via engadget

While iTunes 7.1 claimed to play nicer with Windows Vista, there was still reason for avid iPod users to hold back on upgrading, and now it looks like those final issues have been ironed out. Starting today, Vista users can download a software update that purportedly solves the problems some users were having as their iPod became corrupted when "ejecting them using Windows Explorer or the Safely Remove Hardware function in the system tray." Of course, those of you who got burned by this aren't as apt to become guinea pigs in finding out just how well (or not) the patch actually works, but for those mettlesome folks out there, feel free to hit the read link and commence downloading.

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Konami has yet to announce a new release date for Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops after it failed to launch last Friday.

It was all down a missing BBFC rating stamp, which is supposed to be added before retailers can dish copies out to punters. Konami expects a statement to be made soon.

MGS: Portable Ops has been available in the US since the end of 2006. It marked itself out as one of the best games on the system back then, whetting our Euro appetite for the game.

via eurogamer ...

via eurogamer

Microsoft games boss Peter Moore has indicated that the company would seriously consider running a research project similar to Sony's Folding@home initiative, on the Xbox 360, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

The Folding@home project allows multiple, connected PlayStation 3's to calculate data to aid medical research for Stanford University.

Sony's assistance has been widely praised for bringing attention to such schemes, where idle home consoles are able to simulate the processing power of multiple PCs.

"If we truly believe that we can in some way marshal the resources of a much larger installed base of Xbox 360 owners, with a processor that's of equal power to the PS3, then you have my commitment that we'll look at that," commented Moore, corporate VP of interactive entertainment at Microsoft, to The Mercury News.

"And if we believe we can add value to solving a gnarly problem such as medical problems and the health problems that Folding@home seems to be doing, then we'll certainly look at that very strongly."

So far, over 250,000 registered PlayStation 3 users have signed for the Folding@home project, although Moore is still wary of the actual results

"I'm not quite sure yet whether we're seeing real tangible results from the PlayStation 3 Folding@home initiative. We continue to look at this and see whether there's real value," he added. ...

They've been doing the rounds in Middle-earth (or magazine land) for a while now but finally the first Project Gotham Racing 4 images have made their way on to the internet, and consequently into the fancy CVG screenshot viewer.

As you can see from the screenshots the big feature in PGR4 is the gorgeous weather effects, with water that beads realistically on the paintjobs, sprays from the tires and causes madness in the in-car view.

Also promised for the fourth installment are over 200 racetracks from ten different locations and a broader set of vehicles, ranging from the vintage'63 Corvette Sting Ray all the way to the slick Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

According to magazine reports we might have to wait until next year before PGR4 races in to the shops, but in the meantime you can always make do with Forza 2 which lands on Xbox 360 next month.

Screens Here ...

The first of three collaborative titles between EA and director Steven Spielberg will debut on Nintendo Wii, the company has confirmed.

The title was described simply as "Wii Spielberg" in an EA conference call this morning, and it will join the recently-announced EA Playground and Boogie as console exclusives on Nintendo's platform.

The Spielberg deal was first announced way back in October 2005 and we haven't seen anything of it since. Thankfully this first Wii title has been slated for release before the end of 2008 fiscal year - so we should be seeing more of it very soon.

EA's support for Nintendo's console has never been questioned but considering the cinematic capabilities of the PS3 and Xbox 360, it's somewhat of a surprise that Spielberg has decided to make his game debut on Wii.

via cvg ...

via cvg

Fire up your Xbox 360s because The Spring dashboard update has finally gone live - and the menus are now running smoother than Bishop's bonce.

As well as the much-touted Live Messenger integration, updates and changes to the dashboard include:


A richer Achievement notification pop-up will showcase the name of the unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value without needing to leave the game to check the Achievements list.

Enhanced family settings features for Xbox Live communications enable different defaults for video chat and voice chat.

A new Xbox Live Marketplace blade lets Xbox Live members access the content they seek-whether it is game content or TV shows and movies (available in the United States)-from one place on Xbox Live.

Updates to Xbox Live Arcade allow owners to quickly see which games their friends are playing and join in the fun. Members can also compare progress of leaderboard scores and Achievements directly with all friends on their friends list. Expanded "Tell a Friend" capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about Achievements and high scores.

Expanded "Tell a Friend" capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about Achievements and high scores.

A new option in Auto Downloads provides faster access to the entire collection of free, trial-version arcade games.

New progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal viewing options by letting people fast-forward, rewind, pause and resume as their video is downloaded from Marketplace.

Extension of the background download functionality will allow owners to set their Xbox 360 console to turn off automatically after downloads are complete.


So there you have it. Those of us who have non-broken 360s are off to mess around with message windows. We'll let you know how it goes. ...

Alongside today's release of XBLA Double Dragon, Microsoft has detailed the six new download titles heading to Xbox 360 "later this year".

To save our fingers the pain, here's the list (not in chronological order of release) via the magic of cut and paste:

Mad Tracks: This 3D racing party game from Load Inc. and D3Publisher recalls all the fun of playing with toy cars from childhood. Up to four players can race micro cars in a variety of gameplay modes in familiar settings such as a living room, a restaurant and a toy store.

Rush'n Attack: Also known as "Green Beret," from Konami, this is a faithful next-generation update of this classic coin-op arcade title where the player assumes the role of a special forces agent sent behind enemy lines to infiltrate an enemy military complex and free captured prisoners of war. Gav assures us this was awesome back in the day.

Soltrio Solitaire: From Silver Creek Entertainment, this is a collection of 18 different solitaire games, offering co-op and competitive two-player solitaire game modes.

Spyglass Board Games: From Strange Flavour Ltd. and Freeverse, this offers classic versions of the world's most beloved board games, including chess, checkers, mancala and reversi, as well as the ability to enjoy video chat with friends via the Xbox Live Vision camera.

Street Trace: NYC: This is a hover board racing and arena battle game from Gaia Industries Inc. set against the urban wasteland of future New York City. Make your mark on the leaderboards in intense eight-player action over Xbox Live, or battle at home through split-screen or single-player tournaments.

Undertow: This is a fast-paced action shooter from Chair Entertainment Group that thrusts players underwater as they battle for control of the oceans, and features a robust single player/co-op campaign and up to 16-player multiplayer action.

So in summary, Mad Tracks looks brilliant, Soltrio Solitaire isn't Solitaire at all and we're still wondering what happened to Sonic the Hedgehog XBLA.

Looking forward we're also tapping our feet for the arrival of Every Extend Extra Extreme (read our impressions), Alien Hominid spiritual successor Castle Crashers, the Arcade port of Ikaruga and the excellent Arcade version of Tack 'n' Field.

Tell us what you're waiting for in the comments section below. Or else.

via cvg ...

In his latest attack on the world of videogames, Jack Thomspon is calling on fast-food chain Wendy's to cancel a Kid's Meal Wii promotion.

Reported on GameAlmighty.com, Wendy's is including Wii-related toys such as Mario, Excite Truck, Wii Sports, and the Wii remote with the meals; but it's the console's association with Rockstar's forthcoming Manhunt 2 which has caused Thompson to call for the promotion to end.

In a letter sent to Wendy's CEO Kerri Anderson, Thompson said,

I should like to alert you to the inappropriateness of the above upcoming promotion at Wendy's, in light of the below information.

On July 10, an extremely violent video game will be released for "play" on Nintendo's kid-friendly Wii game platform. It is called Manhunt 2. It will feature, according to video game news sites, beheadings with hatchets, bludgeonings with baseball bats, the jamming of syringes into eyeballs, cutting opponents' testicles off, and "environtmental [sic] kills" in which common objects in the field of vision, such as electrical cords to strangle victims. I attach news reports in these regards.

What makes this Nintendo Wii game all the more troubling is the nature of Wii platform itself. Instead of holding in one's hand the typical game controller, the player holds motion capture devices, so that by moving one's hands and limbs one is actually acting out with one's own body the violent behavior. The American Psychological Association in August 2005 found a direct causal link between the play of violent video games and increased adolescent and teen aggression. One pro-video game industry site is referring to Manhunt 2 as a "true murder simulator" when played on Wii.

A dear friend of mine worked for Wendy's and with Dave Thomas closely for years. From that I know that Dave Thomas never would have tolerated the use of Wendy's good name to promote Nintendo's Wii, not with this game available on the Wii platform.

Please cancel the Wii Kids' Meal promotion immediately.

To date, the Wendy's promotion has not been cancelled.

via cvg ...

via cvg

RPG developer extraordinaire BioWare has declined to commit to a release date for its 360 sci-fi epic Mass Effect, despite CVG's exclusive report last month that the game is heading for a September release.

The word form BioWare comes from the company's latest IGN blog update, in which it attempts to answer a handful of the community's biting questions. "What's the release date?" One post asked. "Well, we're still at a stage where we can't commit, but stay tuned for future updates!"

CVG learned last month that the game has been penciled in for a September release, months after the long-speculated June/July dates.

However despite what our sources tell us Microsoft is expectedly keeping quiet on the matter. "We have not made any official announcement regarding release timing for Mass Effect. At this time, any information about the game's release date is purely rumor and speculation," a company spokesperson said. ...