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News via nintendomax




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Well, you might've read it in the main news, we were waiting for the prototype batteries to finish up the case.

Here they are, they are not wrapped up yet, but the size and type is the final one, so this is another step finished.

Also, regarding drivers, we will have something for you soon - I'm sure you'll be happy... but that will have to wait until I write the next blog entry.

http://www.openpandora.org/blog.php ...

Well, you might've read it in the main news, we were waiting for the prototype batteries to finish up the case.

Here they are, they are not wrapped up yet, but the size and type is the final one, so this is another step finished.

Also, regarding drivers, we will have something for you soon - I'm sure you'll be happy... but that will have to wait until I write the next blog entry.

http://www.openpandora.org/blog.php ...

Call it hints 2.0.

Nintendo is working on a gameplay system meant to ease the pain of completing a difficult game, without watering it down so much that it turns hardcore gamers off.

The new system, described in a patent filed by Nintendo Creative Director Shigeru Miyamoto on June 30, 2008, but made public today, looks to solve the issue of casual gamers losing interest in a game before they complete it, while still maintaining the interest of hardcore gamers.

The solution would turn a game into a full-length cut scene of sorts, allowing players to jump into and out of the action whenever they wanted. But when played this way, gamers would not be able to save their progress, maintaining the challenge of completing a game without skipping or cheating. It would also allow players to bring up in-game hint videos and skip directly to particular scenes in games.

While the patent doesn't describe how the automated gameplay (referred to as "digest moving image" in the patent) would be presented to gamers, either as a true cut-scene or as a recorded play-through, it does state that the playthrough will likely come from a game developers playing of the game.

In a game, this new play style would be broken up into three options: Game, digest and scene menu, according to the patent.

Game allows gamers to play the game in the normal way, though they can bring up video hints whenever they get stuck. These hints will appear in a screen that pops up in the top right corner of the screen.

Digest allows gamers to watch a video of a game developers play through of the game, which lays out the storyline and "flow of the scenario" from beginning to the end. At any time a player can press a button to jump into the action of the scene currently being shown. This is done by loading game saves downloaded automatically through a network.

Players will start the scene with the appropriate character attribute boosts and items for that part of the game. Saving is not allowed in digest mode.

The scene menu allows gamers to skip directly to a specific scene to play, without having to watch the digest or load a saved game.

This patent, if implemented correctly, could successfully help gaming make the leap from narrative fun, to something more open-ended and free range, the first real sandbox video game.

Imagine being able to play a game with all of the benefits of characters, story and goals, but without having to spend 10 to 20 hours of your life to enjoy doing so.

Of course, that's the best case scenario. The worst, is that this turns gaming into an interactive cut-scene, removing all of pleasure of achievement from gaming and instead turning it into a glorified demo.

http://kotaku.com/5127251/nintendo-k...hift-in-design ...

News/release from Armin Tamzarian

Metaphrasis is a static conversion class for transforming RGBA image buffers into various GX texture formats for Wii homebrew development. Metaphrasis is written in C++ and makes use of a community standard and newly developed algorithms for conversion of 32-bit RGBA data buffers into various GX texture formats common to both the Gamecube and Wii platforms.

This library was developed in-full by Armin Tamzarian with the support of developers in #wiibrew on EFnet, Chaosteil of libwiisprite, and DrTwox of GRRLIB.

http://code.google.com/p/metaphrasis/ ...

News/release from Armin Tamzarian

FreeTypeGX is a wrapper class for libFreeType which renders a compiled FreeType parsable font into a GX texture for Wii homebrew development. FreeTypeGX is written in C++ and makes use of a selectable pre-buffered or buffer-on-demand methodology to allow fast and efficient printing of text to the EFB.

Note: As of version 0.2.1 FreeTypeGX has forked into two disparate projects and now relies upon the Metaphrasis library.

http://code.google.com/p/freetypegx/ ...

Could a PlayStation 2 software emulator be coming to all PlayStation 3's in the near future?

Yes we know your launch PlayStation 3 plays PlayStation 2 games. Good for you. However, with a necessary chip missing from recent models, the rest of us are left in the lurch.

So here comes the rumour that Sony is looking into the problem. In order to keep the PS3's price down the originally included PS2 chips were cut out (look here to see the reformed PS3 board), so the only solution is to develop software emulation. Reportedly anyone who's up to the challenge can enter the frame.

The rumour comes from NeoGAF member Meph who recounts what was told to him by a Sony representative (openly described as a 'tool'). The story goes that Sony might be willing to buy a PlayStation 2 emulator for the future.

"He mentioned that since the PS2 has just 1 year left on its life-cycle not to expect them to develop anything new with regards to backwards compatibility," says Meph.

"He then leans in and lowers his voice, as if to tell me some deep dark secret and mentions that Sony may be willing to potentially buy a PS2 emulator to put in future consoles."

According to Meph this similarly happened with PlayStation 1 backwards compatibility in the PlayStation 2.

How exactly an independent coder could create a PlayStation 2 emulator without a PlayStation 3 development kit, we're unawares, but intriguing nonetheless.

http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/playstation3/rumour-ps2-emulator-coming-playstation-3-$1259719.htm ...

Is the $399 price tag of the 80 GB PlayStation 3 getting you down? Not to worry – the system offers you more bang for your buck than a similar Xbox 360 or Wii setup would, according to Sony.

In a recent press release, the Sony marketing team brands the PS3 as the best deal in gaming, and blasts the Xbox 360 for being a "burden on the wallet."

"The Xbox 360 requires additional money, multiple upgrades and additional external devices," the release reads.

Comparing an 80GB PS3 at $399 and an Xbox 360 Arcade unit at USD $199, Sony makes the case that to upgrade the latter to include all the features of the former would cost USD $449 - $499. Comparing the two consoles' features, Sony says adding a wi-fi adapter ($100), hard drive ($100-$150) and an Xbox Live Gold membership ($50 a year) to the cost of an Xbox 360 Arcade would push its cost over $400.

The release did not compare Sony consoles with other Microsoft SKUs, including the Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a 120 GB hard drive for $399 and the Xbox 360 Pro unit, which features a 60 GB hard drive for $299.

But it's not just money that you'll lose if you pick an Xbox 360 over a PS3, in Sony's estimation. In addition to your hard-earned cash, you'll also be saying goodbye to valuable living room space. Sony accuses the Xbox 360 of requiring so many add-ons that it will "add clutter to the entertainment center."

The only unique Xbox 360 add-ons that we're aware of are the now-obsolete HD-DVD peripheral and the optional wi-fi adapter, which is about the size of a pack of gum and snaps snugly onto the back of the console. All other peripherals (controllers, cables, camera, chatpad, etc.) are similar for both Sony and Microsoft consoles.

The Xbox 360 bore the brunt of Sony's derision, but the Nintendo Wii didn't escape a beating. According to Sony marketing folks, "the Wii's lack of enhanced features comes at the expense of a comprehensive entertainment solution." Ouch.

What do you think about the comparative value of the three major game consoles? Is the Xbox 360 too expensive? Is the PlayStation 3 the best deal in town? Is the Wii a comprehensive entertainment solution? Let us know in the comments section.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/942/942933p1.html ...