The increasingly negative, argumentative attitudes of many gamers and critics is stifling creativity and discouraging developers from taking risks with their games, so says Call of Duty: Black Ops developer Treyarch.

Speaking in an interview with NowGamer, community manager Josh Olin cited the troubling trend as the biggest problem the industry faces today.

"Personally, as a community manager who lives in the media or social media world every day, I think the social culture of video games is moving in a more negative direction as technology and social media continues to grow," Olin explained.

"Rather than growing with it, the trend seems to be devolving. More and more gamers seem to forget what this industry is all about.

"It's a creative industry – the most creative form of entertainment in existence," he continued. "Too many developers who try new things are getting burned by 'pundits' and angry entitled fans who look to be contrarian, sometimes simply for the sake of being contrarian.

"The only thing this attitude aims to achieve is stunt that creativity and innovation even further, which is something that no rational gamer looking to be entertained would want to do."

Fair point? Harmonious, generous-of-spirit readers of Eurogamer, you decide.

Of course, Treyarch knows what it's talking about when it comes to disgruntled gamers. There has been plenty of mud slung in its direction recently over the current state of Black Ops on PlayStation 3.

Maybe the First Strike DLC pack, out today, will help smooth things over.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...fle-creativity ...

Electronic Arts believes one day the game industry will get its Avatar – a game that proves once and for all just how successful stereoscopic 3D can be – but for now there are more important things.

For EA, they are Internet Protocol television (IPTV), and connectivity between devices.

"My personal view is the larger idea, at least for the present, would be the connected game," COO John Schappert said during an investor conference last night.

"I'm more in the camp that IPTV is a bigger idea for gaming, at least in the near term, than 3D is. It just provides a better social experience and you know that consumers playing with one another is a very positive and powerful motivator."

Streaming services are growing in the games business, with the likes of OnLive and Gaikai making early moves in the market.

David Perry's cloud-based gaming service Gaikai.com launched quietly in November last year with EA's sci-fi role-player Mass Effect 2. "BioWare simply rocks," Perry said at the time. "They've been very supportive as has Electronic Arts. The good news for them is we are getting a surprising amount of people clicking 'BUY' without even making them a special offer."

Another emergent technology that sits above 3D on the videogame priority list, for Schappert, is device connectivity.

"While there's no doubt that our industry will have its Avatar, where 3D is a defining aspect of the game ... I'm mostly interested, with all the mobile devices that are coming out, in how they're being connected to one another and how the same IP is shared over the top," he continued.

"I think that's actually a bigger driver for EA and the industry in the near term."

Two companies that are sure to disagree with Schappert are Sony, which has invested millions in 3D gaming with the PlayStation 3 and its 3D-enabled TVs, and Nintendo, which is preparing the glasses-free 3DS for launch next month.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...t-their-avatar ...

News via http://psx-scene.com/forums/f6/simpl...eleased-79417/

Today Hideki has released what he calls Simple PS3 Proxy, a PSN Firmware version bypass application which functions similar to the other PSN bypass methods.

Download: Simple PS3 Proxy

From the ReadMe file: Set on your PS3 a web proxy of (PC IP) port 8080

IE: if the machine you are to be running this proxy on is 192.168.0.12 then put that as the IP and 8080 as the port in the PS3 network configuration for your web proxy.

If 3.56 is still current, just run the app and click start. If 3.60 or later is now out, change the 3.5600 value in required PS3 version to 3.6000 or similar.

As long as the PS3 is correctly configured and this app is running, you will be signed in. This is licensed under version 2 of the GNU public licence, see license.txt for details. Source code is included in the archive in /src

This software may not be sold, this software may not be bundled with things being sold, this software (or any derivative works) may not be distributed without the license and its source.

Please do not cheat in online games, it makes you a lamer and aggravates Sony. Hi to the people of #Amiga, #Atheism, #Pharyngula, #PSGroove etc.

[Hideki] - hideki.adam @ gmail.com - 31 Jan 2011

Possible errors

On PC:

If you get an error about mswinsck.ocx being missing, either run the proxy app as administrator or copy the included .ocx file (in \ocx) to \windows\system32. (or if you prefer, download and install the microsoft VB6 runtimes which include this required file but also a large number of other not required files...)

MS VB6 Runtime KB article link: VBRun60sp6.exe installs Visual Basic 6.0 SP6 run-time files

On PS3:

Error 8071053D - You are not running the proxy or the IP/Port are wrong.

Update request - You have not setup the proxy on PS3 side or Sony have worked around this workaround.


Stay tuned for more PS3 Hacks news. Also be sure to drop by the PS3 Hacks Forum for updates! ...

KontrolFreek SpeedFreek Joystick
Manufacturer: KontrolFreek
Site: Buy from KontrolFreek / Buy from Amazon
Price: $9.95 (pack of 2) / $17.50 (pack of 4)


Overview : SpeedFreek allows you to relax your thumb and not worry about sliding off the analog stick. With its unique design, SpeedFreek keeps your thumb on the existing analog stick surface. There is no separation between the natural geometry that you have learned to use. The additional supporting side walls enable quicker and sharper movements, while adding control and precision. As a result, gamers report less stress on their thumbs and quicker lap times.

Quality/Usability : As more and better racing games comes out (both in gameplay and graphics), gamers want that semi-real racing effect. Gamers will pay up to $150 for a steering wheel with force feedback. I have been a big fan of racing games since the days of Rage Racer and Gran Turismo. I got my first steering wheel peripheral when Logitech released the Driving Force Feedback Steering Wheel for Gran Turismo 3 on the PlayStation 2. Luckily, at the time of release, I worked Electronics Boutique and got the steering wheel for free for working on launch and meeting creator of the game, Kazunori Yamauchi.

With the expensive price tag for steering wheel, who can afford them considering games themselves cost $50-60 each. Not to mention, the size of these peripherals and the amount of room they take up. KontrolFreek aims to solve both the cost and size factor by offering SpeedFreek.

SpeedFreek is made of plastic and in the shape of a "U" or a half-pipe. The design is very simple and basic and comes in two colors; white and black. The SpeedFreek attaches to the left analog thumb-stick. There are prongs that attaches to the thumb-stick. The side rails provide extra leverage in racing games. Turning in corners and passing cars was smoother than ever. I no longer had to nudge the joystick in order to make the turn. With a slight move of the thumb-stick, I was able to squeeze into tight spots as opposed to using a regular thumb-stick and bouncing off cars like a pinball machine.

The packaging is eye-catching. As mentioned at the very top, you can purchase a pack of two or four. The SpeedFreek comes packaged in a plastic tube. Inside the plastic tube is the SpeedFreeks are holding instructions rolled up. This also helps the SpeedFreek stay upright and in place.

Conclusion : Overall, the KontrolFreek SpeedFreek Joystick works great for racing games. No more nudging of the thumb-stick. Now I have a can make smooth turns every time and it also improved my lap times. I tried the SpeedFreek with a FPS game such as Gears of War and GRAW2 and although it helped me with my aim and accuracy, it wasnt perfect. Whats great is that it works both on the PS3 and Xbox 360. If you're interested in the FPS version, be sure to order yours here.

Images via comments ...

KontrolFreek FPS Freek Joystick (Prototype)
Manufacturer: KontrolFreek
Site: Buy from KontrolFreek / Buy from Amazon
Price: $9.95 (pack of 2) / $17.50 (pack of 4)

For RETAIL version of review, CLICK HERE.


Overview : Similar concept to KontrolFreek's SpeedFreek. Improve your aim, accuracy, control and gaming in First Person Shooter (FPS) games.

Quality/Usability : As mentioned above, FPS Freek is based off of KontrolFreek's SpeedFreek. Only difference is that instead of a "U" (half-pipe) shaped control, its similar to that of the Xbox 360 controllers. But why release a controller attachment that is shaped the same as the first-party controllers? Simply put, accuracy. When you move the analog sticks around, it feels a bit stiff. With the FPS Freek, its feels looser and gives you better precision.

Too attach the FPS Freek add-on, simply place the FPS Freek over the analog stick and push down until its securely in place. This adds another 1/2 inch in height to the sticks which gives you better leverage to the joystick. Even with the added height, pressing on down on the sticks feels comfortable. As mentioned, with the FPS Freek add-on installed, this gives a better accuracy and control over movement of the joystick. Putting the FPS Freek through our gameplay testing (Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Gears of War, Rainbox Six: Vegas 2 and Call of Duty 4), we saw that we were able to make minor aiming adjustments that would cause us to move right by our target on a normal controller. Instead of shooting past enemy heads or wasting bullets trying to shoot a running target, we were able to precisely aim our crosshair/sight onto our enemies even while they were running like a chicken with their heads cut off.

I admit, I'm not the best at FPS games as I tend to move my joystick too much just to get the right aim and by the time I get my aim to where I want it, I'm shot dead. With the FPS Freek, I no longer have that problem. My aim has been consistent as well as my kill rate. What I usually average 0-2 kills (if I'm lucky) now gets me 2-5 kills per round/game.

Conclusion : Overall, the KontrolFreek FPS Freek Joystick has great potential and will definitely improve aiming accuracy. The FPS Freeks we received were prototypes and not finalized retail products. It did not have the rubber caps on top of the add-on, so I went out and bought GelTabz ($5 for the pair) to replicate the final product. KontrolFreek will more than likely also offer the FPS Freek in black just like the SpeedFreek. As of this review, if you preorder you get 20% off when it is available.

Images via comments ...

XCM USB Vbox2 Advanced
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from GoldenShop / Buy from Amazon.com
Price: $85.00

3x RCA RGB Component Video Splitter
Site: Buy from Amazon.com

3 RCA RGB Component Video Cable
Site: Buy from Amazon.com (3.3ft Monster Cable) / Buy from Amazon.com (6ft Generic)


Overview : Enable video game play on your laptop, netbook and desktop.

Fully Compatible with Xbox 360™, Wii™, PS3™/PS2™, PSP 2000/3000 series™, Xbox™ GameCube™ or any device with component output. You can record gameplay, movie or take a screenshot of the gameplay to the hard drive so you can edit, use it as a wallpaper or record your gameplay for analysis. Compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Feature :

• Crystal Clear Picture Screen.
• Supports USB 2.0. Plug and play. Does not require any configuration
• Supports Streaming Video. Can be stored in multiple formats including: (MPEG-1/MPEG-2/MPEG-4/AVI/VCD/DVD/SVCD)
• Supports multiple picture file formats such as JPEG and GIF.
• Supports multiple input formats such as (NTSC/PAL/SECAM)
• Auto playback allows you to store in game action to your PC/laptop)
• Display settings can be adjusted such as Brightness/Contrast/Image Sharpness/Fullness/Color
• Supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems

Quality/Usability : Whether you're a game reviewer or a gamer who just wants to record their gameplay to show off to friends, post on the web or even capture the greatest moments, you would need to point your camera at your TV or connect your consoles to a capture video card on your computer. XCM has released the Vbox2 Advanced. This is an updated version of XCM V-box for the Wii. The Vbox2 Advanced works not only for the Wii but for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP 2000/3000, Original Xbox and GameCube.

The Vbox2 Advanced comes in a well built, white shell and a fairly small adapter. The USB cord is approximately 3 feet long. In order for this to work and to set it up, your computer needs to be near the consoles or you can use a laptop/netbook. This will not work on MAC's as the software works only on Windows Vista, XP and Windows 7. The driver and software can be downloaded at here. Some other system requirements are support for Direct X9.0 or higher version of AGP video card, Pentium 4 1.8GHz or higher, Centrino 1.4 GHz or higher, 256MB RAM, USB 2.0, Harddrive space (200MB for software, 1GB or more for recording space depending on length of record and file format.

Installation is very easy. Its like any other computer program. Simply download the driver from the link above and save it to you desktop. Once downloaded, extract the file. Double click on the file named "Vbox2 Advanced DRIVER.exe". Follow the prompts and at the end, it will require to restart your computer. Once your computer has rebooted from the restart, now its time to install the software. Double click on the file named "Vbox2 Advanced.msi" which is in the same folder as the driver. Follow the prompts and at the end, it will require you to restart your computer again. Once the computer has rebooted and the installation has been installed, there will now be a new icon on your desktop.

The first time you plug in the Vbox2 Advanced to the USB port on your computer, it will pop up with a message showing "Found New Hardware - USB 28165 device" and than "Found New Hardware - Your new hardware is installed and ready to use". Typical for any USB device being used for the first time. Now that the device has been found and ready to use, you can double click on the new Vbox2 Advanced icon. Double clicking on the icon will load up the software and will display the Vbox2 Advanced splash screen and sound clip. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Before disconnecting your console from your TV, be sure to set the consoles resolution to 480i/576i or 480p/576p. This is the only way the Vbox2 will recognize the signal from the console. If you dont and you just plug the cables to the Vbox2 Advanced, you'll get nothing but static or black screen.

Once you have set the correct resolution on the console, you can unplug the component cable from your TV and plug it into the Vbox2 Advanced. To display your console on the software, you will need to click on the camcorder icon (Switch to Media Viewer Mode) under viewer. A new set of toolbar icons will show underneath. Under "Select" click on "Device Options". This will show a window with "Video Format...", "Video Setting...", "Video Source", "Audio Format..." and "Audio Capture Pin...". Select "Video Source", it will show another window with "PAL", "NTSC", "480i/576i" and "480p/576p". From here, you will select the resolution of your console.

There are so many things you can do such as record your gameplay, take snapshots of your gameplay, play in full screen. You can even save a profile with your settings.

Videos below is to show you how to set up the Vbox2 Advanced with many consoles:
...

XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from Divineo China / Buy from Divineo France / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from Amazon
Price: $79.90-120.00


Overview : Connect any Component Video source to any VGA monitor for the best resolution possible! Supports up to 1080p HDTV resolution! New sleek design.

Features :

• Supports PC video display resolutions up to UXGA (1600 x 1200 @ 75 Hz) or HD TV (up to 1920 x 1080)
• Supports 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p
• Display pictures from your console (Game Cube, Playstation 2, Xbox, PSP Slim, Wii , Xbox 360, Playstation 3) on your PC monitor (up to 1600 x 1200) or HDTV (up to 1920 x 1080)
• Supports SDTV, HDTV, XGA, SXGA, and UXGA video formats.
• Works on both PAL & NTSC systems.
• Easy Plug and play installation.
• Connect any compatible YPbPr (component video) device to your VGA monitor via Integrated YPbPr to RGBHV converter.
• Applications: TFT LCD monitor, CRT monitor, Set-top box, Display projector
• Works on LCD TFT monitors
• Video output: VGA
• Automatic video source mode detection (film/graphic)
• Motion-adaptive interfiled de-interlacing
• Uses the power from your USB port, no extra power supply needed!

Quality/Usability : I dont like to have lots of wires dangling or have to constantly plug/unplug cables so I opted to use the XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3. The XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box is housed in a sturdy chrome casing with component cable input, VGA input and output, stereo speaker input and USB power input. The top of the XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box contains a SOURCE button as well as directional pads. The SOURCE button lights up when in use (blue for component and green for VGA) and allows you to switch between your computer/laptop or consoles. The directional pads allows you to change resolution and frequency on your monitor.

Below is a video of the Mega Cool VGA Box being used with the Multi-Console Component Cable.


I connected my PSP Slim, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Dell computer to the Mega Cool VGA Box and to my Dell 24" 1080p Widescreen monitor. All worked flawlessly without a problem. Pictures displayed just like it would on a TV/monitor. There were no lags or distortions. I liked that you were able to change the resolution and refresh rate from the VGA box rather than going through all the menus on your monitor/TV. What I dont like however is that it only supports 1 component cable. Luckily, I have the multi-console cable but others might not and this may be an annoyance.

When switching devices, it does not remember the display resolution. So you'll have to go and change it each time. Its not a big problem but would be nice if it remembered the previous setting. I like the fact that it gets it power through the USB. Having multiple consoles, TV, satellite box, computer and other devices plugged in, I am running out of sockets in the surge protector. So using a USB port from either the Xbox 360, Wii, PS3 or PC is a PLUS in my book. If you're not using that device that the VGA box is connected to, it wont be powered. So you'll have to turn it on.

Conclusion : Overall, the XCM 1080p Mega Cool VGA Box works great but as mentioned, it only allows for one component input. So if you have a PS3, Wii and Xbox 360, you can only connect one. If you want to play a different console, you'll have to unplug the cable and insert the other one. If you're like me and want to make your life easier, I suggest looking into XCM Multi-Console Component Cable v3. One cable that has all the connections for all consoles. When you want to use that console, just move the switch to that corresponding console and you're ready to go. No unplugging or plugging needed.

Would be nice if this was extended to incorporate additional component cables and turned into maybe a selector?

Images via comments ...

XCM Universal YPbPr 1080p VGA Box
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play Asia / Buy from Divineo China / Buy from Amazon
Price: $59.00


Overview : A true universal VGA box compatible with the new generation consoles on todays market (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii) and also with Xbox.

Compatible with both PAL and NTSC system, it is available with European or US power supply. A plug and play installation will give you Ypbpr input with all consoles, now with a 1080p resolution!

Features :

• High quality 3rd party product.
• Fully Compatible with all component devices - e.g. x-box, x-box 360, PSX3, Wii, DVD players, etc...
• Compatible with PAL or NTSC system.
• Double scan conversion (31.5KHz for NTSC, 31.25KHz for PAL,67.5KHz for 1080p).
• Output resolution ; up to 1080p
• Plug and play installation.
• Connect compatible YPbPr device to your VGA monitor.
• Integrated YPbPr to RGBHV converter.
• Supports 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.
• Applications: TFT LCD monitor, CRT monitor, Set-top box, Display projector.
• Works on LCD TFT monitors.
• Video output: VGA.
• Automatic video source mode detection (film/graphic).
• Motion-adaptive interfiled de-interlacing.
• Get the power from USB port of consoles or PC, no extra power supply needed.
• Comes with 3 component cables - PSX3, Wii & XB360.

Quality/Usability : The XCM 1080p allows you to hook up your PS3/Wii/Xbox360 computer monitor via VGA. With all the new consoles and the ability to output into high-definition, and the high costs of HDTV's, not everyone has them. But we actually do...our computer monitors.

Included in the package, you'll find the following items:

• XCM 1080p VGA box unit
• USB to USB-miniB cable
• Component cables:
  
  • Wii (non-shielded)
  • Xbox360 (shielded, includes optical digital audio connector)
  • PS3 (shielded)
• Instruction booklet

Unfortunately, no VGA cable was included. This was probably due to cost factor. Had XCM included the cable, price of the product would of been higher. So to keep the price down, they didnt include the VGA cable.

Like all cables that XCM releases, they are sturdy and high quality cables. You will not be disappointed.

The VGA box itself is also sturdy and well built. The outer casing is made of opaque clear plastic. The connectors are standard quality and nothing special. Something caught my eye though. Under the VGA CARD slot, although the connection is a male connector, there was a female type connector. This connector uses the two screws similar to that when you're connecting your monitor to your video card on your PC. You can see it in the image below but on the mock up images, you dont see it. To fix this problem, simply remove the shield around it so that you can connect the cable.

Before purchasing this product, you must know that the VGA box does not change the output resolution. So you should check your monitor to see if it supports the resolution you are going to be used.

Connecting everything to the VGA box is fairly simple and is explained easily in the instruction manual. On top of the box is a switch that allows you to switch between VGA and COMPONENT. The front has a MONITOR and VGA CARD port. On the back, it has YPbPr inputs. To the left are SOUND IN, SPEAKER OUT and 480p~1080p/1080i switch. And on the right side is the USB POWER port to power the VGA box.

All images looked crisp and I didnt have a problem with any of the consoles. Just remember that the Wii can not upscale images as it is not capable of doing so.


Conclusion : Overall, the XCM Universal YPbPr 1080p VGA Box is a useful product for those who do not have HDTV. It would of been great if they included the VGA cable as the box allows you to switch video signals. So you can use video signal from your console or connect to your PC's video card to output to your monitor. Its understandable that they left it out to keep costs low. If you have an extra VGA cable around the house, you wont have to worry.

Images via comments ...