via Cubed3

US website Gamespot was given a tip from one of its readers about a focus group for Harmonix's Rock Band.

The tipster revealed that the focus group was told it would be coming to the Wii as well, plus would feature nothing but original artists and the drum peripheral will feature a drum with a kick pedal and real sticks.

With the main discussion being around packaging and pricing, the group only seemed to come to the agreement that $150 for a wireless guitar, a drum kit, and a microphone sounded reasonable, as opposed to the initially proposed $200 price point. Other than this, the idea of extra songs for download was mentioned, as the company clearly wants to help extend the life of the game for consumers taking the plunge. As for when a Wii edition will be released, nobody has a clue, although given that Nintendo itself is only getting online with Mario Strikers Charged Football this May in Europe, Third Party games likely will not have fully implemented online modes until the beginning of 2008.

As for the company's official line on the whole matter, for the moment it remains "We are conducting consumer focus groups for Rock Band but have not finalised any pricing or packaging details. Any speculation at this point is just that - speculation." ...

Hi all,

For those who haven't seen previous versions, XTiger is an unix emulator (under X Window)
of a TI-92 calculator (Texas instruments).
It was originally written by Jonas Minnberg and was closed source.
Jonas Minnberg has not worked on XTiger for quite a while and he gave Misha Nasledov
the code and permission to GPL it.

PSPXTI is a port on PSP a the Unix version 0.8.

What's new in this version ?

- New user interface !
- Use Virtual keyboard !
- Use SDL library
- Render mode max (fullscreen)
- Add keyboard mapping menu
- New help window
- New background image
- Multiple keyboard mappings feature :
You can now toggle between 3 different keyboard mapping using
LTrigger and RTrigger keys
- Delete files option
- Bug fix in the file requester


You need the rom of your TI-92 or TI-92 plus, but it is NOT part of the PSPXTI package
because it is the property of Texas Instruments ! (have a look to my blog
http://zx81.zx81.free.fr for more informations).

This version works with 2.x, 1.5 and custom firmware 3.X-OE.

It's distributed under GNU licence and sources are included.

Here is a PDF version of the manual : http://www.smendes.com/ti89.pdf

Enjoy, :thumbup:

Zx. ...

A new Demo of a Commercial PSP Game has been released, heres some info about the game:



Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is an all-new action game in Hideo Kojima's legendary Metal Gear Solid series. With an original storyline that follows the events of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and innovative online gameplay modes that encourage players to fight alongside newly recruited comrades, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops offers a stealth action experience like none other.

Buy at Play Asia

Download the Demo and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

UPDATE Welcome Diggers and Engadget Visitors, Tyranid has comitted a stunning new version of his PSP remote control software RemoteJoy into the development branch of the PSPDEV repository. and it allows full remote control of a PSP -- including the transfer of the display screen to your PC. Check out the full details HERE[/B]

Noxa has posted another screenshot and a little update on his PSP Emulator for Windows:




DIGG THIS NEWS



What Games would you like to see Noxa attempt to get working on this PSP Emulator for WIndows ?

Heres a recap for those who have missed the previous news about this emulator

A coder called Noxa has posted that he has been working on his own PSP Emulator for over a year:

Firstly Heres some screens








...

New from SuccessHK



Heatseeker will strap players into the pilot's seat and deliver an exhilarating white-knuckle ride that'll have them clutching the joypad as they engage in face-melting 6G turns and fight against a seemingly-impossible amount of airborne enemies. An arcade-fast jet fighter featuring 30 planes, 40 different weapons, and epic dogfights around the globe. Set to feature an incredible collection of current and near-future military fighter jets, Heatseeker's arsenal includes the stealthy F-22 Raptor, the classic F-15 Eagle, the cutting-edge F35 Lightening II, and the aerodynamically advanced Russian SU-47 Berkut. When gamers launch a strike, they will follow their missiles as they ruthlessly hone in on their targets via the Impact Cam. ...

New from SuccessHK



A prequel to Driver: Parallel Lines (set two years before the events of the console game), Driver 76 features all-new content with new missions exclusively designed for gaming on the go. Faithful to the brand spirit, Driver 76 is an action driving game that features Hollywood-style car chases while also letting the player experience the open environment on foot. The game thrusts the player into the heart of the 1970s, through 27 missions divided into six main plots. Players can take side jobs, earning cash that can be used to modify their rides. Driver 76 also offers an extensive multiplayer mode and a host of mini-games ranging from street races to all out carnage in Destruction Derby mode. ...

New from SuccessHK




In Shrek the Third, players journey as Shrek and his friends to save Far, Far Away in a twisted fairytale adventure from the movie and beyond. Assuming the roles of Shrek, Puss-in-Boots and newcomer Artie, players journey beyond Far Far Away with the help of Merlin’s magic wand. The Nintendo DS game tells the story of how Shrek and friends must work together to solve puzzles and defeat enemies while overcoming the band of villains that Prince Charming has sent out to capture Shrek. ...

via International Business Times

Sega Sammy Holdings, formed by the merger of a game maker and a pinball company, said Friday its profit tumbled 34 percent for the year ended March on the slump at Japanese-style "'pachinko"' pinball parlors.

The Japanese amusement-machine manufacturer, which did not breakdown quarterly earnings, posted a 43.5 billion yen ($363 million) profit for the fiscal year, down from a 66.2 billion yen the previous year.

Quarterly sales slipped 4.5 percent to 528.2 billion yen ($4.4 billion) from 553.2 billion yen.

The results were below the Tokyo-based company's earlier forecasts for a 60 billion yen ($501 million) profit and a market consensus of 58 billion yen ($484 million).

Sega, which makes Sonic the Hedgehog games, and Sammy, which makes a type of upright pinball game called pachinko, merged in October 2004.

Sega Sammy said pachinko machine sales nose-dived 20 percent in the past fiscal year, and times will continue to be tough in that business in coming months, and projected a deteriorating 35 billion yen ($292 million) profit for the fiscal year through March 2008.

Shares of Sega Sammy fell 1.5 percent to 2,895 yen ($24). ...

via GamePro

Confirmation was announced yesterday by Sega that five new titles are currently in the making, which represent a lineup with some very familiar developers attached. By the looks of things, all of the titles promise to make the next year very interesting for the company and the rest of the gaming market. The Japan-based company has set the stage for a very lucrative and refreshing partnership with U.S. developers that will serve to invigorate franchises loved particularly by Western gamers.

Among the lineup is a sequel to the 2005 hit title Condemned: Criminal Origins, which will be released for Xbox 360 and PS3. In addition to the melee survival features of the original, Condemned 2: Bloodshot will also feature a new multiplayer online mode which, as Sega has assured us, will be of a particularly "brutal" variety. The game is currently under development by Monolith Productions, developers of the original game Condemned and the critically acclaimed first-person shooter, F.E.A.R.

Meanwhile, Sega also announced that Universe at War, Petroglyph's new brand of RTS set to be released later this year for PCs, is also currently being developed for the Xbox 360, with numerous new features and customization options that have never before been available to the RTS genre. As stated previously by Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of marketing for Sega of America, "Universe at War: Earth Assault will surpass the limits of what gamers expect to see in an RTS game. It will be the culmination of years and development expertise in creating exciting and innovative RTS titles."



In addition, other popular names in entertainment will receive a new lease on life, thanks to Sega. Ghost Squad, a light-gun arcade game that was released by Sega Chihiro back in 2004, will be made into a port by AM2 for the Nintendo Wii in late 2007. Aside from incorporating Wiimote-based controls into the gameplay, new features such as a four-player mode will also be added.



Next, the unapologetically violent Flash cartoon series Happy Tree Friends will find a new playground on PC and Xbox 360 in time for the Fall 2007 release of the title Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm. The game will come to life (and assuredly, an eventually gory death) through the development efforts of Stainless Games.

Sega has also been reported to be developing an action RPG in collaboration with Gas Powered Games, the same company that designed Supreme Commander. However, no title or release date has been disclosed as of yet. Expect to see more on GamePro regarding this game as soon as more facts become available. ...