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PSP News is a News and downloads site for the PSP, PSVita, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSOne, We have all the latest emulators, hack and custom firmwares, homebrew and all the downloads on this site, we also cover commercial gaming and console news., the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
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November 21st, 2006, 19:33 Posted By: wraggster
Sony Corp. may have missed its goal of having 400,000 PlayStation 3 consoles in U.S. stores for the video-game player's Nov. 17 debut, analysts said.
The number of machines available was ``even lower than expected,'' Kaufman Bros. Equity Research analyst Todd Mitchell said today in a research note. Analysts including Michael Savner at Banc of America Securities and Anthony Gikas at Piper Jaffray & Co. also predicted a shortfall.
Limited supplies haven't satisfied demand for PlayStation 3, leading some customers who obtained consoles to sell them on the Internet at markups of several times to their retail price. Parts shortages forced Sony to reduce its year-end goal for worldwide shipments of the new console by half, to 2 million, in September.
``We shipped as many PlayStation 3 units into the North American market as possible and continue our efforts in supplying systems to retailers nationwide through the holidays,'' Sony spokeswoman Kimberly Otzman said today in an e-mail.
The company is airlifting in shipments weekly, and aims to have 1 million units in U.S. stores by the end of the year, Otzman said. She didn't say how many shipments were on hand for the launch.
American depositary receipts of Tokyo-based Sony fell 67 cents to $40.12 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Each ADR is worth one ordinary share. They have declined 1.7 percent this year.
Tokyo-based Sony has struggled to assemble the consoles due to a shortage of a laser used in its Blu-ray DVD player.
Short supplies of the consoles led customers to line up for days outside stores across the U.S. Some people who purchased the $499 and $599 machines sold them on Web sites such as Ebay.com for as much as $5,000.
Lines, Markups
More than half the 150 stores checked by Kaufman Bros. said they wouldn't have enough units to cover preorders, according to a Nov. 16 research note by retail analyst SooAnn Roberts. She predicts Sony will ship no more than 200,000 units to the U.S. this year.
Savner said in a Nov. 7 report that Sony would miss its target. Gikas said in a Nov. 16 note that he expected 200,000 PlayStation 3s available at the U.S. launch and 400,000 by year- end.
Toys ``R'' Us Inc., the second-largest U.S. toy seller, expects more PlayStation 3 machines to arrive next week, spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said in an interview. She said the company received enough PlayStation 3s at launch to cover preorders.
``They gave us allocations for the holiday season last week,'' Waugh said. ``We wish we could have gotten more.''
Nintendo Co.'s Wii, which was introduced in the U.S. on Nov. 19, ``is doing phenomenally,'' Waugh said. The Wayne, New Jersey-based company's Times Square store sold more than 2,000 units in a few hours, she said.
Wii is sold out in some stores, although the company expects to be ``in great stock through the holiday season,'' Waugh said. The Wii appeals to Toys ``R'' Us core customers of families and children, she said.
Customers who want a PlayStation 3 will probably wait and buy more games for their PlayStation 2, Mitchell said in an interview.
``If there is a substitution, it would be more for the Xbox 360,'' Mitchell said. ``Demand for PS3 is from hard-core gamers, who wouldn't opt for a Wii. It's not an alternative to PS3.''
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November 21st, 2006, 19:28 Posted By: wraggster
News via Kotaku
Man, I sure hope Sony does something to fix Remote Play because as it stands it's nothing more than an interesting odditiy.
All it does now is let you play music, videos and pictures that are stored on your Playstation 3's harddrive. While you can also browse around a mirror image of the PS3 Menu, which is a copy of the PSP Menu, you can't do much else. You can use the PS3's Internet browser, instead of the PSP's, you can read and send messages through the PSP, but in general it seems sorta worthless.
Initially, I thought the music playback was choppy, but after testing it a few times I realized that playback was choppy for the first few seconds, but quickly smooths out. The single neat thing about Remote Play is that while listening to music stored on your PS3 your PSP also gets treated to the mellow visualizer, which is kinda neat.
In theory, you are supposed to be able to play games you purchased at the online Playstation store on your PSP, but the directions are pretty damn confusing. There's nothing that tells you, for instance, which games you can or cannot play from the store. So my assumption is that all of them are playable on the PSP, though I suspect I'm wrong.
I'm in the process now of downloading Cash Guns Chaos to my PSP. That's right, you have to download the damn thing, you can't just copy it from your PS3 to your PSP's memory card. That right there is genius design. This will be the third time I download this eternally slow 326 MB file from the store.
I'll do a post when I get it on my system and working, probably in a year since the download is still stuck at zero after ten minutes.
Even if I did like the PS3 access granted to the PSP, it still would have issues. For instance, you have to leave your PS3 both on and in Remote Play mode to be able to use Remote Play on your PSP. And, worse still, right now it only works within your home.
Pretty worthless all around.
Any agree or disagree ?
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November 21st, 2006, 19:28 Posted By: wraggster
News via Kotaku
Man, I sure hope Sony does something to fix Remote Play because as it stands it's nothing more than an interesting odditiy.
All it does now is let you play music, videos and pictures that are stored on your Playstation 3's harddrive. While you can also browse around a mirror image of the PS3 Menu, which is a copy of the PSP Menu, you can't do much else. You can use the PS3's Internet browser, instead of the PSP's, you can read and send messages through the PSP, but in general it seems sorta worthless.
Initially, I thought the music playback was choppy, but after testing it a few times I realized that playback was choppy for the first few seconds, but quickly smooths out. The single neat thing about Remote Play is that while listening to music stored on your PS3 your PSP also gets treated to the mellow visualizer, which is kinda neat.
In theory, you are supposed to be able to play games you purchased at the online Playstation store on your PSP, but the directions are pretty damn confusing. There's nothing that tells you, for instance, which games you can or cannot play from the store. So my assumption is that all of them are playable on the PSP, though I suspect I'm wrong.
I'm in the process now of downloading Cash Guns Chaos to my PSP. That's right, you have to download the damn thing, you can't just copy it from your PS3 to your PSP's memory card. That right there is genius design. This will be the third time I download this eternally slow 326 MB file from the store.
I'll do a post when I get it on my system and working, probably in a year since the download is still stuck at zero after ten minutes.
Even if I did like the PS3 access granted to the PSP, it still would have issues. For instance, you have to leave your PS3 both on and in Remote Play mode to be able to use Remote Play on your PSP. And, worse still, right now it only works within your home.
Pretty worthless all around.
Any agree or disagree ?
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November 21st, 2006, 19:23 Posted By: wraggster
Via Kotaku
These are not meant to be, in anyway, complete reviews of the games, just quick impressions for each. I grade games from A to F. There is no A+ or F-. As a baseline for 360 owners, I just gave Gears of War an A-.
PS3
Blast Factor (C+): Retro shooter with an interesting twist, but not enough to be original.
Cash Gun Chaos (C): Fun little title, probably not worth $10, but still worth playing.
Dark Kingdom (D+): Role-Playing game with sub-par next-gen graphics and crappy controls.
Genji: Days of the Blade (C+): Button masher with impressive graphics and camera issues.
Gundam Crossfire (B): Fun, quasi-technical mech fighter with a steep learning curve and insane difficulty.
Madden 07: (C+): Madden 07, just with a tad better graphics and mostly useless motion controls.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (B-): Addictive slug-fest with amazing character choices.
NBA 07 (B+): Fast-paced, graphically impressive baller.
Need for Speed Carbon (C): Unimpressive graphics, generic racing.
Resistance: Fall of Man: (A-) Addictive, though not entirely original shooter with decent single player campaign and amazing online play.
Ridge Racer 7 (B-): Amazing arcade racer with intuitive controls and impressive graphics.
Tony Hawk's Project 8: (C-): Annoying controls, more of the same.
Wii
Excite Truck (B): Fun in short bursts, but not deep enough to be a mainstay.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (C-): Annoying, derivative crap with a new control mechanism.
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess (B): Another Zelda adventure with a few neat twists and interesting controls.
Trauma Center: Second Opinion (B): Nice port of the DS title, though a little too similar to the portable version of the game to be worthwhile for those who have played it.
Wii Sports (B-): One step above mini-games, fun, but more toy than game.
I'll make sure to add quickie grades as I play through more games.
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November 21st, 2006, 19:20 Posted By: wraggster
Newsnight in the UK a current affairs TV program have covered the releases of the Wii and PS3.
Check out the Video on youtube -->
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November 21st, 2006, 19:11 Posted By: wraggster
Via eurogamer
With the PSP now capable of playing old-days PlayStation games downloaded using the PS3, Sony has announced when it's, you know, going to release some to download.
It's going to happen tomorrow, apparently, with various titles set to go on sale from the "Game Archives" area of the Japanese store for 525 yen (GBP 2.35 / EUR 3.50) each.
Initially PS3 owners will be able to nab Resident Evil Director's Cut, two volumes of Konami's Antiques MSX Collection, Bishi Bashi Special, Arc the Lad, Jumping Flash, Hot Shots Golf 2, Silent Bomber and Tekken 2.
Buyers will then be able to play these titles on PSP. Sony has said it will release an upgrade that allows for them to be played on the PS3 itself in 2007.
Sony's expected to sort out details of American releases in the very near future.
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November 21st, 2006, 19:11 Posted By: wraggster
Via eurogamer
With the PSP now capable of playing old-days PlayStation games downloaded using the PS3, Sony has announced when it's, you know, going to release some to download.
It's going to happen tomorrow, apparently, with various titles set to go on sale from the "Game Archives" area of the Japanese store for 525 yen (GBP 2.35 / EUR 3.50) each.
Initially PS3 owners will be able to nab Resident Evil Director's Cut, two volumes of Konami's Antiques MSX Collection, Bishi Bashi Special, Arc the Lad, Jumping Flash, Hot Shots Golf 2, Silent Bomber and Tekken 2.
Buyers will then be able to play these titles on PSP. Sony has said it will release an upgrade that allows for them to be played on the PS3 itself in 2007.
Sony's expected to sort out details of American releases in the very near future.
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November 21st, 2006, 17:40 Posted By: wraggster
To help others it might be a good time to say which PS3 game impresses you most and why ?
Any answers via comments
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November 21st, 2006, 17:23 Posted By: wraggster
Players can hook the PS3 up to a broadband internet connection download a content to their built-in HD drives and surf the web - and this is what it looks like.
These English-language screens show the PlayStation Store, where users will go to buy and download games and game content, demos, HD film trailers and PSone games (to play on the PSP), all neatly separated by tabs.
You can also see the multi-page-viewing functionality of the PS3's web browser, with five windows open at once in smaller tabs on the screen.
Like Nintendo's online services, users can sign up to the PlayStation network and use its features, including online gaming, for free.
Screens Via Comments
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November 21st, 2006, 17:15 Posted By: wraggster
If Sony and Ken Kutaragi hadn't been wrapped up in finalising business terms for independent publishers on PS3, Sony's next-gen system would have a lot more third-party exclusives according to a Newsweek blog.
Titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed could have been coming to PS3 first, but, "neither company's top executives could get an answer from Kutaragi. PlayStation's Japanese headquarters was effectively radio silent, and without Kutaragi's signoff, the normally independent American and European branches had no authority to reach agreements on the exclusives they believed could be valuable to the PS3 cause," says the report.
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November 21st, 2006, 13:00 Posted By: Darksaviour69
Developer fears publishers may begin to abandon format
Karl Jeffery, CEO of developer Climax has told GamesIndustry.biz that Sony must act to reverse poor performance of the PSP before publishers begin to abandon the format.
The out-spoken development boss, who's company has recently released a new ATV Offroad Fury title for the system, is concerned that the Nintendo DS is trouncing the PlayStation Portable, while Sony is doing little to support its own handheld.
"To be honest and frank about it we worry about the future of the PSP," said Jeffery.
"In terms of sales of the actual units, it's not doing so great. The DS is going gangbusters, the sales volumes are going up exponentially. But the PSP worrys us, because we're sitting here thinking about what Sony is going to do to get the platform back on track and we're not hearing much from them."
Jeffery believes there are two ways to reinvigorate the format – redesign the handheld to create a more ergonomically appealing unit, and develop a serious digital download content strategy.
"Personally, I love it as a platform to develop for, it's very powerful and it's a great machine. But it's a big bit of kit to lug around and the battery life's not great. Perhaps they could bring out a 'PSP Lite' or something along those lines," said Jeffery.
"Another thing that would be smart is to get into a downloadable games model, which Sony hasn't really done yet. There's wi-fi possibilities and memory stick features that could be used - we can see where Sony could take the platform to re-energise it, but it's very disappointing at the moment when you look at the installed base and the sales of the games that are out there - it's not a compelling prospect for many publishers."
When asked whether he thought publishers may begin to abandon the format, Jeffery replied: "That's my instinct, yes. Maybe Sony has got something planned, but at the moment it's very worrying. It's probably the platform we're most worried about."
Gamesindustry.com
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November 21st, 2006, 11:34 Posted By: TCLCloud
Via PSP117
Been working on the portal as always, and got a few major updates to report. Firstly, I am working on direct demo links in the portal, and hopefully that should be working soon, but it will take a while do do each one, so dont expect anything today. Also the game save links have been fixed for the next version. The next version will be version 2. And hopefully there will be 2 versions, a white version and a black version, for the diffferent PSPs and tastes. Have a look at the new homepage style-
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November 21st, 2006, 07:41 Posted By: wraggster
New release of the Media Manager from Xeno
Heres whats new:
+ Complete rewrite of DB code. Can now handle larger amounts of items quickly
+ Added support for Homebrew (1.0 and 1.5 formats) and Demos
+ Added Save Game Manager
+ Added support for .RAR files
+ When adding a video to the DB, Glyph now reads the movie title from the file itself, insead of just reading the name.
+ Added dialog showing erronous files ( path does not exist / already in transfer list / coud not tranfer etc.) when manipulating files
+ Music tags (Artist, Album, etc.) are now editable from the main window.
+ Added a "predicted" space bar on the PSP data window, to show how much memory the items on the sync list will take up.
+ Added a logging function, for debugging purposes
@ Size of groups is now stored in the DB, and not calculated when viewing the groups
* Fixed crash if an assigned video thumbnail file does not exist (through moving or deletion)
* Fixed crash if trying to create the DB in the opening wizard if there are no watch folders defined
* Fixed repeated code excecution in the main view
* Fixed possible memory leak in thumbnail conversion process
* Fixed files not being added to the DB if more than 5 were selected at once
* Fixed crash when adding files to the DB with names containing strange characters
* Fixed Glyph maximizing properly
Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
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November 21st, 2006, 05:22 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via palgn
Display PlayStation 3 content on the PSP.
The long awaited firmware update for the PlayStation Portable is now here, as Sony has released the online manual for the firmware and it reveals a few interesting tidbits.
According to the manual you'll be able to play content that is displayed on the PlayStation 3. Whether that actually means you'll be able to play PlayStation 3 titles on the PSP in some reduced form is anybody’s guess, but you're not able to play Blu-Ray discs or DVDs, as the material is copyrighted. Other things you may send from the PlayStation 3 could include music, video or photos. You'll also be able to set your PSP to automatically connect to the internet at a certain time to download new content automatically.
Finally, Sony has also enabled the ability to choose whether a UMD starts immediately once you insert the UMD, which is a handy feature. All in all it sounds like the 3.0 firmware update will be quite feature-packed.
heres some features
Remote Play - Remote play is a new feature in Firmware 3.00 that allows you to remotely control your PlayStation 3 from your PSP. This also includes the display of PS3 content on the PSP. "You can display a PLAYSTATION®3 system screen on a PSP™ system and play content that is on the PS3™ system. To use this feature, you must adjust the necessary settings on the PSP™ system and the PS3™ system." Using this new mode of playback, one can control the Photo, Music, Video, and Internet Browser features of the PlayStation 3 from a remote location via their Playstation Portable.
Video Compatibility - In this updated version of the Playstation Portable firmware, you are also able to play a few new video formats. The Motion JPEG format (M-JPEG), is an "informal name for multimedia formats where each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is separately compressed as a JPEG image" (Wikipedia). The PlayStation Portable plays both the Linear PCM and the μ-Law versions of the Motion JPEG video format. In addition, you will now be able to access the Camera (functionality) from the photo option menus, for quicker easier access when taking photos or video. Another nifty function is the ability to finally turn off Auto Play for inserted UMD Discs via UMD Auto Boot.
PlayStation Games - Here's the big tip you've been waiting for. Finally, Sony is going to drop their highly anticipated PlayStation One emulator onto the PSP. From the manual however, there seems to be a unavoidable catch. If you don't have a PS3, your not going to be enjoying PlayStation One games emulating on Sony's PlayStation One emulator for PSP anytime soon. From the manual it states that you must connect to the Playstation Online store with your PSP connected to the PlayStation 3 in order to download and play the games. In addition, they mention that you can in fact share the games, but you must activate the other system in the Friends menu as a PS3 Network Account.
3.0 firmware for the psp is now out. Check your network updates.
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November 21st, 2006, 04:41 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via ign
No price drop just yet.
November 20, 2006 - Sony seems to be doing everything (aside from dropping that darn price) to sell the PSP over in Japan. Today, the company announced yet another PSP bundle along with some accessory packs to compliment the year end PSP lineup.
Coinciding with the 12/21 release of Bandai Namco's Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology, Sony will release the (deep breath) PlayStation Portable Tales of the World Radiant Mythology Special Pack. Priced at 28,000 yen, this bundle includes a metalic blue PSP (PSP-1000MB), a copy of Radiant Mythology, a 32 megabyte Memory Stick Duo, a strap, a special pouch and a cloth. All this comes in a Radiant Mythology themed box.
While the Special Pack includes everything that's needed to get into PSP gaming, those who picked up a core PSP unit will want to look at the two accessory packs Sony announced today. The Play! Game Pack includes a 32 Meg Memory Stick Duo, pouch, strap and cloth. The Enjoy! AV Pack includes a white remote control headphone set, a USB cable, a stand and a cloth. Both bundles will retail for 3,500 yen and will be released on 11/22.
These bundles and accessories are due for release exclusively in Japan.
screens via comment
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November 21st, 2006, 03:38 Posted By: Jpdeathblade
From http://xpmax.cjb.net
Hello All,
I am pleased to announce Super Mini Halo Alpha (or SMH 1.5). As you know we worked on this and we got a pritty sold build. There are nine levels and the beta level. That is about all I can tell you =P you will have to play the game for yourself.
Here is some more stuff from the readme:
--------------------------------
| Xp Max Productions Presents: |
| Super Mini Halo |
--------------------------------
This is a Halo mod for the game Super Mini Mario. All the folders are changed so you can have this with other mini mario games (except games that are SMH like super mini homer).
- Custom graphics and music for loadup
- Custom in game graphics based on characters from halo, Custom levels, and fully playable on just about every version of the psp! Please visit our fourms ( http://xpmax.cjb.net ) and donate to help us put out the next version of SMH, or something even better!
Enjoy!
Version History:
==================
- Super Mini Halo Version 1.50
- New Levels
- New Graphic Patch
- Fixed 'Turning Cheif' graphic glitch
- Changed ending 'Door' to 'Cortana'
- Changed 'Bush' graphic
- Added 2.71 SE and 1.00 Versions of SMH
- Created SMH Pack containing:
- SMH Version 1.50 for 1.00
- SMH Version 1.50 for 1.50
- SMH Version 1.50 for 2.71
- Eboot Protocall Folder (Icon0 and SND0.AT3)
- Graphic Edit Folder to change characters and backgounds in the game
- New Readme.txt file
- Super Mini Halo Version 1.00
- Added sound effects (wav files).
- Data organised in folders (GFX, LEVELS, MUSIC and SFX)
- Added proper clipping to scrolling offset.
- Short 'Invulnerality' time after master cheif dies (mario flashes).
- ? boxes can be destroyed (still no items implemented, sorry, too busy with other stuff).
- Each 100 coins collected master cheif gets extra life.
- Better "gravity" effect under water (swimming master cheif).
- Other minor enhancements.
- Custom load music and graphics
- Custom monster and player graphics
- Custom background
Notes:
========
- Levels and graphics by Xp Max Productions Devlopment Team
- JpX (aka Bob151jr aka JpDeathBlade)
- X God 0
- Q & 1/2
- Mwr247
- OarsmanofStyx (aka Styx)
- AntiFlagis 2
- XVampireHeart91X
- Red_Name
- i3lueEagle
- FierBoy789
- Double A Ron
- SprintMaster
- RunePownage
- Special Thanks to:
- Bungie for Halo
- Sony for their PSP
- Nintendo for Mario
- PSPSMM.tk for SMM version 3
- Banditmax.com for paying the bills (visit them today, support SMH)
- DcEmu for hosting the game
- Invisionfree for out fourms ( http://xpmax.cjb.net )
- Any SMH fans out there for playing the game.
Controls:
===========
D Pad - Move Master Cheif
X - Jump
UP - Enter Doors
Start - Pause
Select - FREEZES PSP!! To recover hold power up for 5-10 seconds
Installation:
===============
- PSP 1.00
- Extract 'SMH' folder to your 'MS0:/PSP/GAME' directory
- PSP 1.50
- Extract 'SMH' and 'SMH%' folders to your 'MS0:/PSP/GAME' directory, DO NOT change or edit folder or item names or the game will not work.
- PSP 2.71
- Extract 'SMH' folder with graphics/music (without Eboot) to 'Ms0:/PSP/Game' directory. Extract 'SMH' (Eboot only) and 'SMH%' to 'MS0:/PSP/GAME150' directory, DO NOT change or edit folder or item names or the game will not work.
Now for the download links:
====================
Mirror 1 Rar - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8B4PCFL6
Mirror 2 Rar - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TBJDGYVR
Mirror 1 Zip - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XO135WRM
Mirror 2 Zip - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ORANV0X7
Via [Xp Max Productions Fourms]
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November 21st, 2006, 02:46 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via insidebayarea
The lines have vanished; the squabbling has ended and the newest video game consoles are either on eBay or in fans' living rooms.
Welcome to the next generation.
In one of the busiest weekends ever for the industry, Sony and Nintendo released competing visions of the gaming future. In one, Sony has built a machine for tomorrow with its PlayStation 3.
The console features the vaunted Cell processor, Blu-ray disc drive and enough media options to combat the threat of obsolence.
On the other side, the Nintendo Wii doesn't feature any newfangled graphics card or computer chips. The unit is basically a juiced GameCube, but what sets it apart is its motion-sensing controls that provide a new way to play games.
And no matter how much power is under a console's hood, it's the games that will determine the success for each console, and right now, Nintendo has the edge.
Game time
Anytime a "Zelda" game is released for a coming-out for your console, it will generate buzz. The franchise is one of those sacred cows in gaming, and the latest sequel, which was originally slated for the GameCube, looks to be a triple-A title for Wii.
Sporting a grown-up Link, "Twilight Princess" boasts one of the deepest quests in the series. It also makes interesting use of the Wiimote and Nunchuck controllers.
Using the new scheme, players can shoot arrows, swing swords or go fish. It's the perfect launch title because the classic series has such a large fan base and
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enough notoriety to draw in Nintendo's nongamer audience. Coming in a close second is "Excite Truck," a racing game that incorporates more of the motion-sensing controls. You steer by tilting the controller left and right; you catch air and dive down by tilting down and up.
Although it's a new way to play, "Excite Truck" is easy to learn because of the intuitive controls and simple focus. The title eschews the complexity of simulations such as "Gran Turismo" and leans toward the straightforward gameplay of the arcade-driven '80s. But more importantly, "Excite Truck" shares a trait with other Wii launch titles such as "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz" and "Rayman: Raving Rabbids" _ it's fun. This is a system you can share with gamer and nongamer friends alike because the motion-sensing controls are accessible to everyone.
On the other hand, the PlayStation 3 launch titles are more of a mixed bag.
A majority of titles are ported over from other systems, meaning that gamers won't play as much original content as on the Wii. But what players will see from Sony's black box are more realistic graphics, traditional gameplay and some motion-sensing features. At the top of the launch list is "Resistance: Fall of Man."
Developed by Insomniac Games, the first-person shooter takes place in an alternate history prior to World War II in which a virus called the Chimera takes over Europe and Asia. The war setting is one of the best ways to show off what the PS3 can do. The system impresses with its ability to keep track of bullets, soldiers and enemies in a firefight, but on top of that, the console renders this in high-definition.
This epic vision is an impressive feat and shows how Sony's machine can paint with a broad brush, but the real test will be if developers can use it for more intimate scenarios and detailed graphics, such as in "Gears of War."
Looking at other conventional titles, NamcoBandai's "Ridge Racer 7" stands out as another solid game. This time around, the arcade racer integrates tuner elements in a career mode, letting players buy parts to speed up their cars.
Traditionally, NamcoBandai has always supported Sony's new systems with a new chapter from its racing franchise. The original "Ridge Racer" for the PSOne was one of the first titles on the system, and it revealed the potential for polygonal graphics. Although "Ridge Racer 7" doesn't break new ground, it does enough with online play to justify a look. But for Sony to succeed, it will have to re-establish its relationships with outside studios. Unlike the Wii, which will likely have more specially built games, Sony will compete directly with Microsoft's Xbox 360, and exclusive titles such as "Metal Gear Solid 4" will be what draws gamers to one system.
"Exclusivity is important," said Peter Dilly, Sony's senior vice president of marketing. "We have games that show what the system can do. These are the things that drive hardware."
Featured attractions When you look at the rival consoles, the rivalry looks eerily familiar to the battle Sony and Nintendo are waging in the portable market. In terms of features, the Wii, like the Nintendo DS, is more focused on new types of gaming while the PS3 boasts a plethora of media at its disposal like its smaller cousin, the PlayStation Portable. Call it the Swiss Army knife of your entertainment system.
The PS3 can satisfy videophiles with its much-ballyhooed Blu-ray drive; for music lovers, it rips CDs and blares music in surrounded sound. In addition, it also has a photo mode and Internet browser that lets gamers check Web sites such as YouTube from the couch. As for the Wii, Nintendo's interface isn't as slick as Sony's Cross Media Bar. It's more on the cutesy side with Internet channels specializing in news and weather. Another quirky feature is the Mii creator, a program that lets you make your own in-game avatar.
But one thing these companies have in common is the hurdle of getting their consoles in the hands of gamers. Both systems will be one hard-to-find gift this holiday season.
Right now, the Wii will be easier to buy than the PS3. Nintendo reportedly released 1 million units at launch, with 4 million expected by the end of the year. Sony reportedly had 400,000 PS3s at launch.
But Sony executives have said they will replenish that supply by shipping the systems by air. Dilly said he was "optimistic" that Sony will meet its goal of 1 million units by the end of the year. For those who couldn't get a machine, he had this advice: "Be patient and persistent. We're shipping products on a daily basis. If you don't get one today or tomorrow, check back later."
Who do you think came out a winner? The ps3 or the Wii.
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November 21st, 2006, 02:38 Posted By: cools
From Yashamaru:
"I have been working on a simple Pac-Man clone for a little over a month now. It all started with some old code I made for a game that couldn’t use it. I added this code to a Pac-Man ghost and next thing I know the Game enters Beta stage (that means it’s playable, but it’s not done). Since it’s in Beta Stage now, I have built a public release. As with all my releases they are gifts to everyone using or making homebrew as a thanks for all the great apps/games I have got."
I think this is a wonderful addition to the PSP Homebrew scene!
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November 21st, 2006, 00:49 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via ars
We've posted about the issues the PS3 has with sets that don't support 720p as an available resolution, but it looks like you may have issues with Blu-ray movies if your set doesn't support 1080p resolutions. While most HDTVs support 720p—making that a limited problem—there are a ton of televisions that don't support 1080p, including mine. IGN.com weighs in on the subject:
While IGN has previously reported about the 1080i-only problem, we are receiving word of a problem with 720p-only sets as well, as the Blu-Ray player does not seem to be set to kick up to 1080i or kick down to 480p when set to play in 720p. IGN had previously listed 720p amongst the formats playable in BD Video settings since our test TVs did not run into this problem (and also, because we didn't think thrice that Sony would mess something as basic as 720p video playback up since lack of 1080i is made clear on game boxes, and also, we wanted the internet to be even more mad at us...) and we are currently investigating the situation. We are hearing conflicting reports from readers about the situation -- some that have not had troubles (but whose sets may be auto-upscaling where the PS3 fails it), some that have configured the system as usual and have been clearly been limited to only 480p Blu-Ray playback...
My set runs at 720p native, but can upscale to 1080i. I have all resolutions except 1080p selected as available with the PS3. While the Blu-ray image looks pretty nice on my display, I do suffer from an annoying amount of grain on the screen. I'm not sure what's happening here—it's possible that the PS3 is scaling the image down only to have my television scale the image up—but it's very annoying. I thought it was just an issue with my set or something wrong with the disc until I read about other people having issues with grain on 720p sets.
Offered as more evidence that something is wrong with the playback, here is a snippet from a review of the Talladega Nights Blu-Ray disc:
It doesn't seem like there is anything wrong with the source material, which looks as clean as a whistle. Grain is almost absent from the transfer, with solid blacks and consistent color saturation.
The disc is noted for not having grain and a solid transfer. There is something wrong with how it's showing the image on my television. Isn't beta testing new hardware fun?
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November 21st, 2006, 00:45 Posted By: gunntims0103
news via next gen
Some gamers will be torn between two loves, as fast food chain Taco Bell wants to give one gamer free tacos for life… in exchange for a new PlayStation 3.
ImageIn perhaps the best offer since The Simpsons’ “hundred tacos for a hundred dollars” deal, Taco Bell will reward $12,500 in Taco Bell Bucks to the first person who trades in his or her PS3 to the Mexican-style fast food chain.
But this isn’t just about some taco tycoon snagging a hard-to-find PS3. Taco Bell and Taco Bell Foundation intend on giving the PS3 to the Stanton, California teen center of the Boys & Girls Club.
The first one to send his or her name, e-mail and phone number to tacobellnews@tacobell.com about the offer will receive the Taco Bell Bucks, which are redeemable at store locations. The restaurant did warn that whoever receives the Bucks is responsible for payment of any taxes that would be incurred.
“The PlayStation 3 is on every teen’s holiday wish list,” said Bob Fulmer, executive director of the non-profit Taco Bell Foundation. “That’s why we’re offering one lucky individual tacos for life in exchange for giving Boys & Girls Club teens a gift that will keep them in the game.”
The offer expires December 1 at 6 p.m. PST.
And for those curious, $12,500 will get you around 20,000 of Taco Bell's basic tacos, or about a taco a day for the next 54 years.
This is 100% serious. Who would do this?
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