Bookr Mod 2009-07-01

July 3rd, 2009, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from silver_surfer

A modified version of bookr based on the latest source code on www.sf.net.

Bookr-Mod 2009-07-01
============
* More CFWs supported and bugs fixed
* Support for Custom Firmware 5.50 and PSP3000 with HEN
* Some small bugs have been fixed.

Bookr-Mod 2009-06-23
============
* Support much more PDFs (with large images, JPEG2000, JBIG2, AES-encrpted, etc.)
* Support PDF Outlines
* Unicode support in PDF, PDF Outlines and file chooser.
* Some new options to control scroll speed of d-pad and analog stick.
* A simple thumbnail to indicate current position in page.
* Zoom in to specified width and position.
* Bug fixes.

Installation
============
create a new folder named bookr in ms0:/PSP/GAME or ms0:/PSP/GAMExxx, and then put both EBOOT.PBP and data.fnt in it.

Full changelog is here if you can read Chinese.

[b]Notes[b]
============
Thanks to the authors of original bookr and the authors of all the libraries/code used in this homebrew - fitz/mupdf,
freetype, jasper, jbig2dec, libdjvu, code for decryption of AES from Sumatrapdf, code for MS FAT access from XReader, etc.

Please report issues/bugs to 2525275@gmail.com if you have any problems when using it.

Custom Firmware 5.50GEN-B Released

July 3rd, 2009, 00:36 Posted By: wraggster

News via pspita/pspgen

As announced a few days ago, was finally released from GENyUS and his team to update the B Custom Firmware 5.50GEN. I remember that is only compatible with PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 (TA-088v3 excluded).
More to follow.

Quote:

.: Installation Requirements:.:
- PSP-1000 or PSP-2000 (except TA-088v3)
- CF-A 5.50GEN

.: Install:.:
- Copy the 5.50-folder-update ġenb in PSP / GAME
- Start the application

.: Changelog:.:
• Fixed the bug that prevented disabling the VSH Menu
• The SELECT button can now start the VSH menu, the Recovery, or anything. The choice may be in recovery through the appropriate option
• Off the M33 network update
• The game Evangelion: Jo is now launched successfully
• The options Pandorizzazione are both in that the VSH Recovery Menu
• Three new features in VSH Menu: Shutdown Device (turn off the console), Make Pandora Battery, Battery Make Normal
• Option Flash1 Format: added a check that prevents you to format the Flash1 via VSH

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

3D Engine - Nitro Engine V 0.6.0

July 3rd, 2009, 00:26 Posted By: wraggster

AntonioND has released a new version of 3D Engine for the DS:

Hello!

This is a 3D engine, which aim is to make easier the procces of making a 3D game for the DS

Characteristics:
-Loader of models and textures from FAT.
-Dual 3D, as easy as normal 3D.
-Can load BMPs of 8, 16, and 24 bits and convert them into textures.
-Hardware-accelerated effects like fog and toon shading.
-You can take screenshots of both screens in dual 3D mode or the 3D screen in normal 3D mode.
-Animated model support, models are drawn using linear interpolation.
-2D over 3D system.
-Very basic physics engine.
-API functions.
-2D text in 3D mode, any character size allowed.
-More things...

TODO:
-Improve physics engine.
-You can ask me for the things you would like to see.

Bunjalloo v0.7.4 - Web Browser for DS

July 3rd, 2009, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster

Quirky has released a new version of Bunjalloo a few hours ago, heres the release notes:



Bunjalloo is a web browser for the Nintendo DS. It is free software under and active development. Already Bunjalloo can display simple pages, follow links and view images.

Changelog
Changes 0.7.4:

Fixed freezing after only a few page loads ( Issue 97 )

Changes 0.7.3:

A new NDS banner bitmap by Sam Goldfield
Add new scrolling method - just hold and drag, sort of
Page up and down now scroll just 1 screen
Fix for linked image following a text link, which caused an unclickable text link
Fix crash caused by bad HTML entities
Fix memory leak when unzipping files
Fix for some rarer types of PNG image
Disable button shortcuts when keyboard is visible
Remove automatic DLDI patching of unzipped NDS files
Update to devkitPro r26 and libpng 1.2.37

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Bugiin 1.3.

July 2nd, 2009, 23:59 Posted By: wraggster

brunette_redhead has released Bugiin 1.3.



If you have ever played Mario Paint for the SNES, then you have probably played the Gnat Attack game (also known as Coffee Break). My game is a spinoff of this, created for the Wii. I took many creative liberties with it, including redoing all of the sound effects with my brother and my girlfriend, and switching up the game modes just a bit.

There are two main game modes, the "Classic" mode, which is level based much like the original. There is also a "Swarm" mode which features endless enemies.

Changelog
V1.3 - 07/01/09

Classic mode supports 2 players now.
An options menu has been added to select graphics mode and toggle music/sfx.
Swarm mode uses new swatter graphics.
Screen shots can be taken by pressing the 1 button at any time.
Pressing the 2 button brings up a help screen.
Pressing plus during gameplay pauses game.
Added border during gameplay.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Professor Layton Joins Smash Bros.?

July 2nd, 2009, 23:51 Posted By: wraggster

Nintendo's puzzle-solving, riddle-spouting hero Professor Layton is known for his ability to perplex and bewilder, but his latest announcement may be his most brainteasing ever -- he's been invited to mix it up in Smash Bros.

Before you get too excited, though, calm yourself and re-lower your expectations. It seems that it's nothing more than a gag, and not a real confirmation of his addition to the fighting series' roster or a new Smash Bros. game in development.

This all came to light courtesy of Twitter, where Nintendo has set up a regularly updated page for the character under the name TopHatProfessor. Through several "tweets" issued throughout each day, the good Professor reflects on life, offers advice on how to be more gentlemanly and delivers riddles that he then invites his Twittering followers to answer through direct messages back to him.

It all seems to be for the purpose of drawing attention to the upcoming August release of the newest game in the DS series, Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box. But the top hat hero certainly got a bit of extra attention yesterday, when he began to imply that he'd been asked to join the Smash Bros. lineup. His first tweet on the topic was this:

I received an invitation this morning to something called the "Grand Smash Brothers Tournament". Does anyone know anything about it?

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/100/1000761p1.html

vbsms+ v3.1

July 2nd, 2009, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/

vbsms+ is a Sega Mark III, Master System, and Game Gear emulator for Windows.

http://olaf.arc-nova.org/

VisualBoyAdvance Rerecording wip r104

July 2nd, 2009, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/

VisualBoyAdvance Rerecording is a Nintendo GBA and GB/GBC emulator (based on VisualBoyAdvance).

http://code.google.com/p/vba-rerecording/

JPCSP 0.2 revision 1083 - PSP Emulator for Windows

July 2nd, 2009, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster

News via emurussia

The JPCSP Team have released a new version of the PSP Emulator for Windows written in Java:

Heres whats new:

- Added basic GE capture support, tested on cube sample. Until we record persistent GE state (texture on/off, etc) for best results replay captures in the same game it was recorded in.
- Fixed a refresh bug. Open menu trick should no longer be needed (click on File menu, it overlaps the display area and forces it to redraw, sometimes making something appear).
- fixed wait umd stat.

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

Mednafen 0.8.C

July 2nd, 2009, 23:36 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES/Dendy/GBA/GB/Lynx/PC Engine/PC-FX/Wonderswan emulator has been updated recently. Changes:
- Various sound output bugs have been fixed, primarily affecting non-Windows platforms.
- Various endianness related bugs were fixed, including a severe GBA save state bug on big-endian platforms.
- Having more than 2 of the same "type" of joystick/gamepad should no longer cause problems with hash collisions internally.
- A few PCE CD and PC-FX CDROM emulation bugs were fixed, concerning the position of the lead-out track, and the length of the last track when loading multi-track CUE/BIN rips.
- Various code issues causing compiler problems were fixed.

http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/

lxdream 0.9.1 "Turtle" - Dreamcast Emulator for Linux

July 2nd, 2009, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

Via dreamcast es

News from the Official site

As promised, the 0.9.1 release is now out. It is somewhat faster than 0.9, the core is around 30-40% faster, and MMU performance is nearly an order of magnitude better, but rendering performance is still holding things back overall. There’s also (finally) preliminary VMU support for anyone who cares about that - you can attach them in the controller settings panel.

As always, it’s available from the download page, release notes are here. And to make things even easier for Debian users, there’s now an apt repository available - just add the following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://www.lxdream.org/debian unstable main
deb-src http://www.lxdream.org/debian unstable mainand do apt-get update, apt-get install lxdream.

Next version we’ll try and attack the rendering performance problem…

What’s New

Lots of core performance improvements, especially in the MMU
VMU support (memory card only)
GDB remote debugging support
Quick-save states
LIRC driver
Now uses the ~/.lxdream directory (by default) to store runtime data
Audio + input drivers are now built as plugins

PhoneBAK GPS for S60

July 2nd, 2009, 23:27 Posted By: wraggster

PhoneBAK GPS by BAK2u is an integrated solution ('Anti-theft', 'GPS Tracking' and 'Emergency') that lets users locate their friends, classmates, vehicles or family members to know their whereabouts. PhoneBAK GPS lets the parents see the location of their children mobile phones, employers to track their vehicles and also the whereabout of employees (journalists, agents etc) when carrying out their work. The "Antitheft" function immediately sends all details about the "new owner" to you once the SIM card has been replaced and is also capable of remotely performing hard reset or data wipout on your request. The "SOS Alert" funtion lets you 'single-tap' quick dial in an emergency to a configurable telephone number and also send out the latest GPS location to a pre-defined email address.

http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...o=725&faq =15

FingerPrint for S60 5th Edition

July 2nd, 2009, 23:26 Posted By: wraggster

FingerPrint Scanner for 5800 & N97 by ThinkChange simulates uses your fingerprint to unlock your phone, just for fun. Trick your friends into believing that your touchscreen phone really has a finger print sensor ;-)

http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=724&faq=9

Nokia Java Runtime 2.0 for S60 5th Edition

July 2nd, 2009, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

Nokia Beta Labs have released new, completely rewritten Java Runtimes 2.0 for Nokia S60 5th Edition. (5800, N97) smartphones, providing performance improvements and functionality enhancements (e.g. one-click installation, animation during application starting). From now on Java development will be carried out independently and new versions will be available via the "Software Update" application assuring that you can update your phone once new version has been released. Download the new Runtime from Nokia Beta Labs.

http://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia...ime-20-for-s60

WWIGO - Webcam Wherever I Go for S60

July 2nd, 2009, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

Enjoy the freedom of wireless webcam with your mobile phone camera. WWIGO by Motvik stands for Webcam Wherever I Go. It converts every cameraphone into a webcam for desktop. WWIGO consists of two software components: mobile component that resides on phone and streams video to PC, and PC component that receives video over Bluetooth or WiFi.

http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...Auto=727&faq=4

GoogaSync for S60

July 2nd, 2009, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster

GoogaSync from Synble Oy is an extensive bi-directional synchronization solution for syncing your personal Google Calendar or hosted Google Apps calendar with your Symbian mobile phone. Supports all standard events, multiple calendars (BETA), appointments, recurring events, all-day events, birthdays and alarms. Secure and really easy to use, includes scheduled synchronization which keeps your calendars always automatically in sync.

http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software...uto=726&faq=18

Nokia N97 v11 firmware update:

July 2nd, 2009, 23:23 Posted By: wraggster

Nokia has just released a v11 firmware update for the Nokia N97. Changes include USB detection error fix, widget support fixes and enhancements, UI transition error fixes, thumbnail generation performance increase, Mail for Exchange fixes, and general stability and performance fixes.

http://my-symbian.com/main/index.php

Upcoming iPhone App to Offer English to Arabic Speech Translation

July 2nd, 2009, 23:22 Posted By: wraggster

Sakhr Software, a company known for it's expertise in English to Arabic (and vice-versa) speech translation is all set to release an iPhone app!



This upcoming application, developed by Sakhr Mobile and Dial Directions (a company acquired by Sakhr Mobile sometime back) offers really freaky neat speech translation from English to Arabic (and vice-versa), unlike many services which are a total mess even for the text translation - Google do you hear that? It scans the Arabic words and then simply translates them. Small phrases like "The prime minister will form a new government" (holy crap) can be pretty easily translated.

The app obviously has great use for the government but it can help the end consumer to a real great extent as well! In fact, Sakhr has already been providing this service to U.S. Department of Defense, U.S.

http://www.modmyi.com/forums/iphone-...anslation.html

Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger Announced

July 2nd, 2009, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster

With the casual game market for women one of the driving forces behind the tremendous expansion of video games into the mainstream, Her Interactive, the designer, developer and distributor of the award-winning Nancy Drew PC games, today announced the second title in its hit Nancy Drew Dossier series, Resorting to Danger. Available for online download and retail purchase this August, Resorting to Danger follows the winning formula of its predecessor by integrating easily accessible gameplay with a captivating mystery.

As Megan Gaiser, president and CEO of Her Interactive, explains: "Our games have such resonance with women of all ages due to the sense of empowerment they feel from being as brilliant as Nancy Drew?. We believe the traits that define Nancy – gutsy, intelligent, independent – are imparted to players on a very subtle level and ultimately act to increase self-esteem and instill confidence. So with all the games that are 'good for you' like fitness games and brain games, we're glad we can offer a game that's good for the soul."

In Resorting to Danger, players assume the role of Nancy Drew as she sets out to foil a prankster bent on sabotaging the Redondo Spa. The Redondo Spa is a sanctuary to the rich and famous and with clients' retreats in jeopardy, Nancy goes undercover as a general assistant to unearth clues, interview suspects and solve daunting puzzles in order to determine who is planting bombs at the spa. With six alternate endings, players can tackle Resorting to Danger again and again from different approaches and scenarios.

Nancy Drew Dossier is a next-generation casual game series that combines a seek-and-find mechanic with a new level of compelling story-driven gameplay involving detective work, sophisticated interaction with clues and characters, brain-teasing puzzles, and arcade mini-games. Playing from the point of Nancy Drew, players find hidden clues and use their strengths of observation, deduction, and problem-solving to uncover culprits and schemes in a heavily story-driven plot.

Resorting to Danger will be available this August at retailers nationwide and for download online at www.HerInteractive.com for a suggested retail price of $19.99.

Shattered Horizon Beta Announced

July 2nd, 2009, 23:17 Posted By: wraggster

Ever wonder what it would be like to shoot enemies while floating through space? Futuremark is willing to give you that opportunity as a beta tester of their upcoming multiplayer first person shooter Shattered Horizon. Set after a mining accident that throws tons of rocky debris into near-Earth space from the moon, players will fight in zero gravity environments. "Playing a multiplayer FPS in zero gravity offers gameplay possibilities that simply cannot be found in conventional shooters," said Antti Summala, Lead Game Designer at Futuremark. "I invite every gamer looking for an FPS that offers something new and different to sign up for our beta test."

The Beta is available to PC owners that are 18 and older from North America and Europe. Players must have a dual core processor that runs Windows Vista, have a DirectX 10 graphics card, Steam account and broadband connection. If you're interested, you can sign up for the beta at the Shattered Horizon website.

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/100/1000836p1.html

Ubisoft Announces Heroes Over Europe for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

July 2nd, 2009, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

Today Ubisoft announced it will be publishing Heroes Over Europe, a flight combat game designed for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and Windows-based PC. The sequel to Heroes of the Pacific, the World War II flight combat game, Heroes Over Europe builds on the game's impressive legacy with intense dogfights, a highly detailed realistic visual presentation and even more online options.

"We are pleased to be bringing Heroes Over Europe to retailers worldwide," said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft. "The action-packed gameplay and realistic imagery in Heroes Over Europe will help bring some of history's most exciting air battles to life for an experience that gamers will enjoy."

Developed by Transmission Games in Melbourne, Australia, and powered by an all-new engine, Heroes Over Europe is set to raise the bar for flight combat games with the all new "Ace Kill" close combat action, four online modes supporting up to 16 players and fully customizable aircrafts with localized damage. Visually, the game takes no prisoners with meticulously rendered environments including faithful recreations of London, Berlin and the French Alps, and ultra-realistic iconic warplanes of the era, all presented in stunning high definition graphics.

Heroes Over Europe is scheduled for worldwide release in September 2009. For more information about Heroes Over Europe, please visit: http://www.heroesovereurope.com

Ubisoft Announces Heroes Over Europe for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

July 2nd, 2009, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

Today Ubisoft announced it will be publishing Heroes Over Europe, a flight combat game designed for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and Windows-based PC. The sequel to Heroes of the Pacific, the World War II flight combat game, Heroes Over Europe builds on the game's impressive legacy with intense dogfights, a highly detailed realistic visual presentation and even more online options.

"We are pleased to be bringing Heroes Over Europe to retailers worldwide," said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Ubisoft. "The action-packed gameplay and realistic imagery in Heroes Over Europe will help bring some of history's most exciting air battles to life for an experience that gamers will enjoy."

Developed by Transmission Games in Melbourne, Australia, and powered by an all-new engine, Heroes Over Europe is set to raise the bar for flight combat games with the all new "Ace Kill" close combat action, four online modes supporting up to 16 players and fully customizable aircrafts with localized damage. Visually, the game takes no prisoners with meticulously rendered environments including faithful recreations of London, Berlin and the French Alps, and ultra-realistic iconic warplanes of the era, all presented in stunning high definition graphics.

Heroes Over Europe is scheduled for worldwide release in September 2009. For more information about Heroes Over Europe, please visit: http://www.heroesovereurope.com

Spore Galactic Adventures Celebrates 4th of July With a Bang

July 2nd, 2009, 23:15 Posted By: wraggster

Happy 4th of July! To help celebrate our nation's birthday, the developers at Maxis have created two holiday-themed missions from the latest video game, Spore Galactic Adventures. The adventures, entitled 'How a Bill Becomes Law' and 'Kaboom!,' are both available for download today at www.spore.com. Both missions, created with the Adventure Creator tool in Spore Galactic Adventures, allows for infinite creative possibilities!

'How a Bill Becomes a Law'- The Spoffit species are in trouble and you need to pass legislation to save them! A fun twist on a civics lesson and inspired by the 1970s TV show Schoolhouse Rock, you must lobby, ultimately turning a bill into a law.

'Kaboom!'- It's time for a Fourth of July celebration! The picnic is all set up, the fire's ready for s'mores, but there's a problem with the fireworks display. Can you help the Independence Day picnic go off with a BANG?

Spore Galactic Adventures, the expansion to the critically-acclaimed game Spore, is designed to expand the Spore universe. Spore Galactic Adventures delivers hilarious new adventures to players who aspire to become their own space captain, beam down to strange new planets, create customized adventures and take their favorite Spore creature from zero to galactic hero!

With the Adventure Creator, gamers are able to realize their most outlandish, challenging and fun adventure fantasies (like 'Kaboom!' and 'How a Bill Becomes a Law') by creating personalized missions. This easy-to-use tool gives players the ability to not only create, but play and share missions with friends online at www.spore.com. With more than 105 million creations available in the Sporepedia, the Spore library of user-generated content for use in players' missions, the only limit is their imaginations!

Check out 'Kaboom!', 'How a Bill Becomes a Law' and more than 30,000 missions in Spore Galactic Adventures at www.spore.com/sporepedia!

Follow us on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/MaxisSpore and check out tons of cool videos at: www.youtube.com/spore

Battlestations: Pacific Prepares for Summer Offensive

July 2nd, 2009, 23:14 Posted By: wraggster

Eidos Interactive Ltd, creator of some of the world's leading videogame properties, today announced two new download packs shipping in July for Battlestations: Pacific, giving gamers new units and maps for tailor-made battles.

Featuring six new units and 18 new pieces of nose art, the Mustang Pack allows players to customise their battles in both single and multiplayer modes. Amongst the units, players can take to the skies in the legendary US P-51 Mustang bomber escort, a late entry to the Pacific campaign but one which made its mark in Europe as a deadly force; or control the seas with the US Navy's Alaska Class, giving the upper hand with a large and heavily armed 'cruiser killer'; or the Super Yamato Class, a huge behemoth of a ship which, had it left the drawing board, would have outclassed the Yamato in every way with the potential to be the most powerful battleship in history.

The Carrier Battles Map Pack gives gamers four new maps, playable across all five multiplayer modes. Take part in a clash of carriers at Midway, do battle at dawn in the mist of the Philippine Islands, experience the fury of Kamikaze attacks in the rocky islands of the Leyte Gulf and take control of your forces amongst the mountain peaks and glacial waters of the icy Aleutian Islands.

The Mustang Pack, priced at 160 points, and the Carrier Battles Map Pack, priced at 800 points, will be available to download on Marketplace from July 2nd and July 23rd respectively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows LIVE. Battlestations: Pacific is rated ESRB "T" for Teen in North America and PEGI 12+ in Europe.

Alawar Entertainment releases Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light

July 2nd, 2009, 23:13 Posted By: wraggster

Alawar Entertainment, one of the world's leading publishers of casual games, today released "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light." The hidden object adventure game is a sequel to "Magic Encyclopedia: First Story", a popular release set in a world of fantasy and enchantment.

Players join Katrina and her brother as they travel across the world and through time to save their professor from the curse of the werewolf. The gameplay involves finding the hidden pieces of important items and reassembling the objects to solve challenging puzzles.

"Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" takes players on a captivating and unpredictable journey across four continents. The game features dazzling hand-drawn graphics, 32 challenging levels, 18 mini-games and over 1,500 objects to find.

Kirill Plotnikov, vice president of publishing at Alawar, says "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" is a deeply satisfying game experience with extraordinary artwork. "We worked hard to create an exceptional visual experience for players. Our artists drew each location and object by hand, giving the game a warm and charming feel. After all, true creativity is always an act of magic."

With the release of "Magic Encyclopedia: Moon Light" also comes the announcement that Alawar has begun production on "Magic Encyclopedia 3." The third game in the continuing series is on target to be released in 2009.

Read more about the PC version at http://www.alawar.com/game/magic-enc...dia-moonlight/

Risen Scheduled to Launch Worldwide on October 2nd

July 2nd, 2009, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster

Deep Silver Inc., a publisher of interactive entertainment software and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media, announced today that Risen will make its international debut on October 2, 2009. The new RPG from Piranha Bytes, the developers of Gothic, has already entered Beta phase. Risen will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

"We're excited to be able to announce the release date for Risen this far in advance," said Cathy Tische, VP Sales and Marketing for Deep Silver. "We've been in beta for a few weeks now and are focusing on stamping out the remaining bugs and optimizing gameplay."

The contents of Risen are already "code complete," and all voiceovers have been recorded. A total of three quality assurance teams are working on the game - one directly at Piranha Bytes, one at Deep Silver, plus an additional external studio.
About Risen:

This epic role playing game is set in a medieval world on a volcanic Mediterranean island, The "Risen" story unfolds over four chapters and will offer multiple ways to develop the story by his own actions and decisions. An innovative and intuitive user control interface will support both casual and hardcore gamers. With full world streaming support, the player will have a seamless experience while playing in a fully simulated game world with authentic characters.

For more information about Risen, please visit http://risen.deepsilver.com

ArmA II: Basic Controls Developer Diary Now Available

July 2nd, 2009, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster

Bohemia Interactive, creators of award winning military simulator games Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and ArmA: Combat Operations and IDEA Games announced today the release of the first of a series of video diaries for ARMA II: this one focused on the game's basic controls.

The eagerly anticipated sandbox PC military shooter ARMA II, was recently released across Europe and will soon be available at retail in North America for all who want to visit the post-soviet republic of Chernarus and enjoy the many fantastic features of this monumental war simulator.

As part of a continuous commitment to ARMA II's dedicated fan community, Bohemia Interactive has created a series of developer diaries to be published online, starting July 1st. Jan Prazak Bohemia's PR manager explains the basic controls of ARMA II, shown using comprehensive video footage captured in-game.

"Our games can be mistakenly understood as difficult to play in terms of game mechanics and control if the player isn't properly introduced to these functions up front," said Jan Prazak. "Our intention is to explain the default settings and introduce the more casual player to the game mechanics of ARMA II. The main goal of these videos is to reveal the depth of the game and describe in an easy-to-understand way how fun it really is to play ARMA II and enjoy one of the most sophisticated military simulator on market."

ARMA II offers the ultimate realistic combat simulation experience in a modern day setting. With unprecedented freedom of movement, actions and tactics, the game allows players to immerse themselves in battle as never seen before.

Do you want to fight eye to eye with enemies on the lush, open battlefield, do you want to take advantage by strafing enemy position in aircraft, do you want to crush enemy lines in a tank? Then join the duty in ARMA II, this ultimate military simulator, and get a taste of what it takes to be a soldier in a modern warfare conflict!

For more information please visit www.arma2.com

ARMA II is rated 'M' for Mature, ages 17 years by the ESRB and up and will be available at retail in North America on July 7th.

Chains Gets a Digital Release

July 2nd, 2009, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster

Meridian4 is thrilled to announce that their addictive, physics-based puzzle game; Chains from 2DEngine.com is now available on digital distribution channels including Steam, Impulse and others.

Chains is a part of Meridian4's 5 year anniversary specials and is currently available for 50% off on Steam and is included as part of their Complete Pack with 14 other games. Chains will be available on other channels in the coming weeks. For more information, visit www.meridian4.com/games/chains/index.html

About Chains
Chains is a challenging puzzle game with a unique feel and distinctive vector graphics style. The object of the game is simple - to link adjacent bubbles of the same color into chains. As you progress through the physics-driven stages it becomes increasingly more challenging and players' speed, strategy and skill will be put to the test.

Chains is the first commercial title produced entirely with 2DEngine.com's proprietary engine and was also an official IGF entrant.



20 levels each focusing on action, strategy or flow

Physics-driven gameplay

3 difficulty modes

Colorblind option

Up to 15 player profiles

Unique art direction with beautiful vector graphics

Soundtrack from the Belgian electro band Silence

Unlimited replayability value

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/100/1000714p1.html

Realore Launches Jane's Zoo

July 2nd, 2009, 23:10 Posted By: wraggster

Realore, a developer of such hits as Farm Mania and Jane's Hotel, announced the release of its brand-new time managment game Jane's Zoo. Jane is back again! This time well-known lady decides to save the extinct wild animals. You have a chance to help her in organizing asylums for the animals all over the world and taking care of them.

At the very beginning Jane pays attention on a great disaster on our planet. While her traveling around the world she sees a lot of factories and plants that cause water and air pollution. Pour wild animals die in such a horrible living conditions. Jane can't stand it and she will do anything to stop destroying our planet! And you have a unique chance to help her in this fine business!

Jane's Zoo game is divided into 3 main parts so you will travel to Europe, Asia and Africa. Each place has its own climate, animals and traditions so you'll have to be careful! Jane won't let you down and help in any situation. By the way, helping animals is not as boring as you may think: unique wild animals, baby animals (watch them growing!), different weather conditions, fascinating mini-games etc.

Feel the atmosphere of the wild nature and spirit of freedom with Jane's Zoo! Now Jane decides to save the extinct wild animals. You have a chance to help her in organizing asylums for the animals all over the world and taking care of them.

Download Jane's Zoo for free on PC, soon it will be also available Mac.

Now Jane's Zoo available exclusively on Realore web site http://www.realore.com/games/janeszoo

Rare animals and wild nature in general are in your hands now! Help Jane and save the world! Think of the future today with this fascinating colorful Jane's Zoo game!

Dragon Ball license leaves Atari, returns to Namco Bandai

July 2nd, 2009, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster

Atari's slow collapse continues with the loss of the company's most lucrative franchise. No, not Ghostbusters -- it's Dragon Ball, which has produced approximately a billion video games so far. The franchise will now go back to Namco Bandai, the original Japanese publisher of the series. According to a statement by Namco Bandai, the agreement will run for five years beginning in January 2010 and will supersede any existing publishing rights. In addition, Namco Bandai will publish the upcoming Dragon Ball: Raging Blast game for Xbox 360 and PS3, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo for Wii, and Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans for DS all this year.

The loss of the Dragon Ball franchise is perhaps the greatest evidence of the financial challenges that face Atari. Earlier this year, the company pulled out of E3, sold its European publishing division, and even sold exclusivity rights for Ghostbusters, all presumably for a small cash influx. With Phil Harrison recently stepping down from his position at the company, it's clear that Atari will see even more troubled times ahead

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/02/dr...-namco-bandai/

[RELEASE] kat5200 0.6.2

July 2nd, 2009, 21:50 Posted By: bazziebizzle

via Bazzie Bizzle.com

A couple of days ago kat5200 was updated. It emulates the Atari 5200 and 8-bit line of computers on Windows or Linux. Also note that there's a new homepage for this emulator, but builds are still available at the Google Code page.

Here's what's new in kat5200 0.6.2:

• Fixed keypad button 1 not working at all
• Fixed Player 2 always using defaults stick configuration
• Fixed issue with Input Config where initially selected control was not saved
• Changed Player 2 default configuration (use 's' for down)
• Changed Default Sensitivity setting to 96 (Galaxian with digital input)
• Changed Windows version to use User's AppData directory to store files

Note:
When using the Windows installer, the user will be asked whether to overwrite their configuration. The Sensitivity and Player 2 default updates will not occur if the user keeps their current configuration. Please update your Input settings manually if you need these particular updates.

Dingux News - Linux for Dingoo A320 - Look ma, net, no wires

July 2nd, 2009, 20:55 Posted By: wraggster

News from Booboo:

batman52 made an interesting comment in the previous post: WiFi.

Indeed, much to my surprise there are miniSDIO WiFi cards on the market. The JZ4740 docs says that the SD/MMC controller supports SDIO, so in theory it should be possible to add WiFi to the A320.

Of course this is a long shot and there are much more important things yet to get working, but just imagine the possibilities... I just have to give it a try. I think it is worth investing some of the donated money in purchasing one of these cards. What do you think?.

dmenu 0.1

July 2nd, 2009, 20:54 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Rookie1

I'm releasing dmenu 0.1 as a test release. Please give your feedback. It's compiled and tested on ezelkow1's rootfs. Source is also attached here. You can compile your own if you want.

To automatically start it when Lingux boots up, simply add these 2 lines to the end of /etc/init.d/rcS, (assuming you are using ezelkow1's rootfs, and you have unpacked dmenu to /root)


Code: Select all
export SDL_NOMOUSE=1
cd /root; ./dmenu&


In the main menu screen, use arrow keys to navigate menu items, 'A' key to run.

If the menu item is configured to have file selector (I have configured snes9x as a sample to show this function), a file list will be shown after you pressed 'A' key. You can navigate and chose the file to be passed as an argument to the program. In this case, you can chose the rom file name to be passed to snes9x.

File explorer can be used to run any program on your dingoo. Currently it does not check whether the file is executable. If you select any non-executable file and press 'A', dmenu will attampt to run it, prints an error message and returns immediately.

If you want to add more programs to dmenu, take a look at dmenu.cfg. It should be pretty easy to figure out. Ask here if you have any question.

I'm using the stock dingoo wallpaper and icons as place holder for the moment. If anyone is interested to contribute a set of wallpaper and icons to be used as dmenu default, please let me know. I'd prefer the default to be consistent and minimalist in style, similar to the stock dingoo icons.

REminiscence for Dingoo Linux

July 2nd, 2009, 20:52 Posted By: wraggster

Heres another quality port from Zear:



The sound is a bit "scratchy". It's because I just replaced AUDIO_U8 with AUDIO_S16, without converting it.
I'm not a programmer, so I don't know how to do this. I would be glad to get some help on that matter.
But well, at least that fixes the "freeze on quit" problem.
And if you can't stand the dodgy sound, try running Waternet first. It should temporarily fix it

Besides that the game is fully playable

Download Here

OpenLiero for Dingoo Linux

July 2nd, 2009, 20:49 Posted By: wraggster

Zear has today given us a new reason to get downloading for our Dingoo A320s, heres his newspost:

Yet another game release for today
OpenLiero is the engine-rewrite for the old cool worms-like shooter Liero.



Download Here