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by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:54
With the PlayStation 3's launch less than a month away, review units have started to arrive with Japanese-language publications including Impress Game Watch, which kicked off its coverage with a tour of the system's multimedia functionality.
In the feature, partially translated by IGN, Impress portrayed the PlayStation 3 as quite a versatile multimedia device, capable of ripping CD music into a number of formats, playing content from external USB devices and allowing for a broad range of video and audio standards.
Of course we already know the machine can support 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, but on the audio front the Cross Media Bar (XMB) menu system allows you to tailor the solution to the specifics of your hi-fi set-up, selecting from Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, AAC, or Linear PCM with 2ch, 5.1ch and 7.1ch available in 44.1kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz and 192kHz. You can also make it clear whether your audio is coming through HDMI, optical or AV Multi. Or, if you're a dimwit like me, you can just hit "auto" for everything.
A Blu-Ray movie playback options menu allows you to pre-select disk menu language and default audio and subtitles languages, and movie start-up is said to take less than ten seconds once you've selected the disc through the XMB. (Games, incidentally, auto-start when inserted, rather than waiting for a prompt ala Blu-Ray.)
Movie playback also allows for MPEG2 files stored on the hard disk at 1920x1080. Although IGN's translation makes no reference to other supported formats, it seems fair to assume that the console will allow for the same range as the PSP, and that this may change with system software upgrades - thought to be planned on the same sort of scale as PSP.
What's already supported is an Xbox 360-style capacity to explore external USB devices, in this case PSP, and play music and movies and view images stored there. Another way of listening to music is to rip CDs to the PS3's hard disk, which can be done in various bit-rates up to 352Kbps, in MP3, AAC and ATRAC3 formats. The PS3 also knows to go online and fetch track information from a music database. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:53
Panasonic says that its new 4-layer 100GB Blu-ray discs are so durable that you'll be able to retrieve the data in 100 years' time (which reminds us a lot of the claims they originally made about CDs, as one may recall). The company has been at work for the last few years making use of "tellurium suboxide palladium-doped phase-change recording films" (or Te-O-Pd, for those in the know) to improve the capacity of its Blu-ray discs. But the company has now achieved what appears to be the optimal ratio for durability and size: a 100GB disc that will last you a century. Of course, a few months ago Panasonic scientists completed a research paper showing a disc-making technique that kicked that timeframe up to 500 years, but could only hold 50GB of data. So that may indicate that if you have 1GB that you really need to be preserved for the next several thousand years, you may want to get some serious cash together and give Panasonic a ring. Of course, all of these developments assume that firstly in 100 years Blu-ray readers will have won the format war, and secondly, will still be around. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:52
If you've been hankerin' for a bit more room to stash pr0n Xbox Live downloads and other various medias on your 360, and you're not so keen on squeezing in a backup solution or dealing with a frumpy external drive, it looks like you're in luck. Microsoft just announced a 100GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 at their little X06 shindig in Korea, and the drive should be making its way to shelves -- at least in Korea -- by March of '07. There's no info on price yet, or really much info at all, but when has a PowerPoint slide full of Korean characters and lame-fonted "100 GB" overlays ever steered you wrong? ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:49
Blue Dragon 360 bundles sell out after first day of pre-orders
Ladies and gentlemen, you might want to sit down; the Xbox 360 has sold out In Japan. Well, the special-edition Blue Dragon bundles have, anyway.
Pre-orders began yesterday for the SE bundle, of which there are 10,000 units, and it miraculously managed to sell out in Japan almost immediately, with the additional 90,000 'standard' bundles reportedly selling fast.
According to 1up.com, one major online retailer managed to sell out of their SE allotment in five minutes, with others managing to last most of the day.
The special-edition bundle contains an Xbox 360 core system with Blue Dragon, along with an original table calendar, Blue Dragon faceplate illustrated by game artist Akira Toriyama and a set of five miniature character figures. All of this for the bargain price of 29,800 yen (134 JPN).
Considering the huge amount of Toriyama fans in the Far East and severe shortages of the PS3, the pre-order sell out is perhaps not so surprising. Still, it's a much-needed boost for Microsoft in Japan, where most weeks it has been struggling to shift even 1,000 units of its next-gen console.
Is MS about to get the break its been praying for in the world's gaming capital? Watch this space ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:48
Xbox Live beta of Sega's online adventure game extended to Saturday
Good news if, like us, you're currently hopelessly addicted to the Xbox Live beta of Sega's Phantasy Star Universe; you now have until Saturday 21st to grind your character to oblivion.
According to an announcement on the official Japanese PSU website, the beta will now run until 4pm on the 21st in Japan (about 7am UK time) and considering that Japan is sharing the same servers as the US and us here in Europe, we can assume that we'll have the extra few days to play as well.
Unfortunately the beta has already been taken off of Xbox Live Marketplace, so if you haven't downloaded it yet you're out of luck.
PSU is out in the US next week, with the European release following on November 24. Happy adventuring. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:45
Wario Ware Smooth Moves misses Christmas. Nintendo confirms January 15 in the US with a European details to follow
Being a confirmed launch-day release in Japan, we were hoping to see Wario Ware Smooth Moves in Europe in time for Christmas.
This now seems highly unlikely after Nintendo confirms it won't hit US stores until January 15 2007. Nintendo would not disclose the European release date to CVG, but it's pretty safe to assume we won't be seeing Wario Ware over here before the US release.
If you're desperate for crazy, 10-second micro-game action you could import the Japanese version, which will launch with the Wii on December 2. Needless to say, you'll need a Japanese Wii to play it on. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:44
New multiplayer trailers stealth in, in anticipation of the latest Splinter Cell game's imminent release
Part of the Splinter Cell: Double Agent experience will involve returning to the murky world of Spies versus Mercs confrontations in multiplayer. Already proving its quality in previous games in the series, the multiplayer has Mercs playable from the first-person perspective while the sneaky Spies are played in third-person allowing players to be more aware of the environment. Double Agent throws a few tweaks into the mix to evolve the gameplay - two new trailers show Mercs and Spies in operation.
Double Agent on Xbox 360 releases tomorrow, with PS2, Xbox and GameCube versions out on October 27. The PC iteration brings up the rear on November 3. We'll have a full review hitting these pages shortly.
Trailer Here ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:41
News via GIBiz
The PlayStation 3 price reduction in Japan and a delay to the hardware launch in Europe have forced Sony Corp to reduce its income forecasts for 2007, along with poor performance of the PSP handheld and the continuing problems encountered from a worldwide recall of notebook batteries.
For the year ending March 2007, Sony expects a 38 per cent drop in net income, adjusting the previous forecast from 130 billion yen (EUR 872 million) to 80 billion yen (EUR 573 million). Operating income has been reduced from 130 billion yen to 50 billion (EUR 336 million).
"A decrease in sales and an increase in operating loss are expected within the Game segment as a result of the reduction of the retail price of PlayStation 3 hardware in Japan and the fact that sales and profitability from the PSP business are expected to be lower than originally forecast," said the company in an official statement.
Sony also admitted a "decreased operating income is anticipated within the Electronics segment due to a production adjustment of devices for use in PS3, including semiconductors."
"With regard to PS3, although we expect to record a loss for the business during its initial launch phase within the current fiscal year, we look forward to the successful worldwide deployment and expansion of the platform," said the manufacturer.
"As a result, we expect that we can realise a significant improvement in profitability during the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2008."
Sony announced at last months' Tokyo Game Show that the price of the Japanese PlayStation 3 was to be reduced from 62,790 yen (EUR 421) to 49,980 yen (EUR 335) for the 20GB unit. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 16:40
Microsoft is taking Xbox 360 on tour around six UK cities between now and the start of December, giving potential customers from Newcastle to Southampton the chance to try new games like Viva Piñata and Gears of War.
As well as playing games like these, and Xbox Live Arcade titles including Marble Blast Ultra and Street Fighter II, attendees will also be able to sample the new wireless headset, wireless racing wheel and Xbox Live Vision camera.
The Xbox 360 Games Tour kicks off in Manchester between 20th and 24th October at the Trafford Centre, although Gears of War will not be available for those dates.
After that, the tour heads to Newcastle, where it will occupy the Metro Centre between 26th and 29th October, before it spends three days at The Bullring in Birmingham on 3rd, 4th and 5th November.
From there it's up to Sheffield for the Meadowhall showing on 11th and 12th November, before it all gets carted to the West Quays in Southampton on 25th and 26th November. The tour will then conclude at Lakeside in London on 2nd and 3rd December. ...by Published on October 19th, 2006 15:50
Controversial developer Running With Scissors has announced that the third instalment in its Postal series of shooters, due out on PC and Xbox 360 in 2008, will use Valve's Source Engine.
Used most notably for Half-Life 2 and its expansions, the Source Engine is now available for Xbox 360 developers to base their games on.
RWS also said this week that the game would be produced in conjunction with developer/publisher Akella.
"We've always maintained since publishing the original Postal that the game is only as violent as the player wants it to be," said RWS CEO Vince Desi, getting in early with the defensive sound bites, "and we're committed to expanding this unique form of gameplay in this next addition to the ongoing storyline."
Postal III will apparently include motion-captured performances by various celebrities, including film stars and Playboy Playmates, and will continue to star the nameless "Postal Dude" in a story that continues to focus on "social satire and politically incorrect virtual violence".
Previous references to the game called it "Postal III: Catharsis", although there's no sign of that subtitle in the latest announcement.
It's also worth noting that the game will arrive some time after the Postal film which German film-maker Uwe Boll is directing. The Postal film should take to the silver screen (or, possibly, go direct to video) sometime next year.
Source:Eurogamer ...- Search DCEmu
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