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by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:06
A group of Nintendo fans could be facing criminal charges after leaving a load of Super Mario-style question mark boxes lying around their home town of Ravenna, Ohio.
The five girls involved, all of whom are aged between 16 and 17, said they got the idea after visiting a website which features instructions on how to make your own boxes using cardboard and wrapping paper. They made 17 boxes and distributed them around the town, at locations which included the county courthouse, a library, a high school and a church.
After several local residents became suspicious of the boxes and contacted the authorities, the Hazardous Materials Unit and Bomb Detection Unit were dispatched to investigate. All of the boxes were found to be harmless, containing no explosives, biological hazards, giant mushrooms or weird flowers.
One of the girls involved turned herself into police, telling them the whole thing was meant as a joke.
"The girls found an Internet site called Mario Question Blocks which told you step by step how the game is played, along with instructions on wrapping the packages, just to see what kind of response you get. This game is evidently being played all over the country," police chief Randall McCoy told the Record-Courier.
"The potential is always present when dealing with a suspicious package that it could be deadly. In today’s day and age, you just cannot do this kind of stuff."
The owner of the website which inspired the girls has described the response to their antics as "unnecessary and extreme," but added: "I understand that sometimes people get frightened when they see something they don't expect. I can't recommend that you put these blocks up yourself in a space you're not responsible for."
"This is not a sinister 'game', it is supposed to be a comment on public spaces being routinely used for advertising (billboards, etc) but not for art (these boxes)," he continued.
"Despite what Ravenna police chief Randall McCoy says, the purpose of these boxes is not "just to see what kind of response you get". It is to bring a smile to people's faces, to get them to connect with their neighbours, to bring colour into an otherwise grey urban landscape."
The police department is working with the county prosecutor's office to determine whether the girls should face charges. ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:06
A group of Nintendo fans could be facing criminal charges after leaving a load of Super Mario-style question mark boxes lying around their home town of Ravenna, Ohio.
The five girls involved, all of whom are aged between 16 and 17, said they got the idea after visiting a website which features instructions on how to make your own boxes using cardboard and wrapping paper. They made 17 boxes and distributed them around the town, at locations which included the county courthouse, a library, a high school and a church.
After several local residents became suspicious of the boxes and contacted the authorities, the Hazardous Materials Unit and Bomb Detection Unit were dispatched to investigate. All of the boxes were found to be harmless, containing no explosives, biological hazards, giant mushrooms or weird flowers.
One of the girls involved turned herself into police, telling them the whole thing was meant as a joke.
"The girls found an Internet site called Mario Question Blocks which told you step by step how the game is played, along with instructions on wrapping the packages, just to see what kind of response you get. This game is evidently being played all over the country," police chief Randall McCoy told the Record-Courier.
"The potential is always present when dealing with a suspicious package that it could be deadly. In today’s day and age, you just cannot do this kind of stuff."
The owner of the website which inspired the girls has described the response to their antics as "unnecessary and extreme," but added: "I understand that sometimes people get frightened when they see something they don't expect. I can't recommend that you put these blocks up yourself in a space you're not responsible for."
"This is not a sinister 'game', it is supposed to be a comment on public spaces being routinely used for advertising (billboards, etc) but not for art (these boxes)," he continued.
"Despite what Ravenna police chief Randall McCoy says, the purpose of these boxes is not "just to see what kind of response you get". It is to bring a smile to people's faces, to get them to connect with their neighbours, to bring colour into an otherwise grey urban landscape."
The police department is working with the county prosecutor's office to determine whether the girls should face charges. ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:05
Nintendo has confirmed that the new Opera browser which allows DS owners to surf the web will launch in Japan this June, according to Nintendo Power magazine.
It'll come on a regular DS game cartridge and will be priced at 3800 yen (around £18), and users will be able to input information using the touch screen and stylus.
In a recent interview with cubed3.com, Opera's Berit Hanson said the DS's two screens "allow for two different modes of browsing: fit-to-width and DS mode.
"In fit-to-width mode, Opera uses both screens for scrolling up or down a page with both screens completing the view. In DS mode, an overview of the Web page is displayed on the lower screen and a pink square can be moved around an area of the page. The area you have selected is shown on the upper screen."
Hanson said you can expect the same standards of support, surfing speed and rendering capabilities as with Opera's desktop browsers. "A new feature for the DS is the ability to hand write the URL into the address field. You can currently write in English or Japanese."
Rumour has it that Opera DS will launch in the US this December - but there's no word of a European release, with a Nintendo spokesperson simply telling us: "We have not announced our plans for bringing Opera to the UK at this time." ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:05
Nintendo has confirmed that the new Opera browser which allows DS owners to surf the web will launch in Japan this June, according to Nintendo Power magazine.
It'll come on a regular DS game cartridge and will be priced at 3800 yen (around £18), and users will be able to input information using the touch screen and stylus.
In a recent interview with cubed3.com, Opera's Berit Hanson said the DS's two screens "allow for two different modes of browsing: fit-to-width and DS mode.
"In fit-to-width mode, Opera uses both screens for scrolling up or down a page with both screens completing the view. In DS mode, an overview of the Web page is displayed on the lower screen and a pink square can be moved around an area of the page. The area you have selected is shown on the upper screen."
Hanson said you can expect the same standards of support, surfing speed and rendering capabilities as with Opera's desktop browsers. "A new feature for the DS is the ability to hand write the URL into the address field. You can currently write in English or Japanese."
Rumour has it that Opera DS will launch in the US this December - but there's no word of a European release, with a Nintendo spokesperson simply telling us: "We have not announced our plans for bringing Opera to the UK at this time." ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:04
If, like us, you were curious as to how Nintendo's expectedly hard drive-free Revolution was going to be able to compete with Sony's and Microsoft's drive-toting next-gen consoles, let your fears be allayed. In a recent CNN Money interview with Iwata-san, the N-man divulged that the Rev would come with an SD slot (which we'd heard) to complement its 512MB internal flash memory (for, you know, downloading games n' stuff), but that it'd also have USB ports for external storage solutions, like flash drives and hard drives. That's not going to be a huge boon if the Rev isn't going to have crazy media features like the 360 has and the PS3 is expected to, but it's still nice to know we're not gonna be left in the lurch on the storage thing. ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:03
New Accessory for the PS2 from Divineo China, heres the info:
CODER is a new member of Swap Magic's family. It maintains all the features of Swap Magic - excellent compatibility; allow launching programs from USB devices or memories; supports CD/DVD import and backup games, etc. Apart from the above functions, CODER introduces the feature of using Action Replay codes for enhanced game play. The Action Replay codes are cheat codes that help you break records easily with various functions such as infinity lives, infinity energy, max level, etc. From now on, you don't need to find any other cheating device that works with Swap Magic!
Buy at Divineo China ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 16:00
New Accessory for the Xbox 360 from Divineo China, heres the info:
Get your Game Face on! Personalize your Xbox 360 with the GameFace customizable faceplate and skin kit. This two piece faceplate houses personalized templates placed between a high-grade clear polycarbonate front plate and a stylized base plate. Download the easy to use design software at www.nyko.com and instantly create faceplates using your favorite game characters, images, photos, patterns and more. Print the final creations on the 15 blank templates using any home printer or try one of the 6 pre-printed designs also included in the kit. The templates fit snugly between the faceplate pieces and snap into place on the front of the Xbox 360. With the GameFace 360, you get everything you need to make up to 16 custom faceplates right away all from the comfort of home.
Buy at Divineo China ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 15:58
New Accessory for the Xbox 360 from Divineo China, heres the info:
Reduce the internal operating temperature of the 360 while prolonging the consoles lifespan. The Intercooler 360 is a snap on cooling attachment that easily connects to the Xbox 360 to significantly reduce the internal heat of the console. The Intercooler 360 provides increased air flow throughout the 360 which allows the internal circuitry to perform at cooler temperatures and last longer. No internal modification of the Xbox 360 is required. A pass through power connection utilizes the existing Xbox 360 power supply negating the need for an extra AC adaptor. The unit also powers on and off automatically with 360 and the intercoolers small size will fit in tight spaces like entertainment centers with your 360 displayed in either horizontal or vertical format.
- Powered by Xbox 360™ console, no extra AC adaptor needed
- Snap-on assembly for easy installation. No tools required
- Increases air flow and reduces heat throughout the Xbox 360™
- Improved protection for internal circuitry
- Enhanced performance for your Xbox 360™
- Cooler temperatures mean extended life and reliability
- Fits in entertainment centers with the console in either the horizontal or vertical position
- Auto or manual power on and off
Buy at Divineo China ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 15:54
Hm, pretty much says its all in the headline this one so this may be quite a short story, but latest reports emanating from PlayStation Magazine in the US suggest that Gran Turismo 4 Online will finally be revving its engines for a fully playable version at E3 next month.
We don't have the full details yet, but you might remember that the much demanded online mode was originally dropped from GT4 fairly late in development in 2004, with the promised Online expansion originally due to hit last year.
Well it seems Kazunori Yamauchi's online magnum opus will finally make it onto the streets this year, with first details on the game revealed at next month's show. We guess GT4 Online will remain racing on the PS2 grid, but given the delay, one intriguing possibility is that it will provide the prototype for Gran Turismo 5 the next-gen PS3 version of the racing series.
Little has been heard of GT5, other than Kazunori is already working on it and he wants to place an emphasis on the human element of racing, but GT5 will surely be one of the early big hitters for driving Sony's planned PlayStation Network Platform, after the PS3 debuts this November.
Still Sony petrolheads will no doubt lap up the news on GT4 Online and as ever, we'll be on hand to provide full and gory details from the show floor. ...by Published on April 3rd, 2006 15:52
At this year's GDC, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was keen to remind attendees of his developer roots as he presented his distinctly Revolution-lite keynote speech. Now, it seems that he's considering getting his dev shoes back on his feet.
In an interview with MTV, Iwata explained, "Recently I have gained a little bit of interest in getting more involved in game development again." However, it's those, you know, running-a-company-type duties that seem to be getting in the way. Obviously, we can only speculate what sort of game Iwata would choose to make but, judging by Nintendo's recent record, it'd be one where absolutely nothing happens for ages, you're all but ready to give up on the damn thing forever and then a brief, startling moment of brilliance surprises everyone before vanishing up the arsehole of secrecy once again. Something like that.
Anyway, in other news, Iwata once again confirmed that Nintendo still has some other "unique features" of the Revolution left to reveal at this year's E3 - again, speculating, probably a big red knob that goes 'woo' and a small yellow knob that goes 'ackack' - and yet again, again, reiterated that the console's purpose is to break down the "wall" and bring gaming to the masses. "We now have created a system that's going to allow for a much, much larger user base than any system we've seen before", he said, yo.
Finally, Iwata stated that Nintendo wasn't milking its most popular franchises - in particular the ever-derided but still mysteriously popular Mario Party series. He explained, "We have a very large fanbase of people who expect to see sequels to those games. It is our responsibility to meet the expectations of that fanbase, but in doing so, the one thing we absolutely focus on with every one of those sequels is finding ways to innovate within that franchise."
"If all we were to ever do is just continue to make sequels and not do anything new or different," he continued, "people would view us as a very conservative company and a company that is unwilling to really take new initiatives and embark on new adventures. That's not the type of person I am and not the kind of company I want Nintendo to be."
We say: bring on that big red knob! Woo! ...- Search DCEmu
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