I know this is a bit old but the site was down then!
It's been hinted at before but now it's for real! Coming November 20, 2007, the dazzling Star Trek Remastered series is being released in a 10-disc HD DVD/DVD combo-disc set, marking the first release of Trek product in the high definition format.
The very first downloadable content for Forza Motorsport 2 is now available. Head on over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace now to download the all new free Nissan car pack, featuring three premiere Nissan models: the 2007 Sentra SE-R, Altima, and 350Z. The Peugeot 908 race car is also now available for download (the only paintable racecar to be included in the game)
Xbox and Nissan will be hosting a Nissan Sentra SE-R tournament on Xbox LIVE. Fans are encouraged to customize and upgrade their Sentras and then race head-to-head in an all-out Nissan Sentra brawl. The 32 bracket 256 player tournament will kick off on 18th August and take place over the course of seven weeks. It will finish on the 6th October with a championship race live at the L.A. Auto Show. Finalists will compete for a series of prizes including a chance to win a new Nissan!
In addition to the tournament, Nissan and Xbox will also be hosting an in-game customisation contest, to create unique and stunning paint jobs on their Nissan Sentra SE-Rs. The contest will be judged by a panel comprised of Turn 10 developers and Nissan representatives.
Bungie has now posted an article detailing everything you could want to know about the feature. So, without further ado, the nitty-gritty:
* 4-player co-op via system link or Xbox Live
* Splitscreen limited to 2 players, but 2 more can be accommodated via system link or Live
* Co-op is managed in its own lobby, similar to other modes
* Players can still save films of co-op sessions
* Bungie will be adding some incentive for multiple play-throughs
Three elites will serve as the Master Chief's co-op partners. Player two, naturally, will play as the Arbiter. The other two are newly created Elites with their own backstories. It seems that since the Schism of the Covenant in Halo 2, humanity finds itself with a growing segment of Elite sympathizers.
Gamers in the UK wanting to buy a 360 but holding out for a price cut like the one that isn't-but-probably-actually-is coming to the U.S. may have quite a bit longer to wait. Though Microsoft has not confirmed that the Xbox 360's three SKUs will be getting cheaper in the U.S. in August (insert giant wink here), they are denying that any cuts will come to the console in the UK (insert no giant wink, just a kind of sad sigh).
A spokesperson for Microsoft told CVG "We're very happy with the price we're at, and have no plans to make any changes at this time." That's much more of a denial than "Nothing's changed since last week," like we heard in the states, if you're not among those who speak PR. Hopefully, Microsoft will start winking in the UK closer to the holidays.
One of the contractors responsible for manufacturing CPU's for the Xbox 360 has revealed that it is currently working on a 45-nanometer design, due for release late next year or early in 2009.
A smaller CPU for the Xbox 360 would help reduce manufacturing costs for Microsoft, as well as produce less heat in the console itself.
"We have customers' activity for products in the CPU space that goes into a video game device," said Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing's CEO Chia Song Hwee, reports PC Advisor.
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing has previously produced 90nm and 65nm versions of the Xbox 360 processor.
"As 65nm just started production in the last two quarters, you would expect 45nm to come on stream about 18 months from that timeframe," offered Chia, refering to an expected production timeframe.
Following on from earlier rumours based on scans from pending advertisements that Microsoft were planning to drop the price of the Xbox 360 Premium system in the US, new scans have been published online appearing to show additional price cuts for the Elite and Core systems.
The pictures, taken from pages of an unidentified publication, confirms the Premium pack at the USD 349.99 price point, but adds a USD 30 drop for the Elite, bringing it to USD 449.99 and a USD 20 drop for the Core, to USD 279.99.
However, Microsoft is refusing to add any fuel to the speculation, and told GamesIndustry that “We’re very happy with the price we’re at, and have no plans to make any changes at this time.”
There has been no speculation of any price drops anywhere other than the US at this time.
The days of downtime of the DCEmu Uk Network got a lot of people on IRC searching for news of if we were gone for good. Obviously DCEmu UK will never disapear but a good place to chat and idle is in our chatroom on IRC, sure the forums are the best place to ask questions and get help but the IRC Chan is a place where we have a laugh and most of the time a decent place to be.
Now and again if your lucky and have the hardware you may be asked to beta test releases before they hit the public domain which is always a great homour for any true homebrewer.
Rules for the chatroom are as you would expect on any site chatroom ie we dont discuss warez etc.
So if any of you fancy a chat sometime check out out IRC Chan via JAVA CHAT or on efnet #dcemu is you use an IRC Client.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from nearly two dozen cities executed 32 federal search warrants in 16 states in the past 24 hours as part of a mammoth crackdown on chip modding.
Operation Tangled Web, the result of a year long investigation headed up by the ICE office in Cleveland, is the largest national enforcement action of its kind targeting the sales of modification chips and "disc copyright circumvention devices" in history.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the ESA would name the businesses, homes or storefronts involved in the sweep that took place in California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin today.
The modchips and circumvention devices allowed users to play pirated software on the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii.
"Illicit devices like the ones targeted today are created with one purpose in mind, subverting copyright protections," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "These crimes cost legitimate businesses billions of dollars annually and facilitate multiple other layers of criminality, such as smuggling, software piracy and money laundering."
Newly minted ESA chief Michael D. Gallagher was quick to offer federal kudos:
"Plain and simple, selling and distributing products to illegally bypass game consoles' piracy protections is a crime with real-life consequences. This is not a game; we're talking jail time. Enforcement initiatives of this scope send a clear message to both the public and pirate community that this illegal activity will not be tolerated," said Michael D. Gallagher, president of ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "We commend Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the participating U.S. Attorneys' offices for targeting individuals and groups selling 'mod-chips' and pirated game software."
Now that the threat of terrorism and border safety concerns are a thing of the past we can finally get down to dealing with the real threats to America's borders... dodgy copies of Wii Sports.
In the most recent Mass Effect blog update on IGN, BioWare takes a little time to describe the creation of the game's main villain, Saren. It seems the masses would like to know who Saren is and why he's so deliciously evil. First of all, those truly curious should probably check out the official novel, Mass Effect: Revelation. As for the rest of you, read on. It turns out that Saren is a Spectre -- an elite military unit that can basically do whatever the hell he wants to quell galactic threats -- just like the main character, Commander Shepard. He even spent time with Shepard's mentor, Captain Anderson. As the game wears on, you learn more about Saren and what his motivations are and, as is the case with any good villain, you may actually be able to empathize with him. BioWare assures us, however, that you'll still want to kill him. The blog goes on to detail the creation of Saren's look, which actually began with the creation of the Turian race itself in Mass Effect. It's a good read and definitely worth checking out for Mass Effect fans.
A workmate of mine was searching Ebay last night and told me of a PSP Phone that is Tri Sliding and has a keyboard on one slide out area and joypad/buttons on another.
The phone isnt actually a PSP which is a shame but does come with this list of features:
Dual Band GSM 900/1800Mhz, Sim free, Unlocked for UK, Europe and Australia;
260K Color 2.8" True Color TFT
High Sensitive Touch Screen + Keypad
MP3 Player
MP4 Player: Play Stereo 3GP/MP4 Movies
SMS/MMS/GPRS Function included.
3.0 Mega Pixel Camera
PC Webcam
Video Recording (Camcorder) with Voice Record
USB Disk: The phone will be recognised as Removable Disk (Mass Storage) by the computer,You can paste and copy any files from your computer to the phone.
Bluetooth Support: For Bluetooth earphone.
PSP (Games player)
Photo Viewer
E-Book: TXT format supported, Download from Internet and Read Novel and Story anywhere anytime
Personal Assistant: Phone Book(300 contacts), Calculator, Alarm, Calendar, World Clock, Tasks, Currency Convertor, Sketch, Notes..
Snap, save and send: Communication between mobile devices is made easy with MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). You can a picture, text, voice and even video all at once. Capture those special moments and send them to your loved ones.
Support External t-flash card up to 1GB (512MB TF-Card included)
It plays Nes games via a built in hardware emulator, pretty cool, now if only the big gaming companies could make something packed with so many features.
We're not sure what it's going to take for Microsoft to admit to itself that the cat's out of the bag on this one, but that Xbox 360 price drop "rumor" just got a bit more ammo in the form of a leaked GameStop memo sent out on Tuesday. Apparently the stores are supposed to get some Microsoft signage on August 8th, and if for some reason they get it before that they're not supposed to put it up until the 8th because it's super pinky swear top secret. A trustworthy source has further confirmed with us that a 360 price drop is in the cards, and that prices will match up with that Circuit City catalog from the other day: $450 for the Elite, $350 for the Premium and $280 for the Core. In even better news, we've also gotten further confirmation that the Premium will be adding HDMI out sometime soon, which we wouldn't mind in the slightest.
Heres this weeks list of newly released import games at Play Asia.
Xbox360™:
Dead Rising (Platinum Hits) US US$ 34.90
NASCAR 08 US US$ 59.90
Surf's Up ASIA US$ 44.90
PlayStation3™:
Hard Disk 160GB US$ 279.90
Logicool Cordless Precision Controller JPN US$ 39.90
NASCAR 08 US US$ 64.90
Nintendo Wii™:
Alien Syndrome US US$ 49.90
Escape from Bug Island US US$ 34.90
Forever Blue / Endless Ocean JPN US$ 59.90
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix JPN US$ 59.90
Mario Strikers Charged US US$ 49.90
Remy no Oishii Restaurant / Ratatouille JPN US$ 59.90
PlayStation2™:
Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance (Best Price) JPN US$ 20.90
Capcom vs SNK 2: Millionaire Fighting 2001 (PlayStation2 the Best Reprint) JPN US$ 19.90
J.League Winning Eleven 2007 Club Championship JPN US$ 64.90
NHRA: Countdown to the Championship US US$ 24.90
Remy no Oishii Restaurant / Ratatouille JPN US$ 59.90
Sengoku Musou 2 (PlayStation2 the Best) JPN US$ 39.90
Nintendo DS™:
Deal or No Deal US US$ 34.90
Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle US US$ 34.90
Kikansha Thomas: Kokugo Sansuu Eigo JPN US$ 48.90
Konchuu Wars JPN US$ 48.90
Otona no DS Kao Training JPN US$ 48.90
Pokemon Bag DP US$ 19.90
Pokemon Diamond EUR US$ 49.90
Pokemon Pearl EUR US$ 49.90
Pouch Hello Kitty (pink) US$ 18.90
Pouch Hello Kitty (white) US$ 18.90
Remy no Oishii Restaurant / Ratatouille JPN US$ 48.90
Slide Adventure: Mag Kid JPN US$ 58.90
The Settlers ASIA N/A
Toshokan DS: Meisaku & Suiri & Kaidan & Bungaku JPN US$ 39.90
Wi-Fi Taiou: Gensen Table Game DS JPN US$ 29.90
Zettai Onkan Master JPN US$ 48.90
Sony PSP™:
Alien Syndrome US US$ 39.90
Final Fantasy II US US$ 39.90
Goku Makai-Mura Kai JPN US$ 32.90
Goku Makai-Mura Kai ASIA US$ 29.90
Gundam Battle Royale (PSP the Best) JPN US$ 29.90
Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2 JPN US$ 58.90
Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2 (w/ GPS Receiver) JPN US$ 95.00
SD Gundam G Generation Portable (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 39.90
Tekken Dark Resurrection (English language Version) (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Tekken Dark Resurrection (Japanese language Version) (PSP the Best) ASIA US$ 24.90
Books & Magazines:
Arcadia Magazine [September 2007] JPN US$ 12.90
Famitsu Wave DVD [September 2007] JPN US$ 16.50
Final Fantasy II Official Strategy Guide US US$ 16.90
Video Game related Soundtracks:
Bleach Beat Collection 3rd Session 03 Sousuke Aizen JPN US$ 9.90
Emil Chronicle Online Soundtrack Vol.2 JPN US$ 37.90
Lupin III TV Special Vol.19 Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 23.90
Makoto Kikuchi (The Idolm@ster Master Artist 04) JPN US$ 21.90
Miki Hoshii (The Idolm@ster Master Artist 03) JPN US$ 21.90
Naruto Shippuden The Movie Original Soundtrack JPN US$ 29.90
Launch of Grand Theft Auto IV Now Planned for Fiscal 2008
Take-Two Interactive Software today announced revised revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2007.
Take-Two is reducing its fiscal 2007 guidance primarily to reflect the movement of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008, due to additional development time required to complete the title. The title is now planned for release in the Company's second quarter of fiscal 2008. Additionally, Take-Two is updating third quarter and fiscal year 2007 guidance to reflect the movement of Manhunt 2 for the PS2, PSP, and the Wii out of the third quarter and the fiscal year.
Things are not looking so good for Rockstar/Take-Two....
Sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 have doubled in Japan, with data from Media Create showing that the console has shifted 28,829 units for the week ended July 29, compared to just over 12,000 for the previous week.
Sales of Nintendo's Wii and DS have dropped for the same period, although the consoles continue to record strong numbers with over 77,000 units and 35,000 units, respectively.
The PSP enjoyed a climb in sales also, shifting over 35,000 units compared to 32,00 the week before, and the PlayStation 2 managed almost 12,000 units.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 continue to perform poorly in the region, selling just under 4000 units for the same week period.
This week saw an influx of new software titles for the major formats in the region, with Wii, PS3 and DS games shaking up the top ten.
A total of seven new entries have burst into the Japanese software charts, with Nintendo's Mario Party 8 leading the charge.
The latest title for Nintendo's Wii sold almost 265,000 copies for the week ended July 29.
Sony's PlayStation 3 title Hot Shots Golf 5 is at number two with just over 152,000 units sold, while Namco Bandai's Taiko Drum Master DS sold over 93,000 copies.
Other new entries include Square Enix's It's a Wonderful Life at four, Namco Bandai's Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 at five and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PSP, distributed by Capcom, at six.
The last new entry in the top ten is Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, published in the region by Spike, at number seven.
- Plug and play: No need for the extraction of the drive key from the original firmware of drive on your console. Only install the chip and unsigned firmware will boot
- 8 wires: easy installation with the exclusive easy-connect flexible flat
- USB 2.0 reprogrammable: easy and fast reprogramming of the on-board and original drive flash by USB connection
- Electronic switch: enable or disable the chip and check the status by a LED indicator on the USB
- Dual-firmware mode: the on-board flash has 2 banks to program with 2 different firmware revision selectable and power up
- Firmware drive back-up and upgrade: Access to original flash to backup or upgrade it wit a new firmware for better performance to reading dvd-r DL (ex: you should use on LG/Hitachi the firmware versions. 059 instead of your original 47D or 46D)
- High compatibility: supports all DVD-drive on the market, LG and Samsung (also with new LG 79fk firmware revision)
- Safe and secure: high reliability through Actel cpld technology
Whether you've stripped out some screws or your so-called friend dropped one during an install, fear no more! Your Xbox 360 can be whole again and just as sturdy as before.
Includes a full set of replacement screws for the Xbox 360, including all screws needed for the case, the motherboard, the Power board, and the heat sinks.
6 silver case screws
9 silver motherboard screws
10 black Heat sink and Power Board screws
25 screws total
At long last it’s time for Xbox 360™ owners to feel the benefits of tilt sensation, something of which PS3™ owners have been privileged to since its inception. Moreover, the Nintendo Wii™ is a prime example of just how instrumental interactive controllers can be in providing a highly enjoyable gaming experience. Talismoon is delighted to the release the second generation of its Tiltboard controller, featuring a high quality design which is guaranteed to be even more user friendly than the PS3’s SIXAXIS™ controller.
Talismoon’s Tiltboard sports a unique u-shaped board that puts the two Tiltboard control buttons within easy reach of gamers fingers, with one button conveniently located on either wide of the wireless controller battery pack. This gives gamers the ability to make on the fly tilt adjustments during a game without even stopping. This comes in particularly handy for instances in games when it is necessary to switch between both stick and tilt control.
The Tiltboard is an intelligent piece of kit and comes pre-loaded with TiltTune ™ technology which is the most user friendly firmware available for such a device. Gamers have the option to adjust the tilt sensitivity, adjust the 0 degree in order to hold the controller at the most comfortable angle, invert the Y axis and turn the tilt function on and off. Everything required to enjoy the latest sensation in console gaming on Xbox 360™ comes in a convenient package and requires only seven wires to solder.
-Custom Fit Design
-2 multifunction buttons within easy reach
-Requires soldering 7 wires
-'Best practice' install method eliminates control loss as controller battery life weakens
-Persistent memory keeps your TiltTune settings even if there is no power to your controller.
-The new tiltBoard comes preloaded with tiltTune technology (TM), the most user friendly firmware available, including:
1) Adjust tilt sensitivity
2) Adjust the 0 degree so that you can hold the controller at whatever angle is natural for you
3) Invert the Y axis (independently for either the stick or the tilt)
4) Turn the tilt on and off (switch between stick and tilt)
Following the news of federal agents raiding businesses/homes, Consoletech.net has uploaded scans of the FBI search warrant for a premises that was searched as part of a crack down on mod chips. They go so far as to also take pictures of the premise and provide a detail description of the location. They seize all videogame items and computers to find any modchips and games on the computer.
A host of ageing EA titles will no longer be playable online after September this year, as the player base for those games diminishes.
From September 1 a total of 14 games across multiple platforms, some including the Xbox 360, will see their servers shut down, with another two titles following suit on November 1.
While the majority of those games (listed below) are 2006 franchise titles on the less popular PlayStation 2 or Xbox online platforms, this is the first time that some EA Xbox 360 games are included.
FIFA Soccer 06, Madden NFL 06, NBA Live 06 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 will revert to offline multiplayer only, although all of those franchises are scheduled to release their 2008 editions either just before September 1, or within several weeks.
Id Software made an announcement at QuakeCon confirming that Quake Arena is being developed for the Xbox Live Arcade.
The company also formally announced Quake Arena Arcade for Xbox 360. Set to be available via the console's online Xbox Live Arcade, it is being developed by Pi Studios and id.
Xcene Table Soccer is a game coded by TimeScratchers and has been released to the Assembyl 2007 Game-Development-Competition. Requires XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express to be installed and Xbox gamepads to play.
JetOut is a simple futuristic racing game where the goal is simply to drive through the track as fast as possible. You can drive against time in single player mode or race against your frind in split screen. Remember to use lots of boost Requires XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express to be installed.
Mad Stick is a fast paced arcade ice hockey game for 1-4 players on the same screen. The game has been designed for Xbox360 controllers, but supports keyboard input for one player. Requires XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express to be installed and Xbox gamepads to play.
Waboga is a board game with simple rules. Move your button to the opposite side before your opponent does the same. On each turn, you can either move a button one square or place a wall. Use the walls to hinder the other players progress and speed your own up. 2-4 players. Requires XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio Express to be installed.
The new Xbox 360 shipments are coming in for next week's super-ultra-secret price drop weekend. And what we originally thought was just a deal of purchasing an Xbox 360 and getting Table Tennis for free at Circuit City appears to be a little bit deeper. Turns out the game is actually bundled in the packaging and not just an add on.
We've contacted our Best Buy and GameStop sources to see if their new shipments come with the game inside as well. We also don't know if this has anything to do with Best Buy's Top Spin bundle. Hopefully we'll get some answers starting Wednesday (or maybe a little earlier) when the GameStop materials regarding the big Microsoft announcement start showing up in stores. We can't help but wonder if this is the Microsoft answer to Wii Sports being packaged in the Wii. Oh well, consumers get a free game with the system and that's not a bad thing at all.
HMV is now taking pre-orders for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Metal Gear Solid. But the 360 version isn't due until five months later...
Here we go again. The latest 'MGS4-going-multi-platform' rumour is interesting for two reasons. Mega entertainment retailer HMV is taking pre-orders for the 360 version right now and the firm even dates both version of the game.
Metal Gear Solid 4 will apparently be available from April 18, 2008 on PlayStation 3 only according to the listing. Then, just over five months later, the Xbox 360 will be blessed with Solid Snake's presence on September 26 (one year exactly after the launch of Halo 3, trivia fans).
Pre-order the 360 version of MGS4 here. But for a limited time only we reckon. It'll come down as soon as word gets out, which is already has.
Alien Syndrome (Wii, PSP)
After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP)
Beijing 2008: the Official Videogame of the Olympic Games (PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC) ChuChu Rocket! (XBLA, PC)
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (PSP) Fighters Megamix 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Ghost Squad (Wii)
Happy Tree Friends False Alarm (XBLA, PC) Jet Set Radio Next (Xbox 360, PS3)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms Visit (PC)
Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) Samba De Amigo Fever (PSP) Sega Classics Collection 2 (PS2,PSP)
Sega Rally Revo (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, PC) Sega Superstar 2 (Wii) Shenmue 3 (Xbox 360) Shenmue I & II Plus (Xbox 360) Skies of Arcadia 2 (Wii)
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
Sonic the RPG (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Part 3 (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Showtime (Wii, DS, PSP)
The Club (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
The Golden Compass (PS2, PC, DS, Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, Wii)
The House of the Dead 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360, PC)
Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360, PS3) Virtua Fighter Kids 2 (Wii)
Worldwide Soccer Manager Live (Xbox 360, PC) Yakuza 3 (PS3)
Nintendo's latest Pokemon titles are the best-selling games in Spain for the week ended July 29, according to data from Media Control GfK International.
Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are at number one and two respectively, with another DS title, More Brain Training with Dr Kawashima at number three.
Continuing the brain training theme at number four is Big Brain Academy for the Wii, while Konami's Platinum release of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on PS2 is at number five.
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training is at number six, with Wii Play at seven and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 Platinum for the PSP at number eight.
The bundle of Sony's SingStar Pop Hits with two microphones is at nine in the region, with EA's Platinum release of FIFA 07 at ten.
Games for Nintendo's DS and Wii are dominating the top ten in Germany, with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl sitting at number one and two in the charts.
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima's and the original Dr Kawashima's Brain Training are at three and four, respectively, with Eidos' DS title Pony Friends at number five.
The only non-Nintendo title in the top ten is 2K Games' Sid Meier's Civilisation IV: Beyond the Sword at six.
Ubisoft's The Settlers for DS is number seven, with Mario Party 8 for the Wii at eight, the DS version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at nine and Animal Crossing: Wild World at ten.
This Xbox LIVE Arcade Wednesday, gamers can log virtual track time and exercise their fingers and thumbs with the highly anticipated “Track & Field” from Konami. Originally released in 1983, Track & Field was an arcade smash. The updated version for Xbox LIVE Arcade features the same button mashing game mechanic as the original, and now allows for up to four player multiplayer competition on one Xbox 360 or over Xbox LIVE. Clocking in at 400 Microsoft Points, “Track & Field” will be available to download on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday 8th August beginning at 09:00 GMT.
Other hot games also releasing in August include:
· “Ecco the Dolphin”
· “Hexic 2”
· “War World” .
Then later:
· “Geon: Emotions”
· “Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords”
· “Space Giraffe”
· “Streets of Rage 2”
· “Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix”.
High Street retailer HMV has admitted a pre-order listing for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the Xbox 360 was a mistake by its online admin team.
The listing caused a stir over the weekend, with websites and forums assuming it was evidence that the anticipated PlayStation 3 title was no longer a Sony exclusive.
"In his enthusiasm, one of our online games team indicated that hmv.co.uk would start taking pre-orders for MGS4 on Xbox 360, when, in fact, he simply meant to ask customers if they wished to receive an alert in the event of this title one day coming out on this platform," admitted the retailer to GamesIndustry.biz
"We're sorry to have caused such a stir - the oversight has now been corrected."
Although Konami maintains that the latest title in the Metal Gear franchise is a PlayStation 3 exclusive, numerous reports and rumours - some from Konami employees themselves - have hinted that it may not remain on a single format in the future.
Microsoft has responded to an experts' evaluation of the Xbox 360's heat problems, in which a major design flaw is claimed.
The evaluation, carried out by Japanese news source Nikkei, had a thermo design expert analyze the 360's heat radiation system. The test found that a flaw in Xbox 360's design means that it could achieve temperatures of over 100 degrees in the summer (that's hot enough to make a cup of tea).
The expert pointed out that, "the heat sink on the graphics LSI is so small, I wonder if it can really cool down the board." Apparently, Microsoft downsized the graphics LSI heat sink so that the DVD drive could be placed on top.
Worryingly, as well as a launch console Nikkei also tested a machine repaired in May 2007, and the heat sink was still the same downsized unit.
Responding to the report, a Microsoft spokesperson told CVG, "There is no single root cause or systemic issue with any of the Xbox 360 consoles."
With such a complex consumer electronic product that contains more than 1700 different components and 500 million transistors, there are obviously many things that can malfunction at any given time. The vast majority of customers who own Xbox 360 consoles continue to have a terrific experience. "As Microsoft didn't participate in the test, we cannot comment on any findings."
It'll be interesting to see if PS3s then, which also have plenty of transistors and technical innards, start breaking down in the same quantity as Xbox 360s. In the meantime, we're keeping an extra fan on our consoles until the autumn arrives.
The latest entry in the free-roaming blast-em-genre has been revealed in the pages of UK Official Xbox Magazine.
Dubbed Prototype, and from Scarface dev Radical, it'll put you in the demented shoes of Alex Mercer, a genetically engineered hoody who can, among other things, slash baddies in half and climb up the side of skyscrapers.
Put him in the middle of a bustling New York (we're already debating in the office whether it's prettier than GTA IV's Liberty City) where a human-mutating virus has caused a battle between mutants and the military, and you've got something that's a bit like Crackdown meets The Darkness.
Vivendi is wheeling out the "living, breathing world" line for Prototype's version of New York, although we have to say the amount of NPCs visible in the screenshots is ridiculous.
If they can actually manage to put some decent AI on Prototype's pedestrians, it'll at least be very impressive technologically.
Alex's big bag of tricks include super-human strength, the ability to cover himself in scale-like shields and the ability to send matter through the ground, impaling baddies on giant spikes.
He can also shape shift into the identity of his victims, which OXM notes can be used to take the guise of an army officer and call in air strikes.
It's still a ways off (it's currently penned for winter 2008), but if Radical can emulate the freedom and outright fun factor of Crackdown, it could be on for a winner.
We're sure last week's 300 HD DVD visual feast is still holding your attention with its pretty visuals, manly grunts and overall awesomeness. But, it's a new week and that means we have a few new HD DVDs available for purchase, brand new releases at that. This week there are two simultaneous DVD/HD DVD movies coming out with both Disturbia and TMNT hitting retailers tomorrow. And all we can say is that ninja trained turtles and Shia LaBeouf's acting chops both rock!
Run along now and enjoy all the new HD DVD content that has been released these past few weeks. Trust us, your eyes will thank you.
Last week we had the storys of stores and homes being targeted by USA authorities but now something more of a concern for the Homebrew and Hacking Scene, Tehskeen website which has a wealth of information about Gamecube and Nintendo Wii Hacking and Homebrew and Modding has today shut it doors with a RIP sign on the website.
Speaking to Brakken he claimed outside pressures but with the actions taken last week its pretty obvious that the site has been taken down by a mixture of legal threats both to him and his hosts.
DCEmu UK would like to offer any Homebrew and Emulation coders for the Wii and Gamecube a home at our network. Hopefully tehskeen will arise somehow but its a concerning moment for any Hacking Site/ Community.
The last week the world of modchips has took a massive beating and lets be fair anyone selling pirated discs and consoles chipped along with pirated discs is themselves to blame, but in a world with Global Terrorism so high on the agenda and so many other worrying global events like Global Warming its staggering that worldwide authorities are so devoted against modchips. Piracy does ruin consoles and the global games market but wouldnt it be better to actually join forces and fight the real evils of this world, heres the newspost of a massive raid in the UK from Next gen:
The discovery of chipped Wii and Xbox 360 consoles at a residential property was made after officers first raided a tradesman’s stall at a Halifax market. When his residence was later searched, West Yorkshire Police unearthed a staggering 246 Wii and 168 Xbox 360 consoles.
Also included in the haul were 19 PSPs, 12 DS Lites, 6 PlayStation 2s and 6 PlayStation 3s, along with other pirating material such as computers used for the duplication of copied discs, illegal chips, 300-400 copied games discs, and £5,000 in cash.
The original operation at the market also resulted in the seizure of over 5000 illegal discs with a retail value of over £50,000.
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and one of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s closest allies, remarked that the operation, codenamed Poseidon, highlighted an excellent use of government funding in the fight against video games copyright crime.
All seized consoles have now been sent to ELSPA’s (Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) Anti-Piracy Unit (APU) for forensic examination.
“I congratulate West Yorkshire Trading Standards and west Yorkshire Police for what stands as a landmark seizure of chipped consoles and illegally copied discs. The scale of the operation and the removal of counterfeit material from the market place will have an immediate impact on local businesses in the area,” said Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA.
“Copyright crime is driven by greed and causes a loss of millions of pounds to retailers of West Yorkshire and to members of the music and entertainment industry every year,” said Graham Hebblethwaite, chief officer of West Yorkshire Trading Standard.
“The haul of items from this operation should send out a clear warning to individuals involved in the illegal copyright industry that they will dealt with severely. This sort of crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment,” he added.
The world is full of double standards and soft targets it seems.
We've seen some pretty wild Wiimote mods in our day, but this control rig for the Xbox 360 definitely springs into the upper echelons of Wii-hackdom. This particular DIY effort involves a rather varied list of components, including a Wiimote and Nunchuk (obviously), an Xbox 360, a PC (in this case the Samsung Q1), a MagicBox XFPS, custom drivers, and a "black box" consisting of a hard coded microcontroller and spliced PS2 cable. Just a few things to get the job done. And the end result? A fully compatible, reticule-smoothing, Halo 2-ready Wii control system for your Microsoft gaming rig.
Microsoft has finally announced an expected price cut on the Xbox 360, slashing USD 50 of the recommended retail price in the US.
The Premium model will now carry a retail price of USD 349.99, the Core unit will sell for USD 279.99 and the recently launched Elite model will be priced at USD 449.99, effective August 8.
"The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president of Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group for Microsoft.
"On the eve of the best holiday games line-up ever and the launch of Madden NFL 08, there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360."
The company has also announced that the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console will sell for USD 399.99 and launch in September, complete with green and gold branding, 20GB hard-drive, wireless headset and Play and Charge Kit.
Man, going through the airport security process is such a hassle these days. Remove all the metal from your pockets ... take off your shoes ... present your game consoles for inspection. Wait, what was that last one?
Yes, as of Saturday new TSA rules require travelers carrying "full-size electronics," including game consoles, to remove them from carry-on bags for a separate X-ray screening. Portable game systems and other small electronics can stay inside your luggage.
TSA spokesperson Jennifer Peppin told The Seattle Times that consoles were being given the same treatment as laptops and video cameras because "these types of devices can resemble components that could be used in explosives." What, and smaller electronics can't? Peppin also told ShackNews that the consoles would not be subject to explosive swab testing or other security measures besides the separate X-ray screening. So don't worry about the residue from that firecracker tying up your flight plans, we suppose.
Following the super-secret price drop on the Xbox 360 in the States, all eyes turned to Europe as they asked, "Me too?" Nooooooooo, not you too! Well, at least not right now. GI.biz reports that a spokesperson for Microsoft UK said that the announcement was for the US and they "have not announced any pricing changes in Europe."
Oh, buck up Europe. Sony did the same thing last month when they gave the US a price drop too. There is the possibility that Microsoft is saving their announcement for Leipzig, which is only in a couple weeks. Who knows what will be trotted out for Europe, perhaps they'll get a "starter pack" at the console's current price with some added value.
The Hong Kong Anicom / Gamefair is a relatively small comic, collectible and video game fair compared to international events. But as Hong Kong people are crazy about games and anime, the show attracts about half a million visitors every year and the exhibition hall is incredibly crowded from the first to the last hour of the 5-day event.
One of the biggest attraction of the show (besides the Samsung Game Girl Contest), is the World Cyber Games Hong Kong Preliminary, traditionally held on the Samsung booth.
This year the Hong Kong Preliminary featured competitions for six different games, offering the chance to qualify for the WCG Asian Championship in Singapore and the WCG main event in Dallas.
XNASharpNES is a NES Emulator for Xbox 360 using XNA. This is a Pre-Release because the authors need to finish a newer version that may support sound and even more games.
Done So Far:
* Basic Emulation (thanks XNAsharpNES)
* More roms Supported(thanks psp's nesterj)
* Menu
* Main Menu Sound
* Layout
* Runs At 100%
To-Do:
* Option To Play with Keyboard Or X360 Gamepad
* Better Sounding Sound
* Port To Xbox 360 Using 2 Cpu's Instead of 1
* Custimizeable Xbox360 Gamepad Controlls
Some fairly depressing rumors are declaring that Shenmue, that sailor-loving Sega franchise, is all but dead and buried. As recently as last year, series creator Yu Suzuki confirmed the development of Shenmue Online, but legal issues between Sega and developer JC Entertainment stalled the game's development.
A post over at Shenmue Dojo, which quotes an email from Kikizo's Adam Doree, bodes ill for the future of both Shenmue Online and Shenmue 3:
"As for Shenmue, I would have to say at this stage, it is worth forgetting about. If all the fans get any rich relatives together and channel it though Dojo perhaps we could buy rights, hire Suzuki (he'd likely say yes) and independently make the game under license from Sega at no risk to them. That is the only way it will get made at this stage I think."
If that's not quite declarative enough for you, Doree also says "Shenmue Online is f***ed and Suzuki's status is, once again, up in the air, which counts Shenmue III totally out of the picture right now. This is confirmed, it seems."
While we can hope that Doree has no clue what he's talking about, it's sadly more likely that he's absolutely correct. We'll probably never see the conclusion of Ryo Hazuki's story, or see the comeuppance of the evil Lan Di. Sigh.
TheTriforce.com has announced the launch of The Unofficial Official Sensible Soccer World Cup, in which the game’s current World Champion Simon Byron will defend his title for the very first time.
31 challengers are being sought to contend the first ever Xbox Live Unofficial Official Sensible Soccer World Cup, with representatives from the best gaming websites and blogs the world over contesting this, the ultimate videogame accolade.
The last Sensible World of Soccer World Cup was held by then-publisher Renegade Software in the City Pride Pub, back in 1994 when Simon Byron beat off stiff competition from a bunch of videogame luminaries. As this was the last time the World Cup was held officially, Simon’s reign as Champion has lasted for 13 glorious years, during which time he’s enjoyed intercourse with a number of impressionable videogame groupies.
But with the impending release of Sensible Soccer on Xbox Live Arcade, it’s time to lay this on the line, along with the women.
32 players from around the world are being sought. With Simon Byron’s place as current Champion guaranteed, and one spot being given to a Triforce.com user, and a One Life Left listener, that leaves 29 places up for grabs.
This is the first time that the Official World Championship title has been offered in 13 years. If you want to bag a place for your website or publication, please apply stating why you think your idiotic readers are good enough to face the very best Sensible Soccer player the world has ever seen, do drop us a line.
The Official Thread of the Unofficial Official Sensible Soccer World Cup can be found here. If you’re an ordinary member of the public who would like to take part, let us know why you think you’re up to the challenge.
update
Update: The Challengers as they stand:
1. Simon Byron (current World Champion)
2. TheTriforce.com
3. One Life Left
4. Spong.com
5. 360 Gamer
6. XFM Breakfast Show
7. Xbox 360 Leagues.net
8. MCV
9. re:Loaded
10. Eurogamer.net 11. Xbox360.dcemu.co.uk
12. Gamespot
yes, we will be wanting someone from dcemu to represent us in the tournament, if you interest post in the comments
PeterM a respected coder in the PSP scene has today posted news on our Wii-News site that the latest system update for the Nintendo Wii has stopped the SD Media Launcher from working.
Though Ars Technica is quick to label this a rumor, what they heard from an "inside source" sounds awfully similar to what Engadget's otherwise reliable tipster told them last March, though a bit more specific. Ars says, "a new version of the Core and Premium [Xbox 360] hardware in late August or September ... will include an HDMI port." Microsoft has never said that the Elite would be alone in having an HDMI port – in fact, the Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 will come packed with an HDMI port this September though, notably, no HDMI cable.
Of course, it's presumed that this hardware revision would also include the 65nm chips we've all been waiting for, as well as quieter DVD drives (quieter than the BenQ VAD6038?). But how will prospective purchasers discern which retail box includes the new hardware? There will apparently be a small "call out" on the packaging so savvy buyers can take their pick and casual shoppers can drain the existing inventory. C'est la vie.
Following yesterday's news that Microsoft slashed the price points of all of its Xbox 360 consoles in the US, there's more good news for North American consumers in the form of a cut in Canada as well.
The new pricing structure is fairly straightforward, with the Elite now costing CAD 499.99, the Premium weighing in at CAD 399.99 and the Core dropping to CAD 299.99, and it's been timed to coincide with the launch of the latest EA Madden title.
The Halo 3 Xbox 360 will retail in the region for CAD 449.99 and will hit the shelves there in September.
This move will add further weight to the calls from fans for a price drop in Europe, despite Microsoft's continued insistence that no move is planned.
A demo for Stranglehold is now available to download from Xbox Live, weighing in at a hefty 1.28 GB.
It gives you the chance to jump into the boots of tough-nut cop Tequila, and blast your way through a marketplace area as you take down the baddies - destroying absolutely everything as go.
Midway hopes the cinematic gunfight will give you a juicy mouthful of what the Hong Kong-inspired shooter is all about.
The game is based around John Woo film Hard Boiled, and both he and actor Chow Yun-Fat have leant their considerable talent to the project - estimated to be one of the most costly projects around at USD 30 million.
The game is due out on 7th September on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
German ratings board USK has spilled the beans on a Warhammer: Mark of Chaos port for Xbox 360.
The listing was produced to cover a demo supposedly on show at Games Convention 2007 in Leipzig, which takes place between 23rd - 28th August.
Koch Media is said to be the publisher, but was unavailable to comment at time of writing.
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is a real-time strategy title based around the popular Games Workship franchise. It was developed by Black Hole Entertainment for PC and released last November to middle of the road reviews.
Put simply, RTS fans have better titles to pick from on the PC, although die-hard Warhammer followers will find it to be the best recreation of the tabletop game to date.
Developer NinjaBee has announced it's working on an expansion pack to popular XBLA title, Band of Bugs.
Dubbed Red Kingdom, it will shift the focus of the turn-based strategical action down into the Southern Kingdom, and will let you control new main characters with nifty abilities. You'll also be able to take them to a higher level than before, control two new troop types - artillery and cavalry - and earn more achievements. Thank God.
Red Kingdom will be playable in single-player or co-operatively, as well as in multiplayer battles with your friends on Live. The level editor has been spruced up, too, with added desert tile sets and new items - like stone huts, rock formations, and all sorts of things insects normally crawl out from under.
And in an effort to promote its hard work, NinjaBee is running a design-a-level competition. Just post some screenshots and a description of your creation over on the official forums, and regulars cast their votes on it - whittling the entire list down to three entries. From there, responsibility is passed over to NinjaBee staff, who will pick an overall winner and dish 4,000 Microsot points out to them, along with a t-shirt.
Band of Bugs was released in June on Live Arcade, and challenges you
but a good place to chat and idle is in our chatroom on IRC, sure the forums are the best place to ask questions and get help but the IRC Chan is a place where we have a laugh and most of the time a decent place to be.
