via cvg

The much-talked about tilt-senstive PS3 pad has done little - if not nothing at all - to convince gamers that dropping the rumble feature was the right thing to do. And the current crop of PS3 launch games haven't helped the situation.

So when can we expect developers to actually incorporate SixAxis's functionality into a game where it genuinely adds to the gameplay? Say hello to EA's promising Army Of Two co-op shooter, in development for PS3 and 360.

In the latest issue of US mag PSM, it's revealed that EA Montreal had some tricks up its sleeve that just might work and turn out to be fun. One example comes when a characters uses a mortar. "One character can shoot a probe into the air giving them a bird's eye view of the land," the mag reports. "Using the tilt function, you can aim a reticule of sorts over any target, guiding the mortar's shot to any target."

The second example comes in the form of using the tilt function to steady the zoomed in view with a sniper rifle. Previously games have simulated a shake but now that shake will come from you. Sounds like it could be a bit tricky if you suffer from the old DTs. ...

new release from Dezimalhexer

PSPIconIt 1.01

it's a little program to help those newbies out there to give your PSP's Memstick an icon and a label so your PSP can identify itself against Windows.

Just pick one of the included icons and give your PSP a name...

16 Icons are already included and I'm eager to add more and V2 will also feature a professional mode for those who want to add their own icons.

Of course I'm open for your suggestions...

Greets Dezimalhexer

Fixed the bug causing an existing autorun.inf not to be deleted - screenshot added

P.S.: It will of course also work on standart HDDs and USB-Drives

download, screen, and give feedback via comment
via Dezimalhexer ...

via CVG

Japanese weekly magazine Nikkei Business has revealed some of the Wii's controller prototypes, including a hacked-up Wavebird and a what looks like a giant chunk of Starman cheese.

The other two protypes in the magazine pic are clearly inspired by television remotes, with the left device coming closest to the final design. Most interesting though is the gadget on the right, which appears to feature a SNES-style button layout and a twistable d-pad section. Perhaps there's an analogue stick hiding on the back?

Still, we can't quite get our head around that giant star thing. Is it some kind of motion-sensing frisbee? Or do you just press the star to win? We'll probably never know...

Screenshot Via Comments ...

Pokémon will be taking over the lives of fans once again when the latest in the series, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl on DS, arrives in the US on April 22 next year, and those who pre-order at participating stores will get a limited-edition Pokémon stylus.

The pre-sell styluses will feature brand-new Pokémon from the new game, but we reckon you'll have to be quick off the mark, with the inevitable high demand could render them scarce.

Players who've already poured hours of their life into training Pokémon in the GBA will be pleased to know that you will be able to transfer your winning team over to the new adventure, at some point, using the GBA slot on the DS.

A European release has yet to be announced, but if you're really desperate for it you can always import, being as DS software is - for those who don't already know - completely region-free.

via CVG ...

new release via jsharrad

Took a break from my current project to update some things that were bugging me in MinerPSP. Enjoy!

Changes in V1.2:
Fix: Changed random function to be more random.
Fix: Resampled some of the sounds for better size and compatability.
Fix: Included images into the executable for faster transfer to psp.
Fix: Tweaks to the game mechanics that aren't readily apparent.
New: Install-o-tron compliant HBINFO.TXT included.



Credits:
Harrel W Stiles for MinerVGA (the original game)
Folks over at ps2dev for the PSPSDK
Brunni for the Old School Library

download and give feedback via comment ...

For those of you who dont check here often enough, heres a round up of all the releases from Play Asia of Games for the last week for our favourite consoles:

PlayStation3™:
Armored Core 4 ASIA N/A
Armored Core 4 JPN US$ 69.90
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII US US$ 64.90
Famitsu PS3 Blu-ray EX JPN US$ 24.90
Fight Night Round 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
HDMI Cable (1.5 meters / 4.9 ft) US$ 7.99
HDMI Cable (2 meters / 6.6 ft) US$ 8.99
Need for Speed: Carbon JPN US$ 64.90
Railfan JPN US$ 69.90
Railfan ASIA N/A
Sonic The Hedgehog JPN US$ 64.90

Xbox360™:
A Ressha de Gyouku HX / A-Train HX JPN US$ 69.90
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition JPN US$ 69.90
Madden NFL 07 JPN US$ 64.90
Need for Speed Carbon JPN US$ 64.90
Sonic the Hedgehog JPN US$ 64.90
Star Trek: Legacy US US$ 59.90
Xbox 360 Lost Planet Online Pack JPN N/A

Nintendo Wii™:
AV Cable US$ 4.99
Component AV Cable US$ 9.99
Elebits US US$ 59.90
Far Cry Vengeance US US$ 59.90
Metal Slug Anthology US US$ 49.90
Monster 4X4: World Circuit JPN US$ 59.90
Need For Speed: Carbon JPN US$ 59.90
Super Swing Golf US US$ 59.90

PlayStation2™:
Armored Core -Machine Side Box- 1997-2006 JPN US$ 99.90
Full House Kiss (CapKore) JPN US$ 24.90
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. II Plus KOR US$ 59.90
Naruto: Konoha Spirits KOR US$ 59.90
Need for Speed Carbon JPN US$ 64.90
Neo Geo Stick 3 Ougi Version US$ 69.90
Prince of Tennis: Doki Doki Sabaibaru - Mystic JPN US$ 59.90
Ryu ga Gotoku 2 KOR US$ 64.90
SNK Slot Panic Vol.1 JPN US$ 39.90
School Love JPN US$ 64.90
School Love [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Secret of Evangelion JPN US$ 64.90
Secret of Evangelion (Asuka Version) JPN US$ 95.00
Secret of Evangelion (Ayanami Version) JPN US$ 95.00
Seiken Densetsu 4 / Dawn of Mana JPN US$ 64.90
Seiken Densetsu 4 / Dawn of Mana ASIA US$ 59.90
Seiken Densetsu 4 / Dawn of Mana Memory Card 8MB US$ 36.90

Sony PSP™:
Every Extend Extra KOR US$ 49.90
Intelligent License 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Intelligent License 2 ASIA US$ 42.90
Jimi Hendrix JPN US$ 9.90
Mahjong Haoh Portable: Jansou Battle JPN US$ 39.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops JPN US$ 48.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops ASIA US$ 39.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops [Konamistyle Limited Premium Pack] JPN US$ 449.00
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops [Premium Pack] JPN US$ 349.00
NBA Live 07 JPN US$ 48.90
Need for Speed Carbon JPN US$ 48.90
PSP PlayStation Portable - Metallic Blue (PSP-1000MB) JPN US$ 199.90
Pump It Up EXCEED Portable (incl. 2 Console Protect Skinks) KOR US$ 59.90
RockMan Dash 2 (CapKore) JPN US$ 24.90
Rockman Dash: Hagane no Boukenshin (CapKore) JPN US$ 24.90
Superman 2 JPN US$ 9.90
Superman Director's Cut Edition JPN US$ 9.90
Superman Returns JPN US$ 14.90
Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology ASIA US$ 42.90
Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology JPN US$ 48.90
Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology Special Pack JPN N/A
The Shawshank Redemption JPN US$ 9.90
The Sims 2 Pets ASIA US$ 42.90
Tom And Jerry The Magic Ring JPN US$ 9.90
Torque JPN US$ 9.90
Troy JPN US$ 9.90

Nintendo DS™:
Angel Pocket with DS Diary (white & ice blue) JPN US$ 48.90
Angel Pocket with DS Diary (white & precious pink) JPN US$ 48.90
Cute Pouch DS Lite (blue) US$ 15.90
Cute Pouch DS Lite (pink) US$ 15.90
Cute Pouch DS Lite (white) US$ 15.90
Dare Demo Dekiru: Rubik's Cube & Chuugen Tachi JPN US$ 48.90
Full Metal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy US US$ 34.90
Gakken Youten Rank Jun Series: Kagaku DS JPN US$ 39.90
Gakken Youten Rank Jun Series: Nippon no Rekishi DS JPN US$ 39.90
Hamster to Kurasou JPN US$ 48.90
Heisei Kyouikuiinkai DS JPN US$ 39.90
Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 JPN US$ 39.90
Inner Ear Earphone DS Lite US$ 12.90
Mahjong Haoh DS Special JPN US$ 48.90
Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu JPN US$ 39.90
Nounai Aesthe: IQ Suppli DS JPN US$ 39.90
Pokemon Card Case DS: Dialga US$ 6.99
Pokemon Card Case DS: Palkia US$ 6.99
Puzzle Series Vol. 9: Sudoku 2 Deluxe JPN US$ 39.90
Silicon Cover DS Lite (black) US$ 11.90
Silicon Cover DS Lite (pink) US$ 11.90
Silicon Cover DS Lite (white) US$ 11.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 10: The Doko Demo Kanji Quiz JPN US$ 28.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 9: Atama no Yokunaru - The Me no Training JPN US$ 28.90
Sweet Pouch DS Lite (blue) US$ 15.90
Sweet Pouch DS Lite (pink) US$ 15.90
Sweet Pouch DS Lite (white) US$ 15.90
mini-DSLite Card Holder (icy blue) US$ 7.90
mini-DSLite Card Holder (navy blue) US$ 7.90
mini-DSLite Card Holder (pink) US$ 7.90
mini-DSLite Card Holder (white) US$ 7.90

PC Games:
Ys Origins (DVD-ROM) JPN US$ 79.90

Guide Books:
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Limited Edition Official Strategy Guide US US$ 34.90
The Legend of Zelda: ...

YoyoMacy has created a rather great looking psp LUA game that looks very similar to the parachute game on many users ipods. This is a basic first release. So i would expect more from this in the future.

download, screen, and give feedback via comment ...

news via nytimes

EVEN before its release last month, Nintendo’s latest video game console, the Wii, was getting a lot of attention for its wireless motion-sensitive controllers. Swing the controller and — crack! — hit a virtual home run in a virtual ballpark.

Practically a sensation since its debut last month, the Nintendo Wii video game console is redefining the way vide games are played.

One controller is shaped like a sleek television remote (sometimes called the Wii-mote); the other plugs into the remote with a short wire, creating a vague resemblance to the two-handled martial-arts weapon it is named for, the nunchuk.

And beneath the controllers’ white plastic shells are an array of time-tested digital technologies working together in new ways.

The controllers communicate with the Wii console, a $250 box no larger than a child’s lunchbox, with the wireless technology known as Bluetooth. It is the means commonly used to link cellphones with their wireless headsets. The Wii remote also uses infrared, the same technology that links television sets with their remote controllers, to track where the controller is pointed.

In this case, a sort of crude camera — an image sensor — in the forward tip of the remote (the primary controller) detects tiny light-emitting diodes in a “sensor bar” that must be set on or very near a television plugged into the Wii. This system helps players use the remote to point accurately at specific things on the screen, like the virtual buttons to begin or end a game, or aim a weapon in a game.

Actions like pressing the buttons on screen or firing a weapon are conveyed between Bluetooth chips in the remote and in the console. The remote also contains a rumble pack, a component that vibrates to varying intensities based on information the console draws from the game’s programming and then passes to the controller.

But the controller’s most-talked-about feature is the capacity to track its own relative motion. This enables players to do things like steer a car by twisting the remote in the air or moving a game character by tilting the remote down or up.

“This represents a fabulous example of the consumerization of MEMS,” the tiny devices known as micro-electro-mechanical systems, said Benedetto Vigna, general manager of the MEMS unit at STMicroelectronics, a leading maker of the accelerometers embedded in the controllers. (Nintendo itself declined to talk about the controllers’ inner workings.)

He said the motion sensors, using the technology that activates vehicle air bags, can accurately sense three axes of acceleration: up and down, left to right, and forward and backward.

This is mostly achieved within the MEMS, micron-size machines that depend on submicroscopic structures carved into the silicon. For example, one structure moves like a tiny diving board, stimulated by the actions of the game players.

The structures are enveloped in an electrical field, Mr. Vigna said. When the MEMS elements are moved, the electrical field changes and the MEMS chip is sensitive enough to detect the changes.

These accelerometers are so sensitive, Mr. Vigna said, because electrons — those subatomic particles that whirl around the nucleus of atoms like a video game in the making — can sense the subtle atomic-level movement of the silicon structures. ...

news via ugo

Although it won't be debuting stateside until next year; Japan, Europe and Australia were lucky enough to get Wii Play (called Starting Out With Wii, Hajimete no Wii in Japan) with their console launch. The game comes bundled with a Wii remote for $80 in Australia, making it a budget title more or less designed to help introduce players to the remote and its many unique gameplay possibilities.

Wii Play includes a roster of 9 games, all of which can be played in a single player medal-reward mode or in two player multiplayer. It is uncertain how Nintendo will package the game in the US, but Down Under you are essentially getting the game for $10 in addition to the regular remote price, making the buy kind of a no-brainer if you are ever looking to play some Wii with friends or family. And despite the title's glossy exterior and budget nature, there is quite a bit of fun gaming to be had within.

Wii Play makes use of the Mii's on your console in several ways, the most basic of which is as a character selection to get started. But don't expect to just jump on in with your mates and start playing when you get the title home. In order to play each 'minigame' with two players you will first need to go through and play each of them in single player. It is a bit of an annoyance, but thankfully shouldn't take you more than half an hour to have all the games unlocked and ready to go. Once you do you are in for a treat, for although many of the games are quite enjoyable in single player, the two player mode is where this game shines.

The first game which comes unlocked in the package features simple pointing and clicking mechanics - Shooting Range. It is an obvious homage to the great Duck Hunt on NES, but mixes things up a bit beyond the regular duck and plate shooting. The first round starts off nice and simple with balloons floating up from the grass begging to be popped. This follows with a round of targets, which challenges you to take care not to pop your Mii in the face.

Plates, cans and flying saucers finish up the 3rd, 4th and final rounds respectively, with the occasional duck flying through the background for good measure. This is a great multiplayer game to introduce new players to as the interface is instantly recognizable and easily picked up. However the single player mode gets old once you have achieved a gold medal, as there are no further levels to unlock, and replay becomes just that as the same targets pop up making the game overly linear.

For something a little different try Find Mii, a "Where's Waldo" type game where you are asked to find the Mii's in your system along with randomly generated Mii's in varying circumstances. For instance, you might be asked to locate a particular Mii out of a crowd, or match up look-alikes as they swim through the ocean or ride an escalator. This game offers a nice easy pace compared to the rest of the line up, and yet could easily be the most difficult and challenging to earn your medals on. The two player mode has you racing against your partner to locate the specified Mii's for points, while the one player mode puts you up against the clock to test your powers of recognition, memory and focus. It's a solid addition to the package that should appeal to all ages with its simple point and click mechanics.

Table Tennis comes in next in what is undeniably one of the weakest games in the bundle. Instead of swinging your racket as in Wii Sports' Tennis you simply slide the Wii remote from side to side to position your paddle and return the ball. It can get a bit heated at times, but I found that the sensitivity of the controller makes it so that this is one of the hardest games for new players to pick up. I found it to be a bit of a let down that the mechanics were dumbed down so much, when really what you want to do is have a more fast and furious version of tennis, doing quick little flicks with your remote to maneuver your paddle. Here's hoping that Nintendo upgrades it for one of its future packages.

The most original game in the package comes in the form of Pose Mii, which some have likened to Tetris, but I honestly can't think of a single game I've played like this. The premise is simple, twist your remote to rotate your Mii onscreen, who will be posing in one of three stances - conservative, outstretched or the Egyptian. You flick through your poses with the A and B buttons, and move your character around the screen to fit into the silhouette of the particular pose floating to the bottom in a bubble. If it gets to the bottom before you can fit your Mii into place you lose a life, or in the case of multiplayer you lose your bonus score for that round; but you get some help in the form of Time-stop bubbles which freeze the screen momentarily giving you the chance to catch up. The music is catchy ...