said to weigh almost as much as his sister's cat, and it differs from most other on-the-go 360s by featuring a removable standard Xbox 360 hard drive, two accessible memory card slots, no keyboard (use the chatpad!), an internal WiFi module and beveled edges for extra safety. We'd ask what crazy mod he's planning with all the free time coming up over the holiday break, but honestly, we'd prefer to be surprised.
Now that the New Xbox Experience has been mostly-successfully pushed out, with its avatars, new interface, and updated marketplace, Arcade owners with less than 128MB of storage have been left out in the cold -- and the big M's "solution" of free memory cards wasn't exactly ideal. That's changing, however -- a MS spokesperson confirmed to Xbox360 Fanboy that new Arcade units will contain 256MB of internal memory. So if you've been looking to pick up a new 360 Arcade, feel free to get your Netflix HD on as soon as every last cord is connected -- if you're a subscriber, that is.
After all of the misinformation and dirty lies spread about Obama over the course of the presidential campaign, this is the most shocking I've heard about him: He uses a Zune. This can't be possible.
Wii Music set up a solid control scheme for drumming with the console's various attachments, which hacker He Zhao has basically replicated. Except this time it's free, customizable and on your PC.
All iPhone users get free AT&T Wi-Fi, hurray. But the text-message-based access system makes it a pain in the ass to log onto. Enter Easy Wi-Fi for AT&T, an app that makes it, well, easy.
After besting BlackBerry and the Razr, the iPhone has seized its largest parcel of the global smartphone market yet: 16.6 percent. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's actually a pretty big deal.
The Evolution Control Committee has been doing live mashup performances for many years and recently upgraded their hardware. Inspired by [Johnny Lee]’s Wiimote whiteboard, they built a rear projection display they could use during performances. It displays a dense collection of samples in Ableton Live. On each of the performer’s hands is an IR LED mounted to a thimble. By touching the thumb to the forefinger, the LED turns on. Two Wiimotes watch for these IR flashes to trigger mouse clicks. [TradeMark G] found the Ableton display too complex to navigate quickly and accurately with a mouse; this new display make things much easier and enjoyable.
A pre-played version of 2005's Animal Crossing: Wild World for DS, sent out to media outlets to encourage connectivity with the recent Animal Crossing release for Wii, contains at least one shocking addition, reports MTV Multiplayer. Importing the saved data from the DS cartridge sent by Nintendo into Animal Crossing: City Folk introduces a host of changes into the game, including one, suddenly no longer E-rated character, Baabara, who now greets players with: "How are you, Ñ---á?" [edited; original creator added diacritics]
To clarify, this generally offensive slang term (preceded by another potentially offensive phrase above it) is not included in the retail release of the game. Rather, whomever Nintendo employed to play the version of Wild World sent to press with all of the game's items unlocked, purposely "trained" the Baabara character to use the term. Further, introducing this kind of offensive content into a new copy of the game, from a stranger via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, is nearly impossible. To import content from another game cartridge over the internet requires two users to first exchange their unique 16-digit codes before they are able to share data. In other words, your kids are safe -- unless they or their "friends" are the creators of such content.
What MTV Multiplayer and other outlets have discovered is an isolated matter. Still, since the media serves as a filter through which you receive your news about Nintendo products, Nintendo clearly needs to work harder to prevent the kind of incident highlighted here from happening again. Also, an apology would be nice.
That's according to Sony, which addressed several LittleBigPlanet concerns in a recent (and now weekly) post on the official PlayStation Blog. "The vast majority of moderated levels were due to offensive material," wrote SCEA marketing manager Mark Valledor, "however we are evolving the way moderation happens to ensure that creators are made aware of why their level was blocked." Earlier this year, level creators expressed their frustration at becoming victim of Sony's inscrutable moderation policies. The company has since released some general "don't put this stuff in your level" guidelines.
Valledor also noted that other online aspects of the precious platformer are being examined and improved, including the occasionally problematic servers and the maddeningly unhelpful level search function. "We've heard your requests to get better search functionality to find levels and getting the PLAY, CREATE, SHARE stats up and running on the Info Moon and have put this on the top of our list."
We hope you guys tagged that list properly -- it's going to be awfully difficult to find otherwise.
MCV reports that Imagine's Nintendo-only UK magazine, N•Revolution, will cease publication. In this day and age, with ad revenue and readership down – not to mention a little thing you're using called the internet – this move doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Its publisher's reasoning for the closure does.
Imagine's managing director, Damian Butt, says that Nintendo's focus is shifting away from the magazine's readership, i.e. core gamers. "It has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo's strategy...has moved increasingly away from the hardcore gaming community that is our specialty," Butt explained.
Still, Butt says that Imagine – which also publishes gamesTM – will continue to work with Nintendo to "drive purchases of Nintendo software." We're sure it will be in an entirely objective, unbiased, above-the-board way ... of working with a company to positively influence software sales through editorial. What could be wrong with that? Oh.
MCV reports that Imagine's Nintendo-only UK magazine, N•Revolution, will cease publication. In this day and age, with ad revenue and readership down – not to mention a little thing you're using called the internet – this move doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Its publisher's reasoning for the closure does.
Imagine's managing director, Damian Butt, says that Nintendo's focus is shifting away from the magazine's readership, i.e. core gamers. "It has become increasingly obvious that Nintendo's strategy...has moved increasingly away from the hardcore gaming community that is our specialty," Butt explained.
Still, Butt says that Imagine – which also publishes gamesTM – will continue to work with Nintendo to "drive purchases of Nintendo software." We're sure it will be in an entirely objective, unbiased, above-the-board way ... of working with a company to positively influence software sales through editorial. What could be wrong with that? Oh.
Still shopping for games? Amazon is throwing you another tempting bundle. As part of its 15 Days, 15 Great Video Game Deals series, if you pick up the 160GB PlayStation 3 bundle with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, you'll get LittleBigPlanet for free. It's not an exorbitant discount (a little less than 11%), but if you're in the market for a PS3, give this a consideration.
If Sony isn't your gaming cup of tea, Amazon's Gold Box Deals are all Wii-related. We've sent an army of ninjas to collect and decipher the lightning deal clues; we'll let you know what they find.
Well, we certainly didn't see this coming. Gears of War 2 is finally on store shelves, and who do we see at the top of the Xbox Live play time pile? Master Chief. No, seriously! Halo 3 took the top of a list rounded out by Gears 2, Call of Duty: World at War, CoD 4 and GTA IV.
So, we honestly don't have an answer for you on this one, we can't imagine why. We're also flummoxed as to why Left 4 Dead is so darn low. Anyone for some late Tuesday hypothesizing?
You know, Mother always used to say that dating a Yakuza was a bad idea ... and a good way to get yourself killed. We wish Sega the best of luck then, as the company has done just that -- Yakuza 3 is set for a Japanese debut on February 26th, 2009. The Gangs of Tokyo epic (with Trophy support!) will also be included in a limited-run PlayStation 3 bundle sporting an 80GB, Ceramic White console and a ¥45,980 ($492) price tag.
And before you ask, Sega has yet to confirm a US release for Yakuza 3. We'll let you know when they do. (See? "When." We're optimistic over here.)
Square Enix has confirmed a North American release for Kingdom Hearts: Ludicrous Subtitle (AKA Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days), the Action-RPG franchise's first entry on the Nintendo DS. The game revolves around Roxas, star of Kingdom Hearts II's prolonged prologue and one-time member of My Chemical Romance Organization XIII.
Though Square Enix has yet to provide a definitive release date for the English version, players can start looking forward to a series first: a multiplayer mode that allows "players to control their favorite Organization XIII members!" Oh, our favorite? Uh, well ... the one with the spiky hair, ominous coat and largely impractical weapon, obviously.
Earlier we reported on a copy of Animal Crossing: Wild World that was shipped to game journalists with a racial epithet programmed in the speech patterns of one of the game's NPCs. Now Nintendo responds.
A copy of DS title Animal Crossing Wild World sent out to media yesterday by Nintendo came loaded with most of the game's secrets unlocked, it also included a nasty surprise. When you come upon Baabara, the town's resident sheep, you're greeted with a racial epithet. The word is used repeatedly in your conversation with the sheep.
This is a corrected version of the story that ran earlier today by AJ. In it we incorrectly stated that Bill Murray's voice would not be in the console game. We reconfirmed with Atari that Murray's voice will be in the console games. We apologize for any confusion.
The DS version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game is made up of three main parts: Management (upgrading character skills, researching technology, making weapons, etc.), Driving the Ecto-1 around town and – duh – Busting, which is basically questing. There's the main quest which is modeled after the plot of the console versions of Ghostbusters (minus the Rookie character), and a series of side quests that help the Ghostbusters earn cash to afford weapon and technology upgrades. Questing also builds up the Reputation score – if this score drops to zero, it's game over.
When Square-Enix announced Dragon Quest IX for DS, it came as quite a blow to stay-at-home console owners. If the newest rumor from EGM's Quartermann is right, DQ fans may still get a console version.
Yes, the Nintendo DS version is still coming in March of 2009, Iwada willing, but it may also be coming to the Wii. It may be coming to the little white console in the same fashion that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes Of Time will — as a game playable on both platforms, with DS-caliber graphics intact. That's a money making plan that likely doesn't impact development costs like a fully fledged port would. And if we know Square-Enix, it likes to make money.
Plus, as 1UP points out, the Wi-fi enabled multiplayer would likely work just as well on both platforms.
Glu Mobile brings the caped crusader to the iPhone for the first time with The Dark Knight: Batmobile, a mini-game featuring the movie version of Batman's ride.
The game serves as the debut of the Glu Snax line of iPhone titles, which featured bite-sized snippets of game play for a low prince - in this case, only $.99. In this case you get what you pay for. Pilot the Batmobile from Batman's underground base across the rooftops using the touch screen to angle jumps, activate afterburners, and fire weapons. All in all it's pretty much a minute worth of gameplay. It's quite nicely done and well thought out, but only a minute long. Interesting though, in a very quick diversion sort of way. Check it out on an iPod Touch or iPhone near you to see for yourself.
You'd think that'd be a subjective question! But science, as always, is here to poop the party, presenting "evidence" that shows which FPS games currently on the market draw the biggest "response" from players.
The research, conducted by San Francisco firm Emsense , looked at eight games - Battlefield 2142, Call of Duty 3, F.E.A.R., Gears of War, GRAW 2, Resistance, Halo 2 and Half-Life 2 - in order to measure "engagement and emotional and cognitive responses to content". Or, in other words, how much players got into it.
To determine this, the researchers used "proprietary brain monitoring EEG and bio-sensing technology" while tracking players engaged in the first 90 minutes of each game, and ended up with over 300 hours worth of data/
Their findings? That "the most successful FPS titles encourage close combat, dangling emotions of reward to compel players into high-risk, adrenaline-pumping scenarios". Think Gears' chainsaw duels, placing satchel charges on tanks in CoD, that sort of thing.
This means that, if you buy into the data, you can certainly draw a correlation between our involvement - and subsequent enjoyment of an FPS- and reviews scores/retail success. Gears of War has chainsaws and blood splatters. Halo 2 & 3 have insta-kill plasma swords. Half-Life 2 has the worlds greatest crowbar. Etc etc.
Gameloft have released Brothers In Arms: Hour Of Heroes for the iPhone, bringing 14 missions over 3 theater campaigns to your pocket.
Control is via a 'fire' icon and a touchable movement circle, that at least looks like it might be a bit more analogue than a fake D-Pad and which changes according to whether you are on foot or in a vehicle. The accelerometer comes into play too as a natural way of lobbing grenades at your foes. (Be sure to hold on tight, lest you lose your precious phone)
During the 3 campaigns in Normandy, Ardennes & Tunisia you will use bazookas, machine guns sniper rifles and grenades, drive a Sherman Tank and a Jeep and die in a hail of bullets. A lot.
Liberty City is sprawling over the landscape. It is spreading from your third generation consoles to your PC and there is no escape in this dark, glamourous and decadent city.
Invite a partner to join in your mini crime syndicate, with a multi-player mode and a highly sophisticated matching system, you are ready to roam the city and engage in all forms of anti-social behaviour that you know you can only get away with in Liberty City.
From the publisher: What does the American dream mean today?
For Niko Bellic fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape from his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity.
As they slip into debt and get dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don't.
PC Game Features:
New high resolution technology brings Liberty City to life with even more stunning graphical detail
Expanded multiplayer will require even more strategy and skill to come out on top
Match Filtering allows you to pick your favorite multiplayer options and then instantly find online matches that fit
Record gameplay clips and edit them together with a variety of options using the Video Editor and upload via the Rockstar Social Club
(The images are taken from the PlayStation3 version)
The PC game is released in English versions and a Chinese version which includes English voices, with in-game menus and package manuals in simplified Chinese.
Grand Theft Auto IV (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Simplified Chinese Version) (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 29.90
Grand Theft Auto IV (Traditional Chinese Version) (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 34.90
December is a very busy month. The Asian English version has arrived while the US versions are on its way. The Simplified Chinese version is available on 5th of December. The newly confirmed Traditional Chinese release will be available on 9th of December.
Sackboy, your beloved player character from the creative adventure LittleBigPlanet has arrived in his full wool and yarn glory.
The simple design of Sackboy allows you to use your imagination when you decorate and personalize him.
See how your designs will look on Sackboy in real life, stitch and glue fabric together and dress him in the most up to date fashion.
For those who need inspiration, there are a number of decorated Sackboys available. With an eyepatch and a hook, Sackboy transforms himself into Captain Hook the renowned pirate from Peter Pan.
Those who prefers fantasy settings can get the swordsman Sackboy who comes with his red felt cape and sword, while the happy go lucky of you can make a fashion statement by attaching the sunflower Sackboy to your belongings.
Let loose your creative streak by getting your very own Sackboy now.
Due to popular demand, all sackboys, including the Sunflower version, will be restocked by tomorrow, so just feel free to order your favourite player character.
There are also two larger sized versions coming soon and are available for preorder:
Besides being a long living game, Space Invaders is a popular merchandise that crossed over the boundaries of the gaming industry into the household and fashion items such as cushions, T-shirts and headphones.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the popular title, a new line of apparel are released. Make your fashion statement, let your love for the game be known through your circle of friends. This is a one size fit all garment and is made from comfortable quality material.
Wear it at home for comfort or parade the streets in it. This T-shirt is suitable for multiple purposes and is available in several colors.
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Black) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Blue) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary T-Shirt (Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
Besides T-shirts, there are also a number of officially released Space Invaders headphones:
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Headphone Set (Black) JPN US$ 19.90
Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Headphone Set (Pink) JPN US$ 19.90
There are 
if you have the Orange Box
if you haven't
