"A new version of the Nintedo DS handheld could be unveiled at this year’s upcoming E3 (that is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on July 15th – 17th), Enterbrain boss Hirokazu Hamamura predicted. According to Hamamura, Nintendo is likely to use the opportunity to present the new DS model at the year’s biggest gaming trade show. His predictions were based on the fact that Nintendo has made a habit of presenting a new handheld every two years, and the DS Lite was released in 2006. Mathematics point to this year as the year of a new announcement, but Nintendo representatives refused to make comments on the rumors. Bloomberg reported (article in Japanese) that Hamamura relied on rumors circulating in the industry, as well as on the historical evidence that point out to this year’s E3. The exact specifications of the possible new features of the new DS model are hard to confirm, but here are the speculations: media functions will be added, such as dedicated audio and video playback, as well as an additional slot for removable hardware. When DS Lite was released in 2006, it unveiled a thinner, smaller, lighter version of the previous DS game console. The DS was first launched in Japan, and rumors have it that the new DS said to appear this year will also be launched in Japan first. The Nintendo DS is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo and released in 2004 in Canada, U.S., and Japan. In September 2007, it was reported that Nintendo had sold over 50 million units at the fastest pace of all time for a handheld game console."
Source
Monday, April 14, 2008
Nintendo to Come up with New DS at This Year’s E3
Friday, April 11, 2008
Daily Wrap-Up 4.10.08
Here's what went down today in the world of videogames, popular culture and technology!
- The Ghostbusters The Videogame website is live.
- Muqtada al-Sadr was a gamer.
- Everyone is courting Yahoo!
- Homestarrunner's Strong Bad, the originator of comedy on the internet, is making a game for the Wii.
- Vote for Freestyle 101!
- Lair is changing to analog controls.
- Konami has revealed the pricing structure for Metal Gear Solid 4 and the Limited Edition.
- Check out our Call of Duty 4 video.
- Rockstar is pushing for an 18 and up maturity rating for GTA IV in Australia.
- Details on the PS3 Firmware update.
- All the tracks of Mario Kart for Wii, on video.
- SEGA has hit the brakes on SEGA Racing Studio.
- Nintendo announced today that Mario Super Sluggers is coming to America.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Clear Channel adds iTunes tagging to 340 HD stations
"When Apple, Polk, and JBL introduced HD radio song tagging technology in September of last year, the details were a bit hazy, particularly in regards to which radio stations would utilize the technology. Now that more than six months have elapsed, we've seen the release of the (rather expensive) tagging-enabled receivers, and we're now seeing radio station operations get behind the iTunes tagging as well. One big announcement happened yesterday, when Clear Channel Radio announced that it had enabled iTunes HD radio tagging on more than 340 of its HD stations.
Clear Channel has been supporting the tagging technology since the beginning, so the announcement shouldn't come as a massive surprise. The iTunes tagging feature still hasn't received much attention, but that looks to be changing. In order to take advantage of the system, you'll need an HD radio that works with the iTunes tagging (Polk and JBL both make such a product). When you're listening to the radio and hear a song you like, hit the "tag" button on the radio. This will then copy the tag from the HD radio signal to your plugged-in iPod. Once you're home, plug the iPod into your computer and iTunes will read the tags, then casually suggest that you might want to drop a few bucks on music.
Things seem to be picking up for the iTunes tagging technology, and if you drive a lot while listening to HD radio, it seems like a pretty cool thing to have."
New screenshots of Halo 3's Legendary maps
Bungie has released new Hi Res screenshots of the upcoming Legendary Maps. You can see all the released screenshots (here) .
Japan develops brain and eye pills for gaming fans
"Gaming addicts with sore eyes and tired brains may be able to perk up with "Game Suppli," a new Japanese supplement developed specifically for the country's thousands of fanatic players.
"We concentrated on developing a supplement for those who love games," reads the advert for the pills on www.cybergadget.co.jp, a Web site that sells a range of accessories for video game fans.
Maker Kyowa-Yakuhin produces two different supplements for the "Game Suppli" range: blueberry tablets that are meant to be good for the eyes, and transparent capsules containing Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, a fatty acid that supposedly enhances concentration.
Japan's convenience stores are stacked with drinks and capsules claiming various health and beauty benefits, sometimes without any scientific evidence."
Marketplace Roundup for April 8, 2008 (All free)
Via majornelson.com
Theme
Title: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Download this free Alien vs Predator - Requiem theme. Also check out the free gamer pictures.
Title: Ford Sync
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Download the Ford Sync Raging Monk Theme.
Trailer
Title: Viking
Price: Free
Availability: Not available in Asia, Austria, France, Germany, India, Spain
Size: 524.12 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE] Download The Making of Viking for SEGA’s Viking: Battle for Asgard™. The talented development team at Creative Assembly talk frankly about Viking hero Skarin, walk you through brutal battle scenes and explore the realm of Midgard. Experience Viking!
Gamer Picture
Title: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Download this free Alien vs Predator - Requiem gamer picture pack. Also check out the free theme.
Title: Ford Sync
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Download the free Ford Sync Raging Monk picture pack.
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Download this Ford Sync Raging Monk picture pack.
Video
Title: GameSpot
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbob LIVE regions
Size: 444.03 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)] Get up close and personal with Microsoft Game Studios VP Shane Kim.
Daily Wrap-Up 4.4.08
Here's what went down today in the world of videogames, technology and popular culture.
- Set your sundial for July 1st. That's the day Trauma Center Under The Knife 2 comes to the Nintendo DS.
- Gears of War 2 info blowout.
- The Web gives G4tv the respect it deserves in the form of Webby nominations.
- Gary Busey showing off the features of Saints Row 2.
- Paranoiacs hate this game.
- Chengdu, China will play host to the World Cyber Games Grand Final Tournament and Festival.
- Rock Band finally has a European release date.
- X-Play is going to be monstrous tonight. Don't miss.
- The new and improved PlayStation Network Store is set to go live.
- Andrew Ainsworth, who designed the original prop costumes for Star Wars's stormtroopers, is being sued by Lucasfilm.
- Some Web protections may be falling.
Nokia shows off iPhone fighting Nokia Tube
"The Finnish mobile phone giant is not about to let the iPhone take any of its dominant market away from Espoo. With the iconic iPhone redefining the user experience in mobile phones, Nokia has been toiling away with a touch-based competitor to the iPhone. With S60 Touch finally getting the touchscreen treatment that the Symbian platform was initially designed for, Nokia's on its way to pushing an all-touch device out its factory doors soon (well, not out of Bochum).
At the Evans Data Developer Relations Conference in Redwood City, CA., Nokia showed off their iPhone fighting Nokia Tube. The "Tube" looks a lot like the iPhone, but then any mobile phone (mobile device) with a full-body touchscreen and a minimal bezel looks like the iPhone.
Nokia showed graphical UI elements and demonstrated movie playback at the event. The Nokia "Tube" prototype still looks like the prototype we saw in November 2007. Nokia Executive VP said that ,"If there is something good in the world then we copy with pride," and it looks like they're holding to the iPhone-esque design.
The Nokia Tube will feature direct video uploading and support for Java, both things that the current iPhone does not offer. This could give Nokia a hand up on the current iPhone, but it remains to be seen how the S60 Touch OS will fare against the iPhone OS.
As far as sales go, Nokia's dominance in the market and the Tube's features are expected to out-class the iPhone. Forum Nokia VP Tom Libretto, derided Apple with the assertion that, while Apple has shipped 4-5 million iPhones since launch, "We've done that [sales volume] since we've had dinner on Friday." To be fair, the sales figures for the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer are largely due to sales in the low-end (and Nokia's device portfolio is extensive, to say the least). It should be interesting to see how Nokia Tube sales fare against Apple iPhone sales, especially once the 3G iPhone goes live.
No release date has been mentioned for the Nokia Tube."
Games For Heroes - Needing Video Game Handhelds for Troops overseas ..
Games for Heroes writes:
"We have started a charity for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
During our school Spring Break, we spent a week at elementary schools in White Plains, New York telling the students about the troops and the hardships they face. We began a letter writing campaign known as: “Cheer Up the Troops”, and have already collected over 700 letters from the students and staff and with the help of MarineParents.com of Missouri, we forwarded them to Iraq along with candy.
Next to letters, the most requested item is any kind of battery operated hand held video device including Gameboys, PSPs, and Nintendo DSs. Most of the soldiers are under 20. Our goal is to collect 10,000 game machines, batteries and games. We need your help. They can be new or used, as long as they are still working.
We would appreciate one or many, or donations to buy them. If you would like to include a letter of support to the troops, that would be great, too. If you believe in this cause, perhaps you could ask your school, church or temple to support Games For Heroes. If you collect fifty or more game machines, we will send you a letter acknowledging your community service. Maybe you even know a business that will sponsor this.
If you would like to help out please visit the Games for Heroes website here.
PSP Firmware (v3.95) Coming Very Soon
It seems that the firmware may have been released early. We have not seen anything official ye yet to be announced.
Here is what Sony PlayStation Network Operations Director Eric Lempel stated on the US Playstation blog:
"Just a quick update, we’ll be making PSP firmware update 3.95 available shortly. The update includes the following:
- While playing PSone games on your PSP, you can now customize how the buttons are assigned by going to [Controller Settings] > [Assign Buttons] and select [Custom].
- You can now quit Remote Play and choose to turn off your PS3 or leave it on after quitting. This is useful if you are performing a download and want to quit Remote Play, but still want your download to continue on the PS3. Select [Quit and Turn Off the PS3 System] or [Quit Without Turning Off the PS3 System] from [Quit Remote Play] when you press the HOME button on the PSP system.
For details on remote play, refer to the online user’s guide for the PSP."
SourceTuesday, April 8, 2008
Sources: PSP version of LittleBigPlanet in development
"LittleBigPlanet is in development for the PlayStation Portable at Sony Studio Liverpool, a source told game site CVG today.
There's been no official word from Sony on whether or not the anticipated physics-friendly user-generated level designer is making the jump to the portable, but that didn't stop CVG from speculating about what a PSP version could offer.
Interesting ideas included transferable PS3-to-PSP levels, or a level editor on the PSP that would allow players to keep working on their creations even when away from the PS3. They note that the robust LBP physics engine would be hard to replicate under this system, however, so we'll just have to wait and see what pops up in the near future.
The PS3 version of LittleBigPlanet arrives in September."
Mass Effect PC slips to May 28
"BioWare's community coordinator, Chris Priestly, has announced via the official Mass Effect forum that the PC version of the interstellar RPG has experienced a slight delay. Originally scheduled for release on May 6th, Mass Effect's retooled conversion will now arrive on May 28th in North America and June 6th in Europe.
Reasons given for the extra development time include the incorporation of further play-testing feedback, the tuning of additional features and, of course, the ever-popular application of "extra polish." Trust us, PC gamers, the wait will be worth it. You'll forget all about these extra few weeks once you're having a gas with our old pal, Saren."
Source
Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack PS3 DLC already in certification
"The Variety Map Pack DLC and patch required to add the maps to the game have went to Certification at Sony last night. We’re shooting for a worldwide simultaneous release, so all users can expect to have it at the same general time frame when it finishes certification. We’re working to see if we can secure a firm release date to pass along to you guys now, and I’ll post that as soon as I have it.
In addition the map pack should be hitting the PSN store around the same time the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Edition for PS3 hits store shelves. I will have exact details on the GOTY edition, release dates, and more hopefully this week as they’re being finalized."
Free Kane & Lynch Downloadable Content Coming April 17
"Eidos will be announcing on Tuesday April 8, the upcoming release of four new downloadable maps for the Fragile Alliance multiplayer mode in Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The maps will be downloadable for FREE on April 17, from Xbox LIVE and from the PLAYSTATION Network for the PS3. The new maps will be released in one downloadable pack entitled ‘The Dope Bag’, with each of the four maps featuring its own unique scenario."
Source
Xbox 360 Version Of Wii Remote Has Been In Development Since Summer, Source Exclusively Tells MTV News
"If everything goes according to plan, Microsoft's response to Nintendo's Wii will appear before the end of the year, a developer who has been briefed on the project told MTV News. The Xbox 360 manufacturer has been working on its own version of the motion-controlled Wii remote since last summer, the developer said.
Since Nintendo's Wii became a global sensation and Sony launched a PS3 controller that is also motion-sensitive, rumors have reverberated through the gaming industry that Microsoft would create a motion-controller of its own.
While nothing has been officially announced, MTV News' source was able to provide us with details on one such 360 controller in the making: a controller designed to do all the Wii remote does, and more. Our source chose to remain anonymous in the interest of not compromising business relationships, but MTV News has confirmed Microsoft's active interest in developing a motion-sensitive controller with other industry sources.
The project has been in active development at Microsoft since last August, the source said. Rare, the Microsoft-owned studio behind Xbox 360's launch first-person shooter "Perfect Dark Zero" and the upcoming installment of the "Banjo-Kazooie" franchise, has been tasked with creating a unified interface and look for the controller. Rare has had trouble hitting its deadlines, according to the source.
When MTV News contacted Microsoft for confirmation, a spokesperson said that "Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation."
Our development source sketched out a reproduction of the last prototype he'd seen, although the final product — if it is indeed released — may vary from this design. A key difference between the Wii remote and the prototype is the lack of a companion controller to be placed in the other hand, like Wii's Nunchuck.
The controller itself isn't much different in functionality or design from Nintendo's Wii remote, but comes with four face buttons, an analog stick and microphone. There are also plans for the controller to interact with the Xbox Live Vision Camera, the source said.
Microsoft's controller isn't just a response to "Wii Sports"; it's slightly more ambitious. "They want the usual assortment of 'Halo'/ 'Gears'/ 'Forza'/ whatever, just in waggle form," our source told us. Such idea-generation has not gone smoothly. "The whole thing is a colossal clusterf---," the source said. "[Microsoft] marketing just want it so they can match the Wii point for point. The biggest parts of their marketing materials outline how easy it would be for third parties to port their Wii games to the 360."
In addition to designing the interface for the controller, Rare has also fleshed out Microsoft's take on Nintendo's Mii avatar concept, the source said. Microsoft's Miis are designed to be associated with any game that incorporates the controller and create a standard "look" for the games. The avatars aren't tied to a controller when in use, as Xbox Live profiles currently are.
The avatars are more detailed than what Nintendo has allowed (i.e. they have limbs), the source said, but pushing the avatars into every controller title means they "dictate the entire look and feel of every game they're in, so they have to be generic as all hell."
Rare's difficulty in hitting development milestones has produced problems, however. "Microsoft is trying to decide how to get something out by the end of the year," said MTV News' source.
While MTV News' source presented full details of the project, several developers, speaking on background, could only confirm rumors that a planned motion-controlled Xbox 360 controller is in the works. If the project is more than a prototype initiative, it's been kept quiet from some major developers.
Microsoft has previously maintained a public message that motion controllers are a compelling idea, but avoided saying they would be moving into the space themselves.
"There's room for innovation here, but moving that controller around — it's something that's not mainstream for most games," Microsoft chief Bill Gates told MTV News in May 2006. "People aren't that good at totally standing still. Even pilots actually sit in a chair when they do their flying. So there's a lot to be learned about these controllers."
Last year, former Xbox executive Peter Moore was more upbeat about the prospects, but equally coy, in a February 2007 interview with GameInformer.com. "Since the day I saw Iwata-san [Nintendo president Satoru Iwata] pull the [Wii remote] controller out from under his podium a few years ago at [the Tokyo Game Show], I've always realized that was the right thing for Nintendo to have to do for what they needed to do to be successful in this next generation," Moore said. "And it was always going to be a challenge for us. So, we have plans. This does not come as a surprise."
MTV News' source maintained that development kits for Microsoft's new controller have been distributed to certain developers. If the project comes to fruition, and when Microsoft will actually reveal its plans, remain to be seen."
Monday, April 7, 2008
Stephen King hits out at anti-videogame bill
A proposal to restrict the sale of violent video games in Massachusetts has caused famed horror author Stephen King, who admits he is no fan of video games, to speak out against what he refers to as the government's surrogate parenting.
"According to the proposed bill, violent video games are pornographic and have no redeeming social merit," he wrote in an Entertainment Weekly column. "What makes me crazy is when politicians take it upon themselves to play surrogate parents. The results of that are usually disastrous. Not to mention undemocratic."
Designated HB 1423, the state legislation would limit the sale of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18. "Which means, by the way, that a 17-year-old who can get in to see Hostel: Part II would be forbidden by law from buying (or renting, one supposes) the violent but less graphic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," King pointed out. "If there's violence to be had, the kids are gonna find a way to get it."
Instead of a state-mandated restriction on violent game sales--many of which have been found to be unconstitutional in the past--King suggested that parents make an effort to take a more active role in raising their children as video games are not the only readily available source of violence in America.
"There's a lot more to America's culture of violence than Resident Evil 4," he explained. "Parents need to have the guts to forbid material they find objectionable...and then explain why it's being forbidden. They also need to monitor their children's lives in the pop culture--which means a lot more than seeing what games they're renting down the street."
Modded Water-cooled Xbox 360 and Power Supply
Wolfe of the Onan's Disciples forums, (view here)
has posted pics detailing his modded xbox console. Added are a water cooling system made from aquarium pieces, blue led's and beefed up heatsink on the power supply.
He stated he performed this mod because his game kept freezing up. What else is there to do if you can't play Viva Pinata.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Call of Duty 4 GOY Edition Beta Token Holders Must Wait
GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION TOKEN PROBLEMS
Many members of the CharlieOscarDelta.com forums are reporting when trying to download the maps via the tokens are receiving a message that the map pack is not available till this "evening". Regular download of the map pack began early this morning for those purchasing without the token.
One Member writes:
"I'm pissed off about it.... I'm a long time player who waited in the line at the Gamestop event for 3 hours for the maps and it won't let me download them until this "evening"."
In order to generate the token, this website has to be used, http://gameoftheyear.calloffduty.com/
Currently the site is still unavailable for use and token holders must continue to wait.
Another Member writes:
"Isn't it absolutely ridiculous?!
UGH. I seriously, get COD4 when it comes out, then get the Game of the Year Edition when it comes out, and it makes us wait for this EVENING?! when I could be getting my game on, uh, NOW?!!?"
In any manner this is something that should have been addressed early on. Hopefully it will be resolved soon, if not we will all be playing this "evening".
DUALSHOCK 3 Compatibility List
The DUALSHOCK 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 will be making its way into stores next week and Sony has released a full list of all the games that will be compatible with the new controller, mind you that you can still use it on other titles, but you won’t get the rumble that gamers apparently needed to have since there have been complaints since the day the SIXAXIS was announced not to feature force feedback. Here now is the official list of games, as listed on PlayStation.com
, that will make use of the new controller, which will be in stores at an MSRP of $54.99:
- SCEA - Formula One Championship Edition* (PS3)
- SCEA - MotorStorm* (PS3)
- SCEA - PAIN (PSN)
- SCEA - High Velocity Bowling (PSN)
- SCEA - MLB 08: The Show (PS3)
- SCEA - Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)
- SCEA - Resistance: Fall of Man* (PS3)
- SCEA - Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
- SCEA - Go! Sports Ski* (PSN)
- SCEA - Folklore* (PS3)
- SCEA - Heavenly Sword* (PS3)
- SCEA - Warhawk* (PSN / PS3)
- SCEA - Super Stardust HD* (PSN)
- SCEA - Snakeball (PSN)
- SCEA - Toy Home (PSN)
- SCEA - PSOne Emulation (PSN)
- SCEA - Piyotama (PSN)
- SCEA - PixelJunk Monsters (PSN)
- SCEA - Blast Factor* (PSN)
- Sega - Condemned 2: Bloodshot (PS3)
- Ubisoft - Lost: Via Domus (PS3)
- Ubisoft - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2* (PS3)
- EA - Burnout Paradise (PS3)
- KOEI - Dynasty Warriors 6 (PS3)
- Capcom - Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
- Atari - Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3)
- Disney Interactive - Turok (PS3)
ezGear for Wii Boxing Gloves
"Wii Boxing has never been so much fun! Wear these gloves and you will feel like you are right in the ring. The ezGear for Wii Boxing Glove uses high quality constuction and includes specialized foam to simulate a real boxing glove. Each glove has a built-in pocket to hold the the Nunchuk and Wiimote during play. The gloves can also be used while holding the Nunchuk and Wiimote. Wii Sports Boxing has never felt so real."
ezGear.com
Nokia opens mobile gaming service N-Gage
"Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker, launched its N-Gage gaming service on Thursday, hoping to energize an ailing market for mobile gaming.
"There will be an official announcement on Monday, but for you, the N-Gage faithful, we wanted to let you know we're up and running!" Nokia said in its N-Gage blog.
The new gaming service is one of the cornerstones of Nokia's new Internet services strategy, but the firm delayed the launch twice last year, citing delays in software testing.
Nokia, which made 40 percent of all cellphones sold globally in the last quarter of 2007, is the first handset maker to make a major push into the content sector.
Nokia opened the service to users of its top model N95 and four other multimedia phones -- the N81, N81 8GB, N82, and N95 8GB. It has sold 10-15 million of these phones in total so far, according to analysts.
The mobile gaming market suffered an unexpected slump last year, with many game developers and analysts pointing to telecom operators' lack of investment in marketing.
All major cellphone games publishers, including Electronic Arts Inc, Gameloft and Glu Mobile, have signed up for the Nokia platform.
Nokia said last month some 25-30 games titles would be available for N-Gage by mid-2008 and a similar number of titles would be unveiled during the second half of the year"Full Article
N-GAGE.COM OFFICIAL SITE
Call of Duty 4 Map Pack Now Live for the Xbox 360
Finally it is here. Unfortunately I'll have to wait till the work day is done. The Map Pack include Broadcast, Creek, Chinatown and Killhouse. All of this fun for $10.00 (800 MS Points). All of you who purchased the GOY Edition only need to redeem your tokens.
Can't wait to try out the new maps. Hurry and get to downloading!
Download Size is 445 MB
Update: It's a double XP weekend...When playing the new maps gamers will be treated to double XP. Double XP applies to all maps. Guess we will see alot of new prestiges...
Microsoft Again Dismisses New Blu-Ray Rumors
"Technology company Microsoft has again quelled rumors of an up-and-coming Xbox 360 running on Blu-ray technology. A released statement denying the rumors counts as the second time the company has battled against hearsay, all of which circled around the assumption that the Xbox 360 will be adapting to the newer Blu-ray upon the death of its original HD DVD format. The rumors this time involved technology manufacturer Lite-On, which would supposedly be creating the Blu-ray format products for Microsoft. "Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray devices for Xbox 360," said a spokesperson for the company, as quoted by Bit-Tech. "As we have stated, games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available." The spokesman went on to say that Microsoft consumers will be provided with "premium movie experience" by the library of HD content, as well as the playback feature of DVDs shown in high definition. According to TechRadar, Official Xbox 360 editor Jon Hicks stated that he was "not surprised" that Microsoft adamantly denied the rumors. "If they were going to announce something like this then they would certainly not do it right now," he said. "As I've said in the past, they haven't ruled out Blu-ray on 360, and if we ever were to see anything, then I would imagine it would be announced much nearer to Christmas." The Blu-ray format has quickly been raking in supporters, from technology companies to video retail stores, ever since it quashed the competing HD DVD in the format wars a few months ago."
VH1 to offer Flavor of Love mobile game
Mobile phone gamers will get a nice follow-up to VH1's release of its pop quiz game Know It All with the launch of new title, Flavor of Love. Like the first title, this new one will feature wacky mini-games that only VH1's production teams could devise.
True to the show's theme, players will find themselves in a contest to impress the world's most eligible bachelors. This won't be too easy as quirky challenges like pie fights, sky writing, and water gun battles await those who dare play the game.
IG Fun LLC will work closely with VH1 to develop and publish the game. Flavor of Love will be available across North America via all major mobile providers. It'll be available for download by the end of April.
Def Leppard confirms Guitar Hero IV appearance
"If you don't know Def Leppard, you have to bust your rockstar chops. One of the top-selling rock bands of the 1980s, Def Leppard has just confirmed that they will appear in Guitar Hero IV .
Is that really Guitar Hero IV? Let's get it straight from Def Leppard lead guitarist Phil Collen: "We do! It's on Guitar Hero IV. We just had to clear a few things like publishing, record company, and all that stuff. But we're going to have, like, three songs, I think, on Guitar Hero IV."
Those three songs would be Photograph, Animal, and Rock of Ages. But is Guitar Hero IV already in the works? Since the songs are a bundle of three, it could be possible that this is just a DLC for Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii).
If you could remember too, we've also reported that Aerosmith will feature their favorite artists for the newest spin-off Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) It seems a more logical choice for Def Leppard to appear here since both bands peaked at around the same time."
Source
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Update on the PLAYSTATION Store
PLAYSTATION.BLOG WRITES:
"Hi everyone. Just a reminder that there’s no PLAYSTATION Store update today, but the Store remains open for business. As announced last week, Warhawk is still on promotion for $29.99 (regular price $39.99). We’re working hard on getting the revamped Store up and running. Keep an eye out for a walk-through video next week. In the meantime, take a peek at a few screens from the new interface."
Daily Wrap-Up 4.3.08
Here's what went down today in the world of videogames, technology and popular culture.
- Sessler's Soapbox: Review to Kill -- if you missed this yesterday, make sure you watch it.
- Four Exclusive Haze Videos -- Check out new footage of the PS3 exclusive, Haze.
- G4tv.com dishes out the Epic Fail's on the worst April Fools Gags.
- Grand Theft Auto IV could have over 7 hours of cutscenes.
- A release date was announced for Star Wars: Force Unleashed.
- Relic Entertainment is officially working on Dawn of War 2.
- SEGA officially announced Sonic Unleashed, which had been leaked.
- Ubisoft announced Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., a flight combat game. (Trailer)
- Battlefield Heroes is only shipping with two maps.
- Mercenaries 2 is finally set with a release date: August 31, 2008.
- Alone in the Dark has been delayed once again. New release date: June 20, 2008.
- Car damage is finally coming to Gran Turismo 5 as a downloadable update to Prologue.
- Bungie released a new trailer for the upcoming Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack.
Colorware, Gaming in Color
"ColorWare Inc., established in 2000, is an industry leader in altering the color of existing products. ColorWare began with the concept of transforming the ubiquitous beige computer into a custom-colored work of art. The idea began with an attempt to color a late-model cell phone in 1999. After a year of testing and experimenting, the ColorWare high-gloss, scratch-resistant polymer-based coating was perfected. ColorWare’s initial offerings included 22 standard colors available on two mp3 players, three gaming consoles, and four computers, and many new products as well as additional colors have been added in recent years."
Visit Colorware
Is Lawsuit Looming Over God of War Shooting?
"In Marble Falls, Texas last month, a 13-year-old boy shot a 15-year-old boy while they were playing the M-rated God of War.
TV station KXAN reported at the time:
Troy Guthrie, Jr. suffered severe injuries that have affected his sight, hearing and motor skills… According to an arrest report, the boy was shot with a .22-caliber pistol…
The mother of the 12-year-old witness said the boys were playing the video game “God of War” …The woman said after the shooting, the suspect asked her son to help take Guthrie’s body out back and put it in a barrel. The boy refused and instead called 911.
Troy is recovering from his wounds, but apparently has lost much of his eyesight. Although some gaming sites reported the news at the time, GamePolitics opted not to cover the story as the linkage to God of War seemed peripheral.
Last evening, however, we received one of Miami attorney Jack Thompson’s numerous e-mails. This one contained a supplement to a motion previously filed by Thompson with the Florida Supreme Court. Although it was mostly standard Thompson bluster, we noted the following passage:
While sitting at his desk today, the undersigned received a phone call from a lawyer in another state. Because of confidentiality requirements, Thompson will not share the state or other specifics about the call save to note that this lawyer wants Thompson’s help, as a lawyer, because a thirteen-year-old boy, while playing a violent video game, shot his client, a fifteen-year-old, in the head, permanently blinding him.
There is no question that but for the play of the game, this would not have happened. This lawyer said, “You’re the one lawyer in America who can help this family.”
The Texas case immediately sprang to mind, since the circumstances as described by Thompson fit perfectly. GP asked Thompson via e-mail whether he was referring to the Troy Guthrie shooting and whether he would be getting involved. Thompson’s terse reply was “nope [to both questions].”
However, if Thompson’s original claim to the Florida Supreme Court was accurate, we’d say that, given the circumstances, this has to be the God of War case, which would mean that an attorney in Texas is considering the idea of a personal injury lawsuit that would likely involve SCEA and, perhaps, a game retailer.
This is speculative, of course, but the circumstantial indications are, we believe, strong enough to report."
sourcepsx4iphone v0.2.0: Public release with fw 1.1.3 support
A couple of days ago, developer ZodTTD sent word that he'd begun reviving his older homebrew projects for the iPhone, including psx4iphone, gpSPhone, and snes4iphone. Now, in case you've been wondering about the progress for the PlayStation emulator in particular, we've got some good news.
ZodTTD has announced that psx4iphone v0.2.0 is now out in the open, bringing with it some much-needed support for firmwares 1.1.3 and above.
As for the rest of the emulator's changelog:
ZodTTD further notes that psx4iphone v0.20 also received a speed upgrade, with most of its games now running at around 20-30 FPS. Those interested in picking up this homebrew for their iPhone will want to follow ZodTTD's download instructions over at the dev's official site via the source link.
Source ZodTTD
Sims 2 Castaway, Sims Pool headline EA Mobile's seven new titles
Electronic Arts Mobile sure knows how to help you kill time this summer. Now you can further satisfy your casual entertainment urges with seven new EA titles for both your mobile phone and your iPod. With EA's belief that games have longer life spans nowadays, they are banking on established franchises for the success of their new releases. Foremost of these are Sims 2 Castaway and The Sims Pool from the powerhouse Sims franchise. Also available are classic board games Monopoly (Monopoly Here and Now) and Scrabble. Here's a complete rundown of these new goodies:
Mobile
iPod
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed dated, special segments on Spike TV
Gamers can expect this title to be available this September 16 in the U.S., September 17 in both South East Asia and Australia, and September 19 in Europe.
To build up the game before it's release, LucasArts has partnered up with SpikeTV which will be showing some exclusiveStar Wars: Force Unleashed segments with various announcements and gameplay videos. Here's the schedule of when these clips will be playing:
* April 6 at 7:58 p.m. ET/PT - between the premiere of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
* April 11 at 10:52 p.m. ET/PT - At the end of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
* April 12 at 12:00 a.m. ET/PT - throughout an episode of GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley filmed at LucasArts' headquarters in San Francisco
* April 12 at 5:06 p.m. ET/PT - before Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
* April 13 at 5:06 p.m. ET/PT - before Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
Ubisoft reveals Tom Clancy's HAWX debut trailer
For the folks at Ubisoft, HAWX are more than just birds of prey - they're fighter-interceptors. We know this because Ubisoft recently revealed a debut trailer of Tom Clancy's HAWX for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and boy, does it look intense.
The acronym in Ubisoft's new title apparently stands for High Altitude Warfare X. You'll be seeing a lot of dogfighting, as the game reportedly allows you to pilot more than 50 planes at your disposal. Ubisoft has set the game in the year 2012, where private military companies (PMCs) are prevalent.
Tom Clancy's HAWX sports an Enhanced Reality System (ERS). This basically includes such nifty options as radars, incoming missile detection, an anti-crash system, a damage control system, a tactical map, an information relay, and weapons trajectory control.
The ERS also allows players to give commands to their AI squadron. An Assistance Mode puts pilots into a maximum safety mode. Players may opt to switch the Assistance Mode off if they prefer more freedom and control, but this will also put them at greater risk without it.
Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's HAWX purportedly supports four-player jump-in co-op play and a versus mode where up to 16 players can battle online for experience points and in-game cash. Winners may then use their winnings to unlock new weapons.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
CoD4: Map Pack - Not Delayed (+ video)
CoD4: Map Pack - Not Delayed
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Despite what the internet might tell you (including some “official” sources), the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare variety map pack has NOT been delayed until the 10th. As of right now we’re pushing certification for an on-time release for April 3rd or 4th. As of right now though, I’m being told that it’s a good chance it will be released worldwide (except for Japan) tomorrow night / early-Friday morning.
With that said, we also have a new video up on Gametrailers that show off the new maps in action, so check it out above.
For those of you asking when you should take off work, I’d take off Friday, as it looks like they should be available late Thursday night / early Friday morning, which means Friday you should be able to play all day. Also, those of you who have tokens already (either from Game of the Year edition or won them at the Gamestop event we held) you’ll be able to use them as soon as the Map packs are available on Xbox Live."
MXTube App - Download Youtube Videos via iPhone/iTouch
Talented modders known as Max Weas and Pumpkin today released the first ever iPhone/iTouch Youtube video downloader.
This creative app allows you to download, and downloaded youtube videos on your device!
Download this app via INSTALLER (Go to RECENT packages and download MXTube)
Works on all firmwares.
Source
The Mystery Behind PlayStation 3’s Sometimes Mandatory Installations
"Tired of mandatory hard drive installs on PlayStation 3? Blame Blu-ray and DVD.
Capcom took a public stoning last month when “Devil May Cry 4″ was released on PS3 with a mandatory 20-minute installation not necessary on Xbox 360.
Since then, Capcom VP of business development and strategic planning Christian Svennsson told me his company didn’t realize the issue would “blow up.” He says the company will take the response into account for future releases.
Figuring out why some games require these installs has been like pulling teeth. Publishers don’t want to talk about it, and Sony won’t come clean for them. I contacted multiple parties — chiefly Capcom, Sony, and Ubisoft — while researching this story and hit stone walls at almost every turn.
Nonetheless, we’ve been getting close to an answer, and everything comes back to a developer spending enough time to understand the unique characteristics of Blu-ray. It’s Blu-ray’s “fault,” but not because it’s slow tech. It’s just different tech.
This is what I’ve learned:
The PS3 version of “Lost Planet” requires installs, too. As does “Lost: Via Domus” and “Hot Shots Golf” from Sony. But “Dark Sector” and many other PS3 releases don’t.
The issue arises from differences in the reading techniques of DVD and Blu-ray. By nature, the outer and inner parts of a disc move at different speeds while a disc is spinning, regardless of format (CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, etc.). While DVD drives can read data at those differing speeds, Blu-ray reads at one speed. Combine that with the extremely large size of Blu-ray discs, and simply dumping existing DVD data onto a Blu-ray disc will inevitably result in longer load times.
Installations are a way around this issue."
Wii Homebrew Channel Beta Trial now available
Wii Homebrew Channel
A custom Wii channel created by Team Twiizers, the same people responsible for the Twilight Hack. It allows homebrew to be run from the SD card in a similar fashion to the Twilight Hack, but from the Wii menu, so is more convenient. Currently the Wii Homebrew Channel available for public release is a beta. Currently it allows ten minutes of usage before expiring. Once the channel has expired, it cannot be reinstalled, so it's suggested you use the allocated ten minutes wisely.
Installation
Assuming the Twilight Hack is already installed on your Wii;
- Download the installer from the section below.
- Place the installer file on the root of your SD card.
- Rename the file to boot.elf
- Run the Twilight Hack, and allow the installer to load.
- READ THE DISCLAIMER! In the very unlikely case your Wii should be bricked by the installer, this will let you know where you stand in regards to Team Twiizers.
- Press the RESET button on your Wii.
The installation should be automatic from this point on, and your Wii will reboot.
The Homebrew Channel is the new channel with no skin/theme.
Download
It can be downloaded here: http://marcansoft.com/transf/homebrewchan_installer.elf | Mirror by Oste Hovel