• March 2013 - DCEmu Turns 9 Years Old and Still Going Strong

    Its Now March 2013 and DCEmu the Homebrew & Gaming Network is now 9 Years old. I actually started the sites back in 2002 but joined them under the DCEmu name back in 2004 when the site was foremost a Dreamcast Site, since then we have expanded and cover all homebrew scenes as new consoles come into play. To make sure the site gets back to what it does best i have merged the discussion forums and unmerged all the news forums, which for everyone makes for a better reading experiance, no one wants to search for PS2 news on a PS3 merged news forum because it takes ages to find it. Also this month we have launched new sites for PS4, GCW Zero and also an Open Source Handhelds website. Thanks for visiting DCEmu and please join in the discussion and remember if you are a coder then you can upload to our forum instead of using crappy internet upload sites.
  • Wii U News

    by Published on May 18th, 2013 14:44
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News

    Nintendo is handling E3 very differently this year.
    First, it revealed it would not be holding it's traditional pre-show press conference. Then it promised more activity and new games at its show floor booth. And now it has promised to take its E3 demos directly to the public.
    Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has announced several of the games that will be playable on the show floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center will also be playable at more than 100 Best Buy stores during E3 week.
    Kotaku reports that these demos will be made available to everyone, not just press and industry members. Details of which games will be made available have yet to be announced, but it will almost certainly include the new 3D Mario game and Mario Kart that have been promised by the end of the year.
    Nintendo is also due to broadcast another Nintendo Direct during E3 in place of its usual conference. This will include more new announcements of Wii U and 3DS games for autumn and beyond.
    Today's Nintendo Direct revealed three exclusive Sonic games, a retail release for the New Super Luigi DLC and dates for Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101.

    http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/ninte...st-buy/0115767
    ...
    by Published on May 13th, 2013 20:38
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
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    There are three things we really like about the Wii U hardware here at Digital Foundry - its diminutive dimensions, the GamePad controller and its extremely low power draw. Nintendo's new console is the paragon of efficiency, producing current-gen visuals using less than half the power of the Xbox 360 or PS3 running the same games. It's small enough to pack into a travel bag, and its battery-powered controller means you can game on the move without requiring a bespoke display. All of which leads us to wonder - could Wii U actually be viable as a mobile games system?Of course, there are far more user-friendly, mobile-specific solutions out there - Nintendo's own 3DS, the PlayStation Vita or iOS/Android tablets for example. But the fact is that even the most forward-looking mobile graphics tech is a good year away from matching Xbox 360/PS3/Wii U quality and even then, it'll still take a while for game-makers to utilise that technology. And by that point, you still won't be playing Nintendo console games on them, nor will there be a surfeit of titles as ambitious as, say, Assassin's Creed 3 or Need for Speed: Most Wanted - just a couple of the games that work very well indeed on Nintendo's new console. There's a value angle to this too in that you're using the exact same console hardware you have at home - so there's no need to buy a new device. To match or exceed Wii U game quality, you'd need to buy a gaming laptop, which isn't that much more portable, and costs anything from £500 upwards.

    Off-TV Play - the key to Wii U's portability


    Running Wii U as a mobile games machine relies upon releases supporting Off-TV Play - the ability to run games independently of the main display. Not every title supports this - ZombiU and NintendoLand just wouldn't work without their unique second-screen set-ups - but there's still a range of high-profile titles to enjoy and many more on the way including Pikmin 3 and the director's cut of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Wii U eShop Virtual Console games like Super Mario World also support Off-TV Play.

    • Assassin's Creed 3
    • Batman: Arkham City
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
    • Darksiders 2
    • FIFA 13
    • Injustice: Gods Among Us
    • Mass Effect 3
    • Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
    • Mutant Mudds Deluxe
    • Need for Speed Most Wanted U
    • New Super Mario Bros U
    • Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed
    • Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
    • Trine 2

    The notion of playing Wii U outside of the home is nothing new of course. Right from the launch of the console, gamers realised that the machine had plenty of mobile potential - as long as you were within reach of a power point. Wii U gameplay on the train, or in a business class seat on a flight? No problem. Well now we can add the car to the list of venues with the release of the new MaxPlay adaptor - a replacement Wii U power supply that plugs directly into the cigarette lighter power-point on any car.The device itself is nothing spectacular in terms of design and there's a bit of a "low rent" feel to it, particularly in terms of the branding, but there's clearly been a bit of thought put into the functionality of the device. The 12v output of the car battery is transformed into the 15v, 5A power input the Wii U requires, and there's also an additional USB 5v charging slot built into the design so you can recharge the GamePad while on the move too, completely removing the need to pack a second power supply into your travel bag. From there on out, MaxPlay works exactly as you would hope it to, providing all the power required for the Wii U to work flawlessly while on those long car journeys.PreviousNextView all
    1/3 Not a trick, not an illusion. The MaxPlay adaptor works fine in powering Wii U on the road, running from the cigarette lighter power socket. Superb for keeping the kids occupied in long trips and keenly priced at £19.

    Now, the chances are you have questions and suspicions about the viability of this device. We did too. First of all, there's no real guarantee on the level of power you're going to get from any car battery, because voltages vary significantly - far more than they would from a mains power point. Well, you can rest easy here. MaxPlay has a voltage regulator that ensures you're getting a clean 15v output regardless of the variation in the input. We compared output from the device to the standard Wii U PSU and got the same, locked 15 volts.You might also have issues about putting a 33W load onto the car battery using an interface most often used for low-power phone chargers and sat navs. This shouldn't be a problem really - assuming you're actually in motion, the car engine will be constantly topping up the battery to an extent that easily accommodates the power draw taken up by the console. It's not a particularly good idea to game for prolonged sessions with the engine off, but even if you did, you'd still need to play for several hours to put any kind of dent into the capacity of a standard car battery.Next up, there's the fact that the
    ...
    by Published on May 4th, 2013 13:38
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
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    Amazon have followed Asda in the UK by reducing the price of the Basic WiiU package down to £149, this follows comments made by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata who tried to explain why the WiiU isnt selling as well as you would think:
    "Some have the misunderstanding that Wii U is just Wii with a pad for games, and others even consider Wii U GamePad as a peripheral device connectable to Wii. We feel deeply responsible for not having tried hard enough to have consumers understand the product."

    Asda are selling the Basic WiiU for £149 and the Premium WiiU for £199.

    Amazon Basic WiiU Link ...
    by Published on May 4th, 2013 13:24
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
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    Nintendo is internally lining up a string of high profile releases for the second half of 2013 as part of a major new bid to recover from Wii U's stuttering start.
    Following a strong launch, Wii U sales have fallen sharply
    Discussions with retail chains at executive level paint Nintendo's 2013 release strategy as extensive, with the headline draw being a new 3D Mario game released on Wii U by October.Internal discussions have helped restore retailers' faith in the console, which has been hit by errors since launch. Global Wii U saleshave fallen two million units short of Nintendo's original forecast.The firm's current focus on 3DS, coupled with the relatively hushed PR and promotional campaign for the Wii U in the first half of 2013, had left some retailers questioning the platform holder's commitment to its new console.However, one person close to the matter has said Nintendo's executive circle was not comfortable fully promoting Wii U until the release of the system's spring update. In January, Nintendo said two updates would arrive before the summer is over.The first update, which launched in April (details), appears to have halved waiting times on various system loading screens.The underpinning theory is that word-of-mouth discussion about Wii U has not been particularly positive so far, with many users complaining about system performance. However, it is hoped that the recent firmware patch (along with an apparent second one releasing this summer) will improve the user experience and help stimulate positive responses.Now with many of the Wii U's launch issues behind it, CVG understands Nintendo is preparing a significant global Wii U marketing campaign.
    Nintendo will overhaul Wii U issues with second system update
    Further to this, it was claimed by one source that Nintendo is intentionally holding back the release of some games - from Pikmin 3 to The Wonderful 101 and Wii Fit U - in order to bolster the second-half release list. However, a second source familiar with Nintendo's plans had denied the company is intentionally delaying game releases.In April, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the corporation initially intended to release "a few" Wii U games in the first half of 2013, but they were delayed because the company underestimated the development resources required to complete them on time.A number of blockbuster Wii U games will be released from summer until the end of the year, one of which is a new 3D Mario title. Although CVG is not yet able to confirm what the others will be, a new Mario Kart will debut in playable form at E3.The marketing campaign will commence at the Los Angeles event (although some claim sooner), where the 3D Mario game will also be playable on the show floor. The title will be released before October, pending development delays.Shelly Pearce, the PR director at Nintendo UK, told CVG: "From July onwards we will launch a succession of Wii U titles and we will promote these extensively until the end of the year. Marketing activity will include TV, print, online and PR as well as comprehensive experiential and social media campaigns".She added: "We have a strong line up planned for Wii U in the second half of 2013 including the likes of Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U."We are looking forward to launching these in the UK and for the opportunity to showcase the full potential of Wii U."

    http://www.computerandvideogames.com...io-by-october/
    ...
    by Published on May 3rd, 2013 20:14
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News

    A second retailer has cut the price of the Wii U to just £149.
    MCV reported yesterday that Asda had slashed a further £50 off the console’s price, making the 8GB Basic SKU available for just £149 and the 32GB Premium SKU for £199.
    That’s a £100 saving on their respective launch prices.
    Now online retailer Amazon has followed suit by cutting the price of the Basic SKU to £149 too. It hasn’t changed its Premium price, however, and is still charging £287.64 for the machine.
    All of this harks back to March when Amazon again followed Asda’s lead by slashing £50 of the console’s price.

    http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/d-j-v...to-149/0115091
    ...
    by Published on May 1st, 2013 09:59
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
    Article Preview

    A team of console hackers, previously responsible for a custom chip that circumvents security protocols on Wii, have claimed they are able to design a similar key for Wii U.
    Update:
    Nintendo has told CVG that it's aware of the hackers' claims, and is ready combat any possible threat of piracy. "Nintendo is aware that a hacking group claims to have compromised Wii U security; however, we have no reports of illegal Wii U games nor unauthorized applications playable on the system while in Wii U mode," the company said in a statement. "Nintendo continuously monitors all threats to its products' security and will use technology and will take the necessary legal steps to prevent the facilitation of piracy.Original report continues:The hackers say they have "completely reversed the Wii U drive authentication, disk encryption, file system, and everything else needed for this next generation key".Though it appears that the group has designed a hardware chip, the complexities of modding a console raises questions about the claim that it has fully hacked the Wii U.Other questions, such as whether the mod will survive an official system update, or if the modded system could run back-up games, remain unanswered.The group, which CVG has decided against identifying, has yet to provide verifiable evidence that it has hacked the Wii U, though it is responsible for one of the many Wii mod keys available.Hacks of this nature could test Nintendo's expertise and will in overcoming piracy.The legal issues surrounding modding consoles are particularly complex due to differences in international law.In the modern age, console manufacturers tend to battle piracy by offering valuable online services that hacked systems tend to be stranded from. The capacity of Wii U discs - at 25 gigs per layer - is also a deterrent for piracy.CVG has contacted Nintendo for comment.

    http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-breakthrough/
    ...
    by Published on April 28th, 2013 21:25
    1. Categories:
    2. PS3 News,
    3. Xbox 360 News,
    4. Wii U News
    Article Preview

    Injustice: Gods Among Us is on sale at Toys R Us for a mere $34.99, a whopping $25 off its original price. The deal ends on May 4.

    That's it. We're not sure what else you want from us here. You really should just go play the game and prepare yourself for the Lobo DLC that's coming on May 7.

    Toys R Us (Xbox 360)
    ,
    (PS3)
    ,
    (Wii U)
    ...
    by Published on April 26th, 2013 00:06
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
    Article Preview

    We speak to analysts about Nintendo's recent fiscal report and the company's move to give Iwata the additional role of North American CEO

    Nintendo of America


    Nintendo's recent fiscal report revealed shockingly poor sales for the Wii U console, and while the company did turn a profit, it once again failed to hit estimates. On top of that, the company decided to hand over the North American reins to Satoru Iwata, giving him the additional responsibility of Nintendo of America CEO. What does it all mean for Nintendo, and can Wii U bounce back?GamesIndustry International chatted with several leading analysts to get their takes.
    "Nintendo of America's performance the past couple years has been a disaster on almost every level. Much of this was due to lack of execution on basic stuff like product marketing," said David Cole of DFC Intelligence. "They forgot Marketing 101 for the Wii U and no product could have done well without basic marketing support. Clearly a change in execution was long overdue. The damage done is enormous but there is the possibility of a turnaround. The fact is that the general public is not really aware the Wii U even exists so it is an opportunity to almost start from scratch."
    Indeed, Nintendo need only look to its 3DS strategy as an example of how the company could potentially fix the Wii U, said Asif A. Khan, CFO of Virtue LLC.
    "I still believe Wii U will outsell past flops like the Gamecube, and Nintendo's brands will retain their value for decades to come"
    Asif A. Khan

    "I believe that 3DS offers a perfect template for how Wii U could succeed in the future," he said. "Nintendo had an equally poor 3DS launch lineup as we have seen with the Wii U. One thing that holds true for most systems they have made, software moves the hardware. Nintendoland was not as compelling and groundbreaking as Wii Sports was in 2006. The wow factor of the Wii U is very hard to advertise on television and with no robust third-party exclusives, the system's launch can definitely be characterized as a flop. This does not mean that the company is going to die."
    "Nintendo is projecting a huge 674 percent increase in net income year-over-year and the bar is incredibly low going forward with the last two years being some of the worst financial performances in the company's history. What has given life to the 3DS in recent months is the introduction of high quality first party titles and I believe we will see the same process play out for the Wii U," Khan continued.

    "Nintendo's biggest problem right now is balancing quality with quantity of games. It takes time to make high quality games, and they clearly don't want to overspend on this console cycle. This painstakingly slow approach to software development is why the company is still standing today after past weak console cycles. I still believe Wii U will outsell past flops like the Gamecube, and Nintendo's brands will retain their value for decades to come."
    EEDAR's Jesse Divnich shares Khan's optimism for Nintendo. "Nintendo expects to sell an additional 9 million Wii U units this fiscal year, which is a positive sign for the hardware. While the past quarter numbers have raised eyebrows, Nintendo's confidence in next year does indicate they likely have a few promotional/marketing programs in the pipeline, along with the strong likelihood of stellar content we've yet to see," he said. "We know Nintendo has been in this position before with the 3DS and they were ultimately able to regain consumer confidence and wallet share. We've yet to see the best Nintendo has to offer for the Wii U. I am reserving long-term judgment on the Wii U until we see stronger first party content released. If a new Super Mario, Smash Brothers, Pikmin or Zelda game are unable to revitalize sales, then I'd begin to be concerned."
    Clearly, action is needed to turn things around, and with Iwata now helming Nintendo of America as well, it may be easier to push out a more unified global strategy.
    "Nintendo's historically central role in gaming could be permanently diminished if it doesn't execute better in the US in the next 12 months"
    Lewis Ward

    "The shift in structure likely speaks to a desire to bring Nintendo's Japanese and American operations closer, consolidate its strategic efforts and maximize the opportunities available to the company on a global level," said Scott Steinberg, CEO of consulting firm TechSavvy Global. "With one foot in America and one in Japan, Iwata's leadership may be able to better bridge the gap between audiences and markets, and ensure that the company continues to innovate and deliver high-quality content that appeals to all. The key to rebounding is focus, differentiation, and ability to communicate value - hopefully, Iwata will be uniquely poised and able to draw on the best of both worlds to achieve this goal."
    IDC Research Manager Lewis Ward added, "I think Mr. Iwata understands that for Nintendo to grow overall in 2013 and 2014 that business has to bounce back in the US in particular. It's been
    ...
    by Published on April 24th, 2013 08:42
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News
    Article Preview

    The lineup for the Wii U Virtual Console, which launches sometime this week, has been announced.It contains eight games, all but two of which were released for the NES. The outliers, Super Mario World and F-Zero, were released for the SNES.The six NES games are: Punch Out!!, Kirby’s Adventure, Ice Climber, Excitebike, Donkey Kong Jr., and Balloon Fight.Note that the Wii Virtual Console contained games from more systems than these two Nintendo-owned consoles. Not only were there Nintendo 64 games, but Sega Master System, Commodore 64, and Neo Geo games, among others.Nintendo has also stated that GameCube games will be coming to the Wii U.

    http://www.edge-online.com/news/nint...launch-lineup/
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    by Published on April 23rd, 2013 14:53
    1. Categories:
    2. Wii U News

    Heres the latest WiiU Deals:

    Nintendo Wii U Deals for 04-22-2013 Price You Save Retailer Free Shipping?
    007 Legends $37.52 $22.47 (37% off) Amazon Yes
    Assassin's Creed III $40.50 $19.49 (32% off) Amazon Yes
    Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition $34.95 $25.04 (42% off) Amazon Yes
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II $45.99 $14.00 (23% off) Amazon Yes
    Darksiders II $33.65 $26.34 (44% off) Amazon Yes
    Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two $49.99 $10.00 (17% off) Best Buy Yes
    FIFA Soccer 13 $38.50 $21.49 (36% off) Amazon Yes
    Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes $39.99 $10.00 (20% off) Amazon Yes
    Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth $39.99 $10.00 (20% off) Best Buy Yes
    Mass Effect 3: Special Edition $38.39 $21.60 (36% off) Amazon Yes
    NBA 2K13 $38.48 $21.51 (36% off) Amazon Yes
    New Super Mario Bros. U $49.49 $10.50 (18% off) Amazon Yes
    Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge $44.78 $15.21 (25% off) Amazon Yes
    Nintendo Land $43.80 $16.19 (27% off) Amazon Yes
    Resident Evil: Revelations $39.99 $10.00 (20% off) Amazon Yes
    Scribblenauts Unlimited $43.95 $16.04 (27% off) Amazon Yes
    Skylanders Giants Starter Pack $54.99 $20.00 (27% off) Amazon Yes
    Tank! Tank! Tank! $37.95 $12.04 (24% off) Amazon Yes
    The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition $36.37 $23.62 (39% off) Amazon Yes
    The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct $39.99 $10.00 (20% off) Gamestop No
    ZombiU $46.44 $13.55 (23% off) Amazon Yes
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