Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson has admitted that there could be Xbox 360 shortages this Christmas - but promises that Microsoft is doing all it can to get the consoles into shops as soon as possible.

"Xbox 360 is the hottest gift this Christmas and will be hard to find - but we’re working hard to ensure there’s a regular replenishment of stock to retail," Thompson said.

Microsoft offered no comment on rumours that the US will be getting precisely 1,098,200 units on launch day, which emerged after a forum poster on Team Xbox claimed he had received a copy of a booklet sent out to shareholders.

The poster claimed the booklet also revealed that Microsoft hopes to sell four million Xbox 360s in the five months following launch, and that 29 games for the console will be in the shops by the end of the year.

Rumours have also emerged that the UK will be getting just 50,000 Xbox 360 units in time for the console's launch on December 2.

That's according to the Official Xbox Magazine website, which claims it got the information from "a representative from one of the UK's largest videogames retailers."

Pre-ordering offers no guarantee of a console in time for Christmas, either. "We started taking pre-orders for Xbox 360 back at the start of summer, and by the end of June one store already had 300,” the source is quoted as saying.

"Customers can still put their names down for an Xbox 360, but we can’t guarantee that they’ll get their system before Christmas.”

Microsoft declined to comment on the 50k rumour. With regard to pre-orders, Thompson stated: "Microsoft does not have an official Xbox 360 presale program and we are unable to verify the status of these retailer programs." ...

iPod nano owners lube up your chainsaws ‘cause iDoom is now available for your fragging kicks. Check check, check out the vid ‘cause performance is rockin’ compared to the previous release we saw running on older gen iPods. Caution: this requires iPodLinux (podzilla) which is a fairly risk free install in our experience but could void your warranty. The 5G (video) iPod is not supported nor is sound … yet. But what does that matter to you, soldier … you’re the only human left alive!


Details- - What kinds of iPod is iDoom working on?
Currently iDoom works on the following iPods:
iPod 1G (scrollwheel)
iPod 2G (thouchwheel)
iPod 3G (disorientated keys)
iPod 4G (clickwheel)
iPod Photo
iPod Color
iPod Mini (both versions)
iPod nano
This list will be updated whenever a new iPod is supported by iPodlinux.
- Do I need anything more than iDoom in order to play?
You need to install iPodLinux first, it's only supported for 1-3G and will probably ruin your warranty. However if you really want to install it on other iPods, search their forums for instructions.
Gameplay
- I can only see a gray blur, how do I change the contrast?
You can't change it through iDoom, however if you change the contrast in podzilla, iDoom will be affected too.
- How can I exit iDoom (I'm keep trying to turn the wheel to the right, but that doesn't help)?
Flip [Hold] on, and then off again.
Press [Menu] to change menu item.
Select quit(rotate left) then confirm (rotate right).
- How do I change the controls?
Open the file "keys.key" in your favorite text editor and follow the example in there.
- Why can't I use the wheel to rotate?
The problem lies is the design of the newer iPods clickwheel, how would you run and turn at the the wheel at the same time?
- Why can't I hear any sound?
There is no sound support... yet.
Other
Why are all your iPods broken?
During development and testing of iDoom there have been a few... accidents. It's very straining to port applications, having to read other peoples code and all that, and when things get really bad... things come flying!

Nah, but seriously, they aren't all broken. Benjamins 2G iPod is broken it now suffers from partial amnesia with it's damaged harddrive that has enough bad blocks to scare away a cluster. Mattias 2G iPod Mini has a crack in the plastic cover, not affecting the functionality, but nevertheless unfashionable. Benjamins nano isn't broken at all, it just looks crappy since he has it wrapped in different kinds of plasic (mostly scotch tape) to keep his nano free from scratches.

download and screenshots via the comments ...

iPod nano owners lube up your chainsaws ‘cause iDoom is now available for your fragging kicks. Check check, check out the vid ‘cause performance is rockin’ compared to the previous release we saw running on older gen iPods. Caution: this requires iPodLinux (podzilla) which is a fairly risk free install in our experience but could void your warranty. The 5G (video) iPod is not supported nor is sound … yet. But what does that matter to you, soldier … you’re the only human left alive!


Details- - What kinds of iPod is iDoom working on?
Currently iDoom works on the following iPods:
iPod 1G (scrollwheel)
iPod 2G (thouchwheel)
iPod 3G (disorientated keys)
iPod 4G (clickwheel)
iPod Photo
iPod Color
iPod Mini (both versions)
iPod nano
This list will be updated whenever a new iPod is supported by iPodlinux.
- Do I need anything more than iDoom in order to play?
You need to install iPodLinux first, it's only supported for 1-3G and will probably ruin your warranty. However if you really want to install it on other iPods, search their forums for instructions.
Gameplay
- I can only see a gray blur, how do I change the contrast?
You can't change it through iDoom, however if you change the contrast in podzilla, iDoom will be affected too.
- How can I exit iDoom (I'm keep trying to turn the wheel to the right, but that doesn't help)?
Flip [Hold] on, and then off again.
Press [Menu] to change menu item.
Select quit(rotate left) then confirm (rotate right).
- How do I change the controls?
Open the file "keys.key" in your favorite text editor and follow the example in there.
- Why can't I use the wheel to rotate?
The problem lies is the design of the newer iPods clickwheel, how would you run and turn at the the wheel at the same time?
- Why can't I hear any sound?
There is no sound support... yet.
Other
Why are all your iPods broken?
During development and testing of iDoom there have been a few... accidents. It's very straining to port applications, having to read other peoples code and all that, and when things get really bad... things come flying!

Nah, but seriously, they aren't all broken. Benjamins 2G iPod is broken it now suffers from partial amnesia with it's damaged harddrive that has enough bad blocks to scare away a cluster. Mattias 2G iPod Mini has a crack in the plastic cover, not affecting the functionality, but nevertheless unfashionable. Benjamins nano isn't broken at all, it just looks crappy since he has it wrapped in different kinds of plasic (mostly scotch tape) to keep his nano free from scratches.

download and screenshots via the comments ...

We’re seeing some more Revolution tidbits coming out of the woodwork, thanks to an interview with an evasive but helpful Jim Merrick from Nintendo. He stated that Japan won’t necessarily see the Revolution first, and that the launch might “not follow the stereotypical formula of Japan first, then the US, then Europe some time later… Anything’s possible.” Which wouldn’t be unprecedented — the DS launched in the US before Japan — but would still be quite the move, and falls in line with other things we’ve heard about a possible attempt to match Microsoft’s rather ambitious world-wide “simultaneous” launch. Merrick also stated in a round about way that retro game downloads may only cost “a couple of pounds,” and that the 512MB of storage for such things would be expandable. ...

Fanjita has released an application that changes the default speed of the PSP to use the full 333mhz speed on games, heres what the readme says:

This app tries to overclock the v2.0 PSP so that UMD games will run faster.
I know that it doesn't work with GTA:LCS, but you might find something that
it does work for.

Installation
------------

Follow these steps carefully or it won't work.

- Copy LOADER2.PNG to /psp/photo/loader2/loader2.png, and then view it with
the PSP photo viewer. Set it as wallpaper.
- Put LOADER2.TIF into the same folder. This must be done after you set the
wallpaper.
- Put A.BIN into the root (topmost) folder of your memory stick.

Now open the LOADER2 folder with the PSP photo viewer. You should see a
corrupt data icon for LOADER2.TIF. This means the overclocking is now
active, and your PSP is running at maximum speed.

The overclocking should stay active until power-off, or until some application
resets the CPU speed. Unfortunately, for most UMDs this seems to be when they
are run.

Let me know if you find any UMDs that this does work for.

Download via the comments and let us know if you get any UMDs running faster. ...

A new version of the homebrew game Super Mario War has been released.

Heres What's new/fixed:

* Readme in HTML format
* Tournament Mode
* 7 new powerups: Hammer; Poison Mushroom; Slowdown clock; Bob-omb; POW Block; Bullet Bill Frenzy; Hammer
* Skins (and changed sprite structure for easier skin creation): Mario; Bahamut; Black Mage; Bub/Bob; Classic Mario; Kirby; Link; Luigi; Monty Mole; Ninji; Pig (FF1); Shyguy; Snifit; Tweeter; White Mage
* Background Music: Customizable using config files in the music directory
* Team Play
* Warping pipes
* 5 New Game Modes: Jail; Goomba; Race; Owned; Hammers
* Updated Game Modes: Tag - now you can transfer the tag by touching other players
* Added new options on menu: Scoreboard placement; Announcer voice; Team kill (friendly fire); Team colors (players on same team get same color); Screen crunch; Map over layer like chains and railings
* Different options for cloud eye candy
* Fixed top row collision problems
* Fixed general collision detection problems where players would end up inside blocks
* Improved performance
* New Maps (from 4matsy, j rok, nitsuja, ventuz and Xijar)
* New map layers (4 tile layers + 1 block layer)
* Out-of-bounds indicator and timer
* Exit confirmation box
* Better powerup collision detection (no bouncing off of thin air)
* Coins, powerup cards, eggs and yoshi move if not collected in time
* Improved AI
-Collects goal items like powerups and coins
-Avoids threats like fireballs and thwomps
-Attemps to avoid spikes (needs improvement)
* Improved spawn location performance
* Team colored fireballs/hammers
* Fixed player spawning under spikes
* Fixed CPU hogging (runs at 30% CPU on my 2ghz P4)
* Improved tools in the level editor
-Select eyecandy
-Select tiles and move them around
-Copy tiles and paste them
-Designate "no spawn" areas
* Adjustable music and sound volume
* Configurable respawn time

Official Site: http://smw.72dpiarmy.com ...

The PSP On TV site has posted an Installation Video that takes a whopping 12 seconds

Take a look at the video and report back to us, heres the link --> http://www.pspontv.com/install-psp-on-tv.shtml

It comes in PC and PSP flavours the video does.

More info on the PSP On TV Adapter and preorders at Lik Sang here --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793 ...

As suspected, Nintendo Revolution will not be the final name of Nintendo’s new home console, with a new moniker expected to be unveiled in the run up to next year’s Electronics Entertainment Expo slated for May 2006.

Speaking to SPOnG today, Nintendo Europe’s Shelly Pearce, formerly Shelly Friend in her pre-marriage and breeding days said, “The Revolution is a codename for the new machine.”

The final name, unsurprisingly, was not offered, leaving us to wildly speculate as to what it might be. The Nintendo Ultratron is looking unlikely, as is Nintendo 3D Space Controller 4000. The possible re-branded NTO Fabulon Triptometer doesn't say an awful lot either; a shame really, as cheesy names with prefixes like Ultra and Mega carry a cluster of kitsch kudos with us.

Of course, Nintendo has always changed the names of its home machines from their original codenames, with the Nintendo 64 formerly being the Ultra 64 (as immortalised by a million Killer Instinct machines proclaiming the fact) and the GameCube, which began life as Nintendo Dolphin.

We had noted that following the showing of the Revolution controller at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, all Revolution branding had been removed from Nintendo-supplied official assets, paving the way for the revelation of the new name.

So, we don’t know what Nintendo has planned – nor does anyone we’ve contacted to date. It is a secret and a closely guarded one, as you might imagine. Let us know what you think it might be in the forum below. ...

So the first Nintendo Revolution software to be revealed as being playable over in Kyoto turns out to be the Chinese wok simulator as seen in the Revolution tech demo at this year’s Tokyo Game Show.

In a great interview with Games Life, Nintendo producer Hideki Konno mentions that the wok sim has set the offices alight.

“We're thinking of so many different things. We're still at the stage where we're trying so many different things. We're doing things with big, expansive movements and smaller, more concise movements. It's hard to narrow it down to one over the other. Did you see the Tokyo Game Show video? We actually have things using the movements you saw. Like the cooking game. We have this game with a big wok that you use to cook Chinese food, and it's really interesting to have the meat and vegetables frying in there, and use the controller to flip the food around without it spilling out of the pan.”

Of course, this got us wondering – are all the other tech demos seen from the TV’s perspective real, existing software? The wok simulator, that we’ll refer to from here on in as Wok: Chinese Food Master Gaiden III, was twinned with a slicing game. We wonder if that’s on the go in Nintendo’s offices too… ...