via Computer and Video Games


Ubisoft and Free Radical have revealed the latest release date for PS3 exclusive, Haze. Again.

This time "May 2008" is the projected date for the shooter, which was last due Christmas '07, and originally months before that as well. Let's hope the extra effort proves worthwhile. Free Radical, at least, thinks it will:


Watch the new trailer and hope the improvements he's hinting aren't just "better FMV videos".


Trailer here ...

As I'm sure you already know, Apple has released firmware versions 1.1.4. It appears that most of the process we currently use no longer works properly. We will have a release in 2 to 3 days that is compatible with 1.1.4 for iPhone and iPod Touch. In the mean time, do not upgrade your device.

Thanks!

http://ijailbreak.com/ ...

via Computer and Video Games


A video of the latest 0.83 version of Home has appeared on the internet. Fancy that!

The new version expands the environments of the old Home with spacious outdoor areas, a bigger cinema, arcade and bowling alley. Apparently, says Sony, these changes were influenced by Las Vegas and the Sony Center in Berlin.

Although Home is free, players will have to use real money via PSN accounts to purchase furniture and other items for their virtual pad. We think a mortgage for a real house is already enough, ta.

The initial launch, version 1.0, will apparently receive a post-release expansion as more content is added via updates, with Home Developer Kits having already gone out to Sony partners.

When we'll actually get our hands on Home though is anyone's guess at this point. Watch the leaked video (which is the first of five) here.


Screenshots
Video clip ...

Wiiuse is a library written in C that connects with several Nintendo Wii remotes. Supports motion sensing, IR tracking, nunchuk, classic controller, and the Guitar Hero 3 controller. Single threaded and nonblocking makes a light weight and clean API.

This release mostly contains bug fixes from v0.10. It also includes new event types, some nunchuk stuff, and better targets for the Linux Makefiles.

ChangeLog:

Added:
API function wiiuse_set_nunchuk_orient_threshold()

API function wiiuse_set_nunchuk_accel_threshold()

Event type WIIUSE_NUNCHUK_INSERTED

Event type WIIUSE_NUNCHUK_REMOVED

Event type WIIUSE_CLASSIC_CTRL_INSERTED

Event type WIIUSE_CLASSIC_CTRL_REMOVED

Event type WIIUSE_GUITAR_HERO_3_CTRL_INSERTED

Event type WIIUSE_GUITAR_HERO_3_CTRL_REMOVED

Fixed:
Added some missing function prototypes to wiiuse.h

[Linux] Fixed Makefile to link libmath and libbluetooth

Status event is set when a status report comes in

Orientation threshold not being saved in lstate

Download it from http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=187194.

Documentation has been updated at http://wiiuse.net/docs/.

Enjoy. ...

via Kotaku


According to the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) website—think of it as Europe's ESRB—Sony has quite a few PS One classics in PSN's hopper. Because not only does PEGI rate titles; they also place said titles on their website for all to see. A simple search of the PSN platform reveals at least 25 titles that haven't been announced for PAL territories at this time. And even our North American contingent will appreciate the list, as it reveals a few games that even we haven't heard are coming to downloadable form yet.

01. Bust a Groove (Other/Music games)
02. Crash Bandicoot 3 (Action/Platform)
03. Colony Wars (Action/Platform)
04. Cool Boarders 2 (Sports/Extreme Sports)
05. Cool boarders 3 (Sports/Extreme Sports)
06. Destruction Derby 2 (Racing)
07. Devil Dice (Puzzle)
08. Everybody's Golf (Sports/Golf)
09. Klonoa (Action/Platform)
10. Kurushi Final (Puzzle)
11. Motor Toon Grand Prix (Racing)
12. Namco Museum (Other/Mini game Collection)
13. Namco Museum 2 (Puzzle)
14. Namco Museum 4 (Puzzle)
15. Omega Boost (Action/Shooter)
16. Ridge Racer (Racing/Arcade Racing)
17. Ridge Racer Type 4 (Racing)
18. Rollcage (Racing)
19. Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Action/Platform)
20. Tekken 2 (Fighting/Beat-Em-Up)
21. Tekken 3 (Fighting/Beat-Em-Up)
22. Twisted Metal (Racing)
23. Vib Ribbon (Other/Music games)
24. Wip3out (Racing/Futuristic Racing)
25. WipeOut 2097 (Racing/Futuristic Racing)

I was actually incredibly excited about the prospect of Tekken 3 before I remembered that I have Tekken Tag Tournament sitting on my shelf...and the original Twisted Metal looked enticing before I remembered the sequel was already on my hard drive. See anything you're jazzed about? ...

Press release from elspa:

Two arrested for while-you-wait console chipping service; homebrew console chipping operation terminated.

Wednesday 27th February/... Two men, who peddled a while-you-wait console chipping service at a Midlands computer fair while simultaneously selling pre-chipped Nintendo® Wii™ and Nintendo® Wii™ consoles have been arrested.

The men, who operated a stand alongside other genuine businessmen, were caught offering the ‘service’ at the Robin Park Sports Centre in Wigan, where it was also discovered they were selling a number of illegally copied Xbox 360 and Wii games and a number of counterfeit DVD films.

The warrant for the raid, obtained and executed under the Trade Marks Act 1994, was carried out on the evening of 16th January at the Robin Park computer fair by officers of Greater Manchester Police and Wigan Trading Standards following investigative test purchases made by ELSPA’s (the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) I.P. Crime Unit.

One of the two men arrested, who, like his partner-in-crime, cannot be named until further investigations have been carried out, was a resident of the West Midlands. Consequently Wolverhampton City Council Trading Standards Service, West Midlands Police and ELSPA investigators executed an entry warrant at his home in Dudley where it was discovered he was running a functioning chipping factory in his garage. Further documents found at the premises resulted in the execution of a further raid at a business premises in the Wolverhampton area on 17th January from where other counterfeiting equipment was seized.

The second arrested man was a resident of Leyland in Preston, Lancashire, and during the search of his house a substantial quantity of Wii and Xbox 360 games were recovered.

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA said: “The raid at The Robin Park Sports Complex highlights the ongoing commitment demonstrated by local Trading Standards authorities in stamping this kind of operation out. ELSPA would like to thank everyone involved for their work instigating this investigation and helping to protect local traders and the general community from the effects of pirated goods.”

Julie Middlehurst, Wigan’s Chief Trading Standards Officer, added: “This operation shows that we will not tolerate anyone selling counterfeit goods in Wigan, and will take the appropriate action. Counterfeit good not only affect the people who produce the genuine goods but local businesses who sell them.

“We’d like to thank Robin Park Sports Centre for its co-operation. It has enabled us to remove any illegal activity from what is an otherwise thoroughly honest and well-respected event.”

Peter Calvert, Wolverhampton Trading Standards Service Manager, said: “The Wolverhampton part of this operation is part of a sustained effort to fight product counterfeiting in the City. Selling fake items is designed to dupe innocent consumers, harm the livelihoods of honest traders and line the pockets of the greedy” ...

AgentQ has released a new test version of ScummVM for DS. heres the release info:


Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

via Games Industry


The British Board of Film Classification has hit back at suggestions that it doesn't provide a more effective ratings system than the Pan European Game Information version, as suggested by Microsoft's UK head of corporate affairs Matt Lambert, at a CMS Select Committee hearing yesterday.

Lambert had said that the "BBFC is set up to rate films, and it takes that approach for games when a different approach is required," and that the PEGI system was "a different depth, it's more sensible, and it also has a European aspect to it."

But speaking to GamesIndustry.biz the BBFC has rejected those claims, and stated that while the body uses the same symbols as for films in order to enable a greater understand of the level of content to be expected in games, it doesn't "classify games in the same way that we classify films, because we physically play the game."

"We know for a fact that the public is confused by [the PEGI] symbols, they don't understand them," said a spokesperson. "They do understand consumer advice which says 'Contains strong language' or 'Contains strong violence'.

"The fact is, we provide consumer advice about the content - and extended information - on our Parents website about exactly the sort of things you can expect to encounter in the game, in all of the games we classify - and we do it in words, which people understand, they don't understand the pictograms.

"We know this - in January we did research and the public really couldn't get their heads around what a spider meant. That is not sufficient information for them to make a decision."

In addition, while the BBFC admits that there is confusion over game ratings, it's not helped by the PEGI system.

"What people think about the PEGI system is that it's a difficulty rating," said the spokesperson. "One of the parents in our research groups was complaining that she had bought a game with a 3+ on thinking it was suitable for her child, and it turned out to be a complicated sports game - whereas if they see a PG12, they know it's going to have the sort of content (and here you can argue that the system is similar) as they would expect from a 12-rated film.

"Just like when they get a film that's an 18, and says 'Strong bloody violence' they have an idea of what that is, because they've seen it in 18-rated films…The fact is, sticking a spider on the back of a box is not going to help a person make the kind of decision that they ought to be making about games."

The BBFC also underlined that during its review process it employs people that actually plays through the games, and noted the contrast with the PEGI methodology.

"Unlike the PEGI system, which is purely a tick-box system filled in by the distributor themselves, the BBFC has very well-qualified games examiners - who are games fans themselves - to play the games right through all the levels, with the cheat codes, and spend a lot of time playing them so that they know what the content is.

"Yes, we're using the same symbols that we use for films, but that's because parents understand what those symbols mean."

The CMS Select Committee is investigating the effect of violence in videogames and on the Internet, alongside the Byron Report, with the latter publication expected to recommend improvements to the age rating system in the UK. ...

News/release from Bootsector:


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