Source: http://gear.ign.com/articles/769/769529p1.html

Split Fish PS3 FragFX Controller Hands-On

We get an early demo of the innovative mouse-hybrid controller for the PlayStation 3.
by Gerry Block

March 1, 2007 - Split Fish Gameware is an interesting new third party peripheral designer that's taking a relatively novel approach to breaking into the console accessory business. Rather than competing on margins and manufacturing relatively standard gamepads, all of the company's current and upcoming products aim to break new ground and give gamers some unique new options for control.

Most exciting among the company's products soon to be released is the FragFX Competition Controller for the PlayStation 3. PC gamers have always sworn by the accuracy provided by the traditional mouse and keyboard combo in FPS titles, yet console gamers have long been denied such accouterments. Though a couple of PS2 games supported mice back in the day, like Unreal Tournament, and some innovative controllers were designed to take full advantage of such, like the BodieLobus Reflex, when developer support for mice on the PS2 dried up there was no recourse.



The retail PS3 version will be black to match the console.


Happily, Split Fish has managed to overcome the technical hurdles that have previously prevented mouse-type inputs from working with all games. The company went on to design the FragFX controller for both the PS2 and PS3 to finally give PC gamers their weapons of choice on a gaming console. Earlier today the team from Split Fish Gameware visited the IGN offices to give us some hands on time with the upcoming FragFX Competition Controller for the PlayStation 3.

The unit we got our hands on was a near-final prototype design, though we heard there were a couple of secret extra features for the controller that may or may not make it into the final build. What was there, however, seemed rather complete. The FragFX controller basically breaks a standard gamepad in two, replacing the right analog stick with an optical mouse and moving the left analog stick to a Wii Nunchuck-like dongle. The general design seems thoroughly planned and we were impressed to learn that Split Fish supported fully analog buttons (including the main action buttons on the mouse) in order to fully match the capabilities of the SIXAXIS.

Tilt sensitivity will reside in the left-hand pseudo-nunchuck (Fragchuck!), which makes sense, as well as two other features entirely unique to the FragFX. The first is a small scroll wheel on the Fragchuck that is positioned directly under the natural space for one's thumb and allows for on the fly sensitivity adjustment of the mouse. Combined with in-game sensitivity settings there should be enough variability to make everyone happy. The second feature is an analog button on the Fragchuck positioned just above the two relocated L1 and L2 shoulder buttons. Dubbed the Flash or Frag button, when depressed it progressively desensitizes the mouse in accordance with the button's degree of depression. We immediately understood its usefulness for taking quick aim with the mouse at full speed and then slowing the movement down to put someone's forehead right in the crosshairs and hold it there.

We put the FragFX prototype to the test with Resistance on the PS3. We encountered almost no learning curve thanks to plenty of experience with both the PC (right hand) and Wii (left hand). The best explanation of the benefits of the FragFX controller is the fact that the mouse is not effected by the variable acceleration that is applied to inputs from the standard analog sticks. On a normal gamepad, a little tilt on the analog stick moves the crosshairs slower than fully tilting the stick to the side. That's all well and good, but in situations that require precision in movements between the two extremes of the analog stick's range it can be very tricky to accurately compensate for the variable speed. The FragFX mouse manipulates the view in a direct relationship, meaning a slow movement with the mouse moves the view slowly, and a fast movement moves it fast. As PC gamers know, such control is more natural and far superior to the alternatives in FPS titles that require ultra fast movements immediately followed by pixel precise aiming.

The cumulative effect of the FragFX during our play session was improved accuracy at distance and better target tracking at close range for the PC gamers among us. The Frag button was also useful for holding a steady bead on targets. Though we couldn't get quite as much time with the FragFX on the PS3 as we would have liked; we definitely got a sense of the potential of a well designed mouse-based controller for a next-gen console such as the PS3. Split Fish is entering full production now and expects retail availability in six weeks, ...

New from Micket

Another update (i'll post a new thread, since i can't edit the old title)
http://www.micket.com/oldplay.zip

Rather short changelog this time though
VERSION 1.15
* FLAC support with seeking.
* FLAC metadata parsing (vorbis comments, length, etc.) ...

New from Play Asia



Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings for Nintendo DS&trade is a sequel to the popular PlayStation2™ RPG Final Fantasy XII. One year after the events of Final Fantasy XII, Vaan is now a sky pirate with his own airship, and Penelo, Vaan's navigator and friend. Their treasure-hunting adventures take them to the Floating Continent, or Purvama, of Lemurés and the ground below, where their story begins. Other returning characters from Final Fantasy XII, such as Balthier and Fran, who played major parts in the first game, are also playable, as well as some characters that played minor roles, such as Vaan's orphan friends. There are also new faces, such as Llyud, a member of the Aegyl race, who have wings protruding from their back.

The game features a modified version of Final Fantasy XII's Active Dimension Battle system, which can be played entirely with the stylus. When seen, the battle system looks strikingly like an RTS but with more depth in terms of character attacks and functionality. Like in Final Fantasy XII, battles initiate once the party comes in contact with the enemy, and the characters will attack automatically. The player will be given the option to use the stylus to give commands to the characters by tapping on them with the stylus. It is possible to change their target, set gambits, use various abilities, and more. Area spells can be cast by drawing a rectangle around the enemy with the stylus. ...

New from Play Asia



features
Real-Time Deforming Terrain: The terrain literally gets torn up with each passing vehicle, causing each lap to be different. Advanced particle effects cause debris and muck to “stick” to each vehicle.
Vehicular Combat and Damage: Destroy anything that gets in your way. Smash your opponents and view spectacular Hollywood-style crash sequences.
Take the Race Online: Intense head-to-head off-road racing. Challenge the competition over voice chat.
Amazing Gameplay Experience: State-of-the-art visuals, featuring high dynamic range lighting, motion blur and depth of fields are all displayed in glorious High-Definition (720p).
Player-centric Action: There’s never a dull moment, as you’re always in the thick of the action. AI opponents simulate human traits, like showing off, attacking, taunting, and doing whatever it takes to win!

description
Welcome to MotorStorm™, the world’s most brutal off-road racing event where the goal is to win at all costs. Choose from seven vehicle types, from high-flying dirt bikes to powerful big rigs, and destroy anything that gets in your way in a no-holds barred sprint to the finish. Try and survive. ...

via cvg

We've got a lot of questions on Rockstar's fourth next-gen Grand Theft Auto and luckily some bloke from Game Informer magazine has got answers. And he's giving them on the internet.

Andrew Reiner spills the beans on what he saw behind the dark, iron walls of Rockstar's New York fortress to GTAnet.com.

Apparently, despite the absence of planes, helicopters are still in the game, AI has been improved and you can still get yourself a virtual girlfriend. According to Reiner, he also didn't see one single second of loading in his short demo - which for a game as big as GTA is certainly impressive.

"In terms of scale, it definitely feels more like a realistic city. It feels you are traversing New York City. As you've seen in the trailer, there are a number of ways to traverse this massive area," he says.

"The visuals are tremendous and easily some of the best I have seen. What's scary about this statement is that Rockstar North is still improving upon the visuals," Reiner continues.

"There's little question that it will be one of the best looking games come this holiday. As for the draw distance, I didn't see one building, car, streetlamp, or pedestrian pop up. The framerate was also incredibly smooth and the lighting really couldn't have been much better."

As for driving, the Game Informer man says that the camera setup is more like Rockstar's own racer Midnight Club, giving a closer, more detailed view of your motor.

"From what I was shown, the only new element was breaking the window of the car to get in. The animation for this was awesome, and something I wish I had seen more than once. The car I saw was newer in make - which was evidenced in both the beautiful crimson sheen and suspension that handled pot holes and variances in the road with ease."

"Now, I only saw one car, but it really did have that new car look to it. It'll be interesting to see how Rockstar handles the shocks and struts for other vehicles in the game." ...

via Joystiq


The British Board of Film Classification, which assigns content ratings to both films and video games, says that video game violence is less influential and harmful to young players than violence in films or television. The board came to this conclusion as a result of their 107-page study, "Playing Video Games," featuring interviews with players ranging from very young children to the middle-aged.

Says BBFC spokeswoman Sue Clark, "We have traditionally taken the view that because a game is interactive, by definition we need to be more careful. But ... one of the key conclusions of this report is that interactivity actually helps players distance reality from adult experiences in games." The study was conducted to prepare for a revision of the BBFC's video-game ratings system -- which means that their new ratings may actually become less restrictive.

A study, huh? Using research, data, and possibly even science to draw conclusions? Silly Brits! We independent-minded Americans can make judgements without any facts whatsoever! ...

via Nintendo Wii Fanboy


Nanostray 2 ... on Wii? Orb, Thorn and Midnight all coming this year? When they leak retail information sheets in the UK, they do it right. Wii UK got their hands on a retail list (origin and destination unknown) with few concrete dates and a lot of unexpected, and even unknown games, as well as a few old favorites we're always happy to hear about. Hit the jump for the full list, but keep in mind that these are UK titles and games ... and since there's not much source information, you might want to keep a few grains of salt handy. But it's okay to get a little excited. We won't tell anyone.

• Alien Syndrome - Sega - Jun 07
• Baja Destruction - TBA - 2007
• Baja Mania - TBA - 2007
• Balls of Fury - TBA - Q4 2007
• Brunswick Bowling - TBA - Jun 2007
• Chicken Shoot + Egg Catcher - TBA - 4 May 2007
• C.I.D 925: An Ordinary Life - TBA - 19 Oct 2007
• California Games - TBA - Jun 2007
• Code Lyoko - TBA - Q4 2007
• Dragon Quest Swords - TBA - 2007
• Driver Parallel Lines - Ubisoft - Jun 2007
• GI Jockey - TBA - 29 Jun 2007
• Impossible Mission - System 3 - 25 May 2007
• Legend of the Dragon - TBA - 18 May 2007
• Last Ninja - TBC - Sep 2007
• Leaderboard Golf - TBA - Jun 2007
• M & M's Break 'Em - TBA - 25 May 2007
• Midnight - Crossbeam Studios Entertainment - TBC
• Mortal Kombat: Armageddon - Midway - 8 Jun 2007
• Nintendo Wii LAN Adapter - Nintendo - 27 Apr 2007
• Nanostray 2 - Shinen - 2007
• Necro-Nesia - TBA - 2007
• Orb - Crossbeam Studios Entertainment - 2007
• PDC World Championship Darts 2008 - TBA - 24 Nov 2007
• Scarface: The World is Yours - TBA - 2007
• Sea Monsters - TBA - Q4 2007
• The King of Clubs - TBA - 2007
• The Sims: The Island - Electronic Arts - 2007
• Thorn - Crossbeam Studios Entertainment - TBD
• Toot & Puddle (Call of the North) - TBA - 2007
• World Championship Poker Featuring Howard Ledgerer - TBA - Q2 2007

...

via PSP Fanboy


The bargain hunters at Portable Video Gamer have compiled a list of their top five budget PSP games. Here are their suggestions:

• Wipeout: Pure ($20) - It's the game that keeps on giving, with the game more than doubling in size through downloadable levels. This launch title boasted some fantastic visuals, a kickin' soundtrack, and some of the best futuristic racing ever to grace any handheld.
• Daxter ($20) - This is probably the most technologically impressive title on the system: arguably the best looking game on the system, this platformer also features tons of personality and charm--with none of those annoying load times.
• SSX On Tour (Discontinued)
• Burnout Legends ($20) - Sure, you could pick up the newer Dominator title, but then you'd be missing out on one of the franchise's most important features: Crash mode. This destructive racer fuses the best in the franchise, and lets you take it on the go.
• Popolo Crois ($20) - An unexpected addition to the list. "Popolocrois makes the list because it is arguably the strongest console RPG to be ported over to the system."

Certainly, this list is missing a few potential candidates. The recent Circuit City sale had a few hits that were suspiciously absent from this list: Lumines, for example. Do any other bargain hunters here have suggestions for the PSP Fanboy community? ...

via PSP Fanboy


Movie and game rental service GameZnFlix has recently dropped all support for PSP. The company, which used to provide UMD games and movies to about 100 customers, has called it quits due to changes in postal regulations. "The bad news is that these changes to the mailing standards are forcing us to discontinue offering games and movies for the PlayStation Portable device. Because of both the disc weight and thickness, we would have to use a more expensive shipping method and slower side of the postal system since these discs are no longer eligible to be shipped as 1st class letters."

Currently, it appears that GameFly, a competitor, will continue supporting PSP systems with game and movie rentals. ...