Condemned 2 Bloodshot Trailer From SEGA

November 1st, 2007, 01:26 Posted By: JKKDARK

via Gaming Bits

SEGA released a Condemned 2 Bloodshot game trailer for Halloween. See the video trailer below. Condemned 2 is coming to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in Q1 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnKIOQdyssc

Mist Maid 4k: ColecoVision homebrew

November 1st, 2007, 04:48 Posted By: HardHat

Hi,

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ColecoVision game system, here is my entry for the Minigame Competition 4k division.

You are the captain of the proud Maid of the Mist, taking tourists to view Niagra Falls. Sounds easy? Well, to keep from being fired you need to keep your ship in ship shape, by avoiding rocks and logs in your way. Hit one, and your ship will slow, and you will risk falling behind. Hit too many and you'll sink. Watch for the dreaded whirlpools which are sure to sink you.

Here is a vid of the game play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zCeAwKt5wU
and the screenshot is attached.

Download and try it yourself. Game which includes source is attached.

Voting doesn't open until next week, but there are lots of fun games that you can download already from that minigame compo site.

Star Wars: Renegade Squadron Cheat Device

November 1st, 2007, 07:25 Posted By: wraggster

Durka Durka Mahn has posted an excellent new cheat device for the game Star Wars: Renegade Squadron, heres the info:

Hey guys! Finally finished up my first version of the Cheat Device for Star Wars: Renegade Squadron.

This Cheat Device will allow you to change your weapons in-game without having to make new cheats over and over!

Each weapon slot has its own option on the menu and you just use Left and Right to change each option.

In the future I hope to add more Interactive Cheats, maybe a teleport function, and will definitely be adding more stuff as you guys find it. Credit will be given to anyone who's cheats I use in the Cheat Device.

Read the ReadMe.txt file for instructions on installation.

To bring up the menu, hit L+R+UP, to hide it, hit L+R+DOWN.

Thanks for reading and/or downloading!

Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player: $100, this Friday, Wal-Mart

November 1st, 2007, 07:29 Posted By: wraggster



Still waiting to jump into the high def disc game? Or just wanted another weaker, cheaper player for the last-gen TV you phased out to your rumpus room? Well, whatever your reasons, some (not all!) Wal-Mart locations will be selling Toshiba HD-A2s for $100 -- down from $200 -- this Friday. Ridiculous, we know. Blu-ray gonna fight back? We hope so, we'd really like to get our hands on one for under $300, and not just by using our hookup that sells gear out of his trunk, you know?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/01/t...iday-wal-mart/

Eye-Fi hands-on, impressions

November 1st, 2007, 07:31 Posted By: wraggster



You may have seen the Eye-Fi, launched this week, nearly a year and a half since we first heard about it. If you're just catching up on the news, it's basically a WiFi-enabled SD card (and accompanying web service) used to transparently and wirelessly transfer photos from your camera to your computer and/or a variety of photo sharing sites. Sounds like a great idea in theory, it turns out that the Eye-Fi is, in its current release, an answer seeking a question. Read on.

We're excited as anyone about Eye-Fi giving the humble SD card -- and by association whichever camera you own -- the uncanny ability to shoot photos over WiFi to your machine and the photo sharing service of your choice, including Engadget fave Flickr, as well as the rest of the gang: dotPhoto, Gallery 2, Facebook, Fotki, Kodak Gallery, Phanfare, Photobucket, Picasa Web Albums, Sharpcast, Shutterfly, SmugMug, Snapfish, TypePad, Vox, Walmart, and Webshots. Good stuff, right? Well, it could actually be a lot better.

It's easy to see that the need to wirelessly transfer photos to your computer or web services is most apparent when you're on the go. Maybe you run out of memory on the card and need to clear out your camera, or maybe you just spotted your favorite Engadget editor on the street and want to put it on Webshots to show your friends ASAP. Sorry, you're out of luck. The Eye-Fi only connects to trusted, encrypted, pre-configured networks, and doesn't have any means of tunneling back to your home computer. That means you can't just grab a seat at your local Starbucks and have the the card to dump the day's photos to Flickr or your home RAID array.

What's more, the home usage scenario isn't much more interesting. Assume you just got back from a long day of snapping shots. You turn on your camera and your Eye-Fi will immediately start uploading your photos to a web service (or a folder on your machine). All of them -- every photo on the card -- and usually at native resolution, too. This kind of sucks because if you're like most people, you: a) don't upload EVERY photo you took to your photo stream, b) don't upload said photos in full resolution (read: 2-10MB+ each), and c) you don't just throw all your photos into a folder on your computer -- you probably use use a photo organizing / browsing app like Picasa or iPhoto. So basically Eye-Fi takes a step forward by cutting out the middleman (in this case, a USB cable to your camera, or a media reader for your vanilla SD card), but two steps back in making the assumption that you want all of the tens (or hundreds) of megs of photos on the card uploaded in full res using your camera's batteries, and yet don't need said photos in your photo app, not just some folder.

The crazy part, though, is that we're still really excited about Eye-Fi. A few small tweaks, like the ability to try to connect to open access points (via an encrypted port 80 connection, of course), find your computer through the service, and dump those shots to a desktop application plugin, and maybe this product could turn right around. (We won't hold our breath for resizing before upload, we doubt the Eye-Fi has the horsepower to take a 10 megapixel photo and shrink it to a web-ready SVGA.) Ultimately, the things the Eye-Fi needed to focus on the most (desktop photo application integration, uploading on the go) were the things left out; for now it'll remain in the novely add-WiFi-to-everything category, so don't be surprised should you find yourself leaving the Eye-Fi at home in favor of something more practically convenient, like a USB SD card.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/e...n-impressions/

Weekly Games/Toys Update:

November 1st, 2007, 07:41 Posted By: wraggster

News from Play Asia:

Welcome to this week's Games & Toys update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.

It's been a strong release week, especially with plenty of great new Xbox360™ releases. Popular sellers for Microsoft's system have been Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Japanese), Tomb Raider: Anniversary, The Simpsons Game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (also available as Wireless Guitar Bundle), Conan and SEGA Rally Revo (all Asia releases).

For PlayStation3™ we've got SEGA Rally Revo, Clive Barker's Jericho, Conan and of course Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Asia / US).

Nintendo's long-awaited Super Mario Galaxy has been released for Nintendo Wii™ today and the most interesting PlayStation2™ release in this week has been Banpresto's Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd.

Top handheld sellers have been Front Mission for Nintendo DS™, followed by Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (US) and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (Asia) for PSP™.

Last but not least, make sure to check out Gamepark Holding's GP2X F-200 Game System, the successor to the popular Korean handheld console.

As usually, here's a summary of all new releases of this week,

Xbox360™:
Ace Combat 6 Flight Stick EX JPN US$ 149.00
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation JPN US$ 69.90
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Blue Dragon (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Chikyuu Boueigun 3 / Earth Defense Forces 3 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 59.90
Conan ASIA US$ 49.90
Dead Rising + Gears of War (Platinum Double Pack) JPN US$ 49.90
Dead or Alive 4 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Gears of War (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Guitar Hero II (Game Only) US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock ASIA US$ 49.90
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle ASIA US$ 129.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 39.90
Oneechanbara vorteX (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Project Sylpheed (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
SEGA Rally Revo ASIA US$ 44.90
The Idolm@ster (Platinum Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
The Simpsons Game ASIA US$ 44.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary ASIA US$ 39.90
Tomb Raider: Anniversary US US$ 42.90
Xbox 360 Console Value Pack JPN US$ 399.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Light Blue) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack (Pink) JPN US$ 14.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Light Blue) JPN US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (Pink) JPN US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™:
Clive Barker's Jericho US US$ 64.90
Conan US US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 69.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN US$ 109.90
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights US US$ 64.90
Railfan: Taiwan High Speed Rail JPN US$ 59.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction US US$ 64.90
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction ASIA US$ 59.90
SEGA Rally Revo (English language Version) ASIA US$ 59.90
The Eye of Judgment Booster Pack US US$ 6.90
The Eye of Judgment: Biolith Scourge Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Earth Emperor Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Fire Crusader Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Water Barrage Theme Deck US US$ 14.90
The Eye of Judgment: Wood Swarm Theme Deck US US$ 14.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 49.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 49.90
Namco Museum Remix US US$ 44.90
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution Revolution US US$ 49.90
Opoona JPN US$ 64.90
Super Mario Galaxy JPN US$ 59.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 49.90

PlayStation2™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 44.90
Dancing with the Stars US US$ 44.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 JPN US$ 64.90
GI Jockey 4 2007 (w/ Winning Post 7 2007 Premium Pack) JPN N/A
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock US US$ 59.90
MotoGP 07 JPN US$ 64.90
Super Robot Taisen: Scramble Commander The 2nd JPN US$ 64.90

Gamepark Holding GP2X:
GP2X F-200 Game System US$ 169.90

Nintendo DS™:
Bee Movie Game US US$ 34.90
CSI: Dark Motives ASIA US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning US US$ 34.90
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning ASIA US$ 34.90
Disney Princess: Magical Jewels US US$ 34.90
Dolphin Island ASIA US$ 34.90
Dragon Tamer: Sound Spirits JPN US$ 48.90
Ed, Edd & Eddy: Scam of the Century US US$ 34.90
Front Mission US US$ 39.90
Hannah Montanna: Music Jam US US$ 34.90
Master Jin Jin's IQ Challenge US US$ 24.90
Naruto: Path of the Ninja US US$ 34.90
Petz Wild Animals Dolphinz US US$ 34.90
Power Rangers: Super Legends US US$ 34.90
Sangokushi DS 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys US US$ 34.90
Solitaire Overload US US$ 34.90
Spanish for Everyone US US$ 34.90
The Aly & AJ Adventure US US$ 34.90
The Sims 2: Castaway US US$ 34.90
Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Koushiki Soft: 250-Mannin no KanKen JPN US$ 29.90

Sony PSP™:
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles US US$ 39.90
Gundam Battle Chronicle KOR US$ 49.90
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of WarLords ASIA US$ 29.90
SEGA Rally Revo (English language Version) ASIA US$ 39.90
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow ASIA US$ 39.90
The Sims 2: Castaway ASIA US$ 42.90

Books & Magazines:
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Arcadia Magazine [December 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness - The Official Strategy Guide US US$ 24.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [December 2007] JPN US$ 16.50

Toys & Misc:
Chrono Gate - Mylene Hoffman 009-1 Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Conan Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Black Wolf (Limited Edition) US$ 14.90
Creator's Labo #13: Air Gear Simca Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Dragon Ball DX - God Dragon Plush Doll JPN N/A
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Bean Bag Plush Doll: Bubble Slime JPN US$ 14.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: Angel Slime JPN US$ 14.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: King Slime JPN US$ 19.90
Dragon Quest Smile Slime Plush Doll: Slime Knight JPN US$ 17.90
Final Fantasy Miniature Trading Figures Vol. 1 JPN US$ 4.90
Final Fantasy Tactics Trading Arts JPN US$ 6.90
Funny Knights Prepainted PVC Figure Kurimu Kuru Nee (Custard Vers.) JPN US$ 49.90
Funny Knights Prepainted PVC Figure Kurimu Kuru Nee (Strawberry Vers.) JPN US$ 49.90
Halloween Girl 1/6 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure JPN N/A
Idolm@ster Xenoglossia - Yukihiro Hagiwara 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 39.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Story Image Figure - Ryofu Housen (Japanese Limited Edition) US$ 59.90
Interon Depot 4 Bullets: Space Pirates blue version 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Interon Depot 4 Bullets: Space Pirates red version 1/8 Scale PVC Figure JPN US$ 54.90
Kamichu - Yurie Hitotsubashi 1/8 Scale Prepainted PVC Figure JPN US$ 59.90
Mai-Hime Z Pre-painted 1/10 Scale PVC Figure - Shizuru Viola (Swimsuit) JPN N/A
Megachu! 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Reukotea JPN US$ 59.90
Melty Blood Act Cadenza Painted PVC Figure Vol. 3: Hisui JPN US$ 17.90
Melty Blood Act Cadenza Painted PVC Figure Vol. 3: Kohaku JPN N/A
Monster Hunter - Hunter Goods Collection Life Figure Part 2 JPN US$ 4.99
Oh My Goodness - Beachside Collection Trading Figures JPN US$ 8.90
Rozen Maiden Traumend Costuma P Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Souseiseki JPN US$ 64.90
Rozen Maiden Traumend Costuma P Pre-Painted PVC Figure: Suiseiseki JPN N/A
SR Shining Wind Figure Collection Gashapon Part 2 JPN US$ 3.49
Sengoku Basara 2: Sanada Yukimur Prepainted PVC Figure with voice JPN N/A
Shakugan no Shana 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure - Shana (Ceremony Vers.)(Re-Run) JPN US$ 49.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Figure Gashapon Vol.3 JPN US$ 2.99
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Painted PVC Figure - Haruhi Suzumiya (High School HR Ver.) JPN US$ 14.90
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Painted PVC Figure - Mikuru Asahina (High School HR Ver.) JPN US$ 14.90
Transformers The Movie Pre-Painted Figure: Ironhide MA-09 JPN US$ 44.90
Transformers The Movie Pre-Painted Figure: Optimus Prime MA-01 JPN US$ 64.90
Water Game DS Lite Candy Toy JPN US$ 4.90
beatmania IIDX 1/8 Figure Series Vol.1: Candy Rabbit JPN US$ 69.90

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...9-en-84-n.html

Vgchartz Interviews Siren on life at Microsoft from 00'-05'

November 1st, 2007, 19:35 Posted By: wraggster

Over the past few months Siren, who currently works at www.emaglive.com, has been speaking to Vgchartz about the industry in general, and how it is progressing. Earlier, I interviewed him about his time with Microsoft from 2000 to 2005.

* thesource (8:02:55 PM): How was the knowledge of the Xbox project received by your co-workers in the division? What was the company assessment of Sega, Sony and Nintendo in those days...and how did it evolve during your tenure?
* siren (8:03:42 PM): That's a fun one (and a few questions there). Let's see if I can cover it all.
For starters, a lot of people did not have confidence in the project as presented. Being in Windows it felt a lot like they were taking a path that was not the same as how Microsoft approaches business relating to software.
A lot of people thought they should make a software platform for games and then pitch that and get the other companies to adopt it. Little did people know at the time that this was exactly what the team had originally tried before being rejected by just about everyone but Sega (including Intel, Dell, HP, and others not normally associated with gaming).
Beyond that, when we did learn what they were doing, a lot of people in the Digital Media Organization had a certain level of animosity for the Xbox org, this was in part due to Xbox not using a lot of DX technologies like DShow, even though the product code name was "DirectX Box"
Around the time of CES 2001, Microsoft held an internal only show to announce the Xbox to employees over in Building 33, their conference center. So many people on campus attended the event that they had to open up over 50% of the entire conference center and live-rebroadcast the show into other rooms on the projectors. It was an amazing site to see (and I had the pleasure of winning a Japanese Xbox branded backpack there as an added bonus).
That changed a lot of opinions about the team. Suddenly people everyone in Microsoft were excited about Xbox and believed in the team and their vision

* thesource (8:27:22 PM): Did Microsoft feel like it met its goals with the original Xbox? If not, what was the goal of Xbox 360 in terms of market share (i.e. finding a niche in Japan, passing say N64/Genesis sales of ~30 million)
* siren (8:28:10 PM): Well, the first goal failed miserably. Make money.
While losses people discuss in forums are greatly inflated (Xbox wasn't the only one losing Billions in the Home and Entertainment division), they lost a lot. They wanted to at a minimum break even.
As far as market share, they got to about where they wanted to be in the US. A little low in Europe and definitely off in Japan. Japan was a disaster to say the least
They were really hoping to get about Gamecube level of success in Japan, but were hampered by a whole slew of critical errors. With the 360, one of the main goals is to get Japan up to a couple million sold over the life and Europe up around original Xbox sales. They also want to grow the US sales to be #1 in the territory.

* thesource (8:31:51 PM): Well that sounds reasonable, but given the pricing it seems money was more of a concern this generation...
* siren (8:32:08 PM): Early on I heard numbers like 60 Million 360's sold over life being a target.
Definitely money is a concern. They want to make back pretty much everything they lost last generation and then some if possible
They realize that even with 60 Million systems, they would stand to make a good $1 Billion a quarter off the market late in its life if the business is built correctly

http://www.vgchartz.com/news/news.php?id=608

CES 2008 Ups Games Focus

November 1st, 2007, 19:36 Posted By: wraggster

Floor space for gaming exhibitors [at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show] will jump 65 percent on last year's available space, but to date the only companies to have confirmed a presence are Commodore Gaming, Entropia Universe, Red Lion Interactive, Shuttle Computers, War Machine, LumiSource, Red Beard and InterAction Laboratories.

However, Microsoft and Sony will both be in attendance on a wider scale, and gaming features are expected to form part of their respective booths.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...740&Ite mid=2

360 sells nearly 2X as many games per console as Wii, PS3

November 1st, 2007, 19:39 Posted By: wraggster

Joystiq got their greasy manhooks on some interesting market data from NPD. Savvy Xbox 360 fans know that the Xbox 360 sells quite a few games, but according to this data, the Xbox 360 sells nearly twice as many games per console as the PS3 and Wii.

* Xbox 360: hardware to software ratio: 6.59 (hardware total sold = 6.8 million; software total sold = 44.8 million)
* PlayStation 3: hardware to software ratio: 3.58 (hardware total sold = 1.9 million; software total sold = 6.8 million)
* Wii: hardware to software ratio: 3.44 (hardware total sold = 4.5 million; software total sold = 15.5 million)

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/10...le-as-wii-ps3/

EA: Industry Must 'Deal With' 60 USD Pricetags

November 1st, 2007, 19:39 Posted By: wraggster

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello suggests that publishers will soon have to "deal with" the $59 price point for next-gen videogames.

With the US videogame industry on track for its biggest year ever at $17-$18 billion in 2007 revenues, it would seem that consumers are just peachy with the current price of next-generation games.

"In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with [the current pricing model]. In China, they're giving games away for free," he said in a Fortune blog report. "People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt."

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...747&Ite mid=2

Running Linux on the PS3 - A detailed view of what's out there

November 1st, 2007, 19:41 Posted By: wraggster

So. Which of the three distributions [Xubuntu 7.10, Yellow Dog 5.0.1, openSUSE 10.3] above would I recommend? None of them. Not a single distro maintained a consistent, high-quality experience from installation to prolonged use. None of them is usable by your grandmother, or in most cases, by you. For the experienced Linux hacker, it's probably possible to beat some sense into these distributions (with Xubuntu probably closest to useful, when combined with the Petitboot boot loader used by openSUSE). But it's not a good choice - simply the least bad.

Considering the strides being made by desktop Linux on desktop x86 and x86-64 machines, it's immensely disappointing that so little time and effort has been spent on testing PS3 releases, when so much geek street-cred is up for grabs. When I first decided to write this article, I had high hopes for what it might reveal - after all, a lot of time has passed since PS3 Linux first appeared, and it seemed obvious to me that there would be a selection of tuned distributions to pick from, especially considering the high visibility of the PS3. But right now, typing this up on my x86-64 Linux desktop, I find myself preparing to retire PS3 Linux completely for another few months - at least until the next batch of distributions are released. And beyond initial curiosity value, I suggest you do the same.

http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item...m=10273&page=1

Importer Warns Of DualShock 3 Import Price Gouging

November 1st, 2007, 19:42 Posted By: wraggster

New York-based importer National Console Support warns customers today that getting their hands on a Japanese version of the DualShock 3 might be tricky. It writes in its semi-daily news updates that offers from one overseas distributor has the following requirement: "In order to obtain 1 Dual Shock 3, we also have to buy 1 PlayStation 3 40GB console." That's a hefty tax.

NCSX urges caution to rumble-hungry games, warning them to wait until stock levels off or distributors offer more sane pricing schemes.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/import...ing-317458.php

New PS3 TV Ad Campaign

November 1st, 2007, 19:44 Posted By: wraggster

Like all of you, I've been a big fan of our new blog - but until now, I've been staying behind the scenes. I'm excited to share my first post here and thought that our new advertising campaign for the PS3 would be of interest to everyone. In fact, the campaign is scheduled to break this weekend in conjunction with the introduction of the new 40GB PS3 here in North America. But as a reward for being some of our most loyal fans, I wanted to get this out to all of you first.

Last year, we launched the PS3 with a campaign that become known as the "White Room" and we received a strong reaction to those ads for being provocative and demonstrating the PS3's power. With those technology messages now firmly embedded, we wanted to move beyond the "power" message with a more high-energy, entertainment driven focus for the PS3. The games are here, the price point is now $399 and we wanted to make the news loud and clear. But we need to deliver that in a way that befits the PlayStation brand. And so, beyond the brilliant HD games that the PS3 delivers, you'll also see a big focus behind the PS3's Blu-ray movie capability and, for the first time, you'll see a major focus behind the PLAYSTATION Network (did I mention online gaming is free on PS3??) and the exclusive gaming content available on the PLAYSTATION Store, as well as breakthrough services like Home. As Kim noted in her recent post, with so much brewing inside the PS3, the icons and characters of the PS3 world come to life in the vivid black onyx world of the PS3 and nearly burst out of its seams.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/...v-ad-campaign/

No need for Wii hard drive, says Nintendo (again)

November 1st, 2007, 19:45 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Have you filled up your Wii's internal memory yet? We have and it's bloody annoying. But while we're all waiting for Nintendo to release a Wii hard drive, the reluctant games giant says there's no need to store all your games on your Wii. Again.

"The way that we look at it is, we really don't want people storing every single game they buy on their drive," said NOA PR manager, Eric Walter.

"When you buy a game, it's yours forever, so you can delete it, and go back and get it at any time you want. In a way, we liken it to putting music on your iPod; you listen to it for a while, and then you get tired of it, and you pull it off, and you put some new stuff on."

Report: Sony Considering Sale Of Animation, FX Division

November 1st, 2007, 19:45 Posted By: wraggster

A New York Times report suggests Sony might consider selling its animation division to companies interested in expanding their work into the game business -- while SCE and Sony Online Entertainment are not part of any possible deal.

According to the report, Sony Pictures has hired investment bank Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin to assess two of its divisions. One is the Sony Pictures Imageworks, the 15-year-old studio which produces visual effects for movies, while the other would be a "no more than 50 percent stake" of the Sony Pictures Animation, the studio which produced movies such as the recent CGI family film Surf's Up.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=16070

Nine PSone treats for huge PSN update

November 1st, 2007, 19:48 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


The PSone games have fairly slow on the uptake, but Sony will gladly be stepping up the pace with the retro treats this month, with nine classics planned for November. Sweet.

G-Police is the one we're after, although there's plenty of awesome stuff on the way, including Crash 2 and 3, and Colony Wars.

Still no WipEout 2079 though, which is both shocking and disappointing after a series of mix-ups and no-doubt underlying technical issues saw the awesome racer confirmed for the download service back in July, and then delayed on the same day.

Here's the list of the nine PSone games on the way this month, followed by the enormous list of PSN content forecasted for the rest of the year.

PSone titles:

• Coolboarders
• G-Police
• Destruction Derby
• Colony Wars
• Motor Toon Grand Prix 2
• Syphon Filter 2
• Bust-A-Groove
• Crash Bandicoot 2
• Crash Bandicoot 3

Konami stock falls on news of MGS4 delay

November 1st, 2007, 19:53 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Konami's stock has dropped following news that Metal Gear Solid 4 has been delayed until after the holiday season.

Bloomberg reported that Konami shares fell 200 Yen, or 5.9 per cent, to 3,190 Yen (approximately USD 27.74).

This was the largest decline for the company's stock in nearly four years.

"Investors were active sellers today because of disappointment over the delay," said analyst Hirotoshi Murakami. "It may be the company's strategy to boost earnings next fiscal year with the game software."

Folding@Home recognised by Guinness World Records

November 1st, 2007, 19:54 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Guinness World Records has officially recognised Sony's Folding@home program as the most powerful distributed computing network in the world.

As previously reported, Folding@home surpassed the one petaflop computer milestone in early September, counting both PC and PS3 users. PS3 users alone reached the petaflop mark on September 23.

"To have Folding@home recognized by Guinness World Records as the most powerful distributed computing network ever is a reflection of the extraordinary worldwide participation by gamers and consumers around the world and for that we are very grateful," said Vijay Pande, associate professor of chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead.

"Without them we would not be able to make the advancements we have made in our studies of several different diseases. But it is clear that none of this would be even remotely possible without the power of PS3, it has increased our research capabilities by leaps and bounds."

yaS^4 v0.05 - yet another Stupid, SideScrolling Shooter

November 1st, 2007, 19:58 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from myersn024

Title: yaS^4 (yet another Stupid, SideScrolling Shooter)

Installation: unzip the rar file into GAME3xx folder. It was build for FW3.71 but it runs fine on my 3.52 M33-4 PSP. I haven't tested it on a slim, so any feedback from slim owners is appreciated.

How to play: Analog moves the ship around on the screen and X shoots. To exit either use HOME or press both trigger buttons at the same time.

To do:
1) add sound
2) add some animation and explosions
3) add high score saving
4) add burst fire and more weapons
5) add power-ups
6) possibly implement shields
7) touch up some of the sprite textures
8) increase difficulty based on score
9) whatever else comes to mind that I think will be cool...

If you have any suggestions or run into any bugs, pm me.

Hackers reinstate violence from censored Manhunt 2

November 1st, 2007, 20:00 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Hackers have already tampered with the code of Rockstar's Manhunt 2 to reinstate the violent scenes and images thought to have been removed from the game.

The PSP version of the controversial title has been exploited less than 24 hours since the game was officially released in North America.

The PlayStation 2 version of the game had already been distributed across the internet via torrent sites, a move that Rockstar has blamed on Sony Computer Entertainment.

The game has been censored in the US in order for it to receive an M rating – and therefore a release – rather than the original AO rating it was given by the ESRB.

The illegal exploit of the original PSP code indicates that the scenes that were cut in order to secure an M rating were not removed from the full game, rather disabled, much like the Hot Coffee mini-games in Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

GT5 Prologue demo hanging on

November 1st, 2007, 20:03 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Sony has decided to keep the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo on the Japanese PlayStation Store until the end of the month, instead of yanking it down on the 11th.

In hindsight, we should have followed its example and dragged this information out a bit, because there isn't all that much to say besides that and this is only covering four lines so far. Five.

Fortunately there are some new shots to go with the announcement, picked up on by Kotaku after it surfaced on Game Watch. So look at them.

To download the demo, you'll need to make a fake Japanese account, which obviously we have no idea how to do and is very naughty Google Google Google.

GT5 Prologue, which consists of 50 cars and five tracks in 1080p, is due out in Japan on 13th December in Blu-ray and PlayStation Network download format, and should arrive here at some point too. We'll keep you updated.

PSP Chef 1.00 Released!

November 1st, 2007, 20:05 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from jfig111

Ever wanted to be a chef with no Cookbooks or No Online Cookbooks? Then you want PSP Chef, The worlds best portable cooking guide.

20 Unique Starter Recipes including

-Waldorf Salad
-Tomato Soup
-Chicken Taco Blast

15 Main Course Recipes such as

-Gnocci
-Fish & Chips
-Peppered Steak with 5 Star Gourmet Sauce

12 Mouth Watering Dessert Recipes, Including
-Marble Cheesecake
-Tiramisu

10 Great Drink Concoctions, Including
-Tang Colada
-Chocolate Smoothie Supreme

Features

Pictures with each meal, drink, and dessert.
Easy Navigation
Tip section completely made in Javascript.
Music to listen to while cooking.

PSP Chef Released!

1. Download file

2. Read the instructions to get it going! I should release a 1.01 version to fix some bugs later.

Make Screen Mode "Normal" and set everything on except Conserve Memory. Turn it off

Boy punches mother over Halo 3

November 1st, 2007, 20:05 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


A 'juvenile' lover of Halo 3 has been accused of punching his mother (after she forced him to end his game) and fighting with sheriff's deputies as they tried to restrain him. Further reports that he attacked his mother and police with a 360 controller melee-style attack have yet to be confirmed. And won't be. We made that bit up.

Parents told deputies their son was playing Halo 3, and it was getting late and he needed to shut it off. Hey, we've all been there. But when he refused to turn it off, the parents reportedly took the air card* out of his machine so he couldn't play anymore.

Son then became enraged like a Brute that's lost his armour and went through the house looking for the air card. It was during this moment of him running riot when he punched his mother, and the cops were called. The kid then legged it back to his room (with the air card), locked the door and carried on playing.

Deputies and mum banged on the door but only got a load of abuse hurled back at them. Like when you actually play Halo 3 on Xbox Live.

Eventually he was cuffed and turned over to state juvenile authorities on charges of battery-domestic violence and battery on a law-enforcement officer. Let that be a lesson to you.

*By the way, if anyone knows what an 'air card' is please let us know. Unless it's Spanish for CD?

Overlord DLC heading to 360

November 1st, 2007, 20:07 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Codemasters is lining up three slugs of downloadable content for Overlord on Xbox 360, and all three are due out this month.

Slugs one and two are premium offerings dealing with single- and multi-player additions respectively, and the other fella is a free bonus with a new map at the heart of it.

Codies goes on to add that PC downloadable content can be expected in the New Year. A special edition PC version of Overlord, featuring all the stuff detailed below, is on its way but only for the German market. So hang on for further details. Anyway, back to the 360.

First up on the premium side is Overlord: Raising Hell, an expansion that introduces hell to each of the game's five kingdoms. As Overlord, you will have to conquer each world properly first before descending through a portal into the new hells, each of which houses the banished former ruler of the overworld who needs duffing up a bit more to fully impede a grisly comeback. Check out our Overlord: Raising Hell screenshot gallery and trailer to see what it's like.

Overlord: Challenge Pack, meanwhile, introduces seven new maps and Capture the Maiden and Protect Your Power modes to multiplayer. The former is fairly self-explanatory; the latter sees you defending the Overlord's tower against waves of attack. The Challenge Pack also adds a Legendary difficulty mode for those of you who found the rise to power a bit simple.

Pricing for these packs isn't being talked about yet - instead Codies says to expect details on how many Microsoft points you'll fork over to accompany the actual launch of each.

Fortunately there are free goodies too, with a third update introducing split-screen play to the original game's multiplayer and adding a new multiplayer Survival map, Rocky Race, which sees a pair of Overlords working co-operatively to survive an arch rock giant's rampage.

The Paparazzi Special Halloween

November 1st, 2007, 20:09 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Nicovideo:

Hi all

I present you my last Homebrew : The Paparazzi Special Halloween !

What is this ?

In this game, you must take a photo of the stars who pass to the screen but before the battery is empty.
There is 5 levels in this version.

In this version , Cloos made an Halloween's design to celebrate Halloween (of course lol)

Download : The Paparazzi Special Halloween

LOAD Magazine Issue #9 Released

November 1st, 2007, 20:12 Posted By: wraggster

The Load Mag team have released a new issue of their mag for the PSP, heres the details:

LOAD issue 9 is here, right on time, and with collectible covers.

Featuring 30 Days of Night, upcoming band Foals and Halo 3, pick your favourite cover and then delve deeper into our new issue.

We interview Sheffield indie stars Milburn as well as talk of the town new band Foals. We’ve also got reviews of new albums from The Hives and Delta Spirit.

Our film section this month is huge, giving our take on the hottest autumn releases including the mesmerizing American Gangster, Interview, 30 Days of Night, Death At A Funeral, Black Sheep and The Darjeeling Limited. We’re also giving you the chance to win the inspirational graphic novel behind 30 Days of Night in our exclusive competition.

After our exploits in Japan, we’ve got a photo spread on some of the crazy toys we picked up over there, and also give you the low down on one of fashion’s most talented young designers.

With autumn comes a new wave of TV shows so check out our feature to find out which are worth watching.

Finally, there’s a PSP game review after a long absence of decent quality games. Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars is given our critical eye alongside Halo 3, Sega Rally and Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol.

Rein clarifies UE3 lawsuit ruling

November 1st, 2007, 20:14 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


The judge in the middle of the squabble between Epic Games and Silicon Knights has refused to dismiss the lawsuit.

The latest motion to put a stop to proceedings was argued to a California judge by Mark Rein and Tim Sweeney, who said Silicon Knights had shown Unreal Engine 3 to those not authorised to see it, leaking all sorts of secrets about how it works to would-be competition.

Rein was also upset that Silicon Knights had signed a new game with SEGA allegedly built on a modified UE3 engine - something Epic never says it never got paid for or asked about.

Speaking to Eurogamer this afternoon, Rein pointed out that the dismissal of the motion is not a ruling on the veracity of the claims at the heart of the case.

"It is important to note that the judge did not rule on the merits of Silicon Knights' claims, despite what Silicon Knights might allege," he wrote in an email.

"Judge Dever's decision simply allows the discovery process to move forward so that he can rule on the facts.

"We are confident that the evidence will show Silicon Knights breached its license with Epic Games and violated our copyrights and trade secrets."

New Resistance patch out

November 1st, 2007, 20:15 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Sony has released a new patch for PS3 shooter Resistance: Fall of Man.

It's available for download now via the PlayStation Network. Along with fixing numerous bugs, the gives you the option to take in-game screenshots using a USB keyboard and play password-protected custom games.

You can also expect weapon balance changes and round balancing options and support for the new Dual Shock 3 - even though it's not in Europe or the US till spring.

For more information and to download the patch, visit the PlayStation Network.

NIGathan’s Shootuh BETA 3 Released

November 1st, 2007, 20:15 Posted By: wraggster

NIGathan has updated his homebrew shooter for the PSP, heres whats new:

now compatible with 3.71
added a random enemy spawner
added multiple enemies
added a 7 song tracklist. when a song is over the next song will start or you can press L to skip a song.
fixed bullets
added more detail when you die
fixed point system
fixed slow mo
now cpu is only overclocked to 333MHz while loading for faster loading times
fixed collision so instead of being “better” its now fully working
fixed a little shooting bug
added a slow mo re-generator. when you get a certain amount of points the power-up will come in from the right.
now R will also activate slow mo along with square.
fixed various bugs

Nintendo spent $40m on ads in first half of '07

November 1st, 2007, 20:18 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Nintendo has spent USD 40 million (EUR 27.7m) on print, TV and outdoor media advertising between January and June 2007, according to data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

The massive budget for 2007 continues the publisher's commitment to marketing – it has already spent USD 86 million (EUR 59.6m) for the whole of 2006 and USD 84 million (EUR 58.2m) in 2005.

The figures are revealed by MediaPost in an interview with Nintendo's newly appointed VP of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway.

Dunaway said that she was attracted to the position, which she starts next week, by seeing here son and mother playing with Nintendo products.

"I've seen the excitement on my nine-year-old son's face when he's playing a Pokemon game on his DS. Then I see my mom, who's in her 70's, having fun playing Wii bowling," she said.

Atari may lose Dragonball Z rights

November 1st, 2007, 20:19 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


In a recent SEC filing, Atari revealed that it is in danger of losing the license to the Dragon Ball Z franchise.

According to the filing, on October 18, FUNimation served the company with a notice to terminate the license based on alleged breaches of their licensing agreement.

"[Atari] disputes the validity of the termination notices and has continued to distribute the titles covered by the license agreements," the company stated in the SEC filing, noting that the parties were in discussions attempting to resolve the issue.

Blockbuster: $35 million Q3 net loss

November 1st, 2007, 20:20 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Blockbuster has announced financial results for the third quarter, with total revenues decreasing 5.7 per cent to USD 1.24 billion.

The company's net loss for Q3 was USD 35 million, or USD 0.20 per common share, compared with a net loss of USD 24.7 million for the same period in the prior year.

Blockbuster blamed the decrease in revenue to the closure and sale of 526 stores, but noted that the decrease was partially offset by a USD 79.2 million year-over-year increase in revenues from its online rental service.

The company estimates its online base at 3.1 million subscribers.

"We believe the actions we have taken over the last quarter have better positioned Blockbuster for the future," said Jim Keyes, Blockbuster's chairman and CEO.

Final Fantasy leads Japanese chart invasion

November 1st, 2007, 20:22 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


The latest in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise has topped the Japanese charts according to data from Media Create – selling almost double the amount of units as its closest competitor.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 for the DS has sold over 142,000 units on the first week of release. Banpresto's PS2 game Ar Tonelico is at number two in the charts, debuting with 72,000 sales.

The top ten best-selling games includes a total of seven new entries, with World Soccer Winning Eleven DS: Goal to Goal at number three (29,00 units sold), Sega's Ghost Squad for Wii at seven (20,000 units sold) and Capcom's God of War II at eight (17,000 units sold).

The full Japanese top ten follows:
1. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS)
2. Ar Tonelico (PS2)
3. World Soccer Winning Eleven DS: Goal to Goal (DS)
4. Imabikisou (PS3)
5. DS Literature Collection (DS)
6. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (DS)
7. Ghost Squad (Wii)
8. God of War II (PSP)
9. DS Nishimura Kyotarou Suspense Detective Series: Deadly Intent (DS)
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Time Expedition Party (DS)

Metroid tops Swedish multiformat charts

November 1st, 2007, 20:26 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Metroid Prime 3 Corruption for the Wii has topped the Swedish multiformat charts on its first week of release, according to latest stats from Dataspelsbranschen .

And it's a one-two punch for Nintendo as DS hit The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass takes the number two spot, nudging soccer rivals such as FIFA 08, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Football Manager 2008 down the charts.

But it's a different matter in the single format charts, where Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is the number one seller on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2.

The best selling games in Sweden follow:

Multiformat
1. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption (Wii)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
3. Football Manager 2008 (PC)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS3)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
6. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (PC)
7. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager (PS2)
8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (360)
9. World of Warcraft (PC)
10. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
11. FIFA 08 (PS2)
12. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology (PC)
13. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (360)
14. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt (PC)
15. The Witcher (PC)
16. Halo 3 (360)
17. Battlefield 2 (PC)
18. Warcraft III Frozen Throne (PC)
19. FIFA 08 (PS3)
20. World in Conflict (PC)

PC
1. Football Manager 2008
2. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
3. World of Warcraft
4. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
5. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology
6. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt
7. The Witcher
8. Battlefield 2
9. Warcraft III Frozen Throne
10. World in Conflict

PlayStation 2
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager
3. FIFA 08
4. Guitar Hero 2
5. Singstar Svenska hits
6. Final Fantasy XII
7. Need for Speed Carbon
8. Guitar Hero 2 Rock the 80´s
9. Singstar R&B
10. NHL 08

PlayStation 3
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. FIFA 08
3. NHL 08
4. Skate
5. Folklore
6. Eye of Judgement
7. Colin McRae Dirt
8. Sega Rally
9. Heavenly Sword
10. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

Xbox 360
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
2. Half-Life 2: The Orange Box
3. Halo 3
4. FIFA 08
5. Project Gotham Racing 4
6. NHL 08
7. Need for Speed Carbon
8. Skate
9. Eternal Sonata
10. Guitar Hero 2

Wii
1. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption
2. Table Tennis
3. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
4. Rayman Raving Rabbids
5. Mario Party 8
6. Boogie
7. Super Paper Mario
8. FIFA 08
9. Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
10. Carnival Games

Nintendo DS
1. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
2. New Super Mario Bros
3. Pokémon Pearl
4. Pokémon Diamond
5. Mario Kart DS
6. Bilar
7. Magical Starsign
8. The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
9. The Sims 2 Pets
10. Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends

PSP
1. FIFA 08
2. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
3. Need for Speed Underground Rivals
4. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
5. Medal of Honor: Heroes
6. NHL 07
7. Tekken Dark Resurrection
8. GTA Vice City Stories
9. Daxter
10. Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

SanDisk 6GB MicroSDHC w/MicroMateRead.

November 1st, 2007, 20:34 Posted By: wraggster



Flashlinker Europe.com have today added a preorder for a 6GB MicroSDHC Memory card thats compatible with most consoles (via adapters) for the rather cheap price of 59.00EUR

Preorder SanDisk 6GB MicroSDHC

FlatOut PSP - first screens

November 1st, 2007, 20:37 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


The FlatOut series will be making its debut on a handheld platform next year when FlatOut: Head On is released exclusively for PSP.

We were all about the rag doll physics-based stunt games in the Xbox version of the game. You had to launch your driver through the windscreen of your car at high speeds to hit a range of wacky targets - what's not to like about that?

These 'rag-doll Olympics' - as they're known among fans - will also be featured in full in the portable version.

A total of 40 cars and nine gameplay options (including Career, Carnage and Death Match Derby modes) will also be crammed onto the little UMD.

"Early 2008" is as specific as Empire could be with the release, but we've got the first screens below.

Viva Piñata PC dated

November 1st, 2007, 20:40 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Following on from yesterday's exciting news about Viva Piñata: Party Animals squaring up to roundly smash the hanging casket of our dreams over the fires of despair, Microsoft has announced that Viva Piñata will be released on PC on 16th November as well!

Available for both Windows XP and Vista, it's part of the "Games for Windows" motherbrand, which means that - like the Xbox 360 version from last year - it will have 1000 Gamerpoints to unlock by doing clever things like getting the animals to have it off and getting all the totem pole bits.

Viva Piñata is, if you want to be humourless about it, a garden management game where you have to try and attract lots of friendly piñata animals to come live with you by satisfying their fussy requirements. You can also famously get them to mate and create baby piñata, and if you smash one egg at the right time you can make one with two heads, and then three, and you should give money to the beggar too. It's also got the loveliest music and graphics of anything we can remember since the good old days before dropships and normal mapping and EA Trax.

Look out for our (barring any last-minute catastrophes) excitable review of the PC version, developed by Climax, since we should probably mention that, in the very n