PSP Daedalus R-14 Beta: Unofficial details and screenshots released

New Features Implemented in R-14beta:
- Dynarec Stack Optimisation = small speedup (located in the Rom Preferences)
- Highlight Inexact Blend Modes = replaces inexact blend modes with a placeholder texture (located in Global Settings)
- VFPU TnL = acceleration of vertex transform and lighting / small speedup (located in Global Settings)
- Clear Fragment Cache = clears the contents of the dynarec fragment cache / do this before loading a new game to avoid freezes and such (located after pausing a rom, works great too)
- Font in GUI has been altered (view pictures below)

The ME work on it is only partially done so the sound doesn't lag quite as much as R13 and it's slightly less gargled.




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Indie developer TimeFly Studios now open for business

TimeFly Studios is an independent game development studio headquartered in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. We are looking for the most talented and passionate creative talent in all areas of game development. We have a plan for steady growth with an eye toward developing unique original IP featuring the highest production values for both current and future generation platforms.
One of the primary principles upon which the company was founded is the desire to maintain an atmosphere of camaraderie, mutual interests and light-hearted fun. We are deeply interested in the quality of life and professional growth of every member of the TimeFly family.

Glenn O'Bannon, Dennis Booth, and Brad Ruminer (the founders of TimeFly) have over 32 years of game development experience in tools, technology, design, programming, art, and management. They were significantly involved in the creation of top-selling and award-winning games such as ATV Offroad Fury 1 & 2, Motocross Madness 1 & 2, Splashdown 1 & 2, MX Unleashed, the MX vs. ATV series, Star Wars Racer Revenge and Disney/Pixar's Cars 1 & 2. Since the founders have been involved in everything from art production and direction, gameplay and UI programming, cameras, controls, networking, physics, tools pipeline, game engine, world building, game design and leadership/management, they are prepared to tackle all aspects of the game development life cycle confidently and efficiently. They have a demonstrated ability to design, build and deliver compelling, award-winning and best-selling gameplay experiences.

[Via Timefly Studios]

Five Things You Didn't Know Google Could Do

Google is widely known as the Internet's best search engine. Everybody with access to the internet uses Google at some point to scour the depths of the web for a particular web page, or a certain piece of information.

However, Google has several built in functions that help you to make your searches more successful, and to enable you to spend less time searching! The following is a list of 5 functions, all accessible from the main Google search box, which will help you find that snippet of information you are looking for.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Microsoft Surface Coming To AT&T Stores In April

"Microsoft's multitouch Surface tabletop computer may be coming to an AT&T store near you. In the first public deployment of the technology, AT&T will put 22 of Microsoft's Surface computers in four cities around the United States on April 17.

When customers place one or more of eight mobile devices -- not yet including the Apple iPhone -- labeled with a special optical tag onto the Surface, the computer will recognize the objects and let customers explore device features. AT&T has also created another customized application that will allow customers to explore its coverage map, zooming in and out and navigating across the country by using hand gestures on the Surface's multitouch screen.

Initially, AT&T will deploy the Surface computers in two stores in New York as well as one each in San Antonio, Atlanta, and San Francisco. If customers warm to the application, AT&T is looking to expand to more cities and stores moving forward."

Source

The iPhone Shortage

"There is a shortage of iPhones in Apple’s stores in the United States. And there is a surplus of frenzied speculation about what this means. Many wonder whether Apple is closing out of its existing stock in order to clear the way for new models, possibly with the ability to connect to faster 3G networks.

Gene Munster, the analyst at Piper Jaffray, said that of the possible explanations for the shortage there is an “80 percent chance that a new version of the iPhone is coming earlier than anticipated.”

A.M. Sacconaghi Jr., of Sanford C. Bernstein, looked into the same question, however, and came to the opposite conclusion. He noted that AT&T’s stores and Apple outlets outside of the United States have plenty of iPhones.

An inventory shortage of Apple products often signals an imminent product refresh, but in this case, the stock-out seems too selective: Apple’s distribution partners would likely be extremely upset if Apple managed the product transition only for its own stores. In addition, the 3G iPhone would arguably be more important for the European market; yet the current-generation phone remains widely in stock in Europe.

Mr. Sacconaghi concludes that Apple is more likely to have a temporary shortage of the iPhones than to be deliberately clearing out all of the current models.

Why starve Apple stores in favor of those from AT&T? Maybe Apple’s contract guarantees AT&T some minimum level of supply, he wrote. Even more plausibly, there is accounting: Every phone shipped to AT&T counts as revenue for Apple. But an unsold phone on the shelf in an Apple store does not. So if Apple is looking for maximum boasting rights in its first-quarter results, it might well have diverted scarce iPhone stock to AT&T, at least at the end of March.

Still, if you are holding out for whatever iRabbit Steve Jobs pulls out of the iHat next, Mr. Sacconaghi says your wait is coming to an end. Like most other analysts, he expects a new 3G iPhone model to be introduced “around mid-year.”

By the way, I sent an e-mail to Apple asking if it would reveal the truth behind the Mystery of the Missing iPhones. No answer yet.

Steve Dowling from Apple called back. “We are working to replenish iPhone supplies as quickly as we can,” he said to me reading the same statement he offered to others. “Our stores continue to receive shipments almost every day.”

I then tried to flesh out this statement a bit. Do you confirm that those shipments to the stores are inadequate to meet demand? Why is there a delay on your Web site in shipping the iPhone? Is there a shortage of components? Is a model change imminent? Is there an accounting reason to prefer shipping to AT&T vs Apple stores?

“I’ll just leave it at my statement,” Mr. Dowling said."

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Space Invaders, Arkanoid Set for US

"Today Taito confirmed that its recent remakes Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS will be released in North America on June 17. Both games are already available in Japan and make use of the new paddle controller that fits into the Game Boy Advance slot on the DS. Unfortunately, Taito currently does not have plans to bring the paddle controller overseas.

Space Invaders Extreme, also available on the PSP, is a sped-up, hyper take on the classic arcade game. The graphics have been modernized, and an electronica soundtrack now accompanies the invasion (the original had no music, only the forward march of the aliens).

Arkanoid is a portable version of the block-breaking game we all know and love. Multiplayer is available for up to four 'Noids, and interior decorators can adorn their backgrounds with patterns earned through gameplay."

Source

Bourne Conspiracy set for summer release

"The last film in the Bourne trilogy may have already been released, but fans wanting to play Sierra's game based on the movies are going to have to wait until summer.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy, developed by High Moon Studios, will feature a mix of shooting, hand-to-hand fighting, car chases, and "dramatic escapes." Features include a playable re-enactment of the sequence where Bourne is trying to evade police cars in a Mini Cooper, and a combat system co-designed by Jeff Imada, the choreographer for the Bourne movies.

Elite secret agent Jason Bourne--played by Matt Damon in the films--will be the playable character in an original story which fleshes out his background and the conspiracy that surrounds him.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy will be coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles in North America on June 3 and Europe on June 27."

Source

Wii Fit poised to become America’s best-selling game ever

"Mark your calendars, folks. On May 19, gaming will change forever in this country.

That’s the scheduled North American release date for “Wii Fit,” the exergaming title now moving out of game stores in Japan like crushed ice at a frozen-drink bar. The game employs the Nintendo Wii console’s signature motion-sensing technology and a wireless balance board to engage gamers in fitness-related challenges.

Upon debut in Japan four months ago, “Wii Fit” sold more than 1 million copies in its first week, and that’s in a nation with only about 5 million Wiis in use.

Market estimates just announced put projected sales in this country around 4 million — in “Halo 3″ territory. But more than 9 million Wiis are scattered around the United States, and demand for the devices continues to outstrip supply.

The number of Wiis alone in this country suggest “Wii Fit” will sell much better here than in Japan — that and the dearth of good games using Wii technology. (”Wii Sports” and “Wii Play,” two games customized for Wii and released with the console’s debut in late 2006, are still the best selling games in this category.)

Critics may scoff at the notion of “Wii Fit” outdoing the current sales king, the Xbox-only “Halo 3,” in part because there are almost three times more Xbox 360s in use than Wiis.

But Nintendo says it plans a $40 million marketing campaign in this country, the company’s biggest ever for a single U.S. title. The “Halo 3″ campaign orchestrated by Xbox 360 maker Microsoft topped out around $10 million.

Furthermore, games customized for Wii seem to have a broader audience than just gamers. “Wii Sports” and “Wii Play” appeal to almost all ages — anyone who can wave the Wii’s wand controller — and even have shown up in medical and rehabilitation facilities as tools to help clients redevelop mobility and hand-eye coordination.

The great demand for the first-person shooter “Halo 3,” which sold almost 5 million units last year alone, came in part due to great marketing, but mainly from loyal fans of “Halo” who had followed the franchise since its debut in 2001.

“Wii Fit,” on the other hand, is said to incorporate more than 40 different activities, including yoga poses, step aerobics and dancing. It monitors body mass and weight, and can be customized for individual fitness levels and needs."

Source

Xbox 360 Blu-ray Drive in Development?

"Quoting inside sources, DigiTimes yesterday reported on a story that the Taiwan-based company Lite-On is currently in development of an internal Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360 game console. The same sources state that shipments of the drive will begin in the second half of 2008 along with the "next-generation of Xbox 360 game consoles," fueling speculation that a console more powerful than Xbox 360's currently high-end model, the Elite, could be on the way as early as this holiday.

Microsoft has made conflicting statements regarding their Blu-ray intentions over the past several months and have neither confirmed nor denied DigiTimes' claims. Stay tuned to IGN DVD for more."

Source

More than 70 percent of Americans playing video games

"A report today from the NPD Group, a New York-based market research firm, reveals that 72 percent of the U.S. population played video games last year, up from 64 percent in 2006.

And among the people playing games, 58 percent said they played online.

The online participation included everything from children's game sites and casual word, card and puzzle games to the hard-core role-playing games such as "World of Warcraft" and online racing and combat games through consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The number of online gamers relative to the total U.S. population is 42 percent so far this year, up from 40 percent in 2007.

In breaking down the online participation, NPD reported that "The PC platform continues to be the driving force in online gaming, with 90 percent of online gamers stating they use a PC to play games online, 19 percent claiming they use a video game system (console or portable) and 3 percent claiming they use a cell phone.

"Four out of 10 online gamers are ages 2-17, driven heavily by kids ages 6-12. Kids ages 2 to 12 are driving more than 25 percent of online gaming, while 18-24 year olds only represent 10 percent of online gaming.""

Full Article

Daily Wrap-Up 4.1.08

Here's what happened today in the world of videogames, popular culture and technology; no joke!

• Our cousins across the pond in Great Britain have seen fit to grant Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV a rating.
• A Legend of Zelda movie is coming... April Fools!
• A tiger-mauling victim may have stolen a Wii.
• Freestyle 101 features the greatest rapper alive.
• Youtube Rick Rolled everyone.
• Pick the plot of Banjo Kazooie 3.
• Japanese Wii owners can now get in on the DLC party through WiiWare courtesy of Square-Enix.
• Comic-Con in New York is expanding into gaming in a big way.
• The robotic cars from 2007’s DARPA Urban Grand Challenge autonomous car race will stage a rematch.
• The full trailer for the Oneechanbara movie has been released.
• Ubisoft has just announced Emergency Heroes for the Wii.
• Westin Hotels plan to roll out a free Wii program.
• Activision has teamed with Hands-On Mobile to make Guitar Hero III Mobile available on BlackBerry smartphones.
• Ultimate April Fools on the web list!

All new Call Of Duty 4 maps played and rated

"Call Of Duty 4 is already better than unicorns, robots and lightsabers combined, but in just under a week it’s aiming to get even better with the release of the first downloadable add-on, the Variety Pack map collection for online multiplayer.

Now downloadable content is always a tricky proposition. Sometimes it opens up a whole new element in a game and keeps the fun flowing long after its original release (Gold star for you, Crackdown), but sometimes… Well, sometimes it’s horse armour.

So where does COD4’s DLC sit on this sliding scale of supplemental expense? Is it going to be worth your while to drop nearly a quarter of the game’s original price on four more maps come April 4th (That date is console-only at the min. The PC release is still up in the air), or is the whole thing just surplus to requirements? Read on and we’ll tell you everything you need to know. We played through the whole lot at Activision’s Boot Camp event this week, and we’re going to give you the lowdown on exactly what Infinity Ward have cooked up for you.

Killhouse
Things started off rather disappointingly with this one, we’re afraid. Killhouse was actually the new map we were most looking forward to playing based on the promise of its concept, but while it’s definitely a fun addition to the COD4 line-up it just doesn’t deliver what we were hoping for.

The idea of a multiplayer stage based on the initial training zone of campaign mode filled us with ideas of a claustrophobic, multi-layered indoor stage filled with pop-up wooden terrorists and ropes to slide down. In truth though, Killhouse is a warehouse interior scattered with small walls, wooden pallets, shipping containers and a few burnt-out cars for cover. There’s also a sniping tower in the middle and a shack with a roof-mounted gun emplacement at either the end, all of which leave you pretty well exposed. Not initially very inspiring."

Full Article

ESRB launches ratings widget

"The ESRB launched its very own widget today. just for those who can't help but obsessively check the ratings for games. The widget is available in several different formats (except OSX Tiger, a gaffe perhaps?) and easily embeddable, allowing users to search the 14,000 titles in the organization's database with ease.

The ESRB's Madame Patricia Vance explained that the group's research showed that 75% of parents regularly check game ratings to make sure the titles are appropriate for their children, expressing her belief that the widget will make things more convenient. It sure will! Especially in our normal checks to see what unannounced games the ESRB recently rated."

Source

Nokia unveils N810 mobile Internet tablet for WiMax

"Nokia's N810 mobile Internet tablet will be one of the first devices designed for a new high-speed wireless network that Sprint Nextel Corp will launch commercially in April.

Nokia on Tuesday unveiled a version of the handheld device, which has a 4.13-inch touch screen, for WiMax -- the emerging wireless technology that Sprint is betting on for its next generation of high-speed services.

WiMax promises to blanket cities with mobile Web links that are five times faster than today's speeds. Like the first N810, which went on sale in the fall, the new version will also work on Wi-Fi, a short-range wireless technology used in hotspots such in coffee shops.

"The difference with WiMax is that you can move out of that hotspot," Mark Louison, head of Nokia's North American business, said in an interview ahead of the CTIA annual U.S. wireless show in Las Vegas.

Sprint, which has been seeking outside funding to expand WiMax beyond an initial three markets, has promised to open the network to a wide array of devices, such as music players or cameras, which consumers could buy from any store. The three initial markets are Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Sprint has said it would have 10 WiMax devices at launch.

Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, has trailed Motorola Inc and Samsung Electronics in the United States as it has won little business with U.S. carriers, which tightly control the phones that work on their networks.

There has been uncertainty about the U.S. future of WiMax. Sprint, which is losing customers from its existing service, has said it is re-examining its commitment to spend $5 billion on WiMax by 2010.

Sprint and Clearwire Corp, a smaller WiMax provider, are in talks to combine their WiMax assets in a venture with investment by other companies such as Comcast Corp, Intel Corp and Google Inc, sources familiar with the talks said last week. "

Source

Videogamer.com "We grill Infinity Ward's Jon Shiring on new CoD4 DLC"

"Why do PS3 owners have to wait? And what's in store for PC owners?

Call of Duty 4 is the most popular console multiplayer game in the world right now. And it's about to get even better when developer Infinity Ward unleashes four new multiplayer maps in April (Xbox LIVE first, PSN to follow). Priced at 800 MS Points, the four new maps, Broadcast, Creek, Chinatown and Killhouse, promise to give CoD4 fans even more to shout about. To celebrate we grilled Infinity Ward's Jon Shiring on the new content, why PS3 owners have to wait longer than Xbox 360 owners and what the future holds for CoD. You'll be interested in the results.

VideoGamer.com: Let's begin by you telling us who you are and what you do at Infinity Ward.

Jon Shiring: My name is Jon Shiring, and I'm one of the programmers at Infinity Ward.

VideoGamer.com: What was your role on the new maps?

JS: I worked mostly on the back-end, making sure matchmaking works fine with the new maps and making sure we detect the content, load it and the game changes.

VideoGamer.com: It looks like each of the four new maps is in direct response to community requests. How important is CoD4's community to Infinity Ward?

JS: First of all we love our community. If they tell us we really want to have a multiplayer level that's inside the TV station because that was such a moment in single player, we love that kind of feedback, then alright we can do that. Let's do this! For some of it we wanted to throw something different their way. So that's where we have the Creek map, which is this totally new environment, it's not from single player. We went with more of an open out-door area, because there's a lot of people who really like the outdoor maps. And there's a lot of people who like the indoor maps, too. Broadcast has a lot of good indoor spots. Carentan was a classic map from CoD1 and CoD2, and so we decided to re-do that in a new style (Chinatown). The layout is the same but it looks completely different, and so that one has a lot of good indoor fighting from the earlier games that people really loved. And then Killhouse is the last map. That one, we wanted to have a good map for split-screen or cage match, or team tactical, the smaller game types where the map isn't so big that you're trying to find people. It's this really intense close-quarters battle.

VideoGamer.com: We tend to see new FPS DLC concentrate on new multiplayer maps, but not new single player content. Why is that?

JS: In terms of CoD4, The multiplayer on Xbox LIVE and PSN has been just huge, and so the response there has just been amazing. A lot of people have told me that it's the first multiplayer game that they've played, so we've drawn a lot of new people into our multiplayer. And that community just keeps asking "give us more maps, more maps, we love to play we just want more variety in the areas we're fighting in!". So in this case the community has just been asking for more multiplayer maps so that's what we've given them here.

VideoGamer.com: So could we ever see new single-player DLC for CoD4?

JS: I wouldn't rule it out but we don't have any plans for that right now.

VideoGamer.com: Why do PS3 owners have to wait longer for the Variety Map pack than Xbox 360 owners?

JS: It's part of the development process. We were scheduling it and trying to work it out... it's just something that's taking a little bit longer to do for us. We're excited to get that out on PSN as well.

VideoGamer.com: Will PC owners ever get the DLC?

JS: Right now we don't have any firm plans for PC. PC has the map contest that we've been running for a while now. So when that's finished we'll have a bunch of new maps from the community that we're going to be able to show everyone and we'll get great maps for PC there. We're working on the logistics of maybe releasing these maps for the PC but we don't have any plans for that yet.

VideoGamer.com: Are there any problems bringing the DLC to PC?

JS: That is not my area so I can't really comment.

VideoGamer.com: What about future DLC? What plans have you got?

JS: We don't have anything to announce there, so no plans yet.

VideoGamer.com: Would you imagine it would take a similar form to this map pack, concentrating on multiplayer?

JS: Again I don't really know so I can't really comment on that.

VideoGamer.com: Call of Duty is Infinity Ward's only game. Is there a feeling that the team would like to try something else?

JS: Again I can't comment on what we're going to do in the future, but we really enjoyed working on CoD4, we're really happy with the way the move to a modern day setting turned out, because there are so many new opportunities for us. We did this great single-player storyline which has these dramatic moments and twists and turns which we obviously couldn't do with the previous games, and I think that's something we're very happy with. We don't have any announcements or anything for what we're doing next. There's a lot of people on the team who want to work on lots of different things and we'll just figure out where we're going from here.

VideoGamer.com: That's great, thanks for your time.

JS: Thanks a lot."

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