Rez HD coming to PlayStation Network?

February 1st, 2010, 10:53 Posted By: wraggster

Q Entertainment is having a good hard think about whether to bring Rez HD to PlayStation Network.

That's according to the company's Twitter page, where the following message was posted: "What would a game like Rez HD sell for on PSN? $15? This is no indication that it's happening, but we're researching if its feasible."

Those who like the sound of that idea might want to register their interest as another message reads, "This isn't something we need to do, or will necessarily develop. I'm doing some informal polling to take back to our bizdev ppl."

Rez HD was released on Xbox Live back in January 2008, priced at £6.80. Like the PS2 original it was a hit with the critics, scoring 10/10 on Eurogamer.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/re...tation-network

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FF Versus XIII info coming this month

February 1st, 2010, 12:09 Posted By: wraggster

With all eyes on Final Fantasy XIII Square's been a little quiet with the incoming spin-off, Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Not for much longer though - more info should with us this month.

According to Sony, the developer wants to show off more of the game within the next few weeks. According to PS Blog man Jeff Rubenstein, "They're eager to get some posts on the blog in February", about the game.

Versus XIII is a completely separate story from FFXIII, which is out on March 9, but set in the same universe. Its release is still totally up in the air.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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The Good Old Cheese-And-PSP Sales Tactic

February 1st, 2010, 21:44 Posted By: wraggster



The LocoRoco edition of the PlayStation Portable becomes yet another gaming product to take advantage of the great crossover between fans of video games and fans of string cheese, as seen in a circular from this past weekend.

http://kotaku.com/5461316/the-good-o...p-sales-tactic

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'The Tester' reality series debuts on PSN Feb. 18

February 1st, 2010, 21:49 Posted By: wraggster

Sony's PlayStation Network-exclusive reality series "The Tester" will begin February 18th. The competition will have the above real gamers vying for a chance to win a glamorous testing job at PlayStation. Until April 8th, the PlayStation Store (for PSP and PS3) will update every Thursday with new -- and free -- episodes of the series.

Should "The Tester" successfully sidestep traditional employee recruitment and take off, don't be surprised if Sony announces "Who Wants to be Our Janitor?" next season.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/01/th...on-psn-feb-18/

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Shadow of Destiny

February 1st, 2010, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
Shadow of Destiny is a game unlike any other PSP game available where players can embark on a unique murder mystery, they’re own! The setting within the game will span over 500 years deep into the past to secure the details of why and how they were murdered. What you do in the past will affect the present
Solve various different puzzles while finding clues to reach the killer
Shadow of Destiny is the same game from highly rated release in 2001. It has the same mysteries, characters and look and feel as before, but now for the PSP

description
Imagine you are ambling down the street late one night when suddenly you are attacked and stabbed to death in the back. You wake up in a dark room where an unfamiliar face offers to “help you change your fate” and gives you a time-travel device. The next thing you know, you are in a café exactly 30 minutes before you were murdered with an imagination full of questions. This is the story of Ike – the main character in Shadow of Destiny. Assume the role of Ike using the special time travel device and embark on a quest to solve the most important mystery ever; your own! SOD will offer fun and brain stretching experience as they travel through time, collect clue, unlock new scenarios along the way to finding your killer and the motive.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3nak.html

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PCSX Rerecording v0.1.2+ (fix1)

February 1st, 2010, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.aep-emu.de/PNphpBB2-file-...c-t-14518.html

PCSX Rerecording is a Sony Playstation 1 emulator for Windows based on PCSX. Quote: "PCSX Rerecording is the rerecording version of PCSX with many customized features designed to aid in recording movie input files.".


Quote:
r242
aww, fix movie.active()

http://code.google.com/p/pcsxrr/

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PS3 Mass Effect 2 - EA offers 'no comment'

February 2nd, 2010, 17:30 Posted By: wraggster

If EA is planning to release a PS3 version of Mass Effect 2, it's keeping schtum.

CVG checked in with the publisher this afternoon to ask if it was keen on releasing a PS3 version of the game, and all we got was a short, sharp: "No comment on that one." Delivered in a polite manner, we may add.

The comment comes after Polish site Kikoo claimed that there is some source code of the PC version of the game that suggests a PS3 iteration has been created.

So the PS3 version's not officially alive, but it's not officially dead. Doesn't do anything for the anxiety, hey PS3 fans?

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Gran Turismo 5 "this fall" - Sony Europe

February 2nd, 2010, 17:51 Posted By: wraggster

A Sony Computer Entertainment Europe executive has said that he expects Gran Turismo 5 to come out "this fall, before Christmas", while confessing the release date is "not yet decided".

The comments come from James Armstrong, boss of SCEE's Portuguese arm, in an interview with Spanish site Canarias Al Dia. They were spotted by GT Planet.

It was Armstrong who originally suggested that GT5 would be out in late 2009, a position held by Sony right up until a March 2010 Japanese release date was announced at last year's Tokyo Game Show. A summer Western release was mooted before the Japanese launch was delayed.

A new release date has yet to be given for the PS3's motorsport opus, so it's disappointing but hardly surprising to see Gran Turismo 5 heading towards the end of the year.

GT5 has now been in development for five years at a cost, according to creator Kazunori Yamauchi, of of some $60 million.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gr...ll-sony-europe

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PSP Minis discounted throughout Feb

February 2nd, 2010, 18:00 Posted By: wraggster

Sony is lowering the price of PSP and PS3 Minis in February.

The first sale starts this Thursday, 4th February and runs until Thursday, 18th February. Kahoots, Vempire, Breakquest, Majohngg Artifacts and Dracula all drop from £2.99/€2.99 to £1.74/€1.99.

Fieldrunners and Pinball Fantasies go from £3.99/€4.99 to £3.46/€3.99, and Bloons falls from £3.49/€3.99 to £1.99/€2.49.

The European PlayStation blog also promises you free Minis during February, as well as wallpapers, themes and that sort of thing. Specifics aren't mentioned yet.

Minis are small downloadable games originally only for PSP and PSPgo, but now compatible with PS3.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ps...throughout-feb

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Jill Stuart's Sweet Limited Package PSP makes its own innuendos, coming in March

February 2nd, 2010, 18:40 Posted By: wraggster



¥21,000 ($232), Japan, March 4. All of the foregoing should be irrelevant information because we're absolutely, positively, definitely sure you're not going to actually buy one. Right? Look, even if you genuinely don't object to Blossom Pink as your color scheme, and if you quite rightly find yourself attracted by the handy soft pouch for ensconcing your new PSP-3000 in, don't you care about what other people might think? And that's entirely aside from the generic and lazy expectation that women will buy anything so long as it bears a hue from the pink portion of the spectrum. Either way, this bundle of corporate greed and malevolence is coming in about a month's time, if you're weird enough to care.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/j...own-innuendos/

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In Japan, Final Fantasy XIII's Buy-Back Value Is Cheap!

February 2nd, 2010, 18:49 Posted By: wraggster

On December 17, role-playing game Final Fantasy XIII went on sale for the PS3 in Japan. It was priced at ¥9,240 (US$102). Want to sell back your copy?

In a little over a month and a half, the used game is fetching ¥1,500 (US$17) from major Japanese game retailer GEO. By comparison, used games Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 on the PS3 commands ¥4,800, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 merits ¥4,500 and Musou OROCHI Z is priced at ¥3,100.

The lower end of the scale looks like this: Uncharted is worth ¥1,500, NBA Live 10 is ¥2,000, Grand Theft Auto IV is ¥2,500 and Dragon Ball Z Raging Burst is ¥1,500.

Remember, these are buy-back prices. The games will then be sold at higher prices. What's more, the prices do not reflect the quality of the games, but rather, the supply and demand. Most likely, low buy-back prices means that many players, who have probably already finished the title, are selling back the game.

In Japan, renting games is not wide spread and permitted in the same way it is in the West. Instead, players buy games and keep the disc, booklet and case in pristine condition so they can sell back to the titles to shops like GEO.

http://kotaku.com/5462139/in-japan-f...value-is-cheap

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Sony Planning a PSPgo Relaunch?

February 2nd, 2010, 18:55 Posted By: wraggster

It's safe to say that the PSPgo hasn't had the reception that was expected of it. Sales haven't been crazy, and most seem to have completely ignored the system's launch entirely. With this kind of negativity surrounding the PSPgo, it's no wonder that Sony wants to do something about it. According to someone close to Sony, they are. Sources have confirmed with Gamervision that a PSPgo "relaunch" is imminent, complete with a marketing blitz in hopes to rekindle some sort of excitement over the handheld. What else will the relaunch entail? There are a number of possibilities, and there's little doubt a price drop might be among them.

Even when compared to the other issues the PSPgo has, the high price seems to be paramount for keeping it out of gamers' hands. It's more expensive than the other models by almost $100, and doesn't even have all of the content the regular system has. Even if they don't drop the price, a massive media blitz would be a great idea, and odds are whatever is done will have a healthy dose of Kevin Butler as well. Those ads seem to have struck a cord with fans and haters alike, especially when compared to the companies earlier attempts at advertising.

We're not certain when this is supposed to start, but with GDC right around the corner I'd expect to hear a little more in the near future. We'll keep you posted.

http://gamervision.com/users/coop/ar...spgo_relaunch_

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Joyau 1.0.2

February 2nd, 2010, 19:29 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...2&view_reply=1

Upgrading Joyau, the only Ruby interpreter available for the PSP, by its author Kode. This interpreter allows the creation of small 2D games using the Old School Library (OSL), and use many of the original Ruby interpreter functions. This version corrects some bugs in previous releases, integrated some additional libraries, and added a useful screen for debugging.

Changelog:

Quote:

- Fixed some bugs in previous version
- Added support for some libraries present in ruby stdlib
- Added libraries BigDecimal, digest, fcntl, squeeze, strscan, zlib, enumerator, thread, and NK
- Added debugging screen
- Other minor changes

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PSP Filer v6.6

February 2nd, 2010, 19:40 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...0&view_reply=1

New update from Mediumgauge PSP Filer, application, now at version 6.6, which in addition to managing the full content of your memory stick, there will also launch homebrew, open file format .zip / .rar, dump your UMD and much more.

Changelog v6.6:

Quote:

- Fixato a bug that did not allow the exact calculation of the size of the directory
- Fixato a bug in the audio player
- Fixato a bug that caused a crash when you start a UMD
- Added the duration of playing an audio file player
- Fixati more bbug

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PSP Mario - Map editor v0.02

February 2nd, 2010, 19:48 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Dan369:

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DayPR Rev.6 - Bug Fix

February 2nd, 2010, 19:50 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from lilmnm

Well heres a bug Fix of the latest DayPR fixed the scrolling bug where it didnt show the last cheat in the Hacks tab. I also added a Extra Cheat File thingy ma bob .-. where you can load a new set of cheats.

Please Read the README.txt included
And please contact me right away if you notice any new bugs

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PowerSwitch Blocker v1.1

February 2nd, 2010, 20:00 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from bboyjcm

A plugin that will help you disable/enable your Power Switch whenever you want.
Useful for keeping your Custom Firmware Active (chickhen) & protecting your game progress
from any accidental shutdown.

Compatibility Update

Features:
-Enables/Disables your psp power switch
-Block & Unblocks your psp power switch with the same button combo
-Works In VSH & Game Mode

Changelog:
-Compatible with ChickHEN , GEN Firmware & M33 Firmware
-Works for both PSP Phat & PSP Slim & PSP Brite
-Credits,Readme and Changelog are now updated


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This Week On PSN: Fret Nice

February 2nd, 2010, 20:33 Posted By: wraggster

This Thursday PlayStation 3 owners can take their guitar controllers into battle with Fret Nice, a rhythm platformer created for the PC by Swedish students, brought to the PlayStation Network courtesy of Tecmo.

Tecmo surprised us at E3 last year with the addition of Fret Nice to its lineup, which traditionally consisted of more "hardcore" titles like Ninja Gaiden and Undead Knights. In comparison to those two, Fret Nice is a relatively light-hearted game, in which players help members of the band Vibrant Chordblasters save the world from the oppressive Hair Bangers. To accomplish this goal, players will rock out on their guitar controllers, pulling off riffs to defeat enemies.

It's an amazing concept, and an excellent use for those guitar controllers gathering dust in the corner of your living room.

http://kotaku.com/5462435/this-week-on-psn-fret-nice

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SquarO PSP

February 2nd, 2010, 21:47 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from Miles

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Sony Turns PSP Into Instant Replay Device At UK Stadium

February 2nd, 2010, 23:45 Posted By: wraggster

The PlayStation Portable will get a brilliant new feature for visitors to London's Emirates Stadium, as the Arsenal Football Club will offer sports fans instant replays of action streamed wirelessly to their PSPs over the stadium's WiFi network.

http://kotaku.com/5462584/sony-turns...-at-uk-stadium

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PlayStation VP Says "PS1 And PS2 Classics" A Terrific Opportunity

February 2nd, 2010, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster

The long-rumored, recently leaked existence of PlayStation 2 games joining the "PS One Classics" line comes a bit closer to reality, at least in the mind of PlayStation senior VP Peter Dille who calls the digital re-issues a "terrific opportunity."

In an interview with IGN, Dille says that the PlayStation folks are "working really hard on" bringing more PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games to the PlayStation Store, not quite an official announcement, but another glimmer of hope.

"From our side, we're going through our own studio organization and trying to make sure all these old games are out there so that we can lead by example, but we're also communicating with all the third-parties about the success of the Final Fantasy games, and other PS1 and PS2 classics," Dille tells IGN. "By all means, I think people can look for more of that because once the third-parties see how this works, it's just found money. There's not a whole lot of work that has to go into it and once we can get it up on the network, it finds an audience pretty quickly."

With PS2 backward compatibility all but dead on the PlayStation 3 going forward, it would seem like some of that "found money" would be an attractive option for Sony. About as attractive as the rumored addition of Dreamcast games to the PS3 would be for me.

Maybe we'll hear something official closer to GDC or E3 this year.

http://kotaku.com/5462621/playstatio...ic-opportunity

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Linked In Resume Says “Final Fantasy XIV For PC, PS3, And Xbox 360″

February 3rd, 2010, 02:15 Posted By: wraggster

At this past E3, Square Enix said Final Fantasy XIV would launch on PlayStation 3 and PCs. Looks like an Xbox 360 version is in development too.

A staffer at Square Enix Japan let the proverbial chocobos out of the stable. In her Linked In profile she notes Final Fantasy XIV is a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 title. Whoops! An Xbox 360 version hasn’t been announced yet. Honest mistake or a slip of the tongue?

Akama also says there are lines currently working on The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Agito XIII too.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/02/02...-and-xbox-360/

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[Release] Battery Warning Plugin V0.3.1 (update)

February 3rd, 2010, 12:27 Posted By: Zack

Via Retroemu.com

Hey guys!

About : Battery Warning plugin is a PSP plugin that shows a message on screen when your battery reaches 15% or less charge. Works in VSH/GAME + Homebrew Games & Apps.

Why bother when the PSP LED blinks when the battery is low? Well lets face it, who can honestly say when they are stuck into a game that they even notice the LED blinking at all, also added to that, the fact that when your playing a game your thumb practically covers the whole light, it's not an ideal method of warning

I lost the source to V0.2 because my external HDD died so I had to start the project from scratch.

Screenshot :



So here are the changes :

Changelog :

* Added ability to turn the message off. Press L+R+Select to disable the message once shown.
* Changed message to display remaining battery percentage and time remaining (in mins)
* Message now doesn't get hidden behind objects.
* Message now clearer to read (again).
* Reduced flickering substantially (still flickers in certain games)

Future :

In the next release there will finally be the configuration manager. I have started it and it wont be long until it's finished. However been that in essence this is more of a new plugin than a updated version (since I had to start from scratch) I want to be certain people enjoy the same level of success with it as I do before bothering to release a customization manager.

Thanks and enjoy!

EDIT : New version attached. V0.3.1

Changes :

* Message upon battery reaching full charge (Whilst charging) - (See screenshot)
Removing the power cable or pressing L+R+Select will disable the message.

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Braben on Modern Warfare 2’s Achilles Heel

February 3rd, 2010, 15:42 Posted By: wraggster

David Braben has kick-started his new column in Develop by exploring the current state of game narrative.
The Develop Legend Award winner opened his account by opining that narrative could turn out to define the current generation of software, and is therefore “a foolhardy thing to ignore.”
Briefly fixing the discussion on Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2, Braben revealed high praise for the game in all aspects save for one, wittily observing: “There might as well have been a lava level, for all that the story mattered to me”.
Said Braben: “My point is when we look back at it from the future – when the combat is no longer best in class – it will feel dull, like those almost storyless cowboy films of the '50s (not featuring John Wayne), shown endlessly on TV in the early ‘70s, but that have thankfully now been forgotten.”
He added that talented storytelling is coming ever more to the fore in the game sector, citing Fallout 3, Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins as great examples of non-linear storytelling.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...-Achilles-Heel

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Sony slashes the price of PSP/PS3 Minis

February 3rd, 2010, 15:43 Posted By: wraggster

From tomorrow a number of PlayStation Minis titles will go on sale for two weeks, with savings of between 50p and £1.50. The cuts come as part of what Sony is calling ‘Minis Month’.
The discounts will come into effect tomorrow (February 4th) and run until February 18th. A fresh bout of Minis marketing will also kick-off to help promote Sony’s fledgling service, with the PSP YouTube channel being the main focus.
The PSPgo has come under the spotlight in recent weeks following poor sales numbers in Japan. UK unit sales – tellingly – have not been revealed, but are believed to lag far behind those of its UMD-equipped predecessor the PSP-3000.


Here are the offers in full, as listed by the PlayStation blog:
Fieldrunners – €4.99/£3.99 now €3.99/£3.49
Kahoots – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Vempire – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Breakquest – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Pinball Fantasies – €4.99/£3.99 now €3.99/£3.49
Bloons – €3.99/£3.49 now €2.49/£1.99
Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Dracula: Undead Awakening – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/297...f-PSPPS3-Minis

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Sony slashes the price of PSP/PS3 Minis

February 3rd, 2010, 15:43 Posted By: wraggster

From tomorrow a number of PlayStation Minis titles will go on sale for two weeks, with savings of between 50p and £1.50. The cuts come as part of what Sony is calling ‘Minis Month’.
The discounts will come into effect tomorrow (February 4th) and run until February 18th. A fresh bout of Minis marketing will also kick-off to help promote Sony’s fledgling service, with the PSP YouTube channel being the main focus.
The PSPgo has come under the spotlight in recent weeks following poor sales numbers in Japan. UK unit sales – tellingly – have not been revealed, but are believed to lag far behind those of its UMD-equipped predecessor the PSP-3000.


Here are the offers in full, as listed by the PlayStation blog:
Fieldrunners – €4.99/£3.99 now €3.99/£3.49
Kahoots – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Vempire – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Breakquest – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Pinball Fantasies – €4.99/£3.99 now €3.99/£3.49
Bloons – €3.99/£3.49 now €2.49/£1.99
Mahjongg Artifacts: Chapter 2 – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74
Dracula: Undead Awakening – €2.99/£2.99 now €1.99/£1.74

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/297...f-PSPPS3-Minis

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Head tracking, 3D for next MotoGP

February 3rd, 2010, 15:44 Posted By: wraggster

Head tracking and, for the PS3 version at least, stereoscopic 3D features are both being lined up for MotoGP 10/11 (the sequel of MGP 09/10, which Capcom will release on March 31).

Lead designer Greg Bryant told CVG: "We haven't looked into Natal yet for MotoGP 09/10, but we're definitely going to be looking into it for MGP 10/11 because I personally think the future for that application is through head tracking in racing games."

"We did a lot of testing with other games for competitor analysis and one that came up was the classic Grand Prix Legends. You can set that up with full head tracking and a steering wheel, and it's one of the most compelling racing experiences. Now that that developers have that technology available to them we certainly want to harness that for the next iteration of the game," he told CVG.

The PS3 is in for extra treats, too. "One of the other things that I'm really excited about it that the PS3 going to support 3D technology as well. So when you combine that with the PS Eye and theoretically doing the head tracking through that. I think that's going to be absolutely awesome."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Slow PS3 start was down to stock - Sony

February 3rd, 2010, 18:40 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Sony bigwig Peter Dille has explained that the real reason for PS3's slow start was poor levels of stock; the pump was "primed".

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Sony: "It's not going to take too long to pass 360"

February 3rd, 2010, 20:35 Posted By: wraggster

Sony's senior VP of marketing and head of the PlayStation Network has said that Sony is now "breathing down the necks" of Microsoft in terms of console sales, and predicted that while the PS3 will fulfil its planned 10 year lifespan, the 360 won't be around for as long.

"We can be passionate fans, but I don't think they'll be around in 10 years so I'm very confident we'll pass them within that time frame," Peter Dille said in an interview with IGN.

"I mean, we've got 31 million [units sold] worldwide right now - they've got 39 million [units sold]. I don't even need to go out 10 years. I'm not going to make any predictions for your interview today other than we'll pass them, but you look at where we are today and where they are today, and they had an opportunity to sprint as far ahead of us as possible when they had the head start.

"Well, we're breathing down their necks and they can see us in the rearview mirror and it's not going to take too long to pass them."

Speaking specifically about the PlayStation Network, Dille also backed up recent comments by Kaz Hirai that Sony was looking into charging for new additions to the service.

"It's been our philosophy not to charge for it from launch up until now, but Kaz recently went on the record as saying that's something we're looking at. I can confirm that as well. That's something that we're actively thinking about," he said.

Dille added that the company is pleased with how the PlayStation Home space is performing, saying that December saw the highest traffic yet for the service.

"The average time people spend in Home is about 60 minutes. If you think about that, it's a lot of time. I know you can sit down and game for hours and time gets lost. But think about watching a TV for a half hour or how much time you might spend on a website - there's are kind of bite-sized chunks of time. But to spend 60 minutes on Home is a pretty sticky experience."

People are also spending money in Home. Virtual items become profitable from the day they launch "because it doesn't cost a lot to create a virtual t-shirt," said Dille. And those items also become drivers for gaming content, he added.

"People walk around in Home and if they see someone wearing an artifact from Uncharted or God of War, they might ask, 'Where'd you get that?' and they might go back to that specific game space, learn more about it, become a fan of that game and then go buy the Blu-ray disc."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ng-to-pass-360

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo hits PS3

February 3rd, 2010, 20:43 Posted By: wraggster

DICE has said that PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to get in on the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo fun from February 4.

Here's the word:

STOCKHOLM, Feb 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that the PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system players in North America will now have access to the Battlefield: Bad Company(TM) 2 demo* on February 4.

Available via the PlayStation(R)Network, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been recognized by critics worldwide for its incredibly detailed, huge sandbox environments, vehicular warfare, destruction, and squad play. Its dedicated servers that allow for smooth, seamless online play help it stand above the competition.

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo features Port Valdez, a new vehicle focused map where up to 24 players can compete against each other in the game's Rush multiplayer mode. Players have access to five land and three air vehicles including Main Battle Tanks as well as the fast-moving Quad Bikes and Mobile Armored AA.

The fight is also packed with plenty of infantry combat fought alongside the waterline towards a great oil industrial landscape in the Alaskan mountains.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be in stores on March 2, 2010 in North America and March 4, 2010 in Europe for the Xbox 360(R) videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation 3 and the PC.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Fans get NiGHTS into Sonic Racing

February 3rd, 2010, 20:45 Posted By: wraggster

Pleading from the NiGHTS fan community has persuaded SEGA and Sumo Digital to include the flying jester in their upcoming kart racer, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.

He's not a playable racer, but appears as flagman, starting and ending each race. You can find a picture over at NiGHTSintoDreams.com (via Kotaku, thanks to Pete Brolly for the tip), along with a post from Sumo's S0L explaining that it was the fansite's impassioned requests that persuaded them to include the character.

"I have to admit the main reason he's in was after we saw your heartfelt pleas, especially those of DiGi and TRiPPY, we had to make sure NiGHTS was in and played an important role. After all, we really didn't want them to burn all their collection now. So whilst he's not playable, he very much made it in, and as a result of the huge amount of support for the character that you all showed."

S0L couldn't say whether NiGHTS would also appear as a playable character in future DLC: "That's a question I can't answer right now - it all depends on how well the game does."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fa...o-sonic-racing

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Sony is 'Thinking About Charging' for PSN

February 3rd, 2010, 22:51 Posted By: wraggster

The most common charge leveled at the Xbox 360 by Playstation 3 devotees is that Microsoft dares to charge for its Xbox Live service, unlike the free PSN. Not for long!

Back in November, a presentation slide revealed that Sony had a paid subscription plan in the works for PSN. And now Peter Dille, the head of PSN, had this to say in an interview with IGN:

Will we charge for it or why don't we charge for it? It's been our philosophy not to charge for it from launch up until now, but Kaz recently went on the record as saying that's something we're looking at. I can confirm that as well. That's something that we're actively thinking about. What's the best way to approach that if we were to do that? You know, no announcements at this point in time, but it's something we're thinking about.
Now the question is what exactly will they be charging for. Will they charge for online multiplayer, like Xbox Live? Or will they offer up some new premium goodies to entice people to pay up while leaving the current offerings up for free? In any case, it looks like there's soon to be a little less ammo in the console wars. But don't worry, Sony fanboys: you still have Blu-ray. No one can take that away from you.

http://gizmodo.com/5463420/sony-is-t...arging-for-psn

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Sony's Latest PS3 Mistake: No More Downloadable AAA Titles

February 3rd, 2010, 22:53 Posted By: wraggster

I just want to take anyone from Sony who's related to the development of the PS3 platform in any way, and shake them until the saboteur witch doctors hired from Nintendo and Microsoft lose their hold.

The latest idea from the Sony braintrust? No more big downloadable titles. So you'll still be able to download little arcade games, but future titles the size of Warhawk will no longer be offered on PSN.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has assembled an impressive library of $20 titles on the 360, and they're intelligently slapping games like, say, Mass Effect on there before Mass Effect 2 comes out. This kind of strategery is good for the game studios, sure, but more importantly, it's convenient for the consumer.

Anyway, Sony is having none of that. Why? Because their platform is heavily invested in 50GB-wielding Blu-ray (which requires hefty installs for some games all the same).

You want to know the chief problem with Blu-ray, Sony? It's that you can't download it. You aren't out of the console fight yet. Pick yourself up, dust off your gloves and attack the world with every tentacle that is Sony's larger development monstrosity.

I grew up listening to a Walkman. This shit kills me.

http://gizmodo.com/5463144/sonys-lat...ble-aaa-titles

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Sony licenses 'official' PS3 external HDDs, doesn't fully comprehend concept of inter

February 3rd, 2010, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster



Hey there, why so glum? You've overfilled your PS3's internal storage with mission-critical data and don't have anywhere else to stash your incoming Best of Miley Cyrus compilation? Fear not, Sony's got you covered with a pair of officially licensed external HDDs built by Buffalo. They look remarkably similar to standard issue USB portable drives -- so much so in fact that one of them is a rebadged unit that Buffalo already retails in the US -- but let's not nitpick here. The two drives on offer come with a generous 500GB of storage and their prices aren't too bad with the rebadge setting you back around $130 while the more stylish HD-AV500U2 above will cost around $168. You could of course ignore Sony, buy any drive you like and jack it into your PS3; it's just that these aren't too terrible as far as unnecessarily licensed peripherals go. Both drives will be hitting Japan in March to coincide with the Torne DVR adapter release.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/03/s...-fully-compre/

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ESRB Describes "Creepy Voyeurism" And "Dental Floss Thongs"

February 3rd, 2010, 23:07 Posted By: wraggster



Tecmo is bringing its girly beach volleyball, gambling and picture taking game to the PSP with Dead or Alive: Paradise. How does the ESRB describe it?

The Entertainment Software Rating Board is responsible for rating titles in the U.S. market and is a source for often unintentionally wonderful descriptions of games. Check out the blurb on Dead or Alive: Paradise:

This is a video game in which users watch grown women dressed in G-string bikinis jiggle their breasts while on a two-week vacation. Women's breasts and butts will sway while playing volleyball, while hopping across cushions, while pole dancing, while posing on the ground, by the pool, on the beach, in front of the camera. There are other activities: Users can gamble inside a casino to win credits for shopping; they can purchase bathing suits, sunglasses, hats, clothing at an island shop; they can "gift" these items to eight other women in hopes of winning their friendship, in hopes of playing more volleyball. And as relationships blossom from the gift-giving and volleyball, users may get closer to the women, having earned their trust and confidence: users will then be prompted to zoom-in on their friends' nearly-naked bodies, snap dozens of photos, and view them in the hotel later that night.

Parents and consumers should know that the game contains a fair amount of "cheesy," and at times, creepy voyeurism-especially when users have complete rotate-pan-zoom control; but the game also contains bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want (if given two weeks, paid vacation, island resort)-Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs.
Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs. Oh?

The ESRB has given Dead or Alive: Paradise a Mature rating.

http://kotaku.com/5463130/esrb-descr...l-floss-thongs

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XCM Multifunction Car Charger Adapter

February 3rd, 2010, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo China



Supply power to your PSP GO, PSP-3000, PSP Slim, PSP-1000, NDSi-XL, NDSi, NDSL, NDS, iPod, Nano, Shuffle, iPhone 2G/3G/3GS ,Nokia mobile phone and other AV electronic appliances in your car with this car-lighter adapter which provides power supply to the rechargeable lithium battery pack.

It comes with a red light indicator that will light up when the console/device is charging.

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Resonance Of Fate Crosses Into Phantasy Star Portable 2

February 3rd, 2010, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

Sega continuing their quest of putting everything in Phantasy Star Portable 2 they possibly can added items from Resonance of Fate.

Does that character look familiar? Some Phantasy Star Portable 2 character is cosplaying as Leanne aka Reanbell in the Japanese version, End of Eternity. You can download a clothes pack with Leanne’s default outfit and B-84 gun. Like other Phantasy Star Portable 2 crossover content, these items are free. Just log on with a Japanese PlayStation Network account to get them.

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/02/03...ar-portable-2/

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Star Ocean: The Last Hope International

February 4th, 2010, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
Up to four characters can take part in battles simultaneously and party members can be switched mid-battle
New Blindside battle system fuses evasion and offense, enabling players to confuse and ambush enemies by quickly moving out of their line of sight when targeted
Pilot the Calnus spaceship for the first time in the series and journey to various planets of the STAR OCEAN universe
Features breathtaking CG movies by Visual Works, the cutting-edge studio whose previous work includes cut scenes for the acclaimed FINAL FANTASY® series
In addition to English and Japanese voice options, the PlayStation 3 system version will include English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese language options for STAR OCEAN fans around the world

description
The year is A.D. 2087. In the aftermath of World War III, Earth has been ravaged and the population decimated by a deteriorating environment. The countries that survived have joined together to form the Greater Unified Nations and turned their eyes skyward…to space. Edge Maverick and his childhood friend Reimi Saionji are chosen as pioneer members of the Space Reconnaissance Force, which was created to seek out new worlds beyond the stars. Their ship, the Calnus, takes its place on the lunar launch pad along with four other starships of the first reconnaissance fleet. These ships – humanity’s last hope – blast off one-by-one and sail into the awaiting wormhole that leads to the vast star ocean. And so, Edge and his crew begin their voyage in search of a new haven for humanity...and a second chance.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3oqm.html

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Sony sees strong profits

February 4th, 2010, 17:57 Posted By: wraggster

Electronics giant Sony has posted operating profits of $1.6 billion for its third fiscal quarter – its first profit in five quarters.
The results are a big improvement on the $197 million loss seen in the same period the year before.
Increased sales for Sony’s Blu-ray operation paved the way for a 22 per cent increase in profits at the B2B & Disc Manufacturing Division, totalling $110 million.
There were also strong results at the Networked Products and Services Division (which houses Sony’s PlayStation operations), with the period brining an operating profit of $213 million – up $277 million year-on-year.
Sony has now halved its forecasted full-year loss from $415 million to $207 million.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/33107...strong-profits

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Arc is just a codename, says Sony

February 4th, 2010, 19:08 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Sony spokesperson Patrick Seybold has played down yet more suggestions the new PS3 wand is called Arc.

This time the suggestions have come from THQ boss Brian Farrell. According to VG247, he referred to the wand as Arc in a recent conference call.

However, Sony spokesperson Patrick Seybold has since told everyone to calm down. "We haven't announced the name of our Motion Controller," he wrote on his Twitter page. "He referred to it as a rumored codename."

US journalist N'Gai Croal responded by asking, "When will the Vice President of Peripheral Nomenclature announce the real name?"

Seybold replied, "You'll be among the first to know when we do."

Reports that the wand's name is Arc began to emerge last month. Other rumoured names have included Sphere, Gem and Kaz Hirai's Magic Wonder Stick of Electronical Joy maybe not the last one.

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Sony: PS3's best is yet to come

February 4th, 2010, 20:28 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Sony believes that the best is yet to come from PS3 - and that it will only really 'push the boundaries' of what is possible from the machine in years to come.

The format holder has repeatedly said it has a ten-year plan mapped out for the platform.

SCE Worldwide Studios Europe VP Michael Denny said today that he believes PS3's hardware will eventually be pushed by a game in the same way that God Of War II pushed PS2 to the max.

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Sony sold 6.5m PS3s last autumn

February 4th, 2010, 20:39 Posted By: wraggster

Sony's financial results this morning have yielded some good news for the consumer electronics giant: it shifted 6.5 million PlayStation 3s between October and December 2009, says VG247.

That's a rise of 2 million consoles and over 44 per cent from the 4.5 million Sony sold in the same period in 2008. A price cut amd the new PS3 Slim model did their bit, and the launch of Modern Warfare 2 probably helped, too.

Things weren't so rosy for PS3's stable-mates, though. The ageing PS2, which celebrates its tenth birthday this year, slowed from 2.5m to 2.1m sales.

Of more concern to Sony will be the fate of the PSP handheld, which despite the launch of the PSPgo dropped almost 18 per cent of its fourth-quarter sales, falling from 5.1 million units in 2008 to 4.2 million in 2009.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/so...3s-last-autumn

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Sony sold 6.5m PS3s last autumn

February 4th, 2010, 20:39 Posted By: wraggster

Sony's financial results this morning have yielded some good news for the consumer electronics giant: it shifted 6.5 million PlayStation 3s between October and December 2009, says VG247.

That's a rise of 2 million consoles and over 44 per cent from the 4.5 million Sony sold in the same period in 2008. A price cut amd the new PS3 Slim model did their bit, and the launch of Modern Warfare 2 probably helped, too.

Things weren't so rosy for PS3's stable-mates, though. The ageing PS2, which celebrates its tenth birthday this year, slowed from 2.5m to 2.1m sales.

Of more concern to Sony will be the fate of the PSP handheld, which despite the launch of the PSPgo dropped almost 18 per cent of its fourth-quarter sales, falling from 5.1 million units in 2008 to 4.2 million in 2009.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/so...3s-last-autumn

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Red Faction, Homefront before April 2011

February 4th, 2010, 20:40 Posted By: wraggster

THQ boss Brian Farrell has promised to show the new Red Faction: Guerrilla game at E3 2010 this summer.

The as yet unnamed follow-up will be released in the publisher's next financial year (April 2010 - March 2011). Farrell said all this in a recent investor call, his favourite place for new announcements, the rogue.

There's no official word what to expect, although a more fully-rounded experience built on the same technology RF Guerrilla technology seems like a good guess. Strong sequels appear to be a feature of this generation, what with Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed II and Mass Effect 2 doing so well.

Read our Red Faction: Guerrilla review for the full story.

Farrell also said Homefront will be released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 before April 2011.

That's the shooter set 20 years in the future when North Korea has invaded and occupied the US. Kaos, developer of Frontlines: Fuel of War, is at the helm, and there's even talk of sequel already. Must be confident.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/re...ore-april-2011

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ESRB regrets DOA: Paradise outburst

February 4th, 2010, 20:42 Posted By: wraggster

America's ESRB organisation has apologised for classifying Dead or Alive: Paradise as a PSP game filled with "creepy voyeurism" and "bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want"; "Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs," the Mature rating summary read.

The post has now been neutered. It was posted "in error" and the ESRB has said that the listing "improperly" contained "subjective language".

"Our intention with rating summaries is to provide useful, detailed descriptions of game content that are as objective and informative as possible. However they are ultimately written by people and, in this case, we mistakenly posted a rating summary that included what some could rightfully take to be subjective statements," ESRB spokesperson Eliot Mizrachi said in a statement.

"We sincerely regret the error and will work to prevent this from happening again in the future."

The ESRB, unlike the BBFC, provides voluntary ratings for games - no one need take any notice of them.

Dead or Alive: Paradise follows female characters from the fighting series on holiday on a hot, tropical island. They play various mini-games and wear tiny bikinis. Boobs bounce and camera angles are risque. The official marketing slogan is, "Paradise in the palm of your hand."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/es...adise-outburst

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BBFC2, AVP demos on PSN Store today

February 4th, 2010, 20:44 Posted By: wraggster

Online multiplayer demos for Aliens vs. Predator and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 await you on the PlayStation Store today. They're both free, so there's no reason not to give these two newcomers a spin.

There's also a free sampler for brilliantly inventive PSP game Half-Minute Hero. Do try it, our review will explain why.

Today's other big arrival is Final Fantasy VIII, which is meant for PSP but can also be played on PS3. And this costs eight pounds, conveniently.

The rest you'll find below.

PS3 Demos

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer (free)
Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer (free)
PS3 Game Content

Topatoi: Episode 2 (£4.79/€5.99)
Dragon Ball: Revived Warriors Pack (free)
EyePet: Lucky Dip Pack 11 (free)
InFamous: - Gigawatt Blades Pack (free)
Guitar Hero 5: 30 Seconds to Mars track pack ("Attack", "From Yesterday", "Kings and Queens") - £4.39/€5.49 (£1.59/€1.99 each)
Rock Band: Going Country Pack 03 ("Gone (Montgomery Gentry)", "Me and My Gang", "On the Road Again", "She Things My Tractor's Sexy", "Suds in the Bucket", "Swing") - £4.99/€7.99
Age of Booty: Map pack 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (free)
Dante's Inferno: Free Soul Pack (free)
Dante's Inferno: Small Soul Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
Dante's Inferno: Medium Soul Pack (£1.59/€1.99)
Dante's Inferno: Large Soul Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
PSP Demo

Half-Minute Hero (UK only)
PSP Games

Final Fantasy VIII (£7.99/€9.99)
Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks (£23.99/€29.99)
Astro Boy: The Video Game (£23.99/€29.99)
PSP Minis

Spaceball: Revolution (3.99/€4.99)
LittleBigPlanet: Savannah Costumes, The Gardens Costume Pack (free)
LittleBigPlanet: Savannah Theme Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bb...sn-store-today

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BBFC2, AVP demos on PSN Store today

February 4th, 2010, 20:44 Posted By: wraggster

Online multiplayer demos for Aliens vs. Predator and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 await you on the PlayStation Store today. They're both free, so there's no reason not to give these two newcomers a spin.

There's also a free sampler for brilliantly inventive PSP game Half-Minute Hero. Do try it, our review will explain why.

Today's other big arrival is Final Fantasy VIII, which is meant for PSP but can also be played on PS3. And this costs eight pounds, conveniently.

The rest you'll find below.

PS3 Demos

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer (free)
Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer (free)
PS3 Game Content

Topatoi: Episode 2 (£4.79/€5.99)
Dragon Ball: Revived Warriors Pack (free)
EyePet: Lucky Dip Pack 11 (free)
InFamous: - Gigawatt Blades Pack (free)
Guitar Hero 5: 30 Seconds to Mars track pack ("Attack", "From Yesterday", "Kings and Queens") - £4.39/€5.49 (£1.59/€1.99 each)
Rock Band: Going Country Pack 03 ("Gone (Montgomery Gentry)", "Me and My Gang", "On the Road Again", "She Things My Tractor's Sexy", "Suds in the Bucket", "Swing") - £4.99/€7.99
Age of Booty: Map pack 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (free)
Dante's Inferno: Free Soul Pack (free)
Dante's Inferno: Small Soul Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
Dante's Inferno: Medium Soul Pack (£1.59/€1.99)
Dante's Inferno: Large Soul Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
PSP Demo

Half-Minute Hero (UK only)
PSP Games

Final Fantasy VIII (£7.99/€9.99)
Ben 10 Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks (£23.99/€29.99)
Astro Boy: The Video Game (£23.99/€29.99)
PSP Minis

Spaceball: Revolution (3.99/€4.99)
LittleBigPlanet: Savannah Costumes, The Gardens Costume Pack (free)
LittleBigPlanet: Savannah Theme Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bb...sn-store-today

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Weekly Special - Red Faction®: Guerrilla™ for PlayStation3

February 4th, 2010, 22:29 Posted By: wraggster

New special offer from Play Asia:



Set 50 years after the climactic events of the original Red Faction

Red Faction®: Guerrilla™ allows players to take the role of an insurgent fighter with the newly re-established Red Faction movement as they battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force.

Red Faction: Guerrilla re-defines the limits of destruction-based game-play with a huge open-world, fast-paced guerrilla-style combat, and true physics-based destruction.

Replacing Bourne Conspiracy as the weekly special is Red Faction Guerrilla is available at an unbeatable bargain price of US$ 19.90 only.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-2ba-84-n.html

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God Eater

February 4th, 2010, 22:31 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



God Eater takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters, Aragami, destroyed everything. You are the user of the God Eater, the only weapon with enough destructive powers to take on these massive creatures.

High speed hunting ensues as soon as you spot one of these beasts. Call your friends to aid you during your quests by turning on the adhoc networking mode or take them on one on one.

You can change the shape of your weapon depending on your distance and the type of Aragami you are fighting. By absorbing the cells of the monsters, you can unleash the full power of the God Eater for a limited time. Look for the chance in battle to turn the tables around.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3nx3.html

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NesterJ 1.12 Plus 0.61 RM - Nes Emulator for PSP

February 4th, 2010, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

NES emulator for Sony PSP has been updated. Changes:
Changes from 0.61 (based on nesterJ 1.12 by Takka, based on nesterJ 1.11 by Ruka)

From suloku:
- Added rewind mode coded by Davex
- Added mirror and rotated screen modes by Davex
- Added sepia color palette by Davex

From byemu:

- Added support for a LOT of boards and mappers, including mapper 163 (NJ063 Final Fantasy VII Advent Children among others)
- PAL-NTSC selector
- Added Chinese interface language
- Added FAT ROM read mode, which enables Chinese filenames while browsing
- Added a new cheat function to make changing games easier.
- ROM support up to 4M
- Increased exception handling, prevention of reading the game crash
- Roms can be deleted. Press [] (square) in the rom list interface.
- Added and increased a custom rom database (byemudb.dat)

From 1.12 by Takka:
- Ported to 3.xx firmware (full user mode);
- Fixed sleep mode issues;
- Fixed saving issues (sram and states).

Download and Give Feedback Via Comments

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[RUMOR] An exploit for firmware 6:20?

February 4th, 2010, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...3&view_reply=1

From the forum LAN.st comes an interesting news for the PSP hacking scene. And this time, there appears to be the usual fake. The coder pspjoke, with the help of noob81, worked on saving some PlayStation Store titles, with the hope of finding at least one crash that turned out to exploit. It seems that the work has paid off and that there is an exploit for firmware 6.20, compatible with all models of PSP is currently available. The news is tagged as a rumor, because they are not available or demonstration video files nor even to keep the game in question will be promptly removed from the PlayStation Store and patches. On the forum, though, came LAN.st confirmations on the possible use of this new crash.

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HomeBrew Sorter GUI beta 4

February 4th, 2010, 23:30 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from suloku

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Square spends millions to fulfil Fantasy

February 5th, 2010, 14:56 Posted By: wraggster

Publisher pledges to make release of FFXIII to be a "true event"
Millions of pounds will be spent on the marketing campaign for Final Fantasy XIII, MCV understands.
The publisher plans to make the game’s launch “a true event” with a heavyweight TV campaign that will kick off on March 1st and run through Easter and into April, including spots during football matches.
“We aim to make Final Fantasy XIII not only the biggest game release, but one of the biggest entertainment releases of Q1,” said UK product manager Grant Tasker.
Square Enix has also arranged its biggest ever investment in video-on-demand media, and expects its national bus-side advertising to reach an estimated 75 per cent of the UK’s population.
Final Fantasy XIII will hit 360 and PS3 on March 9th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37456/Squa...fulfil-Fantasy

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EyePet sequel on the way this year?

February 5th, 2010, 18:54 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


A second instalment in the EyePet series is on the way, according to Gamekyo.

Our new best friend Cyrille from Eurogamer France has done the translation for us. "After enchanting babies (a lot) and adults (a little less), EyePet will return on PlayStation 3 - probably this year," the article says.

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Yakuza 3 CE is only UK SKU

February 5th, 2010, 19:06 Posted By: Shrygue

via MCV


Sega has confirmed that the Collector’s Edition of upcoming Japanese gangster title Yakuza 3 will be the only SKU released in PAL regions.

Kotaku reports that, despite the extras, the game will carry a standard RRP.

Included in the package will be a copy of the PS3 game on Blu-ray, a CD soundtrack, interactive beginner’s guide to the series’ history and four pieces of DLC.

The game will be released in the UK on March 12th.

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Just Cause 2 demo "on its way"

February 5th, 2010, 21:28 Posted By: wraggster

The Eidos bit of Square Enix has announced on Twitter that there is a "Just Cause 2 demo on its way".

Square Enix London Studios community manager Mike Oldman subsequent tweeted: "I'll have more news on the demo soon enough, for now though just relax safe in the knowledge that there's one on the way - and it's awesome."

Just Cause 2 from Avalanche Studios is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 26th March, and puts players in control of grappling hook lover Rico Rodriguez as he takes on the corrupt locals of fictional tropical island Panau.

You can attach one end of a grappling hook to a passing plane and snap the other to a sentry to get him out of the way.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ju...emo-on-its-way

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Rebellion apologises for AVP demo issues

February 5th, 2010, 21:29 Posted By: wraggster

Rebellion has apologised for problems affecting matchmaking on the PC and PS3 versions of the Aliens vs. Predator demo released yesterday.

While the Xbox 360 version was not affected, PC owners had issues joining games until a Steam patch was issued later in the day, and PS3 problems may be ongoing - Rebellion has said it's investigating reports.

"The full game features the ability to browse for and create games but for the purposes of simplicity the demo was limited to matchmaking, alongside the ability to set up groups with friends which mitigated yesterday's issues for many.

"We're really sorry that this issue tainted a day in which we saw many people get hands-on with AVP for the first time and we're hugely gratified by the positive feedback to the game."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/re...vp-demo-issues

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ModNation Racers heading to PSP

February 5th, 2010, 21:29 Posted By: wraggster

Sony has announced plans to release a PSP version of ModNation Racers.

Like the PS3 version developed by United Front Games, the PSP ModNation Racers is a kart racing game where you can make your own avatar and racetracks.

It promises "all of the features of the PS3 version", including the ability to create, upload and share courses.

It also promises single-player and multiplayer modes just like its big brother, and will be released at the same, as-yet unannounced time.

Multiplayer will be six-player over ad-hoc, apparently.

The PS3 version of ModNation Racers recently went through an open beta on PlayStation Network and is scheduled for release this year.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mo...heading-to-psp

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Sony Still Loses Money on Every PS3 They Sell

February 5th, 2010, 21:34 Posted By: wraggster

A tiny but significant factoid in Sony's earnings report from the WSJ: "Sony loses about six cents for every dollar of PS3 hardware sales."

Educated guesser of component prices iSuppli had deduced that Sony was finally eking out a little bit of profit on every PS3 Slim they sold, thanks to lower costs, but apparently, not the case! They're hoping to cut production costs by 15 percent by March 2011. Hey, at least PS3 sales were up 44 percent. On the other hand, no one's buying the PSP Go. Sony cut their sales estimates by third for the year.

Sony did actually make money this quarter—the first time in a year—but it was by essentially ravaging the company to cut over $3 billion in costs: A fifth of its plants are gone, along with 20,000 jobs.

http://gizmodo.com/5464610/sony-stil...-ps3-they-sell

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Forza 3 director on 60fps, Gran Turismo 5

February 5th, 2010, 21:49 Posted By: wraggster

VG247 has posted an interview with Forza Motorsport 3 director, Dan Greenwalt. Perhaps the most interesting bit is Greenwalt's explanation of why developer Turn 10 was so intent on making the game run at 60 frames per second. According to Greenwalt, racers that run at 30fps have "visual shuttering artifacts," which developers are forced to cover up with motion blur. This, he said, takes up GPU resources for other features. Beyond that, he noted that the 60fps benchmark was essential to the "feel" of the game and the responsive nature of the controls. "I'm sure you would get a similar response from Infinity Ward regarding Call of Duty," said Greenwalt.

When asked what he thought about Gran Turismo 5, and whether he was looking forward to it, Greenwalt said that "all good game developers look at what their competitors are doing." He stated that he has been "a long-time fan" of the series, though he added, "At this point, after so many missed releases, it's nearly impossible to say what GT5 will be or when it will ship." That said, Greenwalt believes that Gran Turismo 5 will be "a good racing game." Not exactly "No game competes with us," is it?

The interview also covers some interesting statistics, like the fact that players have driven over 1.1 billion miles in online Forza 3 races. Check out the full interview for more stats and insights on the game's development.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/05/fo...ran-turismo-5/

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White Knight Chronicles International Edition

February 5th, 2010, 23:15 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
During battle players can transform into the giant White Knight, gaining the ability to challenge large enemies as well as troops of soldiers throughout the adventure
Using a wide array of sliders and customization options, players will be able to create a unique character in White Knight Chronicles and this avatar will join the adventure in single player mode as well as online
Engage in an easily accessible, active turn-based battle system that caters to players of all levels. Execute straightforward attacks or utilize the fully customizable combo system to allow players to combine attacks for maximum damage
Experience the first true RPG action game on PS3 that incorporates a variety of online gameplay elements
Players will traverse through 13 stages as well as visit up to six towns/villages to visit and purchase items at shops or interact with NPCs. Stages include lush fields, open desert, vast wastelands, tunnels, and ruins
Players are provided with a camera called the Crystal Camera and take pictures throughout the journey. Pictures can be set on the top of their GeoNet page

description
White Knight Chronicles is an epic fantasy tale about two kingdoms in midst of a longstanding war. The King of Balandor, wishing to put an end to the war, invites the duke of Faria to his castle to celebrate his daughter's coming of age. But this celebration is sabotaged by the Magi, a rogue sect seeking to steal the White Knight, an ancient weapon of war sealed beneath Balandor castle, in order to take over the world. During the ensuing chaos, a young man named Leonard accidentally unlocks the power of the White Knight as he attempts to save the princess. With this power, Leonard manages to fend off the Magi attack, but not before they escape with the princess.

With the kingdoms in chaos, Leonard is entrusted with the mission to find the Magi and rescue the princess. With the help of his trusted companions, they travel throughout Balandor and beyond on a quest to save the princess before the Magi unlock the other knights. The journey is fraught with danger, with Magi warriors at every turn, mythical beasts and monsters to battle, and forbidden powers revealed. As Leonard learns more about the power of the Knight, he realizes that unsealing all of them could trigger a calamity that could end the world.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3czw.html

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PS3 Exploit: Geohot PS3 Hack Files Fixed

February 6th, 2010, 00:59 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://xorloser.com/?p=162

As I’m sure everybody heard, the memory access exploit for the PS3 hypervisor was released recently by geohotz. I was finally able to replicate his hack so I thought I’d take the time to help out others who may also have trouble due to being linux n00bs like me If I were to post everything at once it would be too much work and I’d never get around to it, so I’ll post bits at a time to ensure I actually do post it heh. Today’s post will talk about the software side of the exploit.

Please note that the geohotz exploit software was hardcoded for the v2.42 firmware, I have made a small fix that attempts to dynamically support all firmware versions. I have only tested and used it on v3.15 however.

Fixed PS3 Exploit Files - download via comments

The first step is to install Linux on your PS3 which means of course that this will not work on a slim PS3. I tried a few different Linux distros and after various different issues I settled on using Ubuntu v8.10 since this is the same version that geohotz used. I suggest using the “alternate” version since it includes a gui which the “server” version does not. You can download the 636MB image below, I suggest using the legal torrent below to save the bandwith of the Ubuntu servers.

Ubuntu for PS3 v8.10 alternate – Direct Download

After downloading, burn the image to a CD-R and install as you would any OtherOS install. There are many generic and also Ubuntu specific guides for doing this, so I won’t cover that here.

Once you have Linux up and running you should log in using the username you created during install. Now open a terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). You can enable the root account by creating a password for it by typing “sudo passwd”. You then enter your current users password once and then the new root password twice. The root account will now be usable.

Now type “su” and then enter the new root password to get root access. Create a dir to put everything in. You could probably create this in your home directory, but I created it in the root of the filesystem so that I can share it between root and my user account as well as setting up access to it via samba from my PC. To create the dir do “mkdir /ps3share”, you can call it anything you want, I call it ps3share because I share it with my PC over samba. Now allow all users to read and write to it by doing “chmod a+rw /ps3share”. Finally give ownership of it to your normal user account by doing “chown username:username /ps3share” where username is your username.

Next you need to get the “fixed” exploit software onto your PS3. Using a USB flashdrive is easiest. Copy the extracted files onto it from your PC, then insert it into your PS3. It should automount and bring up an icon on your desktop. Double click the icon to open the file browser. Right click on the USB drive in the filebrowser and choose to “Open in New Window”. Then on the left side of the file browser select “File System” and then “ps3share”. Now drag the files from the USB drive into your “ps3share” directory.

I have included a binary of the exploit file for those of you who don’t want to build it yourself, but for those who do here is how. First you need to fix the location of the kernel headers so they can be found by the build scripts, so do “mv /usr/src/linux-ports-headers-2.6.25-2/ /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.25-2/”. Now change to the directory with the exploit source in it “cd /ps3share/ps3_exploit_fixed/src” and then build it by typing “make”. There will be a lot of warnings but it should create the file “exploit.ko”.

You are now set to run the software side of the exploit. DO NOT run it from this terminal while in the GUI, it should only be run from console mode. If you do run it you will not see anything happening, but your PS3 will suddenly become really slow and you will have to turn it off. More about the running of it in a future post.

A summary of the commands to enter at the terminal is below:
sudo password

(then enter users password once, then the new password for root twice)
su

(then enter root password)

mkdir /ps3share

chmod a+rw /ps3share

chown username:username /ps3share

(where username is replaced by your username)

Now copy the exploit files into /ps3share

.mv /usr/src/linux-ports-headers-2.6.25-2/ /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.25-2/

cd /ps3share/ps3_exploit_fixed/src

make

done!

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PSP CheatUp v0.50

February 6th, 2010, 01:02 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...2&view_reply=1

Raing3 developer releases a new update for PSP CheatUp, homebrew that enables us to keep your database applications (Cwcheat, FreeCheat, nitePR, DayPR ...) that allow you to use cheats and codes on our games for PSP. This new release, which brings the application to version 0.50, introduces some new features related to the updating of the database.

Changelog v0.50:

Quote:

- Agguiunto support for downloading third-party cheat and alternate database
- New prefixes research NitePR

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PlayStation 3 still a loss leader, 'six cents for every dollar' of hardware sold

February 6th, 2010, 22:52 Posted By: wraggster

Though Sony's overall bottom line is back in black, what held it back from an even bigger celebration cake was its core electronics brand, and no stranger to that sector is the PlayStation group. Both Joystiq and The Wall Street Journal took a more careful look at the numbers, and there's a few points worth noting. PS2 sales took a year-over-year dip, down from 2.5 million to 2.1 million. PSP took a larger hit, down to 4.2 million from 5.1 million. The PS3, however, is a mix of good and bad news. The good news: 6.5 million in unit sales, up from the 4.5 million prior. That said, it turns out Sony has yet to pull its home console away from "loss leader" status -- WSJ reports the company is still losing "about six cents for every dollar of PS3 hardware sales," i.e. if Sony were to sell the consoles to retailers for $300, it'd technically be taking a hit of $18 each time. That's nowhere near the estimates when the PS3 first launch, and additionally Sony's CFO Nobuyuki Oneda is promising a 15 percent reduction cost by March 2011, which should go a long way. Lets' not forget the company still makes money on Blu-rays and software sales, but in the meantime, hang tight little buddy, you're this close to being profitable all by your lonesome.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/05/p...-every-dollar/

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Introducing the Caseburster

February 6th, 2010, 22:57 Posted By: wraggster



Alien chestburster casemod for PS3 phat

http://kotaku.com/5465456/introducing-the-caseburster

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It Appears Echoshift Has Less Levels In North America

February 6th, 2010, 23:01 Posted By: wraggster

The PlayStation Blog is brimming with PSP announcements today. First, they confirmed ModNation Racers for PSP, which we mentioned back in July.

We also have news about Echoshift, a time bending Cursor 10 meets Echochrome puzzle game where you create an exit path by replaying the same level with a cast. Japan got it in November 2009 and Jigen Kairou (the game’s name in Japanese) had nine worlds, 63 stages, and free downloadable content.

The North American version only has 56 stages. A SCEA staffer says there will be more levels available as DLC so the extra stages could come at a later date, but why cut them out in the first place then?

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/02/05...north-america/

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PMPlayer Advance v3.0.8

February 7th, 2010, 02:17 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...4&view_reply=1

For over a month since the last release, developer cooleyes Releases Update to PMPlayer Advance, PSP video player, now in version 3.0.8, with some advanced features and also allows the viewing of movies in PMP format. This new update brings compatibility with FLV file format and fixes a bug related to the decoding of the AVC file.

Changelog v3.0.8:

Quote:

- Support for FLV
- Fixed a bug in the decoding of the AVC file

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Kojima: MGS to 'rediscover its fun'

February 7th, 2010, 20:25 Posted By: wraggster

Hideo Kojima has claimed that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will allow players to "rediscover the fun" of earlier MGS games - but reassured fans that the title doesn't dumb down the series.

Speaking in the latest issue of the UK's Official PlayStation Magazine, Kojima said creating the PSP title was a challenge to his team - who have spent more time working on PS2 and PS3.

When asked about the simple presentation of Rockstar's PSP release GTA: Chinatown Wars, Kojima replied:

"I am not aiming at old-style gameplay [for Peace Walker]. What I want to do is rediscover the basic fun of what MGS has to offer, and push the limit in a 3D form."

He added that his team were aiming to both push the PSP hardware and create a 'fresh, enjoyable experience' with Konami's Peace Walker.

On the difficulties of developing for PSP after his acclaimed PS3 work, Kojima commented:

"Most of the staff work on more sophisticated hardware, such as PS3 and you can't really do the same things [on PSP]. As a games designer it is really challenging, because you have to come up with ideas to overcome issues. There are many of these."

He added: "But there are good things on PSP, too. On the PS3, there was a massive workload, and I didn't have time to come up with new tricks.

"This time [we] could really concentrate on it. It may be good for the staff, too - stepping down on the technology and wringing out ideas to make the impossible, possible."

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is due for release later this year, following a delay which Hideo Kojima himself called "a crime".

He's right, you know: We can't wait.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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PS3 Exploit: Hardware

February 7th, 2010, 21:14 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://xorloser.com/?p=175

This post will deal with the hardware required to trigger the PS3 hypervisor memory access exploit. The purpose of the hardware is to stop the PS3 from saving a change to a value that we don’t want changed. The PS3 saves this changed value by writing the value to RAM. Therefore in order to stop it from saving the changed value we need to stop this write from occurring.

The PS3 sends the write command to the RAM over some control lines, so we interfere with these control lines when the write command is sent. The result we want is having the PS3 think it has successfully written the value to RAM, but the RAM didn’t receive the write command due to our interference and so it did not perform the write operation.

The easiest (and moderately safe) way to interfere with these control lines is to ground them. This is done easily enough by connecting a wire between one of the control lines and ground. The tricky part is timing it just right so that it only interferes with the write we want to stop, and not anything that occurs before or after this write. This might be achievable with costly equipment and a lot of work, however geohotz used the simple method of “luck”. This involves repeatedly preparing the situation to best favour the chance of overwriting the correct write command and then continually grounding a control line until either something crashes that shouldn’t or the mark is hit stopping the write operation from occurring. At this point the exploit has been successfully triggered!

Now that you know how it works it is time to implement it. A connection is required to the control line that will be grounded as well as a connection to ground. These two wires then need to be connected to each other momentarily. If you were to try and do this manually as fast as you could you might connect them for a millisecond or so, however RAM control lines are very fast so 1ms is going to interfere with way too many commands. Instead these lines need to be connected to some hardware that is able to bridge the connection between then for very small periods of time at once. Geohotz suggests a connection period of 40 nanoseconds.

There are many ways that some hardware can be made to perform this short connection. Geohotz used an FPGA he had on hand in order to do it. Others have suggested using a 555 timer, however I have not heard of anyone having any success with this method. I used a small sx28 microcontroller I had on hand due to using it for a project some years ago. It runs at 50MHz with an instruction cycle of 20 nanoseconds, which means it should be fast enough to provide the 40 nanosecond connection required.

The first step is to take apart your PS3 in order to expose the top side of the motherboard. Once you do so look for one of the following areas on it depending on what version PS3 you have.

This first picture is from an old 60GB PS3 which came with the 4 USB ports and the card readers. You can see I have soldered a wire to the side of a resistor. This is the connection to the PS3 RAM control line that you need to solder on. I suggest you route this wire down and then to the left of the two pronged power plug you can see. My wire continues downward in this picture, but I found that doing so caused interference in the wire that would unintentinally trigger RAM corruptions. To avoid this you should route it to the left underneath the power plug so that it then comes out of the left side of the PS3 case. You can use a long wire during installation, but try to keep it short when you finalise its routing and final positioning. You can see I used a hot glue gun to ensure any stress placed on the wire will not pull at the solder joint.

http://xorloser.com/blog/wp-content/...02/old_ps3.jpg

This second picture is from an 80GB PS3 with 2 USB ports and no card readers. This was the model that was out just before the “fat” PS3s were replaced by the “slim” PS3s, so it is a newer motherboard revision where there are two RAM chips on both sides of the motherboard instead of all four on one side. In this picture I have circled the trace you should solder to for your RAM control line connection. In order to solder to this I used a craft knife to carefully scratch the paint off the top of the trace to expose the copper underneath which I then soldered a wire to. Once connected you should route this wire straight down towards the front of the case to best avoid interference in the wire from other parts of the PS3. Once again try to keep the final wire nice and short.

http://xorloser.com/blog/wp-content/...02/new_ps3.jpg


Next you need to get a ground connection. This is done the same way for both motherboard versions and is very easy. You can just wrap a wire around any of the metal screws that screw into the metal shielding that covers the top of the motherboard. You don’t even need to solder it, just wrap it under the screw head and screw it into place This wire should be routed out of the console next to to your other control line wire.

The above two wire connections are common to any implementation of a hardware trigger. The following is specific to how I did my hardware trigger but you may implement your trigger however you want. Note that I initially tried wiring 5 Volts of power out next to these lines but doing so continually resulted in unwanted interference in the control line causing the PS3 to crash while booting.

For my hardware trigger I used an SX28 microcontroller which I bought years ago as part of this programming kit. To use the SX28 you need the SX28 chip, a way of programming the chip (usually an SX-Key or SX-Blitz) and an oscillator to drive the SX28 chip at 50MHz. All of these are included in the above programming kit. Maybe if enough people buy from them and mention xorloser they’ll send me a USB version of the SX-Key instead of my old serial based one :/

Below is a crappy schematic of my circuit which I drew in windows paint. Please note that I am using the programming kit I mentioned above which utilises the SX-Key programmer in place of an oscillator while the SC-Key is attached. I do not have an external oscillator so I’ll leave the hooking up of that to you. Just take note that you do need either an oscillator or SX-Key attached in order to make the chip run.

http://xorloser.com/blog/wp-content/...8Processor.jpg


This SX28 sourcecode is the last piece of the puzzle. Program this to your SX28 chip using the free SX-Key Editor software from the Parallax. Once this is all hooked up to your PS3 you should be able to send a “pulse” (grounding of the control line) to the PS3 by pressing the switch. You should use a temporary-on push button switch to do so since it will keep sending pulses every 100ms if the switch stays connected. The LED on the right side of the schematic is just there to give the operator some feedback. It will light up when a pulse is sent to let you know that the circuit is working as it should. I should mention that if you look at my SX28 sourcecode you will see that it appears as if I am sending a 360 nanosecond long pulse. I do not know how long the pulse is that actually gets sent as I do not have any hardware that I can measure the pulse with (yet). Possibly there are hardware induced delays that occur when changing the direction of the port which means that although I am waiting 360 ns, it still only sends a pulse that is about 4o ns. To arrive at the 360 ns value I tried many values making the pulse as short as I could until it didn’t trigger anymore, then I increased it just a little bit to get the shortest pulse that still works.

Phew, this is finally the end of this post. My next post will tie it all together along with some software I have written to dump your own hypervisor and more. Cya.

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LA Noire goes multiplatform

February 8th, 2010, 12:52 Posted By: wraggster

Fresh details of Rockstar’s mysterious upcoming title delivered by US mag Game Informer
As has been suspected for some time, Rockstar has confirmed that the long-in-development La Noire is no longer a PS3 exclusive and will in fact be released on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 as well.
After a prolonged period of silence on the game, developer Team Bondi has at last shed some light on the title via US consumer mag Game Informer.
Amongst the details, as posted by AGB, is the fact that the game promises a ‘revolutionary’ facial motion capture technology that supposedly delivers hugely realistic performances from the in-game characters.
There will be a dialogue choice system similar to that found in Mass Effect that will be particularly useful in scenes where players must interrogate suspects.
Crime scenes are depicted in a very lifelike style meaning players will have to be eagle-eyed to spot clues. Any details about objects that are examined will be automatically recorded in a notebook, the contents of which can then be used to challenge testimonies.

There’s no firm release date for the game as of yet, though a 2010 release looks increasingly likely.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37473/LA-N...-multiplatform

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Gran Turismo lifetime sales pass 55 million

February 8th, 2010, 12:55 Posted By: wraggster

Polyphony Digital has sold over 55 million Gran Turismo games, with sales for the latest Gran Turismo PSP now standing at 1.8 million.

The PSP game was released last October, coinciding with the launch of the PSPgo.

Gran Turismo Prologue sales are also nearing 5 million, according to figures released by the developer.

Polyphony's next instalment to the series, Gran Turismo 5, was recently delayed for another month, pushing back its expected March release date. A date hasn't been confirmed for Europe yet.

Here are the full sales figures:

Gran Turismo – 10,850,000
Gran Turismo 2 – 9,370,000
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec – 14,890,000
Gran Turismo Concept Series – 1,560,000
Gran Turismo 4 “Prologue” – 1,350,000
Gran Turismo 4 – 10,980,000
Gran Turismo 5 “Prologue” – 4,650,000
Gran Turismo PSP – 1,800,000
Total – 55,450,000

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ass-55-million

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Gran Turismo lifetime sales pass 55 million

February 8th, 2010, 12:55 Posted By: wraggster

Polyphony Digital has sold over 55 million Gran Turismo games, with sales for the latest Gran Turismo PSP now standing at 1.8 million.

The PSP game was released last October, coinciding with the launch of the PSPgo.

Gran Turismo Prologue sales are also nearing 5 million, according to figures released by the developer.

Polyphony's next instalment to the series, Gran Turismo 5, was recently delayed for another month, pushing back its expected March release date. A date hasn't been confirmed for Europe yet.

Here are the full sales figures:

Gran Turismo – 10,850,000
Gran Turismo 2 – 9,370,000
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec – 14,890,000
Gran Turismo Concept Series – 1,560,000
Gran Turismo 4 “Prologue” – 1,350,000
Gran Turismo 4 – 10,980,000
Gran Turismo 5 “Prologue” – 4,650,000
Gran Turismo PSP – 1,800,000
Total – 55,450,000

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ass-55-million

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Motion control will present challenge for Sony and MS

February 8th, 2010, 18:47 Posted By: wraggster

Jamie MacDonald, the former VP of Sony Worldwide Studios who was responsible for bringing motion control to the home consoles as early as 2003 with EyeToy: Play on PS2, has warned that delivering affordable motion technology and compelling games will present a challenge for both his former employer and for Microsoft.

"I'm very much looking forward to the motion controllers from both Microsoft and Sony, as you might expect given my background with EyeToy: Play," said MacDonald, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz. "The Natal games that I've seen look very interesting and I'm sure that Sony will come up with some great stuff, not least because of the motion control heritage they've got at London Studio where I was."

But there will be key challenges for both companies, said MacDonald. They will need to avoid simply replicating the sort of fun gamers can already experience on the Wii, because they are more powerful machines that people expect more from. But they'll also need to make sure they don't miss out on the casual audience altogether.

They'll also need to approach the design of motion games with a new focus - "We learnt really early on in the development of the EyeToy that you have to be careful - it's too physical for traditional long-form gameplay. You aren't going to stand there waving your arms around for two hours - you'd be completely knackered," he said.

"You have to take a different approach to game design, you have to use a different rhythm and focus to succeed in game design when using that kind of input."

The motion control technology will need to be "bulletproof" too, MacDonald added. "You can't risk breaking the player's suspension of disbelief so you don't want to get too leading edge with your technology because then it might break."

"But then there's a trade off between performance and the cost of goods - a consumer-friendly price point," he said.

"When I was at Sony, and I think it's still the case, the bundled EyeToy and SingStar games would come in at the top price point but [still the same] price of a triple A title - you weren't paying a premium for the hardware. And that worked well - but it only worked because the cost of goods was reasonable.

"I have no idea what the cost of goods are for those two new systems, but it'll be one of the challenges that I'm sure Sony and Microsoft are on top of. It's not trivial though, to design compelling games for these systems while, at the same time, making sure you've got the price points right."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...or-sony-and-ms

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OpenGL ES now on PSP

February 8th, 2010, 18:50 Posted By: wraggster

Metismo releases library for easy mobile porting
Mobile technology firm Metismo has released an OpenGL ES library for the PSP.
Originally developed as part of its Bedrock mobile porting technology, as profiled in this month's issue of Develop, Metismo has decided to release the OpenGL ES package as a static library that can be linked to the SN Systems compiler.
Supported features within the library include lighting; fogging; vertex buffer objects; uncompressed, palletised and additional DXTC compressed textures; fixed and floating point data type adherence; and internal vertex array conversion to optimal PSP formats.
“While we developed the OpenGL ES support as part of the broader Bedrock technology it became apparent that for some developers a standalone OpenGL ES package for the PSP was particularly beneficial,” said John Chasey, CEO of Metismo.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...-ES-now-on-PSP

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Aliens vs Predator demo hits 14k downloads on Live

February 8th, 2010, 20:13 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Rebellion's multiplayer Aliens vs Predator demo was downloaded 14,000 times on Xbox Live over the weekend - but the developer has told PS3 fans it is "really sorry" for a bug that left them unable to use the game's matchmaking system.

Rebellion released released an Aliens vs Predator demo patch patch on Friday to fix the matchmaking error on the PC version of the game - and told CVG today that it is working "as fast as possible" with Sony to patch the PS3 version.

However, the demo has really shone on Xbox Live, where it is carrying an impressive user rating.

Senior Producer Dave Brickley told CVG today:

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Heavy Rain review - 88% in PSM3

February 8th, 2010, 20:24 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


PSM3 magazine has given Quantic Dream's curious psycho thriller a healthy 88 percent score (and that's 18 percent more than it gave Final Fantasy XIII).

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Halfbrick Mixes Zombies And Time Travel

February 8th, 2010, 21:37 Posted By: wraggster



Australian developer Halfbrick attempts to stand out in the undead crowd with Age of Zombies, a time-travelling zombie-killing adventure, coming February 25th to PSP and PlayStation 3 minis.

http://kotaku.com/5466950/halfbrick-...ravel/gallery/

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Sony Evokes Persona 3 Portable PSP Bundle In Korea

February 8th, 2010, 21:58 Posted By: wraggster

Live in Korea? You’re the ones Sony are targeting with their upcoming Persona 3 Portable PSP bundle. The bundle comes with the game, a Turquoise Green PSP-3005, 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, and clear folders for those who pre-order the game.

Korea, unless Atlus USA has a big surprise for us, is the only region to get a Persona 3 Portable hardware package. Atlus and partner company Baruson Creative translated the text to Korean, something not many RPG publishers bother to do in the region. The limited edition bundle releases on Feb 12, 2010 for 272,000 won ($232).

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/02/07...ndle-in-korea/

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Jpcsp v0.4 rev.1338

February 9th, 2010, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...0&view_reply=1

New build available, 1338, for Jpcsp, the emulator PSP for PC developed in Java. I remember that in order to use the program, which allows you to run some homebrew like those already in the archive, you need to install Java on your PC.
Following the full changelog and the link to download.

Changelog:

Quote:

Rev1338: Fixed module loading modules for using a stub size not divisible by 20. Added new icons from J_BYYX.Added missing "try ... catch" statements in VideoEngine that were causing compilation errors.
Rev1337: Use Nullpointer exception instead of returning null in the method to transform inputstreams to strings as it already throws a exception. Reworked one of the client methods since the method does not return null on empty files but the empty string.
Rev1336: Introduces a method to transform into inputstreams strings and use it where that was happening.
Rev1334: Slightly simpler get StrackTraceElements of
Rev1333: Properties already have a way to specify a default value
Rev1331: GUI changes from J_BYYX: icons for menu items

http://jpcsp.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2056

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PSPLife (Game of Life simulator)

February 9th, 2010, 00:05 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://jojosoft.1free.ws/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17



Hello everyone,

It has been a while since my last homebrew but today i made this little but nice John Conway's Game of Life.

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PS3 confirmed for new Ghost Recon

February 9th, 2010, 16:51 Posted By: wraggster

Game’s community developer commits to simultaneous release for Future Soldier
Having omitted any mention of the PS3 from its formal announcement of new shooter Ghost Recon Future Soldier this morning, Ubisoft has now confirmed a multiformat release for the game.
Ubisoft community developer Aymeric Evennou said on Twitter: "To those who wondered, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will also release on PS3 : same experience, same development team and same release date."
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier community developer Kimi Matsuzaki added that Ubisoft “will tell more about the PC version later”.
The game is due out on Xbox 360 and PS3 this Q4, with an Xbox 360 beta due in the summer.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37496/PS3-...ew-Ghost-Recon

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LBP gets Valentines, Chinese New Year DLC

February 9th, 2010, 19:41 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Someone must be buying the endless stream of Sackboy costumes for LittleBigPlanet, because Media Molecule's still churning them out, this week releasing new costumes to mark Valentines Day and Chinese New Year.

The valentines 'Lurve Pack', contains four new love-themed Sackboy costumes and 15 new stickers, so you can spend Valentines Day making a level of love for your missus as an excuse to stay in the warm playing PS3, instead of taking her for an expensive meal. The DLC only costs $2.99 (usually around £2).

The Chinese New Year costume pack gives you two new suits for free. They'll be on the PS Store from this Thursday but get cracking because they'll both disappear on Feb 25. Pics are over on the PS Blog.

In case you missed the news, MM breathed new life into the game's single-player venture with the huge Pirates of the Caribbean update, which added all new water mechanics.

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Final Two Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition Characters Revealed

February 9th, 2010, 19:44 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


The mystery surrounding those two final Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition Mercenaries Reunion characters has been solved courtesy of Japan's Weekly Famitsu magazine. In its latest issue, the magazine reports that Rebecca Chambers and Barry Burton will make it into the revamped Mercenaries mode as new playable characters.

This is the last bit of information before Gold Edition hits the Japanese PS3 next week under the name Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition. Worldwide, the game is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360. All the content, including the Mercenaries Reunion characters, will be made available to current RE5 owners via paid downloads.

In addition to the new character reveal, Famitsu also printed the first review of Gold Edition. The magazine's four reviewers awarded the game a high 10, 9, 9 and 9 (each score is out of 10). The new Lost in Nightmares episode earned praise for its strong puzzle element which hakens back to the classic Resident Evil. While the new episodes are short, they have "random elements" and score attack opportunities.

Sounds like a worthy update both for new buyers who go with the disc version and for current owners who go for the downloads.

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Wada statement baffles FFXIII devs

February 9th, 2010, 19:54 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


It seems not even Final Fantasy XIII producer, Yoshinori Kitase, and director, Motomu Toriyama know what Square boss Yoichi Wada meant when he said the firm may cease to create "this type of game".

Wada told Edge last month: "But whether we are going to continue to internally create this type of game remains to be seen, because I actually feel that the team that was involved with Final Fantasy XIII should next move on to create and generate some 'next generation' forms of play."

The PS Blog asked Kitase and Toriyama to clarify what he meant, to which they said: "We don't know exactly what he meant by that. We don't really know what he meant by this style of game."

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Dragon Age: Origins ships over 3 million units

February 9th, 2010, 22:56 Posted By: wraggster

BioWare's Dragon Age: Origin has now shipped over 3 million units, according to EA data.

The game has also won over 30 industry awards, and holds an average review score of 91 on aggregate review site Metacritic. An expansion pack for the game, named Origins - Awakening, is due to launch on March 16.

"This is a tremendous start for the Dragon Age franchise and we are extremely pleased with the great reception the game has already received from critics and fans worldwide," said Dr Ray Muzyka, co-founder of BioWare and group general manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. "Our team is dedicated to crafting high quality, engaging new adventures and stories in the world of Ferelden for our fans!"

The Dragon Age figures come just days after it was confirmed BioWare title Mass Effect 2 had shipped over two million units in its first week on release.

As part of its Q3 2010 financial results, released yesterday, EA also revealed part of its release schedule for fiscal 2011.

Among them is a new Dragon Age title for console, handheld and PC, expected to be released in Q4 2011 - so between January and March 2011.

Other games listed for that quarter were Dead Space 2 on console and handheld, an unnamed shooter from Epic, a Need For Speed title and new Sims and Spore titles.

Q3 2011 games, which will account for this Christmas, include Crysis 2, FIFA Manager 11, The Sims 3 on consoles, two EA Sports Active titles and a new Harry Potter game.

All Points Bulletin (APB) is down for a Q2 release on PC, and other Q2 releases listed are a Medal of Honor title, FIFA Online, FIFA 11 and a MySims title.

Q1 lists Skate 3, Need for Speed World Online, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.

EA reported a 25 per cent fall in revenue in its latest Q3 financials, but also a reduction in profit losses from $641m to $82m.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-million-units

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Wii's Dead Space heading to PSN/XBLA?

February 9th, 2010, 23:09 Posted By: wraggster

EA may be revamping Wii game Dead Space: Extraction for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

It will remain on-rails and become an "interactive horror experience" in "full HD", according to a survey fished out of the internet by Kotaku. A tentative price of $15 (£9.60) was mentioned.

The survey added that EA was also planning a Dead Space strategy game for PSN and XBLA called Planet Cracker. Here players will mine resources from planets and protect their spoils from space pirates. Planet Cracker will offer "in-game rewards" for Dead Space 2, similar to Lionhead's downloadable Pub Games for Fable II.

Both games - Dead Space: Extraction and Planet Cracker - were listed as bonuses for people that pre-order the sequel or presumably splash out on flashy special editions.

Dead Space: Extraction was released in September last year and fetched 8/10 on Eurogamer. Dead Space 1 was released a year earlier in 2008 and picked up 7/10, but won over a sizable crowd.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/wi...ng-to-psn-xbla

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PixelJunk Shooter 2 not a "re-hash"

February 9th, 2010, 23:12 Posted By: wraggster

Q Games boss Dylan Cuthbert has said PixelJunk Shooter 2 will be far more than a "re-hash".

"Normally sequels are just a re-hashing of the ideas in the original, but for PixelJunk Shooter we still have a ton of ideas on the drawing board and the engine has lots of potential we want to use before moving onto our next idea," Cuthbert told G4TV. "It would be a waste not to use it to try out more stuff."

Cuthbert said there will be "a number" of new suits included to make use of some of the "brand new ideas for fluid gimmicks". He didn't mention a release date.

Q Games hasn't historically dwelt on IP, having moved from PixelJunk Racers to PixelJunk Monsters to PixelJunk Eden in swift succession. Check out our PixelJunk Shooter review for an idea of what to expect.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/q-...-not-a-re-hash

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Panasonic announces new 3D Blu-ray recorders, players

February 9th, 2010, 23:17 Posted By: wraggster



Looks like Panasonic's push to lead the 3D pack continues unabated. It's been just over a week since the company announced the opening of its first Blu-ray 3D authoring facility and now word's coming out of Tokyo's Yurakucho District that the world will soon be getting not one but four devices, including the DMP-BDT900-K, a pretty straight forward player that features the latest Advanced AVC encoding engine and a generous helping of ports (including two USB, Ethernet, two HDMI outs, one component out, and an SDXC compatible memory card port). If playback alone doesn't float your boat (and we don't blame you), three of the new models include 3D Blu-ray recorders, including the DMR-BWT3000 (2TB), DMR-BWT2000 (1TB), and DMR-BWT1000 (750GB). All the aforementioned recorders sport 2Digital BS / 110°CS TV tuner, 1 Analog TV tuner, i.Link, SDXC memory card slot, Ethernet, VIERA Link, VOD Services, and BD-Live. Both the 2TB and 1TB models come with a pair of HDMI ports, while 750GB model owners will have to make do with one. All three are pegged to burn BD-RE discs at 1x, BD-R at 6x, and BD-R LTH, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, and DVD-R DL formats. Akihabara is reporting a street date of April 23rd, 2010.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/09/p...rders-players/

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Peter Moore wants to be convinced by OnLive, already a fan of Arc controller

February 9th, 2010, 23:19 Posted By: wraggster

Peter Moore, formerly the big cheese in charge of Xbox, is now the head of EA Sports, but he's lost none of the forthrightness that's made him a popular man to interview in the past. In his latest sitdown with CVG, Peter expressed his admiration for the nascent OnLive cloud gaming service, but also noted that he remains uncertain as to whether it will actually work when millions of people decide to play the same game at the same time -- a reservation we probably all share. He did point out that the sort of readily accessible gaming OnLive represents was in his company's plans, and would be expanded with more browser-based games. Finally, as someone who's seen the PlayStation 3 Arc controller in action Peter should be well qualified to assess it, and he describes it as a "great complement to what's out there," claiming that it brings a substantially different experience to Nintendo's Wii Remote.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/09/p...y-a-fan-of-ar/

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A Heads Up On Gran Turismo 5's Online Race Interface

February 9th, 2010, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster



While Gran Turismo 5's release date seems to be a little slippery, it's online race management interface appears to be headed in the right direction, with a snazzy, simple but deep HUD for all your multiplayer race needs.

http://kotaku.com/5468030/a-heads-up...race-interface

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Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! Forced To Change Its Name, Sequel Delayed

February 9th, 2010, 23:25 Posted By: wraggster

The PSP strategy game series that kicked off with the brilliantly titled Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This? will get a new, less legally conflicting name, according to its publisher.

NIS America said in a statement today that the Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman series "had a conflict of interest with an existing IP" and will henceforth be known as What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? The unnamed intellectual property is presumably, you know, the Warner Bros. owned Batman franchise.

How does this impact you? For starters, the original version of the game, released through the PlayStation Network last year, has been yanked. It will be temporarily unavailable until NIS America can do a decent scrubbing of any infringing implications toward Batman.

NIS America has also delayed the sequel to May 4, changing the game's name from Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time to Tighten Up Security! to What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2. Hmph.

Sounds like those of you who may have downloaded the original Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! have yourself a digital collector's item.

http://kotaku.com/5467932/holy-invas...sequel-delayed

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Ghost Recon also headed to Wii, PSP, and DS

February 9th, 2010, 23:31 Posted By: wraggster

Among the handful of Ubiscoops about 2010's releases coming out of today's investor call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot brought up the tactical Tom Clancy franchise Ghost Recon. Beyond the already revealed platforms for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Guillemot detailed the franchise's further ubiquity, saying the next Ghost Recon game will "be on all platforms: 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, [and] DS." He noted that the Wii version of Ghost Recon will "be done by a different team" with a "different approach ... created for that Wii population." Presumably, the game will involve standing on the balance board to approximate a sniper's breathing -- and it'll also be made up entirely of mini-games. Whoa, whoa -- calm down there killer. We're just joshin' ya!

He also confirmed something we've been mentioning for months now: "There will be more competition in the first eight months than in the last four." Get your calculators and spreadsheets out, folks -- early 2010 is gonna be a bruiser like we've never seen before (on our bank accounts, that is).

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/gh...rsion-develop/

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To Rapture, once again - BioShock 2 Available today! Shipping schedule inside!

February 10th, 2010, 01:47 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



The underwater nightmare is not done yet, Rapture and the Little Sisters now drag you into the dark depths once again into the splendid, fallen utopia. The mutated people and the general menace within the glass walls are more powerful than ever, you need both brain and brawns in the game to survive.

From the publisher: Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past. Along the Atlantic coastline, a monster has been snatching little girls and bringing them back to the undersea city of Rapture.

You are the very first Big Daddy as you travel through the decrepit and beautiful fallen city, chasing an unseen foe in search of answers and your own survival.

Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides a rich prequel experience that expands the award winning BioShock gameplay. Set during the fall of Rapture, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject in the underwater city that was first explored in the original BioShock.

Players will need to use all the elements of the game’s toolset to survive as the full depth of the BioShock experience is refined and transformed into a unique multiplayer experience that can only be found in Rapture.

The game is available on your favourite home consoles and the PC. The Asian versions are available today, US versions will come on Friday (Feb 12) and the Japanese versions will come in March.

Xbox360™
Bioshock 2 JPN US$ 68.90
Bioshock 2 ASIA US$ 49.90
Bioshock 2 US US$ 64.90
Bioshock 2 (Special Edition) ASIA US$ 109.90

PlayStation3™
Bioshock 2 JPN US$ 72.90
Bioshock 2 US US$ 64.90
Bioshock 2 ASIA US$ 54.90
Bioshock 2 (Special Edition) ASIA US$ 109.90

PC CD-ROM
Bioshock 2 (DVD-ROM) US US$ 54.90
Bioshock 2 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 44.90
Bioshock 2 (Special Edition) (DVD-ROM) ASIA N/A

Game Guides
BioShock 2 Limited Edition Strategy Guide US US$ 34.90
BioShock 2 Signature Series Guide US US$ 19.90

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-2bf-84-n.html

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Nine circles of Hell - Dante's Inferno - Available today!

February 10th, 2010, 01:53 Posted By: wraggster



Comic books and military themed novels have their games, now an epic poem will get the same treatment. Travel through the nine circles of hell and battle the Satan for your beloved Beatrice. Each level represents a sin, look for the tormented souls and admire that grotesquely beautiful world.

From the publisher: An abducted soul. A lifetime of sins. A journey to the depths of despair.

Based on the immensely influential classic poem, Dante’s Inferno takes you on an epic quest of vengeance and redemption through the Nine Circles of Hell.

You are Dante, a veteran of the Crusades who must chase his beloved Beatrice and try to free her soul from Lucifer’s grasp.

As your pursuit takes you deeper into the pits of Hell, you must battle ever more fierce and hideous monsters—while also facing your own sins, a dark family past, and your unforgivable war crimes.

Do the pictures of Hell live up to your expectations?

The game is available on the most graphically capable consoles. The US and Asian versions have arrived (except for the PSP version, which comes in March). All Japanese version will come next week (February 18th):

Xbox360™
Dante's Inferno US US$ 64.90
Dante's Inferno JPN US$ 74.90
Dante's Inferno (Death Edition) ASIA US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™
Dante's Inferno US US$ 64.90
Dante's Inferno JPN US$ 74.90
Dante's Inferno (Death Edition) ASIA US$ 59.90

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...-2bg-84-n.html

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BioShock has "many stories" to be told, says 2K

February 10th, 2010, 17:18 Posted By: wraggster

There are "many stories" that could be told within the BioShock universe, the sequel's audio lead has told CVG.

Speaking in our recently-published BioShock 2 interview, 2K's Michael Kamper said the series has some "pretty intense fans" who'd lap up any sort of brand expansion.

"Rapture is probably one of the most unique places ever invented," he told CVG. "I have to imagine that there are many stories that could be told within its walls. But right now we're just focused on making a successful launch for BioShock 2."

On expanding the BioShock 2 brand to other media, such as comics, toys and films, Kamper said: "Personally I would love to see all of those things available but I can't speak to future plans regarding any brand expansion.

"We have some pretty intense fans who I know would just devour all of that material and 2K's dedication to quality would make sure that every product would be something worth spending your money on."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Yakuza 3 premium edition revealed

February 10th, 2010, 17:19 Posted By: wraggster

Sega has just revealed plans to release a premium edition of Yakuza 3 on PS3 when the Tokyo-set brawler arrives in UK shops on March 12.

The fatter bundle, which Sega confirmed to CVG will cost £49.99, will come packed with:

4 pieces of DLC
- Battle for Survival - Take on all the bosses of Yakuza 3 as Kazuma
- All-Star Tournament (7 character tournament)
- All-Star Tag Tournament (8 team tournament)
- Haruka's Request - This unique series of challenge missions will send you on a task of exploration throughout the entire Yakuza world, playing mini-games and entertaining Haruka.

31 track soundtrack
Yakuza Who's Who - learn how all the characters are connected and who turned from rivals to allies in this fully animated guide

There are some pre-order-only goodies too. According to the official PR: "Consumers who pre-order the game will receive the Challenge Pack which will allow them to enjoy 2 player mini games, competing against their friends at Pool, Bowling, Darts and Golf. They will also be able to customise their principle characters with four alternative costumes for Kazuma, Haruka and Rikiya."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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DaedalusX64 rev.460 - N64 emulator for PSP

February 10th, 2010, 19:21 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...7&view_reply=1

New revision available for Daedalus X64, the only emulator of the Nintendo 64 present on the PSP homebrew scene. New in this update improves overall stability of the program. Was also introduced support for roms format. Bin. I remember that the revision 430, to start the homebrew you need a PSP with custom firmware 3.71M33 least.
Following the full changelog and the link to download.

Changelog rev.460:

Quote:

- Implemented DLParser_S2DEX_Bg1cyc
- Added a handler for odd length PI
- Defined GBI2_Quad properly> GBI2_Line_3D moved to 0x08 (Fixes the HUD on Spider Man)
- Use SetNewVertexInfoVFPU directly
- Made only gLogSpDMA debug as well as other bits that should not be exposed to release build
- Small code clean up
- Support for bin roms

http://daedalusx64.svn.sourceforge.net/

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Fairytale Fights DLC Treasure Pack Hits PlayStation Network

February 10th, 2010, 19:24 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


Amsterdam/New York - Playlogic Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq OTC: PLGC.OB), an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, today announced that starting February 11th, Fairytale Fights fans will be able to download Treasure Pack 1 in the PlayStation Store through the PlayStation Network on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. Treasure Pack 1 will be available for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace at a later date.

Treasure Pack 1 is the first downloadable pack released for Fairytale Fights, the hack n' slash platform-adventure game developed by Playlogic Game Factory. The pack includes new characters playable in story mode and the new PvP arena's. New characters include:

• Bones: a two foot tall calcium lover
  
• Princess Afia: the mysterious princessfrom a sparkly land far far away
  
• Grandma Red: Little Red Riding Hood's grandma
  
• Puss in Boots: everyone's favorite feline

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Chuckie Egg

February 10th, 2010, 19:25 Posted By: wraggster

News/release from rosera

Just a quick release - I found the source to Chucke Egg at the weekend and ported it to the PSP.

The Zip contains a README.PSP with keys and stuff.

For those of you who have never heard of chuckie egg (is that even possible) its an early platform game made famous on the BBC B Micro. Its simple, but very addictive, even my kids with their new fangled graphics have enjoyed playing it.

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NIS America has to rename Badman

February 10th, 2010, 19:26 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Nippon Ichi America has said it will rename its quirky PSP title "Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This?" immediately due to a "conflict of interest with an existing IP".

This applies to the original game, released last year (check out our review), and the sequel, which has been delayed to 4th May in the US to implement the change.

The game has also been pulled from the US PlayStation Store until it can be re-branded. The new name is "What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!?"

There's no word on what the IP was that threw up the conflict, but everyone assumes Batman. We've contacted Tecmo Koei, which distributed Badman in Europe, to find out whether the news is any different in these parts.

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3D Dot Game Heroes gets release date

February 10th, 2010, 19:30 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


SouthPeak has announced that 3D Dot Game Heroes will launch in Europe on 14th May, just a few days after its US release.

The game is already available in Japan, hence we've already reviewed it. 7/10, since you're asking.

3D Dot Game Heroes is a PS3 action adventure game in the retro style. Expect pretty visuals, massive weapons and some fun parodies of classic Japanese RPGs.

Those who just can't wait might like to get themselves along to the Midlands MCM Expo, taking place at the Telford International Centre on 20th February. There you'll be able to go hands-on with the game, a first for Europe.

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SEGA dates Resonance of Fate

February 10th, 2010, 23:06 Posted By: wraggster

SEGA's dated Resonance of Fate (once End of Eternity) for 26th March in Europe.

This is the PS3 and Xbox 360 role-playing game being made by Star Ocean: The Last Hope developer tri-Ace.

Eye-catching features are a Steampunk world and semi-real-time gunfights with an in-built chain attack system.

The story's based around a tower-like Basel structure that is now the only place mankind can survive. You, as heroes Vashyron, Zephyr and Leanne, will gradually uncover the secrets of the world.

There will be plenty of customisation both for characters and their weapons, too.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/se...onance-of-fate

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This Summer, the PS3 Goes 3D Through Two Firmware Updates

February 10th, 2010, 23:08 Posted By: wraggster

Sony hasn't exactly been coy about positioning the PS3 as a platform for 3D gaming and movies, but now SCEA's John Koller has revealed that multiple 3D firmware updates will arrive on the PS3 by this summer:

3D is a major part of our initiatives in 2010 and we're currently developing 3D stereoscopic games to come in conjunction with the launch of Sony's 3D compatible BRAVIA LCD TV in summer 2010. The amazing thing about the PS3's technology is that all PS3 units that exist in homes and markets will be able to play 3D stereoscopic games as well as 3D BD movies through separate firmware upgrades - something that other platforms are unable to do. We'll be announcing actual game titles separately later, but we think that 3D stereoscopic gaming has a ton of potential, particularly in placing consumers within the actual experience.
It's interesting to note that 3D gaming and 3D Blu-ray will represent separate firmware updates for the PS3, most likely as the 3D Blu-ray update will be focused solely on bringing the PS3 up to the HDMI 1.4 standard (note: as some have pointed out, the full HDMI 1.4 spec is not firmware updatable, but Sony is addressing 3D Blu-ray movies—a key component of the update—somehow) while the gaming update will be for, well, whatever Sony is doing with that.

http://gizmodo.com/5468505/this-summ...rmware-updates

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Developer: Not Many People Hook Their PSP Up To The PSN

February 10th, 2010, 23:28 Posted By: wraggster

Dylan Cuthbert, boss of PixelJunk creators Q Games, has told G4 that few gamers bother hooking their PSPs up to the PlayStation Store.

"At this time, we have no plans for more stuff on the PSP", he told the station's blog. "I don't think it's piracy that has deflated sales, I just don't think many people hook their PSPs up to the PSN store yet. We only enjoy making games if at least a few people play them! So everyone, hook your PSPs up to the store and download some games!"

Maybe people are still scarred by the way you used to have to connect to the PlayStation Store, before the PSP got wi-fi access to it? That was an awful process. Those scars run deep.

http://kotaku.com/5468310/developer-...-up-to-the-psn

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Sony: More "existing franchises" to get motion updates

February 11th, 2010, 17:23 Posted By: wraggster

LittleBigPlanet, Pain, Flower and Resident Evil 5: Alternate Edition are just some of the existing games that are being updated to support Sony's new motion wands when they arrive later this year, and Sony says it's looking at more of its franchises, too.

Speaking with the Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Michael Denny, senior VP of Sony Worldwide Studios Europe, said: "When you give our development teams exciting new technology, it's great to see the experiences they come up with.

"And that's both in terms of new concepts and new games, but also the application of those technologies to our existing franchises."

He later added: "We are both working on new games and looking at applications to our existing franchises."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Badman name change for Europe too

February 11th, 2010, 19:00 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Nippon Ichi has confirmed to Eurogamer that this week's "Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!" name change does apply to Europe as well and has dated the sequel in the process.

The second game in the newly renamed "What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!?" series will be released over here on 7th May.

As in the US, the name change will mean the original Badman game, which we reviewed last year, also disappears from the European PlayStation Store to allow Nippon Ichi to update it. Hopefully it will be back soon.

NIS America hasn't officially commented on the "existing IP" with which the game's former name was considered to be in "conflict of interest", but everyone reckons it's Batman, obviously. Stupid Dark Knight always getting up in people's grills. Jerk.

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God of War 3 review - 9/10 in OPM

February 11th, 2010, 19:09 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


The latest issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine is in, and it's got the first review of God of War 3, giving Kratos' third outing a 9/10.

Is it better than the recent rip-off (but pretty bloody good) Dante's Inferno? Yes, says the review in issue 43 of OPM, and it even destroys the first two GoW games too.

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Rebellion: AVP not a "me too" shooter

February 11th, 2010, 20:52 Posted By: wraggster

Aliens Vs Predator senior producer Dave Brickley says the brutal FPS isn't just another "me too" shooter, and so won't need to clash directly with the FPS top dogs, Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3.

In an interview with CVG, Brickley said: "Those are really awesome games, and it's not hard to see why they are so dominant. Which is why it's nice not to be going into such a competitive market as a 'me too' shooter.

"FPS is just one of three strands in Aliens vs Predator, and it's that three species approach which means we have a unique opportunity to tear people away from what they may be enjoying," he added.

"Even as an FPS it's a very different proposition - we've carried the survival / horror ethos across from the single player into [the multiplayer modes]."

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Sony Announces First 3D Blu-ray Disc Players

February 11th, 2010, 21:04 Posted By: wraggster

Sony has announced a new 3D Blu-ray Disc player and upgrades to existing players so that they will be able to show high-definition 3D movies too. The company introduced the BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc model and upgraded existing home theater systems, which will be able to play Blu-ray movies when related firmware for the devices is released later this year. Movies based on the Blu-ray 3D specification, which was finalized by the Blu-ray Association in December, can be shown on the players

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/1...y-Disc-Players

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Bad Company 2 getting launch DLC

February 11th, 2010, 21:16 Posted By: wraggster

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be supported by day-one downloadable content in line with EA's Project Ten Dollar plan.

Senior producer Patrich Bach from developer DICE toed the new line in an interview with WorthPlaying.

"We have an in-game store where you get free content or you can buy new content to the game, so it's a very integral part of the game that we will have a long post-launch campaign," he said.

"I think people will be thrilled to see what's in that already. On day one, you will get some really cool stuff."

Last month DICE executive producer Karl Magnus Troedsson said that the game would provide "a good bit of stuff for free", as well as paid DLC.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 5th March.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ba...ing-launch-dlc

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First proper LA Noire details appear

February 11th, 2010, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster

Rockstar's 1940s crime thriller LA Noire may change how actors are captured and recreated in games for ever.

Developer Team Bondi is using groundbreaking technology developed by sister company Depth Analysis to capture all aspects of a performance at once - audio, visual and movement - and recreate them quickly and en-masse to characters in-game.

"Traditionally, one minute of facial animation could take a couple of animators a month. The idea is that we can mass-produce. We can produce about 20 minutes of final footage a day, and it's seamless - I don't even have character artists or animators working with me," Depth Analysis' Oliver Bao told Game Informer (via VG247).

Getaway creator and Team Bondi boss Brendan McNamara said even games like Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect 2 have characters that look like "goldfish" in comparison. And lip-synching is a problem no longer.

This time-consuming method has allowed McNamara to realise a 2000-page script that calls for performances by over 300 actors. When you consider that an average film is between 95 and 125 pages long, the scope of this game is staggering. Hollywood director Michael Uppendahl is on hand to help, and will direct stars like Aaron Staton.

And for LA Noire, this technology represents far more than bragging rights.

"It's obviously cool technology, but the key thing for us is that when you're interrogating someone, you can read their faces and tell if they're lying," said McNamara. "That is a key component of the gameplay."

Interrogation is a cornerstone of LA Noire. Evidence can be gathered at crime scenes and witnesses interrogated. Anything of interest will be recorded automatically in a notebook. Eventually, lead character Cole Phelps can sit down with suspects and challenge their statements, choosing between coax, accuse and force responses - like in Mass Effect 2, these options represent the general tone of your dialogue choice, not the words themselves.

The game of LA Noire follows Phelps through the ranks of the LAPD, where he'll progress from beat cop to the desks of traffic, vice, burglary and arson. Eventually he'll make it to homicide detective.

Along the way he'll have to work with different partners, and he'll come to realise that the force itself is filled with people that have far less than saintly dispositions.

"Who he is at the beginning is completely different from who he is at the end. There's a journey. In most games - even my old games - who someone is at the beginning is who they are at the end. You don't get that in movies or literature - people change. We want you to go on a journey with him. We're trying to pull that off," McNamara explained.

LA Noire's painstakingly recreated world of 1947 Los Angeles is another talking point. It's the biggest and most detailed areas Rockstar has ever made - and Rockstar makes some big and detailed worlds (GTAIV). Over 180,000 photographs of post-war Los Angeles were sourced and scanned, producing a city as accurately recreated as is humanly possible.

What's more, 90 per cent of the crimes in the game are based on real capers of the time. And they're far from slapstick romps.

"Some of them were too wild to use," realised McNamara. "One was about a preacher walking down Broadway with a bullwhip, whipping non-believers. [Laughs] We thought that was a great story, but we didn't know how to work it in.

"There was a guy in Santa Monica who was driving a four-engine plane down the street at midnight. He had an accident because he didn't have lights on the plane - if you came up with that in a design meeting, people would throw you out!"

LA Noire is in development for PS3 and Xbox 360 and will be released this autumn. That's the plan.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fi...details-appear

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Retailer Slashes Final Fantasy XIII's Price In Half

February 11th, 2010, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

Not only are used copies of Final Fantasy XIII not worth very much money, new copies of the game are cheap, cheap, cheap. Great news if you haven't bought the game.

The PS3 game went on sale on December 17 for ¥9,240 (US$102). Shops have been buying back the game for ¥1,500.

Retailer Sofmap in Tokyo's Akihabara has stacks and stacks of Final Fantasy XIII. Yours for ¥3,980 ($44), but this is a limited time sale promotion. To point to this as a sign that FFXIII was some sort of failure in Japan is a mistake. It's not that at all.

However, it does show that retailers might have ordered too many copies of the game and are trying to unload copies. Bad for them, but good thing for consumers! If you haven't already, go pick up your copy at 59 percent off. Do it.

http://kotaku.com/5469394/retailer-s...-price-in-half

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Just Add Water announces 'Vektar Beat' for PSP Minis and iPhone

February 11th, 2010, 22:44 Posted By: wraggster

Gravity Crash developer Just Add Water has announced a brand new game for PSP, PS3 and iPhone. Vektar Beat is a "rhythm/puzzle game" that will presumably feature vector-styled graphics. Taking a page from WiiWare's Bit.Trip franchise, Vektar Beat is just the first in a series of Vektar mini-games.

While details are scant, there's good reason to play close attention to the game. Just Add Water plans on charging as little as $1 for the game on the Minis service, introducing pricing parity between the App Store and the PlayStation Store for the first time. For PSP owners frustrated at overpriced Minis, Vektar Beat represents an interesting experiment.

Vektar Beat is scheduled for release in the Spring. Further details are scant for now, but tonight's episode of the PS Nation podcast should reveal much more.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/11/ju...is-and-iphone/

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PSARDUMPER compatible with firmware 6.xx

February 12th, 2010, 00:35 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://www.psp-ita.com/?module=news&...0&view_reply=1

The coder bbtgp issued today on the forum of lan.st PSARDUMPER a new version of the application can decrypt the files contained nell'EBOOT. Pbp various official firmware. This new version is able to decrypt all the files even the last firmware 6.20, unlike the New PSARDUMPER 6:20 v0.1 MOD Lime which did not provide all the PRX / RCO dell'EBOOT. Pbp.
More information and a link to download below.

Installation:

Quote:

- Copy the EBOOT. Pbp decrypt the firmware in the Memory Stick root directory
- Copy the folder newpsardumper to PSP / GAME
- Start the

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PSN base tops 40m as XBL users rise

February 12th, 2010, 16:24 Posted By: wraggster

Sony and Microsoft have revealed new online user stats, following both firm’s latest NPD results.
Microsoft say that the Live community has grown to 23 million – both Gold and Silver users – marking a high rate of Live adoption from the 39 million 360 consoles sold worldwide.
Sony, meanwhile, says that it has clocked over 40 million PSN accounts, coming from a mixture of 33.5 million PS3 owners and 56 million PSP units sold.
Speaking on his PlayStation blog, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton said the rise in PSN came with a 155% jump in digital sales between 2008-2009.
Sony recently fuelled rumours that the PSN service will implement subscription charges.

Microsoft added that 2.3 million Live users logged into Xbox Live over January – a new record for the platform holder.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37547/PSN-...ve-users-climb

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PSN base tops 40m as XBL users rise

February 12th, 2010, 16:24 Posted By: wraggster

Sony and Microsoft have revealed new online user stats, following both firm’s latest NPD results.
Microsoft say that the Live community has grown to 23 million – both Gold and Silver users – marking a high rate of Live adoption from the 39 million 360 consoles sold worldwide.
Sony, meanwhile, says that it has clocked over 40 million PSN accounts, coming from a mixture of 33.5 million PS3 owners and 56 million PSP units sold.
Speaking on his PlayStation blog, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton said the rise in PSN came with a 155% jump in digital sales between 2008-2009.
Sony recently fuelled rumours that the PSN service will implement subscription charges.

Microsoft added that 2.3 million Live users logged into Xbox Live over January – a new record for the platform holder.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/37547/PSN-...ve-users-climb

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Modern Warfare 2 DLC release date: April?

February 12th, 2010, 16:26 Posted By: wraggster

Modern Warfare 2's first DLC pack will arrive in early April, a reliable source has told CVG.

The official word from Activision on the add-on pack's release - which will be an Xbox 360 timed exclusive - is that it's planned for "spring". Our source's claim would put its release bang in the middle of that season.

There's no word yet on what Modern Warfare players should expect in the first DLC pack, and last month community man Robert Bowling wasn't exactly bursting to enlighten us.

"We're still figuring out what the DLC will include, until we know for sure, I can't comment on what to expect yet," he said via Twitter. We're after more maps, simple as.

Activision was unavailable for comment.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...VG-General-RSS

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Half-Minute Hero no longer out today

February 12th, 2010, 16:35 Posted By: wraggster

Inventive PSP RPG Half-Minute Hero has slipped to next Friday.

Rising Star was supposed to deliver the game today, and apologised on Twitter for the "302400 half-minute" delay.

Half-Minute Hero has a familiar role-playing tale broken into 30-second gameplay chunks. The result is frantic and impossible to put down.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ha...nger-out-today

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gpSP-J 100211th - GBA Emulator for PSP Released

February 12th, 2010, 17:34 Posted By: wraggster

New update available for the Game Boy Advance emulator gpSP-J, as amended dell'Unofficial Takka gpSP developed by coder. Unfortunately the changelog in Japanese does not allow us to understand the new features introduced with this release.

via pspita

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PSPMame R0.5 - MAME Arcade Emulator for PSP

February 12th, 2010, 17:38 Posted By: wraggster

News via pspita

The Japanese coder TMK, resuming work Takka, issue a new update for PSPMame, porting to the PSP of MAME, Application can emulate multiple platforms arcade. Among the novelties of this release, adding a filter for the display order of roms. Enclosed you will find the source of the program.

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Weird Ads for White Knight Chronicles

February 12th, 2010, 19:08 Posted By: Darksaviour69





These weird ads for White Knight Chronicles are weird!

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New Disgaea For PS3

February 12th, 2010, 19:34 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


Nippon Ichi's financial problems could mean good things for PlayStation 3 owners next year. The Japanese publisher announced today a plan to help it recover from expected losses. The PS3 features heavily in the plan.

For the current year, Nippon Ichi recently lowered its sales and profit earnings. The company originally expected sales of 1,788 million yen and a modest operating profit of 30 million yen. It now expects sales of 1,131 million yen and a massive loss of 299 million yen.

The company's recovery plan for the upcoming fiscal year calls for a more focused lineup, with just eight new releases, six of which are original titles. Included in the eight is a new PS3 Disgaea game of some form.

Nippon Ichi also hopes to recover through a greater focus on overseas markets. The PS3 benefits here too, as the company said that the PS3 and North America would be central to its overseas business expansion.

Expect to see a good deal of Prinny in the coming year, especially if you're a PS3 owner.

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25 stunning FFXIII screenshots

February 12th, 2010, 19:41 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


It's not long now until you'll have Square's latest RPG epic in your hands (March 9), and you never need an excuse to glare at more awesome Final Fantasy XIII screenshots.

We've got 25 below for you, and we'll have a lot more on the game soon, including a chat with the producer, Yoshinori Kitase.


Screenshots here

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Last year was "best yet" for PS3 - Sony

February 12th, 2010, 20:54 Posted By: wraggster

Sony Computer Entertainment America boss Jack Tretton has said PS3 is doing very nicely thank you, adding that the only way is up.

"2009 was a great success for the PlayStation brand in a market that continues to be impacted by a down economy," he wrote on the US PlayStation blog. "I wanted to thank you for making this past year the best yet for the PS3."

Tretton went on to cite NPD figures which state consumers spent 15 per cent more on PS3 software last year - even though software sales across all platforms were down 9 per cent. The PS3 was the only console to enjoy double-digit growth in the US last quarter.

December was a good month for Sony, with a million consoles and 7.3 million games sold. January hardware sales were up 36 per cent year-on-year.

According to Tretton, sales of Uncharted 2 have surpassed Sony's "lofty expectations" and the game outsold the first instalment in the series, with 3 million copies sold worldwide. MAG is also doing alright, with more than have a million copies shifted and 270,000 matches played.

"We've also successfully established that we're not just a disc-based powerhouse, but we're also a digital powerhouse," said Tretton. PlayStation Network revenue was up 155 per cent year-on-year in December. Apparently, "More than 40 million of you all over the world are coming to PlayStation Network to access multimedia content and to enhance your social gaming experiences."

The Sony boss cited Heavy Rain, God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII as reasons to be cheerful, adding, "Not to mention the many other games we're keeping up our sleeves." Then there's the motion controller, of course.

"Thank you again for making PS3 your entertainment device of choice. We look forward to your continued excitement for the brand," Tretton concluded.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/la...t-for-ps3-sony

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Sony: PS3 supply to be 'tight' over coming months

February 12th, 2010, 21:19 Posted By: wraggster

Sony's senior director of corporate communications Patrick Seybold issued a statement after last night's NPD numbers for January, explaining that the company's flagship console may be a bit difficult to find at retail over the next few months. "We're working very hard with our retail partners to meet consumer interest, but the demand is tremendously high for the PS3 and we expect tight inventory in the coming months," Seybold notes in the statement.

As this is the first we've heard about any sort of PlayStation 3 hardware shortages, we followed up with Seybold to make sure he wasn't only warning about future supply issues, but also explaining January's sales of the console. He told us: "Yes. The strong demand carrying through the holidays was evident and early in the month we [knew] there was going to be limited supply of the PS3 at retail in January. We're working closely with the retail channel to meet this demand, but expect tight supply for the coming months."

The upcoming supply issues may also be a result of Sony's "upcoming line up of the industry's most anticipated games" -- games like Heavy Rain, God of War 3, and ModNation Racers. Seybold additionally points out that "this momentum is fueled by a stellar holiday" and the recent releases of games like MAG and BioShock 2.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/so...coming-months/

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Uncharted 2 outselling first game, 'closing in' on 3m sold

February 12th, 2010, 21:20 Posted By: wraggster

It may not have charted in the January NPDs, but Uncharted 2 has stealthily beaten sales of the first game in the series, according to PlayStation's Jack Tretton. We can think of a number of reasons why: Certainly, the growing install base of the PS3 has something to do with franchise's growing success; and perhaps the addition of multiplayer makes Uncharted 2 a more attractive purchase than the first game; or maybe it's simply because it's pretty darn good.

Uncharted 2 sales are "now closing in on three million copies sold worldwide," according to Tretton. Considering those figures, it's clear that Sony management should have one directive for developer Naughty Dog: "Make another one, please!"

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/un...-million-sold/

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Cage initially wanted PlayStation Motion Controller for Heavy Rain

February 12th, 2010, 21:21 Posted By: wraggster

Just to prove we're willing to go the extra mile for you here at Joystiq, we taught ourselves Norwegian just to bring you the latest from David Cage's interview with Norwegian publication Dagbladet. Sadly, Mr. Cage's answers were not in Norwegian, meaning we wasted $8,000 and what our instructor Jokkum Frantzberg called "a very good ear for Norwegian." The entire project was not in vain, though, as we managed to find this quote from Cage regarding his upcoming Heavy Rain.

"If you are talking about Motion Control, this is something we initially considered for Heavy Rain. The very first version of the game design was based on motion control, but it was not feasible at the time," he said. Dagbladet later helped us confirm via one of Cage's reps that he had hoped to design the game for the PlayStation Motion Controller originally, but felt the tech simply wasn't far enough along.

Cage went on to add, "I have a lot of interest in Sony's motion device and there is a good chance that we announce something about it in the coming weeks." We don't know what he'll announce, but we certainly hope that it'll be in Norwegian.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/ca...-for-heavy-ra/

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Star Ocean: The Last Hope International

February 12th, 2010, 23:31 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
Up to four characters can take part in battles simultaneously and party members can be switched mid-battle
New Blindside battle system fuses evasion and offense, enabling players to confuse and ambush enemies by quickly moving out of their line of sight when targeted
Pilot the Calnus spaceship for the first time in the series and journey to various planets of the STAR OCEAN universe
Features breathtaking CG movies by Visual Works, the cutting-edge studio whose previous work includes cut scenes for the acclaimed FINAL FANTASY® series
In addition to English and Japanese voice options, the PlayStation 3 system version will include English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese language options for STAR OCEAN fans around the world

description
The year is A.D. 2087. In the aftermath of World War III, Earth has been ravaged and the population decimated by a deteriorating environment. The countries that survived have joined together to form the Greater Unified Nations and turned their eyes skyward…to space. Edge Maverick and his childhood friend Reimi Saionji are chosen as pioneer members of the Space Reconnaissance Force, which was created to seek out new worlds beyond the stars. Their ship, the Calnus, takes its place on the lunar launch pad along with four other starships of the first reconnaissance fleet. These ships – humanity’s last hope – blast off one-by-one and sail into the awaiting wormhole that leads to the vast star ocean. And so, Edge and his crew begin their voyage in search of a new haven for humanity...and a second chance.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3ko2.html

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Square Enix Probing Altered FFXIII Comparison Shots

February 14th, 2010, 13:45 Posted By: wraggster



Sonia Im, Square Enix's North American spokeswoman has said the company is investigating a batch of suspicious screenshots purporting to compare Final Fantasy XIII on the PS3 and Xbox 360, yet are apparently the same image with different control overlays.

Via Twitter late yesterday evening, Im said, "We are looking into how the #FFXIII altered screens ended up in our presskit & will update asap. This was obviously not intentional ..."

In a subsequent message, she adds: "..Aside from easily being proven as altered, and this method not being one we use, we don't feel there is a need to enhance the X360."

"Enhance the X360," is probably not the best choice of words for that constituency, but that's the minefield into which Square Enix should have known it was tiptoeing by doing a screen compare. Especially for this game, and especially given what it represents. To blow it with this kind of foul-up is about the worst outcome imaginable. The admission of the mistake is a good start, but it would have been better not to make the decision that led to it in the first place.

http://kotaku.com/5471186/square-eni...mparison-shots

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SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3 Review: Fire In The Hole!

February 14th, 2010, 13:52 Posted By: wraggster

SOCOM: Tactical Strike and Confrontation developer Slant Six Games gives the franchise another go, picking up where Zipper Interactive left off with SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 for the PSP.

There are weapons of mass destruction in the fictional country of Koratvia, and it's up to you and your crack team of Navy SEALs to track them down before it's too late. Players take on the role of Wraith (whom some will remember from Fireteam Bravo 2), in command of his own strike force this time around, issuing orders to his three teammates and generally trying not to get his ass shot off in the process.

Slant Six Games hasn't had the best track record with Sony's squad-based tactical shooter franchise so far, having delivered a very laggy and buggy PlayStation 3 version in Confrontation and a frustrating mess of a tactical strategy game in Tactical Strike for the PSP. Why the hell would Sony gamble the consistently solid Fireteam Bravo series by putting it in Slant Six's hands?

Full review --> http://kotaku.com/5470502/socom-us-n...re-in-the-hole

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Uncharted 2 Gets New Multiplayer Maps, Skins & Trophies On Feb. 25

February 14th, 2010, 13:53 Posted By: wraggster

Naughty Dog's PlayStation 3 action adventure Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is about to get some fresh multiplayer content in the form of two new maps, six new player skins and all-new PlayStation Trophies and in-game medals.

http://kotaku.com/5470894/uncharted-...hies-on-feb-25

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Is Dead Or Alive: Paradise "Creepy"? Tecmo Says You Be The Judge

February 14th, 2010, 13:54 Posted By: wraggster



It's not often that the ESRB describes a video game with such vigor as the ratings board did with Tecmo's Dead or Alive: Paradise. It's equally rare for a publisher to thank the ESRB for calling its game "creepy."

But that's how Tecmo Koei America is promoting the mini-game-filled, jiggle-packed Dead or Alive spin-off.

"Thank you ESRB for labeling the game 'cheesy,' 'creepy' and 'bizarre,'" read a new press release sent our way. Sure, that press release also highlights the marketable points, that Dead or Alive: Paradise lets players "mingle, flirt, play, take snapshots and challenge them in mini-games found throughout the island." And there's a Valentine's Day card, of sorts, that asks you to "get your heart on." Clearly Tecmo is not offended.

So, armed with that knowledge, maybe having looked at some of the game's older screens and the its NSFW trailer, it's time to judge. Creepy? Or just bizarrely cheesy?

http://kotaku.com/5470845/is-dead-or...u-be-the-judge

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EmuMaster 3.00 - Nintendo Gameboy/Sega Master System/Game Gear for Sony PSP

February 14th, 2010, 18:09 Posted By: wraggster

News via http://emu-russia.net/en/

Nintendo Gameboy/Sega Master System/Game Gear for Sony PSP based on MasterBoy has been updated. Changes:
-load roms 5% speed up;
-fixed mario error;
-can now play metroid with color patch;
-new name EmuMaster;
-new images.

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PS3 Hacking News - Geohot Update

February 14th, 2010, 19:41 Posted By: wraggster

Geohot is back with a new post on his blog:

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PCSX2 0.9.7 sneak peek! - PS2 Emulator for Windows WIP News

February 14th, 2010, 22:24 Posted By: wraggster

Bositman has posted some great news concerning the next version of PCSX2: