If you didn't think every single third-party peripheral provider would try to snag a piece of the band game pie, we guess you thought wrong, huh? With outfits like Mad Catz and Ion already jumping in, it was only a matter of time before Logitech threw on its tightest jeans, blacked out its blond hair and threw up some horns. Details are admittedly scarce, but the company has promised to provide "premium instruments" for Guitar Hero: World Tour on PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and the Wii. Rockers can expect the new gear to start shipping "later this year," though prices, designs and pretty much anything else of importance remains a mystery.
Square Enix's Dragon Quest V remake for the Nintendo DS enjoys another week atop the Media Create software sales charts, further proving my theory that Japanese people like Dragon Quest. A few new name make top ten appearances, including the excellently titled Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble Hyper - Moeyo Mirai.
Wario Land: Shake It!'s debut, as well as that of the overseas release of Bully, is far less impressive. Nintendo-based titles continue to dominate the charts, with 19 of the top 30 games released on the DS and Wii.
01. Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu No Hanayome (DS) - 190,000 / 834,000
02. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (PS2) - 84,000 / NEW
03. Gundam Battle Universe (PSP) - 43,000 / 180,000
04. Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki the 3rd (PSP) - 39,000 / NEW
05. SIREN: New Translation (PS3) - 35,000 / NEW
06. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble Hyper - Moeyo Mirai (DS) - 32,000 / NEW
07. Wii Fit (Wii) - 30,000 / 2,410,000
08. Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii) - 25,000 / NEW
09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 25,000 / 1,610,000
10. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (Wii) - 22,000 / NEW
11. Daigasso! Band Brothers DX (DS)
12. Persona 4 (PS2)
13. Kirarin * Revolution: Minna de Odorou Furi Furi Debut! (DS)
14. Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan (DS)
15. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
16. Bimoji Training DS (DS)
17. Bully (PS2)
18. Wii Sports (Wii)
19. Derby Stallion DS (DS)
20. Bully: Scholarship Edition (Xbox 360)
21. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
22. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 3 (PSP)
23. Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi (PS3)
24. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS)
25. Family Trainer: Athletic World (Wii)
26. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
27. Twilight Syndrome: Kinjiratera Toshi Densetsu (DS)
28. Pokémon Diamond (DS)
29. Wii Play (Wii)
30. Mario Kart DS (DS)
Another week gone and another round of console sales data from Japan is in, shown below:
Playstation Portable: 67,452
Nintendo DS Lite: 56,968
Nintendo Wii: 41,024
Playstation 3: 10,692
Playstation 2: 9,291
Xbox 360: 4,941
PSP drops roughly 6,600 but is on top as usual. DS Lite is next, up 2,400. Wii comes in, less 200. PS3 is next up, down 600. PS2 is 5th place, reduced by 250 or so. Xbox is last, up about 680.
Capcom in the US has admitted that sales of the PC version of Devil May Cry 4 are suffering due to severe piracy issues.
Writing on the official Capcom forums, vice president of strategic planning Christian Svensson said that the Japanese division has so far not allowed the title to be distributed digitally.
"I'm not sure about how Capcom in general feels but it's not doing as well as I would like in the US at retail," wrote Svensson.
"It's such a good version and it really deserves better sales. I know it's getting pirated to hell and back (it was up on torrents literally the day it shipped)."
"I certainly have pushed for digital distribution on the title but Capcom Japan so far has not allowed it."
Svensson added that all Capcom's US titles for the PC will eventually be distributed digitally, including the forthcoming Bionic Commando remake and new IP Dark Void.
"For the record all Capcom Entertainment developed titles will be distributed extremely widely via digital channels (not just Steam or Direct2Drive, but more than a dozen partners across more than 100 sites/portals for everything we do).
"I've spent the last year building up that channel and I'm continuing to add partners even in advance of Age of Booty, MotoGP, Neopets, Dark Void and Flock shipping," he said.
Svensson also hopes to convince execs in Japan that digital distribution would benefit the company, including titles such as DMC 4 which are developed in the region.
"I have a presentation I'm making shortly that I'm hoping will make that approach something we do with all of our PC content, even those developed in Japan, but no promises. It might not happen."
Thanks to id's new Tech 5 engine, Rage is one of the most absolutely stunning games on the horizon. But, according to tech god John Carmack, Doom 4 will look "three times" better. Wow-wee.
Speaking on stage at QuakeCon in Texas, Carmack said, "the next DOOM game will look like it's built on another engine, as it uses three times the horsepower," sending graphics whores into an uncontrollable spasm.
Apparently id's able to pull of such a massive leap in visual quality between the two because Doom will only run at 30fps, while Rage is locked at 60. Doom 4 will still feature "blood, demons, and gibs," too, said Carmack.
There's also hope for the series' usually lacklustre multiplayer mode, which will be afforded much more attention than it's usually received in the past. Doom 4 multiplayer will have a "much larger presence", said Carmack.
"[Doom 4 multiplayer] will not be as good of a multiplayer as Quake Live is, but it should still be good, and we will intend it to be better than Doom 3 or Quake 4 multiplayer," he added, being surprisingly frank for a games boss.
And while we're on the subject of Quake Live, which used to be called 'Quake Arena', Carmack revealed that the free-to-play shooter has to be renamed after an internet squatter hogged quakearena.com. Cheeky.
ruphus13 notes a new development in Blizzard's case against MDY, which we discussed last week. Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, has now requested another injunction — to prevent the open sourcing of Glider code. Quoting:
"Blizzard has asked the court for a relatively unconventional order prohibiting MDY from making the source code for its MMO Glider software available to the public, and prohibiting MDY from helping people develop other World of Warcraft automation software. Blizzard had previously asked the court to shut down MDY's WoW operations in its motion for summary judgment, but the court's summary judgment order did not address Blizzard's request. Blizzard's requests to prohibit open-source release of MDY's software and prohibit MDY's assistance in development of independent WoW bots are new to this motion — and seem likely to raise eyebrows in the open source and digital rights advocacy camps."
Weekly Famitsu issue 1026 is attached with a booklet of descriptions and introduction on 100 games on Nintendo DS and Sony PSP that you absolutely cannot miss.
These titles span from Mario to Gundam to educational software, so flip through the quick guide and find out what you need for the summer.
Strategy guides for new hit games have always been one of the main features of the magazine. Continuing on from the last few issues, detailed guides for Persona 4, Power Pro baseball 15, Dragon Quest V and Siren: New Translation are out together with the new project Fatal Frame IV. Challenge the difficult stages with these comprehensive guides and be ready for the next stages by the coming week.
Take your chance and win one of the newest handheld or home consoles if you are currently residing in Japan and are planning to get at least 3 to 6 Weekly Famitsu issues between now and September 26th. Just find the coupon in the magazine and stick it to the filled out form. There are 500 prizes waiting to be claimed so get ready to try your luck.
As for other entertainment news, this issue features a report about a real life action trilogy based on the sci-fi adventure 20th Century Boys authored by the famous manga artist Naoki Urasawa (Monster). A cast list and a brief synopsis is provided in this issue and more details on the project may be provided in the next few issues, so fans of the series, stick around.
Your most comprehensive and up to date guide to the Japanese game world Weekly Famitsu (issue 1026) has arrived and is available for US$ 7.90 only.
Please find here the full list of Weekly Famitsu magazines available at Play-Asia.com. To ensure that you will recieve next week's copy, please make use of our preordering system.
Despite the doom and gloom that seems to follow the future of PC gaming around there have always been a group of stalwart supports. Developers and companies whose best works appeared first on PC and later, if ever, on consoles. But these days those few shouts in the dark seem to be dwindling. The latest to make the jump? id Software.
But id CEO Todd Hollenshead, doesn't totally agree that they have switched sides, or that there even need to be sides for PC gaming to survive.
"That whole PC first thing, you have to go back in id history to see why id initially developed for the PC," he said.
It used to be, he said, that developers had to change so many things, jump through so many hoops, to get their games on consoles that it just wasn't worth it for some.
Last night was our monthly Geek Night in LA, held at Crosswayboy's pad, giving us a double-double of video game indulgence. I believe the line up consisted of Geometry Wars 2, PixelJunk Eden, Wario Land: Shake It!, and Soulcalibur IV, which obviously equals good times. A bit unimpressed by the new Wario Land, partly because of the smooth jazzy soundtrack, and extremely annoyed by the addition of Yoda to SCIV's roster.
This weekend, however, I'll be throwing down with some more PixelJunk Eden, more Soulcalibur IV and maybe even a little bit of Braid on my own time. It's time to take a break before we gear up for the Leipzig Games Convention. Anyway, whatchu playin' this weekend?
When it comes to keeping PC gamers in the loop on their console games, Capcom have long been one of the good guys. And how do PC gamers repay the favour? Same way a lot of PC gamers always do: with mass acts of piracy. When quizzed about the state of Devil May Cry 4's PC sales on Capcom's forums, Christian Svensson replied:
I'm not sure about how Capcom in general feels but It's not doing as well as I would like in the US at retail. It's such a good version and it really deserves better sales. I know it's getting pirated to hell and back (it was up on torrents literally the day it shipped).
Leading Capcom to throw their hands up and complain about the state of piracy in the PC market, right? Nope! Svensson instead goes on in great detail about the company's big plans for future digital distribution on the platform, which is encouraging reading for the kind of people that think playing DMC4 on a PC is a good idea.
Product Features
Pick up and play arcade mode allowing the player to access the race in just a few seconds
A genuinely technically accurate extreme simulation mode for real petrol heads
4 well balanced racing styles giving genuine progression and satisfaction to the gamer
6 game modes - Basic, Arcade, Advanced, Simulation, Extreme and Custom
Next generation giving players the chance to challenge their friends and opponents all over the world
Product Features
180 new challenging puzzles
Play tournament mode online!
Rich graphics and immersive storyline
Engaging African music and themes
… and a whole lot more
Hi Octane motorized anarchy – Maximum fun, maximum chaos, and all in eyeball searing high definition, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage is PC’s most extreme destruction racer. With three distinct carnage-filled game styles, an integrated championship racing career mode and intense in-your-face destructive action, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage is the gaming world's most smash-tastic driving game to date!
FlatOut Ultimate Carnage Features:
Arcade destruction racing at its best: FlatOut's peerless real world physics engine combines vehicles built from 40 plus deformable parts with over 8000 destructible objects per track.
Huge number of race styles to suit your mood and preferences: Career racing. Compete in progressively tougher championship wrecking your way through 3 classes to become the ultimate FlatOut champion. Arcade racing. Deathmatch Destruction Derbies, time trials and crash filled challenges.
Highly competitive FlatOut racing action: Compete against 11 other drivers in single player modes from a choice of 48 cars on 39 tracks in 6 different environments. Wreck you way across parched deserts, massive storm drains and narrow city streets.
Fully supports Games For Windows live: Up to 8 player simultaneous Live play including Races, Derbies and Stunts, plus the all-new Deathmatch Derbies and the excusive Head-On race mode.
Hilarious Ragdoll characters catapulted in-race and in 12 crunching mini games: The Ragdoll is a unique to FlatOut - which is catapulted through your windscreen or, even better, the other driver's windscreen as they are wrecked out of the race. Additionally there are the 12 Ragdoll events which take some beating for their sheer body abuse (e.g. High Jump, Stone Skipping, Ring of Fire, Field Goal and Free Kick).
Cars look stunning: See every scratch and dent all with real-time environment mapping to create a grittier realistic appearance. flatout features dynamic shadow maps for every 3D object on the track including buildings, scenery and cars making all movement in Ultimate Carnage exceptionally smooth. Improved particle effects e.g. Dust, dirt, smoke, water splashes and bouncing sparks.
Product Features
Tear up the track...carve up the competition
The legend of Rally games is back as SEGA Rally motors onto PC,
Promising to push the boundaries of the Rally genre to a new level.
SEGA Rally looks and plays better than ever
Offering fans bumper-to-bumper, heart stopping, and adrenalin pumping action
This helps to ensure close competitive race action with rival cars all vying to be first
SEGA Rally retains the looping course of its predecessors rather than the point-to-point of other titles.
I don't know if anyone else picked up on this, but Sonic Unleashed has a much less XTREME title in Japan. It's called Sonic World Adventure, which is much friendlier - but unfortunately the videos feature obnoxious rock music throughout, as to the ones on the U.S. site. I can confirm though, that I heard some excellent sonic-like music in the game at Comic Con, especially in the 'Sonic is a werewolf-thing' mode. And that mode didn't even look too bad, as Sonic wasn't all edgy and weird, he was just a brawling guy with stretchy arms. I'm actually cautiously optimistic. I do think Sonic World Adventures might be a friendlier title than Unleashed, but maybe in the end it's too friendly. Also interesting to note that the JP site omits the PS2 version from the logos used. I wonder if it'll be released on PS2 there? A quick check of release-lists says no!
Since playing through Metal Gear Solid IV, I've gone through a dozen eggs a week. I never used to eat this many eggs, but there I am, nearly every morning, cracking open fresh ones into a hot frying pan, pausing to watch the egg white turn from translucent to opaque, humming a little song to myself. Hell, I never really ate eggs sunny side up before the damn game came out. I was a scramblin' man. Quick, easy, no fuss. What has this stupid game done to me?
Is this an isolated case, or have you folks ever found yourself eating, drinking, or doing things a certain way after seeing it in a game? I'm not talking purchasing large baskets of Axe deodorant due to an in-game ad here - we've all done that. I'm talking more subtle things here. Going on a fresh fruit kick after a Pac-Man marathon, or getting really into curry after watching the marathon curry cutscene in Xenosaga II? How much power do video games have over our daily habits? If only we had a comments section in which to discuss such things.
- [Xe] new execution core.
- [Xe/Linux] Modified joypad analog axis access.
- [PC Engine CD-ROM2] Fixed audio status report.
- [Super Famicom] Fixed affine mode priority.
- [FM Towns Marty] Fixed floppy disk status. (Thanks to Parazythum for the Car Marty info)
- [FC-FX] PC-FX support.
- [Game Boy Advance] Game Boy Advance support
Burner (interface) changes
- Added board type, genre and family filters to the game selection dialog
-- Updated all drivers with the new flags
-- Amended the relevant dialogs to display the new genre and family information
-- Added the genre and family flags to the -listextrainfo output
- Added gamelist localisation functionality
-- It works in much the same way as the UI localisation, beware though, that if you have a large file it can take some time to start the program, try and keep the file small and with only the titles you want to translate
-- Maximum titles to translate is currently set at 5000
-- The advantage of doing it this way is that the whole program benefits from translated titles, not just certain parts and the speed hit is only felt once rather than every time a title is retrieved
-- Obviously this only works with UNICODE builds
- Fixed some issues with clicking behind some dialog boxes
- Fixed a problem with the config file, allowing multi-byte paths to be specified
- Double clicking on cheats in the dialog now selects the next option, thanks to sho
- Changed the menu in the game selection dialog to a basic menu
- Increased the width of the info boxes in the game selection dialog to use all available space (and not crop text unnecessarily)
Burn (emulation) changes
- Hooked up the SN76496's in Van-Van Car
- Finished up sf2m13 thanks to a small patch posted by iq_132 years ago
- Added various homebrew games and demos (can be filtered out if you don't want to see them)
- Added various decrypted C sets to the Neo Geo driver (can be filtered out if you don't want to see them)
- Fixed a rom size issue in 8ballact
- Matched all sets to MAME 0.126u3
Exidy's Death Race, of 1976, might have been the first game adaptation and yeah, it was kind of lame, setting a standard for adaptations for decades to come. (It was inspired by 1975's Death Race 2000 starring Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine). But man did it cause a stink. Players ran down stickmen with a car, eliciting screams and turning the screen into a graveyard of pedestrians. The game had no color, no digitized sound, no blood splatter, no ragdoll physics, its violence was abstract in both audio and video, and it made 60 Minutes as a national outrage.
Well since retro-revival's as much the rage in cinema as it is gaming, there's a Death Race remake coming to the screen in a couple of weeks. And the movie's history as the inspiration for a hot-button game controversy is something any marketer would exploit. So the film's official web site has a flash advergame — top down racer with some weapons thrown in. It sucks.
I was 3 in 1976, so I can't speak for the state of people's thinking at the time. But I really do wonder if its level of violence is indeed trivial, even for its age, or if I only feel that way because I've seen so much more, and so much worse. It's hard to consider Death Race as the first pebble trickling off a slippery slope, and definitely makes it more important than it deserves to be.
FCEUX is a cross platform, NTSC and PAL Famicom/NES emulator that is an evolution of the original FCE Ultra emulator. Over time FCE Ultra had separated into many separate branches.
The concept behind FCEUX is to merge elements from FCE Ultra, FCEU rerecording, FCEUXD, FCEUXDSP, and FCEU-mm into a single branch of FCEU. As the X implies, it is an all-encompassing FCEU emulator that gives the best of all worlds for the general player, the ROM-hacking community, and the Tool-Assisted Speedrun Community.
We are particularly excited by the Lua scripting capabilities which have been ported over from FCEU rerecording and prepped for further development. In order to use Lua in the windows build you will need the luapack [fceux.com/luapack] which should be unzipped alongside your fceux.exe. The large numbers of dlls wasn't our choice; but it will enable the iup user interface library which will permit scripts to create their own guis, as well as rendering the base fceux distribution more compact. Examples of lua scripts may be found in the subversion repository here
FCE Ultra is BACK! Today, version 2.0.0 has been released as the new software FCEUX.
All users of FCE Ultra are encouraged to switch to FCEUX and bug us if something isn't working well.
Head to the download page to grab the most recent windows binary or portable source code.
- Thanks to the hard work of Flash and Headkaze for providing the tools, the first of the updated databases using the new format are in this release. These are for the Sega Saturn and NEC PC-FX
- I realised today that the MAME manufacturer list and filter had really become a useless feature due to the huge amount of MAME games now supported and the data accuracy issues in the MAME XML output. Therefore GameEx now performs formating on the Manufacturer, resulting in less manufacturers in the list and more games grouped under each one as well as fixing the data accuracy issues in recent MAME builds. This results in a smaller list making the feature once again worth having hopefully. An update list is required
Changes:
- For new installs by default GameEx will not set the resolution to 800x600 but will use the current windows desktop resolution. This is to provide a better initial experience for new users, and should only be a problem on really low end machines set at high resolutions
- There is a slight change to the 2d animations. Hopefully for the better. Feedback welcome
- When choosing the Lite or MAME only option on install, ebooks and search will be disabled. The theme is set at Media Center instead of MCE Glossy
Fixes:
- GameEx should be more usable in touch screen setups as the issue where clicking the page down error did not return focus to the list from the menu with the default V3 themes is fixed
- Fixes issue where the menu would not be visible after updating the MAME list
- Fixes ICONS only being created on a restart when the first MAME list update is done
Do you find it difficult to slip the fact that you conquered a certain titular Lord of Terror into your daily conversations? Feel insecure when bragging about your latest successful Zerg Rush to your colleagues? Blizzard's got your back -- in a recent interview with MTV Multiplayer, World of Warcraft lead designer Jeff Kaplan revealed that there will be achievements in Blizzard's next two highly anticipated projects, Diablo III and Starcraft II.
These achievements will join the recently revealed achievements for WoW (which will make their debut with the Wrath of the Lich King expansion) -- however, Kaplan revealed that eventually, achievements from the three games will be linked to your Blizzard account, forming a "Blizzard Level". Kaplan likened the system to the Xbox Live gamerscore -- only without all the embarrassment one must suffer after earning 780 points from Pimp My Ride.
It appears that Activision is wasting no time with their bestselling FPS franchise Call of Duty -- though we're still a couple of months from receiving the Sutherland-infused Call of Duty: World at War, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently announced that his company is planning on releasing yet another Call of Duty title sometime in 2009. In equally unsurprising news, gas is still expensive, flan is still delicious, and the sun is planning on rising tomorrow morning.
Kotick remarked that the series would continue its "leapfrog" pattern between developers, making it fairly safe to assume that Infinity Ward, creators of Call of Duty 4, will take the reigns for the next wartime title. Last we heard, Infinity Ward was working on a sci-fi shooter -- could the next Call of Duty unceremoniously swap M4 Carbines for Plasma Rifles? We'll surely find out more about the next next installment as we inch closer to the first next installment this October.
Prisoners across the country are being supplied with computer games consoles costing thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money.
The Prison Service has spent £221,726 on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo systems and software to keep jailed criminals entertained. Ministers have previously admitted spending only £10,000 on the machines.
An audit carried out last month on Justice Secretary Jack Straw’s orders turned up 12,948 game consoles in prisons and young-offender institutions in England and Wales, showing how widespread their use is among the 83,600 prison population.
While most of them were bought by inmates themselves, a total of 1,715, costing between £100 and £300 each, was provided by the Prison Service.
The Ministry of Justice recently announced restrictions on the use of the games but critics said this was because the extent of their use was going to be made public.
Officials at the department admitted that there was nothing to stop violent 18-rated games being played on taxpayer-funded machines and conceded that prison authorities may have purchased violent titles for some inmates.
Tory MP Nigel Evans, to whom Mr Straw disclosed the figures in a letter, said: ‘Does being sent down for five years of hard PlayStation playing serve as rehabilitation or punishment?
‘This is rewarding criminal behaviour with equipment which many victims of crime could only dream of affording for their children. People will be outraged by this revelation.’
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert said: ‘While Ministers protest that there is no money for prison places or rehabilitation schemes, they waste taxpayers’ funds on luxuries which prisoners shouldn’t have.
‘Offenders should be learning and preparing for the world of work, not idly playing Grand Theft Auto and preparing to return to crime.’
It was disclosed recently that thousands of inmates have access to Sky TV and computers, and last week it was revealed that more money is spent on food for prisoners in police cells than for NHS patients.
Prisoners are allowed to play 18-rated games such as Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt, which are notorious for their extreme violence.
However, from October, 18-rated titles will be banned in prisons altogether and the use of consoles will be restricted to only the best behaved prisoners or those on suicide watch.
In his letter to Mr Evans, Mr Straw claimed he had not known of the arrangement until recently. He wrote: ‘I was unhappy when I first heard [in April] that public money was being spent on games consoles, and ordered a review of this policy.
‘I have now decided that, with immediate effect, no public money will be spent on games consoles.’
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said decisions about purchasing consoles for inmates had been made on ‘a prison-by-prison basis’.
Copies of Grand Theft Auto IV have been pulled in Thailand after a teenager confessed to murdering a taxi driver.
The 18-year-old high school student is accused of stabbing the cab driver to death by trying to copy a scene from the game.
The biggest video game publisher in the south-east Asian country, New Era Interactive Media, has told retailers to stop selling GTA IV. It is due to be replaced by another video game title.
Thai newspapers say the teenager, whose name has been withheld, was arrested while trying to steer a cab backwards out of a Bangkok street with the driver still in the back seat.
Police claim the 18-year-old confessed to stealing the taxi and said he killed the 54-year-old driver after he fought back. The teenager could face the death penalty if he is found guilty. Bangkok police Captain Veerarit Pipatanasak said: "He wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game.
He wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game.
Thailand's Culture Ministry has recently been pushing for tougher regulation of games like Grand Theft Auto. It wants stricter age ratings and restrictions on the hours that people can play games in arcades.
Ladda Thangsupachai, director of the ministry's Cultural Surveillance Centre, said: "This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse. Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner."
* PIPBUG-based machines (such as the Electronics Australia 77up2 and the Signetics Adaptable Board Computer) (c. 1977).
The AmigaOS 4 port has now been updated from V7.0b to the latest V7.5a, bringing a host of new features to OS4 users, such as IFF ANIM recording, automatic ZIP file support, undithering, ANSI colour support, etc. Many thanks to Alexandre Balaban for maintaining this port.
Last week, the perfect world here at IGN was shattered when Activision announced that it would not be publishing Ghostbusters: The Video Game, a title from Terminal Reality (PS3/360/PC) and Red Fly (PS2/Wii/DS) that was under the Sierra umbrella. However, a ray of hope has come through today in the form of a Variety blog called The Cut Scene.
There, Variety videogames reporter and reviews editor Ben Fritz reports that he's touched base with Sony Pictures -- lord and master of the Ghostbusters franchise -- and a rep there confirmed that the studio is working with Activision Blizzard "to evaluate various options surrounding the release of the 'Ghostbusters' video game." The post goes on to say that Sony's taking time to "reevaluate" the marketing of the game to "potentially coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original film in '09."
So there you have it: a nameless rep says something might "potentially" happen. We're checking into this one ourselves and will get back to you when we hear something.
* Multiplayer: When they're following E3 a lot of people get worked up about "How did Sony do?" "How did Microsoft do?" From EA's perspective how do you view the fact that there are three strong players in the video game console market? Is that one too many? Would you prefer there to be two? What do you make of the competition?
* John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts: The way I look at it is, first off, is having three strong platforms creators is spectacular for us. The metaphor I've used before is this: They make the war. We make the bullets. We'll sell to any of them. We're really pleased with that. And as long as that level of innovation comes about as a consequence of that competition, that's good for us.
Remember, last year we were the leading third-party developer for the Wii. We're one of the leading developers on virtually every platform. Their battle is good for us and the consumer, because the level of innovation there is spectacular. And I wouldn't limit it to the three. Remember things like the Nintendo DS. Remember the iPhone. Remember the PSP. Note that last year one of the top-selling platforms was the PS2.
What's happening is there's more platforms and more choices. And as there's more platforms and choices, there's consumers involved in our industry. And that's really what's best, all that innovation. Don't forget the PC. The PC is one of the fastest growing platforms for games - full stop. Not the packaged good at retail, but businesses like Pogo Online -- go to Pogo.com and you'll see it -- advertising models, subscription models like we've got right out the door here with "Warhammer." It's just a dynamic exciting time for the industry.
Soulcalibur IV has battled to the top of the UK all-formats chart this week, becoming the fastest-selling game ever in the fighting series.
The title (we're using publisher Ubisoft's spelling, before you put the dogs on us) also becomes only the second in the series to hold the top spot, after Soulcalibur II held the lead for a week back in 2003.
PS2 sales of Soulcalibur II were dwarfed by PS3 sales of Soulcalibur IV by more than three to one, although Xbox 360 took the lion's share of the latter with 56 per cent of the money-pie.
The popularity of this latest instalment could be put down to a ballsy early August release after a barren patch on the release schedule, or perhaps the inclusion of Star Wars favourites Yoda and Darth Vader. Our Soulcalibur IV review will fill you in on the rest.
Elsewhere in the charts it was business as usual; Wii Fit surged in sales but slipped to two, Mario Kart Wii held on at three, Wall-E stuttered at four and Big Beach Sports leapt from 10 to five.
Wii Play extends an age-defying sales record at six, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympics proves you can launch the November before your mimicked sporting event and still be on the blocks for the starting gun. Test its wee.
Then comes Brain Training, followed by former chart-topper LEGO Indiana Jones dropping from five to 10.
Elsewhere are few surprises; perhaps Need for Speed: ProStreet speeding from 40 to 28, or the reappearance of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga at 31.
This week waves goodbye to Alone in the Dark, which should reappear in November with the arrival of the rumoured-to-be-improved PS3 version.
Soulcalibur IV (Xbox 360, PS3)
Wii Fit (Wii)
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
WALL-E (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Big Beach Sports (Wii)
Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
Wii Play (Wii)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
LEGO Indiana Jones (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS)
Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360, PS3)
Sports Party (Wii)
More Brain Training (DS)
FIFA 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
Beijing 2008 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
Top Spin 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Diablo III designer Jay Wilson has responded to fan made Diablo screenshots created in response to the game's art style.
Within days of the Diablo III reveal, fans were modifying released screenshots to express what their disappointment in the style of the game (see some examples here). Blizzard has since said that the art will remain unchanged.
In an effort to appease fans, Wilson has now explained why specific images would not work within the game.
Referring to a screen with an added light radius (see right), Wilson told MTV that "the key thing to remember here is that this has been Photoshopped. This isn't created by the engine.
"Though it looks really cool, it's almost impossible to do in a 3D engine because you can't have lighting that smart and run on systems that are reasonable. If we could do that, we probably would in a few of the dungeons."
Wilson also addressed the controversial rainbow shot. In the original Blizzard version, a rainbow can be seen in the distance.
"No, you're probably not going to see a ton of rainbows," he said. "But we don't think the one that's in there is that big a deal. You know it's like, it's a waterfall.
"We don't think it's that big a deal; we just think it adds a lot of interest to that scene. We don't have specific plans to fill 'Diablo' with rainbows. It's not like we restarted the project and were like 'Diablo III - now with rainbows!'"
You can now dance to the music from your magical fantasies. Nobuo Uematsu, the renowned music director of the quintessential RPG series Final Fantasy have rearranged the themes from the games as a real club remix.
Some of the tracks feature music from the Famicon or Super famicon era while others are from newer releases such as the Piano collections and the Black Mages albums.
The disc is produced in collaboration with DJs throughout the clubs of Tokyo, America and Europe. Aside from DJs, Ian Hartley and Matt Baggiani from the music production group Ante are also invited to work on this rich volume.
The long awaited Final Fantasy Remix is now available for US$ 23.90 only.
So after not being updated for a good half a decade, PCSXTrace is back! Since I lost the original source code, I had to do everything from scratch...Still from 1.5 because it hasn't been updated. And that's a good thing if you've played around with PCSXTrace before. So the major changes are that it has many more cpu tracing options and I ditched the special (gpu, dma, etc) tracing options because I don't think anybody uses those. I would've recoded them but I'm hoping to add a debugger someday.
You can download it below from its RHDN home: PCSXTrace 1.5b
I'm very proud to announce that MyBB 1.4 has been released and is now available directly on the MyBB website.
MyBB 1.4 is a great leap forward in terms of both functionality of the board as well as a complete overhaul of the administrator control panel. There are over 70+ new features that have been built in to MyBB and the MyBB code base has almost doubled in size since MyBB 1.2.
We've also updated the MyBB Website to contain a feature tour and full feature listing for what's available in MyBB 1.4: http://www.mybboard.net.
We recommend that all users upgrade to 1.4 so they can take advantage of the great new features in MyBB 1.4, but we recommend you plan your upgrade first. More information on upgrading and changes to templates, themes, plugins and languages can be found below.
From me personally, I'd like to thank all of the MyBB staff both past and present for the fantastic work they've put in to MyBB 1.4 - it's been a long time, but I'm ever so grateful for your dedication and support of the MyBB project. A huge thanks should also go to our beta testers who've been on the MyBB 1.4 beta from the start, and finally for the community for their fantastic support.
* PIPBUG-based machines (such as the Electronics Australia 77up2 and the Signetics Adaptable Board Computer) (c. 1977).
Changes since 7.5a:
Support for multiple breakpoints and watchpoints.
Iconification (WinArcadia).
Filetype association (WinArcadia only).
Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
(Also, the AmigaOS 4 port has now been updated from V7.0b to V7.5a, bringing a host of new features to OS4 users, such as IFF ANIM recording, automatic ZIP file support, undithering, ANSI colour support, etc. Many thanks to Alexandre Balaban for this port.)
Release time. 1986p 0.1.1 is out today. Small improvements over the last version, some bugfixes and a small improvement on the mapper #0. It is most likely complete now. So, i guess it is time to move onto more mappers ? Probably so.
- Optimized and cleaned up the ROM loading window a lot.
- Also added text search. Press backspace to move focus to the search box
0.60a11
- Fixed inconsistencies of the OK button in the load window.
- More cleanups and bug fixes.
- You can copy ROM audit result to clipboard by right click.
- Removed the support for simplified Chinese.
- Increased the number of max digits of song number (for Thunderforce).
- The maximum song number is now 9999999 = 0x98967F.
We know “Guitar Hero: Metallica” is coming. “Guitar Hero” publisher Activision announced the game in a financial filing (odd, we know) a couple of months ago.
That didn’t stop Metallica co-founder Lars Ulrich from getting a bit secretive about it when one of our MTV News reporters asked him about it recently.
“Let’s put it this way,” he told MTV News. “[Our next album] Death Magnetic comes out in September, and the day it comes out, it will be available in the ‘Guitar Hero 3‘ format, which we’re obviously super-psyched about. As I’ve born witness to in my house, its all about the next generation. My kids play ‘Guitar Hero’ every day, and to be able to get the Metallica record the day it comes out, that’s super cool.
“There’s an Aerosmith game out there that’s super successful, and if somebody’s gonna follow that up…we’re talking, and its exciting, and the people at ‘Guitar Hero’ and Activision are rapidly becoming our best new friends in the world. You can put the rest of it together yourself.”
Sounds like “Guitar Hero: Metallica” is indeed still in the works, no?
It's time to throw out the old playbook, says THQ president and CEO Brian Ferrell, because the the industry's traditional hardware cycles no longer exist.
"We used to always think of this industry as 'the cycle.'" said Ferrell. "I think the reality now is there are several sub-cycles."
THQ's leader sees at least three separate sub-cycles: 1) the handheld market, 2) what Nintendo's done with Wii and 3) the continued competition between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There's even an emerging sub-cycle in the online world, he said.
"It's hard now to talk about 'the cycle' -- I think we have to talk about all of the cycles," he said. "The way we think about it at THQ is we plan our business around each of those platforms, not around 'the cycle.'"
Konami announced today that Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi will be on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 when it is released in North America in the fall of 2009. The 21-year-old Messi, who plays his club football for legendary Spanish side FC Barcelona, will be heading to the Olympics for Argentina later this month.
Curiously, Konami chose to announce versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 for the PS3, PS2, 360, PSP, and PC, but not for the Wii or Nintendo DS. It remains to be seen whether PES 2009 will rear its head on the Nintendo platforms this upcoming season.
"Most modern players are aware of the realism and skill of the Pro Evolution Soccer series," said Messi. "It is a game that truly mirrors the pace and control of real football, and as a die-hard fan of the series, I am delighted to be working with Konami on the latest version."
Paradox Interactive has released nine screenshots for space action combat sim Dark Horizon.
As we've suggested before, Dark Horizon looks like it follows in the footsteps of X-wing, TIE Fighter and Wing Commander.
These particular screens hint that it takes more inspiration from the latter than the former. Paradox promises the game will include some RPG elements too, several modes of combat and advanced ship customisation.
You'll also be able to play it with a joystick, so it might be time to go hunting through the cupboards and find that old PC stick you thought you'd never use again.
Dark Horizon will be available in shops and online as of September 26.
Rockstar has announced that Grand Theft Auto IV for the PC will ship on November 18 in North America and November 21 in Europe, approximately six months after the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions smashed sales records with sales of $500 million in the first week.
This news wasn't entirely unexpected; previous GTA games have been ported over to the PC, and the series itself began only on the PC. Speculation ramped up in recent weeks, though, especially after industry ratings organization ESRB listed Grand Theft Auto IV and Bully: Scholarship Edition, another Rockstar game, for the "Windows PC" platform. The ESRB then updated the list to remove those citations.
Grand Theft Auto IV is the latest in the popular, open-world crime saga. In this game, you play as Eastern European immigrant Niko Belic as he attempts to make it in Liberty City, which is basically a stand-in for New York City. The console versions were universally praised by critics, and the game averages a 9.4 and a 9.5 on GameStats for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, respectively.
"Firmware update" sounds like something you'd want. Something solid, yet fresh and new. But lately deciding to update is getting more complicated. The newest firmware is no longer just a nice downloadable present from a benevolent electronics overlord; on many devices, it has been buggy or downright dangerous to install. Manufacturers like Apple, Nintendo and Sony are increasingly releasing firmware that disables functionality for business reasons—or that just make products worse by being halfbaked. Here is a rundown of firmware updates that weren't exactly beloved by users.
Sony PSP: A healthy and thriving homebrew community had sprung up around Sony's PSP, with alternate, user-made firmware adding new functionality like a wider range of supported media codecs and the ability to share music. Oh, and, well, there was also that little issue of mass piracy of games. Sony issued a number of firmware upgrades—a whopping six each in 2006 and 2007—designed to curb the little thieves, but which had the unfortunate side effect of discouraging the more creative, less piratical wing of the homebrew community. Sony used the "carrot and stick" method, enticing users with marginal new functions when the real purpose of the upgrade was to stop the homebrewers. This led to users actually trying to downgrade, or move back to an earlier firmware. Sony in turn tried to make it harder to downgrade, escalating the squabble into a war with its own customers. Degree of Evilness: High. This is a deliberate attempt to harsh PSP users' buzz.
Sony PlayStation 3: The PS3's anticipated firmware 2.40, on the other hand, was a simple disaster. The famously expensive console was due to receive a major update, adding the flashy XMB interface to the mix. Unfortunately, while the update did work for some, it bricked a lot of PS3s, producing some very upset gamers. Sony pulled the update and re-released it, repaired, as 2.41, but Sony's mucked-up firmware was the Story of the Day. Bad press, ill will and useless hulking black machines. Not a great moment for Sony. Degree of Evilness: Low. Simple incompetence from a corporation that should know better.
Apple iPod: Back in 2004, Real cracked Apple's FairPlay code in order to allow music purchased from Rhapsody to be played on iPods. When Apple released an update blocking Rhapsody users, Real cracked it again. Apple released another block update, and so on until Real ran out of steam. We doubt there was much demand for the service at the time, but Apple's clampdown was shameless. Hell, Apple could have played Real compatibility as yet another reason to buy an iPod. Degree of Evilness: Medium-High. In the end, it was more bratty than evil.
Apple iPhone/iPod touch: When the first iPhone/iPod touch software was jailbroken, a few updates came out under the guise of bug fixing that just happened to make unauthorized use a lot more difficult. This time around, with the 2.0 release, the setbacks were more accidental than deliberate. The new 2.0 firmware may have creaked open the floodgates for third-party applications, but it also resulted in a lot of instability. Thanks to the update, iPhones have crashed at a rate never seen before (well, outside of my last couple Windows machines, that is), the keyboard gained a frustrating lag, "backing up" takes almost as long as the Iraq occupation (zing!), and, in a total affront to common sense, THERE IS STILL NO COPY-PASTE. Degree of Evilness: Middle. A mix of self-preservation and circumstance, with some brazen stubbornness from His Steveness thrown in.
Nintendo Wii: In Nintendo's Photo Channel 1.1 firmware update, the game maker quietly removed support for MP3 playback in their Wii console. They replaced it with support for the iPod-friendly AAC codec, a far-too-obvious hint at what we all suspected: Nintendo has been taken over by the White Devil. How else do we explain the move from that GameCube controller that was clearly designed for some moon octopus to a remote control so simple I can operate it with my genitals? What about the new and incredibly racist all-white color scheme, the minimalist design aesthetic, and the cavalier and haughty attitude toward competition? Readers, watch out, or Jobs will get you ne-AAAACK! Degree of Evilness: Nintendo can do no wrong. (And Steve Jobs is perfect.)
Firmware updates that leave you worse off than you were before are a kick in the crotch. But what about the slow, increasingly painful wedgie of unfulfilled promises? Electronics companies often promise to deliver features in firmware updates that, for whatever reason, aren't included at the time of purchase. In the best of cases, this is frustrating: Samsung's P2, for instance, promised Bluetooth compatibility, games, skins and more upon release, but was only achieved, finally, months later. But what if, as in Samsung's Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo player, the product line dies before the promised features (Blu-Ray 2.0 compatibility) can be updated? Firmware updates should be a surprise, a freshly-wrapped hand-me-down present that makes your crappy old gadget seem somehow new again, not a license to shove an unfinished product out the door.
This is just a short list of troubling firmware updates—if you have some firmware horror stories of your own to share, be our guest. And for all of you who immediately click "YES PLEASE!" to all auto-updaters, take heed, and maybe wait 24 hours before doing the upgrade.
* JSwingBoy: added localization support
* fixed the problem of the missing suspend menu entry
* solved the problem that the VoluntaryWaveChannel would throw an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException after long usage (bug ID 2024611)
* fixed the problem that HDMA did not work when the LCD was disabled (bug ID 2024603)
* fixed that problem that running a game that uses the GBC’s double speed mode caused the next game to run slowly (bug ID 2024375)
* fixed the problem that LCDC bit 0 is not considered in GBC mode (bug ID 2024372)
* fixed the bug that sometimes wrong tiles got painted (bug ID 2019632)
We showed you the first footage of an OLPC booting the official Windows XP installation back in June, but now Laptop has given the XP-sporting XO a quick round of testing, and unsurprisingly, things are a bit sluggish. The XO's hardware has gone unchanged for the XP edition, so Windows boots off of an SD card which also packs Office, IE, and other apps. While IE fired up in five seconds, the OS took 1 minute 24 seconds to boot, and no one should be surprised that multitasking on the little guy's 256MB of RAM was not fun. Mesh networking is also not making it to the Windows version, unfortunately, but kids can still dual-boot into the Sugar OS for that.
- added: batcher scanner option: deep hash scan mode (sha1/md5/crc32)
- misc: changed the max value for auto-memory functionality to 0 < n < min max_*available*_physical_memory/2, 1GB)
- misc: for name/hash clashes within a parent/clone relationshop you can now choose between: forcing split merge mode and removing parent/clone relationship.
- misc: minor correction in dir2dat checkbox layout
- fixed: ` in dats (used internally for setsubfolders) aren't replaced with "'"
- fixed: 7z/rar adding/removing files fails for file starting with "-"
- fixed: dats with "forcepacking modes = no" still create compressed files with fix missing
It appears that Blizzard has beefed up their World of Warcraft recruit-a-friend program rather substantially. There have been rumors that this was coming for a while now, but the details are still a little surprising. Benefits include triple experience, being able to summon your friend from anywhere in the world, free levels, free gametime, and even a free mount if your friend signs up for a two-month subscription. All of these are subject to several quid pro quos, but it looks like Blizzard is really trying to ramp up their player base for the expansion.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Interesting products that came in this week are mostly RPG and strategy games. The Tales of series has made its debut on the third generation consoles via Tales of Vesperia [standard and Super Premium pack version].
With a new upgraded real-time battle system and HD graphics, you can experience the old school RPG in a refreshingly new way.
Transform yourself into a summoner wherever you are via your Nintendo DS in Summon Night 2. Summoners have brought chaos to a once utopian world, and your people are now wary of your special powers. Through your journey, show the world that you are using your powers for the good of the people and not for corruption.
Fire Emblem is also revived on Nintendo's newest handheld system. Prince Marus made himself famous for being one of the strongest player characters in Mario Smash brothers and redirects some of the attention he recieves to his own series which has been laying low for a long while.
Make use of your Nintendo DS functions to plan out how to reclaim your country, in the revival of this completely new game.
Start out by reclaiming your lands in Fire Emblem and move on to conquering the whole continent in Spectral Force 3. At the death of the late emperor, you are entrusted with leadership and the fate to unify Neverland under yourself.
Since this week is largely about military strategy games, we cannot miss Sangokushi Taisen Ten [standard or bundle pack versions].
The card game is based on its arcade predecessor and this portable version comes with new card(s) drawn by famous illustrators or manga artists such as Clamp.
Learn how to direct military matters from the warriors and highly acclaimed strategists from the era of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Everybody starts off their journeys at some point and Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime is a good point to start your journey in RPGs. The battle system is simple and the game eases you gently into its fun through its use of music. Take a break from the excitement and just relax to the beat of the songs.
A good RPG excel in all sorts of elements aside from gaming and strategy, and Final Fantasy, one of the best RPG series in gaming history has it all. The music producer Nobuo Uematsu joined forces with talented DJs from Tokyo, US and Europe and produced a Club remix disc.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week
Xbox360™
NBA 2K8 JPN US$ 59.90
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution ASIA US$ 49.90
Spectral Force 3 US US$ 64.90
Tales of Vesperia JPN US$ 74.90
Top Spin 3 ASIA US$ 49.90
Xbox 360 Tales of Vesperia Super Premium Pack JPN N/A
PlayStation3™
NBA 2K8 JPN US$ 59.90
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™
Imabikisou: Kaimei Hen JPN US$ 59.90
Survival Kids Wii JPN US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Aoikuro no Kusabi: Hiiro no Kakera 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Aoikuro no Kusabi: Hiiro no Kakera 3 [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Ar tonelico II: Sekai ni Hibiku Shoujo Tachi no Souzoushi (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
God of War II: The End Begins (Best Price!) JPN US$ 34.90
Grim Grimoire (The Best Price) JPN US$ 34.90
Ikkitousen: Shining Dragon (Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Super Robot Taisen OG: Original Generations (PlayStation2 the Best) ASIA US$ 29.90
Super Robot Taisen OG: Original Generations (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 34.90
True Tears JPN US$ 69.90
Nintendo DS™
Chou Shittou Caduceus 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 - Banjou no Geass Gekijou JPN US$ 48.90
DS Pico Series: Sanrio no Party e Ikou! Oryouri - Oshare - Okaimono JPN US$ 48.90
Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken JPN US$ 48.90
Gakkou no Kowai Uwasa: Hanako-San Gakita!! JPN US$ 34.90
Gintama: Gintoki vs. Dokata (Banpresto Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime: Tenshi ga Kanaderu Ai no Uta JPN US$ 48.90
Mite wa Ikenai JPN US$ 42.90
Monster Farm DS 2: Yomigaeru! Master Breeder Densetsu JPN US$ 48.90
Nazo Nazo & Quiz Ichi Kotae Jikkon Q Mate! JPN US$ 48.90
Ron-Q! Highland in DS JPN US$ 42.90
Sangokushi Taisen Ten JPN US$ 58.90
Sangokushi Taisen Ten [Arcade Shutsujin Pack] JPN US$ 69.90
Summon Night 2 JPN US$ 48.90
Wantame Variety Channel JPN US$ 48.90
Zettai Onkan Master (Hudson the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Charge Stand DS Lite (Black) JPN US$ 16.90
Charge Stand DS Lite (White) JPN US$ 16.90
Hello Kitty Custom Hard Cover (Red) JPN US$ 12.90
Hello Kitty Soft Card Case (Red) JPN US$ 7.90
Hello Kitty Soft Card Case (White) JPN US$ 7.90
Sony PSP™
Daisenryaku Portable 2 (Genki the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Goku Makai-Mura Kai (Best Price!) JPN US$ 19.90
Hayarigami 2 Portable: Keishichou Kaijiken File JPN US$ 48.90
Quiz Mobile Suit Gundam Ton Senshi DX (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Meibamen Sousa File JPN US$ 6.90
Mobile Suit Gundam VS Gundam Kouryaku Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Pokemon Card DP Official Visual Book - Hakuu no Gekitou hen JPN US$ 10.90
Sakutto Asobetu KORG DS-10 KORG DS-10 Synthesizer Official Guide JPN US$ 22.90
Summon Night 2 Guide JPN US$ 19.90
Totsugeki Famicom Wars VS Guide Books JPN US$ 18.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1026 (2008 08/15) JPN US$ 7.90
Video Game related Soundtracks
Final Fantasy Remix JPN US$ 23.90
Massiah Paranoia Paraxo Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Oretachi Ni Tsubasa Ha Nai Drama Series Vol.1 Misaki Hayashida JPN US$ 20.90
Pachislot Biohazard Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 18.90
Rock Musical Bleach [CD+DVD Limited Pressing] JPN US$ 18.90
Phantasy Star Universe for the PlayStation Portable was number one on the Japanese software sales chart for the week ended August 3, according to figures from Media Create.
This was followed by two more handheld titles for the Nintendo DS, with Rhythm Heaven Gold in second place and Dragon Quest V taking third.
Soul Calibur IV appeared on the chart in both fourth and sixth places for its PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions respectively, while Gundam Battle Universe by Namco Bandai dropped seven places from last week to close the chart off in tenth.
The full top ten list is as follows:
1. Phantasy Star Universe (PSP)
2. Rhythm Heaven Gold (NDS)
3. Dragon Quest V (NDS)
4. Soul Calibur IV (PS3)
5. Powerful Pro Baseball 15 (PS2)
6. Soul Calibur IV (Xbox 360)
7. Fatal Frame IV (Wii)
8. Wii Fit (Wii)
9. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
10. Gundam Battle Universe (PSP)
"Some of that criticism is probably warranted," said Sega's Sean Ratcliffe, in an interview with GameDaily, when asked about the poor quality of recent Sonic games. "We recognize it, which is why you're seeing us this year taking the first steps in making sure the quality is right."
He added, "This time around, with Sonic Unleashed, we got a great new engine that allows us to truly deliver the Sonic experience as it arguably should have been on next-gen. For fans of Sonic that have been looking for a next-gen experience, this is the game they've been waiting for."
Since debuting in 1991 on Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog has been plagued with checkered past. With exception to select portable and compilation games, very few sequels have been well-received by either critics or fans.
The newest game in the series, Sonic Unleashed, arrives on Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, and PS2 this November.
Ubisoft has filed a lawsuit against the company it hired to reproduce discs for the PC edition of Assassin's Creed, for no less then USD 10 million on counts of breach of contract and negligence, plus fees, and for an undisclosed sum on a count of copyright infringement.
The suit is the result of a leak which Ubisoft claims came from US-based Optical Experts Manufacturing which led to over 700,000 pirated downloads of the title, as well as "irreparable harm" to its reputation, reports GameSpot.
It is alleged that an employee of OEM took a copy of the game home and uploaded it to the Internet around six weeks before the game shipped for the PC in April this year, and that OEM ignored a number of security protocols which would have prevented that from happening.
Ubisoft also claims that a bug which it had purposely introduced to the unfinished code (which was what was pirated) caused the game to crash partway through - but that this bug found its way into some reviews, causing customer confusion as to the reliability of the clean retail game.
Piracy on the PC platform is a hot topic in the industry worldwide, with some regions in Asia-Pacific and Europe so blighted by the problem that no PC packaged software market exists to speak of.
Piracy has also been cited as a reason for the decline in the PC gaming market - outside of MMOs - and part of the subsequent rise of console popularity.
Bungie has finally scrapped CD checking in old-timer Halo 1 for PC, feeling five years of spinning may have ruined your discs.
This will be coming in patch 1.08, which will be mandatory from Friday onwards, according to the Bungie website. Other fixes address server-crashing bugs but nothing else; the game is too old to bother combatting aimbots in, apparently.
Anyway, Bungie doesn't officially support Halo 1 PC because Microsoft owns the game. This patch was made as a favour to the community.
However, don't expect too many more fixes in the future or for source code to be opened to the internet.
CD Projekt RED has released five new screenshots from The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, due for release this September.
Whilst we loved the original title, this version promises to fix all the little things that earned it some criticism. Like the barmy dialogue.
As we've already reported, the new package includes a rewritten script, multiple languages, new adventures, a map editor, the soundtrack, a music CD inspired by the game, a game guide, a short story, a making-of DVD, a map and a cuddly Geralt toy. The last one isn't confirmed.
The screenshots look quite nice too. Take a look, here.
It's arriving a month later than anticipated, but at least it's arriving (we hope). According to a first look at PhysX on NVIDIA's GeForce cards, The Tech Report is reporting (ahem) that the graphical outfit will dish out new drivers that add PhysX support on August 12th. The new software will allow owners of GeForce 8, GeForce 9 and GeForce GTX 200-series cards to use PhysX acceleration without shelling out any additional coinage, which means that you all will surely be giving it a shot just for kicks, right? Keep next Tuesday clear -- you and Unreal Tournament 3 have a date, like it or not.
* Added the 2xPM filter to the softfx filters with help from Captain CPS-X.
* Added ElSemi's SuperScale and SuperScale75 filters.
* Made the IPS Manager fallback to Simplified Chinese as a last resort as this is the reference language for the MAME Plus IPS collection.
* Made the IPS Manager description vertically scrollable for long descriptions and reorganised the dialog.
* Added Captain CPS-X's auto monitor aspect ratio code.
* Added driver for Unico games.
* Moved the drawing code in CPS-1/CPS-2 to happen after the VBLANK IRQ - this shouldn't cause any problems but if you see anything that didn't happen in previous builds let us know.
MAMETesters Bugs Fixed
----------------------
01958: [Crash/Freeze] skns: Segfaults on load (Pierpaolo Prazzoli)
01817: [Crash/Freeze] intrepi2: Game stops at PCB test
(Pierpaolo Prazzoli)
02090: [Crash/Freeze] thedeep: Game didn't start (black screen).
(Pierpaolo Prazzoli)
02067: [Crash/Freeze] mustangb, tdragonb: Access Violation
(Aaron Giles)
02069: [Crash/Freeze] astrofl: Access Violation (Aaron Giles)
02068: [Crash/Freeze] All sets in mhavoc.c: Access Violation
(Aaron Giles)
02070: [Crash/Freeze] atlantol: Access Violation (Aaron Giles)
02066: [Graphics] All sets in mhavoc.c: all graphics is missing
(Aaron Giles)
02033: [Crash/Freeze] soccerss and clones: the romtest report
two bad roms (robiza)
02049: [Graphics] invaders: Built in red color overlay goes too low
and shows on top line of invaders heads in Vista only. (robiza)
02079: [DIP/Input] radr, radru: Dipswitch info (robiza)
02056: [DIP/Input] pbobble, qzshowby, spacedx, spacedxj: Unable to
enter coins (Fabio Priuli)
02060: [Graphics] spinlbrk, spinlbru, spinlbrj: Priorities wrong in
second level (robiza)
Source Changes
--------------
Added information to the 1943 driver (video) about priorities encoded
in PROM. [robiza]
Minor optimization to the DISCRETE_INPUT modules. The node output is
now calculated when a discrete_sound_w() is called instead of each
step in the simulation. Also removed the Enable line from the
DISCRETE_ADJUSTMENT modules. They should never be disabled.
[Derrick Renaud]
Removed per-frame metadata support from chdman. Creating an A/V now
simply requires an AVI file input. [Aaron Giles]
Changed laserdisc support to parse white flags and other data from
the VBI data directly, rather than relying on the textual metadata.
Expanded video frame cache to 3. Changed the way frames are assembled
to decrease the likelihood of getting an interlaced weave. Fixed sound
creation so that it is done at reset time instead of device start,
when the sound devices aren't yet live. [Aaron Giles]
Fixed bug in winwork that caused the creation of single work items to
return NULL, and thus lead to massive memory leaks when using A/V
CHDs. [Aaron Giles]
Added new functions cputag_set_input_line() to assert input lines
via CPU tag instead of index. [Aaron Giles]
Disks opened by the romload module are no longer identified by index.
Instead, they are identified by the region they were loaded in. This
generally means one disk per region. get_disk_handle() now takes a
region name in place of an index. Updated all callers to do this.
The SCSI modules in particular posed a challenge to make this work,
so watch out for potential bugs there. [Aaron Giles]
Changed the IDE interfaces to default to choosing the region with the
same tag as the device for its master disk (assuming no slave). Added
support for specifying explicit master/slave disk regions as part of
the configuration, though slave disks are still not supported yet.
[Aaron Giles]
Change the laserdisc interface to no longer require a disk number or
a custom sound device. Both are now assumed to be tagged the same as
the laserdisc device. Updated all drivers accordingly. [Aaron Giles]
Merged memory maps for drivers: blmbycar, blockade, blockhl, blockout,
bombjack, boogwing, and bottom9. [Andrew Gardner]
Added readmes for Galaga, The Outfoxies, Splatter House, Top Racer,
Kyros No Yakata, Bombs Away, Meikyuu Hunter G, Crazy Kong, Moero Pro
Yakyuu Homerun Kyousou, Lucky & Wild, Match It, Country Club,
Enforce, Elevator Action, Chuka Taisen, The New Zealand Story,
Buck Rogers Zoom 909, Head On, Victorious Nine, Youma Ninpou Chou,
Pairs, Woodpecker, Slap Fight, Alcon, Tiger Heli, Superman,
WWF Superstars, Area 51, Animalandia Jr, Avengers In Galactic Storm,
Alien 3: The Gun, Aquajack, and Missile Command. [Guru]
Fix region jumper on psikyo4 (loderndf). [David Haywood]
Backported a bunch of FM OPN (YM2608/2612) fixes from Genesis Plus
GX. All of this was verified on real hardware.
[Eke-Eke, Nemesis, Alone Coder, AamirM]
- implemented PG overflow, aka "detune bug" (Ariel, Comix Zone,
Shaq Fu, Spiderman...)
- fixed SSG-EG support
- modified EG rates and frequency
- fixed EG attenuation level on KEY ON (Ecco 2 splash sound)
- fixed LFO phase update for CH3 special mode (Warlock, Alladin)
Scanline exact rendering for dkong & clones [couriersud]
* Sprite limit of 16 sprites per scanline implemented from
schematics.
* Proper wrap around from bottom to top
* Added some notes about sprite limits and hardware to dkong
driver (thanks to R. Belmont)
Added edge connector pinout info to flower.c. [Brian Troha]
Some initial work on the adp driver. [robiza]
Fixed window in shanghai and shangha2. [robiza]
8257dma and z80dma devices now require device callback handlers
instead of machine handlers. Updated affected drivers accordingly.
[couriersud]
Improved Dsp56k CPU interrupt handling. Polygonet Commanders now
advances past its first dsp handshake. [Andrew Gardner]
Added proper laserdisc support for MACH 3, Us vs. Them, and Cobra
Commander (MACH 3 hardware). Old laserdisc hacks are now removed.
The code now talks to the standard Pioneer PR-8210 interface. Also
removed hacky "target list" from the MACH 3 ROMs; this information
is now decoded on the fly from the right channel laserdisc audio.
[Aaron Giles]
Other Gottlieb cleanups: [Aaron Giles]
- fixed rev 2 sound again
- fleshed out memory maps and behaviors according to the schematics
- hooked up coin counters.
- moved sound inputs to audio/gottlieb and included them in
all relevant drivers
- ordered input ports and ROM definitions consistently
Other laserdisc changes: [Aaron Giles]
- changed PR-8210 interface to work consistently for both Gottlieb
and Stern games
- added audio callback mechanism to allow drivers to peek at the
raw audio streams
Set the initial 8253 timer output to 2 to indicate that it is
undetermined. [Wilbert Pol]
Removed obsolete makemeta tool. Replaced it with new ldverify
tool which walks through either an AVI or CHD capture from a
laserdisc and ensures that there are no anomalies lurking in
the VBI data. [Aaron Giles]
Added new option to chdman, where if you use -createav with
a special filename (either 2:2 or 3:2) it will create a fake
laserdisc files with the equivalent cadence. This can be used
for testing until full captures are available. Most games used
2:2 apart from Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, which were 3:2.
Note that even though these files are essentially blank, they
are Huffman-compressed, meaning that the maximum compression
ratio you will get is 8:1, so they still end up ~5GB. [Aaron Giles]
Moved error strings from chdman.c to chd.c, where they can be
fetched from any caller via the new chd_error_string()
function. [Aaron Giles]
Updated vbiparse to improve Manchester code decoding. It now
assigns a confidence level per bit based on how solid the
data is. Also added a new function vbi_parse_all which parses
the white flag and all three lines of metadata from a
laserdisc frame. It then compares line 17 and 18 against each
other and selects the most likely candidate based on per-bit
confidence and other factors. [Aaron Giles]
Added frame number display to laserdsc.c. It is off by
default, though most players can be configured to turn it on
(not sure if any actually do). It can be manually toggled via
the backslash key during playback. [Aaron Giles]
Discrete sound core optimizations: [couriersud]
* moved a couple of exp(x) from _step into _reset where appropriate
* use tabulated function values for the transfer function in
DSS_INVERTER_OSC
Forced synchronization (stream_update()) before the YM2151 status is
actually read. [Jarek Burczynski]
Added Discrete Sound to Fantasy, Nibbler and Pioneer Balloon.
[Derrick Renaud]
Fixed I/O watchpoints. [Aaron Giles]
Changes to the cheat.xml format: [Aaron Giles]
- new tag <comment> (within <cheat>) is read and preserved
when saved
- removed variable attribute from <parameter>; it is now
assumed to be 'param'
- added default attribute for <parameter>
Added new variable 'frame' accessible from cheat scripts. This
can be used in the conditional to prevent execution on every
frame, or for other effects (like displaying temporary messages).
[Aaron Giles]
Added new variable 'argindex' which is the index when processing
an <argument> with a count attribute greater than 1. [Aaron Giles]
Reinstated the cheat menu. It now displays all loaded cheats and
allows for them to be activated. All known cheat behaviors should
be working now. Cheats are toggled on/off with the left/right
arrow keys. Oneshot cheats are activated by hitting enter. Pressing
enter on other cheats resets them to their default values.
[Aaron Giles]
Continued the cleanup of inputs in drivers starting with C (the
remaining ones), D and E. Improvements include conditional dips
added to dynduke and diplocations for chinagat, chqflag, circus,
citycon, cloak, contra and dynduke. [Fabio Priuli]
Added tags to EVERY input port in drivers starting with F->Z.
[Fabio Priuli]
Removed PORT_START macro. Renamed old PORT_START_TAG to PORT_START.
All input ports must have tags. [Aaron Giles]
Added support for DEL as well as BS for backspacing in the game
select menu. Also limited input to ASCII characters. [Aaron Giles]
Fixed Rim Rockin' Basketball to use the HD6309 core. [Tim Lindner]
Added diplocations to bigrun, scudhamm, cischeat & f1gpstar.
Removed the current hacky handling of f1gpstar coinage dips to use
conditional ports instead. In order to do this, the possible
conditions were extended to support less than/greater than
comparisons. [Fabio Priuli]
Fixed bug that would break conditions on ports using the
PORT_DIPUNKNOWN_DIPLOC macro. [Aaron Giles]
Added diplocations to the following drivers: combatsc.c, copsnrob.c,
cosmic.c, crgolf.c, crimfght.c, crospang.c (here I also added service
dips to heuksun and bestri, which allowed me to verify locations),
crshrace.c, dambustr.c, darkseal.c, dassault.c, dblewing.c,
ddrible.c, deadang.c. Also added locations to the following games:
ddragon & ddragon2 on ddragon.c and docastle, dorunrun & dowild in
docastle.c. [Fabio Priuli]
Verified CPU clocks for athena. [Corrado Tomaselli]
Added module profiling to discrete sound core [couriersud]
* added DISCRETE_PROFILING macro to discrete.h
* Upon discrete_stop, the worst performing modules will be listed
Verified and corrected CPS1 refresh rate. [Corrado Tomaselli]
Changed sound cpu clock of Spinal Breakers to 5Mhz as verified on the
pcb. [Corrado Tomaselli]
Added word alternates for operators in expressions: [Aaron Giles]
+ plus
- minus
* times or mul
/ div
% mod
! not
~ bnot
&& and
& band
|| or
| bor
^ bxor
lt <
le <=
gt >
ge >=
eq ==
ne !=
Changed cheat escaping to automatically escape && & < and <=
to and band lt and le. [Aaron Giles]
Decrypted Da Ban Cheng (dbc set in igs_blit.c) [Pierpaolo Prazzoli]
Removed bad dumps from ad2083. [Pierpaolo Prazzoli]
Fixed bug in aviio.c which could cause an infinite loop if attempting
to read sound beyond the end of the file. [Aaron Giles]
Added expression validation callback to verify names for CPUs and
memory regions. Extended error codes to report incorrect memory
spaces, memory names, or memory sizes. Added verification callback
to the debugger to validate CPU and memory region names, as well
as verifying that a requested address space exists for a given
CPU. [Aaron Giles]
Restored previous behavior that allowed popmessage() messages to
overlay menus and other UI. [Aaron Giles]
New games added or promoted from NOT_WORKING status
---------------------------------------------------
Kyuukyoku no Othello [robiza, Fabio Priuli]
S.O.S. [Alex, Max, Antro]
New clones added
----------------
Indianapolis 500 Deluxe [Kris Anks]
Champion Poker (v200G) [Luca Elia]
Megatouch III (9255-20-01 RON) [Brian Troha]
New clone: Crystal Castles (joystick version) [Guru]
New games marked as GAME_NOT_WORKING
------------------------------------
Quiz Punch 2 [Luca Elia]
Jingle Bell [Luca Elia]
- Fixed: Could not select .avi file to record with MAME
- Fixed: Setting debugscript was being saved as comment if value is empty (MAME settings)
- Changed: Read/write emulator/game full setting only works on MAME and AGEMAME. All other emulator have support for paths only (this is for MAME based emulator only!)
- Improved: Left panel files can now handle any word surrounded by asterisks. They will be converted into sub-nodes.
- Improved: The section "[ROOT_FOLDER]" is not required anymore but if this section is not found, it will be added automatically (required, so the tree nodes can be created correctly)
- Removed: Support for "optionXx (NULL) (not set)" entries from MAME based emulators (mame.ini). This means that configuring old MAME/AGEMAME builds and HazeMD/Mjolnir emus with EL is no longer possible (I might do something about that in a future version, but can't promisse anything)
- Added: Support for MAME 0.126u3
After attracting lots of media attention with the Eee PC, Asus has now turned its hand to producing a motion-sensitive controller like the Wiimote, called the Eee Stick. Looking unashamedly like a copy of a Wiimote and Nunchuk setup, the Eee Stick has two components — one with an analogue joystick, and one with a digital control pad — and both sticks have a rumble feature. The Eee Stick is currently planned to be bundled with various models of the Eee PC and Eee Box, but Asus says it can also theoretically work with any PC
This issue of Weekly Famicon covers developments of the gaming industry from around the world. News about game companies are reported with description on their developing products and existing best sellers. It contains reportages on marketing research, for example, what game genres are most popular in what area etc.
Aside from market information, it also carries news on the E3 2008 conference. All in all, it is an article that all involved in the gaming industry could not miss. .
Another market research article is based on female gamers. Delve into the minds of girl gamers and see that they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of gaming.
Carrying on from the last issues, the strategy guide section contains in depth information on hit games such as Dragon Quest V and Siren: New Translation and new projects such as Tales of Vesperia and Fire Emblem have just started.
Besides global scaled events such as the E3 conference, Square Enix also hosted their own private party. DK Sigma 3713 is an event that only their club members are allowed to attend. It focuses on the newest installments of their hit franchises such as Final Fantasy XIII and Kingdom Hearts as well as games that are to come out soon such as Dissidia Final Fantasy, and Sigma Harmonica.
Since the magazine covers everything that happens in the Japanese entertainment world, it features interviews with idols and premier events for new movies.
The newest issue of the number one selling Japanese game magazine Weekly Famitsu (1027) has arrived and is available for US$ 7.90 only.
To ensure that you get the next issue of Weekly Famitsu, preorder it via our system here. For more information with regards to the world of gaming, Famitsu Wave and Arcadia are very good portals too.
Other than the magazines mentioned above, Play-Asia.com has discovered an array of other gaming magazines that is going to catch your interests. Please find here the full list of them.
The weekly console data update from Japan is in once again with the following figures:
Playstation Portable: 61,181
Nintendo DS Lite: 57,398
Nintendo Wii: 41,109
Playstation 3: 9,508
Playstation 2: 9,045
Xbox 360: 5,359
PSP maintains top position, drops roughly 6,300. DS is second, up 600. Wii follows, up 85. Forth is PS3, down 1,100. Playstation 2 comes along at 5th rank, down 250. Last is Xbox 360, down 400.
The specs for Far Cry 2 have been released. Come and check them out.
This is what you'll need to run the tropical shooter in all its glory.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
CPU: Pentium 4 3.2 Ghz, Pentium D 2.66 Ghz, AMD Athlon 64 3500+ or better
RAM: 1 GB
Video card: NVidia 6800 or ATI X1650 or better
Shader Model 3 required
256 Mb of graphic memory
Media reader: DVD-ROM
Hard drive space: ~12 Gig of HD space. (TBD)
RECOMMENDED:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Family, AMD 64 X2 5200+, AMD Phenom or better
RAM: 2 GB
Video card: NVidia 8600 GTS or better, ATI X1900 or better
512 Mb of graphic memory
Sound: 5.1 sound card recommended
SUPPORTED VIDEO CARDS:
NVidia 6800, NVidia 7000 series, 8000 series, 9000 series, 200 series. 8800M and 8700M supported for laptops.
ATI X1650 - 1950 series, HD2000 series, HD3000 series, HD4000 series.
"It has always been our intention to make Far Cry 2 as accessible to everyone as possible, and we have worked continuously to optimize Far Cry 2 to achieve this goal," said Dominic Guay, Lead Technical Director. Discuss below.
Several months ago, PS3 and 360 owners had the opportunity to experience the next iteration of KOEI's Warriors franchise in the form of Dynasty Warriors 6. Featuring several new additions to the combat mechanics, such as the Renbu chaining system, Dynasty Warriors 6 marked the first appearance of the series proper on current-gen consoles.
At KOEI's Media Day event yesterday, we learned that Dynasty Warriors 6 is on its way to PCs. With content identical to the PS3 and 360 versions, Dynasty Warriors 6 will be available only through digital download for $29.99. Although no specific release date has been given, we've been told that the game will find its way onto your computer sometime during October of this year.
Here we go! Talk time. That's right, it's Friday. Time for another round of Tell Us Dammit. No, make that TELL US DAMMIT. And here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. We think.
The Olympics have started! And we all oh so very excited!! So much so that Gawker Media is aggregating all the network's Olympic coverage in one place on sister sports blog Deadspin. That place is right here. ANWYAY, here's my question:
Do you think gaming should be an Olympic sport? And why?
- Expansion RAM is now scrambled by the cartridge security (XOR)
- Improved "power up pattern" in RAM
- Support for the 16K+16K noncontiguous homebrew RAM expander which puts 16K of RAM in the cartridge area
- Save RAM behavior changed; doesn't filter memory through the cartridge scrambler. LOL. No, I can't make up my mind.
- Added in some more software images.
- Added the AQ_tapeldprep tool to the ML directory, which makes an _A.CAQ from a binary file, for use with the McNamara & Dubois tape loader program.
- added: support for CHD regions. Now you can disable/enable subsets of chds. For example you can disable lasterdisks but scan cd-roms, etc. You can enable/disable them in Scanner->Hash & Chd (formerly Checksums...) (at the moment this is only available in xml dats)
- added: wordbyteswap operation to xml header syntax
- added: new header defintions for n64 (thanks Cue)
- fixed: setsubfolder support is broken
After performing in countless sold-out arenas and amphitheatres throughout the world, rock's defining frontman Ozzy Osbourne – who has sold over 100 million records worldwide in his four decade career – will be playing to a new audience this fall as he makes his videogame debut in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero World Tour.
Budding rockstars around the world will have the opportunity to live out their ultimate fantasy on the virtual OZZFest stage, playing as Ozzy, or alongside him, as he wails to iconic rock track "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley," both from his quintuple platinum debut solo album Blizzard of Ozz. OZZFest, now it its 13th year, has also been created digitally as an in-game venue exclusively for Guitar Hero World Tour to host the heavy metal rock legend.
Joining Ozzy in Guitar Hero World Tour as a playable character is his lead axe-shredder and founder of Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde, performing their hit track "Stillborn."
In addition to Metallica releasing their highly anticipated Death Magnetic album in its entirety as downloadable content in both Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Guitar Hero World Tour, the 2008 OZZFest performers and GRAMMY winning recording artists will be appearing for their on-disc encore with "Trapped Under Ice." Finally, taking the Guitar Hero stage for the first time is fellow OZZFest artist, System of a Down with their 2006 GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock Performance winning single "B.Y.O.B."
When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of guitarists, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Guitar Hero World Tour. The latest installment in the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero's signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player "Battle of the Bands," which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock 'n' roll anthems. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.
Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat. The game is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on Guitar Hero World Tour, please visit www.guitarhero.com.
According to a report from newspaper La Vanguardia, by way of GamePolitics and Google's Spanish to English translator, Spain's cabbies are calling for a ban on Grand Theft Auto — Grand Theft Auto IV, we presume. After a Thai teenager was arrested on suspicion of murdering a taxi driver, claiming to have been inspired by GTA, the game was pulled from shelves in Thailand.
Now, Josep Maria Goñi, secretary general of the Catalan Taxi Federation, is asking the Spanish government to do the same, citing the Thai murder case.
We're going to make an ass out of ourselves and assume that Mr. Goñi knows as much as the Grand Theft Auto series as just about everyone else in his position and hope that cabbie murder hysteria blows over before it gives the series a bad rap. We can't have our games being scapegoated for society's ills, now. What a horrible precedent that would set.
WWE man-mountain Randy Orton last night became an unlikely defender of the industry's creative freedoms, urging developers to fight back against critics with a rallying cry for "more violence" in videogames.
The fantasy wrestling superstar, who's currently sidelined with a broken collarbone, was in London to promote THQ's SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, and revealed to Eurogamer how he was sick and tired of the bad press gaming receives, insisting that the makers of adult titles had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Violence sells. I want to see more violence in games - the more blood the better," he told us. Orton argued that videogames were the least of parents' worries, when some "don't know their kids are watching South Park".
He cited the example of the Scorcese gangster flick Goodfellas as evidence that movie violence could be far more shocking than anything in a videogame, calling Grand Theft Auto "just a cartoon" in comparison.
"The violence [in Goodfellas] is against human beings. There's rape in movies - you see all kinds of f***ed up s*** on film," he observed. Playing Mortal Kombat underage, added the man who now hits people for a living, hadn't done him any harm.
Orton, in true narcissistic WWE fashion, enjoys "playing with himself" in the game, and is particularly pleased with the accuracy of his tattoos in this year's update. He owns an Xbox 360 and Wii, his favourite recent game being Mario Kart, although he sticks to the regular controller as "the wheel is just a gimmick".
The birth of his baby daughter last month has meant he's been "too covered in poop" to play much else, though. Give the man a column.
The Yuke's-developed WWE series remains THQ's most successful property, the last one shifting over 6 million copies, despite only strangling a six out of us in our review.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw is out on PS3, 360, PS2, PSP, Wii and DS on 11th November, with THQ keen to flag up a new tag-team mechanic, Create-A-Finisher feature, co-op storylines, the belated introduction of downloadable content, and online play in the Wii version.
When we think back on our proudest achievements throughout our video gaming careers, a few notable moments come to mind -- for instance, the first time we caught 'em all. Or when we topped our friends' high scores on Pac-Man Championship Edition. The first time we beat the wretched wind tunnel level in Battletoads. Oh, and how could we forget -- that time we shuffled robo-Hitler off this mortal coil in Wolfenstein 3D. That guy was a jerk.
Unfortunately, the satisfaction one feels after putting the kibosh on a genocidist won't be present in Id Software and Raven's next installment in their Nazi-stomping franchise, Wolfenstein. In an interview with Eurogamer, Id lead artist Kevin Cloud confirmed that the Fuhrer will not be present in the upcoming title, claiming that the developer needs to "save something for future Wolfensteins." Who could possibly replace him as the game's nefarious evil boss, though? Eva Braun? Bowser, perhaps?
I was chatting with a fellow Chinese historian this weekend when he confessed that his interest in Chinese history could be traced back to receiving a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms for SNES. I thought of that while reading Duncan Fyfe's essay on the potential 'educational' uses of regular, AAA titles — which isn't really so much on the potential to educate as much as inspire (as insipid as that sounds) in subtle ways:
Video games can be gateways to higher learning. Is it idealistic? Sure. But the base repudiation of idealism is so often used as a shield against saying anything interesting. Anti-idealism is what keeps triple-A games generic, and the reversal of that trend should already be a good enough target.
Compare the social value of these games to that of Halo or Oblivion. They're just as entertaining, but they are not relevant to any humanitarian or political discussion, and are certainly not literary. The Wire and The West Wing will not reform government but they will challenge and galvanize their viewers.
I'd be curious to know how many people actually went out and tackled Ayn Rand after playing BioShock; I'm also a little skittish about the idea of heavy handed philosophy and the like making a strong appearance (one Xenosaga series was enough, thank you). Fyfe's opinions aren't new by any means, and can be found in just about any essay talking about more 'grown up' themes in games. Interesting essay and worth a look.
A friend of mine is currently putting together a new game related TV show. Naturally he's asked my advise on what I think should be in the show (because I'm so awesome) and i have given him thousands of revolutionary ideas, but even my genius has limits. So I would like to throw the question out to you, the DCEmu Public.
Indie game developer Cliff Harris has long waged war against games piracy, but has issued a call to pirates to tell him why he is wrong. Assuming that developers are missing out on potential sales from disgruntled pirates, Cliff wants to hear specifically from people who have pirated his games. Not to criticize or lecture them, but to answer a simple question. Why? The reasons people give for copyright infringement/piracy are many and varied, but much of the debate has centred around music and movies, with big 'Triple-A' games an occasional consideration. With specific application to the world of small budget 'indie' games like those Cliff makes, he wants to know the thought processes behind people pirating the games. What puts people off buying? Is it quality, cost, DRM, ease of access? Is there anything that can be done to convert those people to buyers? While many pirates often make good general points about the reasons for the widespread pirating of PC games, it's unusual to get a chance to address specific developers with specific reasons. If you knew 100% that the developer would read your email explaining why you pirated their game, what would you say?
Now that we have THREE major consoles out at one time we seem to have a battle royale for who gets the most sales and can call themselves the winner of this epic battle. Well let me tell you, as someone who owns all three (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii) I have to say that I think no one is winning this battle yet and I will tell you why.
The Wii while fun for parties sees absolutely no play from me any other time. It has some nice games, but with such a small selection of games that are for people older the 3, my choices are extremely limited. Adding friends to the Wii is a huge annoying chore and don't even think about then trying to play a game with those friends, you will be there all day reading numbers to each other and trying to figure out why it still isn't working. They have stepped up to fix one big problem which was the lack of voice chat. Nothing is more annoying then trying to play Smash Brothers with someone and having to stop play to call them on their cell phone to see if they have time for one more round.
The 360 is admittedly the most used console in my house but this is mostly because of the fact that friends are easy to add, games are easy to join, and most of my friends already have a 360 because its cheaper then the PS3. The major issue I have with the 360 is also game selection. Its major titles are shooters and I'm no big fan. I play them because my friends play and its something we can play together so we play. As an RPG fan I feel like I am kind of lost among these games but I play anyway. I admit I am kind of a picky gamer but the selection is rather small. You have shooter, action RPG/shooter, and some other stuff that might be ok. My day as an RPG player might be here soon though if all these E3 announcements seem to deliver the goods they are selling.
And oh dear my PS3, what did you do!? You held so much promise and now are really nothing more then a glorified PS2 which I use to play all my Atlus games. Home keeps getting pushed back and we just seem to keep hearing “just you wait we will rock”. Well PS3, I have had you for a year now and my socks are still firmly on my feet. Lets get a move on!
So as you can see, I don't think anyone gets to call themselves the winner of this war yet. I think they all need to step out of the batting cage and swing the bat already! Where are the innovations? Where is the pushing of the boundaries? Why are my socks still on my feet!?
* Fixed a bug with the joysticks where if you moved the stick too fast, some opposite directions could be rejected (left after right...).
* Fixed a segfault while trying to access the analog calibration dialog.
* Preliminary support for darwin (mac os x), but the linker seems to do some weird stuff and for now it crashes at startup even before reaching the main function !!!
* Thanks to Logiqx you can now load correctly the bootleg version of new zealand story.
* Added a few things to the console, required to have better cheats for ssrpg (neoraine)
* This version mainly takes the changes from raine 0.40.15 : joysticks are more responsive, and the console gets new commands which allow better cheats for ssrpg
* PIPBUG-based machines (such as the Electronics Australia 77up2 and the Signetics Adaptable Board Computer) (c. 1977).
Features: ReAction GUI load/save snapshots windowed and full-screen modes CPU tracing trainer drag and drop support graphics scaling automatic load/save of configuration/game keyboard/joystick/gamepad/paddle/mouse/trackball support autofire warp mode gameplay recording/playback PAL/NTSC modes sprite demultiplexing help windows source code debugger frame skipping redefinable keys save screenshots ARexx port network play real-time monitor locale support game selection sidebar text-to-speech printer output undithering support for ZIPped games
Changes since 7.51:
PIPBUG-based machines: improved keyboard support.
Improved mouse support.
Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
* VMP format is supported once again (opening only) since some people were asking for it.
* PS3 virtual save format (*.psv) is now supported (importing only).
* RAW single save format is now supported (both importing and exporting).
* On startup first slot of both memorycards is now selected.
o This will prevent errors with the save import function if user has not selected the slot to import to.
New version of the SNES emulator for Windows and Linux.
Changelog:
* SPC7110 decompression code updated to latest version by neviksti and converted to a state machine; SPC7110 overhead is now identical to S-DD1 overhead (eg ~5% speed hit over standard games)
* Fixed a major bug in SPC7110 data port emulation that was crashing Super Power League 4 [Jonas Quinn]
* HDMA trigger point corrected to H=1104, bus sync timing corrected
* All illegal DMA A-bus accesses should now be properly blocked
* DMA state machine rewritten, greatly simplified
* Major corrections to HDMA run timing; fixes flickering bugs in Mecarobot Golf and Super Mario Kart
* Emulator now defaults to 2/1/3 SNES (CPU/PPU1/PPU2 revision numbers)
* Multitap emulation added, can be attached to either or both controller ports; user interface updated to reflect this
* Status messages (cartridge loaded / unloaded, UPS patch applied, etc) now appear in status bar
* Added advanced configuration option, "input.analog_axis_resistance", to control gamepad analog stick sensitivity
Embrace the competitive spirit of the world’s most prestigious sporting event and represent your country and bring home the gold
Appearing on next gen consoles for the first time, Beijing 2008 delivers an entertaining and immersive Olympic experience. The superior graphics capture the fine emotional detail of each event where a fraction of a second means the difference between winning and losing. The Innovative game mechanics challenge a player’s time, speed and co-ordination. Compete for glory with up to seven friends online; strive to break records as you lead your country to victory. This summer show your patriotism and bring home the gold!
38 Official Events: Across ten Olympic disciplines, represent the country of your choice and compete for honour in Track and Field, Aquatics, Gymnastics, Cycling, Judo, Table tennis, Kayaking and many more.
In depth Career and Competition modes: Organise your daily schedule and customize your chosen team with agility, power, stamina and speed for competition in over 38 events. Or in competition mode participate with up to three friends in either a single or multi-event challenge.
Innovative Gameplay Mechanics: Use a variety of controls across all the events including a time based system where timing, power and angle are essential, rhythm based play that requires skill of increasing and maintaining speed, and a targeting system to assist in aiming.
Global Online Competition: Choose your country and become a member of the Olympic team and face challenges from across all nations. A multitude of online features such as exhibition events, ghost times and leader boards will allow players to prove themselves before the world.
Capturing the Olympic Spirit: The official video game of the Beijing Olympics 2008 offers full branding, realistic recreations of the official Olympic stadiums. The game offers you a chance to soak up the atmosphere of this prestigious worldwide and bring home the gold!
Product Features
All-new in-game content: more fighting styles plus new monsters, weapons and items
Ultra-crisp visuals showcase the lush environments of Jade Empire with short load-times and smooth frame-rates
Rich and engaging storyline: Forge a legendary tale where you control the outcome
Are you a noble hero"�. or a treacherous villain?
Intuitive controls optimized for the PC
Improved combat sequences with support for both game pads and keyboard-mouse layouts
The PC version of Bionic Commando Rearmed costs an extra five dollars because of "different business terms/expectations in that sector and, more importantly, generally prevailing pricing of PC digital games versus their console counterparts".
That's according to Capcom's US VP of strategic planning, Christian Svensson, who told Shacknews, "It has nothing to do with piracy concerns" in an email on Friday night.
Bionic Commando Rearmed is due out on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday, 13th August, where it will cost 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60 / USD 10.00). The PSN version's European release date is TBC (our money's on next Thursday), but the price is confirmed as GBP 6.99 / EUR 9.99 / USD 9.99.
Svensson pointed to portal sites for PC games released primarily through digital distribution to back up his point about pricing. "USD 14.99 represents an appropriate price for the platform and you should probably expect our PC pricing to always be slightly higher than the console equivalent in this space," he wrote.
The PC version of Bionic Commando Rearmed is due for release through Steam, Direct2Drive and other digital distributions platforms on 14th August.
Look for our review of BCR this week. In the meantime, you can check out our Bionic Commando Rearmed hands-on preview for preliminary thoughts.
The NPD Group has published its Games Segmentation report, detailing seven different gamer demographics and habits - revealing, among other things, that only 10 per cent of PlayStation 2 owners also own a PlayStation 3.
In the report, the estimated 174 million gamers are broken down into seven groups: 3 per cent are "Extreme gamers"; nine per cent are "Avid PC gamers"; 17 per cent are "Console gamers"; 14 per cent "Online PC gamers"; 15 percent are "Offline PC gamers"; 22 percent are "Young Heavy gamers"; and 20 percent are "Secondary gamers'.
Young Heavy gamers - the largest group at over 38 million people - play for above average amounts of time on every videogame system but show a strong preference for portable games platforms. Six out of every ten Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable owners fall into the category of young heavy gamers.
The report also details the cross-platform gaming habits of PlayStation owners. PS3 owners were found to be more likely to own other next-generation consoles when compared to Wii and Xbox 360 owners, however only 10 per cent of PS2 owners also own the PS3. While 45 per cent of PlayStation Portable owners also own a DS, only 21 per cent of DS owners also own a PSP.
The growth of digital distribution is reflected in the report, with 14 per cent of games purchased in the past three months through digital downloads, with Avid PC gamers making 27 per cent of their purchases through digital means.
When asked for a single choice, parents are more concerned about their children’s exposure to games such as Grand Theft Auto than alcohol, violence, and pornography, according to a recent online poll conducted by family-centric consumer game site What They Play.
A separate survey also showed that most parents considered viewing violence as more acceptable than exposure to content involving sex and sexuality.
The initial poll, conducted April 4-10, 2008, found that, asked 1,266 participants what they are most offended by in video games. 37% responded that they were most offended by a man and a woman having sex, whereas 27% answered “two men kissing,” 25% responded “a graphically severed head,” and 9% chose “multiple use of the F-word.”
The second poll, conducted August 1-6, 2008, and - like the first - only tracking single answers, as opposed to letting people pick multiple choices - asked over 1,600 respondents what they’d be most concerned about their 17-year-old child indulging in while at a sleepover.
49% revealed that they’re more apprehensive about their child smoking marijuana, and 19% responded that they are most concerned with their children playing Grand Theft Auto. 16% answered that they are most disturbed by their children watching pornography, while 14% are most concerned with them drinking beer.
Said What They Like president John Davison: “These poll results demonstrate that parents are as apprehensive about their children’s media diets as they are about traditional social issues such as alcohol, drugs, violence and sex."
It's a race that won't be finished until 2011, according to Chris Deering (former head of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe), but he's already calling it a tie between Sony and Nintendo. Keep in mind, this was after week ending numbers came out showing over 40,000 Wii units sold in Japan, with the PS3 a distant 9,500 units sold. So, clearly there's a lot to do in three years.
Deering arrived at these figures "by triangulating Screen Digest and IDG data. He also took into account factors such as the growth of hi-def and the grey gamer market, the emergence of new game engines and increasing ubiquity of wi-fi access" and we imagine he probably tried out runestones, tarot cards, and a ouija board just to be safe.
What's impressive are the sheer numbers alone. He predicts that by 2011 both Sony and Nintendo will have sold 230 million total machines each (Sony: PS3 + PS2 + PSP, and NIntendo: Wii + DS), and that the Xbox 360 will have reached a user base of 40 million. The only thing is, the 360 has already reached the 20 million mark, so he thinks it'll continue on that track for the next three years at exactly the same pace, due to the "set-top box hi-def phenomenon."
He also concludes that the number of potential gamers will reach 2.5 billion due to the amounts of consoles, computers, and mobile phones sold, to which we say... isn't everyone a potential gamer?
UK outlet Edge has declared that Bungie's mega-blockbuster Halo 3 "does most to further the creative culture of gaming" by awarding it the Edge Award for Interactive Innovation at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival today. The Xbox 360 game beat out Grand Theft Auto IV, Portal, Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit to secure the honor, with Edge writing that it's "the integration and coherence of Halo 3’s online content that makes the game stand apart."
"Space marines? Again?! Innovative?!?" you may be thinking. Edge obviously responds "Yes!" declaring that the sci-fi first person shooter demonstrates an "unparalleled understanding of the potential for console online play." Should you need further justification to help calm your nerves, Edge has 'em. Whether you'll agree... well, that's up to you.
* PIPBUG-based machines (such as the Electronics Australia 77up2 and the Signetics Adaptable Board Computer) (c. 1977).
Features: ReAction GUI load/save snapshots windowed and full-screen modes CPU tracing trainer drag and drop support graphics scaling automatic load/save of configuration/game keyboard/joystick/gamepad/paddle/mouse/trackball support autofire warp mode gameplay recording/playback PAL/NTSC modes sprite demultiplexing help windows source code debugger frame skipping redefinable keys save screenshots ARexx port network play real-time monitor locale support game selection sidebar text-to-speech printer output undithering support for ZIPped games
Changes since 7.52:
Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
* Captain CPS-X readded netplay and removed the dependancy on any external dlls - use them at your own risk
* Fixed a problem with the SuperScale filter on nVidia gfx cards
* Merged in Captain CPS-X's improvements to the game selection dialog
* Fixed a problem with the game information dialog displaying incorrect images
* Updated the romcenter dat module to support the latest romcenter
* Imported fixes from MAME 0.126u4 for fm.c
* Added a flag for MVS Cartidges and changed hardware description output
* Matched all sets to MAME 0.126u4
Sony boss Chris Deering has surprised many by predicting that the firm's PlayStation 2 console, which launched in the UK in the year 2000, will have more active users than Nintendo's Wii by 2011.
Speaking at the launch of Edinburgh's Interactive Festival, the games chief said all platforms will see major growth by 2011, predicting there will be 2.5 billion gamers worldwide.
Deering said the DS will have rocketed to 150m users, but top of the home console market will be the PS2 with 90m active users.
The Sony boss added the Wii will be second with 80m users, the PS3 and PSP will be at 70m and the Xbox 360 at 40m.
Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation and counting, Madden NFL 09 delivers its most complete NFL football package ever.
Whether you're a seasoned veteran or picking up the game for the first time, players of all skill levels will enjoy a unique, yet challenging experience with the innovative Adaptive Difficulty Engine, which tailors the game to match your playing style.
Instantly improve your game with the all-new virtual Training Center or incorporate feedback with EA SPORTS BackTrack, allowing you to learn from your mistakes on the fly.
With a new broadcast presentation and online leagues, plus more than 85 new features and enhancements, Madden NFL 09 is the most authentic and adaptable game in sports video game history.
Game Features
An all-new Adaptive Difficulty Engine assesses your proficiency in the core skills areas of football, then tailors the experience to match your playing style.
Set your sights on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in an all-new network television-style broadcast as Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond call the action from the booth
Make a run for the postseason for the first time online
With an enhanced graphics engine and new player models, linemen battle in the trenches with more bulky physiques while backs and receivers fly around the field with a more sleek and slimmer look
Built from the ground up, an all-new Total Control Animation System allows for instantaneous combo moves while bringing new aspects to the game, including missed field goal returns and bobble catches
The innovative sports game is available on several platforms in various versions:
Xbox360™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US US$ 99.90
Madden NFL 09 JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation3™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US US$ 99.90
Madden NFL 09 JPN US$ 64.90
Please note that while the US and Asian versions of the game have either arrived or will be available soon, the Japanese edition is expected to come in September.
Nintendo Wii™
Madden NFL 09 All-Play US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Xbox™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Aside from the more common US, Asian, Japanese versions, the hit sports game is also available as Spanish editions for the Xbox360™ and PlayStation3™ for the same price of US$ 64.90. The Spanish editions are expected to arrive in September and is currently available as a preorder.
To those new to American Football/Rugby, get some advice and tutorials from the official guide book, available for US$ 19.90 only.
The previous installments of the highly acclaimed sports game are still available at Play-Asia.com, please find them here at the complete list of Madden NFL games.
Wii Fit has reclaimed the top spot in the UK all-formats chart, bending past last week's winner, Soulcalibur IV, at two.
Following them are faces so familiar we suggest they form a family: Mario Kart Wii at three, Big Beach Sports at four, and Wii Play at five.
Store promotions and big trucks with posters on helped Guitar Hero III take six and Guitar Hero: On Tour occupy seven.
Then came Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, although they're not - the title is misleading. Wall-E, the speechless robot, fell to nine as movie popularity dwindled, and the chart was rounded out by Brain Training at 10.
This week waves goodbye to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.
And that's about it.
Wii Fit (Wii)
Soulcalibur IV (Xbox 360, PS3)
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Big Beach Sports (Wii)
Wii Play (Wii)
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS)
Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
WALL-E (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
LEGO Indiana Jones (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Kung Fu Panda (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS)
Beijing 2008 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
Sports Party (Wii)
More Brain Training (DS)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360, PS3)
FIFA 08 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP)
Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
Speaking at the AMD "Cinema 2.0" event in New York City yesterday, Blizzard's Bob Colayco took some time to talk about the shrouded-in-mystery Starcraft II. One of the more interesting points of the discussion: why it took so long for Blizzard to finally announce a sequel to the multi-million selling title.
Colayco noted that the original Starcraft was built on a 2D engine, in spite of the competition having largely switched over to 3D engines. The savings in processing were applied to larger, more epic battles with dozens of units being rendered on the screen at the same time. The crowded battlefield "captured the gamer's imagination more" than the barren fields of competing 3D games at the time, and helped cement Starcraft's place in videogaming culture.
In spite of their success, the team at Blizzard wasn't going to rush into a 3D Starcraft unless it could capture the same feeling of the original. "The truth is that only recently have we had this kind of 3D power where we're able to create a real Starcraft experience in 3D. What we want to see are hundreds of vehicles and creatures clashing on the battlefield, with dynamic lighting and shadows and all of these dazzling special effects -- that's the kind of gaming experience that our players expect from us."
Australia has decided to unban Fallout 3 and reclassify the game with an MA 15+ title, which happens to be the highest rating in the entire country.
The Office of Film and Literature judged a resubmitted version of the post-apocalyptic role-playing game to be suitable for sale in the region, as the "reward and incentive" for in-game drug abuse had been toned down, according to GameSpot.
However, there is no confirmation of exactly what changes were made.
Using naughty substances plays a large part in Fallout 3, which proved a major sticking point in the original ruling.
"In the Board's view, these realistic visual representation of drugs and their delivery method bring the 'science-fiction' drugs in line with 'real-world' drugs," said the OFLC.
Fallout 3 is yet to be rated in the UK, but is expected on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime this autumn. Online retailers suggest October.
NVIDIA has begun rolling out drivers to activate the sleeping PhysX beast in all GeForce 8 series or higher graphics cards.
The first of many free GeForce Experience Packs includes mod support to unlock PhysX in Unreal Tournament 3, as well as offers shooter Warmonger, some tech demos, and sneak peaks at upcoming games are also included.
The new drivers unlock PhysX acceleration for GeForce 8, 9, and GTX 200 Series graphics cards, apparently, and also add support for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2.
Using its clever-sounding CUDA development language, NVIDIA has been able to assign multiple processors on graphics cards to do different tasks - in this case render PhysX physics, but without the need for a specialised Physics Processing Unit card.
This achieves tip-top physics performance and means millions of GeForce graphics cards are now PhysX-enabled for free! Well, for four billion quid or whatever they cost in the first place.
Going forward, Unreal Engine 3 supports the technology as standard, and upcoming games Borderlands, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Cryostasis and Backbreaker are all joining in.
NVIDIA, which now owns PhysX creator AGEIA, expects around 20 PC titles to include support before the end of the year.
"Seeing is believing," according to NVIDIA. Off you go, then. And check out our recent NVIDIA, CUDA and PhysX piece for a bit more information on how it all works.
GAME's exclusive "Premier" package for Red Alert 3 on PC includes a mystery beta key for an unnamed Command & Conquer game.
The package, which costs GBP 44.99, also includes a host of other goodies.
Chief among them for the average internet misogynist is probably the 'Women of Red Alert 3 montage video', presumably featuring Gemma Atkinson, but it's the beta key which has most people's interest piqued.
Neither EA nor GAME were able to confirm which game the key will apply to, but the office bet is on upcoming first-person shooter Tiberium. Perhaps the PC-specific nature of the bundle is a clue?
Anyway, check out the unedited feature list below for details of what your extra pennies will get you.
Limited edition collector's tin.
Five exclusive multiplayer/skirmish maps.
Bonus DVD featuring: Full-length Raising the Iron Curtain making-of movie with exclusive interviews from the star-studded cast.
Concept art montage video (From Pens to Pixels), Bloopers and outtakes from the cinematics sessions, Women of Red Alert 3 montage video, An inside look into the future of Command & Conquer and Red Alert, Tips on how to unlock the secrets of each side, directly from the developers, Complete video walk-thru on one of the game's hardest missions! And more!
Game Soundtrack including exclusive remixes of Hell March and Hell March 2 by From First to Last, plus the all-new Hell March 3.
Exclusive Beta Key to a future C&C game!
A C&C Red Alert 3-exclusive item for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (also available with the standard edition of C&C Red Alert 3).
With two successful years of pomp and glitzy bluster under its belt, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that its British Academy Video Games Awards are set to return in March 2009, following a leave of absence this year.
With its videogames award ceremony scheduled for March 10 at the London Hilton, Park Lane, the Academy aims to "support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefitting the public."
To this end, BAFTA has unveiled its 13 nomination categories, with awards being dolled out across Action & Adventure, Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Casual, Gameplay, Multiplayer, Original Score, Sports, Strategy, Story & Character, Technical Achievement and Use of Audio. 2009 also sees the introduction of a new Handheld category, recognising development excellence across mobiles phone, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS and Nintendo GBA titles.
Next year's ceremony will also see prizes awarded for the BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare To Be Digital - aiming to recognise new gaming talent - and another for games or gaming technology worthy of special recognition. The evening will also see another industry member's indoctrination into the Academy's prestigious Fellowship, the highest accolade it can bestow on an individual for outstanding achievement and contribution to the industry through a body of work - last year awarded to Will Wright.
Nominations are voted for by industry "experts" and the final nominations list in each category is set to be unveiled on February 10, 2009 - one month before the official award ceremony.
- Failed to start with some display card/driver combinations.
- Regular (non-RDB) OFS formatted hardfiles didn't mount under KS 1.3.
- Memory corruption in configuration file handling causing random crashes when loading or saving configuration files.
- Configuration files in subdirectories didn't load if configuration cache was enabled.
- RTG hardware mouse cursor may have been invisible (or had wrong graphics) in some cases after resolution change.
- Switching between non-interlaced and interlaced modes caused random "scanline" graphics corruption.
Other bug fixes:
- Built-in HRTMon crashed in JIT modes.
- Interlace modes fixed in "normal" (non-doubled/scanline) modes.
- Fixed borderblank graphics corruption in interlaced modes.
- Fixed possible crashes when switching Windows desktop resolution or when using quick user switching.
- "Kickstart Replacement" fixed.
- PCMCIA SRAM emulation didn't work in memory expansion mode.
- Emulation paused if "stop sound while inactive/minimzed" was enabled.
- Improved directory filesystem statefile support.
- AVI recording crash if only audio recording was enabled.
- Native DLL support fixed.
- Forced fullscreen refresh rates didn't work in some cases.
- Multiple identical (same serial number) USB game controllers do not confuse input system anymore.
- Major blitter slowdown in some AGA modes.
- ADF was not updated if disk write was aborted (Cadaver save disk)
- Crash when USB mouse/joystick was removed or inserted before emulation was started.
New and improved features:
- Added support for Direct3D pixel shader filters (very fast compared to software filters, pixel shader 2.0+ compatible display card required), plain Direct3D filter performance improved. Latest (August 2008 or later) DirectX required.
- In windowed mode all resolution or chipset/RTG mode switches resize the window instead of window closing and opening.
- Aspect ratio setting added to RTG and filter panels.
- Window resize enabled in windowed mode (chipset mode).
- Added Picasso96 option "Always scale in windowed mode" which enables window resizing and disables automatic resize. Keeps aspect ratio automatically.
- Only reset fullscreen mode when resolution or depth changes.
- On the fly USB mouse/joystick insert/removal does not modify currently selected input device(s) in Ports-panel.
- Enable ini-mode (registry replacement) if .ini (without .exe) is found. Previously always used winuae.ini.
And more. Originally 1.5.1 was planned to be "1.5.0 bug fix" update only..
- Fixed the typing notification message in Shadow skin chat windows so that they are fully visible.
- Fixed several video capture bugs with larger videos.
- Fixed several UI inconsistencies with the mute button.
- Fixed encoding issues with non-ASCII characters when editing screenshot and video descriptions.
- Added game server information to Frontlines: Fuel of War.
Coming 2008-08-14:
- Teaser of the Activity Report in the infoview.
- Massively increased limits of screenshot and video storage.
New games supported: Dark Colony Enclave Carmageddon TDR2000 Rayman Raving Rabbids
Rigs of Rods 7 Wonders of the Ancient World Eternal Lands The Golden Horde
Roogoo Bomberman Online Elements The Wonderful End of the World
Halo Trial Space Chimps 7 Wonders II Sacred Gold
UniBall Warrior Epic Closed Beta World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Beta Jutland Beta
IGI-2: Covert Strike CQC: Close Quarter Combat Q-World
The Sims 2 Double Deluxe was top of the US PC chart for the week ending August 2, according to the latest data from NPD.
That was followed by Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice and World of Warcraft: Battle Chest in second and third places.
The taster to the forthcoming Will Wright title, Spore Creature Creator, was fourth followed by the original World of Warcraft release and the IKEA Home Stuff Expansion for The Sims 2 in fifth and sixth.
The Diablo Battle Chest and Call of Duty 4 followed in seventh and eighth places, with The Burning Crusade expansion and The Sims 2 FreeTime rounding out the top ten.
The full list is as follows:
1. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe
2. Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice
3. World of Warcraft: Battle Chest
4. Spore Creature Creator
5. World of Warcraft
6. The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Expansion Pack
7. Diablo Battle Chest
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
9. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack
10. The Sims 2 FreeTime Expansion Pack
Valve has confirmed the Heavy update for Team Fortress 2 will be released on PC on Tuesday 19th August.
Three new unlockable weapons will be added to the TF2 class, as well as more maps and a brand new gameplay mode. Valve calls this "the largest" update made to the game since launch.
Specific details on alterations and additions will be staggered to appear on the Heavy website between now and next Tuesday.
Team Fortress 2 designer Robin Walker has previously hinted that Heavy changes will make the class more viable solo, or without a Medic in tow.
The only official details released to date describes one of the community-made maps which will appear in the update.
To spur the community into action, Valve is offering Team Fortress 2 for free during the whole of next weekend, which begins 22nd August.
Head over to the "A Heavy Update" website to keep up to date.
Obsidian has dropped off five new shots of its Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion, Storm of Zehir.
The add-on naturally follows straight on from the original game's conclusion, and promises a campaign that's non-linear "in a way never before seen in the NWN series."
For a start, players can form their own party of adventurers instead of being grouped with rubbish NPCs, which should fix a lot of our problems with the original game.
It's down for 'Q4 2008'. Checkout the shots, here...
Cryptic Studios has posted an FAQ for its recently announced title, Star Trek Online. While some of the questions are useful there are a few classics in there such as 'Will you need an internet connection to play Star Trek Online?' Surely that's not a frequently asked question. Is it?
What is Star Trek Online?
Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Star Trek universe. Star Trek Online will be developed for both console and PC formats. Game features will include customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content.
Will a monthly fee be required to play?
We haven't decided on pricing plans yet.
What is Cryptic using from the previous development?
Star Trek Online is entirely based on Cryptic's design and built entirely using Cryptic Studios' technology and assets. The former studio that we acquired the Star Trek game rights from had a huge amount of concept art created for their game - much of that is applicable, and we are taking advantage of it.
But Cryptic's engine, technology platform and content pipelines have become so mature that with a small team we can quickly ramp up a project.
Will there be PvP?
Yes. We plan for a faction vs. faction PvP ruleset, but there are also plans for a competitive PvE mechanic.
Game Developer Research has surveyed more than 2,000 members of the videogame industry to find out which gaming platforms they were spending most of their time with. All of the participants polled were from North America and read either gaming industry site Gamasutra.com or Game Developer magazine.
According to the survey, 70-percent of all the applicants who replied said that they were making games for either the PC or Mac. The console platforms, combined as a whole, amounted to 43-percent of the pie; while 28-percent said that they were designing games for Web platforms. Rounding out the last place was the handheld platforms with 16-percent of the pie.
Upon further analysis of the console figures, 73-percent of the console developers surveyed said that they were making games for Microsoft's Xbox 360. In second place was Sony's PlayStation 3 with 58-percent. It is important to note that these percentages include cross-platform games. In third place was Nintendo's Wii, with 42-percent responding that they were working on a Wii game. Rounding out the fourth spot was the PlayStation 2 with 15-percent.
On the handheld side, 75-percent of handheld developers said that they were making games for the Nintendo DS. 45-percent responded that they were designing games for Sony's PSP.
In summation, the PC/Mac is the most popular game development platform among the participants surveyed; while the Xbox 360 and DS are the leaders of their own respective fields. It is important to note that while the Xbox 360 recieves the most console development support from game designers this does not necessarily mean that the console will provide the most games. Other factors such as team size and game development cycle must be put into consideration.
It was a bit late to the party with its 16GB SDHC card, and Kingston looks to be playing catch-up again when it comes to 32GB cards, with it only now releasing its first such high capacity wonder. It's also not making any attempts to contend with the fastest cards around, as this particular one is only a Class 4 card that promises to maintain a speed of 4MB/sec, which is a good deal off the pace of Panasonic's 20MB/s Class 6 SDHC card. Of course, at "just" $308, you can also get two of these for the price of one of Panasonic's speedy cards, which should tide you over until the inevitable 64GB SDHC cards start showing up.
7-Zip is a file archiver with the high compression ratio. The program supports 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, LZH, CHM, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, ISO, MSI, WIM, NSIS, RPM and DEB formats.
Changelog:
- 7-Zip now can unpack UDF, XAR and DMG/HFS archives.
- 7-Zip File Manager now keeps encryption when you edit encrypted file inside archive.
- 7-Zip File Manager now allows to change current folder from the address bar drop-down list.
- It's allowed to use -t switch for "list" and "extract" commands.
- Some bugs were fixed.
- New localizations: Icelandic, Kurdish Sorani.
* changes for the console : better handling of scripts in windows (fopen rb instead of r !!!), now correctly handles tabs in scripts, reports errors if console is hidden (during scripts execution), adds save and restore commands.
* all the scripts for ssrpg have been updated to handle up to 3 characters in the team at the same time (thanks to saaleh for the savegame which allowed me to do that !)
MAMETesters Bugs Fixed
---------------------------------
- 02095: [Misc.] chqflag, chqflagj, -listxml: memory leaks (Aaron Giles)
- 02110: [Side-by-side] All sets in cps3.c: video from a DV cam proves the refresh rate of CPS3 in MAME is wrong (Aaron Giles)
- 02113: [Misc.] xymg: xymg title mispelled (Aaron Giles)
- 01802: [Multisession] cybrcomm, raveracw, raveracj, raveraja, ridgerac, ridgerab, ridgeraj, acedrvrw, victlapw: No sound in games after reloading via the MAME UI (Atari Ace)
- 00233: [Graphics] ikari: The current implementation of the shadow in Ikari Warriors and Victory Road is wrong. (Nicola Salmoria)
- 02059: [Crash/Freeze] panicstr: Game hangs after choosing Stage. (R. Belmont)
- 02027: [Crash/Freeze] lhba: lhba does not work (Luca Elia)
- 02101: [Crash/Freeze] wboy, wboysys2: Access Violation (Nicola Salmoria)
- 00492: [Crash/Freeze] vbowl: In every case, after the 3rd launched ball, the game resets. (Luca Elia)
- 00491: [Crash/Freeze] drgwrld3: When you continue by inserting credit and play, the game crashes. (Luca Elia)
- 02021: [Graphics] cottonbm: Sprite layer offset toward upper-left (R. Belmont)
- 02022: [Crash/Freeze] cottonbm: Fatal Error Crash (R. Belmont)
- 02071: [Crash/Freeze] coolridr: Access Violation (R. Belmont)
Source Changes
--------------------------
Updated the FD1089 decryption algorythm to use the real keys generated by the LCG as found by Andreas Naive. The algorithm is more complex than it should be, but I haven't been able to simplify it more. The keys are still embedded in the source. It would now be reasonable to move them to external files; however, for several games we only have partial keys so the files would need to be BAD_DUMP. [Nicola Salmoria]
Changed ad2083 to load PROM data instead of using hardcoded values. [couriersud]
Updated structure and naming conventions of sound and CPU cores to match core conventions. [Derrick Renaud]
Added discrete sound for Mad Alien. [Derrick Renaud]
Hooked up discrete filtering to SN76477 in Space Chaser. [Derrick Renaud]
Improvements to Lucky74.c driver: [Roberto Fresca, Grull Osgo]
- Reverse engineering of custom IC's 06B49P, 06B53P & 09R81P.
- Mapped the missing 3x SN76489.
- Measured and traced all clocks on the board.
- Measured and fixed the interrupt system.
- Implemented timings/clocks from custom 06B49P.
- Added sound support. All regular game sounds/musics are working.
- Implemented the ADPCM samples system through 09R81P + M5205 emulation.
- Added pinouts and technical notes about custom IC's 06B49P, 06B53P & 09R81P.
- Added flip screen mode.
- Inverted the order of double-up difficult DIP switches.
- Changed 'Key In' to be active LOW instead of HIGH
- Complete memory map and ports scheme.
- Created handlers for USART port and co-processor communication.
- Renamed the sets accordingly.
- Updated all notes.
- Cleaned-up the driver.
Merged memory maps for drivers tigeroad, timelimt, toobin, tumbleb.c, tbowl, thedeep, and thief. Also changed gfx memory region tags in obvious cases. [Andrew Gardner]
Added sprite wrapping to Irem m63 driver. [Tomasz Slanina, Stefan Lindberg]
More FM OPN fixes [Eke, R. Belmont]
- Pass chip type around and restore Jarek's original behavior for YM2203/YM2610
- Always recalculate attack rate in set_ar_ksr, fixes Megadrive/Genesis "Batman & Robin"
Added readmes for Cosmo, Don Den Lover, Beatmania (CHD dumping), Dragon Master, Gals Panic, Fantasia II, Grand Tour, New Dyna Blaster Global Quest, Daytona "To The MAXX" upgrade, Namco System FL, Great Sluggers, Gun Nail, Gun & Frontier, Elevator Action Returns, Battle Bakraid, Koro Koro Quest, Gigas (bootleg), Race Drivin', Hexa, IQ Block, Open Golf Championship, Macross Plus, Malzak, Puzzle Club, Naomi, Puzzle Star, Puckman Pockimon, Raiden 2, Raiden Fighters 2 (single board), Light Bringer, Landmaker, Knuckle Bash 2, Mahjong Fight Club, Vivid Dolls, Tower and Shaft, Star Soldier Vanishing Earth, Stone Ball, Sky Lancer, Squash, Winning Spike, Versus Net Soccer, Undercover Cops, War Gods, Space Fever, Strikers 1945, Rohga, Super Eagle Shot, Treasure Hunt (stv), Tickee Tickats, Great 1000 Miles Rally 2 and Super Monaco GP. [Guru, Andrew Gardner]
Implemented MWR (memory width register) in shanghai to avoid hardcoded 384 value for screen width. [robiza]
Added the Plotting PAL to the Japanese set. Also corrected the PAL ROM name. [Brian Troha]
KO Punch boxer graphics had to be doubled. [Nicola Salmoria]
Fixed NMI on Mad Alien sound CPU. This fixes shot sound and various other sound glitches. Marked madalien and madalina as Imperfect Graphics. They are missing an effect. When you shoot an enemy in the dark, the whole screen lights up. Basically the headlights fill the whole screen. [Guru, Derrick Renaud]
Added reverse engineered PLD images to CPS1 games (A-board to all and B-board and C-board to many). [Corrado Tomaselli, Charles MacDonald]
Rejiggered huffman.c to support multiple interleaving streams and a delta-RLE pre-encoding. Added optimized case for the Y/Cb/Y/Cr video encoding case. Cleaned up the code. [Aaron Giles]
Updated avcomp.c to use the new huffman.c functions. Reworked configuration options to allow for both input and output of naturally aligned data streams. Updated chdman and laserdsc to use the new interfaces. New compression gives an additional 3-7% over previous attempt and compresses the dummy CHDs down significantly. [Aaron Giles]
Some improvements to shanghai video drivers: [robiza]
1) convert framebuffer's ram from 8 bit to 16 bit
2) convert dma command from 8 bit to 16 bit
3) convert gfx command from 8 bit to 16 bit
4) implemented all gfx mode: 1,2,4,8,16 bpp
Now we can use this gfx chip for adp driver that use 4bpp.
updated Alpha 8302 MCU simulation to match newly dumped internal ROM. Added the ROM to Champion Baseball 2. [Nicola Salmoria]
Added video level detection and reporting to ldverify. [Aaron Giles]
Fixed incorrect test in winwork that led to spinning instead of using the nicely allocated events we had on hand. [Aaron Giles]
Forced a sound synchronization on each vsync in the laserdisc playback. This prevents overwriting the tail end of the buffer which was fouling up the MACH 3 audio decoding. [Aaron Giles]
Fixed ROM mapping and added preliminary video emulation to galaxia. [Tomasz Slanina]
Fix coolridr crash with DRC, now hangs waiting for impossible conditions again. [R. Belmont]
Added new flag to menu items: MENU_FLAG_DISABLE, which means the item will be visible but not selectable. [Aaron Giles]
Fixed bug that prevented the cheat engine from working when the debugger was disabled. [Aaron Giles]
Modified xmlfile.c to accept integer values in decimal or hex. The default is decimal. Numbers may be prefixed by '#' for decimal values, or by '$' or '0x' to indicate hexadecimal values. Also added function xml_get_attribute_int_format() to return the format of the attribute, so that it can be later replicated. [Aaron Giles]
Updated cheat parser to preserve the format of attribute values used for cheat parameters and items. [Aaron Giles]
Added support for information-only cheat items, which will be displayed in the menu but which are not selectable and have no action associated with them. Empty information-only items are automatically converted to menu separators. [Aaron Giles]
Moved several include files from mame/ to emu/, as they were included by generic components in emu/ and thus should have no dependencies on the MAME code. [Aaron Giles]
Added new target ldplayer, which is based on MAME but serves as a standalone laserdisc player for CHDs. Right now only the Pioneer LD-V1000 is connected, and limited commands are available. Each player type is a driver, so you specify the player type on the command-line. The driver then opens the first CHD it finds in your ROM path and uses that as the laserdisc. The intention is that you specify the -rompath each time on the command-line, so a typical approach might be:
ldplayer ldv1000 -rompath j:\mach3
where it will pick up the mach3.chd lurking in your j:\mach3 folder.
Several basic commands are supported:
Space = play/pause
Alt = toggle frame display
Left = scan forward (when playing) or step forward (when paused)
Right = scan backward (when playing) or step backward (when paused)
0-9 = enter numbers for search
Enter = execute search to frame
[Aaron Giles]
Implemented proper shadow handling in SNK drivers. [Nicola Salmoria]
Corrected rom names with PCB locations for Lady Bug and verified the dump against an original Universal Lady Bug PCB. Added information about the Universal PCB number and prom type. [Brian Troha]
Improved input ports for drivers starting with F->M. In particular: they add AM_READ_PORT whenever suitable, they make inputs fully 32bit where needed, they remove indexed input read handlers from INITs, they replace many read handlers with appropriate CUSTOM_INPUTs. [Fabio Priuli]
Additional input port improvements: [Fabio Priuli]
* added dip switches and locations to go2000 (even if they were partially documented in the source)
* fixed artmagic protection (it used a wrong tag, which probably I added somewhere in 0.125uX)
* changed a lot of input related things in irem m10->m107 irem boards. First of all, moved input definitions from drivers/m92.h to include/iremipt.h and removed completely drivers/m92.h (which only contained those definitions). Added more common inputs to iremipt.h and started to use that file in m62->m107 instead of local #defines. Finally, added diplocations to all the games in m62->m107 which were missing and it implemented coinage mode 2 through dipconditions in the drivers which didn't support it.
* converted most of the games checking avgdvg_done() in inputs to use a CUSTOM_INPUT (defined in video/avgdvg.c)
Fixed the i386 CPU core's BSR implementation for the case where the high bit is set. [Atari Ace]
Added DIP locations to clshroad.c. [RansAckeR]
Collapsed timer callbacks in some cases to avoid duplicating code. In the case of crystal.c, also refactored two DMA handlers and shuffled the init/reset code around a bit. [Atari Ace]
Cleaned up and grouped the sound chip entries based on sound.mak. [Oliver Stoeneberg]
Fixed sfiii3's title animation and the linear zoom effect that OopsWare didn't improve properly since 0.122u7. [Joshua Chang]
New games added or promoted from NOT_WORKING status
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Da Ban Cheng [Pierpaolo Prazzoli, Luca Elia]
Xing Yen Man Guan [Luca Elia, Wei Mingzhi]
Killer Instinct (SNES bootleg) [Tomasz Slanina]
Final Fight 2 (SNES bootleg) [David Haywood, Tomasz Slanina, Kowal]
New clones added
------------------------------
Dai Makai-Mura (Japan new version) [Corrado Tomaselli]
Defender (White label) [Andy Welburn]
Free Kick (bootleg set 2) [David Haywood]
Zhong Guo Long (China, V010C) [Luca Elia]
Zhong Guo Long? (Hong Kong, V011H) [Luca Elia]
Sonic Blast Man TURBO 2 (SNES bootleg) [Corrado Tomaselli]
New version of the SNES emulator for Windows and DOS.
Changelog:
ZSNES v1.51, with the SPC7110 v5
Okay, at long last, I think I finally completed all the SPC7110 programming and tweaking (famous last words). If you find any issues, let me know, and I´ll try to fix it (sigh).
Changes:
_Demo_ and I optimized the code even more, to the extent that we don´t think there´s anything else significant we can do.
Fixed a bug with save states/rewind that Deathlike found.
Removed the gfx packs stuff from the GUI and config file.
Added to the config file an option to turn off the graphics cache.
The cache isn´t used if there´s not enough free memory, but you can play SPC7110 games anyway.
Cleanup.
Post results of speeds with the cache on and off (changing the setting requires ZSNES to be restarted). I´d appreciate if people with sub 1 GHz machines can post some FPS and CPU info with and without cache.
Todo:
Post source changes for people who want them.
Coordinate with some translation teams to get the 4 SPC7110 games translated. If you need a special build of ZSNES for something, or some info which I can provide, let me know.
Party?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZSNES v1.51, with the SPC7110 v4
Okay, _Demo_ pointed out some relics of neviksti´s code still in our optimized version. I rewrote some of the tightest loops to use 64 less bytes of memory, and only loop 25% of the amount of loops it was currently doing.
Let me know if I broke anything. If you also were getting a slow down on initial load in the previous build, that should be cut down now.
Test with the cache deleted, and let me know how it works.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZSNES v1.51, with the SPC7110 v3
Okay, anomie and I rewrote pretty much all of neviksti´s code and seriously optimized it like nuts. We still have a little bit more that we can optimize (and hopefully will), but we´re MUCH faster now.
This build offers over the previous build even more optimized decompression, and a persistent cache (which at this point I don´t think we really need anymore).
Let me know what kind of FPS you get now, and how much CPU usage it takes (and list which CPU and MHz you have).
Also, please test save states and all that.
We´re almost done here. Once I am, I´ll figure out exactly what it is that I changed, so I can package a new source release.
If you run into any issues, let me know. If the persistent cache for whatever reason is causing issues, delete the *.idx and *.gfx files, and let me know about it.
I optimized neviksti´s decompression code a bit more, but this isn´t the good part. I wrote a completely new caching algorithm which is able to cache the complete decompressed data for any game, and search for entries with an upper bound of O(6). What this means, is that once the game already saw a graphic, it´ll be able to recall it instantly. Some initial screens may be slow, but if you ever come there again, it should be full speed. So for example, the first time or two watching the FEoEZ intro, I would have it dipping to 55 FPS on occasion, but after that, all repeat loops are full speed. Also, how long it dips for initially should be less as well, since the games keep on re-decompressing graphics multiple times on each screen, now, that´s been completely eliminated. Hold down fast forward, you may be surprised. In SPL4, in the field, I´m now able to get 196/60 FPS. I also redid the save state code again. It should now generate save states approximately 64KB smaller than before, which are obviously incompatible with previous build. I also double checked the movie code, so that should work too, unlike the previous build which had some issues there.
Todo:
Finish optimizing neviksti´s decompresser so initial loads are even quicker.
Perhaps offer an option to save the cache to disk, so every time you reload a game, it doesn´t have to rebuild it. Let me know if you guys want this or not.
Clean out the old pack path stuff from the GUI and the config file.
Let me know how this new build is working for you, if there´s any issues or not. Please post your results with FPS, and your CPU, and what you think of it.
Thanks.
Edit:
Er, redownload that, byuu caught a bug that I broke the Press A test if you started a game without an SRM. That´s fixed now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZSNES v1.51, with the SPC7110
This is v1.51, with the SPC7110 pack loading code removed (although I didn´t remove the GUI stuff for it yet), and real decompression added.
Save states with this version are not compatible with SPC7110 save states of pack loading versions, however SRMs should remain compatible.
Thanks for the code is as follows:
SPC7110:
Research by Dark Force, zsKnight, and The Dumper.
Implementation by zsKnight, Jonas Quinn, and Nach
Decompression:
Research by neviksti, Andreas Naive, and jolly_codger
Implementation by neviksti, Nach, and TRAC
With lots of help from CaitSith2
I spent the better part of two days trying to optimize as much as I could the decompression code, since it was really slow, I was only getting 16 FPS on my 2.5 GHz machine in some cases. Now I get 60/60 and it uses ~20% CPU.
Games are:
Code:
NSRT v3.5 - Nach´s SNES ROM Tools
-------------------------Container--------------------------
File: Far East of Eden Zero (J).gz
Sub File: Far East of Eden Zero (J)
---------------------Internal ROM Info----------------------
Name: HU TENGAI MAKYO ZERO Company: Hudson Soft
Header: None Bank: HiROM
Interleaved: None ROM: 40 Mb
Type: SPC7110 + RTC SRAM: 64 Kb
Expansion: None Battery: Present
Country: Japan Video: NTSC
ROM Speed: 120ns (FastROM) Revision: 1.0
Checksum: Good 0xDE89 Game Code: Marked, AZRJ
---------------------------Hashes---------------------------
CRC32: 1E327BD9
MD5: 29998124A67DEDA111D5ACA8AAF5DCA5
RIPEMD: 4B4BFFEAC1B74E840F4E717BB19E6CC6475BEE43
SHA-1: 91FF16DA242D39736AEAD4D360BF6BF7C0AFCE82
SHA-256: 8620203DA71D32D017BB21F542864C1D90705B87EB67815D06 B43F09120318AA
SHA-512: 9A9D7BD00C1D5B89D04A721D84D1938E103F09BAEB286BDD81 762BD68EF6C4C0
B255C939350EE5A8474E14DD4B08AA6D44DFE1AADD05C765B8 8958F04F3EDEDC
Tiger: 7B8878874CE01F2A6945B163CEE43823955A980079FD17A1
Whirlpool: E441C19D24BB0E70411FFF1D0B42B35937170456206C2127AF 91983C81BEAC60
E7A6F849427E962A09D9E22D55B30004D472A3960D73C91A33 9834ED35E51C87
--------------------------Database--------------------------
Name: Far East of Eden Zero
Country: Japan Revision: 1.0
Port 1: Gamepad Port 2: Gamepad
Genre 1: RPG Genre 2: Unknown
-------------------------Container--------------------------
File: Far East of Eden Zero - Shounen Jump no Shou (J).gz
Sub File: Far East of Eden Zero - Shounen Jump no Shou (J)
---------------------Internal ROM Info----------------------
Name: JUMP TENGAIMAKYO ZERO Company: Hudson Soft
Header: None Bank: HiROM
Interleaved: None ROM: 40 Mb
Type: SPC7110 + RTC SRAM: 64 Kb
Expansion: None Battery: Present
Country: Japan Video: NTSC
ROM Speed: 120ns (FastROM) Revision: 1.0
Checksum: Good 0x2EE2 Game Code: Marked, AZQJ
---------------------------Hashes---------------------------
CRC32: BF8FEF7A
MD5: A7438CD69E608BD2B268DDC0ED05C2CD
RIPEMD: E283BF95078D166AD748E344ED9827B3374B45D9
SHA-1: 36E5099128088B95623FF77F8196FCECD3F26731
SHA-256: 69D06A3F3A4F3BA769541FE94E92B42142E423E9F0924EAB97 865B2D826EC82D
SHA-512: 61129E6CC759C65BCA4208B7C433CF0550B7A6E949E09B2F3E 4A08FD4445D308
BF663C2C19956BEA8348BF2991E538D5FC680D59BC828B8F67 B4EC6A7CBEC019
Tiger: 8412D4B472EC69C9632A64EA87E375FF6DA9D15B147B17B5
Whirlpool: BF8EA37FCCD8209AA560836D4240FF69A6BBAE6751BBEAB851 C36D551E7FBC0B
48492136A289C66A1109B4A733D062B1608AB260C22A5084CE E35BC205AE7FCE
--------------------------Database--------------------------
Name: Far East of Eden Zero - Shounen Jump no Shou
Country: Japan Revision: 1.0
Port 1: Gamepad Port 2: Gamepad
Genre 1: RPG Genre 2: Unknown
-------------------------Container--------------------------
File: Super Power League 4 (J).gz
Sub File: Super Power League 4 (J)
---------------------Internal ROM Info----------------------
Name: SUPER POWER LEAG 4 Company: Hudson Soft
Header: None Bank: HiROM
Interleaved: None ROM: 16 Mb
Type: SPC7110 SRAM: 64 Kb
Expansion: None Battery: Present
Country: Japan Video: NTSC
ROM Speed: 120ns (FastROM) Revision: 1.0
Checksum: Good 0x01AA Game Code: Marked, AE7J
---------------------------Hashes---------------------------
CRC32: C07F099D
MD5: FEBCA3A92D34FFA119891247D9B27D09
RIPEMD: B62CD87A62ED17AECD7EB0C0D99D97E220B7A705
SHA-1: 632061AE4892EC6CD75616DA66F7BE5C75E8D7AF
SHA-256: 0847C8F8021AF9C7C139C98312E4974308650C2CBCB617161B B56C46626258BB
SHA-512: 26D9FD331BF78D6BD5D1545638C1D5AE80A5399A5A550C5082 8A439124287931
8BCB224AC43874FB0F3CE4C6649A54ABC5D9887DD1247EDB70 5D6891EB687DBF
Tiger: BE71AE8FA36AAE7DA599905228E7DC287F7A6D34CB877EFA
Whirlpool: 9EA72BA133C75DBA075507E5536267155040A8934C821AE1F5 8989CB1EFFE242
D42D3FE0EB664ED1961E339DD8C57B58109218AA8ACE6EED5A 08946EBE198B4B
--------------------------Database--------------------------
Name: Super Power League 4
Country: Japan Revision: 1.0
Port 1: Gamepad Port 2: Gamepad
Genre 1: Sports Genre 2: Baseball
Report how things work. What kind of FPS do you get. Which CPU do you have? How much CPU does it use?
Also play around the games a bit and see if something isn´t decompressing. I´m hoping I didn´t cut any important corners, so if a graphic appears missing, or severely garbled, please let me know.
Also test save states and make sure they´re working good.
The chequered history of Rock Band in Australia could be set to take yet another turn, as an undisclosed retail source told us today that the game's release may be delayed indefinitely. Word is that retail buyers simply aren't interested in stocking a bulky product that's a year old and will cost more than its similarly bulky – and up to date - competitor Guitar Hero: World Tour.
This is dire news if true, yet that's not the worst of it. Further rumours suggest that - for similar reasons - Rock Band 2 may not come out either, and that the Guitar Hero series has the market sewn up. Whether EA would simply cede control of such a lucrative genre to a competitor remains to be seen, however, and we're hoping that it will still push to release the second game in Australia.
We've approached EA for comment but have been unsuccessful so far. Stay tuned for more info.
Nintendo has dominated the Australian software chart for the week ended August 10, with Wii and DS titles taking up the top seven places, according to data from GfK Australia.
Wii Fit sat at the top of the chart, with the Wii Play bundle at number two. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the Wii, and Mario Kart Wii took the third and fourth places respectively.
Super Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii sat in fifth place, while the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games was at number six and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training, also for the DS, comes in at seven.
The bottom of the chart was occupied by PlayStation 3 titles, with Soul Calibur IV in eighth place, Grand Theft Auto IV in ninth and at ten was Beijing 2008 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games.
The top ten Australian software sales chart for the week ended August 10 follows:
1. Wii Fit (Wii)
2. Wii Play bundle (Wii)
3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
4. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
5. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii)
6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
7. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain (DS)
8. Soul Calibur IV (PS3)
9. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
10. Beijing 2008 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games (PS3)
The official spec sheet for Crysis Warhead, which launches next month, has been released. See if your PC can match it.
Crytek has made a song and dance about how the expansion will cater for more players' systems: "We designed Warhead to be more accessible. It is a game with a story that can stand on its own, it has been optimized to run better on a wider range of PCs, and we are introducing Crysis Wars, a tailor-made experience for multiplayer gamers within the Crysis universe."
Here's what you need to be packing inside your tower of power:
(2.2 GHz for Vista), AMD Athlon 2800+ (3200+ for Vista) or better
RAM: 1GB (1.5GB on Windows Vista)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
(Radeon X800 Pro for Vista) or better
VRAM: 256MB of Graphics Memory
Storage: 15GB
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
ODD: DVD-ROM
OS: Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Vista
DirectX: DX9.0c or DX10
And just in case you were wondering, Crysis Warhead is a standalone release and does not require the original Crysis to play. Everyone's a winner, except console kids.
Former Lionhead programmer Cliff "Cliffski" Harris has found out why people pirate his casual PC games, and says that talking to the scurvy dogs has stoked his creative engine.
"Ironically, one of the things that reduces your enthusiasm to really go the extra mile in making games is the thought that thousands of ungrateful gits will swipe the whole thing on day one for nothing," said Harris on his blog. "It's very demoralising. But actually talking to the pirates has revealed a huge group of people who really appreciate genuinely good games.
"Some of the criticisms of my games hit home. I get the impression that if I make Kudos 2 not just lots better than the original, but hugely, overwhelmingly, massively better, well polished, designed and balanced, that a lot of would-be pirates will actually buy it.
"I've gone from being demoralised by pirates to actually [being] inspired by them, and I'm working harder than ever before on making my games fun and polished," he added.
Harris had the idea of running polls on his blog, other sites, and forums (subsequently picked up by Digg) for an honest response from the torrent crowd. The results flooded back in their hundreds.
Harris said cost, for full price PC titles and USD 20 (GBP 10) casual puzzlers, was a major feature - both for people with jobs and kids with bogeys. Impulse buys would be much higher if the price came down, he was told.
Game quality was another large complaint: moans of poor tech support, content getting boring too quickly, and gameplay issues. Demos were said to be too short and not represent the full game, which apparently lead to plenty of tales of people buying games and then being disappointed.
However, digital rights management (DRM), which often requires online re-validation periodically, popped up all over the place.
"If you wanted to change one thing to get more pirates to buy games, scrapping DRM is it," said Harris.
Steam got universal praise for ease of purchase, but Harris revealed that getting on the Valve service was harder than it looks.
"For the record, I'd love to get my games on Steam," he said. "I wish it was that easy."
Only around 5 per cent of the answers came from hardened pirates who would steal your clothes if they could get away with it.
Bullet 3D Game Multiphysics Library provides state of the art collision detection, soft body and rigid body dynamics.
Used by many game companies in AAA titles on Playstation 3, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii and PC
Modular extendible C++ design with hot-swap of most components
Optimized back-ends with multi-threaded support for Playstation 3 Cell SPU and other platforms
Discrete and continuous collision detection (CCD)
Swept collision queries
Ray casting with custom collision filtering
Generic convex support (using GJK), capsule, cylinder, cone, sphere, box and non-convex triangle meshes.
Rigid body dynamics including constraint solvers, generic constraints, ragdolls, hinge, ball-socket
Support for constraint limits and motors
Soft body support including cloth, rope and deformable
Bullet is integrated into Blender 3D
Supports import and export into COLLADA 1.4 Physics format
Support for dynamic deformation of non-convex triangle meshes, by refitting the acceleration structures
The Library is free for commercial use and open source under the ZLib License.
This is a major release and would not have been possible without the hard work of Flash (AKA GreatGlash) and Headkaze.
The changes are fully listed below but the two big enhancments are that now version 4 themes have been fully implemented, giving GameEx powerfull skinning capabilites that we would have all liked from the beginning. The Theme Editor has been updated thanks to the hard work of Headkaze. In addition database support has been greatly improved within GameEx and Flash has very kindly updated 90% of the databases with the following been completely finalised - Saturn, Colecovision, PC-FX, Dreamcast, and a brand new Future Pinball database. Flash was also instrumental in fixing and perfecting the database support in GameEx.
Version 4 themes
- Theme Editor version 2
- Support second image
- Run at any resolution with rescaling
- Convert between all theme versions and resize. The Theme Editor will now allow you to create a new version of and convert any existing GameEx theme.
Databases
- Includes Flash's new databases.
- New Biography page when using v3/v4 themes
- When loading databases (for the fist time, prior to caching), GameEx will try an exact match of the rom first before trying with removed brackets and removed version number etc.
- Setting in advanced config to use the name field from the database instead of the formatted rom name. If on this will override a pre set map file.
- Fixes various database issues
- Emulator Groups now fully support databases
- Fixes all known issues with database support
Fixes/Changes
- Please wait animation now shows when extracting games when using zip/7-zip support.
- Fixes to snap matching
- Several Performance/Caching enhancements
- Fixes bug when pressing maximize button on window for second time.
- Fixes issue where emulator list and database wouldn't use cache when using 7-zip/zip support
- Smoother display/animations on slower systems. Please report issues.
- Fixes Videos/DVD/Karaoke playing on primary monitor when set to run on secondary
SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® Germany GmbH today announced the titles which will be presented to the public and industry professionals at Games Convention 2008. Two SEGA heroes will dominate events in the consumer area (Hall 5, Booth F02), which will strongly and positively stand out from the usual trade fair booths thanks to its special design. Amigo, the clever monkey from the Samba De Amigo game series celebrates his comeback exclusively on the Wii, and at the same time, his public premiere. For the first time customers will be able to shake their Wii remotes to the beat, next to, and on the stage – 40 well-known songs and new game modes provide long-lasting enthusiasm. Samba De Amigo will also be the primary element of our professionally moderated stage show – with full audience participation.
Sonic will also be taking the trip to Leipzig and presenting himself to the public in two games. Along with his role-playing game premiere Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, developed exclusively for the DS by BioWare, the cool hedgehog will play up his strengths in Sonic Unleashed. Visitors to the Games Convention will get to experience the new and, in many areas, heavily improved gameplay for themselves. With the Olympic Games in mind, the SEGA booth will also showcase the athletic field – along with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Beijing 2008 will also be waiting for medal-worthy video game athletes. The booth will be rounded out with Dinosaur King, the game to the new TV series, and Space Siege – another thrilling PC adventure from cult designer Chris Taylor.
In the Business Center (Hall 1, Booth I31), SEGA will provide an outlook for more up-coming highlights. Notable developers from Japan (Platinum Games), the UK (Headstrong Games, The Creative Assembly), and Australia (The Creative Assembly Australia) will give media representatives a sneak peek at forthcoming SEGA titles for all platforms.
Besides a world premiere, which will be announced in time for the start of the trade fair, new versions and demos of the presented games have been developed especially for GC. The titles presented in the business area include the epic Empire: Total War, the action packed espionage RPG Alpha Protocol, Platinum Games' highly anticipated Madworld and Bayonetta, the long-awaited comeback of Golden Axe, the Japanese strategy eye-catcher Valkyria Chronicles, and Stormrise – an all new kind of strategy game designed specially for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. In addition, all titles from the consumer area will also be available in the Business Center.
One of the new features in the upcoming Diablo 3 release is a change from the traditional potion-guzzling, inventory-clogging system of previous games to a new scheme in which monsters drop health orbs on the ground that refill your health when you touch them. Lead Designer Jay Wilson says the change makes for more varied gameplay and a more consistent way to scale difficulty. He told the Multiplayer blog:
"When the player has similar downsides, it means we can make a lot more interesting monsters. We don't have to kill you to challenge you. We can make a monster that affects your mobility, we can make a monster that has different kinds of attacks that are dangerous to you and that you actually have to avoid. And so it makes the combat a lot more interesting."
We've be hearing a lot about the Thai cabbie killing lately and how it was (or wasn't) caused by Grand Theft Auto. In the wake of that tragic murder, there have been two major groups of outcries. The first has been the call to regulate games; one we have heard all too often. The other has been a call to revise criminal penalties; one which is not only new, but speaks to the core theory behind criminal law: the theory of punishment. Criminal law theory is something that is universal in all of our criminal codes, but isn't often discussed. It's this "theoretical" approach that we'll look at today. You may agree or disagree with my particular thoughts on the theory of criminal law, but it's more important for everyone to understand a theoretical approach to criminal law so that we can come to our own conclusions about true "justice."
The concept of criminal law starts with some basic political philosophy. In order to have a society, there has to be a set of rules by which that society operates. Whether you want to view this as the social contract in a Locke/Hobbes/Rousseau manner or through some other philosophical lens, the basic need for rules and order in a society is more or less the same. This need for rules gives rise to the concept of the law, and one of those concepts is the boundaries of behavior that stray into what we, as a society, feel need to be punished. This is the basis for all criminal law, be it a crime against a person or a crime against property.
Once you've placed theoretical constraints on acceptable behavior, you have to decide what are acceptable punishments. There have been, over time, many theories on which punishment is based. One of the oldest is athe classic "eye for an eye," but more modern interpretations have attempted to balance the idea of actual punishment with the idea of deterrence, the concept that the threat of punishment will keep many from committing crimes altogether.
There is also the question of whom to punish and to what degree should all involved parties be punished. Remember, the actual criminal actor is not always the only one punished. This is the basis behind accomplice charges, among other criminal penalties that involve far more complex issues of mitigating and aggravating circumstances, or particular factors that make the punishment more or less severe. Which brings us back to Thailand and two particular thoughts I've seen presented with respect to game-related violence: games as a mitigating or aggravating factor; and liability for game manufacturers for crimes that copy games. "Both of these ideas border on lunacy."
Both of these ideas border on lunacy. First, games as an aggravating or mitigating factor in deciding punishment seems to be a loss. Does it make sense to punish a gamer more because he or she killed someone in a way based on a game? Of course not. The fact that the perpetrator is a gamer doesn't make the victim any less dead, nor does it make the crime any different from any other murder. So there's no benefit to giving the perpetrator an extra 40 years because they acted out a game. From the opposite approach, should a gamer be able to claim that the game made them do it? I say this is equally pointless unless it is tied to some concrete mental illness that would otherwise give rise to a potential insanity defense. If you can tell right from wrong (generally the standard for insanity), exposure to a particular game doesn't make right any less right or wrong any less wrong; it's just an excuse to attempt to reduce punishment.
The secondary thought, applying liability to game manufacturers for "copycat" crimes committed by those who play their games is a blatant contradiction to free speech in the US. That's not to say it can't happen in other countries, but the law is relatively clear in the US. In fact, the Supreme Court specifically invalidated hate crime laws that were in conflict with free speech in R. A. V. v. City of St. Paul. More importantly, speech has traditionally only been limited in the case where the speech itself presents imminent lawless action, such as yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater, or consists of "fighting words," or words likely to instigate a fight. To think about this from another perspective, if game makers are allowed to be held accountable for the actions of players, then why not movie makers? Or authors? Catcher in the Rye has been tied to several people who have committed criminal acts, and yet not only is it still sold freely, to my knowledge no one has ever brought suit against J. D. Salinger, the publisher, or the book seller.
More importantly, these two ideas tie together. If you don't believe that the perpetrator should be able to claim the "game made him do it," then why should the game's maker be liable? On the contrary, if the game maker isn't responsible for what people do with their game, then does it really matter if the game motivated the crime in someone who can tell right from wrong? Doesn't the idea of free speech in and of itself demand some personal responsibility from those who are in their right mind?
These finer points of criminal theory are ones you have to resolve within your own mind, not just with respect to these proposed game laws but with respect to all criminal laws. It's a legal area that few people analyze thoroughly, but everyone should have thought about as it should shape your personal and political actions. After all, if you disagree with a candidate's particular theory of criminal punishment, shouldn't that be a factor in deciding whether to vote for that person, just as you would likely consider the candidate's stance on video games in making an educated decision on whom to vote for? Hopefully much of the fervor will die down as more time passes from the tragic murder in Thailand, and as that dies down so will the hasty calls to revise the criminal system based on games.
Disney Interactive Studio VP Graham Hopper thinks Disney needs more role-playing games. Speaking with GameDaily, Hopper says the company has an RPG in the pipeline, but can't yet make an announcement. Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series is probably the only RPG we can think of that uses Disney characters, but that was more of a dalliance on the house of Mickey's part.
Hopper goes on to say that RPGs fit with Disney because the company believes storytelling and character design are important. He notes the company isn't looking to make "the hardest core RPG," but a blend, which he believes the studio is fully capable of. May Diablo help us if Disney's answer to role-playing is something like High School Musical RPG.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
Catching onto the Olympics hype, a number of sports games are published this week. These include the hot Madden NFL 09 released by one of the leading game developers, Electronic Arts. The game is available on many consoles so footballers/rugby players, get ready for the game for there is no stopping it even if your family has hogged the TV for the Olympic events.
Other team sports you can join with friends is MLB Power Pros 2008 [Wii™ & PlayStation2™] and Women's Volleyball. While the Wii version of the baseball game makes use of the Nintendo Wii's motion sensing capabilities to give you a lifelike batting and pitching experience, Women's Volleyball depicts the excitement and red hot battle between atheletes that you can participate in.
Although the Olympics has directed most people's attention to sports, it is not the only activity you can participate in. For those who desires a bit more variety, the King of Clubs is a game for you.
Golf takes center spot with this game along with fashion taboos, and its actually encouraging you to play the game in the most unorthodox ways, so people who enjoy wacky games without constraining rules, pick up your Wii remote controls and get ready to wield it!
Take a break from all the sports and sweat and set off on an adventure, the Asian version of Tales of Vesperia has arrived this week amidst the plethora of sports games.
A journey to your memories is another trip you can take via your Sony PSPs. Memories Off: Sorekara [limited & standard editions] and Omoide ni Kawaru kun (kimi) [limited & standard editions] will take you through your teenage romance and let you relive the sweet times you have spent with your girlfriends.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week
Xbox360™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US US$ 99.90
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge US US$ 34.90
Tales of Vesperia (Japanese language Version) ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Call of Duty 3 (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Madden NFL 09 ASIA US$ 49.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 64.90
Madden NFL 09 [20th Anniversary Collectors Edition] US N/A
Monster Madness: Grave Danger US US$ 44.90
MotorStorm (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Resistance: Fall of Man (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Warhawk (Greatest Hits) US US$ 34.90
Nintendo Wii™
King of Clubs US US$ 34.90
Little League World Series US US$ 54.90
MLB Power Pros 2008 US US$ 44.90
Madden NFL 09 All-Play US US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™
Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru JPN US$ 69.90
Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Analog Strike Wireless Controller Exteme 2 (Black) JPN US$ 39.90
Ford Racing: Off Road US US$ 24.90
MLB Power Pros 2008 US US$ 24.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Summer Athletics The Ultimate Challenge US US$ 24.90
Women's Volleyball Championship US US$ 24.90
Nintendo DS™ GRID US US$ 34.90
Little League World Series US US$ 34.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 34.90
Quick Yoga Training US US$ 34.90
Rock Blast US US$ 24.90
Nintendo DS™ Accessories
Chara Pure Cover (Jack) JPN US$ 12.90
Chara Pure Cover (Stitch) JPN US$ 12.90
Chara Pure Cover (Winnie the Pooh) JPN US$ 12.90
Charge Stand DS Lite US US$ 14.99
Sony PSP™ Crazy Taxi: Double Punch JPN US$ 48.90
Ford Racing: Off Road US US$ 24.90
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
Memories Off Sorekara JPN US$ 58.90
Memories Off Sorekara [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Omoide ni Kawaru-Kun: Memories Off JPN US$ 58.90
Omoide ni Kawaru-Kun: Memories Off [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 69.90
Sony PSP Accessories™ Monster Hunter Multi Bag JPN US$ 29.90
Xbox™
Madden NFL 09 US US$ 44.90
PC Game
Hide & Secret 2 US US$ 24.90
Game Guides and Magazines
Charaberrys Vol.5 JPN US$ 12.90
Madden NFL 09: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 19.90
Madden NFL 2009 Limited Edition Bundle: Prima Official Game Guide US US$ 34.90
Nobunaga no Yabou DS 2 Guide Book JPN US$ 23.90
Sangokushi Taisen Ten Tactical Guide JPN US$ 20.90
The Madden Phenomenon US US$ 24.90
Weekly Famitsu No. 1027 (2008 08/22+29) JPN N/A
Zero no Tsukaima: Knight of Twin Moon Illustration Book JPN US$ 27.90
Sure, Namco Bandai's latest Tales RPG had to settle for a fourth place finish, but it faced strong competition. Phantasy Star Portable, with its Monster Hunter Portable-like appeal, still holds down the number one spot, with the newest Fire Emblem and Rhythm Tengoku Gold placing and showing, respectively, with well over one hundred thousand units sold. Tales of Vesperia's 100K-plus debut week is certainly going to move some Xbox 360s in Japan, as gamers there were lining up en masse to secure the 360 exclusive RPG.
Not much in the way of new, notable entries, but it would appear that Metal Gear Solid 4 won't be returning to the top 30 any time soon. Maybe when that "Best Price" version hits.
01. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) - 148,000 / 490,000
02. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS) - 145,000 / NEW
03. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 130,000 / 343,000
04. Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360) - 108,000 / NEW
05. Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu No Hanayome (DS) - 73,000 / 1,019,000
06. Sangokushi Taisen Ten (DS) - 33,000 / NEW
07. Summon Night 2 (DS) - 30,000 / NEW
08. Wii Fit (Wii) - 27,000 / 2,470,000
09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 23,000 / 1,656,000
10. Soulcalibur IV (PS3) - 23,000 / 97,000
This release includes a large number of bug fixes, feature enhancements, and new features.
Fixed Crashing Bugs
* restore savestate error recovery functionality. Will prevent crashes after savestate error messages
* Fixed - Low speeds (1%) crash FCEUX
* fixes bug where palflag 1 in .fm2 files crashes fceux
* FCEUX no longer crashes when attempting to open a non movie file
* Buffer overflow (change vsprintf to vsnprintf)
Minor Bug fixes
* SRAM not wiped on power cycle (during movies)
* Moviefilenames without extension now automatically get fm2
* auto-fill .fcs extension in save state as dialog
* FCM>FM2 converter releases file handle
* fix a new bug in windows build which caused fourscore emulation to fail in some cases
* Player 3 no longer inputs when not used
* prints a special message when trying to open an FCM reminding user to convert.
* fixes bug where Avi recording with no sound messes up the format
* Fixed bug where Convert .fcm didn't do special characters
* fixed the (null) in the default lua directory listing
* Ctrl+X now works in the memory watch dialog
* Dialog window positions won't "disappear" (-32000 protection on all dialogs that remember x,y)
* fixed View Slots bug - will now always show the used slots
* added shift+L as default hotkey for reload lua script
* added input display to the FCEUX main menu
* change config filename from fceu98.cfg to fceux.cfg
New Features
* restore IPS patching capability which was lost when archive support was added
* restore ungzipping (and unzipping in sdl) capability which was lost when archive support was added
* re-enable an "author" text field in the record movie dialog
* re-enable support for old-format savestates. (Note: can not be loaded into a movie!)
* Added new toggle - frame adv. - lag skip (menu item + hotkey mapping + saved in config), will cause frame adv. to skip frames where input is not read
* Added support for loading movies from archives (just like ROM files). Note: Movies loaded from an archive file will be read-only.
* movie replay dialog displays fractions of a second on movie length
* Savestates now save the Lagcounter information.
* added a mute turbo option in sound config
* add an option to pick a constant color to draw in place of BG when BG rendering is disabled (look for gNoBGFillColor in config).
Mappers
* remove cnrom chr rom size limit for homebrew roms
* mmc5 - 64KB WRAM games now work correctly
* mmc5 - use of chr A regs for BG in sprite 8x8 mode is fixed
* upgrade to cah4e3's latest mapper 163&164 code to fix a crash in a game
Debugging Tools
* Debugger - restore snap functionality
* Debugger - add FORBID breakpoints - regions which block breakpoints from happening if they contain the PC
* Debugger - debugger window is now resizeable
* nametable viewer will display correct NT,CHR,ATTR data in more cases (specifically, including some exotic mmc5 cases).
Lua
* Savestates remember Lua painting
* add memory.readbyterange to emulua
SDL only
* SDL: fixed --input(1-4) options. input1 and 2 are regular inputs, input3 and 4 are famicom expansion inputs
* SDL fix configfile woes. configfile now goes to ~/.fceux/fceux.cfg
* SDL: fixed segfault when opening .fcm files
* SDL: Saner sound defaults for less choppy sound
* SDL: "--special" option fixed for special video scaling filters
* SDL: cleaned up the SConsruct
* SDL: fixed issue where fceu would lock up when file dialogs were opened during fullscreen
* SDL: fixed bug where fceux would close when file dialogs were closed
* SDL: File open dialog is now used to movie playback
* SDL: File open wrapper now takes a titlebar argument
* SDL: Cleanup of usage
* SDL: rename options --no8lim -> --nospritelim and --color -> --ntsccolor
* SDL: Screenshots now always prepend the game name.
* SDL: Changed default A/B from numpad 2 and 3 to j and k.
* SDL: Enable frameskip by default
* SDL: Fixed a bug that would crash fceux if the emulation speed was overincreased
* SDL: New default hotkeys to more closely match win32 defaults
* SDL: Added lua script loading hotkey (f3). Non win32 SDL requires zenity for this to function.
* SDL: Build script cleanup; also added option for DEBUG builds.
Every so often I will want FRI to be able to something, and then I realize, "Hey! I’m the one who writes it!" This time I had a problem to solve. I just got a new laptop for college, and I wanted to have some ROMs on it. The problem is that I have hundreds of gigs of ROMs, and only would want to play a few on the laptop. The first solution would be to simply put the ROMs on a network share and have FRI look there for the ROMs, but then I wouldn’t be able to play the ROMs on the road. A feature to be able to copy a ROM from one library to another (desktop to laptop) is exactly what I needed, so that’s what I wrote! Those changes were made in FRI version 1.7.0.0. Since then I realized that another feature was missing: The ability to filter by library in an advanced search. That feature was added in a minor release, FRI version 1.7.0.1.
New figures for Japan's weekly console data released each week are in as follows:
Nintendo DS Lite: 60,434
Playstation Portable: 58,501
Nintendo Wii: 38,506
Xbox 360: 24,962
Playstation 3: 9,673
Playstation: 2 8,503
The DS Lite manages to crawl to the top of the list, up roughly by 3,000 while the PSP is down 3,000 going to second place. The Wii still is in 3rd place, taking a 2,600 hit. The Xbox 360 is 4th, increased by 19,000 most likey by the sales of Tales of Vesperia. The PS3 comes next, up 100 and PS2 is last in line, down 500.
Following the release of NPD's US software and hardware sales data for July, the three platform holders were quick to post reactions on their respective performances - here is a brief summary before a more detailed examination follows:
Nintendo, which had the most to celebrate following more stunning success in the hardware chart plus a number of titles in the software top ten as well, restricted its victory speech to a simple quote from Cammie Dunaway.
Sony, which will undoubtedly be delighted at a platform victory for the PlayStation 3 over the Xbox 360, detailed a variety of statistics on its PS3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Network and PlayStation 2 platforms, rounded off with a note from Jack Tretton.
Meanwhile Microsoft focused on its overall market share since launch, a solid software sales percentage and the level of third party sales that the Xbox 360 has provided to other publishers.
Nintendo
The brief statement mentioned the hardware sales figures for DS and Wii, noting a 49 per cent market share for Wii in terms of living-room consoles, and a 73 per cent market share for the DS for handhelds.
The statement also noted the five titles that made the NPD software top ten for July: Wii Fit, Guitar Hero: On Tour, Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii and Rock Band.
"Great hardware goes hand-in-hand with great software," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive VP of sales and marketing. "Various types of games for the Nintendo systems are represented in the top 10, demonstrating how we continue to break down the barriers between veteran and new players."
Sony
A rather longer statement began by trumpeting the "momentum" for the PS3, with 1.8 million units sold in the US in 2008 - a 99 per cent growth year-on-year.
Additionally PS3 software showed a 206 per cent growth level for the year to-date, and SCEA promised over 140 Blu-ray titles by the end of the fiscal year.
The PlayStation Network now has over 10 million registered accounts, with over 200 million pieces of content downloaded worldwide.
The PSP sales were spurred on to 16 per cent growth over the first six months of 2007 by the God of War: Chains of Olympus promotion.
More than 42.5 million PS2s have now been sold in North America across the console's lifetime.
The PlayStation brand has now yielded more than USD 3.3 billion in the year to-date; July hardware sales hit USD 609 million in July - 22 per cent growth; July software sale hit USD 184 million - 28 per cent growth.
"Our year-to-date sales growth of 99 per cent for the PS3 reaffirms that consumers are indeed embracing PS3 as their entertainment hub-of-choice with its feature-rich offerings like Blu-ray and our recently announced video delivery service," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA. "With an unmatched software line-up that includes LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, Resistance 2 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, and the anticipated launch of our new 80GB PS3 model, we're confident in a strong second half of the year and look forward to quickly addressing any inventory shortages due to the transition."
Microsoft
Microsoft's reaction began by hailing a strong E3 showing, and noting a profitable year with USD 2.1 billion "in growth" for the Entertainment and Devices Division.
Since launch consumers have spent over USD 10.4 billion on the Xbox 360 in the US, giving the platform a 49 per cent market share.
Xbox 360 titles accounted for USD 129 million - 34 per cent share - in software sales for July.
Third party revenue generated by the Xbox 360 platform was USD 121 million - 42 per cent of the market.
Xbox 360 now has an attach rate of 7.9, which Microsoft stated as the highest attach rate in history for any console at this point in its life cycle.
The statement closed with a look ahead to the rest of the year, including the Netflix deal in the US and a games library of over 1000 titles, including Lips, You're in the Movies, and Gears of War 2.
Spore executive producer Lucy Bradshaw has ruled out a demo for Maxis' upcoming "Sim Everything", but has confirmed plans for expansions.
"We're not planning a demo of the game. Just the Creature Creator," she said during our live chat. "We've released a number of videos to show off the game."
On the subject of expansions - sort of an inevitability given Maxis' success expanding The Sims and its sequel - Bradshaw said this would happen but hinted at a few interesting approaches involving editors rather than simply new assets.
"When we started Spore, we were thinking about how we'd make an engine that had the possibility of expansion, so yes, we'll add to the experience," she said.
"I think, however, we have a very cool opportunity to take Spore in a few different directions too. The editors are so cool and fun, that we want to advance those as well as the gameplay that we put into the core game."
Among those additions should be the flora editor, which was axed from the full game. "We are not shipping with the flora editor. Sorry. It's something we eventually want to get out there as it is fun to work with," our speed-typing interviewee said.
Finally, Bradshaw commented on the game's anti-piracy measures - always a thorny issue with PC gamers, but not something you should fear in Spore's case, according to the game's executive producer.
"We do have copy protection, it is a necessary part of our biz, but we've worked to make it something that does not punish the legit owners," Bradshaw said.
"You need to authenticate once at the first install. This happens online. You can install on three separate computers and you do need to register for the online features."
On Thursday, Hollywood studio Warner Bros. announced that it had pushed the release of the feature film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its previously scheduled November debut to July of next year, a delay of more than six months.
Publisher Electronic Arts, meanwhile, has been underway with videogame adaptations of Half-Blood Prince for everything from Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to DS and PSP, all previously set to launch alongside the movie this November. However, such an event is looking far less likely in light of Warner's new movie date.
We asked Electronic Arts if Half-Blood Prince for videogame consoles and handhelds would be pushed alongside the movie and a spokesperson for the company offered only a cryptic response. "We are making a great game that Harry Potter fans will really enjoy -- we are evaluating the impact of the movie date change," the rep said. Pressed on the issue, EA's spokesperson offered no further comment.
As we understand it, EA now faces two hurdles if it still intends to ship Half-Blood Prince this November. First, it'll be a game without a movie, a licensing faux pas that software publishers try to avoid at all costs. And second, EA's title may feature content from the movie that the publisher could be contractually obligated to keep secret until the film itself debuts, thereby forcing the software giant to remove the content or sit tight with its Potter games until next July.
We will continue to monitor the story and update readers with any developments.
We're not going to get back into the Xbox 360 + Blu-ray debate, but Sony's HD format is clearly on Microsoft's collective mind, as it's begun prepping a new Windows add-on dubbed Feature Pack for Storage. The kit's set to contain modules for portable drive recognition and restriction, ICCD and CCID Smartcard drivers, but most notably an image mastering API for Blu-ray that enables "master style optical burning on Blu-Ray [sic] media." Expect it soon on Windows Vista, XP SP2+, Server 2008, and Server 2003 SP1+ -- or really soon if you get in on the beta.
The first public footage of id Software's upcoming Quake Live title comes in the form of a collection of high definition videos from tournament matches held at QuakeCon 2008. The event held a 1v1 and CTF tournament with prize money totaling $25,000. Included in the video set is the finals match between the 17-year-old Belarusian Alexey "cypher" Yushanevsky and the American John "ZeRo4" Hill. All of the videos are available for download or streaming via Flash video. QuakeLive, which is currently in the public beta testing phase, is a free, web-based version of Quake III Arena which includes updated graphics and gameplay. On the developer front for QuakeLive, id has plans for custom maps, but mod support is far behind. On the Linux front, id Software's resident Linux guru Timothee Bisset is working on the project, so we can only hope that if the game becomes popular, a Linux client is also made available.
This weekend's GenCon saw Turbine release some new information about the upcoming Module 8 release for Dungeons and Dragons Online. Massively has a story with many of the new changes, which are focused on making the game more accessible to new and solo players. A big part of that will be the introduction of NPC hirelings, which will supplement individuals or smaller groups who want to play without waiting for a full party of player characters. Reader nicholsonb points out more coverage at Destructoid.
"... you're able to hire an NPC character that's your level or below, and they come in Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, kind of a variety. Sorceror as well. ...So they take a place on your HUD. You can heal them, they can heal you. You can help them. They'll break boxes, they'll kill monsters without any instructions from you. But they won't zerg through the dungeon, they won't open gates. You can ask them, 'yeah, go ahead and open that gate, dude,' but you're able to control all their behavior, so they're working for you. And of course they cost money, right? So they actually are working for you in the fiction of the game."
CVG is running an interview with Kevin Cloud, executive producer at id, and Eric Biessman, who leads Raven Software's programmers and artists, about the upcoming installment to the Wolfenstein series. They provide some detail about what kind of weapons will be available, what those crazy Nazis are up to this time, and BJ Blazkowicz's new ability to "shroud" himself.
"Press a single button, at any time, and you'll see the other side of reality: a green and violent dimension that's filled with strange creatures and whirling tornadoes of energy. Just being in the shroud gives you options: floating above the ground are 'collectors' - fleshy heavy metal album cover worms that are scavenging electrical energy. Pop them, with a single rifle round, and they'll blast apart, damaging enemies in the real world. They are essentially exploding, hidden, organic barrels. ...In shroud mode, too, occult symbols etched into the masonry are transformed into holes in walls that BJ can simply step, shoot, or lob a grenade through."
IGN spoke with Eric Brosious, audio director for Harmonix, about selecting songs for the upcoming Rock Band 2 release. He talks about balancing difficulty between instruments, bringing a wider range of genres to the game, and his view on the competition for songs and artists between Harmonix and Activision.
"We prefer not to sign exclusive deals with artists because while it seems like the competitive 'business' thing to do, in the long run, it's really not good for anyone. We think we should be working to get more music out to more people."
Kotaku reports that Sony Online Entertainment has announced new expansions for both Everquest and Everquest 2. The announcement came at SOE's Fan Faire today. Kotaku made available some screenshots and the press release, which gives details about what to expect in the new content. Zonk has some more in-depth coverage on EQ: Seeds of Destruction and EQ II: The Shadow Odyssey over at Massively.
Jeff Coe tips us to news that a group of Sega employees recently stumbled upon a storage room in the company's product development department that contains just about every piece of hardware and software Sega has ever released. They were also kind enough to snap some photos and share them.
"We asked around about how the room came together and couldn't get a straight answer. Some had said our old legal department had run the archive and given it up to someone else to manage. Others said that the legal archive still exists in another room in the office, and this was pulled together over time from producers and product managers. We don't know the exact how or why, but we love that it exists and immediately accessible."
Develop Magazine has posted a fascinating multi-part interview with Sam Houser, president and founder of Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games. Houser is rarely quoted outside of press releases, and almost never does interviews. So, reading his frank views on things like Rockstar's critics, the creative secrets that make games like GTA IV a success, and how the developer rejects things like focus testing — a common practice at the likes of EA but an 'anathema to creativity' according to Houser — is very interesting. Houser has even written a mini biography of his career with some fun references to the Hot Coffee scandal: 'July 2005: Residue code found in San Andreas. Hackers modify it and it turns into scandal known as "Hot Coffee." Get dragged into legal nightmare, ending in trip to Washington in February 2006 to sit in front of federal trade commission staff — for nine hours
Let's try to keep the bad parenting bait to a minimum for this one, folks, but holy crow, I can't not show you this story. Yesterday reader tooji tipped me off to the story of Blake Peebles, a 16-year-old in Raleigh, N.C., whose parents have let him drop out of school so that he can focus on a professional gaming career via Guitar Hero.
Blake convinced his folks (that is, "We couldn't take the complaining anymore," said his mom) to let him drop out last September. They hired in-home tutors to continue his education there, at least, but there's no doubt priority number one is Guitar Hero. There's a vaguely defined goal of Blake playing it professionally, either through Major League Gaming or by winning prizes in a national and international competitions. But so far he's only made about $1,000, most of that value realized in meals and other freebies won at local competitions. The other pro gamer the reporter contacted for this story said he's cashed in about $25,000 in his entire career.
The description of Blake's room, his interests (or lack thereof) , and his folks' decision to let him do this just ... well, the don't make anyone look good. It would be one thing if the guy was a bona fide music or athletic prodigy. However quixotic a career in either field might be for the majority who pursue it, at least there's a long history of it paying off if you are that good enough. But Blake's never touched a real guitar (cue up the get-a-life bait). He didn't seem interested in much of anything in high school (a Christian academy where his parents had enrolled him) and wheedled his way out of going by complaining that it was a waste of time. (That line should sound very familiar to my folks. If only playing Master of the Lamps on the Commodore 64 could have won me some free Chik-Fil-A. I might have had better luck.)
You gotta read it to believe it, and nearly three weeks after it was first published, it is still one of The News & Observer's top e-mailed stories. Try to keep it civil in the comments, gang, especially if you aren't a parent. I'm not, but I'll admit this blows my mind.
Independent developer Cliff Harris, of Positech Games, asked pirates why they choose to pirate his games, promising them immunity and anonymity in exchange for their honest rationales, which he would aggregate and post on his blog. They reciprocated, and of about six reasons, a righteous indignation at DRM seemed to lead the list. Harris is actually responding to the gripes in both the pricing and de-DRMing of titles in the future, with his own reasoning why it's a good idea.
The reasons pirates traffic his games, Harris found, were roughly (list quoted from Ars Technica)
• The information wants to/free anarchists think copyright shouldn't exist.
• Games are too expensive.
• The quality of gaming is too uneven.
• DRM is hurting the legitimate customers.
• Going to the shops is annoying.
• Because piracy is easy to do with low risk for getting caught.
Harris' response:
• Zero DRM. He said he only used it in one game before. He sees it as counterproductive, giving honest gamers an experience that treats them like criminals while the pirates have a cleaner, superior version.
• Longer demo game experiences.
• Reduced pricing: He dropped the cost of Kudos to $9.95 and will consider selling its sequel for far less than he'd planned.
• Regarding quality:
I get the impression that if I make Kudos 2 not just lots better than the original, but hugely, overwhelmingly, massively better, well polished, designed and balanced, that a lot of would-be pirates will actually buy it. I've gone from being demoralized by pirates to actually inspired by them, and I'm working harder than ever before on making my games fun and polished.
It's an intriguing back-and-forth involving pirates who aren't treated like thieves, and a victim who won't portray himself as such.
It's Friday! Time for, that's right, TELL US DAMMIT. here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know ****tons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Not sure!
There are many different game genres. We don't want to know which is your favorite, but rather:
Question: Which game genre is easiest for you or which one do you excel at?
Justin over at Game With a Brain wrote up a list of 25 reasons gamers annoy non-gamers. Not sure if he's a non-gamer, as the knowledge is pretty specific. But I agree a lot of these are pretty palpable reasons I get hacked off at my own people. He should have thrown something in about inscrutable Asian MMOs. I get that it's an acquired taste but, really, blowing your own head off to activate your powers? Ummm ...
Here's the first 10. The other 15 are on the jump. The comments on Game With a Brain absolutely crucify the guy. I don't know if they get the point of the satire, but they take it way too seriously, and that could be reason No. 26
1. Halo is not a sport.
2. The controllers are indeed too complicated.
3. No, I have no clue what happened in Mega Man 4.
4. I don’t need 502 ways to decapitate my opponent.
5. No, I do not need to read a FAQ to find all 502 ways.
6. Zelda games do not need to be hard edged.
7. Resident Evil 2 is not the best in the series.
8. Final Fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy.
9. I find Wii Sports to be incredibly fun.
10. I own a PSP and have not installed custom firmware.
11. I really like Guitar Hero.
12. I don’t really like drawing maps to play video games.
13. Madden Football is good enough.
14. Portal was a fun game and not a religion.
15. I need help playing games sometimes.
16. You are not persecuted.
17. Sorry, but dressing up as Cloud makes you a nerd.
18. $600 is a lot to play video games.
19. I will ask if you have Pac-Man or Donkey Kong.
20. I don’t want to join a clan.
21. I like licensed games.
22. Game stories bore me.
23. I will not read a book or watch a film based on a video game.
24. I have no idea what a PokeMAN is.
25. I enjoy Bejeweled.
BioWare has told Eurogamer that Dragon Age: Origins will definitely be heading to consoles, following a bit of confusion about the whole thing.
"Yes. Dragon Age: Origins will be coming to consoles in the near future, yes," Dan Tudge, director and executive producer for the game, told Eurogamer.
Tudge hinted that console versions of Origins will arrive in late 2009, after the PC release - which BioWare is confident will be early next year.
When pushed on dates and details, a BioWare PR stepped in to say "plans for consoles haven't been finalised yet".
Dragon Age will also definitely be a series, as you may have guessed.
"'Dragon Age: Origins' really represents three real key elements," said Tudge. "One is obviously the origins stories. The other is the return to BioWare's roots. And the other one is the origins of the franchise, of the series.
"We've built the universe from the ground-up to be something we can base a lot of entertainment product in, and Dragon Age: Origins is really just the beginning."
Dragon Age: Origins is a dark fantasy role-playing game self-described as a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate.
Valve has unveiled Natascha, a brand new minigun for the Heavy in Team Fortress 2.
This level 5 weapon slows enemies down but does a quarter less damage than the default Sasha gun. Useful for sapping zippy scouts or fleeing medics.
Natascha joins Team Fortress 2 as part of a Heavy update tomorrow.
Alongside the gun will be Killing Gloves of Boxing, an unlockable melee weapon that grants five seconds of guaranteed critical hits when an enemy is pummelled with them. Those five seconds can be spent in a Rocky-rage or at range with a minigun.
Valve still has one more unlockable weapon to unveil for the Heavy.
Also in the imminent patch will be a brace of new maps plus achievements for the Heavy.
Stalker: Clear Sky was due to hit shelves next week Friday, but developer GCS Game World has just confirmed that you'll have to wait a week longer.
Set in 2011, Clear Sky is a prequel to the Ukraine-developed Stalker (without all those annoying-to-type dots, if you don't mind), based on the nuclear powerplant disaster of Chernobyl.
"S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R." Too... many... dots...
"The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies," adds the press release. Most people organise protests and punch police, tie themselves to trees or climb government buildings and shout like angry homeless people to deliver such profound messages to humanity. Developing a videogame to do it... that's a new approach.
They have the 4GB MicroSD Card with SD Card Adapter for a staggering USD 15.58 (£7.30) for those with PSPs you could get the Micro SD Converter and you have 4GB of space for less than $20 or say a tenner.
Silicon Knights boss Dennis Dyack has dropped the first vague details on the dev's next game with Sega, which he says will be nothing like Too Human or Eternal Darkness.
Speaking in an interview with CVG, Dyack said he wants to continue to keep Silicon Knights' line-up "fresh", and continue making new IP.
"We've been lucky enough to make Legacy of Kain, Eternal Darkness, Too Human and if you look at all of those they're all really different," said Dyack. "The next game that we're going to announce, not including the sequels to the trilogy, it's nothing like anything else we've ever made before.
"We want to continue to do that to keep fresh. That's really what's important, and making sure that we continue to make new IPs but also continue to innovate in the genres that we try to... create content in, I suppose is the best way to describe it."
The Too Human developer is already known to be working on a new IP with Sega, which will be the studio's first partnership with a non-platform-holder in ten years.
Funcom has told us that Age of Conan has 415,000 subscribers and enjoyed "one of the largest PC launches in this decade."
Over 800,000 copies have been sold, according to Q2 financial papers, and most of the people playing are educated males around 29 years old, thank you for asking.
The focus for the game going forward is largely on PvP and high-end content - as well as adding new areas to explore, new guild and gameplay additions, plus new armour, raid gear and items.
Demos are planned at some point, apparently, which we presume means free trials of some sort. Regional expansion is another part of the plan.
As are new games, both casual and larger-scale MMOs. Funcom has Java-based and web-based online worlds in development, and one appears to be piratical with ships that fly. Shiny.
Both have been spurred on by the success of games such as RuneScape and MapleStory, and are due out sometime next year.
The Secret World, on the other hand, is the fully-fledged MMO being worked on by a team of around 40 people. This we heard about in May 2007; a science-fiction world within a world, set in real-life locations such as London where portals to a hidden world lie in wait.
Like Harry Potter then, only less with the wands and more with the zombies, as the first screenshots seem to imply. We were told a while ago that Ragnar Tørnquist, the man behind The Longest Journey and Dreamfall was at the helm of the project, which still carries no release date.
The Secret World is in development for PC and Xbox 360, and you can take a look at the first screenshots right now. We expect PC is the lead platform in a similar way to Age of Conan, which is still due an Xbox 360 release at some point in the future.
The competition marked out by Funcom was Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft expansion The Wrath of the Lich King, both expected by the Age of Conan developer later this year.
Funcom also pointed to the BioWare "Star Wars MMO", which EA confirmed as an online Knights of the Old Republic game in July. Funcom thinks this will be out in 2010/2011.
Media create have published the console sales in Japan for the week ending 10th August. The big news is the Xbox 360 outsold PlayStation 3 in Japan by more than 2:1, but then the 360 was outsold by the Wii by 3:2 (about).
This is thanks to Namco's exclusive Tales of Vesperia - currently number four in the Japanese charts with over 100,000 sales.
But the handhelds continue to leading Japanese market, with the DS selling 60,434 (just under 2,000 more than the PSP)
DS Lite 60,434
PSP 58,501
Wii 38,506
Xbox 360 24,962
PS3 9,673
PS2 8,503
A British woman who put a game on a file-sharing network has been ordered to pay damages to the game's creator.
Topware Interactive has won more than £16,000 following legal action against Isabella Barwinska of London, who shared a copy of Dream Pinball 3D. Three other suspected sharers of the game are awaiting damages hearings.
The test case could open the floodgates for litigation against thousands of other Britons suspected of sharing the game. In the case heard at London's Patents County Court the game maker won damages of £6,086.56 plus costs of £10,000.
"The damages and costs ordered by the Court are significant and should act as a deterrent," said David Gore, a partner at Davenport Lyons who acted for Topware. He added: "This shows that taking direct steps against infringers is an important and effective weapon in the battle against online piracy."
"This is the first of many," said Mr Gore. "It was always intended that there would be a lot more." Mr Gore said details of "thousands" of suspected file-sharers of the game who might now face legal action were known.
Topware Interactive started its campaign against pirates of Dream Pinball 3D in early 2007 after legal action forced 18 British net firms to pass on details of suspected pirates that it had identified.
Following this it sent out about 500 letters to Britons it had identified as making the game available via file-sharing networks such as eMule, eDonkey, Gnutella and many others.
In the letters the company asked for a payment of about £300 as a "settlement" figure that would head off further legal action. Some of those accused of sharing the game chose to fight the legal action and it was in one of these contested cases that Topware Interactive won its claim for damages.
Brash Entertainment announced that it is bringing The Tale of Despereaux, an interactive game based on Universal Pictures’ animated adventure of the same name, to Europe. The game shares the fairy-tale look and feel of the upcoming film about a chivalrous mouse, full of courage and honor.
The Tale of Despereaux game is in development for X360, PS2, Wii, PC, and will release in conjunction with the film, which arrives in theatres on December 19, 2008.
Bill Roper, co-founder of the all-but-extinct Flagship Studios, has said there are no secret piles of money to rescue Hellgate, and that firing the majority of staff at the developer was his "hardest professional day" ever.
"I understand that, unfortunately, the Internet seems to be a haven for people who like to just get out there and throw out the most vitriolic and aggressive stance they can. But there are no secret piles of money that the company's somehow magically making," Roper told 1UP. "I haven't been paid in almost two months, and I've been putting money out to try and get people taken care of. That's the flip side.
"It probably goes against popular belief, but just because we all used to work at Blizzard doesn't mean that we're all millionaires, although that sure would have been great."
Roper said he had to liquidate USD 400,000 to pay salaries because he felt responsible for his flock of sheep.
"As anybody could tell you, during the last days of Flagship, I was pretty much a wreck," he added.
Hellgate is now owned by the bank, Comerica, and the servers are being kept open as a joint effort between Namco and EA. However, neither videogame company can develop the game until the rights to the IP are bought back.
On reflection, Roper said Hellgate would have been better for being simpler and with a less confusing business model; he claimed he knew the the online multiplayer paid-for and free idea was a mistake before the game even launched.
"Hellgate came out, and it wasn't as good as it should have been. There's a myriad of reasons for that. Some of them were just bad timing in the PC market. The PC market was lousy last year," said Roper.
"Some of it was the fact that we were an independent studio. We didn't have unlimited money, and we had to ship when we had to ship. Part of it was because we overreached, and that was a design problem that was totally our fault. We tried to do too much.
"We tried to be a standalone game and a free-play game and an MMO and an RPG and a shooter. We were trying to be something for everybody and ended up really not pleasing many people at all. I think we should have picked one or the other."
Mythos, a free-to-play MMO, was the other game in development at Flagship. Korean developer and publisher HanbitSoft had originally approached Flagship with an offer of help.
Roper and team tried to negotiate with HanbitSoft but eventually found themselves in a deal-or-no-deal situation, with Mythos bargained in as collateral on the resulting agreement.
So, Mythos is in HanbitSoft hands. But the team working on it is without many of the key staff that created the MMO, something Roper feels has been underplayed so far.
"The challenge they face is like if somebody says, 'Hey, I made you a loan against your Ferrari, [and] now the loan's due, so I want the Ferrari.' And I say, 'Great, here's a box of parts, because I didn't actually finish building the car yet.'
"So they have it, but it's not done, and they don't have any of the engineers that were there that know how to build the game or use the tools or use the tech or anything."
Thankfully Roper is optimistic about his future in games; he doesn't regret the experience, just the outcome.
"I've always loved games. I've always been playing games, and I want to keep working in games. I'd hate to think that all the trials and tribulations of the past five years, and all the upside, all the great things that happened, would be the end of this," he concluded. "I want to be able to build off all of this."
Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii has returned to the top of the UK charts as sales climb 6 per cent, according to the latest data from Chart Track.
The racer beats out Wii Fit at two, which saw sales drop 24 per cent, and a pair of titles driven by the summer Olympics – Beijing 2008 at number three and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games at number four.
Wii Play is a non-mover at five this week, as is Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock at six.
Namco's SoulCalibur IV drops down the chart at seven, with THQ's Big Beach Sports at eight, Nintendo's Dr Kawashima's Brain Training at nine and Guitar Hero: On Tour at ten.
Mike and Mike are hip-deep in Games Convention 2008 coverage as we speak, tackling press conferences and getting all handsy with games. Midway just announced what we can expect to see from them. On the list, not a whole lot new, though This is Vegas is included. I wonder if that means hands-on?
Midway's press conference, set to start right about now, will be hosted by German entertainer Oliver Pocher and a guest line-up that includes: TNA iMPACT! star Christy Hemme, as well as the creators of Wheelman and This is Vegas. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon will also be presenting the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, and will be revealing a selection of new characters.
Sounds like the presser will score us some news. Make sure to check back to read what surprises they unveil and check out our running list of Games Convention 2008 coverage here.
Mario Kart Wii is once again sitting pretty at the top of the UK charts, marking its ninth week at the number one slot.
The office favourite racer saw a six percent jump in sales (that's probably the rest of the our building hearing how much fun we're having) to beat Wii Fit to the top slot, which itself slumped 24 percent in the sales department this week.
Sitting at the number three and four slots, expectedly, is Sega's Olympics double-whammy Beijing 2008 and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Unlucky Australia, by the way.
Rockstar has revealed the first details of the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV.
The game was shown off at the Leipzig Games Convention today by PR man Steve Hahnel. He began by promising much improved visuals, saying they'll be "polished well beyond what they were on the 360 and PS3".
New features will include a replay editor. Whenever you're playing the previous 30 seconds of gameplay will be recorded, so at any time you can stop and watch what you just did. You can also edit footage - chop it up, add filters, switch camera angles and so on.
There will also be a montage editor that lets you link together multiple 30-second clips. You'll be able to share the movies you make via the internet and the Rockstar Social Club.
Hahnel also hinted there are plans to add new multiplayer options. Noting there is online play for up to 16 players in the console versions of GTA IV he added, "We're expanding on that" - but didn't offer any further details.
However, Hahnel did say there will be new filters so you can have more control over the type of matches and races you take part in. If you just want to play with pistols, for example, that will possible. The whole idea is to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for.
The rest of the demo consisted of a playthrough of the Three-Leaf Clover mission seen in the console game. This was played using an Xbox 360 controller, and Hahnel confirmed you'll be able to choose this or the traditional keyboard option in the finished game.
The visuals do indeed look more polished - lighting is more realistic and there's a much higher level of detail on both characters and environments. Movement animations are smoother but could still do with a bit of work; Nico runs down stairs like he's got a wonky ankle. Still, as Hahnel was careful to point out, GTA IV is still "a work in progress" and there's "a lot of polishing and cleaning" to do before the game is released on November 24th.
BioWare has told Eurogamer that Dragon Age: Origins will be treated to some "very creative" pre-release content.
Dan Tudge, director and executive producer of the Dragon Age series, said this would be but one of the ways BioWare would build and "love" the online PC community.
"We believe, especially with the PC, that community is a huge part of what we're doing online in Dragon Age: Origins, and the Dragon Age universe as a whole," Tudge told Eurogamer in an interview published today.
"We've a lot of plans to not only bring the users into the community through the tool-set, but also through a lot of initiatives we're taking within online activity: downloadable content, both pre-release and post release; free content, paid-for content; online achievements."
"I can't say," he added, when pushed on a demo. "You can expect something very creative from BioWare; the details I can't really go into."
Dragon Age: Origins, according to Tudge, will capture and evolve the enormous online following of Neverwinter Nights. He said this would help battle PC piracy as only registered users will be able to take part online.
Dragon Age: Origins is a dark fantasy role-playing game "absolutely" due for release in early 2009 on PC, and then later (maybe that year) on consoles.
Head over to our full interview with BioWare's Dan Tudge to find out more about Dragon Age: Origins, "the biggest story we've ever created".
New shots and an FAQ have been released for Diablo III at Germany's Games Convention. It's all here.
There's nothing in the FAQ about art direction before you ask. So Diablo III's a bit brighter than previous games and it looks a little different. You'll just have to deal with it. Or turn the brightness down on your monitor.
Five games companies are to demand 25,000 file-sharing internet users to pay GBP 300 immediately or risk going to court.
The users are being targeted for downloading and sharing games illegally, according to The Times.
Atari, Codemasters, Reality Pump, Techland and Topware Interactive have appointed legal brain Davenport Lyons to take action on their behalf.
Operation Flashpoint by Codemasters was apparently downloaded over 691,000 times in one week, according to internet watcher Peerland.
"Our clients were incensed by the level of illegal downloading," said Roger Billens from Peerland.
The quintet make their stand after the successful prosecution Isabella Barwinska, who has been fined GBP 16,000 for uploading and sharing Dream Pinball 3D by Topware.
The group will begin by targeting the first 500 file-sharers to ignore the GBP 300 demand, and have applied to the High Court to demand internet service providers deliver the names and addresses of all 25,000 breaking the law.
According to The Times, 5000 addresses have already been obtained.
A perennial cash cow for Electronic Arts, the Sims franchise hit the celebrated 100 million milestone earlier this year, generating $4 billion for the company in the process. As part of the Leipzig Games Convention today, EA announced that the The Sims 3, the first all-new installment in the life-simulation franchise since 2004's The Sims 2, would begin uttering incoherent phrases to PC gamers on February 20.
With Will Wright's Maxis studio prepping for Spore's September 7 launch, the Sims 3 is being developed by EA's dedicated Sims Studio at its Redwood Shores headquarters. Making the most noticeable impact between The Sims 3 and the slew of spin-offs and expansions of previous Sims titles is the all-new graphics engine, which EA promises will bring to life such locales as beaches, mountains, and civic centers.
Delving under the hood, The Sims 3 offers players the ability to customize individual sims by allotting five unique character traits, including brave, artistic, kleptomaniac, clumsy, paranoid, and romantic. EA notes that Sims constantly evolve as the game progresses, which will add diversity to encounters. Other new features packed into Sims 3 include a Create-a-Sim mode and short- and long-term goals, where players have the choice to "fulfill their destiny, giving them lifetime happiness and rewards or not!"
In addition to dating The Sims 3, EA also detailed the game's collector's edition. Though no price was provided, the collector's edition will include The Sims 3, a Sims Plumbob USB Drive, an exclusive in-game Italian-style sports car, a cheats guide, and The Sims 3 Plumbob stickers pack.
Outspark, a leading publisher of immersive online multiplayer games, today announced the launch of the newest free expansion for the hit free-to-play MMORPG, Fiesta. Featuring new content including two challenging zones, brand new quests, a new in-game wedding feature, a new Monarch system, an increase in the game's level cap and much more, the expansion is available now for all Fiesta players. Visit http://fiesta.outspark.com now to join the community and experience the new in-game features.
"Millions of Outspark gamers have been anticipating this expansion, and we are very happy to yet again deliver what our players want," said Outspark founder and CEO Susan Choe. "This exciting new content release offers great stuff for veteran and new players alike."
Within the Level 89 Expansion, Fiesta players can now explore the treacherous, scalding expanses of Burning Rock and Flaming Mine—each rife with dangerous denizens and challenging quests. Players will enjoy upgraded player skills to help them move from level 79 to 89 and a brand new Kingdom Quest for characters at level 80 to 89. The expansion also includes an innovative apprentice system called the Monarch System, which lets seasoned gamers form mutually beneficial partnerships with new players. Masters earn a percentage of the in-game currency spent by their apprentices, while apprentices receive special class-specific items every 10 levels.
Fiesta players looking to "engage" even more with the community should check out the in-game wedding feature. Love-struck gamers can now purchase premium wedding dresses or tuxedos, and can purchase the Wedding Application in order to virtually tie the knot in a special ceremony at the game's scenic, remote Chapel in the Sky.
New Fiesta players will also find it easier to level up, as monsters between levels 1 and 30 now award 20% more experience. The game's quest system has also been overhauled with updated text and descriptions.
On top of teasing the first Age of Conan expansion, Funcom has shown off some of the forthcoming free content updates to its fantasy MMO Age of Conan at Leipzig.
Funcom highlighted two new zones, new and revamped dungeons and itemisation, and the graphical updates to be expected from the game's future DirectX 10 support.
Ubiquitous Funcom mouthpiece Erling Ellingsen said Funcom intended to answer the criticisms of players of the game who feel the game is too light on content in the second half. "We're really serious about adding content," Ellingsen said. "We agree that content thins out after level 55."
Ellingsen demonstrated the Commons district of the capital city Tarantia, expected soon. This mid-level slum area allows players to pick a side in a gang war between street bandits and the rulers of the rooftops. Questing will include thieving, exploration and stealth gameplay as well as combat, and complex storylines with moral choices.
Attention then moved on to the Black Castle dungeon, which is being extensively revamped. Originally a basic dungeon aimed at solo players, it will soon be a more sophisticated group dungeon featuring traps and puzzles reminiscent of the Legend of Zelda - shooting an eye with an arrow to kill a giant snake, or standing on pressure pads to allow your team-mates to pass flame-throwers.
Tongue-in-cheek tributes to Indiana Jones and Frankenstein had players fleeing from a boulder and piecing together a monster from body parts. There's also an attempt to give boss fights more personality (Ellingsen mentioned World of Warcraft's strength in this area), an epic feel, and superior loot drops. Ellingsen says Funcom is conscious that it needs to improve the quality of loot throughout the game, and is overhauling its entire loot distribution table.
The new outdoor area Ymir's Pass, for level 55 players and above, was shown. This beautiful Cimmerian mountain region has "dozens of hours" of content and a striking, ruined-amphitheatre dungeon. The Frostfather - a giant familiar from Robert E. Howard's stories - was shown imprisoned here. In a nod to the 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan films, Ymir's Pass also features the Wheel of Pain.
Ellingsen also showed screens and concept art of two top-level dungeons that are in development, but a little further off. The first, in an advanced stage of development, will be a group instance in Thunder River. The second, in the early stages only, will be a "huge" Cimmerian dungeon called the House of Crom, a social group dungeon where several groups can adventure at once.
Video was shown of the game running under DirectX 10, but Ellignsen refused to date this patch, saying that Funcom was taking its time to get it right. The DX10 version of Age of Conan will feature HDR lighting, ambient occlusion (more subtle shadowing), physics acting on grass and foliage, extravagant radial blur on fatality effects, volumetric lighting and fog, specular reflections on water and beautifully diffused underwater light.
On the anticipated update to the game's player-versus-player systems - originally expected some weeks ago - Ellingsen would only say that it was expected "relatively" soon. (In fact, he said "very soon", and then corrected himself.)
- In "Tengai Makyou - Fuuun Kabuki Den", the problem that ADPCM voice became interrupted occasionally (generated from v1.49, processing that plays ADPCM) was corrected.
- The speed and timing were brought close to a real machine more. In "21emon Mezase Hoteru Ou", the problem that the message window flickered occasionally (generated by a recent version) was solved.
- Additionally, a detailed part has been improved and corrected.
7-Zip is a file archiver with the high compression ratio. The program supports 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, LZH, CHM, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, ISO, MSI, WIM, NSIS, RPM and DEB formats.
added: support for disc region tags in -listinfo format
fixed: rebuilder recompress option gets falsely accessible for 7z/rar after some toggle combinations
fixed: unneeded test for inverted crcs fails
fixed: crash during cache load when toggling 1G1R mode
fixed: 7z reader package fails on 7z filesizes ≥2GB<<4GB
fixed: ziparchive package fails on zip filesizes ≥2GB<4GB
- fix: joystick mapping initially didn't work before the options were explicitly applied
- fix: keep game-specific emulator configurations open only as long as they are really needed
- fix: corrected support for keyboard shortcut mapping with multiple modifier keys
- imp: try to use system locale to setup the language if no language was specified (or if the language is unavailable within the translations); fallback to us as last resort
- imp: joystick test and calibration widgets are enclosed in scrollable areas now to allow for better handling of high amounts of axes or buttons; due to this, the layout management for these widgets was totally revised
- imp: minor speed ups for loading of XML and gamelist caches by reading data block-wise
- imp: SDLMAME options template updated to 0.127 (yuvmode replaced with scalemode, removed cheat_file, added new options cheatpath, videodriver, audiodriver and gl_lib)
- imp: code cleanup: use constants instead of numbers for logical gamelist columns, prepend QMC2_ to JOYSTICK and OPENGL macros internally
- imp: trimmed XML cache data - saves memory and disk space (plus adds a minor speed improvement upon cache reading)
- imp: build: check required Qt version on call to qmake (see qmc2.pro*)
- new: show number of (real/virtual) CPUs on system information page (about dialog)
- new: the frontend and emulator log browsers can now be limited to the amount of lines they keep in memory (the default is unlimited as before)
- doc: added Q2.8 and Q3.5 to FAQ
The 0.32 release updates the SlimDX version used to the latest one(June 2008). Users having trouble running the Win32 interface should download and run the SlimDX Installer SP1
- New touchscreen input setting, for running GameEx in a touchscreen setup. It is recommended to use version 3 or 4 themes when using a touchscreen and turning this setting on
- Fixes surplus snap matching
- Fixes show buttons setting with version 4 themes
- Other minor fixes
Well, maybe 2 months ago, I wrote an article about the State of Homebrew on 7th Generation Consoles. Well, I decided to do an update on the State of Homebrew on the 6th Generation consoles.
Lets begin:
Microsoft Xbox:
Lately, the Xbox hasnt gotten many homebrew releases at all. Still, it does once in a while.
Since 2007, there's been:
- Many updates to ZSNEXBOX, which now features near-perfect SNES emulation,
- A CPS3 emulator was released (CPX3) that plays CPS3 arcade games (like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Street Fighter III) near-fullspeed with some skipping here and there,
- An update to the excellent N64 emulator, Surreal64XXX
- Updates to all of the XPort emulators (that includes SNES9Xbox, NeoGenesis, MedafenX NES, and PCSXBOX).
- Several updates to Xbox Media Center.
Right now, there are two methods of running unsigned code on the Xbox:
Method #1 - A hardmod (taking apart the Xbox and installing a modchip, be it a soldered or solderless install). Some Xboxes have the holes where modchips are installed filled in, but there's tutorials on how to get around that online.
Method #2 - A softmod through game exploits. This is done by using an Xbox Memory Card/Flash Drive and XBox Male-USB Female cable along with an copy of either Splinter Cell, Mechassault, or 007: Agent Under Fire.
Xbox is currently the best homebrew console, and very tantalizing when you can get one for so cheap . Xbox can also perform (N64, MAME, and CPS3) even better if you install more ram.
The only downside to Xbox Homebrew is that the vast majority of it is made with a leaked Microsoft SDK, which makes it illegal to distribute, so it's more complicated to get a hold of homebrew for it.
Nintendo Gamecube
The Gamecube homebrew scene started out very slow, but has now really picked up the pace thanks to sharing a similar architecture with the Wii.
In just a mere year, we've gotten so many emulators and updates (much better SNES, Genesis, NES, Neo-Geo CD, Sega CD [apparently coming soon], and even N64 emulation).
I think it's pretty funny that the homebrew GC scene didnt really get going until after it's commercial scene was dead.
As of now there are three methods of running unsigned code on the Cube:
Method #1 - Hardmod it. Remember that taking apart the Gamecube is difficult at first. and even the modchips are small (XenoGC is the size of a quarter).
Method #2 - Buy SD Media Launcher. It's pretty much the same price as a modchip, but a lot easier to work with. Just put the SD Media launcher disc in, put the SD Card in the SD Memory Card Adapter (which then goes in your GC's Memory card slot), and boot applications off of an SD card.
Method #3 - Use the Phantasy Star Online Exploit (requires a BBA and an original copy of Phantasy Star Online for GC). The oldest method of booting homebrew on the Gamecube. You pretty much exploit the game and stream homebrew to it through the BBA.
Gamecube has some great games that you can pick up for a mere $5/£3. If you want to play some SNES and Revenge of Shinobi along with those games, then I'd recommend following one of these methods.
Nintendo Gameboy Advance:
Before the PSP, before the DS, GBA was running homebrew, and was actually doing a very good at that. GBA has a fullspeed NES emulator, a decent TG-16 emulator, and even a SNES emulator! You can also watch videos, listen to music, and run other decent and unique apps on the GBA.
All you have to play homebrew on GBA is buy a GBA homebrew cart. It's very simple and worth it .
The GBA doesnt get that much attention as it's overshadowed by the DS, PSP, and other homebrew consoles, still, it has a decent homebrew library, and if you have a spare GBA laying around, I'd recommend getting a flash cart!
Sega Dreamcast
What can someone say about the Dreamcast?
Was it underrated? Yes. Did it have an amazing library of unique and innovative games? Yes.
Well, you could also say that it was the first voyeur into the homebrew scene for many people (including myself). Many forums were created to discuss and release DC applications, emulators, and other homebrew (such as DCEmu.co.uk, DCEmulation.org, b00b!, Screamcast, and SegaKatana, DCEvolutionary, etc). Dreamcast has several emulators, such as: NesterDCSE, DreamSNES, GenesisPlus, GENS4ALL, Neo4ALL, AES4ALL, NeoDC, MAME4ALL, CrabEmu, and even PS1, Saturn, and N64 emulation (the latter two more or less being fancy tech demos). There's also a DivX player, MP3 CD players, and Web Browsers (which some CURRENT gen consoles dont include :rolleyes).
Running homebrew on the Dreamcast is very simple.
You simply burn the homebrew to a CD-R and play (unless it's a Revision 2 Dreamcast, which was ridden of Mil-CD support).
The Dreamcast homebrew scene is still doing alright (still not half as strong as it used to be). With newer and more powerful consoles overshadowing it, more developers seem to program away from the DC. You really have to thank the Dreamcast scene, I myself couldnt imagine where the homebrew scene would be without it.
Sony Playstation 2:
While Playstation 2 was definitely the best-selling console of the last gen with what most say is the best collection of games of that gen, it never really had a big homebrew scene. While it has a smaller scene then the rest of the consoles of last-gen, it still has a good selection of emulators: NES, SNES, Genesis, Neo Geo CD, and GBC/GBA emulators.
Now, I actually think it's picking up the pace a little bit and now has a PS1 emulator in development.
There are several methods of running homebrew on PS2:
Method #1 - Once more, a hardmod. You can get modchips for pretty cheap these days, and you can also get solderless modchips for a little more if you're not so good at soldering yourself .
Method #2 - Swap Magic with a Slider Card and custom faceplate or additional modchip. While it is more difficult to boot homebrew/backups, it is probably the cheapest method of running homebrew on PS2.
Method #3 - The Independence Exploit. This involves modding files on a PS1 memory card, which crashes it somehow and allows you to boot unsigned code.
Method #4 - Memor32. This is simply a memory card that you can hook up to your PC via USB. There is a modding tool called memento that modifies the memory cards firmware and pretty much is a plug-in modchip. It's rather pricy, but probably the easiest method of booting unsigned code on PS2.
Method #5 - HDLoader with PS2 Network Adapter and compatible HD. That allows you to boot anything off a Hard Drive, including Linux.
Once again, PS2 has never had a huge scene like many other consoles did, but I still think it's worth modding if you have a spare one laying around.
There might be a lot more to happen on the PS2 eventually. It's powerful, popular, and could probably handle a lot more homebrew that what it currently has.
Well, that concludes my article. I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Codemasters Online has rolled out a free and meaty expansion for ArchLord, boosting content in the MMO by around 30 per cent.
More specifically, Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds three new zones, 80 new skills, plenty more armour, plus lots more fantasy monsters and bosses to macro to death.
Meanwhile, those crowned as ArchLord will gain access to brand new skills and abilities, which should make the weeks and maybe years invested feel worthwhile.
ArchLord, released towards the end of 2006, now also boasts 750,000 accounts, and claims 20,000 fresh faces are joining the battle each week.
Of course, the turnaround success of the poorly-reviewed MMO comes off the back of Codemasters Online dropping the monthly subscription.
It's also worth remembering that those figures are not entirely representative of current users, as there's no reason to close a free and inactive account
How Sega likes to play with us. It seems every time a new Sonic game rolls around we're blabbing on about how it looks "much better" than the last, and "maybe this time Sonic will return to its roots".
Well maybe, hopefully, this time we won't be disappointed. Sega's just released these Sonic Unleashed screenshots from Leipzig, complete with blue skies, 2D-esque platforming and absolutely no animal friends in sight.
The Werewolf bits look questionable, but we can just pretend those don't exist. Right?
Here you are then; nine new screenshots from Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe, straight from Midway's lovely Leipzig press disc.
You can see the Sub-Zero chinning The Joker, The Flash getting flying kicked into a wall and all sorts of cross-universe scuffle madness.
No glimpse of the new mid-air combat though, which has you exchanging blows during a DoA-style plunge through the scenery. Check that out in the latest footage here.
Welcome to this week's Games Update, our weekly summary featuring all new product arrivals from the last seven days.
"Give up your human body for humanity" is the catch phrase of Too Human, the highlight of the week. Adventure as the cybernetic god Baldus and fight against the machines and evil intentions that threatens the existence of mankind.
The game takes place in a world modelled after Norse mythology with familiar names such as Loki, Hel and Odin popping up frequently. By comparing the flawed gods to the war machines (e.g. Loki and Hel are both immoral while Odin is really a computer system), the topic of humanity is questioned.
The clever blend of hi-tech machines and mythical elements produced a world which is both rustic and dazzlingly futuristic and provides plenty opportunities to show off the capabilities of your Xbox360™ systems.
The Asia version of Too Human has arrived and is available for US$ 49.90 only. Likewise, the US version will be arriving later this week and is sold for US$ 64.90 only.
Other versions released next week are the Japanese version and the First Print Limited Edition, both selling for the same price of US$ 64.90.
Be careful about loosing your way in the intriguing world of Too Human, let the official guide book point you to the right way to victory. The guide is available later this week for US$ 19.90 only.
Aside from Xbox360™, the other third generation console that gets a hot action adventure is PlayStation 3™.
Be a hero and save mankind in Vampire Rain: Altered Species [JPN and Asia versions]. Instead of preventing killing machines from swarming over the human world, you work in the dark in a Special Force Unit to kill Night Walkers and Blood Suckers from feeding off humans excessively.
A lot of action are available for Nintendo DS™ gamers. Let's start off with the US version of the highly acclaimed shooter, Bangai-O Spirits. With more highly capable weapons and more freedom with stage editing, this shooter is not only turning your portable console into an arcade, but a real battle field!
Save the world again in Sigma Harmonics and Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou [Limited and Standard Editions]. While Sigma Harmonics took on a splendidly grand atmosphere reminiscent of the Taisho period in Japan, Tokyo Majin Gakuen took place in the modern days.
Find out the culprit who has been rewritting history and wiping out humans in Sigma Harmonics and discover the Fenshui veins in Tokyo Majin Gakuen and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Escape from the wrath of the heavenly warriors in Harukanaru toki no naka de: Yume no ukihashi [Standard, Premium Box, Treasure Box]. Everybody in the first three installments of the hot romance game are coming together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their parent company.
Cross the bridge from reality to the Japanese mythical world and date the guardian of your choice.
Take a break from your tasks of saving the world. Lead your team to victory in J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship. All the Japanese teams in the J-1 and J-2 leagues as well as quite a number of foreign teams make their appearance in the game. The controls are smoother and the games carries more modes. It is never too late to learn about soccer.
Fate/Tiger Colosseum Upper, the next game in the series is coming out next week, for those who has missed the first installment, here's your chance to grab a copy and save some cash. Fate/Tiger Colosseum came out as a best priced edition for your PSP, learn about the system and the moves and prepare yourself for the second installment.
As usually, here's a summary of all new releases from this week
Xbox360™
Too Human ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™:
Vampire Rain: Altered Species ASIA US$ 49.90
Vampire Rain: Altered Species JPN US$ 64.90
PlayStation2™:
B-Boy US US$ 24.90
Cake Mania: Baker's Challenge US US$ 24.90
J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship JPN US$ 68.90
Jeep Thrills US US$ 24.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave JPN US$ 64.90
Memories Off 6: Trial Wave [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Need for Speed Carbon (EA:SY! 1980) JPN US$ 20.90
Professor Brainium US US$ 24.90
Secret Game: Killer Queen JPN US$ 64.90
Secret Game: Killer Queen [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 84.90
Tsuika AS+ Eternal Name (Sweet so Sweet) JPN US$ 34.90
WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008 (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
Nintendo DS™:
Bangai-O Spirits US US$ 34.90
Fushigi no Dungeon: Furai no Shiren DS (Bargain Edition) JPN US$ 28.90
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Yumenoukihashi JPN US$ 48.90
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Yumenoukihashi [Premium Box] JPN US$ 69.90
Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Yumenoukihashi [Treasure Box] JPN US$ 129.90
Inazuma Eleven JPN US$ 48.90
Sigma Harmonics JPN US$ 54.90
Super Monkey Ball DS (Bargain Edition) JPN US$ 28.90
Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou JPN US$ 48.90
Tokyo Majin Gakuen: Kenfuuchou [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 79.90
Uwasa no Midori-kun!! 2 Futari no Midori!? JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Burnout Dominator (EA Best Hits) JPN US$ 29.90
Fate/Tiger Colosseum (Best Price!) JPN US$ 29.90
WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008 (Greatest Hits) US US$ 24.90
Game Guides and Magazines:
Bakurestsu Pachinko Perfect Capture Book JPN US$ 11.90
Derby Stallion DS Complete Guide JPN US$ 25.90
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice The Official Strategy Guide US US$ 19.90
Dragon Quest V Official Guide Book (Nintendo DS Edition) JPN US$ 22.90
Famitsu DS + Wii [October 2008] JPN US$ 9.90
J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship JPN US$ 25.90
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Official Guide: The Complete JPN US$ 26.90
V-Jump [October 2008] JPN US$ 8.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! Koushiki Catalogue the Valuable Book 11 JPN US$ 13.90
Video Game related Soundtrack:
Anthology Drama CD Tales of the Abyss Vol.2 (~Chihiro Suzuki, Yukana, Takehito Koyasu) JPN US$ 27.90
Custom Beat Battle: Draglade 2 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 17.90
J-League Winning Eleven 2008 Club Championship Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 28.90
Raiden Fighters Aces Orginal Soundtrack [3CD+Booklet] JPN US$ 39.90
Tales of Vesperia Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 37.90
Well, here it is again with more data for weekly sales in Japan and everyone gets a raise from last weeks' reading except for one:
Nintendo DS Lite: 78,666
Playstation Portable: 64,413
Nintendo Wii: 53,036
Playstation 3: 11,393
Playstation 2: 10,168
Xbox 360: 7,358
DS lite is on top, up roughly 18, 200. PSP increases by 5,800, in 2nd place. In 3rd is the Wii, rises by 14,500. In 4th and 5th ranks, PS3 and PS2 go up by 1,800 and 1,500 respectively. Last is the Xbox 360, sliding back down to 6th, reduced by 17,000.
Codemasters has dropped 29 screenshots of its acrobatic shooter Damnation, which is planned for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 at the end of the year.
According the game's developer, which has never made a game before, Damnation's going to include plenty of "huge, open environments, frenetic combat, daredevil acrobatics and high-octane vehicle-based stunts."
We'll have to put another quid into the swear jar for using the word 'high-octane' there.
Changes since 7.54:
. "Graphics|Suppress left margin?" option.
. "Help|Game information..." command.
. Game information window: credits and year information.
. Debugger CLI: "Fill memory" command.
. Miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes.
ReasonableGBA v0.1 released. This is a new GBA emulator, better than shiteGBA was.
ReasonableGBA is a development of my old emulator shiteGBA. It's no longer shite though, merely reasonable, hence the name change. It can run most GBA games, though there are still some bugs.
* Added video synchronization support at long last [blargg, byuu].
* Added audio panel to control volume, latency, frequency and SNES input frequency settings.
* Added driver panel to select APIs to use for video, audio and input.
* Added crash handler for driver initialization.
* Xv and SDL video drivers now work with compositing enabled on Linux/Xorg.
* Improved ALSA audio driver for Linux.
* Now using a fixed output frequency, along with a 4-tap hermite resampler.
* Improved header detection; fixes Batman: Revenge of The Joker and a few fan translations.
* Frameskip will now randomly choose a frame in each set to display; helps with animations.
* Locales now support meta-data, which allows for unique translations of the same English input.
Do you happen to be a PS3 owner who enjoys tanks, machine guns and RPGs? You are? Well then, have we got an announcement for you. Sega has confirmed that Valkyria Chronicles, an acclaimed and anticipated PS3 exclusive, will be arriving in the US on November 11. The title, which has been described as Advance Wars meets Mass Effect, has been garnering a following in Japan for some time now, and the US release will likely bring the phenomenon overseas.
In addition to confirmation of the PS3 release date, Sega is also hinting at a possible PSP port of the title. During E3, a clip of the game was mistakenly shown during the PSP portion of Sony’s press conference, sending many a fanboy into a fervor over the idea of the game appearing on the handheld. While that may have been a mistake, it could have turned out to be inspiration, as associate producer Christopher Kaminski stated, "Well, you know, the response we got from that accidental announcement was very interesting. I’ll have to leave it at that for now."
So from the sounds of things, a simple faux pas might result in the game appearing on a whole new platform. Not bad for someone falling asleep in the editing room. Oh well, sometimes mistakes can turn out great, just ask my parents.
MyBB 1.4.1 is a general maintenance release and a security update to the MyBB 1.4 series. It fixes medium and low risk security vulnerabilities. We recommend everybody upgrades to this release immediately or patches their boards with the manual patching instructions below.
These vulnerabilities affect MyBB 1.4 and previous releases of MyBB 1.2 (including 1.2.14). Older versions of MyBB may also be affected. Please see the post below for upgrade instructions for 1.2.14.
WDZ is credited with the discovery of these vulnerabilities.
Nintendo has snagged the top spot for another week, with Rhythm Tengoku Gold -- Rhythm Heaven in my neck of the woods -- beating out a host of back catalog releases, including Sega's unsurprisingly popular Phantasy Star Portable. It debuted at #2, dropped to #3, then leapfrogged to #1. That's Nintendo software for you. Older titles creep higher up the charts in this slow week, as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G threatens to return to the top ten.
Not much in the way of new Japanese software releases for the week of August 11 to 17. Hit the snooze button and save your excitement for next week.
01. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS) - 137,000 / 480,000
02. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) - 74,000 / 564,000
03. Dragon Quest V (DS) - 74,000 / 1,092,000
04. Wii Fit (Wii) - 47,000 / 2,516,000
05. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 36,000 / 1,692,000
06. Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken (DS) - 35,000 / 180,000
07. Band Brothers DX (DS) - 24,000 / 280,000
08. Meccha! Taiko Drum Master DS: 7-tsu no Shima no Daibouken (DS) - 20,000 / 282,000
09. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (PS2) - 19,000 / 161,000
10. Wario Land Shake It! (Wii) - 18,000 / 76,000
11. Tales of Vesperia (360)
12. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP)
13. Wii Sports (Wii)
14. Soulcalibur IV (PS3)
15. Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 (PSP)
16. Mario Kart DS (DS)
17. Densetsu no Stafi: Taiketsu! Dire Kaizokudan (DS)
18. Gundam Battle Universe (PSP)
19. Bimoji Training DS (DS)
20. Fatal Frame IV (Wii)
21. Bokura wa Kaseki Holder (DS)
22. Wii Play (Wii)
23. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
24. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
25. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 15 (Wii)
26. Sangokushi Taisen Ten (DS)
27. Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka: Parareru (PS2)
28. Mame Goma 2: Uchi no Ko ga Ichiban! (DS)
29. Crazy Taxi: Double Punch (PSP)
30. Persona 4 (PS2)
The recent rewrite of cps1 fixed a lot of odd problems, but also broke
the homebrews and some hacks. Extensive work was done to fix as much
as possible.
- driver split into 3, to keep the mame portion relatively uncluttered
-- cps1.c - original MAME code with a few "bootleg-friendly" changes
-- cps1mis.c - Misfit extra games
-- cps1hack.c - the "old" cps1 code, for the 8 games that need it
- most games improved:
-- captcomh - added, works
-- cawingb - fixed inputs and sound - still unplayable
-- dinob - fixed, works
-- dinohb - fixed, works
-- kodh - added, works
-- punishjh - added, works
-- punishrb - added, works
-- sf2m1 - added, works
-- sf2m2 - added, works
-- sf2m3 - added, playable
-- sf2m8 - mostly works, unplayable
-- sf2m12 - added, works
-- wofb - fixed, works
-- wofaha - removed
-- wofjh - fixed, works
-- wofsjb - fixed inputs, works
-- cps1demo, cps1frog - moved to cps1hack.c, working
-- wofh, wofha, wofsj, wofsja, wof3sj, wof3sja - moved to cps1hack.c, working
All Galaxian/Frogger/Scramble, etc games converted to Aaron's new Galaxian driver,
except for Bagmanm2 which has its own minimal version of galaxold.
mineswp - Added colours:
- White (normal play / attract mode)
- Yellow (new record time)
- Green (new record level - must be at least level 3)
- Purple (stepped on a bomb)
- Red (game over)
Neogeo:
- Removed the customised per-game screen width setting. It's now the same as MAME.
- Renamed MGD2 sets to avoid conflicts with MAME.
- Removed the optional bios code, now same as MAME.
Games Added
-----------
CPS1:
Various, see above
CPS2:
mshud
sgemfd
ssf2tbd
ssf2xjd
Other:
nam1975h
bombjred
Games Removed
-------------
sf2mdt, wofhfh (in mame)
- Beginnings of ddraw overlay support.
- Many more crypt32 functions.
- Improved support for tables in Richedit.
- Support for NETWM window maximization.
- Many installer fixes.
- Tweaks for better PulseAudio support.
- Various bug fixes.
Zonk did an interesting interview with Ed Stark and Dave Williams, employees for an MMO developer named Red 5 (and experienced tabletop game designers). They talk about their ideas and plans to bring about the next step in MMO gaming: increased persistence in online worlds, where an objective, once completed, stays completed. Williams said, "Right now for most of these games, when the player saves the princess and he starts walking away from the tower — if he looks back he's going to see the princess at the top of the tower again." Regarding their current work, he continues:
"If you save the village, it stays saved — you saved it! But maybe now that village becomes an objective for another player; maybe something has to be done now because that village wasn't destroyed. And so on, and so on, and so on. Building those mechanisms to make it a world that reacts to a player's actions instead of existing in a static state. That's the world we're talking about."
1Up has a video of a detailed demonstration of Guitar Hero: World Tour's music creation system from GamesCon 2008. Activision shows off its robust note-recording system, which features dozens of different tones and sounds as well as the ability to play full musical scales. Tilting the guitar up and down can change octaves (or loudness for the drum machine). Users will also be able to record loops and tweak them for inclusion in full songs, which can accommodate all four players. The songs can then be uploaded and shared with the community.
SpuriousLogic brings us this excerpt from a BBC report:
"Prof. Heeks said very accurate figures for the size of the gold farming sector were hard to come by, but his work suggested that in 2008 it employs 400,000 people who earn an average of $145 (£77) per month creating a global market worth about $500m. ... Already, he said, gold farming was comparable in size to India's outsourcing industry. 'The Indian software employment figure probably crossed the 400,000 mark in 2004 and is now closer to 900,000,' said Prof Heeks. 'Nonetheless, the two are still comparable in employment size, yet not at all in terms of profile.' Prof Heeks suspects gold-farming might be an early example of the 'virtual offshoring' likely to become more prevalent as people spend more time working and playing in cyberspace. "
The Xbox 360's Japanese victory over its hi-def console competitor was short lived. Xbox buying fever has broken in a big way overseas, with the flagging console returning to last place on the Media Create hardware charts. Not that Sony's PlayStation 3 is doing that much better right now. At least Microsoft can blame its drop on depleted stock.
The success story this week though is that of the Nintendo DS, which extends its lead over the PSP by a hefty margin. The numbers you need are below.
Nintendo DS - 78,666
PSP - 64,413
Wii - 53,036
PlayStation 3 - 11,393
PlayStation 2 - 10,168
Xbox 360 - 7,358
arcticstoat sends a link to an interview with the CEO of id Software, Todd Hollenshead, in which he suggests that hardware manufacturers count on piracy to help drive profits, rather than doing something to prevent it. Quoting:
"...I think that there's been this dirty little secret among hardware manufacturers, which is that the perception of free content — even if you're supposed to pay for it on PCs — is some sort hidden benefit that you get when you buy a PC, like a right to download music for free or a right to download pirated movies and games. ...And I think that just based on their actions...what they say is one thing, but what they do is another. When it comes into debates about whether peer-to-peer file-sharing networks that by-and-large have the vast majority, I'm talking 99 per cent of the content is illicitly trading copyrighted property, they'll come out on the side of the 1 per cent of the user doing it for legitimate benefit."
Battlefield Heroes is a fairly unconventional game, especially when measured against other installments in the Battlefield franchise. It's an odd chimeric blend of some of our favorite shooters, with the cartoony style and sense of humor of Team Fortress 2, the character advancement of Call of Duty 4, and the free-ness of America's Army. As such, one couldn't expect the game to be released in a conventional fashion. Were the title gracing store shelves, we'd half expect the discs to come not inside a box, but rather, baked inside of a cake.
Unfortunately for pastry fans, the title will only be available via digital distribution upon its release -- though the term "release" seems to have come under scrutiny from Ben Cousins, executive producer for DICE, Battlefield Heroes' developer. According to him, the title, which is currently in closed beta, is already technically "released", and won't have the "big splash release" one expects from an Electronic Arts title.
Cousins explained that DICE simply plans to increase the size of the closed beta "to the point where every hardcore gamer in the world will probably be able to get a key if they want to," leading up to a time when the game will eventually "sneak out." We've never known a title to be well-served by a surreptitious launch, but we imagine the rules could be different when your game costs bupkis.
At the recent Leipzig Games Conference, Funcom developers announced that the first expansion to Age of Conan is planned for a 2009 release. Details about the expansion are sparse, but a significant amount of new areas appear to be in development for that and a free upcoming content patch. Massively points out a video which showcases some of the new content. 1Up has a piece of concept art for the expansion.
Whoops! Hey, we missed TUD on Friday because of all the hoorah with GC 2008, so looks like I am the temporary caretaker of the giraffe this weekend. I got a question you can answer one of two ways. Or two questions and you can answer one. Or both. Who cares, here it goes.
So I'm hideous about staying current with popular culture. Lots of times people will ask me if I've seen a movie, or if I watch the latest HBO Original drama that everyone's raving about. (I never saw Borat. I don't watch Entourage.) And I'd rather avoid the horrified expressions and fulminating evangelism, so I make a non-committal statement in the affirmative and then dodge my way out of the conversation.
But last week, I had to admit I've never played Halo 3. (Well, never played it in multiplayer. I played it a little in singleplayer mode.) I felt like I had no good reason for that, especially as a games blogger, but that was a choice made before I came to Kotaku. So that leads us to today's TUD:
Have you ever bought and not played a video game because of peer pressure?
and/or Have you ever told someone you played a game even when you hadn't, for any reason?
I'm especially curious about the second one. And for the record, I do have Halo 3. I bought it late last year when I was too busy for gaming. I'm working on that one.
coLinux (Cooperative Linux) is the first working free and open source method for optimally running Linux on Microsoft Windows natively. More generally, Cooperative Linux (short-named coLinux) is a port of the Linux kernel that allows it to run cooperatively alongside another operating system on a single machine. For instance, it allows one to freely run Linux on Windows 2000/XP, without using a commercial PC virtualization software such as VMware, in a way which is much more optimal than using any general purpose PC virtualization software. In its current condition, it allows us to run the KNOPPIX Japanese Edition on Windows.
Just checked my emails before i get down to some C&C and found one from Amazon UK and couldnt beleive some of the prices, especially when you go around shops in the UK and realise how damn expensive they can be, heres a few tasters:
SANDISK 8GB SECURE DIGITAL CARD
Buy new: £7.05
Sandisk MicroSDHC 4GB Card
Buy new: £8.17
SanDisk for Wii 2GB SECURE DIGITAL (GAMING)
Buy new: £2.63
Nintendo DS " EDGE " Super Card (R4 Revolution Version 3) + 4GB Micro SD Card
Buy new: £27.98
Left 4 Dead is now coming out on November 20, Gabe Newell told Gamekings.tv in an interview. The zombie first-person shooter was originally set for November 4 date to go along with the "4" thematic. But its new release date will now coincide with the 10th anniversary release of Half-Life, Valve's first game.
While Valve has made team-based shooters before in its Team Fortress games, Left 4 Dead will pit four human players against a horde of ravenous zombies as they try to make their way to the end of each level.
. Xbox can also perform (N64, MAME, and CPS3) even better if you install more ram.
