News from ED:

It has been a while since you got a blog update - I KNOW you were waiting for one.
Well, that problem with PayPal and your MASSIVE preorders including hundreds of eMails to reply to did take some time, so we did not have much time to do blog updates.
As the Pandora is coming close to a release now, we also had to do a lot of organization work so that everything will come together nicely.

Still, we were working on other stuff for the Pandora, too, so here is a brief update:

- We did some font tests for the GUI (gmenu2x - and another one is in development, so you should have two GUIs soon ). The gp2x font was way too small on such a high resolution screen, so we did some testings and found out what font size is readable and what not. With the font fixed, gmenu2x is now fully working on the Pandora the same way it is on the gp2x. Now we can focus on improvements. I'll post a video soon - but I'm out of the office until October 19th, please be patient until that time

- The last components and fixes for the prototype case are being applied at the moment. That includes the keyboard mat and the hole for the stylus. Shouldn't be too long now until the case is finished.
Here are some pictures of the WIP keyboard mat. Still missing some stuff like air channels, but looking very nice already:

...

A few days ago I posted a video of something that we’ve come to call BootMii. I think it’s time to answer some questions about what it really is, what it does, and how it will help you. Oh, and by the way, before I bore you and you stop reading this, at least note that BootMii is entirely software-based. The hardware in the video is merely for debugging.


The first thing that you need to realize is that BootMii isn’t a single application or hack - it’s a platform for hacks. Up until now, we’ve had little control over what software our Wiis truly run. Sure, we can run our own stuff, but ultimately we’re users of the system - everything we do has to go through Nintendo’s software. We can avoid updates and try to understand the existing system, but we’re still dependent on it. Every piece of Wii Homebrew currently depends on Nintendo’s IOS. This isn’t a bad thing (it provides many bits of code that we don’t have to write), but it also means we have to follow its rules.

Now, there have been some hacks around the system, of course. PatchMii was developed to get rid of some of the restrictions of IOS - but it’s not particularly practical, and only really works for one IOS at a time. Starfall gets rid of some annoyances of the system menu, but it’s an ugly low-level filesystem hack that will get erased with any Nintendo update. And at any time Nintendo can come and update the entire system to patch all the holes. Of course, we don’t expect the latter to happen (we have / will find more holes), but nonetheless it’s still unnerving to a degree.

BootMii - let’s call it the BootMii platform - is about changing that. Instead of being users of the system, doomed to hacking our ways from the inside, we’re going to turn the tables around. Now we’ll have control and Nintendo’s software will have to go through us to do anything.

Before going into details though, I must mention another subtle but important detail about how we’ve decided to go about designing BootMii. While we will be taking control of the system, we want to accomplish that while minimizing any changes to the existing system. This has many advantages. By keeping BootMii separate from the existing system for the most part, we can switch it on and off at will. This might become handy if, for example, Nintendo decides to start banning homebrewers from online games.

Now, I’ve said that BootMii is a platform. We’re still working on designing and building most of it, so don’t expect detailed explanations about the still-to-be-written pieces. Instead, today I’ll talk about the part of BootMii that was demoed in the video: BootMii-Core.

BootMii-Core is a very important piece of BootMii, ideologically speaking. What it does is give us full control of the console as early in the boot process as possible. A mere fraction of a second after you hit the power button on your console, BootMii-Core will already be running and you’ll have the ability to do anything at that point. This isn’t the only advantage, though. By being such an early hook, BootMii-Core is also the most brick-resistant piece of software that can be written for the Wii. You’d have to deliberately brick your Wii to kill BootMii, excluding one particular type of update by Nintendo (we’ll get to that later).

Let’s revisit the boot sequence of the Wii. The very first piece of code that runs is boot0, which is part of the mask artwork of the Hollywood chipset and thus entirely untouchable. It loads boot1 from the beginning of NAND and verifies it against a hash stored in non-writable memory. This ensures that boot1 is also untouchable (you’ll brick your Wii if you try). Here’s where it gets interesting: boot1 is supposed to load boot2 from a special reserved section of the NAND Flash memory. Boot2, which is a sort of mini-IOS, then kicks off the loading of the system menu (and ends up loading its required IOS beforehand). However, the boot2 verification uses the same exact infrastructure as the one used in the rest of the Wii, and it is also vulnerable to the fakesigning bug. Since boot1 is untouchable once the Wii leaves the factory, every current Wii in existence (as far as we know) is and forever will be vulnerable to this bug, which lets us install a fakesigned boot2 of our choice.

As you may have guessed, BootMii-Core is such a fakesigned boot2. However, it isn’t a hacked version of boot2, nor is it a replacement for boot2. First, you need to realize that boot2 as it actually is stored isn’t a monolithic piece of software. The following applies to boot2 and to all IOSes prior to IOS30, and to the boot file of IOS30 and beyond. These IOS binaries are in a simple format that is in two parts: a simple header, a small ELF loader, and the payload ELF proper. The ELF contains the actual IOS/boot2 code, and the ELF loader is a simple stub that loads it into memory and runs it. BootMii-Core replaces the ELF loader, leaving the original boot2 ELF payload intact.

Now, getting a bit more technical, the BootMii-Core “ELF loader” is itself ...

Nice to see a new N64 emulator released, heres the full info:

Mupen64Plus is a plugin-based N64 emulator for Linux which is capable of accurately playing many games. Included are four MIPS R4300 CPU emulators, with dynamic recompilers for 32-bit x86 and 64-bit amd64 systems, and necessary plugins for audio, graphical rendering (RDP), signal co-processor (RSP), and input. There are 3 OpenGL video plugins included: glN64, RiceVideoLinux, and Glide64.



October 13th, 2008: I finally got around to tagging and releasing version 1.4.1 of Mupen64Plus. I should have done this a long time ago, but I guess it's better late than never! This version includes no new features over v1.4 but it does include over 20 bug fixes. Some of the problems that are fixed include: a major slowdown caused by the On Screen Display, a bunch of different crashes in the 64-bit version, an installation script bug on non-BASH shells, some Blight input fixes, a fix for Conker's BFD, and memory leaks. Details are in the RELEASE file as usual.

Download and Give Feedback and Compatability Reports Via Comments ...

New from Success HK



This NDS-LITE Portable Speaker Pro has the crystal clear sound ality effect with super bass and dual high-quality speakers with woofer effect.
The speaker is easy to use, designed foldable for easy carry and no battery needed. It is compatible with all NDSL too. ...

It’s Fall, the leaves are changing, football is back on TV, and the air is getting crisp. That means it’s time for our annual exclusive Canadian preview event! We took over a very cool venue last week to give media and consumers a look at some great 2008 holiday titles for PlayStation Portable and PLAYSTATION 3.

Attendees were able to get hands-on time with Resistance 2, MotorStorm Pacific Rift, LittleBigPlanet and many more top SCE games. It was also the first Canadian showing of Resistance: Retribution and Killzone 2. A very special thank you to James Stevenson from Insomniac Games and my fellow SCEA PR counterpart (and blog poster) Brian Keltner for coming up to demo the Resistance titles.

We had great third party support as Ubisoft, EA, Activision, THQ, Bethesda, Namco Bandai, Sega and 2K Games attended. Some of the playable third party games included Guitar Hero IV: World Tour, 007: Quantum of Solace, Rock Band 2, Mirror’s Edge, Call of Duty 5: World at War, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, Sonic Unleashed, WWE Raw vs Smackdown 2009, Bioshock, Prince of Persia and Fallout 3.

The best part is, for those of you who couldn’t attend the event and will be in Greater Toronto Area October 17-19, we will also have a big presence at Best Buy’s Gaming Invasion 08. Gamers will have the opportunity once again to get hands-on time with all of our holiday titles before they hit stores.

Thanks to everyone who participated and we look forward to having you back next year. Now that the event is over, I’m really looking forward to playing all of these titles!!!

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/...-this-weekend/ ...

Newly released today:



features
Rebuild the Saints and seek revenge against rivals to reestablish your crew as the rightful kings of Stilwater
Customize your crib, recruit your gang, and set your swagger using countless combination’s of character configuration
Protect yourself with human shields, throw rivals into oncoming traffic and zero-in your nut-shot using all-new Fine Aim controls
Build your empire with private jets, speedboats, and helicopters or strafe the hood of your rival’s monster truck from the comfort of your fighter plane
Discover both the familiar and strange in a revitalized Stilwater as you taunt, mug and streak your way through the city
Send a message to your enemies using an arsenal of rocket launchers, shock-paddles, stun-guns, and satchel-charges
Complete the campaign in two-player co-op, or multiply the mayhem with online open-world gameplay

description
Five years have passed since your former Saints crew betrayed you. As you awake from a coma for the first time since that fateful day, you find the Stilwater you once ruled is in disarray. Unfamiliar gangs have laid claim to your territory, rival factions have taken over your rackets, and cash-hungry corporations have laid waste to your once proud 3rd Street home. Abandoned and left scarred with an unrecognizable face, you seek out a plastic surgeon to begin your new life on the streets of Stilwater.

Respect can only be earned in Stilwater, and that requires a lifestyle that reflects your unique personality. Your crib, your crew, and your character define who you are on the streets and how you are perceived. The image you portray is as important as the decisions you make in a city ruled by false bravado and impulsive behavior. The only constant is the need for an identity that reflects your individuality and is backed up by your 12 gauge.

Style and image can only take you so far in a world where actions speak louder than words. Sometimes sending a message to your enemies requires heavy lifting, like that of a rival gang member into oncoming traffic. Respect in Stilwater needs to be taken, and what better way than to grab it from the hands of a gang full of enemies by means of a satchel charge.

The fight to reclaim Stilwater does not have to be waged alone. The Saints once ruled these streets as a crew of brothers, and their return to the top can help be secured through co-operative alliances. The time has finally come to seek revenge against your rivals to reestablish your crew as the rightful kings of Stilwater.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2oyb.html ...

Newly released today:



features
Shear off limbs with powerful weapons as you carve a bloody path through the alien hordes
Find ways to neutralize attacking enemies effectively or they'll keep coming at you
A blood-curdling interactive horror experience features state-of-the art graphics and effects, a panic-inducing audio system, and a truly frightening atmosphere of death and despair
Battle relentless enemies and crack challenging puzzles in unprecedented zero-gravity environments that reinvent survival horror
Cut through the harrowing mystery to stop the alien onslaught

description
When an immense mining ship, the USG Ishimura, comes into contact with a mysterious alien artifact in Dead Space, its communications with Earth are mysteriously cut off. Engineer Isaac Clarke is sent to repair the Ishimura's communications array, but he arrives to find a living nightmare—the ship is a floating bloodbath, the crew unspeakably mutilated and infected by an ancient alien scourge. Clarke's repair mission becomes one of survival as he fights not just to save himself, but to return the artifact to the planet … at any cost.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2zp9.html ...

Newly released on all consoles today:



Step onto the pitch and play professional soccer your way in FIFA Soccer 09.

Experience the most authentic soccer simulation EA SPORTS™ has delivered as you live the fantasy of playing as a professional player and customize the game to suit your style and ability.

Powered by the third generation of the EA SPORTS football engine, FIFA Soccer 09 features more than 250 core gameplay additions and enhancements that deliver the most responsive, intelligent and realistic action ever for the series.

Enjoy turning defenders with more controlled dribbling and ball control, snapping off precision shots with improved first-time shooting mechanics and firing beautifully timed passes with greater accuracy, placing the ball exactly where you want it.

The realistic soccer game is available on all new consoles:

Xbox360™
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 74.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 64.90

Nintendo Wii™
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play JPN US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play US US$ 54.90

PlayStation2™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 59.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90

Nintendo DS™
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 34.90

Sony PSP™
FIFA Soccer 09 JPN US$ 48.90
FIFA Soccer 09 ASIA US$ 42.90
FIFA Soccer 09 US US$ 44.90

PC Game
FIFA Soccer 09 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 39.90

Most of the Japanese versions will arrive in November but the PlayStation2 version is coming in December. The US versions are arriving later this week while most of the Asian versions have arrived today, the remaining ones will come within this week.

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

New special offer from play asia:



Autumn is such a good time for hunting, witches who have done their mischief in the summer should definitely be exorcised. Follow Akuji and his converted demon partner on adventures to release girls from the witches' possessions.

The hunt is still on, two weeks ago, we have had the regular edition as a weekly special, this week we will have the Limited Box Edtion.

Aside from the game, the package comes with nendoroid figures of Akai Mahou and Seika Koron, the heroines from both first and second installments. Bring your angel and demon sidekicks, Lulu and Kuro, with you wherever you go by attaching them to your mobile phone.

Aside from toys, the package also presents you with a new school handbook to record important appointments on. Get to know the characters by listening to the drama on the special CD-Rom. Besides audio drama, the CD-Rom also carries promotional video, character setting information and other goodies that fans of the series simply can't live without.

Dokidoki Majo Shinpan! 2 DUO [First Print Limited Edition Box], follows the footsteps of its regular edition, became our special product of the week. Selling at a bargain price of US $39.90 only, the maximum number of purchase is set to 1 unit per customer.

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