via Games Industry


Electronic Arts' FIFA 08 remains at number one in the UK all-formats charts this week, reflecting the success it enjoys elsewhere in Europe.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 racer Project Gotham Racing 4 makes a strong debut at number two, nudging another format exclusive, Halo 3, to three.

THQ's movie tie-in Ratatouille jumps up the charts from eight to four as it piggybacks the building momentum for the well-received Disney/Pixar film

EA's MySims for the Wii and the multiformat Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 are at five and six, respectively, while THQ's Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights drops from number three to seven.

Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man climbs back into the top ten at eight, while Nintendo's Wii Play and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training finish off the top ten at nine and ten, respectively.

The only other new entry in the charts this week is Vivendi's Crash of the Titans at 19.

The new price and SKU for the PlayStation 3 seems to have helped improve software sales for Sony, with Heavenly Sword re-entering the top 40 at 14 and MotorStorm climbing from 23 to 18. ...

via Eurogamer


Every Extend Extra Extreme (E4) and Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe are this week's Xbox Live Arcade releases, and should be waiting for you to fling 800 Microsoft points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30) at both of them this time tomorrow morning.

As well as being the spiritual home of Dawson's Creek, E4 is the sequel to the PSP Every Extend Extra, which we thought was smashing (we'll give you a couple of seconds to let that one sink in). Like its predecessor (we did like its predecessor!), it sees players trying to cause chain reactions by detonating themselves in the midst of wacky space ships.

Having originated with a lone Japanese programmer as, simply, "Every Extend", the PSP version was adapted by Q Entertainment to centre around music - with chain reactions popping off various musical effects, which gradually intensify and accelerate as you collect power-ups and string together bigger explosions.

The 360 version massively increases the game's visual effects quota (we were playing it last night, and it's like having a firework display in a kaleidoscope), and features a total of five gameplay modes - including a new, actual shoot-'em-up mode and multiplayer.

Meanwhile, as everyone knows, Speedball 2 is a remake of a classic futuristic sports game from when Kristan was only about 38, and followers will also be watching out for downloadable content packs after it's released. ...

via Games Industry


While blogs and consumer websites jumped on unconfirmed reports yesterday that Rare is currently working on Perfect Dark 2 for the Xbox 360, the developer has shrugged off any speculation of unconfirmed projects.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Lee Schuneman, head of production at Rare, has said that it's nothing new – rumours come and go, but the team won't be talking about any possible projects until it's good and ready.


Original reports came from the blog GameGuru, which suggested a true sequel to N64 game was in development.

Rare is currently working on a new title in the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, which Schuneman has previously promised will "bring something entirely new" to the series, and is likely to be the major focus for the celebrated developer in the near future. ...

via Eurogamer


A bit like when my mouse cursor goes to sleep, or when Nanna rings to ask why I'm not married yet, the original price of Lumines Live was met with shouting. Good news then for those of you who didn't bother with it, because Q is permanently cutting the price on Wednesday, 17th October.

From then on, it will cost just 800 Microsoft points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30) rather than 1200. What's more, Q is letting you download "Heavenly Star" and "Breeze" skins for free between 17th October and 14th November - providing you're an Xbox Live Gold member.

There's also a "Rockin' Holiday Pack" due for release on Wednesday, priced 400 points (GBP 3.40 / EUR 4.65).

You will still have to pay a few hundred points more than the base 800 to fill out the extra gameplay modes like Puzzle, but it's still not a terrible price for a port of what was - and remains - one of the PSP's best original puzzle games.

Not sure what Lumines is? It's a puzzle game where blocks of two opposing colours fall into a wider-than-it-is-tall rectangular play area and you have to try and arrange them so that they form same-coloured squares of two by two. This is complicated by the fact that they generally descend in little confused clusters of competing colours that have to be disentangled.

When you have same-coloured two-by-two squares arranged neatly in the box, they get all warm and glowy, and a vertical line that sweeps left to right across the play area removes them with its passing. In order to net bigger scores, you want to line up several squares at the same time.

This being a Q Entertainment game, it's all done to the sound of dance and pop music, and is regularly refreshed by new songs and changes of pace for the sweeping vertical line and the rate of the blocks' initial descent. ...

via Eurogamer


Microsoft has trumpeted that Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom will be out across Europe on 1st February.

It is the best part of a year later than we had previously expected it; presumably developer Blueside felt it needed more time to polish things like four-player co-operative play.

Circle of Doom is an action role-playing game that departs slightly from the strategy (think Dynasty Warriors-like) roots of the series. The idea is to run around and kill things in brutal and glorious fast-paced combat, using combo attacks and fancy special moves to put an end to their wretched lives.

Blueside is also keen to tout its random map generator, which apparently will give you and your friends an endless sea of areas to explore to gain experience and treasure from.


Screenshots ...

Hi!

I'm here to release LightMP3 version 1.6.0 BETA.
Why beta?
Because I tested this version only a little, and there are some issues still to solve (like the problem with the USB connection)...
Now the app is compiled for kernel 3.xx (doesen't work under 3.71, next version will) and you have to install it in the directory PSP/GAME3xx

Here's the changelog:
-Added: LightMP3 is now a 3.xx application (install it in PSP/GAME3XX directory)
-Added: support to OGG Vorbis file (with streaming, so no filesize-related problems)
OGG Vorbis has fast forward and rewind
Note: the equalizer won't work with OGG Vorbis file.
OGG Vorbis works fine with CPU @ 50Mhz
-Added: Now supports 8khz, 11khz, 12khz, 16khz, 22khz, 24khz, 32khz, 44khz, 48khz (both MP3 and OGG Vorbis)
(many thanks to crazyc!)
-Added: "Repeat track" mode (old "Repeat" becomes "Repeat all")
-Fixed: volume up and down with remote controller didn't update volume bar.
-Fixed: display brightness is restored when you quit.

You can download it here: http://sakya.altervista.org/new/inde...=none_lightmp3

The USB connection problem
I'm experiencing problems loading some prx from flash0 (if someone has some hint about this please tell me).
To bypass this problem you have to manually copy two prx from your flash0 to the LightMP3's directory.

The prx are:
flash0:/kd/usbstorms.prx
flash0:/kd/usbstorboot.prx

If you don't use USB connection in LightMP3 you can skip this passage (USB connection won't work)

Comments, suggestion and bugreport are welcome.

Many thanks to:
cracyz for the pspaudiolib patch
John_K & adresd (PSPMediaCenter)
ps2dev.org

Ciaooo
Sakya ...

via Games Industry


Sony is still working on plans to distribute music and video via the PlayStation Network, with a possibility of such efforts coming to fruition early next year.

Speaking in an interview with The Financial Times, Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer talked about building a software infrastructure to distribute video and music.


While no specific dates were announced, Stringer did say "We won't know how effective [the effort] is until early next year."

Sony has already announced a television tuner and recorder device, as well as PSP video/voice chat software, for the UK and some European markets.

Microsoft launched a video download marketplace via Xbox Live in the US in November 2006. ...

via Computer and Video Games


A Game of the Year Edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for PS3 finally allows owners of Sony's console to romp around in expansion pack Shivering Isles.

The GOTY version additionally features previously released download content Knights of the Nine.

However, for some reason the recently released content Fighter's Stronghold - available now for PC and Xbox 360 Oblivion, and a 10.3MB file - has not been included.

Maybe it'll appear in the Game of Next Year Edition. Badumtish.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition is out for PS3 in December. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Sony's PlayStation Eye, essentially the follow-up to EyeToy, will hit the UK on November 7.

It comes bundled with EyeCreate - on Blu-ray disc - software which allows you to create and personalise your own videos (purchasers of Eye of Judgement can still download a free version of EyeCreate on PSN from October 25).

PlayStation Eye, which has been designed for PS3, will set you back £24.99. ...